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Futures: 2015 Time Capsule Mock (Open Again in 2018)
Thanks and Goodbye Today’s column is my last at Football Outsiders. I have enjoyed my three-year run with the site and I appreciate the opportunity to write here. It’s a fine staff of writers and I especially wish to thank past and present writers Doug Farrar, Tom Gower, Rivers McCown, Ben Muth, Mike Tanier, […]
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Futures at Football Outsiders: The Knife, the Pencil, and Rookie Rankings
I hate rookie rankings. You love rookie rankings. It’s a beautiful relationship. Seriously, I hate rookie rankings. It’s a black-and-white expression of 18 to 24 months of research and analysis that has more than 500 shades of grey. Why in the hell would I want to distill it to a “yes-he’s-good”/”no-he’s-not” proposition? Because as much […]
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Futures: Texas RB Malcolm Brown
DeMarco Murray is the toast of the NFL, but injury and team issues clouded some observers’ view of his talent. Texas RB Malcolm Brown might have the same problem this winter. By Matt Waldman More than a few times in the past ten months I have either read or had someone connected to the NFL discuss the […]
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Futures at Football Outsiders: Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah
Abdullah could get lost in a strong class of running backs with size and speed, but good, all-round football players are just as hard to find. What is your favorite position to watch? I get this question a lot. Originally it was running back. It’s the most intuitive and improvisational role on a football field. […]
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Futures: RB Bishop Sankey
If blocking schemes were types of questions on a test, Matt Waldman explains why Bishop Sankey would be much better at true/false than multiple choice. by Matt Waldman This week’s Futures contains excerpts from the 2014 Rookie Scouting Portfolio, my 1284-page scouting report on 164 prospects at the offensive skill positions, which is available for […]
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Futures: 2014 Speed Score Leaders
If I had a laboratory fitting of a mad scientist, Football Outsiders’ Speed Score would have its application. What about now? Futures: The 2014 Speed Score Leaders By Matt Waldman Indulge me in a bit of fantasy. Imagine an old football field. It’s a practice field at the rear of an abandoned high school with […]
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Futures at Football Outsiders: Venric Mark, Offensive Weapon?
Venric Mark: Offensive Weapon? by Matt Waldman A couple of months ago, an employee from an NFL player-personnel department asked for preliminary input on a project he’s undertaking. He asked me to relay things I watch when I study offensive skill players that he could quantify. One of the things I shared pertains to running backs. What […]
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Futures: Why Scouting Gets a Bum Rap – A Front Office Overhaul
Scouting gets a bum rap. “Of course Waldman would say this,” you proclaim. “He’s a scout!” I may perform the fundamental role of one, but I am not a scout. This elicits laughter from my friend Ryan Riddle. The Bleacher Report columnist who holds Cal’s single season sack record and played with the Raiders, Ravens, […]
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Football Outsiders: Three in the Boiler
A series I started this year at the RSP blog is The Boiler Room. 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. Even so, I will study a prospect and see a play unfold that […]
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Futures: Arkansas RB Knile Davis
When I saw the 2012 Lewin Career Forecast, I had already studied Russell Wilson. In fact, I told a panel of draft analysts on a National Football Post podcast (beginning at the 17:42 mark) that included Josh Norris, Wes Bunting, and Josh Buchanan that Wilson was my sleeper quarterback in this draft. I was cynical […]