College Football: Running Commentary

[WaterfallJumper]

Every once in a while a new thread pops up profiling a particular player, or discussing positions of needs, but I haven't seen an ongoing discussion devoted solely to the weekly spate of college games. Perhaps that's purely my oversight? Feel free to direct me to the proper thread if so.

Tonight, my evening class finished early, so I pulled up the Colorado vs West Virginia game, and I'm really impressed with Devine's feel for the game. He seems to sense when he's bottled up and he needs to just drive the pile for yards and when to cut back. He constantly kept the defense off-balance, and seemed comfortable lining up at WR on several plays. Definitely a Kevin Faulk/Darren Sproles sort of player, but even shiftier (scary!).

I was paying special attention to Nate Solder, since his name is rising in scouting circles, and I came away wanting more. His pass protection is fabulous. Absolutely textbook left tackle. Smooth, quick footwork, strong hands, very long arms--he seems confident, collected, and completely in charge. In the run game, however, he struggles creating much movement off the ball, and I saw several plays where he lunged wildly when he was supposed to seal to the outside. Still, he has intriguing athleticism.

Overall, a half decent game, but it was never really in doubt. I look forward to Saturday, with a bunch of great matchups. I'll try to get to a few thoughts if I have time; I'm not very good at positing consistently, so I'd rather invite others to join me rather than try to do it alone. Looking forward to your words of wisdom, Patsfans.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Last night I focused on the play of Greg Romeus, one of the more intriguing defensive linemen in the country. He has the size to play anywhere on a four-man line (6'5, 270), and has been mentioned as possible elephant for the Pats. Last night was one of his better games, with 3.5 sacks. Several aspects of his game caught my eye, both positive and negative.

- Too often he doesn't extend his arms when engaged with a blocker, thus negating his exceptional length.
- He still has incredible power. On almost every rush, he jacked the left tackle right out of his stance, overwhelming him and forcing him into the backfield.
- Although he sets the edge remarkably well, he struggles a little shedding blocks after stacking the blocker in the run game.
- Great flexibility and excellent speed to reach the corner and bend around the left tackle.
- Heads up playing the screen; quickly changes directions to track down the ball carrier when he's rushed past the play.
- Unfortunately, lacks the make-up speed to chase the runner on his own; has tenacity, but not top-end speed.
- Several times he rushed way too far upfield; needs to learn to pinch the pocket once he's gone past the QB.
- A bit one-dimensional in his pass-rush: either he beats his man with speed, or he pushes him backward to flush the QB from the pocket.
- Hardworking player. Love his effort.
- May need to return for his senior year to polish his game; obviously still a work in progress.

More thoughts to come. I'm gonna watch some of the 'Bama game now.

 

[mayoclinic]

Last night I focused on the play of Greg Romeus, one of the more intriguing defensive linemen in the country. He has the size to play anywhere on a four-man line (6'5, 270), and has been mentioned as possible elephant for the Pats. Last night was one of his better games, with 3.5 sacks. Several aspects of his game caught my eye, both positive and negative.

- Too often he doesn't extend his arms when engaged with a blocker, thus negating his exceptional length.
- He still has incredible power. On almost every rush, he jacked the left tackle right out of his stance, overwhelming him and forcing him into the backfield.
- Although he sets the edge remarkably well, he struggles a little shedding blocks after stacking the blocker in the run game.
- Great flexibility and excellent speed to reach the corner and bend around the left tackle.
- Heads up playing the screen; quickly changes directions to track down the ball carrier when he's rushed past the play.
- Unfortunately, lacks the make-up speed to chase the runner on his own; has tenacity, but not top-end speed.
- Several times he rushed way too far upfield; needs to learn to pinch the pocket once he's gone past the QB.
- A bit one-dimensional in his pass-rush: either he beats his man with speed, or he pushes him backward to flush the QB from the pocket.
- Hardworking player. Love his effort.
- May need to return for his senior year to polish his game; obviously still a work in progress.

More thoughts to come. I'm gonna watch some of the 'Bama game now.

Thanks for the review, Andrew. Good stuff. Romeus is very interesting to me. Some of those negatives can be taught or corrected. Others are likely to be inherent physical limitations. Still, all in all an intriguing prospect.

I would be curious to see your reviews of Greg Hardy and Derrick Morgan later on, and how Romeus compares.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Last night I focused on the play of Greg Romeus, one of the more intriguing defensive linemen in the country. He has the size to play anywhere on a four-man line (6'5, 270), and has been mentioned as possible elephant for the Pats. Last night was one of his better games, with 3.5 sacks. Several aspects of his game caught my eye, both positive and negative.

