Senior Bowl Thread

[dbair1967]

They havent finalized the rosters yet, but here's a listing from their wesbite. I think at least a couple of these guys may be out injured already:

TBA Acho, Emmanuel LB 6-2 / 245 Texas
TBA Adams, Joe WR 5-11 / 190 Arkansas
TBA Adams, Mike OL 6-8 / 320 Ohio State
TBA Adcock, Levy OL 6-6 / 322 Oklahoma State
TBA Allen, Antonio DB 6-2 / 202 South Carolina
TBA Ballard, Vick RB 5-11 / 220 Mississippi State
TBA Barron, Mark DB 6-2 / 218 Alabama
TBA Bentley, Dwight DB 5-11 / 179 Louisiana-Lafayette
TBA Bequette, Jake DL 6-5 / 271 Arkansas
TBA Bergstrom, Tony OL 6-6 / 315 Utah
TBA Blackwell, Will OL 6-4 / 290 LSU
TBA Blake, Philip OL 6-3 / 320 Baylor
TBA Boykin, Brandon DB 5-10 / 183 Georgia
TBA Bradham, Nigel LB 6-3 / 240 Florida State
TBA Branch, Andre DL 6-5 / 260 Clemson
TBA Brewster, Mike OL 6-5 / 315 Ohio State
TBA Brown, James OL 6-4 / 312 Troy
TBA Brown, Zach LB 6-2 / 230 North Carolina
TBA Bullock, Randy PK 5-9 / 212 Texas A&M
TBA Butler, Drew P 6-2 / 214 Georgia
TBA Cole, Audie LB 6-5 / 239 NC State
TBA Coples, Quinton DL 6-6 / 290 North Carolina
TBA Cousins, Kirk QB 6-3 / 205 Michigan State
TBA Crawford, Jack DL 6-5 / 265 Penn State
TBA Criner, Juron WR 6-4 / 215 Arizona
TBA Curry, Vinny DL 6-3 / 263 Marshall
TBA Daniels, Mike DL 6-1 / 280 Iowa
TBA David, Lavonte LB 6-1 / 225 Nebraska
TBA Dennard, Alfonzo DB 5-10 / 205 Nebraska
TBA Diehl, Chad RB 6-2 / 265 Clemson
TBA Edwards, Patrick WR 5-9 / 175 Houston
TBA Egnew, Michael TE 6-6 / 245 Missouri
TBA Ewing, Bradie RB 6-0 / 245 Wisconsin
TBA Fleming, Jamell DB 5-11 / 191 Oklahoma
TBA Fletcher, Donnie DB 6-1 / 195 Boston College
TBA Foles, Nick QB 6-5 / 240 Arizona
TBA Fuller, Jeff WR 6-4 / 220 Texas A&M
TBA Ganaway, Terrance RB 6-0 / 240 Baylor
TBA Gerhart, Garth OL 6-2 / 302 Arizona State
TBA Glenn, Cordy OL 6-5 / 348 Georgia
TBA Graham, T.J. WR 6-0 / 180 NC State
TBA Gray, Cyrus RB 5-10 / 200 Texas A&M
TBA Green, Ladarius TE 6-6 / 236 Louisiana-Lafayette
TBA Harris, Josh DS 6-1 / 224 Auburn
TBA Hayward, Casey DB 5-11 / 188 Vanderbilt
TBA Herron, Dan RB 5-10 / 205 Ohio State
TBA Howard, Jaye DL 6-3 / 303 Florida
TBA Igwenagu, Emil TE 6-2 / 245 Massachusetts
TBA Iloka, George DB 6-3 / 216 Boise State
TBA Ingram, Melvin DL 6-2 / 276 South Carolina
TBA Jackson, Asa DB 5-11 / 190 Cal Poly
TBA Jenkins, Janoris DB 5-10 / 183 North Alabama
TBA Johnson, Cam DL 6-4 / 270 Virginia
TBA Johnson, James-Michael LB 6-2 / 240 Nevada
TBA Johnson, Leonard DB 5-10 / 202 Iowa State
TBA Jones, Ben OL 6-3 / 316 Georgia
TBA Jones, Dwight WR 6-4 / 225 North Carolina
TBA Kelemete, Senio OL 6-4 / 301 Washington
TBA Kendricks, Mychal LB 6-0 / 240 California
TBA Lindley, Ryan QB 6-4 / 230 San Diego State
TBA Linthicum, Brian TE 6-5 / 245 Michigan State
TBA Lynn, D'Anton DB 6-1 / 210 Penn State
TBA Martin, Doug RB 5-9 / 215 Boise State
TBA Martin, Markelle DB 6-1 / 198 Oklahoma State
TBA Martin, Mike DL 6-2 / 304 Michigan
TBA Maze, Marquis WR 5-10 / 180 Alabama
TBA McCants, Matt OL 6-7 / 295 UAB
TBA McNutt, Marvin WR 6-4 / 215 Iowa
TBA Menzie, DeQuan DB 6-0 / 198 Alabama
TBA Moore, Kellen QB 6-0 / 191 Boise State
TBA Mosley, Brandon OL 6-6 / 310 Auburn
TBA Nortman, Brad P 6-3 / 210 Wisconsin
TBA Osemele, Kelechi OL 6-6 / 347 Iowa State
TBA Pead, Isaiah RB 5-11 / 200 Cincinnati
TBA Peterson, Deangelo TE 6-4 / 235 LSU
TBA Polk, Chris RB 5-11 / 222 Washington
TBA Posey, DeVier WR 6-2 / 210 Ohio State
TBA Powell, Tydreke DL 6-4 / 305 North Carolina
TBA Quick, Brian WR 6-5 / 220 Appalachian State
TBA Rainey, Chris RB 5-9 / 174 Florida
TBA Randall, Kheeston DL 6-5 / 305 Texas
TBA Reyes, Kendall DL 6-4 / 295 Connecticut
TBA Robinson, Gerell WR 6-4 / 222 Arizona State
TBA Robinson, Keenan LB 6-3 / 240 Texas
TBA Robinson, Trenton DB 5-10 / 192 Michigan State
TBA Sanders, Zebrie OL 6-6 / 307 Florida State
TBA Schwartz, Mitchell OL 6-6 / 318 California
TBA Silatolu, Amini OL 6-3 / 320 Midwestern State
TBA Smelley, Brad TE 6-3 / 229 Alabama
TBA Smith, Harrison DB 6-2 / 214 Notre Dame
TBA Spence, Sean LB 6-0 / 224 Miami
TBA Steed, Ryan DB 5-11 / 190 Furman
TBA Still, Devon DL 6-5 / 305 Penn State
TBA Ta'amu, Alameda DL 6-3 / 337 Washington
TBA Tannehill, Ryan QB 6-4 / 222 Texas A&M
TBA Taylor, Brandon DB 6-0 / 194 LSU
TBA Thompson, Brandon DL 6-2 / 310 Clemson
TBA Toon, Nick WR 6-3 / 220 Wisconsin
TBA Troutman, Johnnie OL 6-4 / 323 Penn State
TBA Upshaw, Courtney LB 6-2 / 265 Alabama
TBA Vlachos, William OL 6-1 / 294 Alabama
TBA Wagner, Bobby LB 6-1 / 232 Utah State
TBA Weeden, Brandon QB 6-4 / 218 Oklahoma State
TBA Wiggs, Carson PK 6-0 / 192 Purdue
TBA Wilson, Russell QB 5-11 / 210 Wisconsin
TBA Winn, Billy DL 6-4 / 295 Boise State
TBA Wojta, Kyle DS 6-2 / 230 Wisconsin
TBA Wright, Kendall WR 5-10 / 190 Baylor
TBA Zeitler, Kevin OL 6-4 / 315 Wisconsin

 

[dbair1967]

Tony Pauline, NFL Draft analyst for SportsIllustrated.com, reports from the Senior Bowl exclusively for PhiladelphiaEagles.com ...

