Scout's Take on Tackles

[method man]

http://www.realgmfootball.com/src_wiretap_archives/16495/20100402/interview_with_the_scout_part_ii/

Scout: You know, I think some of the kids that people aren’t looking at as high are gonna be real good. That kid from Indiana (Rodger Saffold), that kid can flat out play. If he came from Oklahoma or Florida he’d be a top 10 pick, no question in my mind. I like (Charles) Brown out of USC more the more I see him. A lot of Brick (D’Brickashaw Ferguson) in that kid but he might be a little tougher. ...I know you really like Kyle Calloway. On the right side he’ll be fine but he ain’t no zone guy. Even that kid from Abilene (Christian, Tony Washington), he has everything you can want. Love his feet. He’s got some issues but for my money he’s better than that Bruce Campbell kid.

Scout: Well Jeff, I think you’re wrong about Okung there. He’s a top-five pick and he belongs there. That kid is mentally tough and I think that’s a factor that not enough people consider for tackles. You have to be mentally tough to accept getting beat, because everyone gets beat. That was what was wrong with Tony Ugoh. He couldn’t get past his own mistakes. Look at Jacksonville last year. The Monroe kid (Eugene Monroe) they took first has the same problem and we knew it. The other guy they took later (Eben Britton) is a better player and will be a real good one for a long time because he understands how to handle getting beat. Okung is like that, and he ain’t gonna get beat too much either.

...I do think people overrate Williams but that doesn’t mean I think the kid can’t play. We can start him next year on the right (right tackle) and not worry. He’s a kid you’re going to have to keep pushing though, if that’s what you mean. And I’ll tell you this about Bulaga--he’s got that mental toughness too. That kid competes. I think he might be a right-sider in the long run but he’ll be fine. I think he’s like Chris Samuels, one of those guys that isn’t in the Pro Bowl every year but you never have to worry about him either. You can win a lot with guys like that.

Interesting take on mental toughness.

[MartinC]

Interesting take on Chris Samuels as well seeing as how he was a multi year Pro Bowler.

[ChiefPowhatan17]

Interesting read. Thanks, I would love to get Okung or Bulaga, if we trade back, but who really knows what is going to happen.

[Ryman of the North]

Interesting take on Chris Samuels as well seeing as how he was a multi year Pro Bowler.

Samuels got to more than a few pro bowls on rep alone. the reality is that he was a solid to good player not an elite player. guys like pre injury boselli, Pace, ogden, walt jones are premier Lts guys like samuels and mckinnie are the next step down, good but not amazing.

[HailNatsSkinz]

My favorite part, and my exact sentiments on Jimmy Clausen:

JR: Aside from Tim Tebow, the player I get asked more about than any other is Jimmy Clausen. I know you’ve scouted him extensively.

Scout: Yeah I have. I’ve seen every snap he took and a lot of them more than a few times. The thing about him is that kid just loves football and it’s his whole life. All these people talk about him being this or being that, and they sure as hell haven’t ever spent time with him. Because that kid is all about making himself the best NFL quarterback, and he’s got the physical ability to do it.

JR: But will he be successful?

Scout: I really think so. Look, he’s got some warts. That kid was a world class prick when he got there, but he figured it out and grew up. You could really see it over the last year. They ran an NFL offense and (Clausen) made reads and drops that none of the other guys have even thought about. He just anticipates routes so well. Now would I like to see him gun it a little harder sometimes, yeah, sure. But for my money this kid is the surest bet in this draft (at QB).

[skinzwiz]

The skins need to get a RT and LT no later than 2nd-3rd round. This is why a trade back is necessary. I think the tackles will come off the board quicker than people think. Hopefully next year, the skins can have ALL of their picks.

[Conn]

I only have one question as I'm reading this...who is this scout? Do we have any idea?

But anyways...That blurb on Clausen that HailNatSkins just posted kind of brings me closer to his side in the Bradford vs. Clausen debate...I need to go find some games to download and watch. I don't want to just see his highlights, I want to see how this kid played on a team that overall didn't win all the time, with no defense and apparently no line. I am definitely prepared to open my eyes more on this, though.

