EAST-WEST SHRINE CLASSIC REPORTS
by Pigskin Paul Guillemette; GBN Associate Editor and Chief Scout
Wednesday AM/EAST PRACTICE
Sorry for the delay, but our Wednesday night podcast ate up all my ambition. So here we go playing catch-up.
Perhaps the nicest surprise package of the week is turning out to be TRE’ McBRIDE/WR/WM & MARY #3. This young man is as smooth as pudding. He has quickness & speed as well as the ability to cut on a dime enabling him to run precise routes. His hands have been almost flawless and no one DB has been able to control him on a regular basis. I have not been able to find a flaw in his play this week. He has nice size at 6’006/205 lbs., but fairly small hands at 9″. I have not perceived those hands to be any issue with the way he is securing the ball whether wide open or in a crowd.
JOHN MILLER/G/LOUISVILLE #70 has been rock solid with his practice work all three days. He has a strong build at 6’3/315, but is not soft or flabby. He also displays good footwork in a limited area. He uses his arms well to keep defenders off his body and stays on his feet. He has also shown the ability to burst off his initial block and get to the second level. I think he has NFL starting potential and could back up all 3 interior positions with his size and athleticism. He may be the most consistent OL for the East.
On the other hand the play of SEAN HICKEY/T/G/SYRACUSE #60 has been spotty and uninspired. He looks the part and has an NFL body at 6’056/308, with 32.68″ long arms and hands over 10″ wide. Several of us have noted that he may fit better inside at OG at the next level. But it’s hard to tell with his seeming lack of intensity and urgency to date. I felt he was deserving successor to PUGH/GIANTS, but he’s not measuring up at this point.
Another small school product who is making good use of his time at this venue is DERRICK LOTT/DT/CHATTANOOGA #91. He’s a solid looking athlete who stands 6’042/299. He can really push and throw people around with vine-like arms that measured 34.5″ on Monday morning. He also has a quick first step off the snap and pursues very well. He could well make a very nice 5-technique player or add a few more lbs. and handle things inside in a 4-3 scheme. He may post some monster numbers at the Combine, and after this week I cannot imagine how he does not get an invite to Indy.
I continue to be amazed at the talent that Charlie Strong had assembled at Louisville. THis squad is full of Louisville players and they are all making an impression with their practice work. JAMON BROWN/T #79 has been holding his own at an OT slot this week. He;s a bit sloppy in is habits and technique, but still gets the job done most of the time. He looks to me like he might be better suited for an OG slot in the NFL. He stands 6’043 and weighs 330 lbs. He has decent mobility for that size and has nice long arms at 33.5″. I saw him playing inside during several Louisville games last fall. He has enough going for him to perhaps be a late round pick in May.
Before we move on I would like to advise you that as I expected ERIC GALKO has been able to acquire the Monday weigh-in stats, which is hard to do for this event. THanks to Eric and here is the link to that information for you @ http://optimumscouting.com/draft/2015-shrine-game-weigh-results.html
WEDNESDAY PM/WEST PRACTICE
Based on overall college production and athletic ability the highest ranked RB at this venue is MALCOLM BROWN/Texas #28. BROWN is a nice combination of size and quickness. He’s primarily a one-cut and go runner, who shows quick feet and the ability to see holes pretty quickly. He’s also proving to be an excellent receiver out of the backfield. His weal point may be in pass protection, but he’s stout enough to handle it and has been getting extra instruction on blocking technique each practice. BROWN measured 5’115/223 and had 10″ hands which reinforces his receiving ability.He may bot have HR speed, but he looks like he can crank out some 10-20 yard runs with regularity.
JOSH SHAW/CB/SOUTHERN CAL #16 missed most of the 2014 season after a suspension for lying to his coaches about an off-field incident. But he has looked very smooth and confident this week. He’s not a man-cover battler, but is smooth enough to probably fit well in an NFL zone-oriented secondary. He has nice size 6’005/203, with arms just over 30″ long. He’s also getting a lot of practice on special teams units. He has some time over the next few months to get back into draft consideration, but interviews with him will be very important.
