East West Shrine Thread

[dbair1967]

Talent at corner and offensive line stand out Monday. Wes Bunting

JANUARY 17, 2012Print This
2 COMMENTS

Notes from East Practice…

Cunningham had a slow start Monday.
• Small-school CB Micah Pellerin displayed a great feel in coverage Monday during one-on-one sessions. He’s slow in his drop, exhibits a good closing burst and despite getting a bit leggy at times he had the length to get his hands on a lot of footballs. Looks like a potential NFL starter at 6-0, 195.

• Another corner who really made a nice impression was Coastal Carolina’s Josh Norman. He displayed good vision when feeling routes, a solid initial burst when looking to close and displayed “plus” hands when asked to come down with the catch. There are some character concerns to his game off the field; however, the talent is most certainly there.

• I wasn’t real impressed with Michigan State wideout B.J. Cunningham. He made a nice catch early in practice working the slant and plucking the ball off his frame. However, he didn’t display the speed to threaten corners vertically and wasn’t real explosive in and out of his breaks. Looks limited to more of an inside player only at the next level.

• With nearly 34-inch arms, Mississippi State OL Quinton Saulsberry had a tough time getting his hands up quickly off the snap and gaining leverage Monday when asked to play. He was routinely overwhelmed into the backfield and routinely gave up inside hand position on contact. Plus, he looked maxed out physically and didn’t possess the type of frame to play guard at the next level either.

• Illinois wideout A.J. Jenkins made a nice catch plucking the football off his frame early in the day. However, after that he displayed his struggles as a route runner not really setting up his routes and running through his breaks. He also struggled to gain much separation and was inconsistent all day catching the football. Looks like an inside player only in the NFL who needs to be used off the line and asked to run mostly vertical routes.

• I thought the safety group as a whole Monday had a tough time in coverage. But Kansas State’s Tysyn Hartman at least displayed the ability to create a slight burst out of his breaks and use his length to cut down some angles. He is stiff and did get turned around a number of times, but I thought he fared better than Duke’s Matt Daniels and South Florida’s Jerrell Young.

• Finally, watching UT Chattanooga QB B.J. Coleman spin the football Monday gave me flashbacks of when I saw John Skelton down here two years ago. However, much like Skelton, Coleman was inconsistent with his balance in the pocket, looked rushed when trying to settle his feet and his accuracy struggled because of it. However, when he did have time to set his feet and see the throw he showcased the ability to make some tight throws on the skinny post in the intermediate pass game.

Notes from West practice…

• Overall, I thought the MVP of Monday was Miami (OH) OG Brandon Brooks. Not only is he a solid 353-pound lineman who carries his weight well, but he dropped his pad level well into contact in the run game and was natural laterally in pass protection. He displayed a very powerful punch on contact as well and plays with the kind of mean streak needed to consistently finish in the NFL. Looks like yet another NFL starter to me at the next level, only adding to the very strong guard class.

• Arkansas WR Jarius Wright had some struggles catching the football with two drops early in practice where he really fought the football. However, his straight-line speed was apparent with his ability to get vertically down the field on the nine route and routinely run by corners. He also displays a snap out of his breaks working the comeback/stop routes and is one of the few guys down here who seems to strike fear into corners with his speed.

• Another wideout who did a nice job Monday was Fresno State’s Devon Wylie. He’s undersized at 5-9, 182 pounds. However, he exhibits “plus” straight-line speed and runs his routes full go with the ability to cleanly get out of his breaks. He did drop a pass during the session, but displayed the ability to go get the football as well.

• Finally if there was one guy who actually got the better of Brandon Brooks on one occasion Monday, it was USC DT DaJohn Harris. Harris displayed a good get off burst, was sudden laterally during pass rush drills and exhibited the quick arm over to slip blocks and get up the field. Now, vs. more athletic lateral athletes like Colorado’s Ryan Miller he wasn’t as effective, but overall it was a strong first showing from Harris inside.

