Author: Rob Staton (Page 346 of 423)

Cordarrelle Patterson had a big day for Tennessee

West Virginia vs Texas Tech

Geno Smith has enjoyed such a fantastic start to the season, but he’s had games in his career that have just got away from him. When he struggles for rhythm and little things go against the WVU offense, he can get a bit flustered. We saw it against Syracuse last year and we saw it against Texas Tech.

It’s worth saying that he’ll suffer minimal long-term damage to his stock as long as this is a one-off. He’s not suddenly a bad quarterback because of a mediocre day. He still hasn’t turned the ball over via interception (although he could’ve easily been picked off three times this weekend). If he can bounce back against other strong opponents like Kansas State and Oklahoma, this game will become a distant memory.

Even so there’s no getting away from the fact Smith was completely outplayed by Seth Doege. The conditions were poor for throwing – strong winds swirled around the stadium changing direction and lurching around the field. Doege – perhaps used to dealing with the conditions as the home QB – didn’t miss a beat. Smith on the other hand looked nothing like the composed, accurate passer we’d seen in previous weeks. He struggled to set against pressure, he looked unsure of himself and started to force passes. It began badly and got progressively worse. While Smith struggled to complete 29/55 passing for 275 yards (5.0 average) and just a single touchdown, Doege went 32/42 for 499 yards and six touchdowns and made a mockery of the windy conditions. Texas Tech won 49-14.

Today will take some of the shine off Smith’s Heisman campaign but Robert Griffin III showed you can win the award despite suffering a heavy defeat in the Big-12. He’s just got to get back on the saddle. Here’s the thing though – it’s probably time to limit the hype. I’ve liked Smith for a while and it’s hard to avoid getting carried away when a quarterback throws 24 touchdowns and zero interceptions in five games. It’s also worth noting that the Mountaineers defense is truly horrendous and while TTU were stocking up on points, the pressure cranked up on the offense to keep up. Eventually that was going to cost WVU a game. Smith is a very accomplished passer and could end up having a good NFL career. Is he better than Matt Barkley? Not for me. He deserves a first round grade at this point, but I’m not convinced he’s quite as good as some people have projected recently. He may be behind Tyler Wilson the Arkansas quarterback too. This was a perspective game more than anything, but he still carries a first round grade.

Alabama vs Missouri

Alabama scored a 73-yard touchdown on their first drive against Missouri and quickly built a comfortable 28-0 lead. Credit has to go to Eddie Lacy for a run that showed patience, speed and raw athleticism. For a guy playing at 220lbs he moves well for his size. He’s not going to be a first round pick like Trent Richardson or Mark Ingram, but he has a future in the NFL. It wasn’t the only run where he jinked past a couple of tackles and showed real shiftiness to break into space. Lacy also flashed a few ‘Marshawn Lynch’ type runs, dragging tacklers along for extra yardage. This was a thoroughly impressive performance apart from a sloppy fumble shortly after a lengthy rain delay. If I was trying to build a strong, power running offense I’d want Lacy in my stable of backs. He ended with 176 yards from 18 carries and three touchdowns. Talented freshman T.J. Yeldon also had 144 yards from 18 carries for a couple of scores. That’s what a good offensive line can provide in the SEC.

It’s hard to ignore the line play at Alabama, perhaps the single greatest unit we’ll see in college football. It’ll take some beating, that’s for sure. Chance Warmack blew up two interior lineman on the 73-yard dash by Lacy and continues to be equally effective pulling wide or dominating up the middle. It’s hard to find any fault with Warmack and if he isn’t a top-15 pick next April something is seriously, seriously wrong. Barrett Jones doesn’t have quite as much pure power at center but he’s flexible and can play any position on the line. He’s smart and technically sound and should be a second day pick. D.J. Fluker is a decent college right tackle but might struggle to translate those skills to the next level. Blind-side blocker Cyrus Kouandijo looks like a future top pick.

