2013 Comprehensive NFL Draft Database

[Going Commando]

A couple of questions I wanted to ask you all:

1.) Most of us expected the defensive front to be pretty good, but judging from week one, just how good are they? What are your expectations for them moving forward?

2.) How good is the offensive line? What are your expectations here?

3.) The secondary?

4.) The weapons (WRs/TEs/RBs)?

5.) It's ridiculously early, but what positions would you most like to see our high draft picks spent on? What positions would you like to see receive priority in free agency? Which "question marks" do you think are likely to be answered by internal improvement?

6.) Which of our impending free agents do we need to keep? Here is an unofficial list:

UFAs:

- Cedric Griffin

- Fred Davis

- Kory Lichtensteiger

- Lorenzo Alexander

- Rex Grossman

- Rob Jackson

- Sav Rocca

- Tyler Polumbus

- Madieu Williams

- Tanard Jackson

- Billy Cundiff (I think)

RFAs

- Logan Paulsen

- Aldrick Robinson

- Brandon Banks

- Nick Sundberg

- Rob Jackson

- Darrell Young

Right now, we've got ~ 100 million in cap commitments for next year and remember, Goodell and Mara saw fit to dock us 18 million in space next season. Here is a list of our most expensive contracts for next year:

1.) Pierre Garcon - 8.8 (million dollars)

2.) Deangelo Hall - 8.3

3.) Trent Williams - 6.6

4.) Barry Cofield - 6.45

5.) Santana Moss - 6.317

6.) London Fletcher - 6.2

7.) Stephen Bowen - 5.5

8.) Josh Morgan - 5.35

9.) Josh Wilson - 5.334

10.) Jammal Brown - 5

11.) Chris Chester - 4.3

12.) Adam Carriker - 3.95

13.) RGIII - 3.95

14.) Brandon Merriweather - 3.5

15.) Will Montgomery - 2.888

16.) Brian Orakpo - 2.885

17.) Ryan Kerrigan - 2.403

18.) Jarvis Jenkins - 1.303

19.) Reed Doughty - 1.150

Everyone else is under 1 million.

7.) Finally, any specific college or free agent prospects you want for us?

[Dukes and Skins]

1. How good can the DL be? Well thats really all up to the health of the guys and if they can stay healthy. Bowen continually collapsed the pocket and Jarvis Jenkins played well as well. Cofield did a good job, but could stand to be a better pass rusher at times.

2. How good is the OL? Well thats a total toss up depending on the way the Offense continues to function. Do we stay as a spread with a lot of those concepts that allow us to get rid of the ball quickly? Or do we move more downfield passing and thus have a chance to get sacks from that? Right now though I'm a little concerned in some respects, but they played well and also Griffin helped masked any deficiencies

3. Secondary? Still my biggest concern of this team and the injuries now aren't helping qualm my fears. Gomes did play well yesterday, but Williams had way too many careless penalties for someone who is labeled as a "Smart" veteran. Wilson was very good and I love having D Hall as the slot CB with the ability to blitz

4. Our weapons right now aren't on the level of some of the other teams in the division, but at the same time we finally do have dynamic playmakers who can make the big play(Garcon) Over time though our drafting will continue to be better and we'll certainly add more to the explosiveness of our O

5. Right now I think our top picks need to be devoted to the secondary mainly the S position. Right now I think we've found a gem with Richard Crawford who will by the end of the year become a CB we can count on. At S though we are very thin, and we really dont have anyone I can count on Long term outside of Gomes.

6. Not really sure at this time who we keep or release FA wise

7. Personally I want Johnthan Banks from Miss State at CB or Eric Reid of LSU. Just something to consider I believe Aqib Talib is a FA at the end of this year...... Would be something to watch especially with the Raheem Morris connection. At C I would definitely look at Khaled Holmes or James Frentz. This will be a very interesting year to watch in terms of college prospects, but also at the same time next year when the cap changes, things will be a lot different

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

A couple of questions I wanted to ask you all:

1.) Most of us expected the defensive front to be pretty good, but judging from week one, just how good are they? What are your expectations for them moving forward?

Top 5 in the league, honestly, if you consider Rak and Kerrigan. We're loaded with depth and talent and disruption. Cofield looks like he's going to live up to what Haslett thought he would.

2.) How good is the offensive line? What are your expectations here?

I think we're going to be pleasantly surprised at how well they do. Trent is the only stud level talent there, but Clady was the only stud-level OL when the 2008 Broncos gave up 11 sacks on 616 dropbacks. As they gain experience and play together, they're going to look really good. Maybe not dominant like the Titans or the Giants OL back in the day, but good.