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Senior Bowl kicked off this morning in as almost 100 players were measured and weighed for the league’s 32 teams. This year’s roster is a strong one with a number of potential first-round picks on both the North and South squads. The pads were popping this afternoon as the North squad took to the field for the initial practice of the week. Here’s a breakdown of the players that looked good and those who were not so fortunate.

Moving Up

Mike Adams/T/Ohio State: Adams spent most of the season on the sidelines for his participation in Ohio State’s infamous Tattoogate, but he looked like he’s never missed a snap of football today. Adams looked the part measuring in at 6-7, 323, then he played to it on the field. After taking a bit of time to get his feet underneath him, Adams was dominant all day, mostly lining up at left tackle. What’s exciting about his game is the way the big blocker easily moves about the field. He’s quickly rising up draft boards and a lot of people believe Adams will end up in the top half of round one when all is said and done.

Marvin Jones/WR/Cal: Jones, 6-2, 198, was a reliable wideout all through his college career and today showed he has the skills to play at the next level. Jones ran crisp, precise routes which enabled him to get separation from defenders. He also displayed the ability to turn it on with a single step and beat defenders in the deep field. Jones caught everything thrown in his direction and has scouts believing he’ll be a solid fit as a third wide out in the NFL.

Senio Kelemete/OL/Washington: Kelemete looked like the most athletic offensive lineman on the field today and did a great job handling the left tackle spot, where he spent the day. He moves his feet well, displays terrific quickness and handled the speed rushers that lined up against him. The big question about Kelemete is whether his 6-3 ½ frame will allow him to play left tackle at the next level or whether he’ll be forced to move to guard.

Devier Posey/WR/Ohio State: Posey, 6-1 ½, 209, is another Buckeye who spent the majority of the season on the sidelines as a result of Tattoogate. Yet today he looked smooth and polished. Posey exploded off the line into pass routes, ran sharp routes and made a number of acrobatic catches. There was little rust shown from a player many consider one of the most physically talented receivers in this years class.

Michael Egnew/TE/Missouri: Egnew was fluid all day and the big tight end looked like a tall receiver running down the seam to catch the ball. He’s got natural hands and though he’s not much of a blocker, he gives a lot of effort in that area. Egnew, 6-5, 251, would be a solid addition for a team needing a “move tight end.”

Moving Down

Brian Quick/WR/Appalachian State: This is a big opportunity for the small school product who dominated during his tenure at Appalachian State. Thus far it’s been a very rocky start. Quick, 6-3, 222, looks slow afoot, shows minimal quickness and worst of all, dropped several catchable throws.

Jack Crawford/DE/Penn State: Scouts want to like Crawford yet the Penn State senior continues to disappoint them. He looks the part on the field yet Crawford, 6-5, 268, was consistently manhandled by blockers and rarely showed any playmaking ability. To be fair, the native Brit, has only been playing football for a few years and should have room for improvement – but it better come soon.

Tony Bergstrom/OL/Utah: Bergstrom, 6-5, 315, looked outclassed on a number of snaps today and was consistently beaten by defensive tackles. He showed little in the way of balance, strength or the ability to stay on his feet.

 

[dbair1967]

North Roster

No. Name Position HT/WT School
75 Adams, Mike OL 6'7" / 323 Ohio State
71 Bergstrom, Tony OL 6'5 1/2" / 315 Utah
50 Brewster, Mike OL 6'4 1/4" / 310 Ohio State
44 Cole, Audie LB 6'4 1/8" / 258 NC State
8 Cousins, Kirk QB 6'2 1/2" / 209 Michigan State
81 Crawford, Jack DL 6'4 7/8" / 268 Penn State
99 Curry, Vinny DL 6'3" / 265 Marshall
4 David, Lavonte LB 6'0 1/2" / 225 Nebraska
28 Davis, Demario LB 6-3 / 230 Arkansas State
15 Dennard, Alfonzo DB 5'10" / 203 Nebraska
82 Egnew, Michael TE 6'5 1/4" / 251 Missouri
34 Ewing, Bradie RB 5'11 5/8" / 241 Wisconsin
13 Fleming, Jamell DB 5'10 5/8" / 202 Oklahoma
24 Fletcher, Donnie DB 6'0 1/4" / 201 Boston College
83 Graham, T.J. WR 5' 11 3/8" / 182 NC State
1 Herron, Dan RB 5'9 1/4" / 212 Ohio State
84 Igwenagu, Emil TE 6'1 1/8" / 245 Massachusetts
18 Iloka, George DB 6'3 5/8" / 222 Boise State
2 Jackson, Asa DB 5'9 7/8" / 193 Cal Poly
56 Johnson, Cam LB 6'3 3/4" / 267 Virginia
52 Johnson, James-Michael LB 6'1 1/8" / 249 Nevada
23 Johnson, Leonard DB 5'9 7/8" / 198 Iowa State
89 Jones, Marvin WR 6'1 7/8" / 198 California
56 Kelemete, Senio OL 6'3 1/2" / 300 Washington
85 Linthicum, Brian TE 6'3 3/4" / 249 Michigan State
78 Looney, Joe OL 6'3" / 320 Wake Forest
8 Lynn, D'Anton DB 5'11 5/8" / 205 Penn State
22 Martin, Doug RB 5'9" / 219 Boise State
68 Martin, Mike DL 6'1 1/4" / 307 Michigan
92 McClellin, Shea DL 6'3" 1/4 / 248 Boise State
7 McNutt, Marvin WR 6'2 1/2" / 216 Iowa
11 Moore, Kellen QB 5'11 3/4" / 191 Boise State
97 Nortman, Brad P 6'2 3/8" / 207 Wisconsin
73 Osemele, Kelechi OL 6'5 3/8" / 333 Iowa State
23 Pead, Isaiah RB 5'9 7/9" / 193 Cincinnati
20 Polk, Chris RB 5'10 1/2" / 224 Washington
3 Posey, DeVier WR 6'1 5/8" / 209 Ohio State
88 Quick, Brian WR 6'3 1/2" / 222 Appalachian State
98 Reyes, Kendall DL 6'3 7/8" / 300 Connecticut
81 Robinson, Gerell WR 6'3 1/8" / 223 Arizona State
19 Robinson, Trenton DB 5'9 1/2" / 193 Michigan State
72 Schwartz, Mitchell OL 6'5 1/8" / 317 California
22 Smith, Harrison DB 6'1 3/4" / 212 Notre Dame
74 Ta'amu, Alameda DL 6'2 1/2" / 341 Washington
74 Troutman, Johnnie OL 6'4 1/8" / 325 Penn State
45 Wagner, Bobby LB 6'0 1/4" / 241 Utah State
37 Wiggs, Carson PK 6'0 1/2" / 222 Purdue
16 Wilson, Russell QB 5'10 5/8" / 203 Wisconsin
90 Winn, Billy DL 6'3 3/8" / 296 Boise State
62 Wojta, Kyle DS 6'1 1/2" / 239 Wisconsin
95 Wolfe, Derek DL 6-5 / 300 Cincinnati
70 Zeitler, Kevin OL 6'3 7/8" / 315 Wisconsin

 

[dbair1967]

