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RSP Film Room No.46: LB/DE Dante Fowler w/Dan Hatman
An instructive session with a former NFL scout who does a methodical job of breaking down a player with potential to play multiple positions. Dan Hatman is the founder of the Scouting Academy, an educational service devoted to teaching the fundamentals of the game and player evaluation to fans, aspiring scouts, media, and football professionals. While…
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Waldman 49ers Better Rivals Podcast Appearance
I had the pleasure of speaking with Oscar and David for an hour on the Better Rivals podcast. Session notes might not be completely accurate because the duo will be chopping up the podcast into two episodes. I’ll post the second episode when it’s out, but here’s the comprehensive menu: My pre-draft thoughts on Quinton…
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RSP Film Room No.41: WR Devin Smith
Matt Harmon of “Reception Perception” fame returns to the film room. The Footballguys.com and Backyard Banter writer joins me to study a player we both like a lot: Ohio State’s Devin Smith. Session notes: Fluid, integrated processing that Smith, Maxx Williams, and other projected starters display. Why underneath routes are so important to the vertical…
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The Return of Reads Listens Views 4/3/2015
2015 RSP, A Magpie & His Adopted Family, RSP Film Room No.36: Jene Bramel/Bud Dupree, Joan Jett & Nirvana, and other fun oddites . Listens: Joan Jett & Nirvana The Return of Reads Listens Views? If you’re new to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog, welcome. Until last December, I used Fridays to post links to pieces…
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2015 Rookie Scouting Portfolio Now Available
The 2015 Rookie Scouting Portfolio is ready for download. “You won’t find a better resource. Matt Waldman delivers. Period. Cannot recommend more highly.” – Bob Harris, FSTA Hall of Famer The 2015 RSP Tale of the Tape Standing at 1414 pages and covering 147 skill prospects, the 2015 Rookie Scouting Portfolio is now available for download at http://www.mattwaldman.com. Because a post-draft…
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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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2015 RSP Preview: “On the Hybrid TE Revolution”
Just wrapped up the first draft of the Tight End chapter for the 2015 Rookie Scouting Portfolio. I shared a little of it informally on Twitter last night. Here’s a more fully-formed taste of some of the commentary you get along with the rankings, reports, and analysis of the RSP available for download April 1.…
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Three-Cone Drill Podcast
Rivers McCown and Danny Tuccitto have a fun podcast that delves into football and beyond. I think the “beyond” is why they enjoy having me on the Three-Cone Drill. Zook watched enough sub par quarterbacks this year to earn the surgery that he needed. The RSP’s loyal assistant left parts of his teeth in the…
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Boiler Room: CSU RB Dee Hart
Continuing the theme of a play revealing the right questions to ask, here’s one from the intriguing Dee Hart. I’ve been studying tape with a defined process for 11 years–not as long as some, but long enough to begin to anticipate certain outcomes to player decision-making. It’s always fun when a player surprises me. Colorado…
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Boiler Room: The Route Sorcery of USF WR Andre Davis
The All-22 is a fine tool, but it’s not as revealing as the broadcast angle on this play. A recent post featuring Delaware’s Mike Johnson underscores the power of a straight line in route running. Today’s post highlights the power of subtle movement in an otherwise straight stem: how it’s done, why it’s effective, and when the most…