3.) The secondary?

Wilson is a stud. Don't be surprised if he's a top 10 CB in the NFL by the end of the year. Hall is Hall, we know about him. Cedric Griffin was a revelation. He can play lol. The safeties are scary, hopefully Meriweather comes back...but can Gomes play FS? He seems a better fit for SS but dunno.

4.) The weapons (WRs/TEs/RBs)?

I love the weapons, though I want to see Helu become a bigger factor, and I still like Royster. Alfred Morris looks like a legit bellcow RB though. Keep in mind, the Saints were playing 8 in the box a lot because we ran so well in preseason. I love Davis, Moss is a great #3 WR, and I still believe in Hankerson, though he didn't get targetd much.

5.) It's ridiculously early, but what positions would you most like to see our high draft picks spent on? What positions would you like to see receive priority in free agency? Which "question marks" do you think are likely to be answered by internal improvement?

I'd look for a BPA approach, but if I had to pick a position, then I'd go with safety if we can't address it in FA. I'm not *too* worried about the OL, though a true stud that wins nearly all his physical matchups at his position would obviously be nice. A lot of the stuff we can improve on for the team is what everyone wants - the Revis-esque shutdown CB, the Polamalu/Taylor like playmaking safety, the Megatron/Andre Johnson-like playmaking WR, the Graham/Gronk playmaking basketball-player TE, etc, the Justin Smith dominant 3-4 DE.

Will answer the rest later, gotta go.

[HailToTheRedskins14]

I'll just throw my random thoughts out there.

My top three positions I'd be looking for are, in no order, OL, DL, S. I think we can get by just fine without addressing the rest. I'm not super high on any of our RB's, although I do think we can be very successful with them. I have no problem with having 3 above-average RB's to choose from. Other than that, I love our LB's and think our CB's can be acceptable as well.

But I think you should always be looking to add a potential starter or backup on OL or DL, every year. Obviously everyone wants a RT, but I'd be willing to take any guy that could come in and compete for a starting job, whether it's at C or G, with our second round pick.

Safety has been mentioned over and over, and it is almost a glaring need right now.

DL, I still stand by my belief that you build from the inside out. If we want better safety play, we get better DL play. I know we have a lot of bodies, and they're a pretty good unit, but that never stops the Giants from looking at DE and DT. I find it hard to imagine there wouldn't be a guy capable of getting some PT in the middle (hopefully late) part of the 2nd round in this year's draft. I don't know the strengths of the positions going into the year, but I think we can find someone at DL/OL/S that can have a good chance at competing for a starting spot.

[Skins199021]

not to be that guy and it has only been one game

But I got hammered in here for saying Alshon Jeffery would be a top 3 receiver out of last years draft. And he looked mighty fine yesterday. I really hope to see how he does throughout the season. Bears receivers are tough to cover

[darrelgreenie]

I thought Blaine Gabbert had a really good game and played well enough to win and it's a shame his team couldn't hold the Vikings down the stretch. I thought Ponder played pretty well too, good to see both of them making some strides.

Yeah, I think the media perception of Gabbert has already begun to change.

RGIII was spectacular. I think he's got the best situation of any of the

rookie QBs.

Griffin..well...dude played like a stud.

I agree that alongside Wilson he's in the best situation for team success.

The Seahawks lack our passing game talent/depth but overall they're a good football team returning a lot of the same talent.

Russel always seems to find away to give his team a chance to win, if Braylon doesn't go 'hands of stone on the last play of the game' he would have his first 4th qtr game winning drive.

I think Griffin kinda creates his own ideal situation when it comes to the running game.

Its like a synergistic relationship.

A good running game helps a rookie QB have success.

Griffin's ability to effect the backside contain creates more favorable blocking situations and directly allows the running game to have success.

Imo Griffin is the best prospect (an elite prospect like Cam) and he's in one of the best situations.

1.) The organization is utterly committed to him for years. This is going to be tough to overcome for Weeden and Wilson, where their team commitments are very loose IMO.

2.) The Redskins defense is probably better than the Browns' and Seahawks', and certainly better than the Dolphins' and Colts'. I think our advantage here might be significant.

3.) Our coaching staff and HC are better than the staffs from each of those other teams.

4.) Our OL is better than the Colts' at least, probably at least a little better than the OLs in Cleveland and Miami as well.

5.) Luck has a good group of receivers in Indy, but our WRs are better than the crap they're trotting out in Cleveland and Miami and they're better than the guys in Seattle IMO.

