Pats to work out Sapp

[dryheat44]

Buried within the Clemson Pro Day results:

We can tell you the New England Patriots will be holding private workouts for linebackers Ricky Sapp and Kavell Conner in the coming days.

Courtesy DraftInsider

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

Glad to hear this. I'm a Sapp fan.

 

[Chuck_U_Farley]

Nice!

Then again it could be a BB smoke screen.

 

[Marqui]

Sapp? He's never had more than 5 sacks in a season, and seems pretty medicore in general. I hope they don't waste a first day pick on him.

 

[Defsoul]

Sapp? He's never had more than 5 sacks in a season, and seems pretty medicore in general. I hope they don't waste a first day pick on him.

Word, let's get him in the second round!

 

[bakes781]

Well here's a guy under 250 so that would seem to dispell the notion that BB has ZERO interest in guys considered to be too small to play OLB in the 3-4.

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

Well here's a guy under 250 so that would seem to dispell the notion that BB has ZERO interest in guys considered to be too small to play OLB in the 3-4.

BB has said in the past that he likes big guys who run fast at OLB. Sapp is 6'4 and ran a 4.6, and actually fits the prototype OLB Belichick has said he likes in terms of measurables and such.

 

[patchick]

Sapp? He's never had more than 5 sacks in a season, and seems pretty medicore in general.

True 'nuff. But it was equally true of Clay Matthews.

The road to success as a 3-4 OLB is utterly mysterious.

 

[sieglo]

I read this and thought "Warren Sapp?!"

 

[bakes781]

BB has said in the past that he likes big guys who run fast at OLB. Sapp is 6'4 and ran a 4.6, and actually fits the prototype OLB Belichick has said he likes in terms of measurables and such.

perhaps he has the frame to add weight, but from my understanding under 250 is not classified as prototypical.

 

[patchick]

Well here's a guy under 250 so that would seem to dispell the notion that BB has ZERO interest in guys considered to be too small to play OLB in the 3-4.

I suspect Pierre Woods at 249 and Shawn Crable at 245 already dispelled that notion.

 

[Defsoul]

He already added some weight and showed up at the combine at 252 pounds.

 

[bakes781]

I suspect Pierre Woods at 249 and Shawn Crable at 245 already dispelled that notion.

so it's all about height then? why am I always hearing this guy or that guy doesn't fit the required measurables?

 

[wilfork is beastin']

Glad to see pass-rushers are getting attention from the team. Hoepfully they check out Kindle and Graham as well.

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

so it's all about height then? why am I always hearing this guy or that guy doesn't fit the required measurables?

Yeah I think people are often referring to the height and speed measurables. I'm sure if his frame can add weight without losing a lot of quickness/explosion is also taken into consideration but most people are referring to this:

Scouting the Talent at OLB

"I think that there were more shorter players, maybe a little less speed than what we've seen, maybe a little more power with good production," Belichick said after the 2009 draft. "There weren't a lot of 4.6, 4.65 (40 time) guys. There weren't a lot of 6-4, 6-5 guys. I'd say it was a much smaller pool of those types of players."

 

[spacecrime]

Sapp? He's never had more than 5 sacks in a season, and seems pretty medicore in general. I hope they don't waste a first day pick on him.

The draft does go on for three days...

 

[reflexblue]

Put some rocks in his pockets...

 

[patchick]

so it's all about height then? why am I always hearing this guy or that guy doesn't fit the required measurables?

I'd say it's a combination. Let's call the physical prototype this stat line:

6.4+ 250+ 4.70-, 23+, 37"+, 4.20-, 7.00- and long arms

Put them all together and you have DeMarcus Ware. It doesn't happen often. (That Barwin dude missed the cut only on bench reps, which accounts for a lot of the breathlessness in these parts.) We all have our different opinions on which items to compromise on.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Sapp measured at 6'4 252 lbs for the combine. So umm, he has prototypical size for a BB OLB.

I think that Misi is in the same range too but a little shorter and lighter.

 

[chevss454]

2010 NFL Draft: OLB Scouting Reports

Ricky Sapp, Clemson (6-4/245)
Sapp is a true one-trick pony: rushing the passer. He isn't able to get off blocks like an OLB needs too. This will lead to Sapp not being a 3-down LB, which means some teams will take him off their 1st round draft board. That said, Sapp rushes the passer like nobody else, with the possible exception of Jerry Hughes. He has a lightning first-step and the ability to change moves on the fly.

Pros: First Step, Speed, Moves
Cons: Strength, Injury History
Verdict: 2nd/3rd Round

Ricky Sapp, Clemson, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com