Quarterback A.J. McCarron is playing the role that Pete Carroll demands of his quarterbacks – using his brain, making good decisions, remaining efficient and not turning the ball over. When he was required to make a play, McCarron made a play. He’s underrated and above the level of previous Alabama quarterbacks. He’s never going to be a top-pick but if he’s lingering around the mid-rounds either next April or in 2014, I’d take him. He deserves more attention.

One guy who gets plenty of (deserved) attention is Dee Milliner. The guy is a complete cornerback. Draft him in the top-five. His best play today was an athletic, tipped pass in single coverage that was picked off by a team mate. Seattle’s greatest strength may be its secondary, but I would happily draft Milliner in round one. Any day, any time. Incredible player. Linebacker C.J. Mosley also had a big day with multiple sacks and several other key plays behind the LOS.

As for Missouri, Sheldon Richardson was the main focus and he did enough on the day to come out of this having boosted his stock. He made double-digit tackles from what I saw and sacked McCarron with a clip of the ankle leading to a bothersome knee problem for the quarterback. He also has top-15 potential at defensive tackle. Perhaps the most promising aspect from today was the clear leadership role he’s taken this season. He’s become the heart of the team.

Cordarrelle Patterson reminds everyone why he’s special

Against Akron he was partly responsible for an avoidable pick-six. Against Georgia he dropped a sure-fire touchdown on an easy deep ball. Cordarrelle Patterson’s stock was falling a little, despite his ability to make plays no other receiver can in the SEC. Patterson’s numbers against Mississippi State weren’t incredible in terms of receiving. He had just two catches for 25 yards, but added 57 rushing yards from three carries. Here’s what else he had:

– A 98-yard kick-off return for a touchdown (see it here).

– An incredible rush for 34 yards on a reverse. The play was blown up early and appeared destined for a big loss, until Patterson somehow escaped multiple tacklers and broke off a huge gain (see it here).

– And 11 yard touchdown pass over the shoulder to get his team back in the game (see it here).

Patterson will probably declare for the 2013 draft and he’s not anywhere close to a polished receiver. In fact, he’ll probably have a pretty slow start in the NFL and it’s going to take a lot of patience to make him consistent. In fact it may never happen – which makes him a serious boom or bust type. Yet he is without doubt the biggest X-factor playmaker at any skill position eligible for next years draft. Any time he’s on the field, he could score. Rushing, receiving, returning. He even has the option to throw in some of Tennessee’s reverse calls. We’re talking about a rare talent with the size to be a #1 receiver at the next level, but the kind of athleticism saved for shorter receivers like Percy Harvin.

He could be seen as a bit of a luxury pick and he will carry huge risks. But if you have an offense lacking an incredible playmaker, it’s hard to ignore this guy.

Another note from the Tennessee vs Mississippi State game (I caught the end) – Jonathan Banks made an absolute carbon copy play of Brandon Browner’s strip sack vs Carolina. An identical play. He’s the spirit of the Miss. State defense and appeared to have a terrific game against Patterson and Justin Hunter (who managed just two catches for 41 yards). Banks is one to watch as he fits the size requirement for Seahawks cornerbacks.

Watching a game? Or a particular prospect? Let us know about it.

Three games on my schedule this week – Oklahoma vs Texas, Alabama vs Missouri and West Virginia vs Texas Tech.

Oklahoma vs Texas

I made my mind up a long time ago on Landry Jones and despite returning for his senior year with the Sooners, I still don’t believe his destiny includes time as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Such is the importance of the position he might get a look in round two or three, but the days of him earning a round one projection (not from me) are long gone. He’s stiff, he doesn’t improvise, he’s handcuffed to the play call and isn’t really making a lot of decisions out there. He’s got the NFL arm and there are rare moment of pure quality, but not enough unfortunately. Jones also has a lot of careless turnovers. Texas has some nice defensive talent and it’ll be interesting to see how they deal with Oklahoma’s no-huddle, fast-tempo offense. They did a reasonable job against WVU and still coughed up 40+ points. The likes of Jeffcoat, Okafor and Vaccaro will play on Sunday’s. But the guy who really interests me is junior defensive tackle Chris Whaley. He’s a physical force with a high motor and is more than capable of knifing through to make plays. Keep an eye on #96 if you’re watching this game tomorrow.