[TheLongshot]

I only have one question as I'm reading this...who is this scout? Do we have any idea?

He did suggest that his team had a pick toward the back half of the 1st round and could be willing to pick McCoy.

[MartinC]

Samuels got to more than a few pro bowls on rep alone. the reality is that he was a solid to good player not an elite player. guys like pre injury boselli, Pace, ogden, walt jones are premier Lts guys like samuels and mckinnie are the next step down, good but not amazing.

I will grant you that Samuels was a notch below Ogden, Pace and Walter Jones but he was a legit Pro Bowl tackle just about every year he played. We sometimes overlook how good he was - but we found out last year when he went out and the back end of the year before when he got hurt. In both cases our offense fell off a cliff.

He was one of the handful of tackles you can just line up and leave on an island to block the best pass rusher the opposition has evey snap with no help.

[HailNatsSkinz]

I only have one question as I'm reading this...who is this scout? Do we have any idea?

But anyways...That blurb on Clausen that HailNatSkins just posted kind of brings me closer to his side in the Bradford vs. Clausen debate...I need to go find some games to download and watch. I don't want to just see his highlights, I want to see how this kid played on a team that overall didn't win all the time, with no defense and apparently no line. I am definitely prepared to open my eyes more on this, though.

Clausen is a straight baller. Most of his critics (especially here on ES) haven't seen a game he played. He is a natural QB, and the people who compare him to Brady Quinn should be banned from discussing football. There is exactly zero similarities in their style of play. The more I watch him the more I wonder where all the negativity is coming from. Skill wise, he looks better than Bradford to me. The guy had a horrible Oline and still had 28 TDs and 4 ints! People say he did not win many games like Bradford, but ND's defense was atrocious last season.

[MartinC]

Clausen is a straight baller. Most of his critics (especially here on ES) haven't seen a game he played. He is a natural QB, and the people who compare him to Brady Quinn should be banned from discussing football. There is exactly zero similarities in their style of play. The more I watch him the more I wonder where all the negativity is coming from. Skill wise, he looks better than Bradford to me. The guy had a horrible Oline and still had 28 TDs and 4 ints! People say he did not win many games like Bradford, but ND's defense was atrocious last season.

I have no idea if Clausen is worth the #4 pick but I watched him quite a bit last year and I was impressed. If ND had any kind of defense they would have won a lot more games and Clausen was the only thing along with Golden Tate keeping them in most of the games I saw.

I think Clausen compares very well to Sanchez for example.

[McSkin30]

Jeff Risdon: After his strong pro day, it’s a given that Sam Bradford will be taken #1 overall. I’m not sold at all on Bradford and I wonder what your opinion of him going #1 overall might be?

Scout: We’re damn glad it isn’t us picking there. Look, Sam Bradford might wind up being a hell of a quarterback, but I wouldn’t touch him at #1. The last two times he got hit, his shoulder got hurt. He doesn’t do us any good if he can’t stay on the field. That’s why they need a QB in the first place, because Marc Bulger couldn’t take the hits anymore.

JR: How much stock does your team place in health concerns?

Scout: It’s a big deal. ...we look at how the injuries happened. If a kid gets caught in a horse collar and breaks his ankle, that’s one thing. But to go back to Bradford, he got hurt on hits that most guys just shake off. Big Ben (Roethlisberger) gets hit like that 20 times a week. So that’s a real big deal with him.

Great take on the Tackles and I think there will be enough depth available to get 2 starters out of this draft; however, this is what jumped out to me most in the entire article. I cannot agree more with the Scout's take.

[ThomasRoane]

Interesting take on Chris Samuels as well seeing as how he was a multi year Pro Bowler.

Yeah but...even though I'm a big fan of Samuels I think he only lived up to his pro bowl billing in only one or two seasons. Like many linemen he kept getting in there cause as people voted (mostly fans) they were thinking 'yeah I heard of him; so he must be good.'

[Enter Apotheosis]

He did suggest that his team had a pick toward the back half of the 1st round and could be willing to pick McCoy.

That would tend to suggest either Arizona or Minnesota.

