Senior Bowl measurements

What the hell is "suddenness" supposed to mean? :huh:

 

Scott Wright
President, NFL Draft Countdown

Another day is in the books and I am afraid to report that there is some bad news on the injury front. Alabama OT Wesley Britt broke his leg again in practice today and was carted off the field while neither U.A.B. WR Roddy White, who pulled his hamstring in practice yesterday, or Pittsburgh OT Rob Petitti were anywhere to be seen today. Two top cornerback prospects also say out today with Carlos Rogers of Auburn and Eric Green of Virginia Tech in street clothes and jerseys. I spoke with Todd France, Rogers agent, who told me that Carlos wouldn’t be playing in the game while Green himself told me that he tweaked his hammy in training last week and when Buccaneers coaches saw it was still a bother they sat him down and he too will miss the game on Saturday. Green did tell me that he is training with the guy who works with Donovan McNabb down in Arizona and he hopes to run in the 4.3-4.4 range (don’t they all). Look for new players to be added to the roster soon with OL Justin Geisinger of Vanderbilt debuting today and one guy I heard will be coming in is CB / S Nick Collins of Bethune-Cookman. I will let you know who the new faces in practice are in tomorrow’s report.

The South took the field first today and I spent the vast majority of the morning watching the guys in the trenches, the offensive lineman. The guy who really stood out to me was OT Jeremy Parquet of Southern Miss, who is playing lower and faster than he ever did with the Golden Eagles. Parquet has really good feet but needs to play with more of an attitude but he is working hard and getting into shape and word is he could go in the area of rounds three to six. OG Marcus Johnson of Ole Miss drew some positive commentary from coaches and held his own against Shaun Cody. I spoke with Marcus after practice and he said teams have told him he looks good at both tackle and guard and is more than willing to play either position. He said on one hand he enjoys the physical nature of playing inside but he also doesn’t mind showing off his athleticism outside either. Logan Mankins of Fresno St. really has a nasty demeanor on the field but I don’t see him being able to play tackle in the pros. He is definitely a guard and I will update my rankings accordingly next week. Ray Willis of Florida St. looked good at tackle against the bull rush but really struggled versus speed and guys like Demarcus Ware and Shaun Cody were able to blow by him. David Stewart of Mississippi St. showed good technique and a nice base while Evan Mathis of Alabama looked overmatched outside at tackle. And finally, OL Chris Myers of Miami (FL) got some work at center as well as a long-snapper and could be a valuable backup at the next level.

At other positions, Alex Holmes did not impress me once again and has trouble with quickness as a blocker, but he was getting some reps as a long-snapper before practice which could help his cause. Texas Christian TE Cody McCarty looked good as a blocker and receiver while West Virginia RB Kay-Jay Harris looks real big and thick and Tulane WR Roydell Williams got some work as a punt returner. I also can’t go without mentioning Cadillac Williams of Auburn, who once again looked quick and shifty and no one was able to get a good clean shot at him. He is definitely on another level among the running backs down here.

The North practice in the afternoon was once again MUCH more laid back but the guy who really stood out in my eyes was TE Joel Dreessen of Colorado St. who continued to make plays including a great catch over the deep middle and held onto the ball despite being laid out by Jamaal Brimmer. He could be a great H-Back at the pro level in the mold of someone like Chris Cooley. Wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield of Purdue continues to catch everything in sight while Mark Clayton was his usual outstanding self. I have not been as impressed with QB Kyle Orton of Purdue as some this week and even though he looks sharp throwing the ball he has some major issues working under center and dropped three snaps in about five plays, including two in a row. Some other notes, QB Dan Orlovsky of Connecticut struggled a little throwing the ball, Wisconsin DT Anttaj Hawthorne looked big and powerful, the defensive backs did not look great but Howard CB Ronald Bartell made a nice play in coverage against Vincent Jackson and Oklahoma St. CB Darrent Williams just wants to make every play, while Matt Roth continued to stand out as a pass rusher. Afterwards I spoke with Michigan C / OG David Baas and I love his attitude. He said he is willing to play either position in the pros and it is all the same physical business to him. This guy is going to make some team very happy on Draft Day!

