Comprehensive 2010 Scouting Thread

[Forehead]

*EDIT, Updated January 3rd. The season is now officially over. It's time to bump this thread before this board devolves into a mess of "draft x" and "sign y" threads. Please read the entire first post. Notice the links I have created within the OP. They link to posts within the thread, and I will continue to monitor this and link to useful, well-researched contributions. Your post will get noticed if it is up to par, there is no need to start a separate thread on it. Thanks, and let's get the scouting started.

Though I still hold out hope for this season, it occurs to me that many on this board may wish to look to the future. I've seen rumblings of it in various threads, and I have a feeling that should our team continue to underachieve, it's going to become a full blown "draft x," "Draft y," "sign z" everywhere you look.

This is going to be my attempt to consolidate the information posted. I've already reached out to a few people that have shown a lot of thought when they post, and will be reaching out to others based on recommendations. If you feel like you have something to contribute, by all means post it, and I'll direct link it in the first post with credit given to the author. However, comprehensive means comprehensive...I want to see personal opinions, expert opinions, youtube clips (with breakdowns if you can manage it) etc. If you post something like, "Jevan Snead rooools, Cambelle sux, i h8 Zorn" it's going to be disregarded.

I don't care what player/position you choose to provide information for, even tight end, a position we can reasonably say is filled on this team. So long as it's a person that could legitimately be drafted, the more information the better. As always, assists from others will be useful, especially where terminology is misused or not used at all, could be good teaching points.

My hope is that this pre-emptively keeps the board less cluttered; let's see how it evolves.

OFFENSE

QB:

Sam Bradford (External Link to Om Files)

Jake Locker (from whlinder) *Note: Jake Locker is going back to school for his senior year.

Colt McCoy (Forehead) Rebuttal from darrelgreenie can be found here.

Tony Pike (Forehead)

Zac Robinson (from #99QBKiller)

RB:

WR:

TE:

OT:

Charles Brown (theboomking)

Kyle Calloway (methodman) *Needs more info

Anthony Davis (stevemcqueen1)

Russell Okung (from stevemcqueen1)

Rodger Saffold (from BlackBush)

Ed Wang (methodman) *Needs more info

Trent Williams (from stevemcqueen1)

OG:

Mike Iupati (blue collar skins)

Sergio Render (Forehead) *Needs more info

C:

Maurkice Pouncey (wildbill1952)

DEFENSE

DE:

Brandon Graham (from theboomking)

DT:

Allen Bailey (from stevemcqueen1)

Ndamukong Suh (from stevemcqueen1)

OLB:

ILB:

CB:

SS/FS:

SPECIAL TEAMS

K:

P:

KR/PR:

[SkinsHokieFan]

You gotta start with this guy

By the way, excellent thread idea

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

Start here....

OT

Russell Okung

College: Oklahoma State

Height/Weight: 6-4½, 300

Okung will be a four-year starter for Oklahoma State. He has started 35 games in three years, moving from right to left tackle in 2008. He is strong, athletic and has good feet. He was first-team All-Big 12 last season. He will start and play a lot of years

OG

Mike Iupti

College: Idaho

Height/Weight: 6-5½, 325

Iupti played as a true freshman in 2006. He will be the starting left guard for the third year in 2009. He is an impact player for the Vandals and is strong and athletic, with long arms and good feet. He was a second-team All-WAC player in 2008

Center

Chris Hall

College: Texas

Height/Weight: 6-3½, 310

Hall is a fifth-year player who has started at all five offensive line positions at one time or another. He has great work habits and shows great leadership. he is well coached by Mac McWhoeter

[GhostofSparta]

Trent Williams

Height: 6-5 | Weight: 308 | Position:OT

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1123699

Charles Brown

Height: 6-6 | Weight: 295 | Position:OT

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/559356

Selvish Capers

Height: 6-5 | Weight: 298 | Position:OT

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/566427

[GhostofSparta]

OLBs: (not sure if they're SAM, WILL, or hybrid, CBS doesn't really specify...)

