Get To Know Fletcher Cox

Posted: February 17th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 75 Comments »

I can write a bunch of stuff on Fletcher Cox, but pictures are worth a thousand words.  Here are some videos of Cox so you can see him in action. There are a mixture of good and bad plays.  The key thing to notice is how athletic the guy is.  Similar to Cullen Jenkins in that regard.  Cox actually looks really good at DE at times.  He could play LDE for us in some short yardage sets.  Enough of my yakking.  Let’s boogie.

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And another…

 

Cox needs work, but his athleticism is really, really impressive. You can bet Jim Washburn likes him.

  • Anonymous

    I would love to have him lined next to jenkins. I do not think eagles will go lb in 1st. not based on the fact that they never do it, but i dont see them going with kuechly at 15. I think lb will be adressed in 2nd or 3rd. possibly 4th.

    I do think if the eagles do not resign jackson, or get a stud wr in FA, WR might be the choice in 1st.

  • http://twitter.com/theguyotc the guy

    Totally OT, but…

    From Evan Mathis’ reddit AMA:

    Q: “Who’s your best non-OL friend? Vick? Jenkins? Cole? Someone who doesn’t start like Landri?”
    A: “Landri.”

    http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/puhef/i_am_nfl_og_and_redditor_evan_mathis_ama/c3scj6b

    Nobody can resist the power of Landri.

    • Anonymous

      Evan Mathis is on reddit? Hilarious! I like him even more now.

    • http://twitter.com/alex_karklins Alex Karklins

      That whole AMA is excellent. Great insight into what it’s like to be an NFL player. Doesn’t hurt that he’s got a great sense of humor.

  • Anonymous

    Also, Tommy, I’m going to need you to tell me what to look at in these videos. LOL.

    I see a giant man running through giant holes in tiny offensive lines. To my untrained eye, I can’t see why he’s so special. Or, maybe that’s *why* he’s so special.

    • Anonymous

      I’ll do that tomorrow.

      • Anonymous

        Thanks. I’m not trying to be critical of the Cox selection. I just honestly don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to be seeing from him other than the fact that he seems really big and fast. LOL.

        • Anonymous

          Watch how he pursues relentlessly QBs that are 100lbs lighter than him and keep up. Watch how when he is lined up he consistently smokes OTs to the inside.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Deshawn-Bentley/100000596290582 Deshawn Bentley

    I think I rather Dontari Poe. As we learned last year, sometimes it is better to roll the dice on the raw physically gifted player as opposed to the ‘safe’ pick. Dontari has the physical makeup of a Haloti Ngata but not quite the skillset…yet. If we tap in to that potential, you have a dominant DT that can make any defense damn good.

    However, If we do select Cox, Coples, Still, Brockers or any top tier DL in this draft, I for one, likely will not be opposed.

    • Anonymous

      Poe is very intriguing. He has rare size/movement skills. He could turn out to be an impact player.

      However…he’s not dominant while playing at Memphis. You see small school OL putting him on the ground. He’s very much a high risk/high reward guy. Nothing wrong with wanting him, but do understand that you might not get Haloti Ngata. Might be a complete bust.

  • Anonymous

    Brockers is more physical, but Cox is a good athlete, but more of a projection pick. I’m not sure I’d take him 15, I think he’ll be available in the 20s only b/c of the depth at DT in this draft. But he’s mobile, in two years as he fills out he could be special.

    • Anonymous

      I disagree. That jolt on contact that Cox generates is just not present in Brockers’ game when facing the same SEC competition…yet. Brockers is an upside pick. Right now, he looks like he’ll be a Ty Warren type, with limited passrush or penetration ability. Cox needs technique refinement, but you see push/pull moves, spin moves, swim moves, pure bullrush, and a fantastic first step. For my money, he’s the best combo of power & explosion in this draft. He’s going to show pretty well at the combine. I think by the time all is said and done, Cox will be the first DT off the board.

  • Anonymous

    The problem is they only keep 4 DT’s. Their not going to get rid of Laws because if they don’t keep DJax they’re paranoid about their drafting image and they won’t have any players left from the ’08 draft. So would you cut Jenkins, Patterson or Dixon? And I’d rather have them sign Landri and keep the chemistry they have. With so many needs at other positions, since we have a good group especially if for some reason they’re brave enough to let Laws or Dixon go and sign Landri, wouldn’t it be better to have competiton in those other areas with the 15th pick?