SAM CARTER/S/TCU #1 has been an interesting study this week. He is very active and vocal as the leader of the West defense. He’s calling out formations from his S slot and directing players around in coverages. I’ve heard him call out several warnings to teammates about upcoming play tendencies, and by and large his calls have been right on. He is also showing the athleticism to make plays of his own. At 5’116/216, with 10″ hands and 31 3/8″ arms he has the physical tools to play at the next level.
ZACH VIGIL/LB/UTAH STATE #51 is a more imposing player than I expected him to be. He weighed in at a solid 238 lbs. on a 6’2 frame. He moves around well and has a nose for the ball. He is good at dropping into coverage for about 120-yards, but beyond that he is chasing receivers not trying to locate the ball. He looks like an excellent specimen for Special Teams duty, which he might show up doing during the actual game. He is making plays here, just like he did during his college career.
TAIWAN JONES/LB/MICHIGAN STATE has been very solid in his practice play, earning multiple plaudits from his position coaches. For a guy who measures 6’024 and weighs 258 lbs. he covers a lot of ground. He has been excellent in short coverage and has really been striking some heavy blows. If he’s holding back a bit then I can’t wait to see how hard he hits on game day. Even though his frame looks ideal for an Inside slot in a 3-4 scheme, he’s practicing outside a lot and not looking out of place at all.
Just a quick note that TONY WASHINGTON/OLB/Oregon #19 made it into town after the NCAA title game Monday night. This will be a tough learning chore for WASHINGTON since he pretty much played DE for the Ducks, but will begin the transition process of learning to play standing up and dropping into coverage a lot, over the next 2 days. We’ll find out not only how athletic he is in space, but also how quickly he can learn some new tricks.
Tuesday/January 13th
AM/EAST PRACTICE
My first impression of the day was watching NFL scouts are about to be faced with an almost annual dilemma in recent years. Trying to evaluate the potential of a large, physically gifted WR from out of the GA TECH running attack. Actually, there may be two this year but the one at this game is DARREN WALLER, 6’6/240. He is not a TE. He gets his long legs cranking in a hurry and was beating CB downfield for several 20+-yard receptions of balls coming in over his shoulder or straight over the top of his head. That’s a tough ball to handle and his hands engulfed the ball, while in full stride. Most impressive in drill work, he was.
Another WR who made a favorable impression on me was DEON LONG/WR/MARYLAND #9. He was quicker in his moves and cuts than purely fast, but he was also sure handed and could make the catch with CB near or on him. He did some nice faking and gained a step on several opponents.
Unfortunately, I can’t say I was enraptured by any of the EAST QB, for the second day in a row. ANTHONY BOONE/QB/DUKE #7, was the most inaccurate to my eyes. He has a strong arm and can snap off some throws, but whether or not they end up as catchable for his receivers is another matter. He may be pressing, but the results are not encouraging right now.
An awful lot of folks seem to be impressed with DE/BUD DUPREE/Kentucky, who we will see next week in Mobile. I am not officially more in luv with his teammate and fellow DE/pass rusher ZA’DARIUS SMITH #94. I’d like to see SMITH gain a bit more weight than his current 265, but he has a solid body and is a more aggressive player than his ballyhooed teammate. He also has excellent quickness to his pass rush. THis morning he made an excellent, inside swim move, to beat his blocker badly to the inside. It was breathtaking. And even though a bit undersized he is not afraid to go head-t0-head with 300 lb. blockers.
I cannot speak for him in pass coverage quite yet, but I will tell that DAMIAN PARMS/S/FLORIDA ATLANTIC has a nose for the ball and a taste for contact. And when he hits, even in limited scrimmage work, the pads pop. He diagnosed and stuffed a reverse play during 11-on-11. In general, he has good reaction to ball movement in the backfield. I will be watching to determine if he has any cover skills. At 6’2/210, his physicality is unquestionable, now if only he can cover some.