Tot it all up and I think it comes out to RGIII being in the best situation to succeed. Do you agree?

For the most part, yes I agree.

1) I think all the teams are committed to their rookie QB unless of course their regime gets sacked then all bets are off.

I think Wilson would be in trouble on any other team.

But, I think Pete Carroll will always make the football honest decision when it comes to personnel.

2) I think the Seahawks defense is right up there with ours, I think the Dolphins are close and the Browns and Colts are far behind.

3) If game 1 is a sign of things to come I think Mike/Kyle are thinking outside the box and really committed to adapting to some cutting edge concepts.

But you know how this forum is, if I disagree here I'm gonna have to argue for days explaining why.

But, the NFL is a what have you done for me lately league and I'll say its hard for me to look at what the Seahawks did last year and not give Carroll and his staff credit.

I do think we're head and shoulders above both the Browns.

I think Pat Shurmur runs a static and unimaginitive version of the WCO that doesn't attack downfield.

I've always like Bruce Arians and I think Luck is gonna have a lot of production under his guidance.

They're gonna throw the ball a ton and Luck is probably gonna lead the rookie QBs in atts, yards, TDs, INTs.

Philbin doesn't strike me as a leader of men, but I guess some could argue that about Tony Dungy.

But, I think Mike Sherman is both Tannehill's best friend and worst enemy.

Sherman runs the Mike Shanahan's Denver WCO but imo he's a very limited playcaller and it showed even at the college level.

I don't think he's gonna scheme up open WRs like Kyle or Bruce Arians.

4) I think the Seahawks and Dolphins have better OLs and I think the Dolphins OL had a chance to become a very good unit. going forward. I think we're in the same boat as the Browns and Colts on the OL. Good enough through scheme and solid QB play to not be a total liability.

5) I think along with the Colts we have the most talent and depth at receiving corps.

The other teams stuggle badly to even match up.

The Browns and Dolphins are waiting for someone unproven to emerge (hoping against hope).

The Browns have some young players with upside at least.

The Dolphins have a bunch of #3-#4 guys, their #1 WR is probably a #3 on most teams.

[Going Commando]

To answer my own questions:

1.) I think the defensive front might be a hair away from elite Ravens/Steelers of the 2000's strata. They manhandled a quality Saints OL that is used to beating up opponents. I think a playmaking lineman like what we saw out of Cameron Jordan yesterday could put the unit over the top and into that elite strata. Or another route would be getting a huge, blitzing, thumping ILB like the Pats got with Dont'a Hightower and that would do the trick.

I think Orakpo and Kerrigan have become the best rush tandem in the NFL and both appear to be maturing into all around linebackers. London remains one of the best ILBs in the league. Those three are the soul of the defense. Perry Riley and Keenan Robinson will become quality starting ILBs I hope. Lorenzo is a key contributor and glue man and should be kept. Rob Jackson and Chris Wilson are good enough OLB depth.

I think Carriker, Bowen, Cofield, and Jenkins is as strong a DL as we're likely to get without first round picks for the next two years. I like Chris Baker and Kedric Golston as depth right now. The unit ended up being pretty strong despite the fact there are no real stars in it. We're able to risk carrying only 6 DL on the roster because Orakpo and Kerrigan can play on the DL.

My expectations is that this unit remains the best on the team for the season and they power us to a top ten defense. Long term, I think a few tweaks could see us produce top five defenses--so long as we're able to cope with the retirement of London Fletcher when it happens.

2.) I think the OL looked good yesterday, but I'm not that confident we'll see them maintain that level of play from here on out.

Trent is a monster, but I think the rest of the unit is merely "good enough". I don't feel great about Tyler Polumbus starting at RT. Chester and Lichtensteiger should be serviceable, but I've never been completely sold on Monty. The depth is green and unproven for the most part. I like the potential of LeRiebus and Gettis and hope they hack it out here long term as internal upgrades over some of the interior starters. Mo Hurt is useful because he plays everywhere. Jordan Black is an unknown to me, but I don't like the idea of him being our only true OT reserve.

I think we have some good stuff to work with in the OL's interior long term, but I think we're paper thin at tackle after Trent.

3.) The secondary has a lesser role in our defense than in others IMO. We're getting by with average players because the defensive front is so good we don't have to blitz to generate consistent pressure. The group played well and was able to hold up in some man coverage on the outside. Wilson and Hall are quality starters, particularly Wilson for his ability to play on an island in single coverage. I like seeing Hall play in the slot and get used as a blitzer. I'm impressed with his run support as well, and I'm wondering when the coaches will move him to the slot and to safety full time. think he's got a future in this Charles Woodson like role because he's got natural playmaking ability. Gomes looks like a nice player, similar to Hall in that slot/safety skill set. Wouldn't mind seeing him become the regular starter moving forward.

