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Boiler Room: Florida State RB James Wilder
I remember James Wilder, Sr. A 6’3″, 225-pound wrecking ball where he had two seasons in Tampa Bay with a combined 772 carries for 2844 yards and 23 touchdowns, Wilder is the best running back in Buccaneers history if you ask me. One of those years, Wilder had 407 carries, 1544 yards rushing, 13 rushing…
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Reads Listens Views 10/5/2013
Listens – Miles Smiles “Jean Pierre” Better late than never, right? That’s how I see it when it comes to posting Reads Listens Views. This Saturday version of RLV includes the usual football/non-football web content that I’ve been reading (or saving for when time permits) and some commentary about three things that have nothing to…
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Futures at Football Outsiders: Texas A&M OT Jake Matthews
Futures: Texas A&M OT Jake Matthews By Matt Waldman I heard a great story about Lawrence Taylor this week from my friend Sigmund Bloom. Thanks to NFL Films, the Hall of Fame linebacker and “trash talk” go together like K-Tel and “greatest hits” – complete with a low-budget, late-night commercial featuring a scrolling list…
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Blocking: Alabama WR Kevin Norwood
To the casual college football viewer, wide receivers and blocking go together like orange slices with pepper or french fries dipped in a Frosty. Both seem odd, but they work. A receiver who does his best to make the position and the task fit together Alabama’s Kevin Norwood. I can think of dozens of receivers…
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Futures: UGA QB Aaron Murray
Futures: UGA QB Aaron Murray By Matt Waldman The most glaring example of the difference between a good college player and a good NFL player is at the quarterback position. It’s also the position where draftniks and football evaluators have one of the loosest working definitions for the term “developmental prospect.” I’ve seen this term…
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Reads Listens Views 9/20/2013
Commentary: Trent Richardson Trade Sigmund Bloom called me today on the heels of the Richardson-to-Colts deal. Two weeks prior, I was a guest On The Couch with Bloom explaining to him and Scott Pianowski that Richardson appeared tentative and wasn’t exploiting plays the way he should in the zone blocking scheme. “It sounds like your…
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Boiler Room: RB Todd Gurley
Todd Gurley’s style reminds me of Penn State star Larry Johnson. For those of you who remember Johnson for his exploits with the Chiefs than the headlines he made off the field, it’s weighty praise. What they have in common is the agility of a 210-pound runner in the powerful frame of 225-230 lb. back.…
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Futures: UCLA OLB Anthony Barr
Futures: UCLA OLB Anthony Barr by Matt Waldman Which one is not like the others? Aldon Smith. Dion Jordan. Anthony Barr. If you ask Nebraska Offensive Line Coach John Garrison orNFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, they’ll tell you Barr is stylistically similar to both players. While Jeremiah polled five NFL Execs with a question specifically framed to link Jordan and Barr, there are…
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Flashes: Tajh Boyd Under Pressure
One of the more telling aspects of gauging a quarterback’s readiness for the NFL is how he manages pressure in the pocket. If the first response is to retreat, there’s work to be done. It doesn’t matter if a quarterback has the athleticism to break loose of defensive ends and outrun cornerbacks, the passer still…
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Futures: Clemson WR Sammy Watkins
It seems ridiculous to label a wide receiver with an 82-catch, 1219-yard, 12-touchdown debut as “unsung,” but consider the company Sammy Watkins kept his freshman year. The Clemson wide receiver is one of only four players in the history of college football to earn First Team All-America honors as a true freshman. The other three…