Speaking of free agents

[PantherPaul]

Here is what Scouts thinks of some free agents. I'll copy and paste from ESPN Insider.
First off Running backs:
Chester Taylor 70
Taylor is a slashing type of ball carrier who is a good change of pace back. He is not going to run over many tacklers but he has adequate size to break arm tackles and he shows very good foot quickness and he can accelerate into a hole. He has good patience and has the lateral movement and the start and stop capabilities to see the cut back lanes and get there. He does not have the size and strength to hammer and wear down a defense but he is capable of coming into a game and making a serious contribution. He has good vision and can recognize the blitz and he is a willing blocker however he lacks ideal size and may be mismatched verses some of the bigger linebackers. He runs with a good low pad level and he shows that he has good balance. He is quicker than he is fast and he lacks the break away speed to run away from you when he gets into the secondary, however, he has good elusiveness and the ability to make the first tackler miss. He has excellent hands and he has very good awareness of attacking coverages and he is a very reliable receiver out of the backfield who runs good routes and he can find the open spots in coverage. He adjusts well to the ball in the air and rarely drops balls he should catch. Overall, he is a very good athlete who can provide a back up role and he performs consistently well on special teams.
Ahman Green 80
Green has a good combination of athletic ability, size and strength. He has excellent running back skills. He is powerful and an explosive runner. He has good vision, he makes good decisions and he hits the hole with a burst. Runs with excellent body tilt, he has great leg drive and he is a load to bring down. He has exceptional balance, he will break tackles and he will punish would be tacklers. He explodes though arm tackles and it is rare if the first tackler gets him to the ground. He has good change of direction skills and he is elusive. He is a downhill ball carrier who has good instincts, patience and awareness. He does a nice of setting up his blocks. He is an effective runner both inside and outside. He has excellent speed and he has the ability to take it to the house when he gets into the secondary. He does not do a lot of pass protection but when ask he does a very adequate job. He has a good base, he will square you up and he will deliver a blow. He has good awareness on blitz pick-up. He is an effective receiver out of the backfield on screens and check downs. He a good hands, runs good pass routes and he has excellent run after the catch ability. He can take a short pass and turn it into a big play. He has had fumbling problems in the past but he has been taking care of the ball lately. He had some injuries lately and he is not getting any young and durability issues are becoming a concern. Overall, Green is still one of the top running backs in the league. He has a great work ethic, plays hard and he is a solid running back both in the run game and the passing game. He needs to stay healthy if he is to remain in the elite status.
Edgerrin James 90
James has a great combination of power and speed as a running back. He runs with a low pad level and he is rarely knocked back when he runs between the tackles. He has a good forward lean as he runs. He has the speed to turn the corner on the toss play or to break to the outside once he has broken the line of scrimmage. He has great vision and he is able to see the cut back lanes and he shows great patience in waiting for an opening and he shows great acceleration to hit the hole. He has excellent instincts as a running back and he has the elusiveness to make the first tackler miss. Rarely does the first tackler get him on the ground. He has great balance and he can get the tough yards after being hit. He has excellent hands and the focus and concentration to be a reliable receiver out of the backfield. He can make the catch in his hands away from his body and he shows that he can make the difficult catch over his shoulder. He runs good routes and he shows that he has good awareness in attacking both zone and man to man coverage. When called upon in pass protection he is aggressive and has good explosiveness as a blocker. He is the perfect fit for the one back offense as he can split out of the backfield and line up as a wide receiver. He is a threat with the ball in his hands after the catch. Much has been made of the knee injury he suffered however he continues to have the same production as before the injury. He may have lost a step or two as a breakaway threat but he is still a dangerous ball carrier. He tends to put the ball on the ground too often and he has to take better care of the ball. Durability has become an issue as he has missed playing time due to various injuries.

