Meet Derek Rivers!

reflexblue said:

Small school...jason taylor was from akron.

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While it is obviously a small school, they went to the championship game again this past season, and have at least 4-5 championships under their belts, mainly when former Ohio St. coach Jim Tressel was the head coach. Tressel is back there now as president of the university, so it's certainly possible that Belichick may have picked his brain for a minute or two. It's definitely a winning atmosphere there.

Bill has ties to the area since his father worked at Youngstown Sheet and Tube for awhile, and Bill still helps the community to this day. Several years back he donated 50,000 to a local high school's (Struthers) football program because they needed new equipment (pretty depressed area). The one catch was that he didn't receive attention for his good deed, so the local Youngstown paper simply published a very small paragraph that went unnoticed to many.

Ross12 said:

Called this one before the draft started. As I said in the other thread - Flowers & Rivers baby! Nature is coming for you!!

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flowers & rivers--a couple of noble-born bastards.

(ASOIAF reference: Bastardy)
.

Tony2046 said:

You've got to tone down your enthusiasm man. I've still got to wait four months before the season starts. I can't walk around pumped up for four months.

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Hey nothing wrong with that. I honestly can't wait to see all this talent on the field.

Rivers is legit. Screamer off the edge. Impact day one. Get pumped man!

We also have the best secondary in the league.

Wheelman said:

Unfortunately this Justus guy loses me when he says "I'm not joking I think Rivers has more sacks for y'all than anyone since Seymour?" I'm not sure if I should watch this 40 minute video or not. Somebody convince me to watch it.

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Watch it. I felt the same way but Justis breaks down a lot of Rivers film in detail and ends up being very interesting.

Here's a pretty good scouting report on Rivers.

Derek Rivers will bring elite small school edge rushing to the NFL with the Patriots

I'm psyched about this guy.

yopats said:

Love this breakdown by Matt Waldman and Justus about Rivers being a Force Player

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This was superior stuff. I'd love to see more from Justice. Good balanced analysis of what scouts are looking for. Great find for the future and looks like a great find for a player.

I know getting a guy like this was why I was so hot to trade JG. But I thought we needed to have that #12 pick in order to get one. Seems like I was wrong (again ) He definitely looks like it will take a couple of years before we see him blossom, but he could be effective taking 15-20 snaps a game this season

Tony2046 said:

Watch it. I felt the same way but Justis breaks down a lot of Rivers film in detail and ends up being very interesting.

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Just finished watching it! Interesting indeed! Especially since I know nothing about pass rushing.

Need a hitler found out patriots got Derek rivers video. Lol.

pazrul72 said:

I just did it's a fantastic breakdown of how he wins, why he wins, and what he needs to do at the next level. It goes down to a what arm gets used when deep level you don't see from most breakdowns. I can summarize it for you.

Right now he is so damn fast and freakishly bendy (I'm nicknaming him gumby cuz no one should be able to bend like that) that even though he does things the wrong way he still wins with OT's unable to get a hand on him until it's too late. . . . . .

So basically give this guy a year, maybe two and he checks every last box you could possibly want for freak pass rusher who also does well against the run. Excuse me I think I need a cigarette after that

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I think I have a problem with that! (The bolded part)

Nice summary otherwise.

patchick said:

Back in 2012 I came up with these elite measurables criteria to predict successful edge rushers:



FWIW, Rivers fills the bill 100%:

6'4 1/8"
30 reps
35" vertical
10' 03" broad jump
1.61 split
6.94 cone

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Here's an article about force players 2017 Force Players - Setting The Edge

Great great pick.

Hehe.

yopats said:

Hehe.

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Belichick wins....again

Let's see how this pick works out; maybe it is good or maybe it was not optimal. Bill may have gotten too cute with his trade-down obsession. Even though the Patriots were in need of a DE, when their pick came up at No. 72, Bill chose to move down to No. 83, figuring that there would some good choices at 83. But then there was a run on DE's:

• Kansas State’s Jordan Willis (No. 73, Cincinnati Bengals),
• Michigan’s Chris Wormley (No. 74, Baltimore Ravens),
• Texas A&M’s Daeshon Hall (No. 77, Carolina Panthers),
• Alabama’s Tim Williams (No. 78, Ravens)
• Ohio’s Tarell Basham (No. 80, Indianapolis Colts)

Did they miss out on a better DE or their top choice? We will not know for a year or two.

He crushed the combine and seems to acknowledge the issues of playing at a small school versus subpar competition.
Maybe that'll add up to a tough kid who doesn't expect anything to come easy for him and he'll work harder to be better.
I'm excited to see him develop!

patfanken said:

This was superior stuff. I'd love to see more from Justice. Good balanced analysis of what scouts are looking for. Great find for the future and looks like a great find for a player.

I know getting a guy like this was why I was so hot to trade JG. But I thought we needed to have that #12 pick in order to get one. Seems like I was wrong (again ) He definitely looks like it will take a couple of years before we see him blossom, but he could be effective taking 15-20 snaps a game this season

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As was I, looks like it is good to be wrong...... again. Thought for sure that JG was gone for a boatload of pix..

Here's a good vid on him

Ross12 said:

Called this one before the draft started. As I said in the other thread - Flowers & Rivers baby! Nature is coming for you!!

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You totally did. Well done.

Gumby said:

After BB dropped back, THREE DEs came off the board before he took Rivers. Rivers just SOUNDS like a pats kind of guy when he talks about film study etc.

so HOW the heck with 9 picks and 3/9 taking DEs in between did BB know his guy was safe OR do you think he would have been happy with any of Willis, Hall, Basham, or Rivers? Would be interesting to know, but bb'll never tell.

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You're correct - we'll never know for certain. However, Rivers has played a fair amount standing up and off the LoS at OLB in addition to lining up with his hand in the dirt. So he probably comps a little closer to Nink and HT than to Flowers with that versatility. Plus, Rivers is a film room junkie.