There was a buzz in the crowd as former Florida St. QB Adrian McPherson made the rounds with his agents and the Baltimore Ravens appeared to be showing a lot of interest. His representatives, Bruce and Ryan Tollner, told me that he is working out six days a week in Newport Beach, CA and is checking in at around 6-4 and is up to 220 pounds. They said he is really a polished passed and intends to take part in every workout at the Combine in Indianapolis and hopes to run in the low-4.4’s. And finally, I will wrap up with a look at who I saw specific teams talking to but please keep in mind this may or may not mean anything. The Chiefs were active, with their offensive line coach telling North Carolina C Jason Brown that he liked how he played with leverage and his work ethic while I also saw team personnel speaking with Georgia WR Reggie Brown and they made a beeline for U.C.L.A. FB Manuel White. Kansas City also huddled with WR Vincent Jackson, who also drew interest from the Titans. Clemson ILB Leroy Hill conversed with the Bears linebackers coach, Louisville ILB Robert McCune and Troy DE Demarcus Ware met with the Bengals, Michael Boley of Southern Miss spoke with the Saints, Justin Geisinger of Vanderbilt chatted with the Chiefs and Chargers, and Auburn S Junior Rosegreen talked with the Panthers.

Once again it was another eventful day and with the week winding down a lot of the pro personnel will be leaving Thursday or Friday. Fear not though because Scott Wright and NFL Draft Countdown will be in Mobile until the final whistle on Saturday bringing you the best Senior Bowl coverage out there so be sure to check back.

 

They also spoke with Matt Roth and Jason Babineaux, two defensive linemen from Iowa.

What's up with all the love for Iowa lately?

 

Honestly, I don't really get it either. This year they were largely over-rated, where as last year they were somewhat under-rated.

Roth deserves the attention, he's going to be a monster in the NFL. Babineaux (and it's Jonathan not Jason) on the other hand, will need to learn to play DE all over again after spending the last 2 years at DT. I suppose he could play DT, but he is just too small in my opinion. Much like former Hawkeye Colin Cole, who was a force inside as a college player, but has struggled in the NFL due to his lack of size.
Alot of it has to do with Kirk Ferrentz. Ferrentz his highly regarded in NFL circles and has become one of the top college coaches in a short amount of time. He seems to get a great deal of success out of mediocre or overlooked talent.
Iowa's O-lineman have that reputation that goes all the way back to the early 80's when guys like Hilgenberg and Bortz were laying the groundwork. However, it will be a few years before they produce anything near that type of lineman.

 

Senior Bowl North Team Practice Report - Wed Jan 26, 2005
Rob Rang
Senior Draft Analyst
NFLDraftScout.com

MOBILE, AL (Jan 26, 2005) - With all of the other all-star games finishing earlier this month, all eyes are on the Senior Bowl and the players auditioning for NFL scouts in Mobile, Alabama's Ladd-Peebles Stadium. While each all-star contest has its own unique flair, no game competes with the Senior Bowl in terms of talent, acclaim, or attention from NFL scouts. The team practices flip-flopped Wednesday, with the South working in the morning and the North arriving this afternoon.

As always, we were there and provide analysis - position by position - below.

North Practice (Tuesday - 2:30-4:00)

QUARTERBACK
Charlie Frye continued his solid work in Mobile, finishing the week atop many teams' boards at the quarterback position. His passes are crisp and accurate in the short and medium range, and while he doesn't possess a monster arm for the deep pass, he throws it effectively. One concern I have is that throwing on the run -- something that had been considered a strength entering the week - was a real struggle the last few days.

Kyle Orton has a strong arm, but was once again erratic today. He also had some troubles with the exchange from center Junius Coston, something which many seemed to blame Coston for, as Coston was subsequently pulled for David Baas. As stated, many seemed to blame Coston -- until Orton dropped the second snap he received from center Baas, as well.

Dan Orlovsky continued to struggle with consistency. He threw some of the prettiest passes of the day, but also skipped several simple out routes. Orlovsky has a strong arm, but tends to rely on it too much, at times, forgetting to step into his throws and limiting the speed and accuracy of his passes.


RUNNING BACK
J.J. Arrington continued his strong performance, but wasn't the eye-popper today that he was on Tuesday. He did show excellent hands out of the backfield.

Northwestern's Noah Herron has been reasonably effective, but lacks the speed and power combination to be anything more than a late round flyer selection. He was nicked up late and sat out the final moments of practice. Details of the injury were unknown.

