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The legend grows...
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We do not play modern football. -
Soon, they shall be writing songs about the guy...I see a biopic in the future...Originally posted by wu-dai clan View PostComment
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Once was a man named Meinerz
Paid no attention to pain-erz
Broke his hand
Part of the plan
Now he plays for the Raid-erzComment
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LOL...good one, Nut! for the biopic, I see "Broken Hand Pancakes." Coming soon to pay-per-view!Originally posted by Boltnut View PostComment
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SENIOR BOWL 2021 Thursday Practices
By Pigskin Paul Guillemette | January 29, 2021
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It’s the final day of practices in Mobile, and it appears to be none too soon. The list of players attending, but not participating in pads, has grown to noticeable numbers this Thursday morning at the National practice session. It has hit the WR group especially hard. Here, but without pads, are TYLAN WALLACE, SAGE SURRATT, and D’WAYNE ESKRIDGE. We lost BEN SKOWRONEK late in practice yesterday. Lest risking being caught up really short of Wideouts on game day, the Dolphins wisely are giving WR reps to TE KENNY YEBOAH of Ole Miss. By the way, YEBOAH looks like a natural in that role, so under the heading of “the more you can do”, YEBOAH is looking the part out wide or in the slot and earning himself some plus grades on the scouts score cards.
Before I jump to QB evaluations, I want to mention a couple of players that have performed well these three days of practice, but whose names have not appeared in this space yet.
Pitt S DAMAR HAMLIN #33 has had some solid coverage reps, especially on receivers trying to run crossing patterns on him. He positions himself well and has good timing on disrupting the catch without contacting the receiver too soon and drawing a PI flag. HAMLIN almost came out after the 2019 season, even having his name listed on the 2020 Shrine roster initially. However, he changed his mind and returned for another season at PITT. Mark him down as a savvy, experienced defender with some athleticism to his game. Probably an early Day 3 Pick.
On the other side of the ball, I have to say I have been impressed with the play of the two primary OC’s in the game from this team: CREED HUMPHREY #56, and the surprising D3 guy #71 QUINN MEINERZ. They are both wide bodies with nasty attitudes. HUMPHREY should be a Day Two draftee, while the little known MEINERZ looks to be pushing his way into the draftable category, which he was not previous to his presence in Mobile. Sorry to report that MEINERZ broke a bone in his hand today. He vows he will play on Saturday, likely with a club cast, but the Senior Bowl does not like to put injured guys out on the field. We shall see.
I have grown to appreciate the play and potential of Notre Dame DE ADE OGUNDEJI this week. Even though he seems a bit light to me (256 lbs.) for full time work at DE, I cannot dispute the fact that he has been active and effective this week, and intrigues with his 35 1/4″ arms and 85 3/8″ wing span. Those numbers explain how he catches guys as they try to scoot away from him at the line-of-scrimmage.
I am not highly confident that the National team is going to be able to move the ball consistently on Saturday, because I believe their QB group is undermanned in the pro level talent department. That will be especially true if they are staying in the pocket to prove they can do so and deliver the ball downfield to their receivers. A big part of the success of IAN BOOK #12 and SAM EHLINGER #11 in their college careers has been their ability to run when needed, especially in EHLINGER’s case. Neither of them, as well as FELEIPE FRANKS #8, has shown a lot of throwing accuracy on a regular basis. FRANKS has the biggest arm when he rears back and cuts loose, but I think he’s barely hitting 50% of his throws in practice work. I am not convinced any of these guys will get Drafted in April, though they will all get signed for a Training Camp roster. BOOK, with his experience and high FBI, might be the guy here that gets drafted in Round 5/6 as a solid addition overall to a team’s QB room. More on QB’s at the end of this column.
Afternoon Practice AMERICAN Team
This team also looked like a group returning from battle with heavy casualties today. MALIK HERRING #10 DL/Georgia had a full “cast/wrap” on his right leg and was on crutches. MARVIN WILSON/DT/FSU and ROBERT ROCHELL/CB were both without pads as practice began. Highly ranked OT D’ANTE SMITH #67 was to leave the field with a Trainer in the middle of practice.
