Jared Veldheer

[Ochmed Jones]

Has anyone noticed that he is starting for the Raiders and doing a much better than expected job from a guy that did not play D1 ball in college.

I think a lot of guys on this board had him in their mock drafts. I did not because I couldn;t find any film on the guy.

However as he gets more reps and gets better and better, Raider RB's are getting big lanes to run through and Raider QB's are getting more time to throw.

The Raiders hitting on a draft day gamble has to be bad carma for us.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Has anyone noticed that he is starting for the Raiders and doing a much better than expected job from a guy that did not play D1 ball in college.

I think a lot of guys on this board had him in their mock drafts. I did not because I couldn;t find any film on the guy.

However as he gets more reps and gets better and better, Raider RB's are getting big lanes to run through and Raider QB's are getting more time to throw.

The Raiders hitting on a draft day gamble has to be bad carma for us.

Oh yeah, I wanted him in the 2nd round with the intention of having him and SeaBass as bookends for the O-line. To make matters even worse, or better, the Raiders initially started him at Center, I don't know why you'd put a guy that tall at Center but if he had more reps at Tackle.

 

[Off The Grid]

Has anyone noticed that he is starting for the Raiders and doing a much better than expected job from a guy that did not play D1 ball in college.

I think a lot of guys on this board had him in their mock drafts. I did not because I couldn;t find any film on the guy.

* However as he gets more reps and gets better and better, Raider RB's are getting big lanes to run through and Raider QB's are getting more time to throw.

The Raiders hitting on a draft day gamble has to be bad karma for us.

I am ALL too painfully aware of the direct affect this Grizzly is having on the fortunes of our premium 1st Rounder.

I can't say I had him, either. Ironically, I would've rolled the dice on Bruce Campbell, even after drafting Charlie Brown.

It all Starts in the Trenches. Excellent Thread.

 

[TealSox]

Thought he had a high ceiling, but I wouldn't have gambled with a 2nd or 3rd round pick for this guy.

In regards to Charles Brown, I was high on the guy till Pete Carrol passed on him. I deduce that if he had any faith in Brown at the NFL level, he would had used his first pick on someone other than Okung and grabbed Brown later in the draft.

About the Raiders, I don't understand why opponents aren't crowding the box and forcing the defunct QB to throw the ball. I would hope that if the Patriots faced them in the playoffs, McCourty could stay with Heyward-Bey, Merriweather on Zach Miller and put Chung/Sanders in the box.

 

[Off The Grid]

Thought he had a high ceiling, but I wouldn't have gambled with a 2nd or 3rd round pick for this guy.

In regards to Charles Brown, I was high on the guy till Pete Carrol passed on him. I deduce that if he had any faith in Brown at the NFL level, he would had used his first pick on someone other than Okung and grabbed Brown later in the draft.

About the Raiders, I don't understand why opponents aren't crowding the box and forcing the defunct QB to throw the ball. I would hope that if the Patriots faced them in the playoffs, McCourty could stay with Heyward-Bey, Merriweather on Zach Miller and put Chung/Sanders in the box.

Yeah, they've been playing some seriously weak teams.

That ends, now.

I still hold hope that they could plummet to 6-10.

 

[Marqui]

Oh yeah, I wanted him in the 2nd round with the intention of having him and SeaBass as bookends for the O-line.

Same here, I wanted to trade up in the 3rd round to grab him. Oh well.

 

[dryheat44]

Oh well. I guess we'll have to live with the consolation prizes of Gronkowski, Spikes, and Cunningham.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Oh well. I guess we'll have to live with the consolation prizes of Gronkowski, Spikes, and Cunningham.

Gronk would have been taken by Baltimore but would Spikes and Cunningham have been around if we took one of them after Veldheer?

 

[dryheat44]

Gronk would have been taken by Baltimore but would Spikes and Cunningham have been around if we took one of them after Veldheer?

Who knows? My point is we could have taken Veldheer, and Cunningham could've gone to, say, San Diego and have 7 sacks right now, and we'd all be crying in our corn flakes sighing that we'd be better off if we'd just taken Cunningham instead of Veldheer.

The Patriots will always have fewer high draft picks than there are players who could help the team. Can't draft 'em all.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Who knows? My point is we could have taken Veldheer, and Cunningham could've gone to, say, San Diego and have 7 sacks right now, and we'd all be crying in our corn flakes sighing that we'd be better off if we'd just taken Cunningham instead of Veldheer.

The Patriots will always have fewer high draft picks than there are players who could help the team. Can't draft 'em all.

Truth be told, Cunningham wasn't on my radar but I'm glad we took him where we did, as for Spikes, he was on my radar in the 3rd round. His stock plumetted after his 40 times, I would be willing to bet on Veldheer in the 2nd (protecting Brady is a priority in my book) and then grab Spikes in the 3rd round.

 

[patchick]

as for Spikes, he was on my radar in the 3rd round. His stock plumetted after his 40 times

I'm not so sure about that. Spikes showed what he was on the field; 40 or no, he's just not a fit for every defense, but I can't imagine the Pats were the only team high on him.

Do you remember right before the draft some commentator referred to a LB who he knew was rated in every single round, from the 1st to UDFA, by different teams according to their schemes? From the vague descriptions at the time, I took the player to be Spikes.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I'm not so sure about that. Spikes showed what he was on the field; 40 or no, he's just not a fit for every defense, but I can't imagine the Pats were the only team high on him.

Do you remember right before the draft some commentator referred to a LB who he knew was rated in every single round, from the 1st to UDFA, by different teams according to their schemes? From the vague descriptions at the time, I took the player to be Spikes.

Unfortunately it all theoretical when it comes to this stuff, it's too bad we can't have an alternate universe to see how things would have turned out a different. While ILB was a spot of need I think the tackle is a more important position, and realying on Light to protect the QB is not something I'm comfortable with, and we really don't know how much more he has left in the tank. I'd rather get a stud tackle and let the guys battle it out than to pull the trigger immediately on Spikes.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Unfortunately it all theoretical when it comes to this stuff, it's too bad we can't have an alternate universe to see how things would have turned out a different. While ILB was a spot of need I think the tackle is a more important position, and realying on Light to protect the QB is not something I'm comfortable with, and we really don't know how much more he has left in the tank. I'd rather get a stud tackle and let the guys battle it out than to pull the trigger immediately on Spikes.

#1 ROT on my board is Constanzo of BC. Amusing Vollmer moves to the left side.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I'm not so sure about that. Spikes showed what he was on the field; 40 or no, he's just not a fit for every defense, but I can't imagine the Pats were the only team high on him.

Do you remember right before the draft some commentator referred to a LB who he knew was rated in every single round, from the 1st to UDFA, by different teams according to their schemes? From the vague descriptions at the time, I took the player to be Spikes.

I get very nervous when Spikes in on the field. The guy is just too slow to cover backs or TE's or fire hydrants.

I would feel a ton better if BB drafted Herlizh of BC or Hightower of Alabama to man the ILB spot next to Mayo.

Both are bigger and much faster than Spikes.

 

[dryheat44]

Both are bigger and much faster than Spikes.

No argument here...but Spikes has the best instincts I've seen at our ILB since Tedy Bruschi...and Bruschi was in his fourth or fifth year before he developed him.

Spikes makes mistakes...aggressive ones, and you're right that he'll never be a great 3-down linebacker. But I think he's done a great job this year, and he'll get better when the coaching gets his techniques on par with his instincts.