The Count
Posted: July 10th, 2016 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 61 Comments »Blake Countess feels like an overlooked rookie. He played well at Michigan before transferring to Auburn as a grad student. Countess was terrific for the Tigers and deserved more attention from the NFL than he got. There was no invite to the Senior Bowl or Combine, so Countess had to put on a show at his Pro Day to generate some buzz.
Cornerback Blake Countess — 5-9 3/4, 184 — ran the 40 in 4.5 and 4.48 seconds. He had a 36 1/2-inch vertical and 10-foot-1 broad jump. He did the short shuttle in 4.19 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.85 seconds. He also performed 21 reps on the bench press. He worked out well enough to get earn a camp look by an NFL team.
Go beyond those numbers. Listen to the young man talk. He comes across as intelligent, insightful and honest.
Countess was versatile for Auburn, playing CB, Nickel, S and being a key on STs. And remember that he was new to the team as of last summer. He fit in right away and they used him aggressively and creatively to help their defense. Countess finished fourth on the team in tackles. He broke up 11 passes and picked off 2 more. He had 2.5 TFLs and even blocked a kick.
That video shows some good things. You see physicality. Countess might list at only 5-10, 184, but he is thick and muscular. He hits. He takes on blockers. He is not a finesse player in any way. We talk about all of the bad tackling in football. Countess is one of the few prospects who shows good fundamentals. He attacks the belt buckle of the runner/receiver, as many coaches teach players to do. Countess doesn’t go for ankles. He doesn’t sell out for huge hits. He aims for the middle and tries to make wrap-up tackles using his whole body to bring his target down.
I also like the fact Countess is aggressive, but plays under control. It can be fun to watch a defender fly around the field at 100 mph, but that is also very dangerous. Safeties are at their best when diagnosing the play and then attacking. Countess does a good job of that.
Countess should be a good fit at Safety in the Eagles scheme under Jim Schwartz. Fran Duffy and Greg Cosell took at look at how he would fit in a couple of plays.
I think the Eagles got very lucky that Countess lasted to the 6th round. I’m not putting him into the Hall of Fame quite yet, but I do believe he can be a good backup and role player. I think he has the potential to develop into a starter.
I look forward to seeing Countess in action in Training Camp. Jalen Mills is the rookie DB getting all the attention right now, but don’t forget about Countess. He could end up being the #3 Safety for this team, as well as a key STer.
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[…] Tommy Lawlor Blake Countess feels like an overlooked rookie. He played well at Michigan before transferring to […]
“I think the Eagles got very lucky that Countess lasted to the 6th round.”
Really? UDFA type player from almost all write ups going into the draft.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1868370/blake-countess
http://walterfootball.com/draft2016CB.php (34th here)
So would have preferred Travis Feeney in the 6th and simply have signed Countess with the UDFA guys.
Am I really the only one that gets such if media Mike worshiping those two link sources as more objectively the bible than the bible?
Not really, they’re just the first 2 hits on Google.
Not exactly how I went about it, but good to know that Google didn’t let you down either.
WalterFootball used to be one of the first sites I’d go to, but over time I’ve stopped using them because it seems that they are often very far off in their rankings.
http://www.csnphilly.com/video/did-philadelphia-eagles-reach-blake-countess
Ron Burke and Ray Didinger can also tell you that Countess should have been with the UDFA group.
I am dead serious that that is the very first time I’ve ever heard a Ron Burke comment about the NFL Draft. I mean, do you really think anyone would disagree with that? Ray Diddy is obviously the complete other end of the spectrum, but he’s really not a draftnik as much as he is a general football knowledge HOFer guru. But the bigger point is that you think the NFL Draft is a science and it just is not.
Ron Burke does a very nice job as a host, but I don’t really think of him as a draft knowledge guy either.
Mike, I think you miss the point. No one had Countess ranked highly. He fell through the cracks in the pre-draft process. He transferred from UM to AUB. He then played in different positions down there. He didn’t go to a key all star game. He didn’t go to the Combine.
By saying the Eagles got lucky that he fell to the 6th round, I’m also saying they got lucky he wasn’t in an all star game or invited to the Combine. They got lucky that there wasn’t any buzz on Countess until March.
Draft rankings are a tool, but they can be flawed. History tells us that every single year.
im rooting for Valentino Rossi ..but my Philly jinx is killin him; I crushed France today, all by myself.
I agree that nobody had him ranked highly; hence why I would have preferred to have spent something less than a 6th rounder to get him. I just think it was an overpay for a guy, for all of the reasons you just stated, that could have been acquired at a later point.
If you don’t draft him then you risk him signing somewhere else as a udfa
That’s why we pay the GM (or whatever bleeping title he wants) the big bucks. I just don’t think I’ve seen anything compelling that says Countess is a guy you needed to not miss in the draft.
you think almost every pick is an overpay.
I gotta stick up for Media Mike here (rare for me on this issue). While he does say that a lot – I firmly believe that if CBS and Walterfootball had a guy ranked ABOVE where the Eagles selected, Media Mike would say that the Eagles UNDERpaid.
He just thinks that pre-draft rankings on generic websites are the most accurate and objective scientific measure of anything in the history of human kind – which most intelligent people realize, is way closer to the opposite of the truth.
I like MM too and am glad he is here, I’m just busting his chops a little b/c every trade should have another 2nd rounder coming back to us, etc. He really, really likes value. He’s like Danny Ainge (wants Ben Simmons and Okafor for the # 3 pick), wants to murder every trade and draft pick.