    • Anonymous

      Laws or not..really no big deal…but the FO better resign Landri…no question about it!!!

      • Anonymous

        I hope Landri is the most valuable to the Eagles–and some other team isn’t out there waiting to swoop when FA begins. All joking aside, he played very well in a limited role last season. If a team that employs smaller, 1 gap DT’s, needs a starter to play under tackle, and pays him accordingly, it’s hard to see the Eagles matching. It would be hard for any team to pay starting money to a rotational player.

    • Anonymous

      Eagles will keep 5 DTs. Could be 6 if the right guys are involved. Only 4 would play regularly. Others would play when injuries came up.

      • Anonymous

        Landri is our Victor Cruz on defense…

    • Gregory Post

      Roseman has publicly said that free agency is there to supplement players that are difficult to acquire or don’t pan out in the draft, and vice versa. I don’t think that the Eagles are too concerned about their draft image, they cut Teo-Neshiem not too long ago and he was their third round pick the year before that. Caplan has stated that sources told him they want to bring Laws back though, he has great versatility and that helps out guys like Jenkins.

  • Anonymous

    And what about if they add Haynesworth too? Too many DT’s it seems like.

  • Anonymous

    On the Kentucky video:

    :48 — Watch how he gets under the OL, but drives through him into the backfield. Then makes a good tackle of the RB.

    1:48 — Fights through block and sacks QB. Watch the takedown. He’s very limber for a DT.

    Very next play. He loops from LDE to the inside and comes free up the middle. Another strong tackle. Watch how he moves/runs on that play. Natural athlete.

    3:00 — Lines up at LDE. QB makes a quick throw. Cox has awareness to see that and jump for ball. Didn’t get it, but good try.

    3:40 — Lines up at LDE. Fires off the ball quickly and pushes the RT away. Then starts to get by RB, but is held. You see burst, strength, agility, and effort on that play.

    4:43 — Lines up at RDE. Fires off the ball. Is low and getting by the LT. Sees QB move up in pocket. Uses a great spin move to get back to the inside and hits QB just after he throws. That play is as good as it gets. That would be an impressive play if the guy was a DE prospect. DT??? Are you kidding me? Freakin’ great ability right there. Just enjoy the remainder of the vid.

  • Anonymous

    Assuming we address the huge needs we have at MLB and WR (and address SAM reasonably early on in the draft), I would definitely support getting an impact DT in the first round. I know you have studied the draft for a long time, so my question is, ignoring age for a second (and assuming Patterson’s surgery doesn’t hurt his play), would Cox be a guy that is likely to challenge for Patterson’s starting spot by year 2?

    • Anonymous

      No.

      Cox is an under tackle…a pass rusher. Patterson plays NT for us. Cox would be behind Jenkins as an UT. Dixon is the guy who could replace Patt in 2013.

      Those roles aren’t set in stone. It is possible that Washburn could mix and match roles, but you need one DT to line up as NT and the other to be the UT (playing the 3-technique ala Warren Sapp).

      • Anonymous

        I guess then my follow up question is, assuming we keep Jenkins, does Cox project to take his spot by year 2? I am asking because while I understand the value of stocking up on the dline, ultimately, you want production out of your first round pick. While he would rotate in I’m sure, not to mention Jenkins has a history of injuries, I want a guy in the first round that could beat out the guy in front of him eventually, and not simply because the guy in front’s career fell off due to age.

        • Anonymous

          Cox could make his presence felt early on. He could be a very good backup. He’s got the ability to be a very good starting DT, but he’s a bit raw. It took Haynesworth 3 years to become an impact player. I don’t know if Cox would push for a starting gig right away or that would happen in year 2 or 3. With no Jenkins in front of him, I think he could be put on the field from day one. Point is that with CJ there, he’s got to play at a high level to outright steal the starting job.

          Cox is talented enough to handle snaps at DE and DT. He’d get on the field right away and would be an interesting player for Washburn to use in different ways.

          • Anonymous

            He looks really powerful, athletic, and he lines up all over the place. A reasonable question is who is he lining up against. This isn’t the senior bowl where everybody is lining up against equivalent talent levels. Do you know if he’s beating good competition in these 2 games?