- Too often he doesn't extend his arms when engaged with a blocker, thus negating his exceptional length.
- He still has incredible power. On almost every rush, he jacked the left tackle right out of his stance, overwhelming him and forcing him into the backfield.
- Although he sets the edge remarkably well, he struggles a little shedding blocks after stacking the blocker in the run game.
- Great flexibility and excellent speed to reach the corner and bend around the left tackle.
- Heads up playing the screen; quickly changes directions to track down the ball carrier when he's rushed past the play.
- Unfortunately, lacks the make-up speed to chase the runner on his own; has tenacity, but not top-end speed.
- Several times he rushed way too far upfield; needs to learn to pinch the pocket once he's gone past the QB.
- A bit one-dimensional in his pass-rush: either he beats his man with speed, or he pushes him backward to flush the QB from the pocket.
- Hardworking player. Love his effort.
- May need to return for his senior year to polish his game; obviously still a work in progress.

More thoughts to come. I'm gonna watch some of the 'Bama game now.

If Romeus lacks foot speed, then BB will not put him at OLB in our 3-4 defense.

I saw English playing OLB in the San Diego defense last nigt and he was JAG basically, nothing special. He reminds me a lot of Rmoues, minus about 3 inches of length.

 

[mayoclinic]

If Romeus lacks foot speed, then BB will not put him at OLB in our 3-4 defense.

I saw English playing OLB in the San Diego defense last nigt and he was JAG basically, nothing special. He reminds me a lot of Rmoues, minus about 3 inches of length.

English's lack of foot speed and lack of height were my biggest concerns last year. He has a nice motor, but I don't see the kind of foot speed that we would require at OLB. Kind of reminds me of Derrick Burgess.

 

[cstjohn17]

Auburn running game was very impressive, the guards / center dominated Tennessee. The Tennessee Left Tackle (Chris Scott I think is a massive human being).

Miami versus Oklahoma was a good game, Moncur looked more like the highly touted player he once was.

 

[Peachhead]

I'm trying to watch for RB's first and foremost this fall. Maroney isn't fit for a lead back, but can handle Faulk's role. And Faulk, Morris and Taylor are running well past their warranties. Any one of them could run out of gas for good by next spring. The guy I like best right now is RB Jonathan Dwyer. But he'll be a top 15 pick and we won't be anywhere near there.

Package our 1st and one of our 2nds to move up. Add a later pick if need be.

 

[mayoclinic]

I'm trying to watch for RB's first and foremost this fall. Maroney isn't fit for a lead back, but can handle Faulk's role. And Faulk, Morris and Taylor are running well past their warranties. Any one of them could run out of gas for good by next spring. The guy I like best right now is RB Jonathan Dwyer. But he'll be a top 15 pick and we won't be anywhere near there.

Package our 1st and one of our 2nds to move up. Add a later pick if need be.

I've been on the Dwyer bandwagon all season. He's a young Corey Dillon.

He could go top 15, but he could fall. RBs tend to fall. Beanie Wells fell to 31. I'm hoping he'll last at least tot he 20's and be within striking range.

 

[cstjohn17]

I've been on the Dwyer bandwagon all season. He's a young Corey Dillon.

He could go top 15, but he could fall. RBs tend to fall. Beanie Wells fell to 31. I'm hoping he'll last at least tot he 20's and be within striking range.

IMO RBs fall because they are a dime a dozen (unless they are named AP). Looking across the league decent veteran free agent RBs can be had easily and cheaply every offseason. I would much rather spend a first round pick on the offensive or defensive lines, CB or DE. These positions are critical and usually end up costing big dollars in free agency.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Auburn running game was very impressive, the guards / center dominated Tennessee. The Tennessee Left Tackle (Chris Scott I think is a massive human being).

Miami versus Oklahoma was a good game, Moncur looked more like the highly touted player he once was.

Auburn has a really good OT, Zemebeca (I mispelled it.). He is an excellent road grader and really seals the edges well, he is not bad as a pass protector either.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

IMO RBs fall because they are a dime a dozen (unless they are named AP). Looking across the league decent veteran free agent RBs can be had easily and cheaply every offseason. I would much rather spend a first round pick on the offensive or defensive lines, CB or DE. These positions are critical and usually end up costing big dollars in free agency.

I agree, look at Green Ellis for instance. I have said since the preseaon that Green Ellis should play and Maroney grab some pine. If Green Ellis works on his blocking and receiving, he could be the RB we have lacked since Dillion.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I agree, look at Green Ellis for instance. I have said since the preseaon that Green Ellis should play and Maroney grab some pine. If Green Ellis works on his blocking and receiving, he could be the RB we have lacked since Dillion.

Then why did BB, who had no qualms with benching Galloway, deactivate BJGE instead?

 

[mayoclinic]

I agree, look at Green Ellis for instance. I have said since the preseaon that Green Ellis should play and Maroney grab some pine. If Green Ellis works on his blocking and receiving, he could be the RB we have lacked since Dillion.

Or the RB we have lacked since Cedric Cobbs.

Come on, BJGE bears no resemblance to Corey Dillon and never will. Stop the hyperbole. Mount Cody the "greatest college NT of all time". Law Firm another Corey Dillon. He's never shown yet that he can produce consistently against starting competition. He's done ok in his limited opportunities, I grant you, but I don't see any reason for the absurd hyperbole. Sounds like something the Jets or Ravens fans would do.

