Box_O_Rocks

NFP's Wes Bunting with his assessment of positions like 3-4 DE, NT, OLB, etc.

The National Football Post | NFP Specialized Position RankingsThere is some good stuff in the comments too.

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mayoclinic

Interesting that they have Sammie Lee Hill from Stillman listed as the #4 3-4 DT. I have him as one of my sleeper picks for the Pats, but with a weak DT class he could go higher than expected. He's very quick and athletic for a 330# guy and has played basketball, TE and DE in addition to DT. I could see him backing up Wilfork and also getting some reps at DE.

Kyle Moore at 265# seems way too light for 3-4 DE. Interesting that they have Matthews ahead of English and Sintim. If Maybin is actually 248# at the combine and shows well, his stock will soar.

I like Devin Moore, James Casey and Mike Thomas a lot.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

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jays52

NFP is a great database. The key question is what does Wes Bunting know about football? Not to be offensive, but football writers who have played a down outside of highschool are few and far between. Sure, stats in certain drills (IE, cone) can be used to find trends, but unless the writer has played, their opinion is in my mind close to useless. That is with the exception of our own brilliant Moderatrix who has identified a pattern and educated many people (especially myself) on the drafting tendencies of our HC. Brown has shown me nothing other than linear speed, three moves and every tool necessary for a check-2 43 end. Brown doesn't have the agility, footspeed, handwork, nor the awareness to play 34 OLB in a 2-gap scheme. Watch him play, he screams 43 DE.

Pardon the hyperbole, but sportswriters such as Bunting seldom know anything about the art of technique and instead tend to focus on measurables. It is what it is, and as someone who understands the game, I disagree in almost every capacity with Bunting's list.

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Box_O_Rocks

I haven't watched much of Brown, but he wasn't my idea of a 3-4 OLB...though I use NE's OLBs as my template and Bunting may be considering Ev Brown in light of the Ware/Merriman rush LB template. As far as his background, he discusses a bit of it in the comments - more power to him for getting a paycheck for his passion.

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dryheat44

Seems to me the Jackson is the only one listed with the preferred size to play the end every down. Jarvis Green is the lightest guy at abou 285, but the rest of the DEs are in the 295-310 range. I'm not sure that Gilbert is the one to break the mold, and I don't think pass-rushing end is a particular first day target on this team.

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patchick

I hear what you're saying (and thanks for the kind words, as I obviously never made it as far as Pop Warner!) But I really don't think playing experience is is a good way to measure football knowledge. Look at a guy like Bert Breer who would be crushed like a bug on a football field, but has devoted himself to studying the game, taken courses intended for future coaches, etc. Or more to the point, look at the Patriots' coaching and personnel staff, which is packed with DIII washouts.

FWIW, here's Bunting's own self-report:

"I could never figure out why NFL teams had so much trouble figuring out which player would succeeded and which ones wouldn’t, so I became obsessed in finding out. I have studied and worked under and with a lot of former NFL personnel guys and scouts and been to a couple NFL training camps working with Personnel groups. All in an effort to learn and develop the craft I guess."

mayoclinic

Not to mention one Bill Belichick, whose playing experience was limited to some center and tightend (in addition to lacrosse and squash) for that well-known football power, Wesleyan. Doesn't seem to have limited him that much.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

Box_O_Rocks

Yup, Tyson and Pedescleaux are the only ones Bunting listed who most closely fit the weight of 'my' profile for a NE 3-4 DE, but Gilbert and Potter both have the frames and the base strength to fill out the rest of the way. I can't speak for Navarre yet, I'll have to watch my recording of Maryland's Bowl game and see if he played and how he looked. Moore has never done anything for me and his Senior Bowl was uninspiring.

When assessing the potential of a DL for NE's defense I look first at their ability to anchor the point of attack against the run. I next look at their ability to sift through trash. Finally, I look at their pass rush; collapse the pocket √, get their arms up quickly in the throwing lane √, pressure the QB √, sack the little devil √, read/disrupt screens √. I also try to look at these kids and see under the pads as it were, to guesstimate whether their listed weight/height fits comparibly sized fellows on the field, for example: my report on Utah's Newman looking burlier than Kruger, though Kruger is listed as the heavier fellow. Newman did well enough playing inside to have me track his Pro-Day measurables (assuming Gil reports them). Caldwell's reputation as a Center is sufficient to give Newman's play some standard against which to evaluate.

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Box_O_Rocks

Odd, I have a vague memory of patchick mentioning her Center days at Wesleyan... The mind boggles!

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patchick

You betcha. They really wanted me on the team, but then I learned that the games would be played outdoors. And in the winter! Barbaric. I'm still hopeful that the ole' Wesleyan pipeline will land me on the Pats' staff yet, though. I'll be the one to tally random columns of stats and pretend to understand Ernie Adams.

Pointless factoid: Mr. Patchick went to college with Bill O'Brien, just as I did with Eric Mangini. I hope this does not bode ill.