          • Anonymous

            UK didn’t have a great OL. South Carolina had a solid OL with some veterans.

            Key for Cox is athletic ability and that’s undeniable.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=47904149 Liam Garrett

        So Cujo and Cox are UT’s, and Dixon and Patt are NT’s. What about Landri, Laws, Jason Jones, and Haynesworth? Could any of these guys fill in at DE? What makes a tackle better suited for NT or UT?

  • Anonymous

    I can’t see going for Cox at 15 or going anything other than Kuechly unless they get one of the top MLBs in FA. Cox and a handful of similar DL will be there at 25. On paper their 15 is worth Denvers 25 and 57 straight up. Get Cox at 25 and a Doug Martin RB to back up Shady. Love the kid but they’re never giving the keys to the band to a RB. Add talent to share the load, extend Shady’s career, add some injury/contract insurance. Trade the 46 and 114 to get up to 40 and take Sanu and you’ve got the best and deepest offensive still talent in the NFL

    • Anonymous

      Expect the Eagles to go for a MLB in free agency.

      • Anonymous

        I’m glad. I think that is the best move. Historically, filling needs through FA is not a winning strategy, long term, but I think the Eagles talent scouts have done a better job in FA than in the draft, and they need help quickly. I’m just hoping they don’t go for any injury reclamation projects as the plan–such as Jonathan Goff.

        Truth be told, I’ve also really soured on Kuechly, the more I’ve watched of him. Maybe it’s paralysis by analysis, but I just don’t like the way he got bowled over for 2 TDs in that Nevada game. And the lack of big hits and tackles 7 yards from the LOS are something I saw pretty consistently. Love his instincts, but I’m not sure he’s got what it takes to be an impact at MLB in the NFL. A starter, for sure, but maybe an even less dynamic version of James Laurinaitis, or even a pre 3-4 conversion AJ Hawk type, with less speed.

        Reading some of the press (for whatever that’s worth) from Detroit & Atlanta, it sounds as if the Falcons are more likely to part with Lofton than the Lions are with Tulloch. I happen to think that Tulloch brings more to the table, in terms of coverage ability and experience in this system, but would certainly be happy with Lofton.

      • Anonymous

        Not against the idea but I fear a repeat of Asomugha where taking a Vet out of a scheme he’s played in forever matters. I get tulloch is a wide-9 vet but I also think Kuechly is special. I’m a huge Sean Lee fan and Mayocks comparison just sent me over the moon. Depending on DeSean I think they go 2nd tier in free agency. If DeSean is unreasonable I think they make a splash. I’d switch for Bowe in a heartbeat. Just as Vick cannot expose himself any longer nor can DeSean return punts. If by chance Kurchly comes out of the combines with a 4.80 40 I’m more interested in Hawthorne or Tulloch. If Highower runs a 4.60 I’m back in love with the draft.

    • Anonymous

      cox, martin and sanu? I hear roseman is looking for an assistant.

      • Anonymous

        Too early to get this nuts but, why not? I am hoping we reverse the course of the last two years and rather than draft 10 trade for quality. My selections are reasonable based on consensus rankings and value charts. A 46 and 114 = 40 in value. 15 = 25 and 57. I don’t know if Denver wants to trade their 1st and 2nd for our 1st but it’s fair value. Cox s/b there at 25. Sanu might be a reach but he’d generally in the 30′s on the rankings and I’ve seen him in the 40′s. Martin is generally ranked late 2nd or 3rd round so 51, 57 are reasonable and he might be the type of guy they watch and if he gets into the 60′s they look at pairing their 77 with their own 4th or 5th to move them up to 65ish or 70ish. Hell, how this for a scenario so that deal with Denver for a 25 and 57 and ship Asante and our 4th (99, tamp bay) to Detroit for their 2nd (early 3rd value). We draft 25, 46, 51, 54, 57, 77, 115, 145, three 6ths,.

        • Anonymous

          Too early? Sure, we’re all spinning our wheels before FA but our GM caps are spinning even faster. That’s what we’re all here for. I like the idea of trading for quality – I’m sick of drafting 10 guys for the sake of camp competition. Don’t we have enough depth yet? Get a handful or 6 quality players. And a draft choice or 2 for next year.

