Can Beatty play RT?

[midwestpatsfan]

I was going through what little tape I have on Beatty last night and from what I can tell he seems more of a pure LT than RT. I only ask this for people who may know more about him and the position(that is most of you) than I do because I see alot of people wanting to draft him at 23 as our future LT but to plug him in at RT right now. I do not see him as a very good fit on the right side.


Thoughts?

 

[JoeShmoe]

I was going through what little tape I have on Beatty last night and from what I can tell he seems more of a pure LT than RT. I only ask this for people who may know more about him and the position(that is most of you) than I do because I see alot of people wanting to draft him at 23 as our future LT but to plug him in at RT right now. I do not see him as a very good fit on the right side.


Thoughts?

Could Light move to RT?

 

[mayoclinic]

I was going through what little tape I have on Beatty last night and from what I can tell he seems more of a pure LT than RT. I only ask this for people who may know more about him and the position(that is most of you) than I do because I see alot of people wanting to draft him at 23 as our future LT but to plug him in at RT right now. I do not see him as a very good fit on the right side.


Thoughts?

I would tend to agree, though like you say there isn't much tape available. Eben Britton seems a little more likely to be able to play both LT and RT. I do think Beatty could probably do it, but he seems like a much more natural LT.

 

[mayoclinic]

Could Light move to RT?

I think so. I believe that BB commented on Light's ability to play RT as one of his assets early on, though he has never played there for us. I think he would be a solid RT for 5 years, with Kaczur being a swing tackle or possible RG replacement for Stephen Neal.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

NFL draft Scout profile:

Run Blocking: Shows a good thrust to get into space and is a decent position blocker. Uses his hands properly and can turn and drive off a defender on running plays. He is able to gain position quickly off the snap and use his body to wall when leading on outside runs. Due to a lack of bulk and ideal strength, he isn't used much blocking in-line, but is comfortable making adjustments in space. He uses his body well to turn and drive out a defender, but would be much better if he had the strong hand punch and placement to control. GRADE: 7.0

Pass Blocking: Beatty doesn't appear to have the natural strength to protect the quarterback's blind side (didn't come into play at Connecticut, as they utilized a left-handed passer). He can reach block when he stays low in his pads (struggles to adjust on the move when he gets too tall in his stance). Shows decent lower-body flexibility and proper knee bend to strike on the move and has the long arms to punch and separate (needs to improve his power and lacks grip strength). Able to match step-for-step with the athletic moves of a defensive end due to good knee bend (will waist bend when he gets high in his stance). GRADE: 6.4

Work Habits: Beatty did not show a great work ethic in the offseason training program until his senior year. With his marginal strength, he needs to be monitored in the training room, as his body indicates he is not a "gym rat" by any means. GRADE: 5.7

Beatty...might need a year or two in the training room to add bulk and strength, but you can see the natural foot speed and with his long reach, he could be a quality pass protector. However, he might be better at right tackle.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Britton might be a better bet for RT, but he probably won't last to 23.

 

[Liverpool_Patriot]

I don't much about them so I am asking someone who does,
who is better, William Beatty or Eben Britton?

 

[mayoclinic]

I don't much about them so I am asking someone who does,
who is better, William Beatty or Eben Britton?

Britton has a higher floor but a lower ceiling at LT, and more versatility as a RT. If you want to get into the "floor vs. ceiling" conversation, there's a long thread on that.

Britton's a bit more developed and physical, and is more ready to come in and contribute right away at RT. Beatty will probably need a year or strength work before he contributes very much. I think that Beatty's footwork and agility can't be taught, and make him a potential franchise LT in a way that Britton will never be. I'm a ceiling guy, so I prefer Beatty, but it's a matter of taste.

Here's a recent read on Beatty:

http://www.courant.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sports/hc-ucfoot0325.artmar25,0,5416708.story

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I don't much about them so I am asking someone who does,
who is better, William Beatty or Eben Britton?

Here's a perspective from NFL Draft Scout to help you decide for yourself:

Britton - Work Habits: Great leader-by-example type, but will not hesitate to get on a teammate for less that full effort on the field. He stays on top of the action and has the mental toughness to take well to hard coaching. He is a solid program player who will do all the little extras to improve his craft and commands attention from the defense on the field due to his dominating presence. GRADE: 7.4

Beatty - Work Habits: Beatty did not show a great work ethic in the offseason training program until his senior year. With his marginal strength, he needs to be monitored in the training room, as his body indicates he is not a "gym rat" by any means. GRADE: 5.7

 

[mayoclinic]

Here's a perspective from NFL Draft Scout to help you decide for yourself:

Britton - Work Habits: Great leader-by-example type, but will not hesitate to get on a teammate for less that full effort on the field. He stays on top of the action and has the mental toughness to take well to hard coaching. He is a solid program player who will do all the little extras to improve his craft and commands attention from the defense on the field due to his dominating presence. GRADE: 7.4

Beatty - Work Habits: Beatty did not show a great work ethic in the offseason training program until his senior year. With his marginal strength, he needs to be monitored in the training room, as his body indicates he is not a "gym rat" by any means. GRADE: 5.7

I said Britton had a higher floor, didn't I?