South Roster

No. Name Position HT/WT School
55 Acho, Emmanuel LB 6'1" / 235 Texas
4 Adams, Joe WR 5'10" 1/2 / 174 Arkansas
26 Allen, Antonio DB 6'1" 1/4 / 202 South Carolina
72 Allen, Jeff OL 6'4" / 306 Illinois
28 Ballard, Vick RB 5'10" 1/8 / 217 Mississippi State
5 Bentley, Dwight DB 5'9" 7/8 / 176 Louisiana-Lafayette
91 Bequette, Jake LB 6'4" 1/2 / 264 Arkansas
61 Blackwell, Will OL 6'3" 1/2 / 314 LSU
74 Blake, Philip OL 6'2" 3/8 / 312 Baylor
2 Boykin, Brandon DB 5'9" 1/4 / 183 Georgia
13 Bradham, Nigel LB 6'1" 5/8 / 237 Florida State
70 Brown, James OL 6'3" 1/2 / 307 Troy
47 Brown, Zach LB 6'1" 3/8 / 236 North Carolina
29 Bullock, Randy PK 5'9" 3/8 / 207 Texas A&M
13 Butler, Drew P 6'1" 1/8 / 199 Georgia
90 Coples, Quinton DL 6'5" 3/4 / 281 North Carolina
33 Creer, Lennon RB 6'1" / 215 Louisiana Tech
82 Criner, Juron WR 6'2" 1/8 / 220 Arizona
30 Diehl, Chad RB 6'1" 1/2 / 257 Clemson
83 Edwards, Patrick WR 5'8" 7/8 / 168 Houston
8 Foles, Nick QB 6'5" / 244 Arizona
87 Fuller, Jeff WR 6'4" 1/8 / 217 Texas A&M
24 Ganaway, Terrance RB 5'11" 1/2 / 241 Baylor
71 Glenn, Cordy OL 6'5" 1/2 / 346 Georgia
89 Green, Ladarius TE 6'5" 3/4 / 237 Louisiana-Lafayette
62 Harris, Josh DS 6'1" 1/8 / 250 Auburn
19 Hayward, Casey DB 5'11" / 188 Vanderbilt
96 Howard, Jaye DL 6'3" / 292 Florida
6 Ingram, Melvin DL 6'1" 7/8 / 276 South Carolina
97 Jackson, Malik DL 6'5" / 270 Tennessee
1 Jenkins, Janoris DB 5'9" 3/4 / 191 North Alabama
94 Jerod-Eddie, Tony DL 6'4" / 303 Texas A&M
60 Jones, Ben OL 6'2" 5/8 / 304 Georgia
85 Jones, Dwight WR 6'3" 1/8 / 226 North Carolina
17 Lindley, Ryan QB 6'3" 3/4 / 229 San Diego State
10 Martin, Markelle DB 6'0" 3/4 / 203 Oklahoma State
1 Maze, Marquis WR 5'7" 3/4 / 184 Alabama
76 McCants, Matt OL 6'5" 5/8 / 309 UAB
24 Menzie, DeQuan DB 5'10" 1/2 / 195 Alabama
19 Peterson, Deangelo TE 6'2" 7/8 / 230 LSU
92 Powell, Tydreke DL 6'2" 3/8 / 297 North Carolina
2 Rainey, Chris RB 5'8" 3/8 / 174 Florida
93 Randall, Kheeston DL 6'4" 1/2 / 297 Texas
51 Robinson, Keenan LB 6'3" 1/8 / 240 Texas
77 Sanders, Zebrie OL 6'5" 1/2 / 308 Florida State
44 Smelley, Brad TE 6'1" 7/8 / 233 Alabama
31 Spence, Sean LB 5'11" 3/8 / 228 Miami
4 Steed, Ryan DB 5'10" 3/8 / 190 Furman
18 Taylor, Brandon DB 5'11" 1/8 / 202 LSU
98 Thompson, Brandon DL 6'2" / 311 Clemson
41 Upshaw, Courtney DL 6'1" 1/2 / 273 Alabama
73 Vlachos, William OL 6'0" 3/8 / 306 Alabama
3 Weeden, Brandon QB 6'3" 1/2 / 219 Oklahoma State

 

[dbair1967]

Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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# NorthAlabama CB Janoris Jenkins looks rusty, letting receivers getting too far into his cushion, allowing receivers behind him # seniorbowl



Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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# Alabama DE Courtney Upshaw flashing good lower body power , strong hands as rusher to overwhelm # seniorbowl



Calvin Watkins @ calvinwatkins
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Brandon Boykin the Georgia CB looks pretty good. Aggressive plays well in man.

Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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# UNC DE Quinton Coples has so much talent, can overwhelm, slip through contact, knows how to disengage # seniorbowl



Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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# FSU OT Zebrie Sanders having a tough time to anchor, will struggle until he gets stronger # seniorbowl



Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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# Vanderbilt CB Casey Heyward has been brillant, great feel, can click and close, turn and run, finds football # seniorbowl



Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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Haven't been impressed with # UNC WR Dwight Jones, struggled vs press coverage , not good for bigger guy # seniorbowl



Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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Of the bigger receivers down here, # TexasA&M Jeff Fuller has been most impressive, generates most separation, can go get ball # seniorbowl



Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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# Georgia CB Brandon Boykin loves to compete, good closing speed, fiesty, tough to separate from # seniorbowl



Matt Bowen @ MattBowen41
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Watching UNC DE Quinton Coples, his speed of the edge jumps out. Looks easy at times to turn the corner. Legit talent.

Matt Bowen @ MattBowen41
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Impressed with Alabama DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw in one-on-one pass rush. Has obvious power, but also uses his hands to shed blocker.

 

[Midswat]

Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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Of the bigger receivers down here, # TexasA&M Jeff Fuller has been most impressive, generates most separation, can go get ball # seniorbowl

Is Jeff Fuller white?

That just sounds like the name of a guy who'd have a dark, thick mustache, mullet, and drive a gold 1978 Trans Am. T-tops of course.

Or am I the only one that thinks that?

 

[Midswat]

mattmosley Matt Mosley
I'm told Jerry Jones will really hone in on the OLBs at Senior Bowl today. This man has a keen eye for talent.


lol

 

[Cr122]

Wesley Bunting @ WesBunting
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# NorthAlabama CB Janoris Jenkins looks rusty, letting receivers getting too far into his cushion, allowing receivers behind him # seniorbowl

Just say no to drafting this kid.

 

[Cr122]

[h=2]BTB: Notes On The Senior Bowl[/h]

Dallas Cowboys: Notes On The Senior Bowl
by Tom Ryle

I saw some interesting stuff out of the Senior Bowl, centering around Dallas Cowboys Owner/GM Jerry Jones and Head Coach Jason Garrett. For those, like me, who enjoy trying to read the tea leaves and figure out what is happening in the heads of the men who run our favorite team, it was rather interesting.

First, for all you people trying to figure out Dallas' draft board, you might want to think a bit about Janoris Jenkins, because he is going to interview with the team scouts.

"I just go in as who I am," said Jenkins, who has spoken to five NFL teams. "I tell them what happened and be honest because I did it. I made a mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I'm sure I have to deal with it. I'm looking forward to it. I have nothing to hide. I just go in and they ask me the question and I give it to them and be honest. I just look them in the eye and let them know I can be honest."

The Cowboys' scouts most likely will speak with Jenkins and provide a report to Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett.

It sounds like the Cowboys, along with other teams, are trying to get a read on Jenkins and just how much of a risk he would be. This is one time where I actually like Jerry's tendency to talk a lot, because he might drop some hints on how the team is leaning here. Now if only we can figure out how to keep all the other teams from listening to what he has to say . . .

More doin's from Mobile after the jump.

The interest in Jenkins falls in line with what Jerry had to say about the current secondary players for the Cowboys - and what he didn't say.

"We very likely will have new faces over there," Jones said after the first day of practices for the Senior Bowl. "How many, I can't tell you, but we'll have some new faces."

It's uncertain who will be leaving, but Jones did praise cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins.

When asked about veteran corner Terence Newman, who struggled toward the back end of the season, especially in two games against the New York Giants, Jones failed to offer support.

This sounds like confirmation for what has been long speculated here, that TNew is not likely to remain with the team. That will free up his $6,016,000 salary, and his play last year certainly made it look like he needs to be replaced.

UPDATE: Dallas has also met with Alabama OLB Courtney Upshaw:

Upshaw has great size at 6-1 1/2 and 273 pounds (he was listed on the roster at 265 but weighed in eight pounds over that Monday morning). He's built to play near the line of scrimmage. He's also shown great speed off the ball this week in practices.

And get this, he's a big DeMarcus Ware fan.

Looks like that pass rush might get a little attention, too.

Jason is also busy trying to fill out the last opening on the coaching staff. The article from CBS Sports is short, so I'll quote the entire thing for you.

Mobile is aptly named for Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, who has been on the move at the Senior Bowl looking at players and interviewing for an assistant secondary coach to work with Jerome Henderson.