Cedric Griffin exceeded all expectations yesterday, and I'll watch him closely from here on out, hoping he can become a solid outside starting CB. I'm not going to get my hopes up though. Reed is a glue guy and quality reserve. Madieu Williams is currently playing a role he's not suited for because we were caught by surprise with Tanard Jackson's suspension.

Brandon Meriweather is an unknown still, we'll find out more about him as this and next year progress. I do think he could become a viable starting safety here.

Jordan Bernstine's injury was unfortunate. Crezdon Butler and Richard Crawford are unknowns.

Overall, I think the unit is very average but will remain good enough as is so long as the defensive front is really strong. We could use a good outside starting cornerback though.

4.) I think the weapons looked really good yesterday. Robinson is looking like a keeper. Garcon looks like a high quality outside starter and I think he's going to be highly productive while healthy. I still like Josh Morgan's potential, but there are some definite question marks there and he's going to have to produce this year to justify his salary IMO. Leonard Hankerson probably needs to start showing up soon or risk getting left behind, but I wonder what his health situation is like. This should probably be Santana's final season here.

Fred Davis is pretty good, although his dropped passes are tough to swallow, and will keep him from ever being an elite player IMO. Paulsen is a keeper and I'm happy to see the Niles Paul experiment play out.

Alfred Morris is a gem and has adequately replaced Hightower as the workhorse for the offense. Less big play ability than Hightower, but better short yardage ability and he just won't accrue many negative runs. Helu has been a bit of a disappointment this offseason, I have to think he's not healthy right now. Royster is a really nice backup RB and I'd hold onto him if possible.

Helu is supposed to be our X factor, and he's got a nice blend of speed and power and maybe some receiving ability. But his inability to remain healthy is bogging the offense down, and if the issue remains, we'll need to find another change of pace back and either replace Helu or carry a 4th HB.

5.) I think our question marks on the interior of the OL and at ILB will be solved with internal development from the young players there. There will be no stars, but they'll be good enough starters down the road. I also think we've got a pretty nice array of options at WR to sort through on the roster. I like Robinson developing in the slot primarily and Garcon starting on the outside. They've got speed to pressure defenses. I would really, really like to see Hankerson emerge as a solid starting split end, and I think he has the talent to do it. I'm not holding my breath there though. Brandon Banks looked interesting as a potential space player you can run some screen plays with, but he's always going to be an end of the roster type because of his size. I don't know what to make of Josh Morgan.

I'd love to see us go out and get a RT, outside starting CB, an offensive playmaker at WR/HB, and maybe a center in the draft or free agency.

6.) For UFAs, I think we need to keep Lorenzo, Lichtensteiger, and probably Polumbus. For RFAs, I Robinson and Paulsen need to be tendered. Probably should do the same for Darrell Young. The ST specialists will be kept on one or two year deals if they earn it.

None of these moves should be expensive.

We'll need to keep the decks clear to negotiate with Orakpo and Trent Williams the next few offseasons as their rookie deals expire. Both are likely to command very big deals with yearly salaries north of 7 or 8 million IMO. Possibly well north of that.

Fred Davis is an interesting case. He's a talent for sure, but at this point, I don't think he'll ever be an elite TE because of his lacking concentration. If he demands top TE money, I think you're better off letting him walk. If you can get him for ~4 million or less, then go ahead and do it. But I'd start to pause at going 5-6 million yearly territory.

7.) In free agency, I'm interested in Aqib Talib foremost. I think he'd be a good fit and might come at a discount given his off field and injury history. I think he'd be a nice outside starting CB.

I'd also be interested in Ryan Clady if he actually hit UFA and wasn't ungodly expensive. I'd expect Jake Long to extend with Miami. Same for Duane Brown and Jeff Otah. But if for some reason any hit FA, I'd show interest of course.

RT needs to get sorted out.

[GWinSkins83]

A couple of questions I wanted to ask you all:

1.) Most of us expected the defensive front to be pretty good, but judging from week one, just how good are they? What are your expectations for them moving forward?

2.) How good is the offensive line? What are your expectations here?

3.) The secondary?

4.) The weapons (WRs/TEs/RBs)?

5.) It's ridiculously early, but what positions would you most like to see our high draft picks spent on? What positions would you like to see receive priority in free agency? Which "question marks" do you think are likely to be answered by internal improvement?

