My Shorter List!!
SE Greg Childs of Arkansas ~ 6.3/216 ~ 3rd-4th ~ 2nd
Greg Childs is an intriguing Prospect, indeed.
A torn Patellar Tendon ended his outstanding 2010 season, and he's been far less than 100% this year, as a result of which his statistics and his Market Value have collapsed, though they have rebounded substantially in the wake of his crispy Pro Day, showing a man returned to full health.
Here we have a big, tough Chain Mover who consistently beats the Press, who Navigates the Field with remarkable Savvy, commands more Lateral Agility than most men his size, fights for the FootBall, and is adept at hitting the Catch at full speed, allowing him to send random Defenders flying, as he breaks DownField.
And he is a reliably tenacious Blocker, with occasional feats of sweet, sweet Brutality.
This is a guy who will consistently Move The Chains for you, both as a Receiver and as a Blocker, and is precisely the kind of eternally unheralded Hero who is quietly and brutally integral to the process of forging Championships.
SE Marvin Jones ~ 6.2/198 ~ 5th ~ 2nd-3rd
Starter!! Marvin Jones commands a very impressive fusion of the kind of Skill Set that should consistently produce plays and Move The Chains at the next level: Fluidity, sharp Verticity in his Breaks, and very reliable Discipline in his Route Running.
He's not overly physical on the Line, but he's got enough Fluidity, Dexterity, and Savvy to get loose, and enough Short Burst to separate.
No Big Play Zoomer, but Marvin Jones is the kind of Prospect who should earn a starting gig at the next level, Move The Chains, and help you win.
Sleeper!!
SL Jarius Wright ~ 5.10/176 ~ 5th-6th ~ 1st
Super Beast!!
My GOD.
~ Outstanding Diagnostic Acuity: Reads the Field like General Patton.
~ Ridiculous fusion of Athletic attributes: explosive Short Burst, impressive Fluidity, sharp Verticity and explosive Torsion out'f'is Breaks.
~ Dangerous Short Burst combined with simply nightmarish Long Speed.
~ Absolutely fearless, breaking over the Middle.
He's not very physical.
And his Hands need work.
But Jarius Wright commands an obscene fusion of Intelligence, Ferocity, and pure Athleticism.
Super Beast.
Super Sleeper.
Name Your Price.
SE Dale Moss ~ 6.3/220 ~ UFA ~ 1st!!
Moon Shot!! They don't come much rawer than Dale Moss ~ he's been playing FootBall for
one year!! ~ and it shows...But this guy came out of
outer space to rack up 61 Catches, 949 Yards, and 6 Touch Downs in his first season
ever!!!
Not shocking enough???
How about racking up a 632 in the 3 Cone and a 408 in the Short Shuttle???
If he were 5.9/175, those numbers would be
phenomenal.
At 6.3/220, those numbers are
preposterous.
Add a ridiculous 415 in the Vertical to that, if you please, and it's clear that ~ raw or not ~ this guy's Raw Fluidity, Lateral Agility, Core Strength and Core Power, to say nothing of his blazing Long Speed ~ that 438 in the "40" doesn't exactly break my heart!! ~ and his raw skill set offers upside beyond any Wide Out in this entire
Draft.
And I repeat: 61/949/6 after dropping from the SKY.
Route Running? His words at the Pro Day make it clear that that is a place of intense focus. And let me say: 4 full years of BasketBall at College ~ plus the years of his earlier youth ~ go light years in refining the nuances of Route Running, to say nothing of shedding Corners at the Line.
Blocking?? I don't know...But that long career in BasketBall ~ he racked up impressive Rebounding Stats ~ tells me he's not exactly contact-******ant.
This is no Work Out Warrior, Ladies and Gentlemen.
This is Force of Nature.
And a
focused one.
61/949/6 after dropping from the SKY...and then he produces that one-man Typhoon at his Pro Day.
Seems to me...This young man is about
Business.
Super Beast Super Sleeper!!
Notes
1 ~ I prize Processing Speed + Route Running above all, and place Fluidity, Torsion, Verticity, Burst, Lateral Agility, and Core Strength and Power all above "40" Time, so my views will diverge with the vast majority!!
2 ~ My equally radical notion that Flex Ends and Wing Backs offer revolutionary possibilities means that I want to see their roles expand at the direct cost of Slot Ends. This is a rather awful shame, because this Draft Class is
replete with exceptional Slot End Prospects at tremendous discounts!!