Measuring in at a shade less than 5-6, Kansas State's Darren Sproles needed to look good to secure being selected, at all. That said, Sproles has, indeed, looked good. Some question what he'll run, but he certainly shows great speed and quickness on the field, darting in and out at the line of scrimmage and distancing himself from defenders when he reached the open field. As expected, his receiving ability has also stood out. Sproles has also been used as a punt returner and showed good potential there.

Zach Tuiasosopo and Manuel White continued to play well enough to not get called out by the coaching staff, but not much better. White has looked good as a lead blocker, but hasn't shown much as either a runner or receiver. Tuiasosopo has made some impressive receptions, but has looked rusty, after coming back from the broken leg that finished his senior season three games into the season.


WIDE RECEIVER
Despite attempting to focus my attention elsewhere, the North's receivers put on such a strong performance Wednesday, it proved to be nearly impossible.

Mark Clayton continued to impress, snatching the ball out of the air at will and showcasing speed and agility. His height (5-10) is certainly a factor, but a club needing a consistent playmaker either as a #1 or #2 receiver would certainly have to consider Clayton's reliability.

His former teammate at Oklahoma, Brandon Jones (6-1, 207), has really solidified himself as a potential 2nd to early 3rd round pick. While he'll obviously have to prove his speed at the Combine, Jones has run very nice routes and consistently catches the ball with his hands. He dropped a few Tuesday, but was one of several receivers to really step up his concentration today. Jones might have matched an earlier catch by Arkansas' Matt Jones as the most impressive of the week. The former Sooner snatched a touchdown pass intended for Craig Bragg out of the air, amid four defenders. It wasn't intended to be a jump ball, but Brandon Jones simply dashed in at the last second and out-leaped everyone else.

Indiana's Courtney Roby has quietly enjoyed a very strong week of practice. He hasn't looked as explosive as his preseason forty times (4.4) might indicate, but has shown suddenness in his route-running, fearless over the middle, and soft hands. He's secured himself a spot in the first day, assuming he runs as expected.
The comeback player of the day for the North squad would have to be wide receiver Vincent Jackson.

Jackson struggled getting open and dropped several easy passes yesterday, but played with considerably more aggression Wednesday and might have been the most unstoppable receiver on the field. He seemed more willing to position his body against the smaller cornerbacks for the quick passes, has the speed to surprise deep, and simply out-leaped Stanley Wilson for a touchdown.

Taylor Stubblefield continues to enjoy a solid week of practice but his lack of speed and size haunts his draft chances.


TIGHT END
Former Stanford Cardinal, or as he's referred to by some in Mobile, the "other" Alex Smith continues to prove that he is not only one of the elite tight ends of the draft, but potentially one of the top overall players, in general. Smith has performed well as both a receiver and a blocker and has positioned himself as a potential, perhaps even likely, first round pick.

Colorado State's Joel Dreesen continues to impress with his route-running and hands. He wasn't the target of many passes today, as the quarterbacks seemed inclined to feature the running backs and receivers all day, but did show great toughness hanging on to a deep pass after being absolutely leveled by UNLV's Jamaal Brimmer. Brimmer was questioned by the Raider coaches for the hit, as defenders are not supposed to be actually tackling in these drills, but Dreesen shook it off, slapped the hand of Brimmer and handed the coaches the ball…


OFFENSIVE LINE
As promised, a great deal of time was devoted to the offensive line Wednesday…

Washington's Khalif Barnes' athleticism was on constant display Wednesday, separating himself from the rest of the offensive linemen in Mobile. Barnes, a four year starter at Washington, has always shown the agility of a man considerably smaller than him (6-5, 304), but doesn't always play with the physicality needed to play left tackle in the NFL. He did today, however, forcing accomplished defensive ends Matt Roth and Bill Swancutt on long, long rides in pass blocking and getting solid movement in run blocking, as well. Barnes is still a little too inconsistent for some, but his upside is recognized by all who watch him.

Perhaps the next most impressive offensive lineman was Syracuse's Adam Terry. The Orangemen offensive tackle has great size (6-8, 324) and moves his feet incredibly well for such a large man. Like Barnes, he doesn't always play with enough physicality, but is a legitimate pass blocking left tackle. That said, Terry walked off the field in obvious discomfort late in the practice today. Reports had his injury being a minor one to his hand and not a threat to keep him from playing in the game, but this could not be confirmed.
Eastern Washington's Michael Roos has enjoyed a solid week of practice. As mentioned previously, Roos tends to play high, but at his size (6-6, 312) that is to be expected from a raw prospect. He has good lateral quickness and has improved his hand play consistently over the past two seasons. He isn't a finished product yet, and will be drafted over bigger names.