6.) Which of our impending free agents do we need to keep? Here is an unofficial list:

UFAs:

- Cedric Griffin

- Fred Davis

- Kory Lichtensteiger

- Lorenzo Alexander

- Rex Grossman

- Rob Jackson

- Sav Rocca

- Tyler Polumbus

- Madieu Williams

- Tanard Jackson

- Billy Cundiff (I think)

RFAs

- Logan Paulsen

- Aldrick Robinson

- Brandon Banks

- Nick Sundberg

- Rob Jackson

- Darrell Young

Right now, we've got ~ 100 million in cap commitments for next year and remember, Goodell and Mara saw fit to dock us 18 million in space next season. Here is a list of our most expensive contracts for next year:

1.) Pierre Garcon - 8.8 (million dollars)

2.) Deangelo Hall - 8.3

3.) Trent Williams - 6.6

4.) Barry Cofield - 6.45

5.) Santana Moss - 6.317

6.) London Fletcher - 6.2

7.) Stephen Bowen - 5.5

8.) Josh Morgan - 5.35

9.) Josh Wilson - 5.334

10.) Jammal Brown - 5

11.) Chris Chester - 4.3

12.) Adam Carriker - 3.95

13.) RGIII - 3.95

14.) Brandon Merriweather - 3.5

15.) Will Montgomery - 2.888

16.) Brian Orakpo - 2.885

17.) Ryan Kerrigan - 2.403

18.) Jarvis Jenkins - 1.303

19.) Reed Doughty - 1.150

Everyone else is under 1 million.

7.) Finally, any specific college or free agent prospects you want for us?

FAs FS Byrd, CB Roger-Comaratti, CB McCourty Titans, CB Bush GB, Antrell Rolle FS NY, RT Duane Brown Texans, WR Bowe Chiefs, T Ryan Clady Den, CB Ben Grimes ATL, in the draft depends on what we get in FA but I would like to get FS/SS Ray Ray Armstrong, FS Baccarri Rambo, CB Bynom TX, CB Dee Millner AL, CB Xavier Rhodes FSU, DE Hunt SMU, CB Hyde Iowa, CB Poyer Oregon St.

[HailToTheRedskins14]

not to be that guy and it has only been one game

But I got hammered in here for saying Alshon Jeffery would be a top 3 receiver out of last years draft. And he looked mighty fine yesterday. I really hope to see how he does throughout the season. Bears receivers are tough to cover

I'm in Carolina country, so it was good to see Alshon get a TD yesterday. He has the potential, but he's in a pretty darn good situation, too. Marshall as #1 with Hester leaves a lot of space for him.

I was interested to see Stephen Hill have a TD catch. He was supposed to be a development project, but man he has all the physical tools to be a big time threat.

[RemoveSnyder]

---------- Post added September-10th-2012 at 12:48 PM ----------

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/cfb/131707/john-boyett

__

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/cfb/131294/khaled-holmes

---------- Post added September-10th-2012 at 12:51 PM ----------

Same for Duane Brown

RT Duane Brown Texans

__

Brown signed a multi year a few weeks ago.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/texans/story/2012-08-16/Duane-Brown-contract-extension/57098946/1

---------- Post added September-10th-2012 at 12:53 PM ----------

---------- Post added September-10th-2012 at 12:55 PM ----------

Clady, however has not signed an extension or new contract.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4616/ryan-clady

Latest News

Broncos LT Ryan Clady rejected the Broncos' five-year, $50 million contract offer due to concerns on the guarantees over the first three years.

The $28 million guaranteed over the first three years wouldn't put Clady in the same ballpark as the $37M in Browns LT Joe Thomas' contract. The Clady camp believes his production, when healthy, has been on par with that of Thomas and Dolphins LT Jake Long. Denver can wield the franchise tag next offseason.

Jul 31 - 3:04 PM

[darrelgreenie]

-Steve

I think our front is good enough to protect us from over average secondary play but not dominating. My expectations is to maintain the level of performance but at a far less expensive commitment and begin in ernest looking at DEs and NT for when Bowen, Cofield and Carriker become more expensive then their production.

Our offensive line is good enough through scheme and gameplanning and Griffin's playmaking to not be a liability.

I don't think they would be as effective without the threat of Griffin, I don't think I would trust their ability to sustain their pass protection in must pass situations or with a game plan that involves many reps of 5-7 step drops nor do I trust them to consistently win at the POA in must run situations 3rd and 1/4th and 1 etc.

Secondary is average.

If Hall is making plays the CBs are above average.