Remember the photos of the different offensive tackles last year and how Ryan Clady's body looked very underdeveloped? He didn't do so poorly in his first year. Sam Baker from USC also looked terrible from a physical standpoint either, and he did better than expected. The article on Beatty I posted earlier says that Beatty spent his entire freshman year as a red shirt in the weight room getting bigger and stronger, and did well. I would expect the same thing out of him his rookie season. Not an immediate contributor by any means.

Here are profiles on them from NFLdraftcountdown.com. First, Britton:

http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/ot/Eben-Britton.php

Eben Britton
Offensive Tackle
Junior
Arizona
Height: 6-6
Weight: 309
40-Time: 5.16

Official Bio

Strengths:
Ideal size with a large frame and room to add more weight...Excellent technician who understands angles and positioning...Tough, physical and plays to the whistle...Good strength and power...Gets a nice push in the run game...Has a terrific initial punch...Is stout at the point of attack...Neutralizes defenders when locked on...Outstanding football IQ and awareness..Hard worker..Leader..Durable...Lots of experience.

Weaknesses:
Average athleticism...Has short arms...Doesn't always play with the proper pad level...Does not handle speed off the edge well...Struggles in space and range is limited...Does not have great feet...Poor lateral mobility..Marginal agility, quickness and balance...How much upside?

Notes:
A three-year starter in the Pac-10...Comes from a family of athletes, actors, writers and painters...Redshirted in 2005...Played right tackle in 2006 and 2007 before moving to the left side in 2008...Named 2nd Team All-Pac-10 as a sophomore and 1st Team as a junior...Was a team co-captain for the Wildcats in '07 and '08...Best fit at the next level will likely come at right tackle...Got a little overhyped within the draftnik community early in the process and was never the Top 10 overall pick some made him out to be...Solid, albeit unspectacular, blocker with the ability to start..Should enjoy a long career in the NFL.

Class high floor, low ceiling guy. Would probably be a Matt Light kind of player for us, though possibly more of a RT than a LT.

Next, Beatty:

http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/ot/William-Beatty.php

William Beatty
Offensive Tackle
Senior
Connecticut
Height: 6-6
Weight: 307
40-Time: 5.12

Official Bio

Strengths:
Terrific size with a large frame...Excellent athleticism...Light on his feet...Real quick and agile...Terrific footwork...Mobile enough to pull and get to the second level...Slides well laterally...Outstanding balance...Redirects well...Does a real nice job of sustaining his blocks...Superb pass blocker with the ability to handle speed off the edge...Smart with good awareness...Solid intangibles... Still has upside.

Weaknesses:
Needs to get stronger...Could stand to add some weight...Is not overly powerful...Doesn't get a great push in the run game...Can be bullrushed and does not anchor well...Does not use his hands well and could improve his overall technique ... Has some minor durability concerns.

Notes:
Redshirted in 2004...Went on to become a three-year starter...Helped pave the way for the nation's leading rusher as a senior and was named first-team all-Big East...Missed half of the 2006 season with a broken leg...Parents are both pastors...Shut down one of the country's premier pass rushers in George Selvie two years in a row...Finesse blocker who stands out in pass protection but still has a ways to go in the run department...Best fit might be in a zone blocking scheme...An impressive physical specimen for the position and most of his flaws can be corrected with further development and coaching...Underrated prospect who seemingly has all the tools to play left tackle in the NFL.

Classic high ceiling/low floor guy. But he was quite coachable at UConn, did well against top rushers like Selvie, and paved the way for Donald Brown to lead the nation in rushing. Not too shabby. I don't think you'll find much of a better opportunity to get a potential franchise LT who might actually last until the early 2nd round (exactly because of those low floor and not immediately ready issues).

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I said Britton had a higher floor, didn't I?

Remember the photos of the different offensive tackles last year and how Ryan Clady's body looked very underdeveloped? He didn't do so poorly in his first year. Sam Baker from USC also looked terrible from a physical standpoint either, and he did better than expected. The article on Beatty I posted earlier says that Beatty spent his entire freshman year as a red shirt in the weight room getting bigger and stronger, and did well. I would expect the same thing out of him his rookie season. Not an immediate contributor by any means.

Clady - Freshman All American 2005, 2nd team All American 2006, 1st team All American 2007. Clady may not have been a gym rat, but he was noted for working hard on technique.

