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Matt Waldman’s NFL Lens: RB Darren Sproles Has Independent Rear Suspension
Eagles running back Darren Sproles is a special NFL player. Matt Waldman’s RSP examines a facet of Sproles’ footwork that aids his balance and agility in tight spaces. What do Sproles and Marshawn Lynch have in common? Eric Stoner discovered the link when we took a Sproles video tangent during an RSP Film room on Donnel…
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Matt Waldman’s RSP Boiler Room No. 143 RB Jordan Scarlett (Florida): Pass Protection
Matt Waldman’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio examines two pass protection assignments of NFL Draft prospect Jordan Scarlett and why running backs have a steep learning curve in the pros. Jordan Scarlett is an NFL-caliber ballcarrier. He’s a patient runner who will also hit tight creases and bleed everything he can from them. He ran over and…
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Matt Waldman’s RSP Boiler Room No. 140: RB L.J. Scott (Michigan St.) and Phases of Movement
Matt Waldman’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio examines a play of 2019 NFL Draft prospect, RB L.J. Scott and classifies phases of movement at the position. I’ve only begun to dive into Fergus Connolly’s book, Game Changer. Connolly is a coach at Michigan who has worked for a wide range of professional teams in various sports, including the…
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Matt Waldman’s RSP Flashback: 2008 Running Back Class Rankings
Matt Waldman’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio revisits his pre-draft rankings of the NFL’s 2008 running back class. This year’s running back class was one of the richest I’ve seen since writing the first RSP in 2006. Although Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson are the best two backs I’ve seen from a single class, 2008’s crew had the…
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RSP Boiler Room No. 138 RB Ryquell Armstead, Temple: Art of the Bounce
Matt Waldman’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio examines the running back’s role in executing a good bounce outside, featuring 2019 NFL Draft prospect Ryquell Armstead of Temple. Acceleration is an essential component to a successful bounce outside. However, it’s only part of the equation. A running back must understand the blocking scheme and use that knowledge to…
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RSP Boiler Room No. 137 RB Jacques Patrick (FSU): Downhill Thumpin’
Matt Waldman’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio examines Florida State running back Jacques Patrick and why this 2019 NFL Draft prospect bears some similarities to Leonard Fournette and Karlos Williams. Jacques Patrick isn’t as fast as Leonard Fournette or Karlos Williams. However, he’s a big downhill thumper who thrives behind a fullback and a gap scheme. Give…
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Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast Ep. 8: Charles McDonald on Stats and Breaking Down Film
Charles McDonald of Football Outsiders and SB Nation joins Matt Waldman’s RSP podcast to discuss his presentation on stats and film at MIT’s Sloan Analytics Conference. If you don’t know McDonald (Twitter @FourVerts), he’s a frequent guest of the RSP Film Room and writes the Four Downs and Futures columns at Football Outsiders and he recently accepted…
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Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast Ep. 6: Football And Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with John Owning
Football analyst John Owning, an instructor and international competitor in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, stops by Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast for a conversation about the martial art and how it helps him analyze football. If you subscribe to the RSP Film Room, you probably saw Owning and I break down Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa’s…
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Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast Ep.5: Old Man Game
Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast discusses “Old Man Game.” What is it? Who has it? And why is it an important consideration in football analysis? In the age of fantasy football, sports betting, and sports data that encourages the masses to play the percentages, fans are encouraged to tread far from aging players. Learning how to…
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Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast Ep. 4: Josh Gordon, Emmanuel Butler, and Craft
Episode 4 of Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast covers Josh Gordon, Emmanuel Butler, and the interplay of athletic, technical, and conceptual skills in prospect evaluation. This week’s pod has three segments: NFL: Breaking down Josh Gordon. College: Using Gordon and the NFL lens to break down Northern Arizona receiver Emmanuel Butler. Craft: The role of athletic…