I put the Pigskin Paul stop watch to work to get some hang time numbers on SPENCER ROTH/BAYLOR, who is considered to be in the Top 5 of Punting prospects. Once he got warmed up his final two punts were both a bit over 4-seconds. He ain’t no BRYAN ANGER who spoiled me 3 years ago with 5+second hang times, but if he is as good as advertised on his spin and placement within the 20, then he may be draftable. We may have to wait until game day for that information.
PM/WEST PRACTICE
The “team” leader on Offense for this squad is clearly RB/JOHN CROCKETT/NORTH DAKOTA STATE #23. He has been the most vocal cheer leader and high energy guy I have seen since ERIC WEDDLE/S/CHARGERS was dubbed the energizer bunny at the Senior Bowl some years back. CROCKETT refuses to go down when carrying the ball and is the first guy to free teammates after a good play with a body bump and cheers. H e might still be on a high from his team’s National Championship run.
During 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 today a standout receiver was TE/MYCOLE PRUITT/S. ILLINOIS #4. He was able to get open multiple times, made nice catches and got yards after catch on multiple occasions. He lined up inline as well as set back in an H-Back position off the line. He’s about 6’2/245, and moves very well, with good speed once in gear. In a weak TE class this is a great chance to show his wares.
It came as not much of a surprise to see A.J. TARPLEY/MLB/STANFORD #18 out there directing defensive traffic for his teammates during scrimmage work. First of all he is surrounded by former STANFORD teammates much of the time, and clearly he comes from a program that places very high value on it’s defensive performance. He’s also pretty mobile and hostile in his overall play.
DA’RON BROWN/WR/N.ILLINOIS caught my eye with his receiving work this Bowl season and is continuing on here in Florida. He made a very nice catch, high pointing the ball in quite a bit of traffic between 2 defenders in 11-on-11 today. CROCKETT got most excited after that catch and ran downfield to congratulate his teammate. BROWN is not a speedster, but has reliable hands and a good size on a solid frame. He looks to me like a nice late round WR prospect.
TRAVIS RACITI/DL/SAN JOSE STATE #93 is showing nicely in 11-on-11 work. He uses quickness to get past OT like TERRY POOLE, and might have had a couple of sacks or at the least QB Hurries if this were actual game action. He has good length, and size, 6’5/285. He looks like his pro future might lie as a DE in a 3-4 scheme. He works hard, but plays under control and trusts his eyes when in ball pursuit.
Time or a bit of relaxation and some sleep before another 80 mile drive to St. Pete for Shrine Wednesday. Quite often the middle of the week is the highlight time for practices as players have absorbed all the install work and are beginning to read and react freely on the field instead of thinking too much.
Good night from Florida at Shrine Week.
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Monday workouts
At the risk of being deported from the Sunshine State let me be among the first to report that Monday of Shrine Week was wet, wet, wet. Where was all the rain while I was forced to water my lawn for the past month and a half? The highlight of Day One may have been that despite a slippery field and lose turf there appeared to be no serous injuries because of slippery conditions.
My experience says one has to be careful not to jump to any hasty conclusions at All-Star venues like this. Players are trying to get over jet lag and learn play and system installation from their new coaches. So please remember that I reserve to right to change my opinions expressed herein as the body of work grows each day for the players involved.
That being said, I saw nothing today to change my mind, that indeed this is a marginal QB group as it pertains to pro potential. Probably the best QB play I observed Monday came from DYLAN THOMPSON/S. Carolina much to my surprise. He showed good mechanics in his drop back and nice arm strength. He also looked calm and poised, throwing the ball away out of bounds when receivers fell or crossed him on patterns. But I just can’t get past images of him making poor choices and turning the ball over while at Carolina. We shall see.
The WEST roster showed some significant roster changes, particularly along the OL. The biggest addition, both figuratively and literally was TAYO FABULUJE/OT/TCU #69. Had the sun been shining he might have blotted it out. Unofficially, he stands 6’6 and weighs 363 lbs. He kinda ambles/shuffles up to the line of scrimmage, but at the snap of the ball he comes to life and is almost looks agile. He just swallows up rushers, and if they get off and around his body he pushes them away with long, strong arms. He reminded me of D.J. FLUKER/RT/CHARGERS.He absolutely buried JAMES VAUGHTERS near the sideline on an outside running play. This is a powerful guy, who looks like he could be a good fit for the handful of power running teams left in the NFL. He was even effective in one-on-one pass rush drills where I thought he’d be overwhelmed by speed guys. Let’s see how he holds up over the next 5 days.