Alabama vs Missouri

Alabama should have plenty of success running the ball against Missouri but this is still the most interesting game of the three. Sheldon Richardson has shown huge potential this year as an interior defensive lineman – but this will be a huge challenge. He’s playing at around 295lbs and he’s more of a pass rusher than run stuffer. How he copes with ‘Bama’s rampant running attack will be crucial for his stock. He doesn’t have to blow up Chance Warmack and Barrett Jones, but he does need to show he can hold his own and play at least decent run defense against the most physical attack in college football. A sack or two wouldn’t go amiss either. Richardson could be a top-15 pick next April and it’s games like this that scouts are going to turn to in the off-season.

West Virginia vs Texas Tech

Texas Tech are a dangerous opponent for West Virginia because they’re capable of scoring just as many quick points as the Mountaineers. I expect WVU to win this game and Geno Smith will probably put up huge numbers again, but it’s a potential banana skin for a team with ambitions of making a run at the BCS title. It’s worth noting that Smith has been liable to have the occasional off-day. That hasn’t happened yet, we’ll see if it comes in these tougher Big-12 meetings on the schedule. One thing I’ve noticed recently in studying Smith a little closer is he crouches down on certain throws, lowering the trajectory of the release. I haven’t seen any obvious issues with this so far and he does have an over-the-top throwing motion and mostly decent mechanics. It’s still something I’m going to keep watching and after last week’s double-fumble against the Longhorns (one for a touchdown) it’ll be interesting to see if WVU can do a better job in pass protection. Smith still needs to sense the pressure and not turn the ball over – but it’s hard to complain too much when he has 24 touchdowns so far this year and zero interceptions.

I’ll put an open thread on the blog tomorrow so please feel free to contribute if you’re watching a game or a prospect over the weekend. I’ve also added video on North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper at the top of this article. He’s a possible top-15 pick even for an interior lineman. Incredibly athletic, good against the pass and run. Expect him to have a long, successful NFL career.

Texas A&M's Damontre Moore is one of a number of potential defensive top-15 picks

In the last few years, the first round of the NFL draft has been pretty balanced between offense and defense. Since 1993 (the last time Seattle drafted a quarterback in round one) only three defensive players have been drafted first overall (Dan Wilkinson, Courtney Brown and Mario Williams), but in recent years the top-15 picks have been split evenly. Of the 75 top-15 picks since 2008, 36 have been offensive players and 39 defensive.

The 2013 draft will buck the trend.

Obviously it’s still early days and a lot can change, but we’ve quietly moved towards the half-way point in the college football season. There aren’t going to be too many surprises from now until the end of the year, and many of the rising stars from now on are likely to crop up after work outs rather than in-season performance. Enough people study the draft these days to get on angle on who has a shot to be a high first round pick – the access to fans and pundits is greater than it’s ever been. Most potential first rounders are at least on the radar by this stage.

Right now it looks like a good year if you want a defensive tackle, with as many as 6-8 potential first round picks at the position. There are some big-time pass rushers who could crack the top-15 and there’s the usual handful of cornerbacks in the running too. When you throw in guys like Manti Te’o and Alec Ogletree at linebacker, it’s easy to see why this is setting up to be a defense-dominated draft class. We may even see the #1 pick being spent on a defensive player for the first time since 2006.