[squatch66]

i like the fact that this scout likes saffold from indiana. we have been projected to pick him up in the second round if(when) we go qb in the first.

i am really starting to get on the clausen bandwagon. i have seen some of his highlight vids and caught a couple of nd games last season. their d really was that bad lol.

[DiscoBob]

My favorite part, and my exact sentiments on Jimmy Clausen:

JR: Aside from Tim Tebow, the player I get asked more about than any other is Jimmy Clausen. I know you’ve scouted him extensively.

Scout: Yeah I have. I’ve seen every snap he took and a lot of them more than a few times. The thing about him is that kid just loves football and it’s his whole life. All these people talk about him being this or being that, and they sure as hell haven’t ever spent time with him. Because that kid is all about making himself the best NFL quarterback, and he’s got the physical ability to do it.

JR: But will he be successful?

Scout: I really think so. Look, he’s got some warts. That kid was a world class prick when he got there, but he figured it out and grew up. You could really see it over the last year. They ran an NFL offense and (Clausen) made reads and drops that none of the other guys have even thought about. He just anticipates routes so well. Now would I like to see him gun it a little harder sometimes, yeah, sure. But for my money this kid is the surest bet in this draft (at QB).

This is the exact reason why I think we are in a better position than the Rams for a QB. There is no chance that Clausen goes 1, 2, or 3 unless there is a trade up scenario, which seems highly unlikely. Most highly touted QBs who fail do so because they cannot make the systemmatic jump. Almost any highly rated college QB has the physical tools to play in the NFL (some more than others) IF they can get their head into it. That has proven to be the stumbling block over and over again.

There is an Accurate, Football Eating and Sleeping, "I've already run and NFL offense" player out there for us and we keep whining about not being able to get Bradford because his arm is a little stronger and is a little more charismatic....

[Veretax]

DB,

You hit the nail on the head. Earlier in the week I was seriously considering that trading up to get bradford would be a good move, now I don't think so, cause I think Clausen is just as good, and could be a steal even if some see him as a reach at #4

[gorebd82]

Jeff Risdon: After his strong pro day, it’s a given that Sam Bradford will be taken #1 overall. I’m not sold at all on Bradford and I wonder what your opinion of him going #1 overall might be?

Scout: We’re damn glad it isn’t us picking there. Look, Sam Bradford might wind up being a hell of a quarterback, but I wouldn’t touch him at #1. The last two times he got hit, his shoulder got hurt. He doesn’t do us any good if he can’t stay on the field. That’s why they need a QB in the first place, because Marc Bulger couldn’t take the hits anymore.

JR: How much stock does your team place in health concerns?

Scout: It’s a big deal. ...we look at how the injuries happened. If a kid gets caught in a horse collar and breaks his ankle, that’s one thing. But to go back to Bradford, he got hurt on hits that most guys just shake off. Big Ben (Roethlisberger) gets hit like that 20 times a week. So that’s a real big deal with him.

JR: Aside from Tim Tebow, the player I get asked more about than any other is Jimmy Clausen. I know you’ve scouted him extensively.

Scout: Yeah I have. I’ve seen every snap he took and a lot of them more than a few times. The thing about him is that kid just loves football and it’s his whole life. All these people talk about him being this or being that, and they sure as hell haven’t ever spent time with him. Because that kid is all about making himself the best NFL quarterback, and he’s got the physical ability to do it.

JR: But will he be successful?

Scout: I really think so. Look, he’s got some warts. That kid was a world class prick when he got there, but he figured it out and grew up. You could really see it over the last year. They ran an NFL offense and (Clausen) made reads and drops that none of the other guys have even thought about. He just anticipates routes so well. Now would I like to see him gun it a little harder sometimes, yeah, sure. But for my money this kid is the surest bet in this draft (at QB).

So here's the thing, it sounds to me like both of these guys will be very good QBs. My interpretation is about the same after hearing what the scout said. Sam Bradford has a high ceiling, but his injury and college system make him a risk at #1. Jimmy Clausen is the safest bet.

He won't touch Bradford at #1 because he's scared he can't stay on the field. I can understand that sentiment. But he didn't say that he's not worth the top pick. Considering that Dr. Andrews is our team doctor and Bradford will have time to sit, I think that if we are confident in his health then we need to do what it takes to get him.