 

[cstjohn17]

LSU vs. Florida, Spikes had a good game. I am sure there are a lot of haters but this guy is a player, lined up at DE quite a bit and showed more versatility than I had thought. I had him stereotyped as a pure MLB now I think he could play any LB position.

Also #2 from Florida, Demps can really fly. He may be too small to play in the NFL but is fun to watch.

 

[cstjohn17]

LSU vs. Florida, Spikes had a good game. I am sure there are a lot of haters but this guy is a player, lined up at DE quite a bit and showed more versatility than I had thought. I had him stereotyped as a pure MLB now I think he could play any LB position.

Also #2 from Florida, Demps can really fly. He may be too small to play in the NFL but is fun to watch.

Also Hayden looked good at CB

 

[Gator Mike]

Also Hayden looked good at CB

...and there are people around the UF program who will tell you that he's not even the best corner on the team, that true sophomore Janoris Jenkins is better.

Would not surprise me at all if they were both first round picks down the line.

 

[condon84]

We need pass rushers. Anyone stick out? How is George Selvie doing for South Florida? I haven't seen any of their games.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Several comments, since I'm way behind on my updates.

First, though, I ran across this bit of excessive praise for a player I've been intrigued by for a while: AUSTEN LANE IS ON THE RIGHT ROAD TO NFL STARDOM | Bleacher Report

What really stood out to me was that after he bulked up to over 250, he became far more effective. Consider these stats for his 2008 season: he thrives in pass coverage (gives up an average of roughly 1.2 yards per attempt, and only allowed one first down), and has performed exceptionally well against the run (opponents running directly at him gained -90 yards). Oh, and for my fellow number freaks, take a look at his 6.7 three cone time. That is ridiculous for a 6'6, 270# defensive lineman. As I said, this article is alarmingly obsequious, but I do like this guy as a mid-late round sleeper.

Another guy I've wanted to watch for a while, Lindsey Witten, is also an athletic pass-rusher with good size (6'4, 258#) and great quickness. I believe he already has 10 sacks this year, which is slightly less impressive than it sounds, given that 7 of them came in the first 2 games of the year. I prefer consistency from pass-rushers, not feast or famine. That said, I couldn't believe how fast and explosive he looks off the snap. He has excellent flexibility, changes direction fluidly, and generally looks very quick and confident. I think he could play well in space. I wasn't a fan, however, of his continual tendency to get engaged in drawn-out battles with blockers. He needs to shed the blocker and make the play, not dance around. To be honest, he looked like an exact replica of Aaron Maybin, and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing.

I didn't get to see much, but I watched a few of Von Miller's plays, and he is another guy with lightening-quick movements. I think he's too small for our scheme (6'3, 240#), but I could have sworn I was watching Clay Matthews back in the college game. Scrappy player, and I wish him well in a one-gap, attacking scheme.

I also watched Romeus again, because I like how hard he plays, but once more I came away with the feeling that he's a true 43 end, not a OLB conversion project. I do think he'll be a great player, but I just don't think he has the foot speed necessary to play in space.

Starting to notice a trend? I like pass-rushers, and I think we need one next year, with Thomas and Burgess most likely gone. I like Hardy a good bit, but his inconsistency baffles me. He's so ferocious sometimes, much like Larry English but with far greater size and athleticism. (I keep comparing this class to last year, because even though I've followed the draft for a while, last year was the first time I spent several months systematically scouting out prospects.) I honestly believe that BB could turn him into one of the greatest pass-rushers of all time, but I fear that either 1) he's gone before we pick, or 2) his attitude causes teams to shy away from him, and we pass him up over concern for his effort. What do you think, is likely to fall like Michael Johnson, or do you think Dunlap will take that dubious award?

I've made a point of watching Rolando McClain whenever possible, and I'm convinced he's the best LB prospect I've seen in the few year I've followed the draft. I'd love to see him alternate between playing inside and outside in the 43, 34, and nickel subpackages. I can't say anything about him that people haven't already heard. He's just terrific.

Several running backs have also piqued my interest this year, but none of them are draft-eligible, so I'll just file them away for future consideration, especially since Maroney and Law-Firm could be a great tandem for us going forward.

I'm still trying to find a defensive tackle prospect to get excited about. Other than Suh, who is obviously way out of our range (and possibly would play better in a penetrating 43, anyway), I am not terribly impressed with anyone in this class. Maybe I'm just too picky, but I really want a Seymour replacement. I don't think Green is resigned next year, for some reason, and I have a strange feeling Wilfork may be tagged and traded. Can Brace play the nose? He's barely seen the field all year, sadly.

Keep up the great discussions, everyone. I love hearing your thoughts. Next up, I'm going to attempt to profile a few cornerbacks who look like they have the skills necessary to hold up in our system. Several have already caught my eye . . .

 

[ctpatsfan77]

and I think we need one next year, with Thomas and Burgess most likely gone.

Can we at least give Thomas one more game before we project him being cut next year?

 

[Marqui]

Can we at least give Thomas one more game before we project him being cut next year?

Was about to post the same thing