 

[dbair1967]

Notes from the weigh-in…

• Despite measuring in at 354 pounds, Miami (OH) OL Brandon Brooks carried the weight well. He’s a strong kid with decent length and didn’t look sloppy through his mid-section. His lower half possessed good girth and he certainly looked the part of an inside lineman.

• I was a bit surprised how tiny Arkansas WR Jarius Wright was, weighing in at 5096, 176 pounds. He looked more like a track guy and didn’t have much girth through his lower half.

• Northwestern QB Dan Persa wasn’t able to reach the six-foot mark, and despite possessing a strong looking frame height is still a major concern.

• On the other hand, QB B.J. Coleman of UT Chattanooga was a well-put-together kid at 234 pounds and was the one quarterback down here who definitely looked the part.

• Rutgers OL Desmond Wynn took the cake for best-looking lineman at the Shrine game. He displayed little body fat on his broad frame, good length and has the ability to add more girth without losing much athleticism.

• Georgia FB/TE tweener Bruce Figgins was among the most impressive athletes down here. He displays a rocked up 272-pound frame with little body fat and a strong looking lower half.

 

[dbair1967]

East Roster

Number/Name/Pos/College

26 Justin Bethel DC Presbyterian
38 Emanuel Davis DC East Carolina
4 Gary Gray DC Notre Dame
11 R.J. Blanton DC Notre Dame
14 Charles Brown DC North Carolina
2 Micah Pellerin DC Hampton University
31 Josh Norman DC Coastal Carolina
94 Matt Conrath DL Virginia
97 Julian Miller DL West Virginia
98 Jabaree Tuani DL Navy
95 Kyle Wilber DL Wake Forest
99 Akiem Hicks DL Regina
90 Nick Jean-Baptiste DL Baylor
54 Micanor Regis DL Miami
92 Travian Robertson DL South Carolina
48 Bruce Figgins FB/TE University of Georgia
35 Brandon Lindsey LB Pittsburgh
42 Najee Goode LB West Virginia
10 Shawn Loiseau LB Merrimack College
29 Steven Erzinger LB Army
55 Max Gruder LB Pittsburgh
50 Joshua Linam LB Central Florida
7 Nick Sukay LB Penn State
53 Quentin Saulsberry OC Missisippi State
65 Tyler Horn OC Miami
63 Derek Dennis OG Temple
70 Jeremiah Warren OG South Florida
73 Desmond Wynn OG Rutgers
75 Rishaw Johnson OG California - Pennsylvania
76 Jeff Adams OT Columbia
72 Lamar Holmes OT Southern Mississippi
79 Joe Long OT Wayne State
78 Bradley Sowell OT Mississippi
57 Blair Walsh PK Georgia
45 Shawn Powell PT Florida State
19 BJ Coleman QB Tennessee - Chattanooga
12 Austin Davis QB Southern Mississippi
16 John Brantley QB Florida
32 Alfred Morris RB Florida Atlantic
28 Tauren Poole RB Tennessee
15 Davin Meggett RB Maryland
40 Matt Daniels SAF Duke
1 Jerrell Young SAF South Florida
33 Christian Thompson SAF South Carolina State
8 Tysyn Hartman SAF Kansas State
9 Chase Ford TE Miami
44 Emil Igwenagu TE Massachusetts
88 Evan Rodriguez TE Temple
3 Tim Benford WO Tennessee Tech.
17 LaRon Byrd WO Miami
21 B.J. Cunningham WO Michigan State
13 Kevin Hardy WO Citadel
20 Lance Lewis WO East Carolina
18 Thomas Mayo WO California - Pennsylvania
5 A.J. Jenkins WO University of Illinois

