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Matt Waldman’s RSP Reads Listens Views (October 19, 2018)
Matt Waldman’s Reads Listens Views is back and devoted to a short list of recommended reads, listens, and views for the week. Welcome If you’re new to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog, welcome. Every Friday, I post links to pieces that I’ve found personally compelling or to content I hope will eventually scratch that itch…
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RSP Boiler Room No.85: TE Cethan Carter (Nebraska) Suddenness & Bend
Even the less unrefined aspects of Carter’s game should excite NFL scouts. When he played for the Falcons, Tony Gonzalez could no longer stretch the seam or wreak havoc in the open field like he did with the Chiefs for most of his career. Even so, defenders couldn’t cover the old tight end in the…
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RSP Boiler Room No.85: QB Processor Speed
More examples that reveal how a tap or too of the foot can be the difference between a winning and losing quarterback. The feet tell you a lot about a quarterback’s feel for the game and how he’s feeling on the field. I’ve been saying this for a few years. If you understand what the…
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Matt Waldman Segment on Sports Underground Podcast
Podcast season for the RSP is underway. Join me at the Sports Underground. We talk skill players for the draft and I’m reminded by Minnesota-based pod that I predicted Eric Kendricks and Laquon Treadwell to the Vikings for the past two years. Don’t count on me making it three in a row, but they want…
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RSP Boiler Room No.76: QB Alek Torgersen
Then Penn Quaker’s film reveals that the “easy” passes are sometimes the most difficult. One of the old-school tenets of scouting quarterbacks is completion percentage. If a quarterback completes at least 62 percent of his passes, he gets to ride the scouting rollercoaster with NFL personnel men trained in the ways of Parcells. It’s a…
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A Senior Bowl Practice FAQ
Matt Waldman answers common questions posed to him by writers and readers about the practices and player development. At the tail end of practice, a draft writer approached me with questions about the sessions, player performance, and player development. He wanted my thoughts on what he observed. His observations and subsequent questions were similar to…
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Senior Bowl Day 1: First Impressions, Defense
Prologue In reality, college players turned aspiring NFL athletes get many chances to make a positive impression. Teams evaluate multiple games on film and get access to players for interviews here in Mobile, at the combine, and at Pro Days. But Senior Bowl Week is the first time the NFL calendar and news cycle turns…
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Senior Bowl Day 1: First Impressions, Offense
Matt Waldman shares his notebook on the weigh-in and Day 1 of practice. Prologue The first day of practice is both the most and least important of the week. It’s the least important when considering the results. Day 1 winners and losers are for pop media consumption and as forgettable as a sugary snack that…
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RSP Film Room No.93: OLB/DE Joe Mathis, Extended Look
Notable plays from OLB/DE Joe Mathis’ portfolio of work against Stanford and Arizona. Give me smarts and a high motor and chances are I’ll like the prospects of an athletic defender. Joe Mathis has that snap-to-whistle intensity and a good blend of creativity, and on-field maturity. Throw in Mathis’ array of pass rush moves, bend,…
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A Senior Bowl Primer
What I’ve learned about these practices and events and how I approach them. [Matt’s Note: I originally wrote this in 2017. With minor updates, these thoughts still apply.] Whether you’re a writer attending the Senior Bowl for the first time or you’re new to the all-star game as a fan, I’m sharing my perspective here.…