The remaining pure offensive tackle, Rob Petitti, has struggled. One of the more disappointing prospects in terms of his conditioning, Petitti (listed at 6-5, 342) came in at 361 pounds and looks slow and un-athletic on the field. The NFL likes to say that you can't hurt yourself in a game like this, but Petitti might have.

The interior play has not been very impressive, as a whole. David Baas continues to be switched back and forth between center and guard. This versatility will obviously help him at the next level, but he's been slow-footed and his technique hasn't been as keen as his reputation would indicate. Dan Buenning shows good technique, but isn't a standout athlete, either. He has arguably been as effective as any of the interior linemen, but hasn't stood out. To his credit, however, he has been consistent. His former Badger teammate, Jonathan Clinkscale, has struggled with consistency, on the other hand. Clinkscale has good strength and can move even the strongest defensive tackles, but isn't particularly quick and lunges too often.

Adam Terry enjoyed a better practice today than yesterday. His strength at the point of attack has been a little disappointing, but he has played with better technique and quickness than previously given credit for.

Junius Coston, the center from North Carolina A&T, continues to play well enough to justify his selection for this contest and middle round grades for the next level. He has struggled with quicker defenders, at times, but plays with good strength. As mentioned previously, despite being blamed for the center-quarterback exchange struggles Kyle Orton had, he was vindicated later.

 

cont.

DEFENSIVE LINE
As opposed to yesterday, there wasn't any one player who consistently stood out for the defensive line Wednesday. There were some memorable plays, as Matt Roth, Bill Swancutt, Anttaj Hawthorne, and Attiyah Ellison all contributed impressive tackles for loss.

Babineaux wasn't as effective today with his blend of quickness and strong hand play. He often took up double team blocks during the scrimmage, but didn't stand out during earlier team drills. That said, the Raiders elected to minimize one on one blocking drills today, and this is where Babineaux really stood out yesterday.

Lorenzo Alexander didn't make any standout plays behind the line of scrimmage, but enjoyed a solid day of holding up nicely at the point of attack and reacting well to the play. He showed some ability to come off blocks and pursuit, as well.

Attiyah Ellison has also surprised with both his strength and quickness. Ellison made one dramatic tackle for loss early in practice, but was consistently making a pile and forcing running backs and quarterbacks to alter their path.

Hawthorne, as mentioned in Tuesday's report, struggles when placed "head on" to the offensive guard, but does possess explosive quickness that can penetrate the gaps and disrupt plays before they even get started. He showed this exact ability on one sweep to the outside by Noah Herron, cutting the runner down before he even had the ball firmly secured.

Jimmy Verdon is an interesting player. Built a lot like Jim Davis of Virginia Tech (South), Verdon has seen action at both defensive end and tackle throughout his career. He's played at end here, but might lack the upfield burst to remain there at the next level. That said, teams could do worse than to consider Verdon as a rotational left defensive end.

Matt Roth and Bill Swancutt have been lumped together for much of this season due to their passionate play, good technique, and lack of dominant size, strength, or speed. Each would have had sacks today had the practice rules allowed it. Roth has shown more flexibility and strength at the point of attack than scouts expected, but hasn't been the constant edge rusher expected by some. Swancutt has actually been the more consistent pass rusher, but hasn't held up at the point well enough.


LINEBACKER
As promised, considerable time was spent scouting the linebackers Wednesday…
Cincinnati defensive end/outside linebacker Trent Cole was moved back to linebacker again today, with mixed results. As you'd expect, he struggled defending the pass but was solid against the run. Cole, however, had problems getting any kind of penetration today.

Middle linebacker Barrett Ruud has struggled to stand out in Mobile. He reads the action well, but seems a step behind the other, more athletic linebackers here. Some scouts have called him one of the more disappointing, overrated prospects at the game.

On the flipside, one linebacker that has taken full advantage of his opportunity here is Connecticut's Alfred Fincher. Fincher's size (6-1, 237) and speed combination attracted scouts early on, but it was his instincts today that surprised scouts. On several plays Fincher diagnosed plays designed to trick linebackers - draws and screens - and was immediately there to make the play. If you are looking for a legitimate sleeper at linebacker, America, this kid might be it.

Stanford's Jared Newberry continued his strong play at outside linebacker. He isn't a great athlete, but competes well in all phases of the game, standing out for his ability to stick with running backs this week in pass coverage.