Sean Weatherspoon

Height: 6-2 | Weight: 245 | Position:OLB

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1123346

Jerry Hughes

Height: 6-3 | Weight: 257 | Position:DE/OLB

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1125969

Sergio Kindle

Height: 6-4 | Weight: 239 | Position:OLB

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1123380

Eric Norwood

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 252 | Position:DE/OLB

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1116693

[KDawg]

Colt McCoy - Sr, University of Texas

It's no coincidence that these are my top three signal callers. These are also my top three teams for 2009, and in both cases I think that these three quarterbacks, and their teams, are head and shoulders above the rest of the country.

Colt finished the 2008 season as the third highest rated passer with a rating of 173.8. He also finished the season as Heisman runner-up, and Fiesta bowl champion, which gave McCoy a 3-0 record as a starter in bowl games.

McCoy certainly had some impressive stats of his own in 2008. He set an NCAA record for completion percentage at 76.67 percent, and threw for 3859 yds, 34 td's and only 8 int's.

McCoy had a big year breaking all kinds of records both nationally and at UT.

Case Keenum - Jr, University of Houston

Case is probably not known by many around the country, but he did finish his sophomore season as the ninth-best passer in the country with a passer rating of 159.9 (which is the fifth highest among returners for 2009).

Case had a solid season his freshman year for the Cougars as he finished the 2007 as the 16th ranked passer. Just as he improved from freshman to sophomore, I expect a lot of improvement from sophomore to junior for Keenum.

One of the reasons you find Keenum so high on my list is the fact that he is the only returning player to have thrown for over 5000 yards last year (Harrell of Texas Tech was the only other).

To go along with his astounding 5020 yards, Case also threw 44 TD's, and completed 67.4 percent of his passes. His 11 INT's are slightly high, but not overwhelming.

Keep the name Case Keenum in your minds throughout the 2009 season because he may be breaking some records down there in Houston.

Both taken from here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/114214-college-footballs-top-10-quarterbacks-for-2009/page/3

[scskin]

So no WR's or TE's? :hysterical:

[KDawg]

Jahvid Best, Cal, Junior. 5'10" 195 lbs.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=238184

Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech. 6'1" 235 lbs.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=236248

Toby Gerhart, Stanford, Senior. 6'1", 235 lbs.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=188524

Graig Cooper, Miami, Junior. 6'1" 205 lbs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=183680

Javarris James, Miami, Senior. 6'1" 215 lbs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=183687

Charles Scott, LSU, Senior. 6'1" 234 lbs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=183547

Some RBs to start with... Among many good players.

[Forehead]

Many people seem to think Jason Campbell is the root of most of our offensive ineptness. While I personally disagree (I'm one of those O-line guys) and feel that QB's with longer windups can be successful, it would be foolish to believe that Campbell (at this point) has convinced ownership that he should stick around long term. There are a number of QB prospects that could declare for next years draft. This post if going to focus on Colt McCoy out of Texas.

Colt McCoy, QB, Texas Longhorns

6'3", 215 pounds

Walter Football has done a "quick hits" sort of look at McCoy so far; which can be found here. Besides a few brief paragraphs describing why they believe he is overhyped, they list their opinions of his strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:

Very athletic

Mobile

Experienced

Short and deep range accuracy

Quick release

Gets rid of football quickly

Makes quick decisions

Good pocket awareness

Crafty with football in hands

Leader with good character

Weaknesses:

Average frame

Offensive system exaggerate strengths, masks weaknesses

Mobility doesn't translate to NFL with zone reads and scripted runs

Weak arm

Aims ball and it doesn't look natural; passive thrower

Absolutely no stick throws (18-yard deep out, curl, dig, etc.)

Footwork needs a ton of work

Doesn't take many hits

Never operated under center

Stares down receivers

Floats deep ball

Limited upside

The bold emphasis is mine, not the website. I highlighted the ones that stick out to me. Some of his strengths appear to be things that we complain our current QB lacks. Deep range accuracy, something Campbell is weak at. Even Campbell's short throws have a tendency to sail on him or be caught at the shoetops. Also, that fact that McCoy has a quick release and makes quick decisions would probably be a welcome change here in Washington. Some of the weaknesses bother me however. The stick throws are one of Campbell's strengths; it was written in some other post on this board that intermediate throws are one thing Campbell does extremely well. Would we be willing to trade those in for better accuracy on short and long throws, sacrificing the middle of the field?