 

[PantherPaul]

Shaun Alexander 93
Alexander is coming off an outstanding 2005 season. He set the NFL record for TDs(28), he led the league in rushing(1880yds.) and he was voted the MVP. He has all the physical skills you look for in a running back. He has good size, power, speed and quickness. He is the type of back that gets stronger with more carries and he will wear defenses out in the fourth quarter. He has great vision, he can read blocks well and he hits the hole quickly. He has a great feel for picking and finding the seam. He has excellent change of direction skills and he does not lose power or speed when he makes his cuts. He is a better inside runner than he is an outside runner but has exceptional ability to bounce inside runs outside and he has a burst in the open field. He runs with good body tilt, he has powerful legs and one would be tackler is not going to bring him down. As a receiver, he is a decent route runner, he has reliable hands and he has excellent run after the catch ability. He has the potential to take a short gain and make it into a big play. However, the passing game is not one of his long suits. He does not seem to have a good feel for this aspect of the game. He does not run discipline routes and he has trouble finding the open spot in the zone. He struggles adjusting to the ball while it is in the air. He is a willing pass blocker. He will square you up, he has solid pass pro techniques and he gives good effort. Overall, he is the best running back in the league. He is young, durable, he has all the skills of a premier player and needless to say he is highly productive. He not the most elusive running back or the best outside runner in the league but he gets the job done and makes plays.
Jamal Lewis 83
Lewis is a running back who has a very good combination of power and speed. He has excellent strength and he runs with a low pad level and he uses his forearms and his shoulders very well to ward off tacklers. He has outstanding balance and he runs with a good forward lean and he rarely gets knocked back. He has good vision and he shows very good patience in letting a play develop and he has the ability to see and hit the cut back lanes. He is an exceptional runner from tackle to tackle. He has above average speed and he can surprise you when he gets into the secondary and he has good elusiveness and the ability to make people miss when he breaks through the line of scrimmage. With his size and power he can wear down defenders over the course of a game and he has proven capable of taking hits and staying in the game. As a pass protector he is willing however he lacks the lateral movement and technique and he is inconsistent in his blocking ability. He has good hands and he is capable of catching the ball away from his body however he has lapses in focus and concentration and tends to drop some easy catches. He lacks awareness in running routes and he does not adjust well to the ball while it is in the air. He tends to miss assignments in the blocking phase of the game and there is some question as to whether he prepares at the level that is expected. Overall, he is a very aggressive inside runner who shows good toughness and is reliable to pick up tough yards.
Maurice Morris 70
Morris is a back-up to Shaun Alexander and needless to say he does not get a lot of reps at the RB position. He is a change of pace and third down back. He has contributed in the past on special teams as a return specialist. He is a good receiver out of the backfield and he gets most of his playing time on passing situation. He has excellent hands, he is elusive in the open field and he has good run after the catch ability. He has the ability to find the open area and he is a good route runner. He is a willing blocker, he has good awareness on blitz pick-up and he has decent pass pro techniques. As a runner, he does not have great size ands bulk but he does have excellent quickness and speed. He is an outside runner that has a second gear to get around the corner. He has good vision, change of direction skills and cut back ability. He can make defenders miss in the open field and he has the speed to take it to the house. He runs a little high and lacks bulk and power to be a good inside runner. He does not have the good lower body strength to break tackles and push the pile in short yardage situations. Overall, Morris is a good young back-up that keeps Alexander fresh. He has some versatility and upside to him.

 

[PantherPaul]

Jonathon Wells 63Wells has a good combination of size, strength and power. He is a backup running back that can play fullback in a two back situation. He is an adequate lead blocker but he lacks the ideal qualities you look for at the position and he does not look comfortable do it. He is a better inside runner than he is an outside runner. He has above average running back skills. He is a north/south runner that has a strong lower body to break tackles. He has good balance, body control and good vision to see the cut back lanes. He is effective when he is running the inside zone play. As a receiver out of the backfield he rarely drops the ball. He has soft hands, he can adjust to the bad throw and he is a load to tackle in the open field. He will lower his head and run over defensive backs He is a willing pass blocker. He has good awareness on blitz pick-up and he will deliver a blow on blitzing linebackers and defensive backs. However, Wells lacks overall speed; he does not have good quickness and foot speed. He is not an elusive back who is going to make a lot of defenders miss. He has average change of direction skills and he is not a threat to go all the way. He does not always run with good body tilt and he will take some big hits. He will take false steps on his start, he his late getting to the hole and you do not see a burst. Overall, Wells is a good backup who is a punishing runner between the tackles and he is a decent receiver out of the backfield. He does not really excite you and he is not a big play back but will give you adequate depth and a change of pace.