The Safties are not playmakers, they're good in run support but average in coverage.

Dejon Gomes is the lone brightspot now that Bernstine is on the shelf.

Like the weapons and depth in the receiving corps.

Like the stable of RBs.

---------- Post added September-10th-2012 at 01:05 PM ----------

My early list of team needs in no particular order:

Disruptive/difference making defensive player

OT (starting caliber)

NT

Safety (starting caliber)

CB

RB

---------- Post added September-10th-2012 at 01:08 PM ----------

UFAs:

- Fred Davis-depends on how much we use him in this offense and how Paulsen/Paul are playing

- Kory Lichtensteiger

- Rob Jackson

- Sav Rocca

- Tyler Polumbus

- Billy Cundiff (I think)

RFAs

- Logan Paulsen

- Aldrick Robinson

- Brandon Banks

- Nick Sundberg

- Rob Jackson

- Darrell Young

1.) Pierre Garcon - 8.8 (million dollars)

2.) Deangelo Hall - 8.3

3.) Trent Williams - 6.6

4.) Barry Cofield - 6.45

5.) Santana Moss - 6.317-love my main man Tana but it depends on how Morgan/Hankerson/Robinson

6.) London Fletcher - 6.2

7.) Stephen Bowen - 5.5

8.) Josh Morgan - 5.35--depends on performance

9.) Josh Wilson - 5.334

12.) Adam Carriker - 3.95

13.) RGIII - 3.95

16.) Brian Orakpo - 2.885

17.) Ryan Kerrigan - 2.403

18.) Jarvis Jenkins - 1.303

19.) Reed Doughty - 1.150

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Not much to say on this week's Landry report.

Landry was Landry. The Sooners O was back to something like the Sooners O after the ropey Week One outing, destroying Florida A&M mainly on the ground with record setting 4 TD, 156 yard home debut for the junior Williams. That dudes exciting. Big and bulldozing, but with fantastic speed.

Mixed day for Jones. 19/28 for 252 and 2 TD's. But a bad INT, and another that was dropped after hitting the same DB right in the hands. It had gotten so easy, he got a little sloppy which needs to be eradicated. That aside, he was good in the pocket as per, leading his team to their 31st victory with him under center, 2nd in school history. As noted last week, he's also developing a great relationship with Kenny Stills in the slot ala the one he had with Broyles. Stills really does look like he's knuckled down this past spring and summer and he's looking a far more mature player out there.

Still early season, and still some hiccups and misunderstandings with the O as a whole. With the K State game not for another two weeks, hopefully the kinks will be ironed out by then.

Hail.

[Going Commando]

Did you all catch this from Peter King's article?

[Griffin] said he audibled about 10 times, not necessarily to plays he thought would be big-gainers, but "changing from a negative play to a play that had a better chance.'

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/09/10/Week1/index.html#ixzz266NmAmSY

Looks like the staff is doing a really nice job of giving RGIII the freedom to go out and run the offense without putting too much on his plate early.

[Dukes and Skins]

Did you all catch this from Peter King's article?

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/09/10/Week1/index.html#ixzz266NmAmSY

Looks like the staff is doing a really nice job of giving RGIII the freedom to go out and run the offense without putting too much on his plate early.

Coach Shanahan talked about it in the press conference that RG3 was going to the audibles for those plays early on. Impressive that he would read the coverage and move to that play

[RemoveSnyder]

D&S,

I'm elevating Lewan's stock. After watching him in both the Bama game and Air Force I'm just impressed with the power he plays with and his fluidity moving in space. He looks like he carries some heavy hands with good punch.

I don't think I'd call him dominate in the run game, but he's good. He does create push by himself.

I liked his physicality vs Bama. He physically controled the POA often enough against the Bama DEs & OLBs. He also got downfield a couple of times on some DBs, good stocking technique and body control.

Then of course he had that leg injury which took him out of the Bama game. B. Hoke said it wasn't that bad and as it turned out he played this last week vs Air Force.

Vs. AF,

Again he physically controlled the match-ups and I saw him, at one point, hurdle a defender on a run play and sprint downfield for like 40-some yards.

He was blocking head-up, his man, the ball carrier broke free downfield and Lewan turned and started streaking downfield himself, to try and lay another block. It was really impressive. Speed popped. Great athleticism for his size and strength.

To my eye he looks a bit bigger and maybe a little more dense than Joeckel. That could be just splitting hairs though, or maybe camera angle / lighting.