McCoy staring down receivers is also troubling, since we complain that Campbell does this as well. It is the last highlight, that he has never operated under center, which concerns me. This tells me that his ability to adjust and function in the pro game would take longer than some of the other pro-style QB's.

However, that's just one website, and there are others out there. Here are some excerpts from other places.

Scout.com

Scouting Report: McCoy is a quarterback that gets the job done, whether it’s with his arm or legs. He does possess an above average arm and he can throw with touch or velocity. Perhaps his best attribute is his ability to make something happen out of nothing. McCoy has deceptive quickness and speed and is a strong runner.

NFL Draft Dog:

When you look at McCoy’s track record in college, he has a penchant for winning and knows how to win the big game. McCoy has a ton of confidence and isn’t afraid to try and do what it takes to win the game. He might take a risk every now and then but his risks have paid dividends for the Longhorns and it should pay dividends for the NFL team that drafts him.

Like his predecessor (Vince Young) McCoy is a very mobile quarterback who isn’t afraid to make a play with his legs either running or throwing on the run. This is something that NFL scouts and coaches desire in quarterbacks because being mobile allows the quarterback to extend the play and create something out of nothing. This is a big plus with McCoy. Being mobile will really help him in the draft.

McCoy also displays good accuracy on his passes and doesn’t overshoot or under-throw his receiver too often. He makes good decisions in finding the open receiver and taking into account where the defender is. He reads the field very well and can, along with his receiver, find soft spots in the zone and exploit them. If you look at McCoy’s completion percentage (70.16%) it is very good and indicative of the kind of player he is. His interception total (32) might be a little high but if you look at the number of passes that he has thrown over his career at Texas (761) that is pretty low.

McCoy’s intelligence will allow him to be a success in the NFL. Quarterbacks have to learn complicated offensive systems and McCoy should be able to pick up any system that he is taught making him a desirable prospect. He had to learn a complex system at Texas so he should be able to do it in the NFL.

Arm strength, or lack thereof, is another issue that scouts will have with McCoy. The Texas quarterback appears to favor short to intermediate passes and will, at times, misfire on longer passes (often under throwing) giving away the fact that his arm isn’t as strong as the ideal NFL quarterback might have. This will be a knock on him going into the combine and eventually into the draft. If there is away that McCoy can get his arm stronger, he needs to be working on that now.

Size is yet another issue that might drop McCoy’s stock a little bit. Although his height is near satisfactory, he is a little light meaning that he might not be able to take the pounding he is sure to get in the NFL. He could add weight but that might affect his mobility which is a great asset.

CBSSports

Accuracy: Completion percentage benefits from many short throws and receiver screens. Generally puts those shorter throws where receivers can catch the ball, but not necessarily on the numbers so they can make a play after the catch. Makes touch throws look easy while in the pocket or on the move -- but he will float deep passes down the middle.

Arm Strength: Improved arm strength over his career, and now has good zip on underneath patterns and short outs. Only adequate arm strength on deeper throws, although he can sneak a 40-yard rope into the end zone if he spots an open man. Inconsistent spiral on intermediate and longer tosses. Rarely throws into tight spots between defenders.

Setup/Release: Has the requisite height, and stands tall and balanced in the pocket to find passing lanes. Quiet feet when patient in his drop, but is willing to throw off back foot to get ball to receiver quickly. Could be a bit more patient to sell ball fakes. Good poise in the pocket and will stand in and take the hit. Quick, compact release and mobility makes him tough to sack.

Reading Defenses: Intelligent enough to understand what the defense is giving him and take advantage of it. Patient enough to let deep routes develop. Usually throws to first read because he feels where defense is weak. Works out of the shotgun on most plays, giving him more space and time to read. He will take off if first option isn't available instead of going through progressions. Does not make the big mistake. Hesitates to make a read on QB sneaks, finding a sliver to get to the marker.