Guilty as changed on being a complete total miser when it comes to asset valuation.
There’s a new miser in town. There must be a Banner somewhere out there for the Value Miser… but I couldn’t find it. So here’s a pic of the old misers.
Liking value is one thing – but it’s that he puts value in CBS and walterfootball pre-draft rankings – which most intelligent people know are trash. When humans suck at predicting A) when draft picks will be selected, and B) how well draft picks will actually perform, continually, over many many platforms and resources over a long period of time, but someone puts stock in the opposite – that’s a red flag.
Jill Stein: 2016
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dbe26bfab4447462ad82abc2719142521e8e4c6b5ed1e55dd473a6c91a9d8328.png
Case in point; LOVE the value of Mills in the 7th!
Not true. I just have a very exact set of measurements I apply to make a judgement; but judgement must be passed.
Tommy, I’m surprised at you for calling other draft ranking people “tools.” You’ve been hanging out with Kempski for too long.
I think you misread what Tommy wrote. LOL.
He said, “Draft rankings are a tool, but they can be flawed. History tells us that every single year.”
Just me being sarcastic 😉
Just citing walterfootball is enough to completely submarine whatever argument you are trying to make.
Well I also have CBS included.
And R Diddy in the link below.
CBS still using Pete Prisco for their rankings? Ditto.
Not on draft stuff. He’s in on their team rankings in the regular season; and he sucks.
And the juxtaposition to the links I have is Countess’s median spot on the draft boards of the 32 teams in the NFL.
The Count
Offering up his estimate for Eagles wins this year…
<<o. ✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:✸✸✸✸✸:::::::!bw121p:….,.
I can vibe on 8. They only “must” is two wins over the Giants and finishing ahead of them in the division.
Ill take the over. As long as there is no juice on a push!
As this post currently has 8 upvotes, I will respectfully not upvote at this time.
Oh sure, make me feel unobservant and ignorant as I scurry back to undo my upvote. Jerk.
Apparently the 8th vote went to “Mary Fowler” who may have an exciting business opportunity for you. 😉
<<o. ✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤:::::::!bw670p:….,…
All I saw was a guy who was consistently chasing the play from behind, tackling past the 1st down marker, and made one tackle in the backfield. Then there was another video of NFL players in the Schwartz defense. Like, “here’s what he could do.” I didn’t see anything in the 1st video that made me think he could be the guy in the 2nd video.
I don’t think Countess can be a starter then again most people thought Mcleod wasn’t good enough too. We’ll see what these 6th round DBs can do on the field in a real game first.
What am I missing? All 22 breaking down the Count — but it was the Bills defense?
Schwartz.
Ben Simmons update: He can shoot jump shots now.
https://youtu.be/k5OzD3ou6pc
I was thinking it might take him a season to develop it, but it looks like he’s a fast learner.
It is about time. I was starting to worry it would take him an entire week.
I have been pretty absent of late due to offseason and real life. Has there been any new news on ags since the prosecutor has gotten his case?
As of todays date, no charges have been filed.
Will they? Maybe but from what I have been hearing is that Nelsons Attorney has stated that Nelson did not commit a crime.
There was a complete investigation and the police did not file a charge.
The information was sent to the district Attorney back on 6/23/16 and we are still waiting to see if the DA will file charges.
My guess is that the dancer does not have a witness but neither does Nelson so who knows what will happen.
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/149260586
Senior Analytics Position-Football Operations
Philadelphia Eagles
Want to work for Howie Roseman? Here is your chance although they have already had 293 applicants and a bet a ton more through their website. Probably will have 1,000+ legit applicants though.
Interesting! Unfortunately I am over qualified 🙁
Not getting that job unless you know someone.
I am going to side with the Eagles scouting department over so called draft experts, as the websites who cover the draft have a limited amount of information to draw their conclusions.
I too was surprised when they took Countess in the sixth and had to research to find out who he was.
I feel confident that the Eagles scouting department is more qualified to evaluate a potential draft pick as they actually meet the player and watch many hours of film and actually watch the player in live games.
Will he play up to his 6th round status is all that matters.
Really, “…play up to his 6th round status…” means something like 50/50 to make the PS. Here’s to hoping he beats the odds.
don’t tell that to Media Mike.
We could have taken a 6’4 215lbs Linebacker who has never played the position before!
Since you felt the need to respond to my comment, I decided to research a little and came across this little statistic at of all places “Blogging the Bums”.
“Here’s a rundown of the top-line numbers: 857 players were drafted in
the 6th and 7th rounds between ’99-’08. A surprisingly high 73% (625)
started at least one game in the NFL. 22% (190) were starters for at
least one season. 2% (17) eventually earned a Pro Bowl nomination.”
So yes. I reiterate I would like for Countess to live up to his 6th round status and hope he plays above it.
You happy? I doubt it.
Easy there. I thought the entire point of making a comment on public discussion forum was so that people would respond. There is a button for it and everything. I didn’t mean to offend.
Based on your research turning up that they start “…at least one game in the NFL…”and not something about the team that drafted them, my estimate wasn’t far off.
I’m down for the Count
I dare you to take the O out of the header
Why? What would be the point?
Ooo a bad word (unless uttered by a brit)
I pointed it out.. it wouldnt be The Count without the 0. Oooo this langusge can be funny
I think he looks not quite physical enough for NFL… He does have some decent recognition and change of direction but speed isn’t great. He gets shielded out of plays.
Backup.