He's got a nice coil to his 3-point stance, bends the knees well. I like how effortlessly he can slide to the second level and latch on. He might actually measure in at 6 foot 7 inches, if anyone does. You can see the length. Still, he's a redshirt Junior.

I suspect he played TE at some point during his development as a football player.

I like him a good bit.

I know Michigan offensive lineman have kind-of devalued recently in the last few year's drafts, but Lewan looks like he can buck that trend.

And again the underclassmen rule the Tackle class for this draft 2013 as did the 2012 class.

The holding penalty against him in the vid is bunk in my estimation. It was kick-out block and he dominated the POA and took his man to the ground.

...

team profile:

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/lewan_taylor00.html

[RemoveSnyder]

Zac Dysert and Nick Harwell with others:

[Going Commando]

Lewan looks good Monk but I don't think he's a blue chipper based off of that video. For one thing, his technique doesn't look that great and he wore down late and stopped using his hands. He is very long but doesn't always seem to extend his arms that well. He's strong and aggressive but I don't see the sort of sand in the pants that the really powerful OTs tend to have. And though he's got great straight line speed, he doesn't appear to have blue chip lateral quickness.

I think he's good and athletic but I think he's still unpolished looking and lacks elite physical attributes. A first rounder though, based off of that size, power, and speed. He reminds me of Nate Solder.

---------- Post added September-10th-2012 at 10:00 PM ----------

I could see Lewan being effective as a LT in a spread system much like Vollmer and Solder are with the Patriots. He's a similar type of athlete with a similar style coming out of college.

His best attribute is run blocking down field. Good athleticism to accurately block in the second level and lots of speed to get there easily. He also did a really nice job sealing the edge and getting some push in the run game from a 2 point stance. To me that shows off his natural upper body power.

I think Lewan will hold his own in pass pro against most speed but he will fall off his blocks against rushers skilled with their hands. He'll also get pushed back some by power because I think his anchor is a little light.

One thing I didn't care for from that Alabama video was how much he ended up on the ground. To me that's a sign of poor technique.

[HAILSKINSNYC]

What did we get for Kevin Barnes?

[GWinSkins83]

What did we get for Kevin Barnes?

7th round

[gorebd82]

1.) Most of us expected the defensive front to be pretty good, but judging from week one, just how good are they? What are your expectations for them moving forward?

I think it will be considered an elite group. Stout and disruptive, but not the physical freak QB chasers like the Giants. I think we'll consistently be top 5 against the run, top ten in sacks. Never the top group, but consistently dominant. I think that the big, strong, athletic, but not elite speed guys like Orakpo and Kerrigan fit our division well to force the offenses to abandon the run and become predictable and subject to the inconsistencies of Eli, Vick, and Romo sits to pee.

I think the unit is fine for a few years. I do think that Cofield can be an elite NT as hes more athletic than most other NTs, but just as stout. I'd like to see him even two years from now as he continues to train his body to be a NT. He could be with us another decade. Baker and Neild are promising depth. Jarvis will be a strong force. Kerrigan and Orakpo have a great combo of strength, speed, and IQ to be a top 3-5 tandem.

Obviously, keep an eye out for a stud DL or ILB, but I feel we have the opportunity to sit back and let good, value payers fall to us in the draft and FA. Snatch a guy that falls like Cam Jordan did or sign cheap vet deals for the Shaun Ellis type guys.

2.) How good is the offensive line? What are your expectations here?

I think we're fine. Building a pipeline of prospects. But I see our OL like RB that you can just plug in system guys. I think the unit will perform well with a productive RBBC and pass protection helped by RG3's ability. I would put OT as a priority area depending on how Polumbus, Brown, Compton plays out. I think Monty gets benched and they slide Chester over to center with Gettis stepping in at guard. I think they want a vet in front of RG3 and Gettis is ahead of LeRibeus right now.

3.) The secondary?

I'm more comfortable than most seeing how this shakes out. Safety is a question mark, but I really look as Madieu and Gomes as reserves forced into action. They're very capable so I feel like we can wait a bit to gauge Meriweather and wait on Tanard. Hopefully Brandon bounces back and plays well in a defense he's more suited to than the Tampa 2. If Madieu is solid this year (I'm assuming that a guy with a heady rep doesn't continue with stupid penalties) and Meriweather pays well, then I'm comfortable with Madieu, Tanard, and Gomes competing for playing time.

If we get a true #1 CB, then our group looks good. Hopefully Talib. How nice is Talib and Wilson outside, DHall in the slot, and Griffin and Crawford as depth? Throw in Meriweather and Tanard starting at safety with Madieu and Gomes as depth. That's a talented, deep group with a nice blend of youth and experience led by Raheem.

