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Ruminations In The Candy Shop: Thoughts On Sports Writing In The Digital World
Matt Waldman shares his perspective on sports writing layoffs, long-form journalism, video, and cultivating a long-term outlook. When faced with the decision of eating vegetables or candy, most of us will make a beeline for the sugar. We know better, but we don’t care. These dopamine inducing devices in slick, colorful packaging have big money…
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RSP Film Room No.103: DE Tarell Basham (Ohio)
Philadelphia Eagles video content manager Fran Duffy presents the compelling value that Basham will offer an NFL team as a contributor. One of the best parts of the RSP Film Room is the way that ideas, concepts, and wisdom about scouting players emerge, overlap, and build on themselves in these sessions. Fran Duffy’s presentation highlights…
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RSP Boiler Room No.86: TE Jeremy Sprinkle (Arkansas)
Play intelligence from a run blocker and pass protector at the tight end position. Technique and athletic ability earn much of the focus when studying draft prospects. Often, those qualities take a back seat to play intelligence. Jeremy Sprinkle is an unsung option in an exciting class of rookie tight ends. He’s big, strong, and…
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Making Sense of Dak Prescott (And How It Will Change the Future of the RSP)
Matt Waldman, of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, reflects on Dak Prescott’s sterling rookie campaign and explains how he re-evaluated his process in light of Prescott’s success. What he discovered, about missing on the Dallas quarterback, reminded him of the opposite outcome with Russell Wilson. [Note: This post is an excerpt from my QB chapter in the…
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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 Film Room No.99: Edge Defender T.J. Watt (Wisconsin) w/Guest, Kyle Crabbs
Projection is a significant component of evaluation and NDT Scouting’s Kyle Crabbs presents a case for T.J. Watt as prospect worth that initial three-year investment. One of the toughest aspects of scouting talent is projecting development. NDT Scouting’s Kyle Crabbs RSP Film Room selection, T.J. Watt has aspects of a project. He’s light and lean…
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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.78: TE Phazahn Odom (Fordham)
Even 6’8″, 245-pound tight end with huge hands should refrain from clapping the ball. The RSP Boiler Room examines Odom’s intriguing potential. Phazahn Odom plays at a small program, he’s a string bean relative to his height, and there’s a long list of well-known tight end prospects competing for a draft pick this spring. That’s what Odom is.…
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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…