          • Anonymous

            Well, too early for real confidence. Still a joy to play GM and we are. I absolutely want quality but predicted they’d go this route the last two years, incorrectly. I see this as an odd draft in that aside from Kuechly no one appeals to me at 15. I see a large number between 25 and 75 however and can see us getting 6 picks in there while keeping #99. We’re going to have the combines reshaping player rankings and then free agency reshaping draft needs. They lose Mathis we’ll all be using one of their top 3 for OL.

  • Anonymous

    This is a long shot FA, but Tommy, have you thought about Anthony Spencer as a SLB?
    Not sure what he’d cost, his up and down performance as a pass rusher may reduce his value to 3-4 teams, but if he didn’t work out at SLB I’d bet he’d be a holy terror in the wide 9.

    Have him drop 10 lbs to 255 or so, and he’s a top flight run stopper who’d be a good blitzer from the SAM. Sorta of a taller version of Gocong with a tad bit more athleticism.

    Went back over my notes and back in 2007 you even suggested he could be looked at MLB.

    • Anonymous

      Spencer has a very good (or great) motor. He had a key sack vs WAS when he chased the QB from behind and ran him down. Runs well. Covers a lot of ground. He simply hasn’t shown the consistent pass rush ability to be a star OLB. I would need to study tape to even have a clue about his coverage skills. No idea as of now.

      Interesting idea. I’m all for adding a vet SAM so we could target Kuechly in the draft. That would make me very happy. Cost would probably be the key thing. Eagles aren’t paying big bucks for a SAM unless they covet him. No idea if he’s even on their radar. There was some talk Dallas could franchise him. Not sure what will happen.

  • Anonymous

    Tommy, will you do a later round sleeper/small school prospect article?

    • Anonymous

      Absolutely. Right now I’m concentrating on the top of the draft. I’ll get to those guys in the coming weeks.

      • Anonymous

        Great! Thanks.

  • http://twitter.com/MichaelFloyd84 Michael J Wallis II

    I really don’t see what the fuss is at all about him. He gets occasional pressure and occasionally gets stonewalled by the O lineman. He never gets his hands up when he doesn’t get there. He missed a few tackles and didn’t seem to make any impact plays at all. Yes he looks more athletic than the average D tackle rushing from the D end position, but still not a guy you would ever actually want to put there. Shouldn’t first round picks dominate against lowly competition like Kentucky? I didn’t see domination at all.

    • Anonymous

      Kentucky is an SEC team. No one in the SEC is lowly.

      You don’t expect 1st round picks to “dominate”. You are looking for NFL ability. Does the player have certain football skills? Does have special athletic ability?

      Domination is a funny word/concept. Ndamukong Suh was dominant vs Texas in Big 12 title game and you could see it was man vs boys. That’s why he went so early.

      DeMarcus Ware finished his college career with 27.5 sacks. And that was playing at Troy against mediocre competition. He’s had 20 sacks in an NFL season facing elite competition.

      JPP had 6.5 sacks in his one year at USF. Is that dominant?

      Tom Burke was a DE at Wisconsin who once had 20 sacks in a year. He was dominant. Mid round pick who was a role player for a couple of years.

      Focus on NFL potential. Ability. Getting caught up in results can be misleading.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DPZBMFBVAVUM65GQ3VDXOQDYZQ Morton

        You can’t just focus on the sack totals.

        You have to actually watch the tape and see what kind of impact a player has on the game.

        For example, if you watched Devon Still this year, you would have observed that he completely dominated offensive linemen inside and frequently demanded double teams. He would also perform 2-3 “wow” plays in every game. The only games I watched in which Still wasn’t dominating offensive linemen were the Wisconsin and Ohio State games. I didn’t watch the bowl game.

        I think you expect an elite talent to dominate inferior competition. If you ever watched some of the elite players in the NFL play in college, you saw that. Troy Polamalu was a man among boys at USC. Lamar Woodley was a man among boys in Michigan. As was Nndamokong Suh.

        Too often NFL scouts get caught up in “upside” when they fail to realize that most of the time, that “upside” is simply a figment of their imagination and the player they see before their eyes in college simply stalemating inferior offensive linemen is just that and nothing more.