On the other hand it’s not looking like a strong year for offensive talent. Matt Barkley, Geno Smith and Tyler Wilson will all hope to benefit from the league’s obsession with quarterbacks (Logan Thomas doesn’t appear likely to declare for 2013). Will the demand for the position remain? With eight teams taking a quarterback in the first round since 2011 and the likes of Cincinnati (Andy Dalton) and Seattle (Russell Wilson) finding starters recently in the middle rounds, eventually there’s going to be a tipping point. Smith and Barkley aren’t going to generate the kind of hype afforded to Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, while Wilson is suffering within an Arkansas team that imploded two weeks into the new season.

Cleveland are the only team without a victory so far in 2012, but they were one of the teams to go quarterback last April. That player – Brandon Weeden – turns 29 on Sunday. If they end up with the #1 overall pick next year, they’ll likely face a number of big decisions. The new owners may wish to move on from Mike Holmgren and the staff assembled in 2010. That would put Weeden’s position in jeopardy and make a QB at #1 more likely. Considering his age, he needed to prove he could start and perform quickly to a high standard. With hindsight that was far too much to expect even for a player pushing 30 with previous pro-sports experience. Unfortunately for Weeden, Cleveland may go quarterback again next year. Demand will also be enhanced if teams like Kansas City, Oakland and Jacksonville decide they need to invest in a quarterback. And let’s not completely rule out Seattle, either. Even so, it seems like there’s going to be less hysteria around the position.

The 2013 class lacks a player like Trent Richardson who can drive through the perception of low value at running back. Marcus Lattimore could’ve forced his way into that bracket, but a lack of top-end speed and with a serious knee injury on his record – he’s unlikely to crack the top-15. He does have production, character and leadership on his side though, so don’t rule it out. There are multiple receivers who could find their way into the first or second round, but none appear to warrant top-15 consideration. It’s also a dry year for offensive tackles.

Apart from the likelihood of one or two quarterbacks going early, the only other hope on offense may come from an unusually talented pair of offensive guards. Chance Warmack has top-10 talent and will only last beyond that due to the relatively low value placed on interior lineman. Jonathan Cooper is equally as talented and shouldn’t last too long in the first round. Tennessee’s Dallas Thomas is also rising after moving from tackle this year. Imagine a scenario where Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and Chance Warmack are the only offensive players taken in the top-15 picks. It’s not unlikely. That’s how good the defensive talent is this year.

This could actually play into the hands of a team like Seattle. Whether the Seahawks make the post season or simply have to settle for progress in 2012, they’re unlikely (bold statement) to be picking in the top-ten. If next years draft does prove to be top-heavy for defense, it’ll mean there’s more choice of offensive talent later on. If the teams intention was to, for example, make two early picks on offense – the depth would be there to do so. Most people would presume Seattle will target offense in the draft, whether that’s at receiver, offensive line or even quarterback. Picking later could be a benefit in that regard. That’s not to say the team wouldn’t consider defense – especially given the supreme talent and depth at defensive tackle. But right now it’d be an upset if the Seahawks didn’t make offensive improvement their priority in the off-season.

There is some precedent for the team benefiting from a scenario like this. Only last April Pete Carroll and John Schneider had their pick of the entire pass-rusher class – the teams #1 priority in the draft. Make no mistake despite what you read about Luke Kuechly and Mark Barron, this team was zoned in on improving the pass rush in the draft. There wasn’t an obvious top-10 pick at defensive end, meaning the Seahawks were able to trade down to #15 and still get their pick of the crop. They chose Bruce Irvin, but probably had one or two solid alternatives. As soon as Irvin left the board, the likes of Quinton Coples, Chandler Jones and others soon followed.

