Running Back 
Boiler Room: Michigan State RB Le’Veon Bell(4)
A polarizing player in the draft community engenders endless debate – even after we see that player on an NFL field. If he succeeds his backers believe that the detractors over analyzed the situation. If the prospect struggles the naysayers will claim the backers didn’t see enough. In this sense Le’Veon Bell is a polarizing player… Read More ›
No-Huddle Series: Boise State RB D.J. Harper
Once upon a time, D.J. Harper was the lead back in the Boise State offense over Doug Martin. Two ACL injuries later and now finishing his sixth year of eligibility, Harper is entering the NFL Draft. I remember seeing Harper before the injury and there was no doubt he could fly. Most doubt Harper will… Read More ›
Player B
This time of year I’m marrying NFL Combine data with my tape analysis. I don’t take a close look until now. So today being one of the first days I’m examining the results, I came across something that – at least to the eyeball test – passed muster in a way that confirmed a conclusion… Read More ›
The Best On-Field RB Prospect No One is Talking About
It’s late and I have to write about this prospect because he’s one of the few that generated that “wow” factor for me. Understand, the “wow” factor for me has included players ranging from Matt Forte, Ray Rice, Russell Wilson, and Ahmad Bradshaw to Cedric Peerman, Nate Davis, Trent Edwards, and Bilal Powell. Even if… Read More ›
Instinct or Practice: Demystifying the Nature of Running Back
Is it instinct or practice? Nothing is as simple as it looks. Here’s a 2nd-and-five run by USC running back Silas Redd in the middle of the second quarter against Utah this year that begs the question. Nice run. Some might say Redd demonstrated excellent balance. Others might go further and say it was nice… Read More ›
Forget Leon Sandcastle
Forget Leon Sandcastle. He’s a joke – albeit a hilarious one. I’ve dug deep into my contacts to unearth a gem. A prospect so good that he will make you wonder if his career will be on par with the all-time greats. In fact, I guarantee it. To give you some context, Bo Jackson was the… Read More ›
No-Huddle Series: LSU RB Spencer Ware
“If I had to take a hit from anybody, it wouldn’t be Spencer Ware. He’s a guy who’s going to put everything into it and fight for that extra yard.” – Josh Dworaczyk, LSU Tackle I was a Spencer Ware fan the moment I watched him out-play his teammate Stevan Ridley as a freshman against Texas A&M… Read More ›
Emerging Talents: Lamar Miller
Evan Silva termed Miami running back Lamar Miller “the early preseason-buzz MVP.” Understandable. He’s a back whose talents reminded me of two of his University of Miami predecessors: Clinton Portis and Edgerrin James. The 2012 rookie is earning a lot of encouraging PR from his organization. With Reggie Bush leaving and third-year back Daniel Thomas not… Read More ›
Senior Bowl: Day Two Skill Player Notables
Day Two of the Senior Bowl was packed with observations from both practices. This morning’s report covers wide receivers, quarterbacks, running backs, and tight ends. There are also some thoughts about drills and the Senior Bowl selection process. Plenty of highlights today, most notably a football roundtable with Rotoworld’s Josh Norris, CBS’s Rob Rang, Football… Read More ›
The Boiler Room: RB Stepfan Taylor, Stanford
One of the challenges involved with player analysis is to be succinct with delivering the goods. As the author of an annual tome, I’m often a spectacular failure in this respect. I will often study a prospect and see a play unfold that does a great job of encapsulating that player’s skills. When I witness… Read More ›
