Scouts Quotes on Prospects

[LonghornsLegend]

I love reading these every year, but always seems like 1 or 2 have to go overboard in 1 direction to be as extreme as possible to draw attention to it. Andrew Luck carried that Stanford offense, but now he's just a guy a long for the ride? I guess he thought he played for USC and had 5* recruits and ridiculous athletes all over the field to make plays for him.

[gpngc]

Originally Posted by Brown Leader

Per PFT's "what scouts are saying." Quoted sometime after Senior week practices but before the combine. Seems like at least two different scouts. Interesting ones...

Kendricks..........................

[ChiFan24]

Originally Posted by Brown Leader

Per PFT's "what scouts are saying." Quoted sometime after Senior week practices but before the combine. Seems like at least two different scouts. Interesting ones...

Found myself agreeing with A LOT of this, especially after the QB's and RB's. The stuff on Devon Still is good.

[Caulibflower]

Originally Posted by ChiFan24

Found myself agreeing with A LOT of this, especially after the QB's and RB's. The stuff on Devon Still is good.

Agree. Nice to see my thoughts on Tannehill and Luck being reflected by professional opinion. Bernard Pierce is a guy I've really wanted to like, but unfortunately I think I have to say I am ultimately finding myself falling in line with opinions like his; even against lower competition (think Wyoming) Pierce just doesn't really stand out. You've got a 220-lb back with that 4.50 speed going up against Wyoming and putting up 130 yards or whatever, and that sounds legit, but then you watch him and he doesn't look that physical, or fast, or anything - he's just a big slider, putting together a bunch of 3-6 yard runs. You want to see more explosion that that, and Pierce just doesn't look either explosive or physical enough to be an NFL runner. And then he basically says what I've been saying about Lamar Miller - he looks like an NFL running back, he's got the speed, but I question his physicality. He mentioned he'd been wearing some kind of shoulder sling this past year? I didn't know that, but I did notice what the scout was saying; that Miller showed a little propensity for turning into contact rather than squaring up. That's what was making me say things in other threads along the lines of, "I don't see Miller as the guy you want to give it to on 3rd and 3." He looks like a guy who's capable of ripping off big runs, but I haven't seen what I need to see in order to be confident that Miller can be a physical force from the RB position. It's great to be fast, but when I'm drafting a running back high, they need to be able to knock tacklers back a yard or two pretty consistently, and that's something Miller's never shown me. The only way I give a runner a pass on that is if they have Chris Johnson speed. Hell, I said CJ Spiller was going to be a bust if he got drafted by a team that expected him to be a primary running back. I've just never been on the Lamar Miller bandwagon, triangle numbers aside. Hard to hate a 5'11"/212/4.40 guy, but he's a mid-second/third round guy to me. Not a mid-late first as quite a few people are suggesting.

[bored of education]

Tony Pauline has heard from pro scouts that some teams have Poe as number 3 overall on there boards

[ChiFan24]

Originally Posted by bored of education

Tony Pauline has heard from pro scouts that some teams have Poe as number 3 overall on there boards

He's officially a top 11 lock in my book, and more likely top 9.

[CowboysBeastMode]

Originally Posted by Caulibflower

Agree. Nice to see my thoughts on Tannehill and Luck being reflected by professional opinion. Bernard Pierce is a guy I've really wanted to like, but unfortunately I think I have to say I am ultimately finding myself falling in line with opinions like his; even against lower competition (think Wyoming) Pierce just doesn't really stand out. You've got a 220-lb back with that 4.50 speed going up against Wyoming and putting up 130 yards or whatever, and that sounds legit, but then you watch him and he doesn't look that physical, or fast, or anything - he's just a big slider, putting together a bunch of 3-6 yard runs. You want to see more explosion that that, and Pierce just doesn't look either explosive or physical enough to be an NFL runner. And then he basically says what I've been saying about Lamar Miller - he looks like an NFL running back, he's got the speed, but I question his physicality. He mentioned he'd been wearing some kind of shoulder sling this past year? I didn't know that, but I did notice what the scout was saying; that Miller showed a little propensity for turning into contact rather than squaring up. That's what was making me say things in other threads along the lines of, "I don't see Miller as the guy you want to give it to on 3rd and 3." He looks like a guy who's capable of ripping off big runs, but I haven't seen what I need to see in order to be confident that Miller can be a physical force from the RB position. It's great to be fast, but when I'm drafting a running back high, they need to be able to knock tacklers back a yard or two pretty consistently, and that's something Miller's never shown me. The only way I give a runner a pass on that is if they have Chris Johnson speed. Hell, I said CJ Spiller was going to be a bust if he got drafted by a team that expected him to be a primary running back. I've just never been on the Lamar Miller bandwagon, triangle numbers aside. Hard to hate a 5'11"/212/4.40 guy, but he's a mid-second/third round guy to me. Not a mid-late first as quite a few people are suggesting.