    • Anonymous

      I think you should try and find some video of other Defensive Tackles coming out this year and compare. I think you’ll find that Cox looks pretty special, in comparison. If you find someone that you think makes Cox look ordinary, I’d be really interested in seeing it.

  • Anonymous

    Cox is a sensible pick at 15 because his strength and college performance makes him low risk, and his set of physical skills give him upside. DT fits Andy’s belief that you draft special DL athletes and their needs as they haven’t invested a high pick there since Trevor Laws.

  • Anonymous

    Tommy …thoughts on London fletcher as a FA 1-2 year band aid and still draft Luke? Work him in, in packages and get him used to the wide-9? If he struggles u still have London. Signing fletcher and Luke would equal thr same cap hit as just signing a Tulluch or lofton.

    • Anonymous

      Love London and it would be awesome to add him.

      Can’t see us signing him and drafting Luke. That’s a huge investment. Could Luke play SAM for a year? Maybe. That’s just an unlikely scenario.

      I think if you draft Luke you expect him to start from day one. That’s your guy.

      • Anonymous

        I figured since the wide 9 is a unique defense for a LB to learn it might be nice to have a backup plan other than Jamar Chaney or Casey Mathews. Plus Rolle would have someone he could talk to eye to eye in London!!

        • Anonymous

          Wide-9 isn’t all that different for a MLB. He’s still behind a pair of DTs. Luke had guys in front of him at BC that played a decent amount of 2-gap so that would be the adjustment…dealing with 1-gap scheme. There are a lot of teams that play 1-gap. We did for most of JJ’s tenure.

          W9 is toughest on OLBs because they are more like ILBs. The SAM isn’t up on the LOS. The WLB isn’t out in space. They are lining up across from OL. Some guys can deal with that. Some can’t.

      • Anonymous

        Hey T
        Whay kind of numbers are you projecting for LK40 at the combine?

        • Anonymous

          Expect him to measure in at 6’2, 240.
          Speed? Anything around 4.70 is fine. If he is up closer to 4.8…that will hurt him and affect his value.
          Hope his VJ is around 36 inches.
          3-cone time should be 7.00 or lower.

          Luke doesn’t have to be great. He has to be “good enough”. We all know he’s not a special athlete. Just can’t be slow and stiff.

          • Anonymous

            Here’s my wish list for the draft
            Rd 1 LK40
            Rd 2 K Robinson…and V Curry

            That alone is an A+ draft right there

          • Anonymous

            Rolle/LK/Keenan Robinson looks good on paper and could be great. But what scares me is the lack of NFL exp. we don’t have any vet depth of any f them struggle. Chaney/Clayton/Mathews/Lloyd. Akeem Jordan would be the vet. Thoughts of bringing stew back as a backup SAM and MLB?

  • Anonymous

    Tommy, most people understand the draft, and even the first round, is not an exact science. I’ve bought into the hype on Keuchly, and would love to see a special player at MLB for us. Granted, I’m optimistic that Cullen and our other DT rotation will be healthy and good enough, but I’m curious what makes you think Cox won’t be a bust like Bunkley, or Laws, or McDougal. Didn’t all those guys have similar “good” size stats, and look good at times on film?

    When I think back to past drafts, I wanted us to get Haloti Ngata not Bunkley (and we were only 2 picks down, shame). I wanted us to trade up and get Patrick Willis (and thought we had a reasonable shot to make such a trade, similar to the Brandon Graham trade upcosts).

    I think you’re about as well versed on the draft, college football player talent, and nfl player talent (as well as NFL team schemes) as some of the top guys in the field; hence why I check up your site every day.

    Why wouldn’t it be time to roll the dice on getting a potential “Special Player”? Keuchly, or Poe for example. You frequently mention that the Eagles will most likely address MLB in FA. Who do you think that will be? It’s gotta be a pretty short list and from that short list, who in your opinion will outperform Keuchly?

    Thx,
    Steve
    ps. finally signed up with Disqus, thanks man

    • Anonymous

      First thing…Cox could be a special guy because of his athletic ability. The “safe” pick would be Devon Still. Senior. Big program. Consistent production. Going for Cox would be rolling the dice a bit.