Scouts agreed that Oklahoma's Lance Mitchell enjoyed his strongest day of practice today. Mitchell, who earlier had struggled in pass defense drills, ran well with running backs today, and was his typical physical self against the run. He still doesn't appear to be the instinctive, dominating prospect that he was previous to the injury, but seems closer than ever to regaining that form.

Speaking of playing the pass better, San Diego State's Kirk Morrison ran well with running backs today also, though he lacks the quick change of direction skills to be consistently effective in this area. A similar prospect in many ways to the North's Robert McCune (Louisville), Morrison is best between the tackles and stuffing the run.


DEFENSIVE BACK
With so many receivers enjoying great practices, the defensive backfield wasn't the same dominating force Wednesday it had been yesterday.

Stanford's Stanley Wilson, for one, wasn't as effective. His pure athleticism continues to jump out, but he gave up an awful lot of receptions today. He was always in position to make the tackle immediately after the reception, but might have realized he'd enjoyed a strong Tuesday and elected to play a little less aggressively today so as to not jeopardize the impression he made.

Howard's Ronald Bartell continued his solid play. Bartell hasn't been dominant, but after struggling early on this season, he's pulled it all together. He tends to get a little grabby down the field with receivers which will result in penalties in the NFL, but has the combination of size and speed to continue the Senior Bowl's tradition of second round small school cornerbacks.

Hawaii's Abraham Elimimian was another cornerback who gave up some receptions, but continued to play well. A feisty little corner, Elimimian once again was trading smack with receivers, but backed up his play. His speed will determine whether he makes the first day or not.

Alphonso Hodge continued to struggle. He isn't as quick as the receivers he's being asked to cover has, at times, resorted to biting on first moves, resulting in some slips and bad plays. This is a legitimate prospect, but he's struggled here.

Once again, the best pure cover corner on the field was Oklahoma State's mighty mite, Darrent Williams. Though he measured in at only 5-8, 170 pounds, the Cowboy hasn't backed away from the running game and simply has the best closing speed of any cornerback in Mobile. Twice he came through with interceptions Wednesday. The first was a route he jumped, simply stealing the ball away from the out-stretched hands of the much bigger and stronger Alex Smith (Stanford tight end). The next interception was even more impressive, as Williams showed spectacular reaction time and hand/eye coordination by snaring a bullet that ricocheted off Mark Clayton's hands. Obviously the size concerns you, but this kid should be able to step right in as a nickel corner and eventually move into a potential starting role.

OJ Atogwe continued to impress as the North's top safety prospect. He hasn't been allowed to hit, which is one of his better characteristics, but has played well versus the run, and has covered the field nicely against the pass. UNLV's Jamaal Brimmer had his moments (the mammoth hit supplied on Colorado State's Joel Dreesen, for example), but is a step slow in coverage. Scouts are concerned that he won't break the 4.60 barrier. Finally, Iowa's Sean Considine has played well when everything is in front of him, but lacks the great change of direction skills to match up with receivers one on one.


With both Thursday and Friday's practices essentially glamorized walk-throughs, this is our last report live from the practice field. That said, readers can expect a Senior Bowl wrap-up following the game, itself.

NOTES:

One of the more popular features of home-made draft sites have been notes recording lists of players being interviewed by specific NFL teams. As exciting as that knowledge might seem, the reality is that each club interviews every single prospect from each game they cover. Some teams choose to interview the players over the phone (as the teams are usually given a directory of the player's rooms, numbers), whereas others choose to interview them in person, or even on television.

The Denver Broncos elected to video record interviews with countless prospects in the corner of the media room. Teams have been known to do their interviews in very public places to purposely create a buzz about which players they like and don't. The Saints used this strategy to perfection last year, interviewing cornerback after cornerback at both the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl and apparently basking in the hype it created, as they selected exactly zero cornerbacks in 2004.

Expect the hype to be stronger than ever as the media attracted to this year's Senior Bowl is considerably more than in years past - national media (ESPN, etc.) and local (Miami, Denver, Jacksonville, New Orleans), as well. Some reporters not used to this much access to team scouts and front office executives are listing the all of the prospects they've been seen interviewing…

 

Rob Rang
Senior Draft Analyst
NFLDraftScout.com

MOBILE, AL (Jan 26, 2005) - With all of the other all-star games finishing earlier this month, all eyes are on the Senior Bowl and the players auditioning for NFL scouts in Mobile, Alabama's Ladd-Peebles Stadium. While each all-star contest has its own unique flair, no game competes with the Senior Bowl in terms of talent, acclaim, or attention from NFL scouts. The team practices flip-flopped Wednesday, with the South working in the morning and the North arriving this afternoon.