West Roster

# Name Pos. College
27 Chris Greenwood DC Albion
17 Brandon Hardin DC Oregon State
3 Rodney McLeod DC Virginia
28 Shaun Prater DC Iowa
23 Keith Tandy DC West Virginia
24 Trevin Wade DC Arizona
40 Tyrone Crawford DL Boise State
31 Kentrell Lockett DL Mississippi
45 Arnaud Nadon DL Laval
91 Justin Francis DL Rutgers
90 Dominique Hamilton DL Missouri - Columbia
95 Vaughn Meatoga DL Hawaii
49 Kaniela Tuipulotu DL Hawaii
97 Dajohn Harris DL Southern California
34 Jerry Franklin LB Arkansas
43 Tank Carder LB Texas Christian
52 Steven Johnson LB Kansas
33 Brandon Marshall LB Nevada
58 Josh Kaddu LB Oregon
11 Ronnie Thomton LB University of Southern Mississippi
78 David Snow OC Texas
54 Moe Petrus OC Connecticut
56 Brandon Brooks OG Miami - Ohio
53 Markus Zusevics OG Iowa
61 Ben Heenan OG Saskatchewan
77 Josh LeRibeus OG Southern Methodist
76 Tom Compton OT South Dakota
73 Ryan Miller OT Colorado
75 Al Netter OT Northwestern
70 Matt Reynolds OT Brigham Young
79 Marcel Jones OT Nebraska
16 Greg Zuerlein PK Missouri Western State
6 Matt Prewitt Punter Kentucky Christian
19 Bryan Anger Punter California
9 Tyler Hansen QB Colorado
12 Chandler Harnish QB Northern Illinois
14 Dan Persa QB Northwestern
5 Lennon Creer RB Louisana Tech
26 Marc Tyler RB Southern California
30 Bobby Rainey RB Western Kentucky University
7 Aaron Henry SAF Wisconsin
8 Austin Cassidy SAF Nebraska
21 Blake Gideon SAF Texas
2 Duke Ihenaho SAF San Jose State
86 Kevin Koger TE Michigan
87 Cory Harkey TE UCLA
84 George Bryan TE North Carolina State
47 David Paulson TE Oregon
85 Greg Childs WO Arkansas - Fayetteville
82 Junior Hemingway WO Michigan
13 Dale Moss WO South Dakota State
89 Tyler Shoemaker WO Boise State
4 Jarius Wright WO Arkansas
25 Devon Wylie WO Fresno State
10 Darius Hanks WO Univeristy of Alabama

 

[cmd34]

The Shrine game is always going to be the Senior Bowl games' bitch but there is a serious lack of talent at this year's Shrine game.

I'll watch is because I'm an addict but still....

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

• Rutgers OL Desmond Wynn took the cake for best-looking lineman at the Shrine game. He displayed little body fat on his broad frame, good length and has the ability to add more girth without losing much athleticism.


:towel:

 

[dbair1967]

• good length and has the ability to add more girth

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Bump for dbair hitting on a funny

 

[dbair1967]

Tony Pauline>INSIDE THE NFL

Tony PaulineEast-West Shrine Game practice report: Tuesday Story Highlights

The NFL's 32 franchises are well-represented in St Petersburg, Florida this week to take in the East-West Shrine Game, the first of the major postseason scouting events. The 80-degree temperatures made for pleasant viewing for league scouts, though its been tough for some of the participants, many of whom have not played football in almost two months. Numerous next-level prospects stood out during Tuesday's practice. Here are the 10 best.

Kevin Koger, TE, Michigan -- Koger was lost for much of the past three seasons in a Michigan offense that had little use for a tight end, but he displayed NFL ability in a big way. Koger was a dominant blocker all practice long, stopping opponents dead in their tracks. He made a terrific 25-yard reception down the seam in scrimmage, displaying natural pass-catching skills. Koger lacks the foot speed to be a true downfield threat, but at a position that's thin on talent in April's draft, he could be the biggest sleeper of them all.

Travian Robertson, DL, South Carolina -- Robertson was a steady force for the Gamecocks all season, but was overlooked with the star talent around him. He proved Tuesday that he's an NFL talent in his own right. Robertson looked athletic, quick and very strong. Lined up primarily at defensive tackle, opponents found it impossible to move him off the line, and on several occasions he defeated blocks to make his way behind the line of scrimmage. Robertson is a thick lineman with the strength to hold down the tackle spot in a conventional four-man front and the athleticism to get consideration as a two-gap end in a 3-4.