Beatty - Potential one-year wonder. Really stepped up his level of play as a senior, sparking some debate whether his level of play will diminish once he cashes his first NFL check.

Baker - Even though he missed three full games and a good portion of two others in 2007, he became only the third three-time All-American first-team selection in school history. Competes and works hard in the weight room.

I'm not sold on Britton either, but at least Britton has demonstrated the consistent work ethic to get better. Beatty has the feet, I'm sure he can develop in the weightroom, but I can be confident that Connor Barwin will work hard to get better and Eben Britton will work hard to get better, and that's a standard I won't give up for a higher ceiling.

 

[BadMoFo]

I was going through what little tape I have on Beatty last night and from what I can tell he seems more of a pure LT than RT. I only ask this for people who may know more about him and the position(that is most of you) than I do because I see alot of people wanting to draft him at 23 as our future LT but to plug him in at RT right now. I do not see him as a very good fit on the right side.


Thoughts?

How do you have tape on Beatty? And do you mean VHS tape?

 

[patchick]

I think Britton vs. Beatty is a mighty interesting debate. I had been lukewarm on Britton simply because he's not the classic Patriots type -- more big & forceful than nimble on the move. But if you call him a pure RT, he's one of the surest, readiest contributors likely to be found anywhere near pick #23. Smart, hard worker, strong leader, plug him right in.

Beatty, in contrast, has the positives of a classic Pats o-lineman with those ballerina feet. (Maybe he and Light could share leotards?) And that's a rare and invaluable trait; natural LTs don't grow on trees. But..."not agressive" "must develop some nastiness" are the last words I want to hear about a top OL. No, make that second to last. Another poster has said that "raw" is not a word he can accept in a first-round draft pick. For me, it's "unmotivated" or "must be monitored" in training.

So today, if the choice arose, I'd take Britton. Ask me again tomorrow.

 

[zero]

I think I heard at the scouting combine that Britton has the shortest arms of all the OT, Does short arms matters or not?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I think I heard at the scouting combine that Britton has the shortest arms of all the OT, Does short arms matters or not?

Short arms make it harder for the OL to get his hands into the chest plate of the defender and steer him. NFL Draft Scout reports he has long arms, so it doesn't sounds like a problem.

 

[zero]

Short arms make it harder for the OL to get his hands into the chest plate of the defender and steer him. NFL Draft Scout reports he has long arms, so it doesn't sounds like a problem.

Im confused in nfl draft scout (as box correctly said) says he has long arms
Eben Britton, Arizona, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com Football

But in draft countdown says he has short arms
Eben Britton | Arizona Scouting Report - 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

Which site is right?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Im confused in nfl draft scout (as box correctly said) says he has long arms
Eben Britton, Arizona, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com Football

But in draft countdown says he has short arms
Eben Britton | Arizona Scouting Report - 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

Which site is right?

I'm unable to find any site that lists his actual measurements.

When in doubt, I trust NFL Draft Scout over NFL Draft Countdown, the detail of NFLDS's reports tend to be more useful.

 

[mgteich]

Britton as a RT is intriguing.

QUESTION 1
Is Britton an immediate upgrade over Kaczur?

QUESTION 2
Can Britton play RG if needed?

I think Britton vs. Beatty is a mighty interesting debate. I had been lukewarm on Britton simply because he's not the classic Patriots type -- more big & forceful than nimble on the move. But if you call him a pure RT, he's one of the surest, readiest contributors likely to be found anywhere near pick #23. Smart, hard worker, strong leader, plug him right in.

Beatty, in contrast, has the positives of a classic Pats o-lineman with those ballerina feet. (Maybe he and Light could share leotards?) And that's a rare and invaluable trait; natural LTs don't grow on trees. But..."not agressive" "must develop some nastiness" are the last words I want to hear about a top OL. No, make that second to last. Another poster has said that "raw" is not a word he can accept in a first-round draft pick. For me, it's "unmotivated" or "must be monitored" in training.

So today, if the choice arose, I'd take Britton. Ask me again tomorrow.

 

[zero]

I'm unable to find any site that lists his actual measurements.

When in doubt, I trust NFL Draft Scout over NFL Draft Countdown, the detail of NFLDS's reports tend to be more useful.

Thanks for the tip

 

[mayoclinic]

I'm unable to find any site that lists his actual measurements.

When in doubt, I trust NFL Draft Scout over NFL Draft Countdown, the detail of NFLDS's reports tend to be more useful.

Here's an interesting read on OT arm length, with some measurements:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ys-heightvsarmlength031209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Britton has short arms at 32 1/2" compared to Andre Smith (35 3/8), William Beatty (34 3/4), Eugene Monroe (34), Jason Smith (33 3/4) and Michael Oher (33 1/2).