We could see a similar outcome next year, where the Seahawks have an entire group of players to pick from at a position of need – such is the possibility of this being a real top-heavy draft on defense. The big question is whether a player exists that fits the vision of this front office as well as the last #1 pick. Bruce Irvin has been described as ‘the ideal LEO’ many times by Pete Carroll. Does the ideal wide receiver for this team exist among the 2013 group? Or the ideal offensive lineman? Or even the ideal quarterback? Only seven months to find out…

Top-20 prospects – October 10th

1 – Matt Barkley (QB, USC)
2 – Jarvis Jones (DE, Georgia)
3 – Chance Warmack (G, Alabama)
4 – Star Lotulelei (DT, Utah)
5 – Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama)
6 – Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia)
7 – Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame)
8 – Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State)
9 – Damontre Moore (DE, Texas A&M)
10 – Jonathan Jenkins (DT, Georgia)
11 – Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri)
12 -Barkevious Mingo (DE, LSU)
13 – Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina)
14 – Alec Ogletree (LB, Georgia)
15 – Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon)
16 – Jonathan Cooper (G, North Carolina)
17 – Corey Lemonier (DE, Auburn)
18 – Marcus Lattimore (RB, South Carolina)
19 – Johnathan Hankins (DT, Ohio State)
20 – Robert Woods (WR, USC)

Margus Hunt is a very interesting player. Very very interesting. He’s a world class track and field (well, pretty much just field) athlete who came to the U.S. to be coached in that pursuit. When scholarships were removed for track athletes at SMU, his coach suggested this behemoth of a man take up football. He’s now a starter in SMU’s 3-4 defense.

He has tons of raw ability and a perfect frame for the position, but I would like to see him in a Jason Jones role. As we all know his and Alan Branch’s contracts are up at the end of the season, so that could make DT the sexy pick this year (barring Scruggs or Howard stepping up in a big way).  Hunt does some really incredible things on the football field. Watching his tape, I see him knifing gaps like no-one else. He gets so skinny through holes and he hauls some ass. He has very long arms and huge strong hands (much like Jason Jones). He’s fairly explosive off the snap. Not an elite first step, but he’ll catch opponents off guard now and again.

Hunt lacks many pass rush moves, but has a nice inside knife ability. He has all the potential in the world, it just depends on how he uses it. Oh yeah, did I mention this kid ran a 4.7 before the first time he stepped on a football field? Despite his enormous 82 inch wingspan (got me droolin’) he benched 225 pounds 35 times and could turn that into upwards of 40 by the time he gets to the combine. He’s also a record setting kick blocker. He gets miraculous amounts of pressure for the scheme he plays in. No known injuries.

One issue is he really struggles to keep consistent pad levels. This leads to him getting blown off the ball by run blockers and he will be man-handled by NFL road graders if he doesn’t fix these issues. Hunt seems to lack ideal strength at the point of attack, which is probably due to his consistently poor pad level. He has decent closing speed, but he seems to get one hand on QBs and they just get away from him a lot. He doesn’t look like he has a consistent motor (he’s more like a Plymouth), but this could be due to his lack of experience. He rarely looks ‘lost’ on the field, but at the same time doesn’t always look like he has a comprehensive grasp of his duties or the play.

Another concern I have is that perhaps he isn’t all that dedicated to football. He hasn’t even played for four years. Some players his age (he’s 26) have been playing for four times that long! Speaking of his age, that’s another concern. But, hey, if an under-talented 28-year-old Brandon Weeden can go in the first round, why couldn’t a supremely talented Margus Hunt? Personally, I think he will be a first round pick, just because of how much of a freak athlete he is.

He fits in well with the Seahawks defensive scheme, because he’s kind of a tweener-3-4-DE/4-3-DT/DE type and we run a 4-3 look with 3-4 personnel. He would find an instant home in the nickel package and would be valued more highly on this team than others because of our obsession with turnovers, especial-teamly on special teams (see what I did there?). Overall I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing Hunt in Blue, Gray and Green, but at the right price. I wouldn’t want him in the first round. If he falls to the second I say snatch him up with a quickness. He’s got a VERY high ceiling.

Russell Wilson deserves more praise than the uni combo

The Seahawks dominated Carolina in every single aspect but the scoreline today. A 16-12 finish doesn’t fairly represent just how comprehensive this victory was, but the team ensured everyone had the usual Sunday headache with a series of errors and penalties. The first half brought back memories of the Green Bay game in week three – a completely one sided affair with the defense shutting down the opposition. Yet somehow the score was 6-3 at half time and it was all down to the teams greatest enemy right now – indiscipline.