Henderson was recently hired as the 'Boys secondary coach and he needs someone new in the assistant position after Brett Maxie departed for the secondary coach position with the Tennessee Titans.

Garrett is in Alabama with his recently hired offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who had not been to the Senior Bowl since 1999.

The assistant secondary coach position is Garrett's last slot to fill on his coaching staff.

"We've actually interviewed some guys down here in Mobile and we'll continue that process," Garrett told the Dallas Morning News. "We have to make sure whoever we bring into the organization you go through the right process to evaluate them and see how they fit. We're in the process of doing that right now and hopefully we'll get that firmed up here in the next couple of weeks."

Wow. It's a process. Who knew?

The article also mentions that Bill Callahan is there as well. That makes it look like the offensive line is also a priority for the team, which just reinforces the conclusions that we have been drawing around here.

Jerry had some things to say on the subject of the O Line as well.

"In personnel we may have gotten over zealous with some young players in the middle of our offensive line," Jones said. "We have to make sure we not only give them a chance to grow and have progress but we also have to have the type of protection we want in there for Tony."

Those are the facts as we know them at the moment. But beyond the facts, I think there are some inferences to be drawn. First, it seems like JJ and JG are seeing exactly what we all are, that the secondary was an ongoing train wreck last year, and that the Yuglies just did not work out the way we wanted. And having recognized that, some serious steps are being taken to fix things.

And now to set off some fireworks.

Jerry bashing is an ongoing and very popular past-time around these parts, but I am not sure exactly what he could be doing any better right now. He has acknowledged the problems, correctly as far as I can see, and he is aggressively taking steps to solve them (or backing Jason up in his steps by getting the old wallet out, which has the same effect). I have not seen a single thing that the team has done so far this off season that makes me unhappy. To the contrary, I actually am getting a little bit excited that things are on the upswing.

Could it be possible that Jerry has learned from his errors and found a way to correct them? I thought so back when he first hired Garrett as head coach. I like what happened in last year's draft, which gives me hope that the team can have a third good one in a row. The team is not making big, splashy moves to win now. It is building intelligently and with a strategic eye for the long haul.

I'll give you that Jerruh has had a long, bad spell as GM. I think it is over now. I see the team having a chance to get back to playoff land next season, and a better chance the year after. And I think JJ deserves some credit for the past year and a half, just as he deserved the blame for the decade and a half before that. He still has a lot to prove, but judge what is happening lately by the facts. Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Tyron Smith, DeMarco Murray, and Laurent Robinson were all pretty good acquisitions. So were Bill Callahan and Jerome Henderson. And Bruce Carter, David Arkin, Bill Nagy and Kevin Kowalski, to name a few, may also turn out to be pretty good players. So whether Jerry picked them, or listened to the coaches and scouts who recommended them, something is going right lately.

That decade and a half will take longer than a couple of seasons to correct. But the team seems clearly to be headed in the correct direction now.

It's a start. I'm going to be optimistic about it until proven otherwise.​

 

[Cr122]

UPDATE: Dallas has also met with Alabama OLB Courtney Upshaw:

Upshaw has great size at 6-1 1/2 and 273 pounds (he was listed on the roster at 265 but weighed in eight pounds over that Monday morning). He's built to play near the line of scrimmage. He's also shown great speed off the ball this week in practices.

I wouldn't mind drafting Upshaw at 14.

 

[Cr122]

Talent, QB questions at Senior Bowl
Overall talent level is high in Mobile, but all QB prospects have something to prove
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By Todd McShay
ESPN.com


Players To Watch
Todd McShay previews the Senior Bowl.


Players To Watch
Russell Wilson's Draft Stock
Wisconsin Fends Off Illinois
Senior Bowl week begins Monday, and there's no denying this week's NFL draft showcase is the premier college all-star event in terms of talent.

Of the 14 seniors in my latest ranking of the top 32 overall prospects for the 2012 draft, 11 will be in Mobile, Ala., looking to impress NFL talent evaluators. Many other prospects on the rosters carry early-round grades, which will make for plenty of intriguing matchups during practices and give prospects a chance to be measured against some of the top players at their positions.


Here's a quick breakdown of the 11 prospects who enter the week in the first-round mix.


Quinton Coples needs to show a good motor to go with his physical tools.
North Carolina DE Quinton Coples (Grade: 95): He has excellent size (6-foot-6⅛, 272 pounds) and an unusual blend of power and quickness, but Coples could have played with more urgency as a senior. He'll be looking to answer questions about his motor and work ethic.

Clemson DE Andre Branch (93): A good pass-rusher and solid all-around player, Branch produced big plays in spurts and had only one dominant season (2011). He needs to stand out as one of the top pass-rushers in Mobile to lock down a spot in the top 20 picks.

Alabama S Mark Barron (93): He has some limitations in man coverage, but Barron does everything else at a high level. He plays the game hard, is versatile, and has a coach-on-the-field quality that very few college defenders display.

Alabama OLB Courtney Upshaw (93): A versatile defender who projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level. We're looking forward to watching his initial burst during pass-rush drills, because there are questions about whether he has the "get-off" to be consistently productive as an edge rusher in the NFL.

South Carolina DL Melvin Ingram (92): An athletic 276-pounder with a nose for the football, Ingram seems to always be in on big plays. He notched 10 sacks, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and two defensive touchdowns as a senior.

Penn State DT Devon Still (91): A top-heavy tackle with a very quick first step, Still is a bit overrated as an athlete and his motor runs hot and cold. He needs a strong week to solidify a first-round grade.

Arizona QB Nick Foles (90): An underrated prospect who made big strides as a decision maker and leader in 2011. Foles lacks ideal mobility but is improved in terms of pocket presence.

Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard (90): An an athletic corner who struggled through injuries as a senior, Dennard was also kicked out of Nebraska's bowl game for fighting with South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery. Needless to say, Dennard needs to impress this week in order to stem the bleeding.

Clemson DT Brandon Thompson (89): A powerful run defender with a big trunk who flashes the ability to collapse the pocket from the inside. Thompson will leave some plays on the field, but he has first-round natural ability.

Florida State OT Zebrie Sanders (88): A fast-rising prospect who took advantage of the opportunity to play left tackle when teammate Andrew Datko suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in October. Sanders is vying to be the fourth OT prospect off the board, possibly late in the first round.

Baylor WR Kendall Wright (88): One of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the draft, Wright was on receiving end of many of highlight-reel throws from Bears QB Robert Griffin III during Griffin's Heisman-winning season. Wright is a terrific athlete with quickness, speed and elusiveness, and we expect a big week from him in Mobile.

Quarterback questions
The quarterback group took a bit of a hit when Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill (91) was forced to opt out after surgery for a broken foot, but all six quarterbacks in Mobile have a chance to be drafted, including three in the first two days. Here's what each is facing this week.

Foles: He should impress NFL evaluators with his accuracy and arm strength, and will also look to show good decision-making and footwork.

Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden (79): He has a quick release and strong arm, but Weeden's accuracy and decision-making were spotty in 2011. He got away with a lot of questionable throws and decisions due to the Cowboys' wide-open offense and the ability of WR Justin Blackmon to bail him out. How will Weeden perform on a level playing field compared to other top prospects?

Michigan State's Kirk Cousins (72) His intangibles are through the roof and he played better versus top competition as a senior, but does Cousins have the physical tools to warrant Day 2 consideration?

San Diego State's Ryan Lindley (49) Has a strong arm but was wildly inconsistent, though Lindley was victimized by a young receiving corps that dropped a lot of balls in 2011. He has been working on being more consistent with his mechanics, and Lindley has a chance to improve his draft stock if his accuracy is better during the practice week. He currently projects as a Day 3 pick.

Boise State's Kellen Moore (47): Moore lacks ideal size, and the closer is to 6 feet, the better it will be for his stock. He's also looking to show NFL scouts he's capable of finding passing windows and reading entire field from inside the pocket.