As always, we were there and provide analysis - position by position - below.

South Practice (Tuesday - 9:30-11:00)


QUARTERBACK
Wednesday's practice simply reaffirmed what we had seen in the days and months (and years) of scouting these three quarterbacks. Auburn's Jason Campbell continued his strong showing with another effective practice. He was accurate to all levels of the field and has as strong an arm as anyone here. He has positioned himself to be among the first senior quarterbacks selected, though there remains some concern that he has only enjoyed one standout season.

David Greene again spread the ball around effectively, but struggled throwing the ball long, especially when the Mobile wind gusts presented themselves as an extra defender. Some club will select Greene in the middle rounds, as the kid is a winner, but was clearly not on par with some of the other big name quarterbacks that have played in this contest recently.

Brock Berlin started practice well, throwing the ball nicely to the backs and tight ends and hitting everyone in stride. However, as the practice went on, his passes became more and more inaccurate, and he threw a terrible interception during the seven on seven drills.


RUNNING BACK
While Carnell Williams continued to impress with his pure athleticism and shiftiness, the back who has arguably been the South's most impressive was West Virginia's Kay-Jay Harris. Harris showed the rare combination of power and speed to ultimately be a franchise caliber back. He won't necessarily test extraordinarily well and teams seem so dazzled with the athleticism of smaller backs like Cadillac and JJ Arrington, that Harris could prove to be a second round steal.

Nehemiah Broughton has shown his ability as a power runner, but hasn't stood out overall and struggled a bit more catching the ball today than he did yesterday, when he impressed in this area.

Cedric Houston had some nice runs, but struggled catching the ball, getting chided by the Tampa scouts on a few occasions.

Fullback Will Matthews has caught the ball well enough, and proved his blocking ability as both a lead and in pass blocking.


WIDE RECEIVER
Both Georgia receivers continued their strong play. Reggie Brown has looked as natural receiver as there is in this game, including Mark Clayton, which is astounding considering the amount of time he's missed over his career. Fred Gibson measured in at nearly 6-4, 194 pounds, but plays with good quickness and has helped himself this week with his vision and yards after the catch ability.

The best receiver of the practice, however, was Florida State's Craphonso Thorpe. Thorpe (6-0, 190) plucked the ball out of the air with ease today, showing good speed and agility in his routes and the footwork to dance along the sidelines. Thorpe had a solid practice on Tuesday, but his work today showed that he is, indeed, one of the better receiver prospects of this draft.

 

cont.

Give Matt Jones credit, a day after looking like he'd never play receiver at the next level, he made strides in his route-running and seemed a little more committed to playing receiver. While I still question his ability to consistently get open against the quicker, faster defensive backs of the NFL, what is not in question is Jones' hands. He hasn't dropped a single ball this week and snared a beautiful one-handed touchdown over LSU cornerback Travis Daniels. It was the catch of the week, thus far.

Tulane's Roydell Williams was a late addition due to the fact that Terrence Murphy was here for weigh-ins, but hasn't played. Listed at 6-0, 189, but looking more like 5-10, 185, Williams has, nonetheless, taken advantage of his opportunity and played well. He has good quickness, runs effective routes, and has caught the ball nicely, as well.

Roddy White was not on the field after pulling his hamstring Tuesday. No addition to the roster has yet been made and it is not clear if there will be an addition, at all.


TIGHT END
USC's Alex Holmes has nice athletic ability and catches the ball well, but measured in at only a shade over 6-1 (267 pounds) and while he is good enough to play at the next level, might struggle to find a niche. Holmes was moved to fullback a bit today, but looked horrible in one on one pass blocking drills, prompting the coaching staff to move him back to tight end within fifteen minutes of the experiment.

TCU's Cody McCarty has the size (6-4, 255) potential you look for and was a more consistent weapon today. He has dropped a pass or two, but got a decent release from the line and is a nice blocker. He's helped solidify his stock this week as a solid 2nd day prospect.


OFFENSIVE LINE
As promised, a great deal of time was devoted to the offensive line Wednesday.

