Time to get serious about JJ Watt

[fumbrunner]

JJ Watt = Constant Pressure and Relentless Motor. Something this team has been missing ever since Seymour left. If we draft Watt, he might just become the highest Motor defensive lineman in the BB era. And that's saying something.

Added to that a decent pass rushing OLB and Bodden's return....This team has the potential to be scary good defensively. The challenge next year may be keeping Brady upright...

 

[Off The Grid]

I just don't understand the enthusiasm for Watt as a DE. While I might be incorrect in my analysis I don't see anything from the footage I've see of him that he can anchor the line or collapse the pocket, he seems similar to Jared Allen in that he he'll run upfield a bunch and get after the other players but I don't him being that stout front 3 guy that is going to command a double team.

YouTube - JJ Watt Highlights

YouTube - JJ Watt vs. Ohio State

The role he's playing here is very different than he would in BBs defense, which seem to emphasize different things. Perhaps I'm not viewing things correctly, and if anyone can point that out I'd be grateful.

Thanks

He's doing a lot of shooting in these. On those moves where he's instantly in the backfield you're seeing something drawn up for him. He's got one move here and that's the swim. There are a couple of things you can glean from those, though. First, look at that handspeed. It's amazing, violent, and fluid. Best of the potential picks in this regard. Second, watch how devastating that initial club is. Specifically the play where he shot the a gap against Ohio State when they had him at the 1-tech. He jumped that snap like a sumbeech, but look how off balance that club got the center. Even if he had a chance to slide (which he didn't) that club would have flat stoned it. Powerful hand technique and FAST.

Pass rush is an easy eval, he's decent enough. His agility is insane, too.

Here's the fun part of the applicapable eval. Unless he gets a great jump on the outside, he engages the o-lineman and either goes for the bull or looks for the ball to clog a lane. Nice awareness, yes, but when he engages the tackle watch his initial contact. This is as close as you're going to find for 2-gap comparison. Most bull rushers churn their legs and work their hands to drive the blocker up and back. (Matthews, Clay) Think your standard engage and lockout sled drill. Watt doesn't do this. He engages the player instead and works from there. When he takes the player note how his punch stands a 300+ pound man straight up. No wildman crazy bullrush, just a punch that is devastating. You need that to 2-gap well. Nobody this year has that punch.

That early Ohio State clip where he got washed was a nice read by the back keying the backside end (Watt). Flow away zone and Watt drives for the common backside cutback lane as it looked like an outside zone (at least to me) He actually had position on the tackle and was playing it pretty well. The back made a great read on the backside end (Watt), made a hell of a cut and made his tackle's job really easy. Stuff like that explains the washing knocks you frequently read. The truth is out there, albeit a tad more nuanced.

That Scouting Report...was utterly exquisite.

May The God Of Your Choice BLESS you, Brother Jay.

 

[Off The Grid]

JJ Watt, baby.

He's DYN ~ O ~ MITE!!!

I apologize, gentlemen.

I AM taking something for this.

 

[West Philly Patriot]

So, in your speculation as to the relationship between NE and Condon it's NE who is arrogant and unrealistic? Isn't that prejudging in and of itself? I don't know anything other than NE has apparently not signed or drafted a Condon client since Ben Watson fired his agent. Does that mean NE isn't dealing with Condon, or does Condon steer his clients away from NE? Perhaps a bit of both? With two sides in this presumed impasse, we can only watch and speculate ... and cheer for the Pats.

I said, If. I certainly don't know if this is true. But I'm sure BB knows the guys he likes and who he thinks can help this football team. I'm just saying if he really believes in his mind that watt is a great value and will be a piece for this D and passes because of his agent only. I think its an arrogant move to assume we can win even without said players.

I don't just feel this way because I'm pro Watt. It could be any player, hell if Devin Mccourty's agent was tom condon last year our D would've really been a sieve.

 

[cmc727]

it sounds to me like if that pats want watt, they might have to trade up into the top-10 to get him.