Wisconsin's Russell Wilson (40): Like with Moore, narginal height is the biggest strike against Wilson, who might be a first-round pick if he were four inches taller. Wilson is expected to measure in the 5-foot-11 range, but anything shorter will do severe damage to his Day 3 draft stock.

Five with something to prove

Janoris Jenkins looked like a first-rounder at Florida. Did he maintain that at North Alabama?
North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins (87): Jenkins was a sure first-round prospect on tape in 2010, but then he was kicked off the team at Florida following off-field issues and took a step down to Division II. He must prove he has maintained his elite skill level, and interviews during the week will be critical as he tries to ease concerns about multiple off-field issues.

Ohio State OT Mike Adams (83): Adams also served a suspension (five games) due to NCAA infractions. On tape, he is a gifted athlete who is light on his feet and displays above-average lateral agility. That's gives him a second-round grade, but some scouts have questioned his toughness and overall strength. Adams' ability to get movement as an inline blocker and anchor in pass pro will be closely watched throughout the week.

Washington DT Alameda Ta'amu (82): He was regarded a first-round prospect entering the season due to his massive frame (6-2, 334) and quickness for his size. However, Ta'amu's stock fell after an inconsistent senior season. This interior run-stopper needs a big week and must show a better motor in order to regain some momentum and hold on to a Day 2 grade.

Furman CB Ryan Steed (75): Steed is one of the top small-school prospects on the board thanks to a combination of toughness, short-area-quickness and instincts in coverage. However, he struggled against Florida in his only appearance against FBS competition in 2011. Steed will have a chance to redeem himself this week, and he must prove he can keep separation to a minimum, as well as locate and play the ball against big-boy competition.

Ohio State WR DeVier Posey (65): Posey served a 10-game suspension for NCAA infractions and appeared in only four games in 2011. Given the limited views scouts got during the season, Posey must show NFL personnel he has the ball skills and suddenness in his routes to make him worthy of Day 2 consideration.

Five under the radar


Iowa State OT/G Kelechi Osemele (84): Osemele lined up at left tackle in college and should get some reps there this week, but don't be surprised if he struggles to protect the edge. He doesn't show great lateral quickness on film. On the other hand, Osemele has the tenacity, size and power to turn heads when he slides inside to guard, and that's where he might fit best in the NFL.

Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward (78): Hayward is being overshadowed by the likes of fellow corners Jenkins, Dennard and Brandon Boykin (Georgia). However, Hayward had 15 career interceptions at Vanderbilt, and his instincts are impressive on film. One of the keys for him this week will be showing he has the fluidity and burst to match up in man coverage.

Appalachian State WR Brian Quick (78): Quick is an FCS prospect who flashed his ability to stretch the field against Virginia Tech in the season opener. In addition to his ability to make plays downfield, he is a fluid route-runner with above-average size. It's important that he show scouts he also has the burst to separate against corners with more natural ability than those he faced in college.

Louisiana-Lafayette TE Ladarius Green (68): Playing in the Sun Belt Conference limited Green's chances to make a splash at the national level, but there's a lot to like about his potential. Monday's weigh-in will prove important, as scouts will want to see if Green is as tall as his listed height of 6-5⅞ . If he is, and also shows he can make plays against a much higher level of competition, look for his stock to rise.

Utah State LB Bobby Wagner (30): Wagner was one of the most productive inside linebackers in the country in 2011, averaging more than 11 tackles per game while flashing the ability to rush the passer and make plays in coverage. He's quick, tough and instinctive, but scouts will want to see how well he stacks and sheds against bigger blockers in phone-booth situations.

Todd McShay is the director of college scouting for Scouts Inc. He has been evaluating prospects for the NFL draft since 1998. Scouts Inc.'s Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl also contributed to this report.

Follow Todd McShay on Twitter: @McShay13​

 

[dbair1967]

Jenkins "interview" doesnt look like its going to happen. I dont think we'll even have this kid on the board.

 

[Midswat]

mattmosley Matt Mosley
Oh no, I'm being told Jerry Jones had his stopwatch out today. Spent first 180 seconds trying to turn it on.

 

[cmd34]

mattmosley Matt Mosley
Oh no, I'm being told Jerry Jones had his stopwatch out today. Spent first 180 seconds trying to turn it on.

So depressing.

 

[dbair1967]

Tony Pauline>INSIDE THE NFL
More ColumnsEmail Tony PaulineSenior Bowl practice report: Wednesday

PRINT EMAIL FACEBOOK RSS SHARE SI.com draft expert Tony Pauline is live in Mobile, Ala., where some of the draft's brightest talent are taking part in Senior Bowl week, the annual prospect showcase. He'll be providing live analysis from practice each day throughout the week.

3:09 p.m. CT -- The final full pads practice at the Senior Bowl is complete. After a few days of game planning all that's left is to play the game on Saturday.

Scouts came away impressed with Melvin Ingram today. He's a natural pass rusher who gets a lot of upfield momentum and is stronger than he's given credit for. What position Ingram plays in the NFL is yet to be determined. Is he a defensive end? Outside linebacker? Three technique tackle? The combine will help get us closer to the answer but rest assured, Ingram can be a force at the next level.

Louisiana Lafayette cornerback Dwight Bentley had another strong day, as did Chris Rainey of Florida, who continues to prove himself as a playmaker. If he keeps his concentration on the field, he'll make an offensive coordinator in the league happy.

It's been great providing SI.com readers live updates from Senior Bowl practices, a rather intense undertaking never previously attempted on the internet from the event. Next up is the analysis of Saturday's game. Let's hope it's a good game.

2:57 p.m. CT -- For all the good play of Cordy Glenn the past three days, few scouts in attendance believe he's a left tackle prospect. He struggled with speed rushers during today's practice.

- Chris Rainey of Florida just made a tough reception in underneath coverage after beating the defense for a potential long gainer that Brandon Weeden underthrew.

- Weeden just made a magnificent pass to Joe Adams. The throw had tremendous speed and was perfectly timed to hit Adams as he left his break in the middle of triple coverage. Weeden has made some tremendous throws since Monday but really needs to improve his deep accuracy as a number of times he's underthrown open receivers.

- Leonard Creer, who played in the Shrine Game last week, was a late addition to the South squad and has looked good. He's not fast but patient and instinctive. He just picked up a nice gainer, waiting for blocks to develop then throwing several moves on defenders in the open field to keep the run alive. He also shows the ability to turn it on in a single step, with the ability to burst through the hole.

- Nick Foles continues to struggle. He rarely hits receivers in stride and constantly has them reaching backwards or vertical in an attempt to make the catch.

2:33 p.m. CT -- DT Brandon Thompson of Clemson has been tough to stop. He fired past the guard with his patented first step and got a lot of penetration behind the line of scrimmage.

- Juron Criner and Ryan Steed are having a terrific battle in practice, with Criner getting the best. To his credit, Steed just stepped up and battled to defend a pass.

- DT Kheeston Randall of Texas has shown a lot of power the past two days. He just drove center Ben Jones of Georgia four yards deep into the backfield. Randall then came back and threw a terrific move on Philip Blake and again got into the backfield.

- Chalk up another positive play for Dwight Bentley of Louisiana Lafayette, who made a great move on a ball intended for Dwight Jones of North Carolina and broke up the pass.

- Zebrie Sanders of Florida State is really struggling today. He's been manhandled on a number of occasions and is struggling to stay on his feet.

- Melvin Ingram is eating opponents alive today. Out of a three-point stance he has Matt McCants of UAB spinning, then came back and lined up at defensive tackle to beat Will Blackwell of LSU.

- Cordy Glenn just manhandled Quinton Coples in one-on-one. Glenn was lined up at left tackle. Not to be outdone, Coples threw an inside move on Glenn the next time they faced off and beat him to the inside.

- Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama is the one to finally stop Juron Criner. Jenkins had terrific inside position, then dove in front of the pass to defend the throw.

- Brandon Thompson's quickness is impressive. Opposing blockers cannot adjust quickly enough off the snap, and he keeps blowing past the offensive linemen.

- Late addition Malik Jackson has made a good impression thus far. Lining up at defensive tackle, Jackson projects to end in the NFL and has shown athleticism, quickness and power.