Under the heading of saving the best for last, I guess, I want to say that one of the most impressive athletes in Mobile, as well as an active participant in pads, has been JABRIL COX #19 from LSU, after he transferred back south from the Dakotas to play against the big boys in the SEC. Except for smallish hands (8 3/4″), he shows excellent size for as fluid as he moves, at 6’3/233. He covers a lot of ground and clearly looks like he has accepted coaching at LSU, and here, to improve his overall play. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his play is his ability to shine in coverage. But he also brings the lumber to stop the run. I have not run into anyone yet at this venue who thinks he won’t slide into late Round 1 when the Draft rolls around.
Local boy KADARIUS TONEY #1 has displayed his speed and quickness all 3 days, but he has struggled, especially on Tuesday, with drops. I live in Florida these days, so I get Florida football to watch every weekend in the Fall. I certainly do NOT remember dropsies being an issue for TONEY last season for the Gators, so his catching issues this week have been a surprise. His name has been hovering around late Round 1 Draft talk, and I am sure he will be pushing hard for a big game receiving on Saturday. He is one of the best “big play” threats in the 2021 Draft Class.
Speaking of Florida school prospects… I also get UCF games most football weekends. There has been a lot of luv heaped on UCF S RICHIE GRANT #27. GRANT is a good athlete who has been starting since his freshman year at UCF. He’s no giant, but at 5’115/200, he’s a solid S who started his career as a ball hawk and then seemed to change into a bit of a head hunter in his last two seasons. He has shown that aggressive nature in Mobile, but he has also looked solid in coverage and has had his hand on the ball multiple times in coverage for either PBU’s and/or an INT. My feeling is that he is positioning himself for a Day Two draft slot.
Let’s get to the QB group to wind things up. The picture is a bit brighter on that front for the American squad.
After a solid start on Tuesday, JAMIE NEWMAN #7 has lost his momentum in the past two days. He has looked tentative in making his throws and has mixed good throws with bad. He has also looked jumpy in the pocket. He opted out of the 2020 season, and we expected some rust, but not a quick start and then a drop off. He’s Day 3 now. IMO.
KELLEN MOND was KELLEN MOND, #12. He is a frustrating evaluation for scouts because of inconsistency. When he’s on, he can lead his team up and down the field with nice running to supplement decent throws. When he’s having a bad day, it can get ugly. Overall, I think he sees the field well most of the time and comes across as a solid leader in the huddle. But when he’s off his game, it is not pretty.
MAC JONES #10, ALABAMA, was the big “get” for JIM NAGY for this year’s game. Any ‘Bama QB is a big get for a game in Mobile, AL and JONES is really good. He proved it again this week. He was clearly the most consistent of the 6 QB’s. He has a good, not great arm, but shows excellent accuracy and touch on his throws. He reads the field well and makes good decisions. Unfortunately, he pulled up lame after a TD run late in practice today, and is unlikely to play on Saturday, I would think. I believe he showed enough to my eyes this week to think that he is a late First Round QB.
So, to wrap it up, here is my QB ranking list based on what I saw this week, along with my Draft position for each QB.- MAC JONES Alabama Round 1
- KELLEN MOND Texas A&M Round 4/5
- JAMIE NEWMAN Wake Forest Round 4-5
- IAN BOOK Notre Dame Round 5/6
- SAM EHLINGER Texas Round 7-URFA
- FELIPE FRANKS Arkansas URFA
That’s a wrap. Covid-19 has messed up college football and the Senior Bowl, like the rest of our lives. But kudos to JIM NAGY and his staff, as well as the coaching staffs, and of course players, for making the best of a terrible situation. I will try to tweet during the game on Saturday, but if not, I will be posting game observations hopefully Saturday night.
Cheers from Mobile.
Pigskin
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Meinerz
I like...y
His pancake...y
Now, if you excuse me, I have some Charger memories to suppress.
The Wasted Decade is done.
Build Back Better.Comment
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Bolt spoke with OT Radunz today i heard.Comment
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Thanks for the updates Fleet.
A couple guys that I thought we could snag as sleepers have moved up the boards...
S Demar Hamlin I used to get in the 6th/7th round. Now he might be drafted in the 4th/5th.
G Quinn Meinerz I used to get in the 7th round. Now he might go in the 5th.
LB Jabril Cox I used to get in the 3rd/4th. Now he's a 2nd rounder...?
4-tech Malik Herring I used to get in the 6th. Now maybe a 4th/5th.
WR's Tylan Wallace and Sage Surratt have shown up numerous times in my mocks also.