As expected, there wasn't a great deal of talent at offensive tackle. The 2005 draft shapes up as a relatively poor one at the position and with two of the highest ranked OTs staying home this week (Florida State's Alex Barron and Oklahoma's Jammal Brown), the pickings have been slim.

Unfortunately, one of the South's more impressive tackles, Alabama's Wesley Britt, suffered a leg injury (there were whispers that the injury involved his fibula, but this couldn't be confirmed) and had to be carted off the field and helped into a car. He was able to take a few steps to the car without assistance and the general feeling was that the injury was not serious, though his availability for the game is cloudy, at best.

One of the hotter offensive line prospects entering the week was Mississippi's Marcus Johnson. Johnson certainly passes the eyeball test at 6-6, 315 pounds and looked quick and fluid in footwork drills. However, once the one on one drills began, he struggled at offensive tackle and only regained his solid play when moved back inside to guard. Guard, of course, is where he played the vast majority of his career, but he played well enough at tackle this season that teams were hopeful he could make the transition. He has the size and natural athleticism to eventually make this type of transition, but isn't as ready for it as hoped.

Southern Miss OT Jeremy Parquet has great size (6-6, 318) and has better athleticism than most realize, but rises up quickly from the snap, negating any leverage he has and simply isn't forceful enough with his hands.

David Stewart of Mississippi State (6-6, 310) showed flashes, but was beaten with an array of moves over the course of the two practices. He struggled with consistency, absorbing a defensive lineman's move on one play and eliminating him and then getting beat with the same move moments later.

Florida State's Ray Willis fared better than expected in the first few snaps of drills, showing lateral quickness and balance that he hadn't consistently shown on tape. However, as the practice wore on, Willis' effectiveness began to deteriorate. He was more effective inside at guard, where his strength can overwhelm his opponent.

Of the interior line players, two stood out due to their overall effectiveness. Surprisingly enough the two who impressed the most was Miami's Chris Myers and Alabama's Evan Mathis. Myers (6-4, 290) has solid size and athleticism and just seemed more ready for the array of moves and quickness the South defensive linemen possess. While not dominant by any stretch of the imagination he held his own. The same could be said for Mathis (6-5, 298), whose strength and intensity was on constant display.

Two of the more highly ranked interior offensive linemen have struggled just a little bit this week. North Carolina's Jason Brown (6-2, 306), almost universally considered the draft's top center prospect, has really struggled with the quickness of the South's defensive tackles. Anyone who knows Brown's game knows his best characteristics are his strength, positioning, and intangibles, and thus this performance won't knock him down the board much with NFL teams, but it has cemented the notion that Brown will struggle in pass blocking against smaller, quicker defensive tackles.

Fresno State's Logan Mankins entered the week as one of the more highly acclaimed guards in the draft, but has also struggled with the athleticism of the defensive linemen here. In one on one drills, he's been beaten often. That said, no one would have argued that Mankins isn't the level of athlete most of the players here are. However, when in the course of the game, Mankins' technique stands out, making him a considerably more effective player in the game than in practice.

 

cont.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The strongest turnaround of the South practice came from LSU's Marcus Spears. A disappointment yesterday, Spears was the most dominant player on the field today. He stood out in drills early, effortlessly ran past offensive tackles in one on one drills, and then made the play of the day in practice, leaping up to deflect a pass, then again leaping up to make an athletic interception. In an hour and a half of practice, Spears legitimized his early first round projections.

USC's Mike Patterson continued his strong play. Patterson plays double teams as well as any interior defensive lineman in this draft. With an obvious leverage advantage and great strength, he can stand up the double team and has the quickness to split it and make the spectacular play.

Shaun Cody continued to make plays sporadically. He had to pick himself up off the ground a few times today, but also showed an effective swim move and made a couple of plays behind the line of scrimmage.
DeMarcus Ware hasn't been the dominant force off the edge that was hoped, but has been consistently effective. He has the explosive first step to gain an instant advantage on the offensive tackle, but is still pretty raw, struggling when his initial charge is handled.

Virginia Tech's Jim Davis (6-3, 272) has seen a lot of action at defensive tackle, instead of defensive end as he's played most of his career. He is small for defensive tackle, but plays with physicality and might lack the upfield burst to be successful at defensive end. On film, this kid shows intriguing ability to make plays in clutch situations and is a player scouts like despite his obvious 'tweener size.

