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https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2 ... live-blog/

Tuesday, January 26th

3:36 p.m. Alabama corner Cyrus Jones just recovered nicely on a route for a pass defensed. The next rep he was beat vertically by Clemson wide receiver Charone Peake. Cyrus is a fun player to watch compete. — Plocher

3:32 p.m. D.J. Reader is continuing his solid play in 9-on-7 drills. He just beat the reach block attempt of Glasgow to force a cutback on an outside zone run. — Liskiewitz

3:31 p.m. Sterling Shepard has been getting the better of the defensive backs in one-on-ones but the throws to him have been off target. — Plocher

3:30 p.m. Backs and tight ends versus linebackers were the feature of the day’s first one on ones. The off-ball linebackers were given an opportunity to flash their blitzing chops and no one impressed more than Jeremy Cash. He may be a man without a position in the NFL as he played linebacker at Duke weighing under 220 pounds, but he rushed the passer like a defensive end. Cash won every single rep convincingly. — Renner

3:25 p.m. The South team is now going to the 9-on-7 portion of practice on one end and doing one-on-one drills between wide receivers and defensive backs on the other. Things are picking up. — Plocher

3:23 p.m. Clemson DT D.J. Reader is feasting on Missouri interior linemen during 1-on-1s. Three straight bull-and-rip move wins for him. –– Liskiewitz

3:13 p.m. TCU running back Aaron Green looking fast and fluid in positional drills but that’s not surprising. He can make people miss. — Plocher

3:11 p.m. Cody Whitehair was the highest-graded left tackle in the FBS last season, but a number of factors have him sliding inside to guard here at the Senior Bowl. The biggest of which is Whitehair’s limited length. His sub-32-inch arms are almost unheard of at the NFL level and I saw longer edge defenders routinely get into his body. The former Wildcat’s hands though are fantastic and was one of the best in the country and maintaining blocks once locked in. His length will be far less of an issue on the interior. If he can maintain that high level of play throughout practice this week at guard, he could very well be the first guard off the board come April. — Renner

3:09 p.m. Keeping an eye on our top-rated wide receiver Sterling Shepard as he’s getting coached up by the Jaguars’ staff. He has a bigger frame than I thought for a guy who played primarily in the slot. He’s also shown an ability to win outside and deep — he should be fun to watch in one-on-one drills. — Plocher

2:50 p.m. Michigan center Graham Glasgow played center at last week’s Shrine Game but was announced at guard during this morning’s weigh-in. He’s playing center during position drills right now, but I suspect he’ll see time at all three interior offensive line positions this week. — Liskiewitz

2:47 p.m. The first South practice is underway in Fairhope. Starting with some special teams work. — Plocher

2:45 p.m. Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler was nearly 6-4 and weighed 325 pounds with 34-inch long arms. He stood out in our grading all year and this week is an opportunity for him to showcase his talent against higher-caliber offensive linemen. — Plocher

2:31 p.m. Duke safety Jeremy Cash was nearly 6-1 and weighed 212 pounds at the Senior Bowl weigh-in. He was one of our more productive safetys but really made his mark as a run defender and pass rusher. The questions will be: Is he a safety or an outside linebacker? Does he have a Deone Bucannon role in the NFL? — Plocher

2:29 p.m. Virginia Tech DE Dadi Nicolas looked ripped up and maxed out at 235; teams will love his arm length (35 inches), and this is likely why he played so much 3-4 DE at Virginia Tech. I expect him to struggle in off-the-ball drills this week, but his ability to rush off the edge as an OLB will be coveted. — Liskiewitz

1:08 p.m. Former ASU Sun Devil D.J. Foster is a late addition to the Senior Bowl as a running back. Foster is a versatile playmaker who is equally at home playing slot receiver as he is at running back. He’ll be a player to keep an eye on this week. — Plocher

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Kyle Crabbs’ Senior Bowl Recap: Day 2

Written by Kyle Crabbs on January 27, 2016


Day 2 is in the books. Now that my fingers and eyelids have thawed and I’m able to fully function (it was in the low 40s with frequent gusts of wind blasting us for four hours this afternoon); it’s time to look over my thoughts of the day. Structure in comparison to yesterday’s recap will be a little different, I’d like to take the opportunity to recap more players.
North Squad – 12 PM – 2 PM CST