      Kuechly is not Patrick Willis. Not even close. Kuechly is a tackling machine. For those with long memories, think of Keith Brooking from his days with the Falcons. Keith was picked 12th overall and had a good career with them. He’s now slow and old. Kuechly isn’t going to make impact plays. He’s a target because he would be solid and reliable.

      As for Poe…huge boom or bust pick. I’m not sure he’s worth pick 15. I went back and re-read some Ngata notes. He was a guy who was dominant at times at Oregon. Question was whether he could do that consistently. Poe was not dominant at Memphis, playing against small school competition. And because he was so much bigger (6’5, 340 approx), he should have manhandled blockers more than he did. BTW…I’m referring to physical dominance here. When a guy is this much bigger and stronger than the competition, it should show in his play. Not the case with Poe. He does have tremendous potential. He’s not an ideal fit for the 4-3 and that will affect his value a bit. Honestly, looks most comfortable at 3-4 DE for Memphis. Wonder if some 3-4 team will use him there.

      McDougle was a desperation pick. Hugh left in FA. Tried to sign KGB. He stayed in GB. Had to get a DE so we traded up for McDougle. He was solid college player, but nothing more. Laws was pick 48 overall. Overachiever type. Nothing special about him, except his motor. Cox is physically gifted in a way these guys simply weren’t.

      I don’t object to taking Poe, but everyone who supports this notion needs to embrace the idea that he could be a massive failure. As long as you accept that part of the situation, I can live with Poe. Dude could be special.

      • Anonymous

        Hi Tommy,

        Thanks for the post – having watched the clips it seems to my untrained eye that Cox would be better suited as a 3-4 DE. He seems better suited with a big NT next to him who can swallow up the interior linemen.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anders-Jensen/748307140 Anders Jensen

          You mean like Patterson there often take the double team and leave guys like Jenkins and Landri with the 1vs1?

  • Anonymous

    The FO passed on Earl Thomas..who would have solidified the safety position for like 7 yrs…now .It’s still in flux.hope they’ve learned their lesson and don’t pass on LK40 who can do the same for the MLB position.We can’t go into the draft every year trying to fix mistakes made in the previous draft.

    • http://twitter.com/sjampendk Sjampen

      Have you watched Earl Thomas play? Watch that first, then think back to all the times you screamed at the TV when an Eagles missed a tackle, especially when it was Allen, Coleman, Page, and then say again that you want Thomas. Thomas is a brilliant ballhawk and cover guy, but he is a nobody when it comes to run support and tackling. Thats certainly not a bad thing, but is that what you want in our defense, more ballhawks and playmakers, because i think the problem was we had to many of those guys and to few song, tough FOOTBALL players. Not trying to be an asshole, but Earl Thomas is not what we need IMO.

      I do agree with Kuechly being what we need, because he certainly is a footballplayer with a big F. Tough, smart guy. I am however intrigued with us bringing in Lofton who is all that and a very good athlete or London Fletcher who proved for what seems like 25 years that he is a strong MLB.

      • Anonymous

        Love Lofton…but a lot of scouting reports he’s a huge liability in coverage.who’d u rather have BG or earl?…food for thought….

        • http://twitter.com/sjampendk Sjampen

          if were going back id take Jason Pierre-Paul, Sean Weatherspoon, Mike Iupati, Rob Gronkowski, Daryl Washington, Carlos Dunlap, Sean Lee, Navorro Bowman, Tony Moeaki, Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez, Geno Atkins etc. before i take Earl Thomas. But thats easy when we know the result.

          Who do you want, the nations top DE, who was never injured and played hard although a bit short and with short arms, or a safety that Alamabas Mark Ingram spent most of a chamiopnshipgame removing from his shoes. If i forget all about the play and go back and look at the scouting reports, id still take Graham and never take Thomas, because back then Marion Barber, Brandon Jacobs and Clinton Portis all ran harder and better than Ingram. To bad Graham got injured, but you can’t blame that on the FO. You could with WR Jackson, TE Ingram and CB Ikegwouno, but Graham never had an injury.

          I actually though Lofton was decent in coverage. He is certainly better than Tulloch from what i have seen, and should be better than Kuechly simply because of athleticism.

          • Anonymous

            Loved Stew…but no way…..I think the well is dry there….