lamar miller=felix jones

[Brown Leader]

@mod. What was the problem with the last quotes posted? Thought it was clear it was from the same source as the others. Or am I missing something?

[GaMeTiMe]

Love these mostly because of the wide-ranging opinions on some guys. I've said this before, I have no idea where Courtney Upshaw go within the first 2 rounds and the quotes from the scouts only cloud that further. I'm just realizing this now, but he's probably my biggest boom-or-bust player in this class. I can see him as a solid player for many years (even without being an annual Pro Bowler) or just not finding a position wherever he gets drafted and flaming out despite maintaining his motor and work ethic, maybe latching on with a different team+scheme only because of those qualities.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'd love to hear some of these scouts talk about their GMs, even if former

He just wouldn't [expletive] listen. We told him (player) was [expletive]. Some guys even got fired for being so persistent about not taking him, and he [expletive] took him

[Miaoww]

Originally Posted by ChiFan24

He's officially a top 11 lock in my book, and more likely top 9.

God I hope not.

[holt_bruce81]

Poe being #3 on some teams big boards is abssolutely ********.

[phlysac]

Poe being #3 is absolute proof that some GMs seem to care more about Combine measurables than game tape.

[Bills2083]

Here's some more quotes from scouts (through PFW)

http://www.profootballweekly.com/201...rst-round-pick

• "The more Courtney Upshaw talked (in the interview process), the more I got scared. He has a lot of distractions in his life. There are a lot of concerns there. We need an edge guy, but we wouldn't touch him in the first (round). I'd have hesitations in the second where we're picking, after hearing him talk about grabbing his girlfriend by the hair."

• "You can't take away (Baylor WR Kendall) Wright's production. He is falling (in the draft), but he's still a playmaker."

• "(Wisconsin OG Kevin) Zeitler struggles in pass pro a little bit. The program is known for its run blocking. That’s their flavor of the day. He has 31-inch arms and gets out of sorts in pass protection."

• "(Former LSU CB) Patrick Peterson had one unique quality — he could fly. That is why he went where he did. He has been more productive as a punt returner than he has been as a corner. He won games as a returner. (Morris) Claiborne is not as fast. I worry about LSU skill guys — look at the corners and safeties and receivers that have come out of the program. How many have been free of issues coming out?"

• "(Iowa OLT) Riley Reiff is a guard all the way. He is a tough, grinding guard — the same as (Ravens All-Pro and former Hawkeye Marshal) Yanda. That’s what I think he is."

• "Everyone says (South Carolina CB) Stephon Gilmore is rising after his workout. That is what I am hearing on the street. He is a big corner, and everyone is going big now. The value is in the late first. I’ve heard teams talking about him in the top 10."

• "(Washington RB Chris) Polk was productive on a (bad) team, but he gained weight this year and lost some speed and did not have any burst. He was coming off knee surgery. I’m not sure if he ever had explosive speed, to be honest. We have him in the fifth (round)."

• "(South Carolina WR) Alshon Jeffery can't run a lick. Show me the tape where he separates with speed or quickness."

• "I hope that big sucker (Alabama RB Trent Richardson) does not come to our division. He's a man's man. I don't want to see him twice a year."

[K Train]

"(Iowa OLT) Riley Reiff is a guard all the way. He is a tough, grinding guard — the same as (Ravens All-Pro and former Hawkeye Marshal) Yanda. That’s what I think he is."

guard all the way? not really

[killxswitch]

These are neat but damn some of these scouts sound like complete idiots.

[FUNBUNCHER]

LOL!

Still fun to get an insider's opinion with professional experience in selecting players.
It's one thing to have an opinion about a prospect like all of us have, it's an entirely different reality when you have to put your name and your owner's checkbook behind a selection.

If you put Alshon Jeffery across from someone like Desean Jackson or Mike Wallace, I think he could be an impact player in the pros. But he's not a consistent downfield threat in the NFL.