On the Move: Moves well inside the pocket, stays calm and generally keeps his head up when pressured. Buys time with his feet, and is able to throw accurately on the run in either direction within 10-12 yards -- although he will lose his spiral. Loses accuracy past that point. Directs receivers into open areas while on the move. Picks up first downs -- and more -- with his feet. Able to run through arm tackles outside, but is smart enough to find the sideline when needed.

Intangibles: Good intelligence. Quiet leader with positive attitude. Impeccable character. Plays tough; gets hit often whether running the ball and in the pocket but bounces back up. Teammates will play for him.

NFL Comparison: Jake Plummer, ex-Arizona/Denver/Tampa Bay

I don't know if Jake Plummer is an awe-inspiring comparison. For what it's worth, Walter Football's comparison was Alex Smith of the 49ers. That is not praiseworthy. Anyway, the last thing I wanted to do was go to the videotape and see a little bit of McCoy in action, then everyone can decide if they think he's the answer to Redskins Nation's prayers.

Here is a

from 2008: I don't much care for the music, but that's not what's important. Here's a quick breakdown of the video. (4:06 in length) As I stated in the OP, my terminology may not be perfect, but I'll take corrections from KDawg, Die Hard, and others who know it better.

0:00 - 0:30, Opening montage, no plays if you want to skip it.

Scramble, quick flip as he is hit to #3 (Chris Ogbonnaya) who take it down the sideline for a score.

An array of passes are shown next, including a post pattern for a TD from about the 12 (Jordan Shipley) and a few longer passes which show good touch on the ball. He seems to be able to thread the ball through defenders well, though how much of this is a function of his receivers or the competition I do not know. I'm noticing that he does take every snap from shotgun, which I do not like.

The next part of the video highlights his mobility, as well as his ability to make the best of a bad snap, or when he drops the ball. Also, he throws a pair of fade routes near perfect (may have been the same play from two different angles) which is something sorely missed in these parts. Also a nice quick out just beyond the defenders fingertips.

The end of the video seems to highlight his running more than his passing, though there was a flea flicker mixed in, as well as what qualifies for a deep bomb with McCoy. I haven't seen a single pass travel more than about 30 yards in the air, there's a lot of catch and run going on in this video. Not so bad if we still have the WCO in place, but you like for the threat of the deep ball to be there. I'm not sure McCoy has that throw in him.

Youtube Video #2

I wanted to put this one in here because of WalterFootball's mention of McCoy's average frame and the fact that he takes few hits. This is only 18 seconds, but shows his willingness to put his shoulder into someone.

Youtube Video #3

Rollout to the right, floater to the back of the endzone for a TD. I understand it's on the run, and it's a nice pass, but again, a little more zip would be nice. Would have given the defender less time to close.

This one is older than last year, a pretty touch pass to Jamaal Charles. Advertised as a 72 yard TD pass, which is why I had to see it. Turns out it was a 30 yarder with the rest coming via Charles' legs. But the touch on this pass was nice, well placed between two defenders.

with Dan Patrick

In case anyone wants to hear him speak.

[Forehead]

Guys, I appreciate the contributions, please take a look at post #9 for the sort of thing I'm looking for. I want this to be really in depth.

[KDawg]

The term "stick" throw is throwing me off a bit in your analysis. A stick is a type of route in a lot of offenses, and not usually related to a dig or curl.

Perhaps it's just the way that I know the term, but a "stick" route is a route where the slot receiver runs directly at the outside backer to his side and reads him. If the backer plays him inside, the receiver shuffles outside. If the backer tries to take the outside, the receivers shuffles inside. It's a read-type route.

By stick throws are you referring to timing routes?

[Forehead]

The term "stick" throw is throwing me off a bit in your analysis. A stick is a type of route in a lot of offenses, and not usually related to a dig or curl.

Actually, that was originally Walter Football's term, I continued it's use. I meant it to mean mostly intermediate routes, since I think of a curl as being 10-15 yards usually. And they specifically mentioned 18 yard outs. I have no idea what a dig route is.