          • Anonymous

            Well said. Graham looked like a solid pick and JPP looked like the wildcard. One guy got injured, the other lined up with a really good DL. With Washburn, there’s still hope yet for Graham…

  • Kammich

    In the last post there was quite a bit of discussion about the inefficiencies of tackling in HS and college prospects. I’ve been watching some tape of the various top CBs in this year’s class, and you need look no further for displays of ineptitude in tackling. Wow. Outside of Morris Claiborne, all of the top CBs are “hitters” and nothing else. Watching Jenkins, Kirkpatrick and Dennard is like deja-vu… all I see is Asante. Even my boy Boykin is pretty sloppy fundamentally(two sloppy tackles led to 14 pts against LSU).

    I know CB doesn’t place a premium on wrap-up ability(you get paid to cover and make plays on the ball), but it just seems like a testament to the lack of attention being paid to tackling fundamentals. Just brutal to watch, sometimes.

    • Anonymous

      CBs that can tackle well are becoming a rare commodity. Boykin has potential, but can be sloppy. At least there is some effort on his part.

      Antoine Winfield should be given a job by the NFL, Govt, and United Nations. Make him the ambassador of CB tackling. He must personally train all young CBs in the art of tackling.

  • Anonymous

    Tommy. One more question. Over on BGN they made an interesting point about David Hawthorne that I’m curious to see what you think about it. Sign him as the SAM. Which he played prior to moving to MLB to replace Tatupu. Draft Luke to be MLB. Now you have Rolle/Luke/Hawthorne. Kinda like that pairing. You have speed in Rolle, and cookie cutter MLB in Luke and size/strength in Hawthorne.

    • Anonymous

      Hawthorne was the WLB in Seattle. Aaron Curry was the SAM.

      David could probably play SAM for us. I’d be fine with signing him to do that and then drafting Luke. No objection from me.

  • Anonymous

    Rolle/Luke/hawethorn/ Matthews/Chaney/Clayton/?? DT- CJ, Patterson, Jason Jones, Landri, Dixon. DE- Cole, Babin, Graham, Chandler Jones, Hunt. CBs- DRC, NA, Boykin, Marsh, Hughes. Safety- Coleman, Jarret, Allen, ????

    I like this defense. FA – Hawethorn, Jason Jones. Possible safety.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DPZBMFBVAVUM65GQ3VDXOQDYZQ Morton

    I don’t see anything in this kid’s game that screams “elite talent”.

    There are far better options with the #15 pick. Inevitably, one of the quality DL prospects *will* fall into reach. I’d rather have Coples, Brockers, Still, Ingram, Upshaw, or even Perry over this guy.

    • Gregory Post

      We don’t need “elite” talent, we just need a guy that can shed blocks and make the tackles.

      • http://twitter.com/sjampendk Sjampen

        While i too get tired of Mortons desire to constantly disagree with everything, i do think that in the first round, especially with a top half pick, that you really want to look for an elite talent. Late in the first and in the second round that becomes a lot harder.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Kozicky/671597545 Peter Kozicky

    Before actually watching them play, I preferred Fletcher Cox to Devon Still, based on scouting reports alone. After watching some of their videos side by side: Stills>Cox by a wide margin. I’m grateful that these new sites like draft breakdown now allow me judge for myself, taking my draft obsession to the next level.

    Although Cox’s quickness rushing between the tackles, relentlessness in pursuit and positional versatility make him an intriguing hypothetical fit in the wide-9, the same attributes that make Cox special make him he’s too one dimensional for a mid-1st round pick. Cox’s an exciting prospect, but he wouldn’t transform our defense like the additions of Brockers or Still. Cox easily slips by single teams, but often takes himself out of running plays by doing so. When he can’t use his quickness to get around blockers, he often gets stood up and rarely sheds blockers with sheer strength or technique. Despite his quickness and aggression, Cox lacks an elite first step to beat his blocker off the snap.

    I’m not a Penn State fan, so I haven’t seen a lot of Still and I don’t know if he flashes dominance or does it consistently,but his online videos are much more impressive. Unlike Cox, Still dominates in all facets of the game. He shows an explosive first step to beat his man off the snap, upper body strength to counter the blocker’s punch and a variety of overpowering pass rush moves. I realize they played in different systems, but Devon Still also displays better awareness reading the play, bulk to anchor against the run, an ability to shed trapping guards and surprising speed chasing rushers out of bounds.