2:24 p.m. CT -- OLB Nigel Bradham of Florida State continues to impress with his athleticism. He's fast and fluid moving in every direction and covers a terrific amount of area.

- Vick Ballard has started the day by running with authority. He just ran through three tackles for a nice gain.

- What's impressive about Joe Adams of Arkansas is not just his speed and hands, but also his moxie. He just battled the large Antonio Allen of South Carolina and beat him off the line to get into his route and make a nice catch.

- WR Juron Criner of Arizona is playing much better. He's a terrific athlete and dominant when on his game. Despite taking an elbow in his neck from Ryan Steed of Furman, Criner was able to get off the line, separate from the defender and make a nice catch. Criner just made another terrific over the shoulder reception down the field, beating DeQuan Menzie of Alabama.

- LaDarius Green of Louisiana Lafayette continues to impress with his pass-catching skills.

- Melvin Ingram of South Carolina is short but deceptively powerful. He's shown the ability to knock offensive linemen back with a jolt of his hands..

2:05 p.m. CT -- WR Dwight Jones of North Carolina is a large, imposing target who really struggles with his route running. Jones' footwork gets very choppy in route-running drills and he decelerates into breaks.

- On the other hand, Joe Adams of Arkansas is small but incredibly quick and fast. He runs terrific routes and shows the ability to carry his horizontal momentum into breaks.

- OL Cordy Glenn of Georgia has been the talk of the South by a lot of scouts. He's got the body type, strength and movement skills to quickly start in the NFL. He's being talked about as a late-round pick with his performance the past two days. He does not back down either, and just went after Quinton Coples in drills, battling hard after the whistle had blown.

- S Brandon Taylor of LSU is a fearsome run defender, but scouts have to be concerned about his play in coverage. During drills Taylor is noticeably slower in his backpedal compared to the other safeties. He's got to show he can do more than make plays up the field in a straight line if he's going to be anything other than a late-round choice.

- OLB Keenan Robinson of Texas has started the day with a vengeance and looks terrific in pass-rushing drills.

- Credit to Jake Bequette, the former defensive end from Arkansas who has switched between his college position and outside linebacker here. He looks much improved from yesterday and is really showing some explosion today. He's destroyed several running backs in pass-rushing drills.

- Add Zach Brown of North Carolina to the list of linebackers who can not be stopped in pass-rushing drills. That's a good sign, as Brown has shown terrific strength in these drills, which is the biggest question mark of his game.

1:56 p.m. CT -- The final full pads practice at the Senior Bowl is underway, as the South has taken the field. How intense is Wednesday practice at the Senior Bowl? A veteran insider who's been covering the league for more than four decades told me he saw more hitting during the first 45 minutes of practice this morning than he's seen in any two days of practice on the NFL level.

A few final notes from the North.

T Mike Adams of Ohio State was not able to capitalize on his dominant performance from Monday and looked human at times this morning. How will this affect his draft stock? Let's say at this point he's not a lock to be a top-15 choice.

CB Alfonzo Dennard of Nebraska leaves Mobile with a draft grade much lower than when he arrived. Dennard was stiff and struggled all week. The projected first-rounder was beaten by receivers who are likely last-day picks. While it's a bit premature, some scouts on hand say Dennard may have to move inside to safety, a thought that could further depress his draft stock.

11:00 a.m. CT -- The North practice is complete. Vinny Curry of Marshall really stood out today and was impossible to stop at times. He's at a disadvantage as he's been used solely at defensive end and never allowed to stand up over tackle, but scouts leave the morning and the week highly impressed with his athleticism, quickness and general feel as a pass rusher.

- RB Dan Herron of Ohio State showed surprising foot quickness today. After being stuffed on the inside for a few handoffs, Herron suddenly displayed the ability to bounce around the outside and avoid defenders and piles.

- S Harrison Smith of Notre Dame has struggled. He looks good in pads but in scrimmage and during drills looks solely like a straight-line, downhill safety with limited skills in coverage.

- TJ Graham is another player to watch during special teams situations on Saturday. He's been fielding kicks and has shown impressive speed and the ability to get cleanly through the lanes on returns.

- OL Senio Kelemete of Washington was pushed inside to guard today and was effective. He's a solid athlete and his ability to block with sound fundamentals (knee bend, hand placement) is impressive.

- G Tony Bergstrom of Utah continues to improve. He's more than held his own during one-on-one blocking drills and in scrimmage. After a slow start Bergstrom has really elevated his play as the week progressed.

10:47 a.m. CT -- WR Marvin Jones of Cal continues to impress. We spoke of his route-running skills and burst earlier, but he's also a heady ball player. He just did a terrific job staying with the action and following his quarterback across the field, finding the open space to help out the signal caller, who was about to be sacked.

- Shea McClellin of Boise State looks better every day at the linebacker position. He's been planted in the middle today and has done a great job remaining patient with assignments, smoothly moving across the field and showing a good degree of awareness.

- Kirk Cousins just threw a beautiful pass to Marvin McNutt for a long gainer. Cousins was pressured heavily by Cam Johnson of Virginia, but patiently sat in the pocket and delivered an accurate strike.

10:35 a.m. CT -- DT Alameda Ta'amu of Washington is still showing tremendous power and has been tough to stop. On the last play he drove Ohio State center Mike Brewster into the backfield, three yards behind the line of scrimmage.

- T Mike Adams of Ohio State is really having a tough time this morning handling Vinny Curry. Curry has convincingly beat the big tackle off the snap every time. Curry was just moved inside to defensive tackle and annihilated Kevin Zeitler with a swim move. We got ahead of ourselves in our praise for Kevin Zeitler. He's been beaten the past three downs by three different defensive linemen.

- DE Cam Johnson of Virginia has displayed a lot of quickness and speed off the edge in one-on-one drills.

- C Mike Brewster of Ohio State is having a tough go of it this morning. He was just beaten badly by Mike Martin of Michigan, who had been quiet most of the day. Brewster has been struggling to hold the point and continues to get pushed back off the line.

- T Kelechi Osemele of Iowa State looks good at right tackle. He completely shut down Jack Crawford of Penn State, who's supposedly quicker and more athletic than Osemele.

- LB James Michael Johnson of Nevada continues to look very athletic on the field, but today he's starting to make plays on the ball.

- LB Lavonte David of Nebraska continues to impress. He just made a great play in full scrimmage against the run, exploding up the field to stop Isaiah Pead behind the line of scrimmage.

- QB Russell Wilson of Wisconsin has shown he's able to make plays based on his athleticism. Wilson looked like he was going to be sacked in scrimmage for a big loss, but was able to escape the rush to make a nice completion to Chris Polk.

- QB Kellen Moore shows terrific timing on his passes. The consensus is he'll be a No. 3 quarterback for a West Coast offense in the NFL.

10:22 a.m. CT -- Late addition Rishaw Johnson of Cal-Pa, who played guard during his college career, has been used at center in the early going and has struggled. Too many center/quarterback fumbled snaps thus far.

- Many on hand believe the problem with Kellen Moore's poor arm strength starts with his delivery. Moore has a short throwing motion and looks like he's pushing the football. The comparison to Tyler Palko of the Kansas City Chiefs is being made.

- Vinny Curry of Marshall is once again displaying a lot of quickness and athleticism. He really struggles handling blocks, and looks more and more like he'll be a natural as a 3-4 outside linebacker rather than at defensive end.

- Doug Martin just had a nice run in which he put a move on Trent Robinson and left the Michigan State safety grasping at air.

- WR TJ Graham of North Carolina State has displayed a great burst of speed in drills and just ran by Leonard Johnson for a deep pass. Graham has elevated his stock the past three days.

- G Kevin Zeitler of Wisconsin has upped his game this morning. He's been just about the only lineman who's been able to slow down Mike Martin of Michigan and stopped him cold on one snap.

- DT Derek Wolfe of Cincinnati looks good this morning. He does not get a lot of penetration, but he's quick and impossible to move off the line of scrimmage.

