Billy “White Shoes” Johnson. Get acquainted with him if you don’t know who he is. A terrific football player from the `70s and early `80s. One of my favorite receivers/return specialists from any era.
As I do every Friday at the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, I extend my thanks to all of you who take the time out of your day to consistently read the work I post here. It’s been the best week yet for the blog and I want to thank Greg Cosell for being a big reason for it. He’s a great interview.
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- Subscribe to this blog. It’s free.
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And most of all, if you want to support this blog and do yourself a favor at the same time, get my publication The Rookie Scouting Portfolio.
The RSP is a 120-150 page rookie report loaded with analysis, rankings, and player comparisons of over 150 offensive skill position prospects. Unlike any publication remotely of its type, I also show the reader my work. Accompanying my analysis is an appendix containing hundreds of pages of game study notes as well as my position-specific scoring checklists adopted from best-practice methods for performance evaluation.
Back issues of the RSP (2006-2010) are available for purchase by emailing me.
Preseason Takes
Why am I still a Cedric Peerman fan? Calling for Bernard Scott to get more opportunities for the Bengals is becoming a common battle cry. However, go to to NFL.com and watch three highlights of Peerman’s from the full game video summary and you’ll understand why I still believe if given an opportunity, he could become a productive starter in the NFL. The UVA runner is quick, shifty, fast, and he runs with balance and breaks tackles.
Sean Merriman continues to look good: The burst is back. As long as Merriman stays healthy, he’s a good bet for Defensive Comeback Player of the Year. He’s catching up to players in pursuit and he’s generating pressure.
Who is Erron Riley? Riley is a tall, speedy receiver from Duke. He was an undrafted free agent from a couple of years ago who has bounced around. He’s one of those raw, athletic players who was best at using his athleticism to get open vertically. If he can develop a more well-rounded game, he has the physical skills and natural hands to earn a job. I haven’t seen any film of Riley since his days in Durham. If he can stick to the Broncos roster then he’s a long-term guy to remember for 2012 camp.
Reads, Listens, Views
It’s this time of the week where I share what I’ve been reading, listening, and viewing each week – football, fantasy football, and non-football.
Football
Play-by-Play Analysis of Blaine Gabbert vs. Bills by Eric Stoner of Draft Breakdown.
Understanding the Practice Squad by National Football Post
Fantasy Football
The Upside of the End Game by Jason Wood. A vital lesson on how to draft in the late rounds so you’re maximizing upside. A must read.
The Inside Men by Matt Waldman. Do you feel like pulling off a heist on draft day? This guy has the short and long con to help you pull it off.
The Master Plan by Sigmund Bloom. If you ever listen to Sigmund Bloom on The Audible, one can get the sense that the brain of this super intelligent man of fantasy football generates so many ideas simultaneously that he would talk out of his mouth and both ears if physiologically possible. Read and admire the cogent Plans A,B, and C that Bloom puts to work for you on draft day.
Cowboys of the Sky – This video/pictorial feature in the New York Times Magazine of the iron workers who erect one of the great skylines in the world is breathtaking visual story telling at its finest.
Transcript of former ESPN writer Bruce Feldman’s conversation with Dan Patrick Feldman was one of the original ESPN writers. He was at the center of a controversial suspension by ESPN over a book he wrote with former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach.
Entertainment
Trucks & Tedeschi Band – Midnight In Harlem…
3 responses to “Reads, Listens, Views 9/2”
Of course you posted a Derek Trucks video. How many different ways can Waldman prove that he has the same thought processes as me? Love you Waldman, keep it up.
Plan on it, brother. Glad you’re digging it. I remember seeing Trucks as a middle-school aged kid on the river walk of Savannah when I was visiting with an old high school friend/college roommate who eventually became a music producer. He was raving about Trucks back then.
Reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald’s career arc. His entire life, everyone around Fitz knew he would be an All-Pro receiver. Everyone always knew Trucks was a transcendant guitar player. That’s very interesting that you got a chance to see him when he was that age.