3 ~ Were
Wes Welker not the greatest Slot End who ever walked this Earth, and a guy who exudes all the very finest and greatest attributes of The Patriot Way, I would cut him lose, because of this. As it is, I would offer him the choice between negotiating his own Sign + Trade or accepting a two year $21 Million contract with every penny guaranteed. That's an unusual approach, but the admiration, gratitude, and affection he has earned around here fully warrants it. Of course, most will consider it blasphemy that I'm talking about letting him go ~ or extending at a greatly reduced rate ~ in 2 years, anyway, and I can fully appreciate that: There is NO Soul, in ALL of New EngLand, who wanted him more, back in 2007, or who had higher expectations of him. And I will further annoy and nauseate anyone reading this by reminding y'all that it was I ~ and possibly I, alone ~ who predicted he'd be back by Opening Day, 2010...as indeed, he was. I WORSHIP this guy...And that is the only reason I'm talking about keeping him, at his age, for his Market Value, at a position that I would intend to relegate to Sub Packs, starting in 2014!! Blasphemy!!
4 ~ There are 6 Set positions ~ 5 Grizzlies and 1 QuarterBack ~ and 5 Flex positions on Offense. Given my druthers, all 5 of those Flex positions would be dangerous in both the Running AND in the Passing Games. I have NO interest in Full Backs, Power Backs, and Tight Ends who can't catch the ball and make plays with it, and I have limitted interest in Wide Outs who either can't or won't Block, though a guy who's Route Running is adept enough to consistently demand Double Teams warrants consideration...The tactical advantage of unpredictability...is VAST.
5 ~ As such, my main targets are not Slot Ends ~ as explained ~ or Flanker Ends ~ who tend to be smaller as well, and are lined up OFF the Line for a reason, and it ain't because they're tenacious Blockers. My targets are big, tall, tenacious Split Ends who run crispy Routes and command all those other attributes I referenced, up top.
6 ~ Even so, I PRAYED for us to seal the deal on
Brandon Lloyd. He's no shrimp, in any case.
7 ~ The ability to Rapidly Read + React to the deliberately deceitfull changes that D's implement
after the snap ~ Processing Speed, Ladies + Gentlemen!! ~ and to redirect one's assignment, based on our intensive, exhausting, and hideously complex training...and, furthermore, to do so correctly, reliably, decisively...and in a MICRO second...is a daunting challenge, indeed: One that accomplished veterans like Torry Holt, Joey Galloway, and Chad Johnson have all found utterly overwhelming.
8 ~ As such, Brandon Lloyd's proven ability to FLOURISH in this System...has a
Seismic Level potential Impact that I strongly suspect about the vast majority of us don't fully grasp at this point. The ability to offer a TRUE Horizontal Threat to the Defense ~ yes,
Horizontal ~ is something that we haven't had in two long years, ever since Randy Moss evaporated. Therefore, there is NO precedent of our having that true Horizontal Threat combined with our devastating Tight Ends and Wes Welker tearing up the middle of the field!! Think of the consequences of THAT, if you will!!
I can promise you:
Tom Brady has been.
9 ~ I've always been a big fan of developing Day 3 and UFA Wide Out Talent: Not only does it seem that you're almost as likely to find Top Shelf Talent down the line, like that, the fact that the incubation periods for Wide Outs is usually a painfully slow process compels me to discount their Market Value in my assessments in the first place.
10 ~ As such, I won't be recommending
Michael Floyd, much as I absolutely love this guy's Game.
11 ~ I will not rule out Slot Ends, but I will probably pass on
Joe Adams and
Ty Hilton, because I see even better Values, later on, as I assess them.
12 ~ Keeping with Slot Ends, I will take a long look at both
Jarius Wright ~ who I a freaking NUTS about!! ~ and
Devon Wylie. And I like
Ryan Broyles as an eminently Stashable IR guy who could really kick it up starting in 2013.
13 ~
Greg Childs intrigues me, if the price is right, as a reemerging Split End who likes to Block.
14 ~ There's something about
Marvin Jones, isn't there?? I think we have to have him, don't you??
15 ~ And I ~ um ~ probably made myself pretty clear about
Dale Moss.
When all is said and done, he could very well prove to be the best of them
all.