I took it to mean that he has trouble with intermediate routes, something Campbell is actually pretty good at.

[KDawg]

Actually, that was originally Walter Football's term, I continued it's use. I meant it to mean mostly intermediate routes, since I think of a curl as being 10-15 yards usually. And they specifically mentioned 18 yard outs. I have no idea what a dig route is.

I took it to mean that he has trouble with intermediate routes, something Campbell is actually pretty good at.

A dig, by definition, is a shallow or intermediate crossing route. It's ALOT like a deep in pattern. Different variances in different offenses.

[88Comrade2000]

Uh, with Snyderatto making the selections; does it really matter?

They would find a way to find the Ryan Leaf of the draft. Ignore the offensive line yet again.

[skinsfan212689]

This will be my fav. thread! Great idea...

[BayouBrave86]

Keiland Williams RB LSU. Could be a mid to late round steal and will be the better back out of him and Charles Scott. The coaching staff is just being stubborn and won't run with Keiland. The man is averaging around 7 ypc in his entire college career.

[Going Commando]

I'll start the discussion about the best player in the draft: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska.

Defensive tackle is easily the richest position in the 2010 class at the top, especially if it is augmented by some of the juniors coming out early. Suh is the best of them all however, and he is a legitimate future superstar who could be taken #1 overall.

First his projected measurables: 6'4" about 300 lbs even with a 5.02 second 40 yard dash.

This is walterfootball’s evaluation: http://www.walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2010nsuh.php

Strengths:

Very big frame

Outstanding muscle definition

Good lower body strength

Elite junior year production

Very active; above average motor

Nice second effort

Good agility

Takes on multiple blockers; run clogger

Highly athletic

Grades out well in chase (pursuit) tackling

Disengages from linemen to make tackles

Powerful

Collapses pocket

Backfield penetrator

Good instincts

Explosive off snap

Great leadership and reportedly solid work ethic

Solid all-around skill set

Good amount of upside

Versatile; can play 1-, 3-, and 5-techniques

Weaknesses:

Occasionally gets too high in stance; leads to being washed

Leverage technique could be more consistent

Could develop more of a pass-rush repertoire

Multiple knee injuries and surgeries

One-year wonder?

Summary: Suh is an outstanding prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft class because there is so much to like about him. He can play in multiple schemes, which NFL general managers love. His durability could end up being a huge problem dependent on doctors' reviews at NFL Combine like Glenn Dorsey. If he can stay healthy and keep the production up as a senior, he should be a first-round lock. Name pronounced IN-DOM-AH-KEN SOO. "Ndamukong" means "House of Spears" in a Cameroon language.

Player Comparison: Richard Seymour. Seymour and Suh have that great length, explosiveness, and strength that you want in a defensive tackle with the ability to play various schemes.

That’s a pretty glowing report. Here’s one from CBS Draft Scout: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/563145

Overview:

The product of parents from Cameroon and Jamaica, Ndamukong Suh (pronounced En-dom-ah-ken Soo) took time to get acclimated to the college game (and get healthy), but by the middle of his junior season he began fulfilling the high expectations Husker fans had heaped on the former Parade All-American from Portland.

After playing just two games as a true freshman, Suh decided to take a medical redshirt to fix a torn meniscus suffered in high school. He came back strong in 2006, putting up 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks despite coming off the bench in all 14 contests at nose tackle. Knee surgery in the spring of 2007, however, and a disappointing end to his redshirt sophomore campaign put doubt into some fans' minds about Suh's ability to step up his game.

All the negative talk faded away early last fall, as the big Husker became a dominant force in the middle. The second-team All-Big 12 pick led the team in tackles with 76 (a rare feat for a defensive lineman), including 16 for loss and 7.5 sacks. He also showed great awareness and length by knocking down three passes, intercepting two others and blocking two kicks in his junior season.

Scouts appreciate Suh's bullish strength and height, but his agility at 300-plus pounds is what separates him from other players. Teams using a 3-4 base scheme could play him at defensive end, while 4-3 teams could see him starring at the three-technique or even on the nose. Nebraska coaches are willing to move him around to chase the quarterback (and showcase his talent).