    Strengthening our defense up the middle should be our top priority, so that makes DT one of our biggest needs, but the key to the position is Antonio Dixon. If he’s coming back healthy and fits the wide 9, we might not need to invest heavily in another DT. Cox seems to be rising up draft boards, but I wouldn’t take him at 15 and don’t think he’ll last till our 2nd round pick.

    If we can’t count on anything from Dixon, we should absolutely draft a DT in the 1st or 2nd round or sign Jason Jones in FA. If Dixon’s back, we can wait till the 3rd or 4th round & guy like Derek Wolfe, Billy Winn, Kendall Reyes or Jared Crick.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DPZBMFBVAVUM65GQ3VDXOQDYZQ Morton

      I watched every single Penn State game (sans the Bowl Game vs Houston – the kids don’t even try hard in these games unless they’re playing for a championship) this year, very carefully, with extra attention paid to Still and the defensive line in particular.

      Still was flat-out dominant in every single game this year except for two games against Ohio State and Wisconsin, when he was average to below-average, and due in no small part to the fact that he was lining up against future NFL Pro Bowlers (Peter Konz of Wisconsin and Michael Brewster of Ohio State) and double-teamed frequently as part of the Ohio State/Wisconsin game plans. He demolished lesser offensive lines, which is exactly what you want to see out of a top prospect.

      Still is as dominant a force against the run as he is disruptive against the pass. He frequently commands double teams and stands up OGs and even OTs at the point of attack. He is adept at timing the snap to provide the maximum level of disruption and penetration into the backfield. He is relatively raw as a pass rusher but displays a promising set of pass-rush moves which, with coaching, will be further refined.

      The only reasons you would hesitate to draft Still with a top-15 pick are: a.) He has had a string of injury problems up until his Senior Year in College, b.) He has had some motivation issues at times, and skipped the Senior Bowl which makes you question his drive and determination and c.) His agent is Drew Rosenhaus

      If these three issues didn’t exist, he would clearly be the first DL off the board in the 2012 draft. As it stands, there is some risk to the pick, but the risk is all in external intangible factors – because the physical talent is clearly there and manifests on the field – unlike the risk involved in banking on the “upside” with a prospect such as Fletcher Cox.

      I’d definitely take Still over Cox, but those three negative factors have to give you some pause.

  • Anonymous

    It’s important to think about fit.

    Cox, Reyes and Wolfe to me are the three DTs who “fit” the wide 9. There may be more talented players, but they won’t provide as much value in THIS system.

    In the same fashion, I’d just say no to Ingram and Upshaw, they won’t provide as much value to the Eagles as the “true” DEs available in this draft, and they lack the open space athleticism to make sense at SLB (and will be drafted too high to justify playing them there).

    I’d have no problem with DeMarco, because he could play LG and RT for Mudd, providing insurance for years to come for the OL even if they resign Mathis (who’s 31, and Herremans is no sure thing going forward at RT).

    JPP looks great on the Giants, but he wouldn’t be a great DE in the wide 9, bulk him up and like Coples, if he wants it, he could dominate in this scheme as a DT. But he’s a physical DE who works his way to the ball, Washburn wants guys who explode off the edge.

    One size doesn’t fit all, I wouldn’t touch Poe, but if I’m the Ravens or the Patriots, I’m examining him with a microscope. On the other hand, guys like Roy and Daniels don’t fit a lot of systems, but come the 6th rd, if they’re still out there, I’ll give them to Washburn for his DL rotation.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Coe/749860957 James Coe

    What do people think of Shea McClellin? Here’s what Wes Bunting has to say about him:

    “If you’re looking at him as a pass rusher, he’s at his best with his hand on the ground. Being one of those Eagles wide-9 defensive ends. At the same time, for a big guy he’s fluid and he can run with backs. So 4-3 teams can look at him as a strong-side backer and then let him put his hand on the ground on 3rd downs.”

    His suggestion seems to be that he would be a 2 down SAM in a 4-3, and contribute to the DE rotation in obvious passing scenarios. Not sure whether he’d fit in with what we do, but it’s an interesting thought.