KYLE EMANUEL/DE/NORTH DAKOTA STATE certainly does not fit the NFL size chart for a DE at 6’3/250, but he shows better than average quickness and tenacity off the edge. Hopefully we will see enough of him being asked to handle multiple responsibilities to get a glimmer of his potential to stand up and stay out on the field. At the least he might be a situational pass-rusher and Special Teamer, but I will watching closely to see if he is athletic enough to do more.
Most of you know that I luv those big guys. I think it’s really amazing to watch a huge man do special, athletic things with his body. LETTERIUS WALTON/DT/CENTRAL MICHIGAN #58 intrigued me this past season. And his initial impression Monday we very positive. He weighed in at 6’5/321. I think he might be a 5-Technique in a 3-4 scheme, or DT in a 4-3, or both. He shows good functional strength and moe mobility than you might normally expect for his size. And he’s not soft and flabby. There was a guy here last year named ZACK KERR, who went undrafted but played in the COLTS DL rotation in 2014. WALTON could be this year’s KERR, but more athletic and versatile.
Best all-around receiver I saw Monday was KASEN WILLIAMS/WASHINGTON #2. At 6’3/218 he’s no speedster, but can fight for the ball with any defender. He had the surest hands and quickest feet in the WR drills taking place 5 yards rom where I stood on the sidelines. He kept his feet on the slippery field better the any other WEST wideout. He dropped a ball or two in 11-on-11, but most everyone did in the wet conditions.
One of the more interesting experiments in this game is the appearance of MICHIGAN/QB/DEVIN GARDNER #98 who is making his pro audition debut as a WR in this game. GARDNER is looking reasonably good right now. He is a smooth runner with a bit more speed than I anticipated. He is also flashing good hands. We’ll see how this progresses as the week goes on.
Gardner’s old teammate JAKE RYAN/LB/MICHIGAN #39 is practicing without a knee brace this week. That is a big development fro a guy who had knee surgery back in 2013. RYAN wore a brace his senior season, but got progressively more fluid and productive as the 2014 season moved on. He’s not a premier prospect, but was very active and productive prior to the injury. Some double digit tackler games late last year and a good clean run this week could put him in a good spot to possibly move back into the Top 100 of some Draft lists if he gets medical clearance at the Combine.
The Shrine game has become a great venue for smaller school players to strut their stuff and this year should be no exception. A young man who caught my eye with his general appearance Monday was DEAN MARLOWE/S/JAMES MADISON #16. He has nice size at 6’2/205, and is a fluid runner. His actual performance as practices move forward could get his name more scrutiny if he performs well as game week continues.
DILLON DAY/OC/MISS STATE #63 has been called the modern CONRAD DOBLER. That is not a compliment since DOBLER, though an effective pro 2 decades ago, was also labeled multiple times as the Dirtiest Player in the NFL. Like a guy named SUH, DAY was penalized several times in his college career for stomping on opponents. DAY looked solid on Day 1 and was very receptive to coaching tips his OL coach here. THe big question is whether or not today’s NFL has a place for another DOBLER, or if DAY will be under heavy pressure to be a good boy from this week on. I’ll bet on the latter.
I continue to be mesmerized at the potential of BLAKE BELL/OKLAHOMA, another former QB, as a TE. He has great size, at 6’6/260 and shows really good hands as well as smooth running ability. He will need lots of work as an inline blocker, but he too looks to gain some draft momentum with his play in St. Pete.
Perhaps the most physical, and impressive DL on the WEST squad is XAVIER WILLIAMS/DT/N/ IOWA. He’s a full sized man at 6’2/310 and in line drills he showed flashes of quickness, speed and brute strength. He stood out amongst all the DL on the first day of drills by a wide margin with his physical style. Non of the interior OL were able to contain him, and he penetrated into what would be the QB pocket on multiple occasions.
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