[descendency]

Originally Posted by phlysac

Poe being #3 is absolute proof that some GMs seem to care more about Combine measurables than game tape.

All teams are more concerned about projection to the NFL than what they did in college and high school.

-------------------

99% sure that scout is from Jacksonville.

[FUNBUNCHER]

Originally Posted by descendency

All teams are more concerned about projection to the NFL than what they did in college and high school.

-------------------

99% sure that scout is from Jacksonville.

Poe's inability to dominate C-USA doesn't bother you??
Compare that to Dareus/Suh/Fairley who flashed elite level ability against BCS schools several times a game, and many times looked like the best player on the field.

If Fairley/Suh/Dareus had Poe's game film playing in the Big 12 and SEC, none of them would have been considered top 5 overall prospects.

So how does a guy who's bigger, stronger and faster than ALL OF THEM with worse game film in the lowest level D1 football get a grade of a top 5-10 prospect??

If people want to put Poe in the first round because of his measurables and potential upside, I'm cool with that.

But top 5 for Poe IMO doesn't make much sense.

[Asteinebach]

I don't know if C-USA is the lowest level of D-1. And I think in response to your question (how does he get a top 5-10 grade?), the answer is simple. Haloti Ngata. Isaac Sopoaga. He's a NT prospect in a league that doesn't believe it's terribly hard to be successful at the position. His physical prowess in a 3-4 defense is all he really needs to eat up blockers, which is his sole responsibility. And as simple as his job may be, it's of critical importance to the rest of the defense.

[duesouth]

"(Wisconsin OG Kevin) Zeitler struggles in pass pro a little bit. The program is known for its run blocking. That’s their flavor of the day. He has 31-inch arms and gets out of sorts in pass protection."

Not to be picky - but Zeitler has 32.75" arms - slightly longer than DeCastro.

[FUNBUNCHER]

Originally Posted by Asteinebach

I don't know if C-USA is the lowest level of D-1. And I think in response to your question (how does he get a top 5-10 grade?), the answer is simple. Haloti Ngata. Isaac Sopoaga. He's a NT prospect in a league that doesn't believe it's terribly hard to be successful at the position. His physical prowess in a 3-4 defense is all he really needs to eat up blockers, which is his sole responsibility. And as simple as his job may be, it's of critical importance to the rest of the defense.

Top 10 is a little high IMO to take a 34 NT. Not off the wall range for Poe to go, but I would think his best value at that position is mid 20s and further down.

[Asteinebach]

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

Top 10 is a little high IMO to take a 34 NT. Not off the wall range for Poe to go, but I would think his best value at that position is mid 20s and further down.

The concept of value is a direct reflection of need. If there's a 2 gap system that really needs to add a true NT as one of the finishing touches on an already decent defense, the value of a guy like Dontari Poe becomes much better in the 10-20 range. Top ten, I'd have a hard time picking NT. And I think the only thing that would substantiate that high a pick for a NT is if he's got some legitimate pass-rushing abilities as well. Which...Poe ran what, 4.98?

I'm not saying he's worth a top 10 pick, but to the right suitor, maybe.

[PossibleCabbage]

Originally Posted by killxswitch

These are neat but damn some of these scouts sound like complete idiots.

Scouts are paid to be opinionated. They tend to hate players a lot more frequently than either fans or media members. It's jarring when you're used to the more friendly approach that draftniks employ, but it does make a certain sort of sense.

I mean, if you've got a scout on your payroll who is an excellent judge of everything that is wrong with every player, that guy's really useful.

[killxswitch]

Originally Posted by PossibleCabbage

Scouts are paid to be opinionated. They tend to hate players a lot more frequently than either fans or media members. It's jarring when you're used to the more friendly approach that draftniks employ, but it does make a certain sort of sense.

I mean, if you've got a scout on your payroll who is an excellent judge of everything that is wrong with every player, that guy's really useful.

I can see that. However I also see some really outlandish, ridiculous statements like "RG3 can't do any of the things an NFL QB needs to do". There's being critical and then there's being over-the-top.

[descendency]

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

Poe's inability to dominate C-USA doesn't bother you??

The question isn't "does it bother me" but "does it bother me enough to ignore that he has what I need in a NT?" Obviously it would bother me, but I could easily attribute that to coaching. Without having Memphis film, it's hard to assess that.