Another big season for Suh would make him a likely top 10 selection in 2010.

Analysis:

Pass rush: Top-notch pass rusher with ideal height and length to affect passing lanes and wrap up quarterbacks. When fresh, he'll work forward until the ball is away. Uses his hands to jerk his man aside, or at least keeping him off-balance. Spins off single blocks and is quick enough to get into the pocket. Also able to split double-teams to at least get a hand in the quarterback's face. Recognizes screens quickly -- comes off pass rush to get to the ball or the sideline. Good hands for the interception. Will stand around and wait to block passes if on the field too long. Difficult for right tackles to handle one-on-one on edge as a 3-4 end because of his strength and athleticism.

Run defense: Holds up his man and keeps eyes up to make a play on the ball, even if engaged. That makes him a potential 4-3 nose tackle. Moves down the line while engaged on stretch plays, and will get off block or explode through the line to make the tackle. His pads start off too tall at times, losing his anchor and getting blown off the line. Can protect his feet against the cut block. Will be the second or third man in the pile.

Explosion: Very good quickness off the snap, especially if the quarterback doesn't change up cadence. Pops into his man's jersey and recoils to keep on the move, if necessary. Quick enough to be a pass rush threat and maintain the corner as a 3-4 defensive end; will line up there on occasion.

Strength: Owns a strong bull rush, pushing the pocket consistently whether man-up or doubled. Able to rip off his man with upper-body strength and hands, freeing himself to make a play. Does not consistently anchor well against the run, however, which may be more of a mental let-up than a physical issue. Used as a goal-line fullback because he gets low enough to push the pile.

Tackling: Very athletic for his size; able to change directions and break down and explode into ball carrier. Wraps well with his long, strong arms, tough to escape his grasp often when he grabs on - even with one arm. Hustles downfield on short throws, chases down the line.

Intangibles: Intelligent, low-key and mature, Suh is becoming a more vocal leader for the Huskers in his final year. Has improved his work habits during his time in Lincoln. No major character issues.

NFL Comparison: Richard Seymour, New England Patriots

Bucky Brooks also has him listed as the top defensive prospect in 2009 at NFL.com: http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d81032985&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

Basically, Suh is a complete player at the DT position whose only weakness has been injury issues early in his career. Those are something to consider, but when healthy he is able to take over a game in the way Albert Haynesworth does.

These are his stats for the year at ESPN: http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=175300

He’s off to a great start and I think it’s interesting to note he has four career interceptions.

Here are some articles discussing what an incredible game he had against Missouri Saturday:

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/10/09/ndamukong-suh-hard-to-pronounce-impossible-to-stop/

Here is his news feed from his remarkable game against Missouri per CBS draft scout:

10/12/2009 - BIG 12 WEEK 6 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, DT, Sr, Portland, Ore., made six tackles, including one-for-loss and a fumble-forcing sack in No. 21/22 Nebraska's 27-12 win over No. 23/18 Missouri. The senior defensive tackle also had three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and an interception that led to Nebraska's go-ahead touchdown. Suh's sack was the 15th of his career and the interception was his fourth, bettering his own school career record. He has had at least one TFL in 15 of Nebraska's past 16 games, including each of the past nine. - Big 12 football

10/11/2009 - Suh has been dominant so far this season. He does indeed lead the team with 32 tackles, including six tackles for losses and two sacks. Suh also had a big interception Thursday against Missouri that set up Nebraska's second touchdown of the fourth quarter and helped the Huskers to a 27-12 win over the Tigers. Suh wasn't too impressed with his interception. He was much more impressed with the 56-yard TD pass from Zac Lee to Niles Paul that got the Huskers going early in the fourth quarter. "That's just how this team works," Suh said. "We just needed something small just to spark us, and those really weren't small plays, especially on Niles' part. Mine really wasn't that great. I mean he and Zac did a great job. Honestly, that fueled that fire." Husker coach Bo Pelini has to like that kind of attitude from his star player. While returning from Columbia on Friday morning, some of us who covered the game were listening to a couple of different Kansas City sports talk shows. The hosts were unanimously awed by Suh's performance against the Tigers. He not only had the interception, but he nearly picked off another pass and was a disruptive force on the interior of the line. His mere presence helped loosen things up for his fellow defensive linemen. Suh was modest about the pass he knocked down several yards back from the line of scrimmage. "The first time I touched the ball was kind of a broken play," Suh said. "Barry (Turner) ended up taking my position in the rushing situation. I saw that and I dropped back in his position ... In the right place at the right time." Suh is a unique football talent. We here in Nebraska have gotten spoiled watching him for the past couple of years and have maybe taken him for granted. You expect great things from great players and Suh delivers game in and game out. Great players make their teammates better. That's what Suh does. - Bob Hamar, The Grand Island Independent