 

[letekro]

Cameron Heyward looks like a better scheme fit.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

It could be any player, hell if Devin Mccourty's agent was tom condon last year our D would've really been a sieve.

Nah, BB would have drafted Kyle Wilson and he'd have gone to the Pro-Bowl while some other team was limiting McCourty to Special Teams.

 

[Sciz]

NFL pro days offer coaches respite from labor news - Don Banks - SI.com

There's a notion out there that the Patriots may shy away from drafting Watt because they haven't had good dealings in the past with Condon. But I can't find anyone who's buying that idea. The Pats and Condon went at it in 2004, when he represented New England's first-round pick, tight end Ben Watson. The Patriots reportedly haven't taken a Condon client ever since. Sounds logical, and it's not an implausible scenario, but the reality is there aren't enough good 3-4 defensive ends to be had in any particular draft. If New England is sold on Watt's skill set, it will draft him and deal with his agent as a necessary evil.

I'd love for this to be true!

 

[VJCPatriot]

Nice find! I like the other tidbit from that article.
"I spent some time chatting up Watt's agent, NFL power broker Tom Condon, during the pro day session and there's little about this kid that NFL coaches won't love. A former tight end as a true freshman at Central Michigan, where he played for head coach Brian Kelly, Watt is a play-making machine in the offensive backfield and gets nothing but raves when it comes to his character, personality and work ethic. The son of a Pewaukee, Wis., fireman, Watt has an almost too-good-to-be-true story, and there are those in the league who can't wait to see where his game goes once he actually learns the defensive end position and acquires a few NFL-level moves."

It also mentioned that San Diego's GM might be very interested. The Pats might have to make a slight move up to #15 to ensure they get Watt ahead of Jacksonville and SD. That would cost 100 points which is roughly the value of a 4th round pick. How about #17 + # 92 to Miami for #15 + #110?

NFL pro days offer coaches respite from labor news - Don Banks - SI.com

I'd love for this to be true! D

 

[convertedpatsfan]

NFL draft: J.J. Watt is determined to deliver on his dream - ESPN

Interesting column that goes into Watt's background a bit more, and how he worked himself up from a TE asked to convert to OL, to a 1st-round DE.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

NFL draft: J.J. Watt is determined to deliver on his dream - ESPN

Interesting column that goes into Watt's background a bit more, and how he worked himself up from a TE asked to convert to OL, to a 1st-round DE.

Tom Condon is a crafty agent with connections.

 

[State]

Is this unfair:

JJ Watt=Mike Mamula?

I watched both of therm in college, and Mamula was more disruptive and I think had better combine numbers. I understand they aren't quite the same body types, but pretty close.

Watt may have a slightly better motor and character. Hey, I like the kid, but I worry about his durability. He looks like an injury ready to happen.

Count me as someone who doesn't think we should trade up to get the flavor of the month, which is what I think Watt is. I'd much rather have Wilkerson or even NT Phil Taylor, so we can have opposing OT's lose sleep over facing head up with Wolfork.

 

[MaineMan]

Tom Condon is a crafty agent with connections.

Yeah, I tried to look into the Condon/Pats thing a bit deeper, but I haven't been able to assemble anything even close to a comprehensive list of Condon's client since the Watson incident, complicated by the fact that Condon changed agencies in the intervening years.

My hypothesis is that Condon simply may not have repped any players, draft prospects or vets, who the Pats would have needed/wanted to acquire anyway. I mean, I can't find an instance in which the Pats needed a player at a certain position and avoided a Condon client in favor of a different, possibly lesser player. So, I can't prove or disprove the Condon avoidance assumption.

IOW, the possibility remains that the absence of Condon clients from the Pats roster since Watson may be entirely coincidental.

 

[Sciz]

Yeah, I tried to look into the Condon/Pats thing a bit deeper, but I haven't been able to assemble anything even close to a comprehensive list of Condon's client since the Watson incident, complicated by the fact that Condon changed agencies in the intervening years.