Another prospect to keep an eye on is Texas A&M's Mike Montgomery. Though he hasn't made a lot of plays, he shows flashes and has good size (6-4, 271) with the frame to add considerably more. Based on upside, this kid has a shot to get drafted earlier than most realize.

The other defensive linemen have struggled to consistently put together consecutive solid plays. Alabama's Anthony Bryant has such size (6-2, 345) and more quickness than you'd think, but disappears for long stretches. Ronald Fields struggled to get off blocks today and hasn't been overly effective.


LINEBACKER
Robert McCune lacks great speed to the outside and for his incredible strength struggles to get off blocks once engaged, but he can certainly bang with the big boys. On several occasions McCune slammed into running backs as they entered the hole, dropping backs instantly. Of the inside linebackers, he's been the most consistent - though again, this isn't the highly ranked prospect some make him out to be.

Both Marcus Lawrence (South Carolina) and Cornelius Wortham (Alabama) flash the combination of size and athleticism you want at inside linebacker, but neither was able to consistently make plays. Each is a fluid athlete and play with instincts, but neither is able to shed blocks effectively. Wortham struggled when rushing the passer, trying to elude contact with spin moves to make the play. This worked once, but was stoned for the remainder of practice.

Again, the most impressive linebacker of the day might have been Southern Miss' Michael Boley. Boley showed the ability to not only rush the quarterback and play the run, but play back in coverage, as well. He needs to work on defeating blocks once engaged, but gets through the trash nicely and has the athleticism to work in pursuit.

Leroy Hill (6-0, 223) has some athletic ability, but lacks size and has struggled to make plays here.


DEFENSIVE BACK
Unfortunately the defensive backfield was a relatively small unit today as both Corey Webster and Eric Green were sidelined with minor injuries. Both are expected to participate in the game.

Of the remaining prospects, most scouts focused on two players - Junior Rosegreen and Bryant McFadden. With the others seeing so much starting time over their careers, scouts were curious to see how these two players did in the limelight that resulted from solid practices Tuesday. Rosegreen rose from relative anonymity to enjoy the best practice of any of the South defensive backs yesterday. He was in solid position today, as well, but didn't make the dramatic big plays this time. He shows good speed and quickness, as well as a physicality scouts like.

Bryant McFadden enjoyed a solid practice on Tuesday, though he wasn't as consistent in catching the ball in drills that you'd like. He struggled in this area again today and seemed content to allow underneath receptions. McFadden isn't the classic cover corner with the burst on the ball (or the hands) to make dazzling interceptions, but is rarely fooled and in position to make the reliable tackle should his receiver catch the ball.

Free safety James Butler has enjoyed a solid week in coverage, but is clearly his most valuable as a tackler in the open field. Though defenders are instructed not to tackle skill position players during drills, Butler reads the action nicely and puts himself in position to make textbook tackles.

With both Thursday and Friday's practices essentially glamorized walk-throughs, this is our last report live from the practice field. That said, the North's practice this afternoon will be covered, and readers can expect a Senior Bowl wrap-up following the game, itself.


NOTES:

Tampa Bay might be looking for a kick returner while coaching the Senior Bowl, as the Bucs have spent more than thirty minutes each of the past two days on special teams. It is quite rare for teams to spend more than a few minutes each practice on special teams. Among those the Bucs tried at kick returner this week were receivers Reggie Brown, the 6-4 Fred Gibson, and the 6-6, 242 pound Matt Jones…
Interviewed for a local Mobile radio station, we were asked to mention the five players who have either solidified high ranking or dramatically improved their ranking this week. They were:

Reggie Brown - WR - Georgia
Mike Patterson - DT - USC
Charlie Frye - QB - Akron
Mark Clayton - WR - Oklahoma
Alex Smith - TE - Stanford

 

. . . not according to the link below. I had never paid much attention to McCune until I saw a shocking 40 time for him a few weeks ago -

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/playerprofiles/ilb/robertmccune.html

They also have ILBs James Kinney and Boomer Grigsby with blistering 40 times in the 4.4’s.

If those times are accurate I would be VERY interested in drafting one of these dudes since those times would indicate that they could at least beat Morgan in a foot race, and that's saying something.)

You have to wonder about most of these draft info sites though. Measurables often vary wildly and stuff like that shouldn't . . . height, weight, bench press, 40 times, should all be better tabulated and released from some sort of singular dependable monitored source.


BTW – Keep up the good work Head. The info is much appreciated :xyzthumbs