Here are some youtube videos of him to enjoy:

Suh against Oklahoma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXGqMQBIGiA&feature=related

Suh against VT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzjmC3sD6W8&feature=related

Suh against Clemson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLUau5jlNNE&feature=related

Some things to note. In the Oklahoma video, Suh has a really good game and he collapses the pocket every single play. But my oh my Sam Bradford was impressive and still managed to eat Nebraska’s secondary alive. He’s a discussion for a separate post.

Back to Suh, his motor is the thing that has everyone raving. He is a tireless warrior who brings incredible effort every single down. He does everything well–good hand use to shed blocks even when double teamed, good instincts of where to attack each play, great upper body strength and punch, plays with good leverage consistently, scrapes along the LoS fluidly, overpowering presence defending the run and a good burst off the LoS to collapse the pocket.

His weaknesses as I see them are that he doesn’t have that elite first step like say, Tommie Harris to be that top tier 3 tech in the NFL. He can still play the 3 tech at a very high level but he won’t be the sack and TFL machine that Harris and Kevin Williams are. Second, is the injury history which is ugly and could drop him slightly like it did for Dorsey. Third, 300 pounds just isn’t what it used to be in the NFL. He’s a pretty toned player with great upper body strength but he doesn’t have that enormous lower body bulk that B.J. Raji had for being an elite anchor as a 0 or 1 tech. He’s strong enough to play those positions if asked too, and most linemen gain 10 to 15 pounds soon after entering the league anyway. But I think it would be a waste to ask him to play the 1 technique fulltime.

Fortunately, he is incredibly versatile and can play 3, 5, or 1. My guess is that he could be best used like Richard Seymour as a hybrid 3 and 5 if the right team is there to take him in the top 5. I bet Kansas City wishes they had passed on Tyson Jackson for Suh now and taken Eugene Monroe or Orakpo instead. They are probably the only 3-4 team likely to be in range to get him.

What he means for the Redskins:

We’d very likely have to be in the top 5 to draft Suh and that means we’ll probably have to get a QB. Suh would be a pretty big luxury pick since we have 100 million tied up in Haynesworth. Still it’s hard not to get excited about the thought of him joining our defense–Suh would make our defensive line impossibly good. He and Haynesworth would have the potential to go down as the greatest tackle duo in league history and no team would be able to run the ball in the middle of the field on us. The beauty of having the two of them is in their versatility. Both have the ability to line up at all places along the defensive line and create mismatches, and we could rotate them freely depending on any situation. We need not pigeon-hole Suh into any spot on the line and we are one of the only teams in the league that could get the absolute most out of Suh because of Haynesworth’s own flexibility. That is where Suh will shine in the NFL–moving up and down the LoS in multiple fronts.

When you factor in what I think were home-runs with Jarmon and Orakpo as well as the continued dominant play of Andre Carter, we would have an obscenely talented defensive line that would easily be the best in the league. That front four could probably single handedly shut down an offense and win us games. With competent play from our offense, we could ride a defense like that deep into the playoffs if they stayed healthy.

Still, the money for Suh as a Redskins is not good unless the cap is dropped in which case, all bets are off. But if the cap remains, we need to be able to spend for a QB and some offensive linemen as well and tying up 40% of our payroll in the defensive line won’t help.