My hypothesis is that Condon simply may not have repped any players, draft prospects or vets, who the Pats would have needed/wanted to acquire anyway. I mean, I can't find an instance in which the Pats needed a player at a certain position and avoided a Condon client in favor of a different, possibly lesser player. So, I can't prove or disprove the Condon avoidance assumption.

IOW, the possibility remains that the absence of Condon clients from the Pats roster since Watson may be entirely coincidental.

Ian Rapoport said he has a source that says the Pats don't work with Condon.

 

[MaineMan]

Ian Rapoport said he has a source that says the Pats don't work with Condon.

Well, last draft, reporters "had sources" saying that the Pats very very interested in drafting Tim Tebow. So, it is what it is. But it would be nice to have some independent confirmation of that, wouldn't it?

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Tom Condon is a crafty agent with connections.

Give the devil his due

Is this unfair:

JJ Watt=Mike Mamula?

I watched both of therm in college, and Mamula was more disruptive and I think had better combine numbers. I understand they aren't quite the same body types, but pretty close.

Watt may have a slightly better motor and character. Hey, I like the kid, but I worry about his durability. He looks like an injury ready to happen.

Count me as someone who doesn't think we should trade up to get the flavor of the month, which is what I think Watt is. I'd much rather have Wilkerson or even NT Phil Taylor, so we can have opposing OT's lose sleep over facing head up with Wolfork.

I didn't watch Mamula so I can't really comment on that. But he had a pretty decent career. Injuries played a part, as did expectations.

I'm curious where the durability concerns come from. Is there something specifically you see? There wasn't an injury history in college.

As for the flavour of the month, I can understand that. But Watt has been talked up as a 1st rounder for a while now, and looked like he was way out of range. Now he's dropping to us at 17. Meanwhile, you mentioned guys like Wilkerson or Taylor who have been rising up the draft boards pretty rapidly over the past few months. How is Watt the flavour of the month but those other two aren't?

 

[supafly]

I'd be very happy with Watt coming here, I just don't feel as though he is going to be there at 17.

I think he's going to get snatched up by 13-14 at the absolute latest, and am not sure if we'd move up.

That, and the whole Condon conspiracy theory have me thinking that he isn't a realistic choice at 17. Hopefully I can be very wrong, but I just see Wilkerson, Jordan, and Heyward as more realistic expectations. I'm wondering if Watt isn't this yr's infamous patsfans.com binky--and those usually don't work out too well.

 

[reflexblue]

Is this unfair:

JJ Watt=Mike Mamula?

I watched both of therm in college, and Mamula was more disruptive and I think had better combine numbers. I understand they aren't quite the same body types, but pretty close.

Watt may have a slightly better motor and character. Hey, I like the kid, but I worry about his durability. He looks like an injury ready to happen.

Count me as someone who doesn't think we should trade up to get the flavor of the month, which is what I think Watt is. I'd much rather have Wilkerson or even NT Phil Taylor, so we can have opposing OT's lose sleep over facing head up with Wolfork.

Watt is Not the flavor of the month if you had been paying attention you'd know he has been a favorite here going back to last September. As for the mammula comparison, mammula was good but his stock shot through the roof at the combine. I don't see any similarity.

 

[NewFeep]

I'm dead serious about JJ Watt..... Question is: Is BB? We'll see pretty soon now.

 

[mgteich]

Watt is not the flavor of the month. He is the 2011 binky of this board, the 2011 Connor Barwin.

In any case, I don't expect the patriots to trade up high enough to get Watt or for him to reach 17.

BTW, I find it even strange to consider Belichick trading up to take a Condon client in the middle of a labor negotiations and the strong possibility that they would have to negotiate with Condon or his lackeys.

Yes, if Watt fell into Belichick's hands, he would likely take him (but probaly not instead of Jordan). I would note that, FWIW, Rob Rang and Chad Reuter over at CBSSports both have Watt available to us at 17; and both of them had us passing on Watt (for Jordan and Smith).