4.) The weapons (WRs/TEs/RBs)?

I love the depth and varied skillets. This is a very fiscally wise way to build an offense. Kind of like the Patriots using multiple WRs and RBs as role players. Few stars, more specialists. Maybe Fred or Hank are stars, Garçon looks like a solid 1a, everyone else looks dangerous, but limited. We need a star RB or WR.

I lean towards RB because you can get a special talent for great value. Morris was great and consistently falling forward, but appears unspectacular. I'd keep my eye open of a guy like Knile Davis, trade opportunity for Chris Johnson, or Reggie Bush in FA. Also possibly a big, freak specimen WR in the draft, maybe guy like Bowe in FA, or a Swiss army knife like Denard Robinson. We need another serious talent to pair with RG3 and draw attention from our other weapons.

5.) It's ridiculously early, but what positions would you most like to see our high draft picks spent on? What positions would you like to see receive priority in free agency? Which "question marks" do you think are likely to be answered by internal improvement?

I'd like to see our draft picks going towards a special RB or WR, RT, or safety if nothing pans out. I definitely want to see CB addressed in FA. I'm really thinking about Reggie Bush as a lead RB in our RBBC. He's shown he can handle a solid load with 1000 yds at 5 ypc. He could get 250+ touches in our offense. The seams from our ZBS would put him in a position to make some huge plays. He'd be great in dump offs. I'm sure he'd rather join RG3 than stay with Tannehill. And Reggie will probably be relatively cheap because of the glut of RBs and his perceived inability to be a lead RB. Bush, Morris, Helu, Royster is a great, inexpensive stable for years.

I think interior OL sees internal improvement. LeRibeus at LG (being groomed for OC), Chester at center, and Gettis at RG starts next season with Polumbus at RT (hopefully with a 2nd or 3rd rounder behind him).

6.) Which of our impending free agents do we need to keep? Here is an unofficial list:

Keep Fred, Ced Griffin (if he has a solid season), Alexander, Polumbus, Madieu, Rocca (depends who else s available), Polumbus, Tanard, Cundiff. Keep all RFAs. Cut Moss and Brown.

7.) Finally, any specific college or free agent prospects you want for us?

Denard Robinson, Knile Davis, Lattimore if he slips. Gotta see who emerges as that high potential 2nd round WR like Stephen Hill. Most top WRs will be gone when we pick. Looking at top safeties like Reid, Rambo, McDonald. Keeping eyes open at OT. Maybe a LT prospect that slips a little might make a great RT with 2nd or 3rd round value.

[RemoveSnyder]

I could see Lewan being effective as a LT in a spread system ...

Yeah my lens of focus is definitely zone blocking, geared toward the athletic linemen.

To me that shows off his natural upper body power.

And when I used the term power I meant to distinguish the upper body strength, as you pointed out. That was evident to me his arm strength.

__

One thing I didn't care for from that Alabama video was how much he ended up on the ground. To me that's a sign of poor technique.

Actually I didn't see that at all. In fact I think I counted only one time he fell off a block to the ground.

I guess I'm not seeing what you're seeing. #77, LT.

I mean there was a time or two in which he got his legs rolled up on from behind and he fell. Other times he finished the play by landing on-top of his man on the ground and that's just coached to bury your man when he falls.

For the most part I thought he held his own against NFL sized and NFL strengthed Bama players. I like the way he danced with his man in running blocking, by keeping his hands inside the shoulder, under the armpit, while hunching overtop of his man, in large part.

__

---------- Post added September-11th-2012 at 09:36 AM ----------

Somewhere in here (second play, I believe) you'll see Lewan flying downfield. Of course Robinson outruns everyone. Love how he can run though.

Michigan vs Air Force:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ow5c10CXQ4

[darrelgreenie]

Did anyone watch the other rookie QBs play?

[RemoveSnyder]

[color="yellow"]
Rank	Player	                  Pos	Cl	Gm	Catches	   Yds	TDs	Rec/Gm	 Yds/Catch	 Yds/Gm
1       M.Campanaro, Wake Forest  WR	JR	2	   22	   260	1	 11.00	  11.82          130.00[/color]

http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/playerDetail.jsp?yr=2012&org=749&player=3
__

http://www.wakeforestsports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/campanaro_michael00.html

[Dukes and Skins]

Did anyone watch the other rookie QBs play?

Wish I could have, but this townhouse place doesn't have the best amenities in terms of cable

[darrelgreenie]

I got the shortcuts on DVR, might give an update