9:48 a.m. CT -- The North squad began the day with special teams drills, specifically kick return and coverage game plans for Saturday. Doug Martin of Boise State again looks good showing both a burst and long speed. This is something to keep an eye on during Saturday's game, which will be the first and only time both squads run special teams at full speed and full contact.

- Isaiah Pead, the running back from Cincinnati, has been returning punts for the North this morning and doing a good job. Several scouts have commented that Pead's quickness and short burst of speed are the skills needed for a punt returner in the NFL. Something else to keep an eye on Saturday.

- TE Brian Linthicum of Michigan State sat on the sidelines yesterday, but looks terrific this morning. He moves incredibly well for a big man and is smooth in and out of his routes.

- WR Devier Posey of Ohio State continues to impress with his physical skills. He shows exceptional quickness in and out of routes and a nice burst of speed. He hasn't shown the strong hands or ability to pluck the ball from the air, but to his credit Posey has not dropped many passes the past three days.

- WR Marvin McNutt of Iowa looks improved this morning. Early-week jitters may have resulted in some stiffness and dropped passed but thus far he's looked very smooth and has caught the ball well.

- Doug Martin is impressing outside of special teams drills, too. He's showing terrific quickness and just put a great move on former Boise State teammate Shea McClellin to come free in the flat for a nice reception. Martin has shown soft, strong hands all week.

- LB Lavonte David of Nebraska has looked good in coverage drills all morning. He's athletic, easily runs downfield with backs or tight ends and nicely positions himself to defend the pass.

- LB Audie Cole of North Carolina State is not known for his foot speed or athleticism, but he's just a good, tough football player. Every time Cole has stepped to the line this morning he seems determined to stop his opponents by any means necessary, and for the most part he has.

9:35 a.m. CT -- The North has taken the field for the final day of full-pads practice at the Senior Bowl. Today is always the most important day of the week, as the intensity is turned up several notches. There are more general managers, coaches and scouts on hand for Wednesday practice than at any point in time during the week.

Rishaw Johnson, the guard from Cal-Pa, flew to Mobile last night and is a late addition to replace the injured Joe Looney. Johnson really impressed during two days of Shrine Game practice last week.

It's hotter and muggier this morning than any of the past two days, so it's going to be a real test for these NFL hopefuls.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...l.practice.wednesday/index.html#ixzz1kYzJIpoD

 

[Cr122]

Under-the-radar prospects rising

Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.​


MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior Bowl week presents an opportunity for players from smaller programs and conferences to step up and show they belong with the big boys, and three 2012 prospects have taken full advantage of that chance at this year's game.

Marshall DE Vinny Curry (6-foot-3, 265 pounds)
Curry is well-known in scouting circles and was considered a potential Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) pick even last season, but I doubt many fans across the nation realize Curry was third in the FBS with 22 tackles for loss in 2011, and tied for sixth with 11 sacks.

He doesn't have elite burst, top-end speed or athleticism, but Curry's initial quickness has been very good during Senior Bowl week and he is showing the ability to transition that quickness into power moves. Once he forces offensive tackles to stand up and respect his power, Curry does a nice job using rip or swim moves to beat them inside or outside.

What stands out above all, though, is his relentless motor, toughness and passion for the game, and one game from 2011 illustrates those qualities perfectly. Curry's mother, Linda Jackson, fought cancer for more than a year -- something he dealt with while still remaining committed to his teammates -- and she passed away early in the week leading up to Marshall's game against Rice. Curry did not practice at all during the week while mourning his mother, not even returning to campus until an hour before kickoff.

However, he decided to play and dedicate his performance to his mother. All Curry did against the Owls was record nine total tackles, 3.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and force a fourth-quarter fumble that led to the game-winning touchdown for Marshall. He's the kind of player it's easy to pull for, and Curry had done everything he can this week to solidify a Day 2 grade. In fact, it won't surprise me if he ends up working his way into the second round before all is said and done.


Louisiana-Lafayette CB Dwight Bentley (5-9⅞, 176)
Bentley played high school football with fellow South team CB Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama), and they have clearly been the top two defensive backs on the South roster. Bentley is undersized, but with his quickness, fluidity and body control he can flat-out cover.

He had only seven career interceptions -- due in part to teams preferring not to challenge him -- and while his ball skills are not elite he has shown in Mobile the ability to find, adjust to and fight for the ball in the air.

Two other things have stood out about Bentley, including his confidence. He has the ability to put negative plays behind him and bounce back on the next snap, something that is very important for a cornerback. Bentley has also taken coaching well this week, picking up what the coaches are telling him and making the necessary adjustments on the next play.

He was considered a Day 3 possibility coming into the season, but his improvement as a senior and his showing this week against future NFL receivers has improved his stock. Bentley has risen as much as any other prospect in attendance, and could very well come off the board on Day 2.


Utah State LB Bobby Wagner (6-0¼, 241)
Wagner has a solid frame, and he's showing some scheme versatility lining up on the strong side after spending a lot of time inside in college. He was highly productive for the Aggies, ranking eighth nationally in tackles per game in 2011, and is very strong at the point of attack.

Wagner takes good angles to get into sound position, and his pop and power at the point are very good. And while he lacks elite range in coverage, Wagner has been great pressing tight ends at the line of scrimmage and has shown good instincts and awareness against the pass. He gets good leverage -- not just depth, but also width -- to cover as much ground as possible, and he is far from a liability in that area.

Wagner now ranks as the No. 4 inside linebacker on the board -- behind the likes of Luke Kuechly, Vontaze Burfict and Dont'a Hightower -- and he's gotten himself to the fringe of Day 2.


Up-and-down DBs

Janoris Jenkins continues to impress, and there's no question he is the best defensive back on either roster. Jenkins has the ability to flip his hips and run with receivers downfield, and he is one of the more sudden, fluid athletes here this week. He was all over Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller throughout the day, and while Jenkins did get beaten once after guessing on a route his overall talent continues to shine.

Oklahoma State S Markelle Martin has shown the ability to deliver big hits, but there are concerns about his coverage ability. Martin is good diagnosing running plays, but he's tight and lacks ideal speed in coverage. He also failed to finish a play against LSU TE Deangelo Peterson that could have been an interception, though he did knock the ball away. Martin has also shown that he will take risks in coverage, but his tightness doesn't allow him to recover when he guesses wrong.

Criner still shining
Arizona WR Juron Criner has had a sneaky-strong week, showing smoothness for his size (6-2⅛, 220) and impressive hands. Criner uses his frame effectively when shielding defenders from the ball, and his 10-4 hands were on display today on over-the-shoulder grabs and catches in traffic. He continued to help himself with another solid effort.

Linebacker report
Kennan Robinson of Texas has been an interesting player to watch this week. Robinson moves well early in practices and during one-on-one drills, but when the team period arrives he does not stack and shed blockers effectively and lacks violence in his hands.

North Carolina's Zach Brown is showing quickness and speed, and he can shoot gaps as soon as they open up. Brown also has good range in coverage, but he simply could not catch the ball on Day 3. He's using his hands to attempt to snatch the ball out of the air, but Brown had three drops during coverage drills and looked shaky all day.


QB battle continues
We've talked a lot about quarterbacks this week, but it's worth noting that Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden continued to show he's the best quarterback in attendance this week. He is playing with good tempo and during 7-on-7 drills drove the ball into a tight window downfield. He's also throwing with good balance, putting good zip on a hook route to fit the ball between two defenders.

And while Weeden didn't play in a pro-style offense in college, he's adjusting well to five- and seven-step drops and executing play-action without much problem.

Day 3 was a bit better for Arizona's Nick Foles, who showed better balance and accuracy. Foles is playing smart and making good decisions, though we would like to see him be a bit more aggressive. He's making a lot of safe throws, but we'd like to see him let it rip a bit more and show off his arm talent. He's doing what's asked of him within the system but little more, but there's not a lot of excitement or creativity in his game this week.