Jimmy Clausen is also a fine QB that will be successful and would be an excellent pick for us. I just think that considering the state of our team with Mike and Kyle Shanahan running things, we need to take the QB that has the highest ceiling. And Bradford has a high ceiling because of his intelligence, accuracy and intangibles. Combine that with excellent teachers who are offensive innovators and you have a great combination.

I believe that Sam Bradford is the right QB for us, but not the right choice for the Rams. Jimmy Clausen seems like the right choice for them. And to be honest, that turf might be hard on Sam's body. Health should be a major concern for the Rams considering the experiences of Bulger and Warner.

Now as for the tackles, Okung sounds good, but it sounds like we can get a great LT at #37. If we come out of this draft with our QB and LT, we are set for the next 10-15 years.

[dreamboater]

So here's the thing, it sounds to me like both of these guys will be very good QBs. My interpretation is about the same after hearing what the scout said. Sam Bradford has a high ceiling, but his injury and college system make him a risk at #1. Jimmy Clausen is the safest bet.

He won't touch Bradford at #1 because he's scared he can't stay on the field. I can understand that sentiment. But he didn't say that he's not worth the top pick. Considering that Dr. Andrews is our team doctor and Bradford will have time to sit, I think that if we are confident in his health then we need to do what it takes to get him.

Jimmy Clausen is also a fine QB that will be successful and would be an excellent pick for us. I just think that considering the state of our team with Mike and Kyle Shanahan running things, we need to take the QB that has the highest ceiling. And Bradford has a high ceiling because of his intelligence, accuracy and intangibles. Combine that with excellent teachers who are offensive innovators and you have a great combination.

I believe that Sam Bradford is the right QB for us, but not the right choice for the Rams. Jimmy Clausen seems like the right choice for them. And to be honest, that turf might be hard on Sam's body. Health should be a major concern for the Rams considering the experiences of Bulger and Warner.

Now as for the tackles, Okung sounds good, but it sounds like we can get a great LT at #37. If we come out of this draft with our QB and LT, we are set for the next 10-15 years.

That last statement although would really help...not so sure its that simple. We really need a RT, C, RG, LT if not day 1 starters good depth. Thats just on one side of the ball. We could use CB help, FS, and a Linebacker especially if we go to a 3-4 which sounds like we are. However, I am waiting to see how Clausen does in his pro day but I like him as our QB if Shanahan does.

[TheLongshot]

This is the exact reason why I think we are in a better position than the Rams for a QB. There is no chance that Clausen goes 1, 2, or 3 unless there is a trade up scenario, which seems highly unlikely. Most highly touted QBs who fail do so because they cannot make the systemmatic jump. Almost any highly rated college QB has the physical tools to play in the NFL (some more than others) IF they can get their head into it. That has proven to be the stumbling block over and over again.

As long as we are considered a contender to take a QB in the draft, there will be a risk that someone will trade up. That's particularly true since Detroit has made it clear that they will listen to offers.

[Hooper]

Good stuff. Loved what he said about Clausen. Whenever I watched ND play, I loved how he was throwing to receivers before they were open -- you have to do that in the NFL to be a good QB.

[HailNatsSkinz]

Good stuff. Loved what he said about Clausen. Whenever I watched ND play, I loved how he was throwing to receivers before they were open -- you have to do that in the NFL to be a good QB.

:yes:

[bulldog]

Geez, how many pro bowls do you have to go to in order to earn respect? :laugh:

Samuels was not just a 'solid' player the team could count on, he was one of the best players at his position in the league for a long time.

[Ghost of]

Interesting take on Chris Samuels as well seeing as how he was a multi year Pro Bowler.

The part that always peeves me is that they refer to Samuels in this way, including on this board and always invoke the holy trinity of Jones, Ogden and Pace.

The problem is, Samuels had a better career and was a better player than Orlando Pace. But nevermind actual facts, let's continue on with these assumptions built on one or two actual years of being possibly somewhat true.

[Zuck]

I only have one question as I'm reading this...who is this scout? Do we have any idea?

It's Vinny Cerrato.