Sundays Are For Watching Football -- So Here You Go

all I ask any of the players get is a fair shake. I just like so many of them, it is hard for me not to find things I appreciate. In the list of games you saw there, I think you just listed his worst games of his career, lol… For sure Iowa was his worst game, and the UVA game wasn’t great. But even for being bad games, I still was able to get down a lot on him in those games, just because he is so active. I think he can be mentally taken out of a game, maybe overthinking his role or something, but I agree, he doesn’t come across on film as a “wind-up and let er rip” kind of guy. One issue I have with the games where he gets shut down is that in those games he constanttly tries to just rip down the edge, and rarely varies his attack. I can’t imagine why that is, because in the past two years he has demonstrated one of the best overall technical arsenals from any 3 point stance guy I have looked at. That is why I think you might be mistaken as characterizing him as only having one or two moves: I see a LOT of moves, and a lot of setup going on. But yeah, he has been shut down by some odd ducks, no doubt. He has also blown away and performed well against some serious competition, and more consistently than the times he gets frustrated.

And thanks for weighing in on his pass coverage, that is valuable insight. I think he needs to get coached up on it, no doubt about it. Mayock said he looked good running LB backpedals, so for right now that is good enough for me, given how much I like some of his other tools (his burst, acceleration and tech ability specifically). He is a smart guy, and I think he can develop some pass coverage skills.

When I looked at 6:01 on the tape, that play, my god, I thought, this is the sort of dude that, when one talks about making a play, can become a disruptive force.

At 7:43 on the tape, you can see why Bulaga is the #1 tackle in this draft, but earlier, Morgan, instead of spinning wildly, actually does the right thing against a good tackle with good feet: power rush them.

One week you say to draft him and the next week you don’t. Jeremy, very solid analysis and I agree with a lot of it.

1. Obviously I am a Dan Williams fan but I acknowledge he may not be a pure 3-4 NT, though I think he may be. His build is unique and because of that, it would be hard to put him into a box or match him up with someone similar. I have seen Dan Williams play several games and other that taking plays off every now and then, which a lot of similar fatties tend to do, he has been solid. I watched him manhandle Maurkice Pouncey, which was very impressive. I watched him dictate the pace and force a double team against Iupati in the Senior Bowl. I watched him in his Bowl game (I forget the name) constantly penetrate the line.

In the games I have seen him play, he has always been double-teamed. It was very telling, though not earth-shattering, that Dan Williams was lined up next to Terrance Cody in the Senior Bowl and Dan Williams was the d-lineman drawing all the double-teams, not Cody.

Every game I have seen him play (maybe about six or so) he was at best a disruptor and at worst an immovable wall. Which games do you show him being stood up on a lot? I will go back on my DVR and see if I have it.

2. I think if we are going to look at Derrick Morgan as an OLB candidate, then we must also look at Brandon Graham, who I think is currently undervalued. Graham led the nation in tackles for loss and has shown consistent production. I have heard, and admittedly have no evidence, that Morgan is not as strong against the run. However, Graham is viewed as being equally good at run-stopping and rushing the QB. Obviously, Graham would not have the size to move to a DE spot where Morgan might.

3. I wonder about LaMarr Houston. I love the hometown stuff etc. but I wonder if he is a little overvalued. If you take away his bowl game, where he was a stud, would many people even know about this guy? I don’t think so. You are right, I have seen games where he is dominant and other games where he is dominated.

4. Jeremy, I would like to see you come up with a mock or a top 25 player list, or something similar.

I was looking around on rosters to see how to spell his name and no one had him listed, so I looked him up in my database, and he was a DE… At that point I was like “WTF??” and almost fired off an email so you could sort it out, but luckily the next link I clicked was an old Hawkeye press release that had the starting roster in it for the Orange Bowl. It sounds like Reiff was at G too, before moving over to OT. I watched a lot of Hawkeye ball, too, and never noticed. OF course, that was for Bulaga and Moeaki and a few others… Reiff isn’t even on my watchlist yet.

Houston Vs. the run makes me really wonder who takes him and where. He has earned his stripes so I think his name might have a little more play in some warrooms around the NFL. I really hope he lands on a 3-4 team, but I think he personally wants to play 4-3 one-gap DT…. Maybe he and the Broncos will get a chance to meet in the middle.. :)

The R-OLB designation has more to do with a conversation I have had with Colinski from time to time, about R-OLB being a sort of catchall for DL skills like pass rushing. I personally wouldn’t want to see him in the base 3-4 vs. the run, though he is one of the better “balanced” players in this draft in terms of run defense and pass rush. I see him as a set of skills that, if moved around, could be in on a lot of different situations. I could see him playing ROLB in the 3-4 on first down, LDE on 2nd and 8, one gap DT on a 3rd and 3 where interior runs are still a threat but you want a pocket collapsing presence inside on the pass…. It is really all about the toolset and finding ways to get it on the field in locations where we currently have limited toolsets on the roster.

Having said that, he isn’t perfect: at OLB his coverage skills are total unknowns with only hints as to being bad or good. At LDE in the 3-4 he could get caught in the wash in certain situational running downs, and wouldn’t be much protection for his backers in those cases… Whether he goes to the Broncos or not, I am excited to see how he develops, similar to how I was excited about seeing where Knowshon landed last year. Lucky me he landed in Denver….

that was my first thought… “Well, we won’t be taking any of these guys.”