A huge downfield pass play for around 56 yards was called back for a hold by Bren Giacomini. The same player had yet another personal foul flag. Chris Clemons’ suplex on Cam Newton prevented Seattle getting great field position late in the second quarter and instead Carolina drove for their first points of the day. A 17-0 half turned into a 6-3 half, and thankfully it didn’t prove costly.

Compounding the issue was a sluggish start to the third quarter with two turnovers including a pick-six by Russell Wilson. A third turnover followed shortly, with the juggling skills of Marshawn Lynch decidedly worse than his rushing skills. But while the first two were basic errors, the third was a freak event.

But just as it seemed another close game was going to be flushed down the toilet, both sides of the ball stepped up to the plate. Brandon Browner stole the ball for a turnover leading to a smart Wilson-to-Golden Tate touchdown. Another drive led to three more points and when Cam Newton finally drove the Panthers into scoring range – Browner made a vital play on third down to prevent Louis Murphy scoring a touchdown. Carolina went for it on fourth and strangely had Newton throw the ball – and he somehow missed a wide-open receiver throwing into the turf.

Even then the Seahawks had to close it out and thanks to a typical first down run from Lynch and a clever decision to take a safety (making life easy for Jon Ryan) the win was secured. Seattle’s three high profile rookies all had a big day:

– Bruce Irvin finished with two sacks and two QB hits. The first sack was a superb closing burst to tackle Newton by the ankle. The second won the game, forcing a fumble in the process. He’s an impact player, taking his sack total to 4.5 in five games. The Seahawks drafted him to make a big contribution at a crucial time and he did that today. There’s going to be times this year where he doesn’t feature and people will get frustrated, but he wasn’t drafted to be an every down playmaker. This is what he was brought here to do – make key plays with the game on the line.

– Bobby Wagner was immense for the second week in a row. He played the option brilliantly, showed excellent speed on one play to get to Newton on a QB keeper and looks every bit the established NFL starter. He entered the draft a borderline first round pick and went in the second because linebacker is a bit of a luxury pick. The Seahawks made a wise move taking him in round two and found a starter for many years to come. The secondary gets a lot of attention and rightly so, but the Seahawks also have one of the best linebacker groups for a 4-3 scheme.

– Russell Wilson showed tangible progress today and deserves a ton of praise. He’s a rookie starter in his fifth game – and not the typical rookie starter either who was a top-five or even #1 overall pick. Wilson is 3-2 as a starter having beaten Dallas, Green Bay and Carolina – his only two defeats coming on the road in the newly crowned toughest division in football. Sure – the pick-six was ugly. Guess what? Veteran quarterbacks with playoff appearances still throw passes like that. The second interception has no place among his stat line. He completed 76% of his passes and didn’t let the two interceptions get into his head. Is he the finished article? Absolutely not. Is he showing progress as a starter? Definitely. This regime doesn’t need five starting quarterbacks in two and a half years on the résumé. Wilson shouldn’t have to beat the Patriots next week to avoid question marks about his validity to stat. The Seahawks offense is still growing and they made their choice in pre-season. Wilson deserves a chance to show further progress over the next few weeks.

This is the type of performance we expected before the season began. If the mental mistakes and penalties can be ironed out, this is a forceful team who will be tough to beat at home or on the road. It’s up to the coaches now to make sure no more wins are jeopardised by indiscipline. And if they continue to play this way minus the mental mistakes, it’ll help us concentrate on a ‘best player available’ scenario for the draft. Which is a good thing, given the clear strength for 2013 is at positions like defensive tackle.

And oh yeah – not a fan of the blue-on-grey uniforms. My choice would be blue-on-blue and white-on-blue. Not that you care.