Have any other RBs you wanna know? Morris is from Chester SC

 

[PantherPaul]

Guards
Terrance Metcalf 67
Metcalf has adequate size for the position and he has the versatility to line up at either guard or center. He has very good foot quickness and he takes a good quick first step and he takes good angles to his blocks. He has a good initial punch coming off the ball and he has very good upper and lower body strength. He has good running ability and he shows that he can pull and get in front of the screen and he is effective on pulls getting to a moving target. He can work up to the second level and he is effective blocking linebackers. He plays with good leverage most of the time and he shows that he has the strength and the leg drive to get movement on the line of scrimmage. He does a good job of picking up stunts and twists in the middle. He does not use his hands well to lock on and although he works hard to sustain his blocks he will occasionally lose his base and come off a block. In pass protection he has difficulty with a quick one gap penetrator who lines up on his outside shoulder and he struggles at times to re set his feet. He is somewhat vulnerable to counter moves. He anchors fairly well versus a strong bull rush. He needs to continue to improve in his pass protection technique and become more consistent overall.
Derrick Dockery 68
Derrick is a big massive offensive guard that has good size and strength for the position. He has good overall athletic skills and enough versatility to play both OG/OT. In the running game, he is a road grader that best fits a zone blocking run scheme. He has the ability to come off and get movement in the running game. He can bend and maintain his pad level with good balance and control on both reach and cutoff blocks. He knows how to use his size to position and wall-off between ball carrier and defender when getting position in a short area. He can come off and get movement off combination patterns but does struggle at times with his balance and control when maintaining his position on the second level. He can short pull and connect but struggles to play under control off long pulls and in open space. He needs to improve his overall consistency and ability to finish late in ball games in the running game. In the passing game, he can bend his knees, slide and plays with a wide base off a short set. He matches up better vs. power rushers rather than quick inside edge rushers. He has good long arms and can extend out with a strong stab and punch. He does have some stiffness in his hips which restricts his ability to adjust vs. quick double move inside rushers. He can drop his hips and anchor vs. power but will get top heavy and overextend vs. speed and quickness. Overall, Derrick is still and young ascending player with a good upside to develop into a frontline starting NFL player. He has shown steady improvement with his technique and footwork over the last few years.
Jonathan Godwin (from Columbia SC) 68
Goodwin has very good size and he is a valuable member on the roster as he has the versatility to line up and play at all the positions on the offensive line. He is best suited to play the guard or center position. He has good long arms and he has a decent punch coming off the ball and he gets good separation from a defender. He takes a good first step and he takes good angles to his blocks. He has decent strength however he is not a dominant blocker at the point of attack. He shows the ability to mirror and slide with a defender and he has the agility to be able to pull on traps and to lead the toss play. He gets into position to make a play but he is inconsistent with his hand placement and he is more of a waist bender who gets over extended at times. He has a narrow base on pulls and he has a tough time adjusting to the moving target. He shows that he can get to the second level however he is ineffective in sustaining blocks on a moving target. He lacks the strength to get a lot of movement on the line of scrimmage in the run game and he gets knocked back by a strong bull rush. He has difficulty resetting his feet once he commits and is vulnerable to a counter move in pass protection. Overall he plays with good intelligence and he can provide backup help in several positions. He needs to become more consistent in his technique and work harder to finish his blocks.
Andre Gurode Cowboys 71
Gurode has adequate size and bulk to play in the interior offensive line. He has good long arms and he has good upper and lower body strength. He takes a good quick first step and he takes good angles to his blocks. He is very physical at the point of attack and he shows that he is capable of getting movement on the line of scrimmage in the run game. He plays with good leverage most of the time and he comes off the ball and delivers a good punch. He uses his hands well to lock on however he gets his hands outside the frame too often and creates a lot of penalties. He has the versatility to line up at either guard or center and is probably a better athlete than he is a football player. He has many inconsistencies in technique that he needs to work on. He works from a narrow base and he often loses his balance and goes off his feet. He has difficulty moving laterally and he struggles to maintain contact on a moving target at the second level. In pass protection he is vulnerable to counter moves. He does not show the ability to reset his feet and mirror and slide with a defender, although he anchors well verses a bull rush. He is better when he is covered than when he has to move in space but he shows good awareness in being able to pick up twists and stunts inside. He needs to work harder at the small things and improve his foot work.