 

[Cr122]

[h=2]Marshall's Curry Wednesday's star[/h]

By Vic Ketchman

MOBILE, Ala.—Vinny Curry never got the attention at Marshall University that he got at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday. Curry entertained a host of questioners at midfield following practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, after Curry turned in a lights-out performance that shot Curry up draft boards across the league.

A day after leaping to prominence by darting into the backfield and forcing a fumble, the undersized pass rusher was the star of the day in the North squad’s practice for Saturday’s Senior Bowl game. Following the morning session, Curry was surrounded by scouts seeking personal information on the 6-4, 263-pound defensive end.

“My mother passed away in October,” he said, detailing the rugged details of a difficult life growing up in New Jersey. The football world will come to know much more about Curry in the next three months leading up to the NFL draft in late April.

Curry began the day by making mammoth Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams appear as though he was on skates. Curry then continued his assault on Big Ten offensive linemen by making Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler whiff on a pass-block attempt.

One scout described Curry as having to play standing up as a linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. “He doesn’t get off blocks but has tremendous explosion,” the scout said.

The Packers, of course, use a 3-4 defensive scheme and are in need of a pass rusher on the right side to complement Clay Matthews on the other side of the formation.

How high will Curry climb in the draft rankings? That would seem to be the big question after Wednesday’s practice.

He was quick, elusive, forceful and disruptive. He looked every part of a playmaker. Curry was the best of the tweeners in a Senior Bowl that is loaded with tweeners on both teams’ rosters.

SI.com draft analyst Tony Pauline offered this evaluation of Curry to packers.com: “Very athletic, very quick, natural pass rusher. Quick change of direction. Has all the attributes to make the change to outside linebacker in a 3-4.”

Here are some other observations from Wednesday’s practices:

North

Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins performed as would be expected of a high-round prospect. He threw the ball effortlessly, again, and will no doubt cause scouts to wonder why Cousins doesn’t play as well as he practices. If Cousins performs in the game on Saturday as he has in practice this week – the rules of the game favor quarterbacks because blitzing and press coverage are forbidden – he will almost certainly move up draft boards.

Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson threw the ball much better on Wednesday than he did on Tuesday. Wilson displayed better-than-adequate short-area arm strength, though he came up short on a deep ball and his range does appear to be limited.

Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson has helped himself this week. He’s come out of nowhere to make plays and put himself on the list of playmakers. He’s been especially effective in pass-coverage but has also displayed some blitz quickness.

UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes, the star of Tuesday’s practice, turned in another strong effort. He drove Zeitler back into the quarterback on one pass rush.

Zeitler struggled for the second consecutive day.

Penn State defensive end Jack Crawford flattened massive Iowa State offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, but Osemele recovered to stone Crawford later in the pass-rush drill, which earned Osemele an attaboy from the Redskins offensive line coach.

Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe has replaced Penn State’s Devon Still, and Wolfe was true to his reputation for being a solid run-stuffer.

Virginia’s Cam Johnson, 6-4, 270, is another one of the many tweeners at the Senior Bowl, and he displayed first-step quickness and up-the-field speed.

Boise State running back Doug Martin caught in stride a beautiful pass from Wilson on a wheel route down the left sideline. Martin has do-it-all skills.

South

Arkansas linebacker Jake Bequette, 6-5, 271, delivered violent hits on running backs Vick Ballard of Mississippi State and Terrance Ganaway of Baylor, in a spicy blitz pickup drill. North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown, 6-2, 230, did the same to Louisiana Tech running back Lennon Creer, though Creer is big and strong enough to have absorbed the blow.

Florida State linebacker Nigel Bradham is a lights-out hitter in kick coverage.

Ballard has been impressive throughout the week. He’s projected to be a middle-rounds pick, but a fast 40 time at the combine or at personal workouts could shoot him up boards.

Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner has shown he’s a sure-handed receiver, which will help him overcome a somewhat disappointing senior season.

Arkansas’ Joe Adams was the best-looking wide receiver for either team on Wednesday. He caught several passes and shows potential for being an explosive run-after-the-catch guy.

North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been one of the week’s standout performers. He broke on a ball impressively on Wednesday. Will teams overlook his off-the-field trouble? He was suspended by new Florida coach Will Muschamp last spring, causing Jenkins to transfer.

Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw registered the equivalent of a sack. Upshaw appears to do one thing and one thing only, but it’s the kind of thing for which every team is seeking players.

Florida running back Chris Rainey, a smallish player that needs to be used more as a receiver than as a runner, caught several passes again and, on one occasion, Rainey got 10 yards behind the coverage. He has rare speed but it would appear to be of the build-to-speed variety.

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden gunned a 20-yard strike to Adams that answered any questions about Weeden’s arm strength, if there were any.

Creer opened eyes with a strong burst off the ball, big-back lean and power that caused LSU defensive back Brandon Taylor some embarrassment. A day after Taylor thumped Ballard to the ground in the open field, an event Taylor celebrated, Creer flattened Taylor at the end of a run.

Senior Bowl practices have included more one-on-one contact than any of the players will experience in the NFL. Contact work is over for the week. The two teams won’t wear pads for Thursday’s practices.​

 

[Cr122]

[h=2]Passion, inspiration motivate Marshall's Vinny Curry at Senior Bowl[/h]

MOBILE, Ala. - The most important intangible quality Marshall's Vinny Curry brings to this year's Senior Bowl is passion.

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman also has a few other attributes, most notably confidence, size, speed, quickness and a love for the game that pushes him each day in practice and in each game he plays.

He has another plus on his side: Curry has an angel looking over him.

Earlier this season, Curry's mother, Linda "Cissy" Jackson, died of cancer at the age of 50. She had battled the disease throughout the year, and her health was constantly at the forefront of Curry's thoughts. When she passed away, Curry left the team to mourn with his family. He returned to Marshall on a Friday night before the Thundering Herd's home game against Rice and didn't know if he could play.

"It was very difficult," Curry said Monday. "I didn't know until maybe an hour and a half before the game whether I was going to play or not. I played and I ended up playing one of the best games I've ever played on the college level. It made me feel great. That game is going to stick with me for the rest of my life, knowing that I dedicated that to my mother."

Under any circumstances, Curry's performance, was stellar -- 9 tackles, including 3.5 sacks, 4 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble. The forced fumble set up Marshall's game-winning touchdown, and the performance earned him Conference USA's defensive player of the week honors and the respect of his teammates and coaches.

"I think of my mom every day," Curry said. "I know that she's smiling down on me."

Curry is smiling, too. After all, this is where he's always pictured himself -- having the opportunity to play in the NFL.

"Since I was 7 years old, this (playing in the NFL) has been my dream," Curry said. "Stepping closer to that dream, it feels unreal, but I'm just enjoying it and enjoying life. I'm ready for everything that life throws at me."

At Marshall, he earned first-team All-CUSA honors this season and was named the league's defensive player of the year. He finished his career with 49 tackles for a loss and 26.5 sacks, and this season had 77 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks and 7 forced fumbles.

This week, he wants to show NFL scouts that he is ready to realize his dream.

"It's a great opportunity," he said. "I'm excited to be here among some of the greats of college football, a game that we all love to play. I'm a very passionate guy. That's my personality. I love this type of environment and I just love to play football, so when you're among people who love to play football, it's fun to be out there.

"I'm very confident and I'm very ambitious. I can't wait to learn new things, especially from the team that picks me (in the draft). I want to learn everything I can. I want to be a sponge and just soak up everything that I can."

Along the way, he wants to demonstrate that he belongs here and on an NFL roster.

"Coming from a small school, not a BCS conference school, I just want to enjoy the week, do what I do and continue to keep my motor going and go out there and have fun," Curry said. "I don't want to play with too much pressure and just go out and play my game."

With passion and perhaps some extra inspiration.​

 

[Midswat]

So is anyone going to actually watch the game?

I've got it set to Tivo. Just put the kids down for a nap. It's a weirdly beautiful day (sunny, 70) for January. So if the kids wake up, I'll take them outside and play. If not, I'll lounge around and watch the game a little.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

I have it dvr'd but if I know the score was 7-3 going in Its gonna feel like homework