I’ve seen enough this season and last to be completely sold on Suh unless he suffers a bad injury between now and the draft. I fully expect him to destroy the Senior Bowl like Raji did and he’ll maintain a top 5 grade no matter what happens at the combine. However, I expect him to be out of our draft range unless we get a top 5 finish. He’s the first defensive player I’d draft, but at this point–if we are picking top 5 we need to come away with a QB like Bradford. So in effect, the only way I’d pick Suh would be if he was available but all of the elite QBs (whoever they might be) were already off the board, and I wasn’t able to trade back (likely since it’s difficult to trade out of the top 5).

[Forehead]

Excellent contribution, I remember Va. Tech folks speaking highly of Suh in the NCAA forum, even though Tech won the game. OP has been updated.

[theboomking]

Suh would be a great addition. I have us favored in only two more games, KC and Oakland. If we win those, and one more game, that would put us at 5-11. Jacksonville had the lowest draft pick of the 5-11 teams in 2009, choosing #8.

At #8, you probably aren't going to have a shot at Okung, who I still think will go to Detroit, Bradford, or Suh. You're highest rated players at that point may be Baluga, Berry, Dunlap and Gerald McCoy.

[maskedsuperstar]

I’ve seen enough this season and last to be completely sold on Suh unless he suffers a bad injury between now and the draft. I fully expect him to destroy the Senior Bowl like Raji did and he’ll maintain a top 5 grade no matter what happens at the combine. However, I expect him to be out of our draft range unless we get a top 5 finish. He’s the first defensive player I’d draft, but at this point–if we are picking top 5 we need to come away with a QB like Bradford. So in effect, the only way I’d pick Suh would be if he was available but all of the elite QBs (whoever they might be) were already off the board, and I wasn’t able to trade back (likely since it’s difficult to trade out of the top 5).

Suh is the bomb. You have been doing your homework. I've heard so much about this guy, and actually saw him play against Missouri. He is very impressive.

But I think the Skins will go the QB route. My gut feeling. I don't think the Skins re-sign Campbell. Samford will be the way to go. But certainly, the DL and OL must be addressed.

[Skins93077]

What about blount out of oregan? He could be a steal in the 4th. Also, marvin austin from unc if he declairs would be a wise pick. Regardless the skins have left there bread and butter ways! And its very noticable. You build a team from the O line

[theboomking]

What about blount out of oregan? He could be a steal in the 4th. Also, marvin austin from unc if he declairs would be a wise pick. Regardless the skins have left there bread and butter ways! And its very noticable. You build a team from the O line

I love Blount as well. He has been very productive, breaks tackles and punishes tacklers, but also has good speed and cutting ability. He'd look great in B&G.

I'm not sure you have to build a very good O-line to have a good team anymore. Look at the Steeler's team last year. You definitely need either a very good QB or a very good O-line though.

[Laron Burgundy]

To be fair to the steeler's o-line, roethlisberger probably holds on to the ball longer than just about any other qb. They aren't the greatest o-line but they aren't the worst in the league either.

Personally, I would love to have Suh. Yes, it's a luxury pick, but going for the sure thing is better than gambling on prospects. If Campbell is an RFA or we franchise him then I think BPA in the first and best o-lineman in the 2nd and 4th would be a solid draft.

[MartinC]

A dig, by definition, is a shallow or intermediate crossing route. It's ALOT like a deep in pattern. Different variances in different offenses.

We must have played in different systems because when I played QB and some WR the dig was a 14 yard fly then a sell the post 2 steps and turn hard to the middle of the field. Against zone you sit down and against man continue across the field.

[KDawg]

We must have played in different systems because when I played QB and some WR the dig was a 14 yard fly then a sell the post 2 steps and turn hard to the middle of the field. Against zone you sit down and against man continue across the field.

That's exactly what I described. I just left out the details. The yardage is different per system... But it's a fly route, two steps up field for a post and break to the middle. It's a crossing route because it crosses the center of the field. It's not a drag.

It very closely resembles a Deep-In pattern, if it weren't for the post steps. Alot of systems take the post steps right out of it, which doesn't make much sense to me, but hey, whatever.