 

[PantherPaul]

Centers
Jason Hartwig 73
Hartwig has adequate size to play the center position and he has good upper and lower body strength. He takes a good quick first step and he takes good angles to his blocks. He is not intimidated by a defender who lines up on his nose and he has the lateral movement to be able to sustain his blocks. He locks on well with his hands and he works hard to finish his blocks. He plays with good intelligence and he does a good job of recognizing the blitz and getting himself into position for picking up the blitz as well as twists and stunts on the inside. In pass protection he shows that he can re set his feet and mirror and slide with a defender. He can combo up to a linebacker and he is fairly effective getting to a moving target however he tends to get overextended in these situations and too often loses his footing and goes to the ground. He is not a natural knee bender and he does not play with good leverage consistently. He will fight to hold his ground but he can be knocked back by a strong bull rush. He is a better run blocker than he is a pass protector and when he has an angle block he can get movement in the line of scrimmage however he lacks explosiveness and he lacks a great punch coming off the ball. He has some difficulty with a quick one gap penetrator however he is very consistent in most areas of his play and he does not make mental mistakes. He continues to show good improvement in his play.
Seth McKinney 73
McKinney has adequate size and good upper body strength for the position. He has the versatility to play either guard or center but he seems to have found a home at the center position. He has very good agility and running ability as an offensive lineman. He takes a good position step and he has a good feel for taking angles to his blocks. He has a good understanding of blocking schemes and he plays with good intelligence making all the line calls and adjustments up front. He plays with good bent knees and he has good balance and he plays with a good base. He is rarely off his feet. He does an outstanding job of picking up and passing on of line stunts and twists in the middle of the line. He shows that he has the speed to pull and lead the toss play and he is effective at finding and blocking a moving target. He plays with a high level of energy and he works hard to finish his blocks. He shows good toughness and durability is not an issue with him. While he has adequate strength he can improve both his upper and lower body strength and be better able to get movement on the line of scrimmage. He can be knocked back at times by a strong bull rush but he has greatly improved his ability to handle the defender who lines up on his nose. Overall he is a very good competitor who doesn't make many mistakes.
Melvin Fowler 67 Minnesota
Fowler is a short compact offensive lineman who has learned how to maximize his abilities. He has decent foot quickness and he has enough speed to pull and lead the toss play. He is a very good technician and he doesn't make many mistakes or have many bad plays. He takes a great first step and he takes good angles to his blocks. He has adequate strength and he delivers a good punch as he comes off the ball. He play with good leverage overall and he can anchor fairly well versus the strong bull rush. He tends to struggle when he comes off the ball high however he plays with good bent knees most of the time. He has the lateral movement and the foot quickness to be able to get to the second level and he can be effective in blocking a moving target. He plays with good intelligence and he shows the ability to pick up stunts and twists in the middle. He does not show the ability to consistently move the pile and he lacks lower body strength. At times he will get lazy with his footwork and get a narrow base and he will have difficulty sustaining his blocks. He is not intimidated by a big defender who lines up on his nose and he is a hard worker who pays attention to detail and he plays with very good technique. He could be a swing player and move to guard in a pinch however he does a good job at the center position.

 

[CFBall]

good stuff PP.....not late nite readin for me.

take your ass to Bed.....will ya?:imagestor

 

[PantherPaul]

good stuff PP.....not late nite readin for me.

take your ass to Bed.....will ya?:imagestor

Oh yeah, just doing some self medicating with some tequila and Tylenol's. Left shoulder feels like sheeeett

 

[Collin]

Is it just me or do a lot of those read like mad libs? "______ has ______ size..."

 

[PantherPaul]

I tried to concentrate solely on younger guys. Hartwig IMO would be a good sign. Young and can play both positions

 

[magnus]

Is it just me or do a lot of those read like mad libs? "______ has ______ size..."

yes. Not unlike a lot of draft reports, a la TSN.