Back to the tape...Comment
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Pigskin’s all-practice Senior Bowl team … What we said about no rest for GBN Associate Editor Pigskin Paul Guillemette at the Senior Bowl in Mobile despite it being an off-day for the players. Here is Pigskin’s all-practice team from this year’s Senior Bowl, always keeping in mind that NFL teams generally place a whole lot more importance on what they see during the week rather than in the actual game.
QB #10 MAC JONES ALABAMA
RB #7 MICHAEL CARTER UNC
FB #42 BEN MASON MICHIGAN
WR #84 FRANK DARBY ARIZONA STATE
WR #85 JOSH PALMER TENNESSEE
WR #3 AMARI RODGERS CLEMSON
TE #80 HUNTER LONG BOSTON COLLEGE
OT #67 D’ANTE SMITH EAST CAROLINA
OT #75 DILLON RADUNZ N. DAKOTA ST
OG #70 ROBERT JONES MIDDLE TENNESSEE ST
OG #73 TREY SMITH TENNESSEE
OC #71 QUINN MEINERZ UW/WHITEWATER
DE #9 CARLOS BASHAM WAKE FOREST
DE #47 ELERSON SMITH NORTHERN IOWA
DT #95 LEVI ONWUZURIKE WASHINGTON
DT #10 MALIK HERRING GEORGIA
LB #19 JABRIL COX LSU
LB #55 BARON BROWNING OHIO STATE
LB/ER #99 WILLIAM BRADLEY-KING BAYLOR
CB #4 THOMAS GRAHAM OREGON
CB #14 D.J. DANIEL GEORGIA
S #27 RICHIE GRANT UCF
S #27 DIVINE DEABLO VIRGINIA TECH
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2021 Senior Bowl: Risers
By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell
Aside from the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins, the two teams coaching the Senior Bowl, the rest of the teams in the NFL were limited to the number of evaluators they could have in attendance for the 2021 Senior Bowl practices. With the practices over, the vast majority of the evaluators left town and did not stay to watch the Senior Bowl game. With the Senior Bowl being over for 30 of the 32 franchises, team sources shared which players helped themselves and improve their draft stock in Mobile.- Multiple team sources named Oklahoma running back Rhamdonre Stevenson as one of the standouts from this week. Here's what one director of college scouting said about Stevenson: "He's a 235-pound downhill runner who can run routes, pass blocked well and caught it clean out of the backfield. Workhorse type back."
- Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney helped himself by showing off his explosive speed, as defensive backs really struggled to run with him and keep him from getting open. Toney's separation skills and big-play ability impressed team sources throughout the 2020 season.
- Another wide out who impressed teams was UCLA's Demetric Felton. Felton split time at running back and receiver for the Bruins, but in Mobile, he showed speedy slot receiver ability with shiftiness to get open. Felton had a nice week to illustrate he fits in a defined role for NFL teams.
- Missouri running back Larry Rountree was another ball carrier who helped himself in Mobile. Rountree went under the radar as a senior, but he was a tough runner, and some team sources feel that Rountree could be a day-two steal who ends up becoming a solid NFL starter.
- Georgia tight end Tre McKitty was another offensive weapon who had a good week in Alabama. McKitty (6-5, 245) is listed as a tight end; some teams think he might be a candidate to drop weight and be a big receiver. After only six receptions in 2020, McKitty needed some impressive practices to help himself and he delivered.
- Multiple team sources raved about UCF safety Richie Grant and were really impressed with his Wednesday practice when he snatched two interceptions. "He struggles some in man coverage but he strikes people and has ball skills," said a director of college scouting. A few sources said that Grant is sleeper that could be a nice value pick.
- South Carolina wide receiver Shi Smith was another slot receiver candidate who had good practices at the Senior Bowl. Teams liked Smith's ability to create separation with quickness and route-running. After inconsistent quarterbacking during his time with the Gamecocks, Smith took advantage of the opportunity to show NFL teams what he is capable of.
- Oklahoma's Tre Brown is a slot cornerback for the NFL, and he had an impressive week of practice according to team sources. Brown showed an ability to run with receivers with smooth coverage skills. This week could help Brown to be a riser throughout the lead up the draft.
- Wake Forest wide receiver Sage Surratt sat out the 2020 season, so having a good Senior Bowl performance was important for him. Surratt was able to come through with the week he needed to impress team evaluators. "He has good hands, size, body control, and will be a solid pro using his big body, said a director of college scouting.
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