Brandon Brooks, G, Miami (OH) -- Brooks was graded as a free agent prior to the season, but has made the long climb into the middle rounds with terrific play as a senior. Tuesday he made his case to be a top-100 pick. Brooks is well-built and fundamentally sound, and stopped all defenders that dared tried to get by him. He was terrific in one-on-one drills, then repeated that performance during scrimmage. Brooks intrigues a number of teams with his ability to play several positions on the offensive line and slot into a number of different blocking schemes in the NFL.

Rishaw Johnson, OL, Cal (PA) -- The Cal-Pennsylvania product, who started his college career at Mississippi, looked dominant all day. He's mechanically sound and athletic, and overpowered everyone that lined up against him. Defenders were stopped dead in their tracks once Johnson got his hands on them. The small-school lineman really elevated his stock in front of scouts.

Shaun Prater, CB, Iowa -- Prater is trying to make up for a poor senior campaign, and he got off to a good start today, sticking like glue to opposing receivers, running downfield with them and remaining with them out of pass routes. He was in on several pass defenses throughout the practice, and made one very nice interception.

BJ Cunningham, WR, Michigan State -- Cunningham looked polished today and was the top receiver in the morning practice. He displayed reliable hands, easily making the underneath reception, while also contorting to make acrobatic grabs downfield. Cunningham's route-running was also much better than anticipated. He lacks classic foot speed and does not display a deep burst, but showed enough skill to cause NFL decision-makers to believe he'll be a solid third receiver.

David Snow, OL, Texas -- Snow looked dominant at two positions; guard and center. He's feisty, strong and football smart. Snow does not necessarily look the part, but gets the most from his ability and did not give up an inch to opponents this day. The versatility to play intelligent football at two offensive line positions helped his stock greatly.

Tyrone Crawford, DE, Boise State -- Scouts have been waiting for Crawford to break out all season, and it looks like he picked the Shrine Game to impress them. He's an athletic player who flashes a lot of explosion and strength. Crawford impressed with his inside moves today and ability to rush the passer.

Josh Norman, CB, Coastal Carolina -- Of all the defensive backs in attendance, Norman is the one that truly passes the eyeball test. He's a tall, impressive looking athlete with a smooth and quick style. During full scrimmage he came up with a number of big plays, knocking away passes and almost intercepting throws. Norman also showed a good head. In the end he proved he belonged on a field with some of the better receiving talent in the nation.

Dale Moss, WR, South Dakota State -- Moss is one of the most interesting stories at the Shrine Game. A former guard on the SDSU basketball team, he never played college football until last season. After a year in which he developed his game almost weekly, Moss did not look out of place Tuesday. He was smooth and graceful on the field, displaying solid downfield speed and catching the ball well. Grace admits he's still a work in progress, but there's no doubting that, based on Tuesday's showing, the arrow is pointing north for him.

Notes: Some of the biggest buzz at the Shrine Game surrounds the receiver position. The consensus has Oklahoma State junior Justin Blackmon as the top wideout in April's draft. But that does not match the reality on many a draft board around the league, which has Big 12 counterpart Kendall Wright of Baylor as the top receiver available. Wright is being fondly compared to Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers, with one insider mentioning he's a bigger version of the former All-Pro.

Another player shooting up draft boards is Ohio State tackle Mike Adams. Adams missed the first half of the 2011 season due to his participation in Tattoogate. Scouts love his upside and think Adams will only get better and stronger with more experience. Many in St Petersburg are predicting Adams, who's scheduled to play in next week's Senior Bowl, will be a mid-first-round choice in April.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...tice.reports.tuesday/index.html#ixzz1jlvtrrF2

 

[Cr122]

lol

 

[dbair1967]

East practice notes…

It looked like there was going to be the possibility of a breakthrough for UT Chattanooga QB B.J. Coleman today, as he seemed much more comfortable working from under center, balancing his feet and maintaining a more efficient base. Plus, he was more natural moving his feet in line with secondary targets early on and letting go of the football on time. However, as soon as the live bullets starting flying he had a tendency to fall off throws and would get narrow/upright in the lower half, limiting his accuracy.

Davis has a natrual feel for the game.
Southern Miss QB Austin Davis has some savvy to his game; he sells the play fake hard and displays nice touch between the numbers. However, his arm is limited, he gets lost once the pocket starts to close in on him and isn’t real impressive spinning the football on the move. A guy like him is a dime a dozen in my mind and doesn’t warrant more than free agent grade.

It was a bit of a coming out party for Notre Dame CB Robert Blanton Wednesday. The taller, physical corner has had his fair share of struggles in off coverage this week. However, in press man this afternoon he did a nice job shooting his hand into contact, maintaining his footing and getting his head around quickly in order to locate the football. He did get a bit grabby at times, but he possesses the balance to create a burst out of his breaks and was tough to separate from in press coverage.

Tennessee Tech wideout Tim Benford has had a solid week. He’s a decent sized kid with some suddenness to his game out of his breaks, can be sharp when asked to change directions and locates the football well. However, he put the ball on the ground twice today and despite being one of the better route runners down here, he’s not dynamic enough to not overlook his inconsistencies catching the football. Nevertheless, he gave himself chance to be in an NFL camp with his strong week and fight for a roster spot.

The standout again on Wednesday was Coastal Carolina CB Josh Norman. Norman finished the day with three picks and again showed off his impressive click and close ability, body control and feel in coverage. He was also very physical in pressman as well. Now, he did have a tendency to step into the press and will get caught with all his weight on his front foot, causing him to struggle to regain balance quickly. However, overall the guy has helped himself as much as anyone down here and looks like a potential starting NFL corner and top-100 pick.

Presbyterian DB Justin Bethel has also had a very solid week. He’s another long armed kid who is fluid, can run and be physical off the line. However, too often this week he allows himself to pop upright when he looks for the football and doesn’t generate the type of closing burst then to go make a play on the throw. He’s close to really taking his game to another level, but needs to do a better job keeping his pad level once he snaps his head around to find the football.

This was the best day of practice for Temple OG Derek Dennis. When he doesn’t have to handle the bull rush he showcases natural foot quickness for this size and can slide his feet laterally. It’s when he’s forced to sit down, gain proper hand placement and anchor where he get himself into trouble. The athleticism is there, he just needs to improve pad level off the snap.

It was good to see Pittsburgh OLB Brandon Lindsey rush a little off the edge Wednesday during 1 on 1 drills. He showcased a good first step and even after one day looks the most natural of the group of pass rushers so far this week. He displays the ability to cleanly change directions off his speed rush and keep tackles off balance with the spin as well. However, he’s still not dynamic enough in any area of the game to warrant much more than mid-round pick.

Finally, South Carolina DT Travian Robertson has shown flashes all week of creating havoc behind the line of scrimmage. He possesses a good first step, can make himself small when shooting gaps and fight his way through contact. He also displays the ability to gain leverage and get his hands inside on contact when working the bull rush. However, he’s limited laterally, doesn’t use his hands well to shed when engaged and looks more like a one-gap type only who is worth a flyer late on day three.

Follow me on twitter: @WesBunting

Check out the NFP Draft page here...

 

[Cr122]

USC DT DaJohn Harris

I like this kid. I'll be paying special attention to him.

 

[Midswat]

Interesting...

Notes: Some of the biggest buzz at the Shrine Game surrounds the receiver position. The consensus has Oklahoma State junior Justin Blackmon as the top wideout in April's draft. But that does not match the reality on many a draft board around the league, which has Big 12 counterpart Kendall Wright of Baylor as the top receiver available. Wright is being fondly compared to Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers, with one insider mentioning he's a bigger version of the former All-Pro.