OT Jason Spriggs looks the part of a 1st RD Offensive Tackle. He’s doing a very nice job against a talented collection of pass rushers in 1 on 1’s and has rarely been challenged (minus a strong inside spin move by Utah DL Jason Fanaika on the last rep of the day). Spriggs is difficult to force off of his balanced pass set thanks to natural athleticism and foot quickness.
Michigan State WR Burbridge got some buzz yesterday but I’m not seeing the hype. He dropped numerous passes today and both days struggled to generate separation, showing little burst off of the LOS.
I’m frustrated by the use of Utah State LB Kyler Fackrell this week. He’s spent a majority of the time out of position as an off ball LB in drills and team. He’s much better suited to be an EDGE Defender and working in with the pass rush 1 on 1 drills. He did so for 2 reps today and promptly beat Stanford’s Kyle Murphy twice (and showed impressive hip mobility when dropping the shoulder for dip/rip combo).
Minnesota CB Eric Murray is playing this week just like he did on film: physical. He’s a bit too grabby at the top of routes but I’m loving how confident he is inside of 5 yards to get his hands on receivers and really dictate stems.
Temple’s DT Ioannidis is another player who has had his name mentioned as a winner this week that I’m not willing to confirm. Ioannidis won frequently on Tuesday against OL Beavers, who is arguably the poorest performing OL from either team. Today Ioannidis did not flash in the same manner and looked tightly wound working through the bags.
Today belonged to Ohio State’s Braxton Miller. Miller is running routes quicker and with more confidence than he did at Ohio State as he continues to blossom in his new role at Wide Receiver. Miller went toe to toe with numerous DBs and was consistently open. He’s earning himself a lot of money this week.



South Squad – 2:30 – 4:30 PM CST

Speaking of making themselves money, the majority of the South Defensive Line has shown and flashed dominance. Dadi Nicolas, Sheldon Rankins, Jarran Reed, Charles Tapper and Noah Spence have won 1 on 1 reps consistently thus far. Nicolas and Spence has won with speed against just about anyone and everyone lining up at Offensive Tackle. Spence was dominant today; he flew by John Theus and Spencer Drango with ease.
WR Malcolm Mitchell has had a quietly strong week. I don’t think I’ve heard a single ball hit his hands; Mitchell shows very strong ability to pluck the ball with soft hands.
TE Jerell Adams has played well thus far in regard to getting open running routes but let the ball into his frame at times today.
WR Jay Lee has shown out this week with a physical presence at the catch point and a number of wow catches. He’s a difficult prospect to get a read on due to his role in the Baylor offense; but a strong performance this week will certainly help.
Sterling Shepard is the best route runner here in Mobile. I’d continue to elaborate on that…but there’s nothing else to it. He’s as smooth as they come.
OT Le’Raven Clark started his week off strong with an incredible weigh in but it’s been all downhill from there. Clark has struggled getting out of his stance and establishing an initial punch in one on ones. He’s been beaten inside and out.
http://draftbreakdown.com/kyle-crabbs-s ... cap-day-2/

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Scout’s Eye: First Look At Wentz; Early Standouts From Senior Bowl Practice
Tuesday, January 26, 2016 8:21 PM CST
By Bryan Broaddus

Football Analyst/Scout


@BryanBroaddus

MOBILE, Ala. – We’re two practices into Senior Bowl week, and already we’ve seen plenty of early work to draw impressions from.

I was able to attend both practices on Tuesday afternoon, and these are my first thoughts as we get into the swing of this week. I’ll have more to share on Wednesday – both before and after the first padded practices of the week.
Read

Interesting to see Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland getting work on the outside at linebacker. Normally he lines up inside, so this is a switch for him. In the one-on-one drills against the running backs where he was rushing -- they couldn't block him. He was able to rush with a combination of power and quickness, all while never giving the blockers the same look. You can just tell by his tape from Alabama and what I have seen here live, whomever drafts him will continue to use him this way.

I haven't had a chance to study Georgia offensive tackle John Theus, but I do respect the way that he and Noah Spence went after each other. I was looking for someone to battle Spence and Theus was able to do that. There were several snaps where Theus took a shot at Spence after the play was over during one-on-ones.

Jalen Mills played safety during his senior season at LSU, but this week he is receiving work at right cornerback. After watching him on tape earlier this year, I think this is likely the best spot for him. He is quick-footed and he plays with instincts. If he has a weakness, it is as a tackler. There are snaps where he is not always interested in mixing it up as a tackler, and corner provides a way out.

I thought there was some good from Carson Wentz today and some bad as well. There is no question about the arm talent and the strength, but there were some throws where his accuracy was off and it was like he was trying to do too much. There were also some balls that were on target, but his receivers didn't do a good enough job of helping him. I can see the coaches going through the tape with him this evening to settle him down for Wednesday.

It was a nice start to the week for Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington. I see him lining up as a three-technique in a 4-3 scheme and going to work. On his college tape he was an active player, but I didn't feel like he was as nearly disruptive as he was in this practice. Willie Beavers and Josh Garrett really didn't have an answer for him.

I need to go back and take another look at Southern Utah safety Miles Killebrew. He made some plays in coverage -- especially in the flat -- defending the ball that I did not see him do in college. I thought initially he was just a bland player without much substance but he showed flashes today.

Liked what I saw from San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin. He is a much bigger and thicker player than what he appeared to be on film this season. He made several catches out of the backfield and ran with a burst. He has that extra gear to clear the line and get into the second level.

Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller had never worked as a punt returner until this practice this afternoon. He looked natural and comfortable catching the ball and is likely something we could see full time in his future.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2016/ ... l-practice

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Wednesday, January 27th

5:08 p.m. We’ve been hoping to see some reps from Duke’s Jeremy Cash at free safety, and the inexperience is evident. He’s fantastic in the box, and excellent at taking on and shedding blocks, but as a single-high free safety he’s a work in progress, as evidenced by a poor angle that led to a touchdown in 7-on-7. At this point, he’s closer to a linebacker to a true safety. — Palazzolo

4:47 p.m. Sterling Shepard is explosive in and out of his cuts. He can create separation with his route running. He can win inside or outside. He’s a fun player to watch. — Plocher

4:38 p.m. Jeremy Cash and Reggie Ragland both won their pass rush reps against running backs and tight ends. Not much of a surprise as both guys have demonstrated an ability to pass rush effectively this year.

4:13 p.m. South practice is underway and one matchup to watch is Eastern Kentucky edge defender Noah Spence going against Texas Tech OT Le’Raven Clark. Spence got the better of Clark on a few reps yesterday, some from a three-point stance and some while standing in more of a rush linebacker role. Spence is a legitimate prospect that has to answer more off-field questions and on-field. As for Clark, he had a strong season, finishing at no. 17 overall among offensive tackles, but he had a poor bowl game against the speed of LSU freshman edge rusher, Arden Key, and yesterday didn’t help ease concerns about that performance. — Palazzolo

3:52 p.m. Disappointing news: WRs Leontee Carroo and Tajae Sharpe were both injured during North practice and they’re out of the Senior Bowl. Carroo looked outstanding early in practice, still in the first-round mix at receiver. Battled injury this season, played only 363 snaps — Palazzolo

3:19 p.m. Some players that stood out positively in today’s North practice were Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon, East Carolina tight end Bryce Williams, Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller, Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo, Indiana offensive tackle Jason Spriggs, Temple defensive tackle Matt Ioannides, and Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day. — Plocher

2:41 p.m. The good and the bad on display for Carson Wentz on back to back plays. First he hits Braxton Miller on the deep comeback, off the big arm and tight spiral. He then comes back with a late pass to the sideline that should have been intercepted but was dropped. Wentz has big play potential, but made a number of questionable decisions in our seven games of evaluation. — Palazzolo

2:11 p.m. Notre Dame’s Sheldon Day and Temple’s Matt Ioannidis have both made plays in team drills with interior penetration. They are two of our top 10 graded defensive tackles. — Plocher

1:58 p.m. Boise State safety Darian Thompson is vying to become the top free safety prospect but he’s also showing that he can be physical against tight ends in one-on-one drills. He’s graded at +35.9 the last two years, including +19.0 in coverage. — Palazzolo

1:56 p.m. Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo is getting separation and making catches in one-on-one drills. He graded very well when healthy. The Senior Bowl week is a big opportunity for him to showcase his skills, as he only played 363 snaps this season. — Plocher

10:25 a.m Arkansas State tight end Darion Griswold is a late addition to the South roster. Griswold is our 10th-ranked tight end in the draft class. He has the size and movement skills that NFL teams will covet for a tight end in the passing game and he also has graded well as a run blocker the past two seasons at Arkansas State. — Plocher

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2 ... live-blog/

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2015 Senior Bowl: Wednesday Practice Report: North Team

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

The North team took the field of Ladd-Peebles Stadium for their second practice of the Senior Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys' coaching staff ran the practice and will coach them all week. The Cowboys' staff had the players practicing in full pads. Dallas' staff kept the players going at a good pace and at a reasonably physical level. Here is a run-down of the noteworthy players.

North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz had a quality practice. He has the best arm of any signal-caller at the Senior Bowl. Wentz threw some ropes in the short to intermediate part of the field. His deep balls were a bit off, but part of that stems from working with unfamiliar receivers.

In the team scrimmage, Wentz hit a nice pass downfield along the sideline in a window between coverage to Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Moore. One of Wentz's best deep balls led Moore into the end zone past two defenders, but the Bearcats receiver had the pass fall off his fingertips. Wentz dropped in a nice over-the-shoulder reception to Iowa tight end Henry Krieger-Coble. Even though Wentz didn't start a lot of games in college, he shows nice feel with a catchable ball that isn't always a fastball. He can put air underneath it and drop it in softly for his receivers.

Compared to many college quarterbacks entering the pros, Wentz looks much more natural working under center when making his drop. He has a nice basis of footwork and mechanics for the NFL. With two-thirds of his important practices over, Wentz is having a strong week at the Senior Bowl.

Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller had an excellent practice. He showed a tremendous release off the line against corners using speed and strength. That created instant separation for him. On a crossing route, Miller burned Oklahoma State cornerback Kevin Peterson. Minnesota's Eric Murray had to hold Miller to keep him from getting vertical. The defensive backs really struggled to contain him.

When Miller gets the ball in his hands, he's really dangerous as he has a burst to accelerate downfield and is very elusive. After practice, Miller spent time fielding punts, and he could be a multi-dimensional weapon as a receiver, runner and returner. With his quarterback experience, he makes a wildcat set even more dangerous. Miller is not the typical quarterback-turned-receiver; he is a pure football player. I think Miller is going to be more like Hines Ward than Matt Jones.





Murray had a mixed practice. He had an impressive breakup to slap the ball out of Chris Moore's hands. However, Murray was grabbing too much with receivers on some other plays and will need to work on that for the NFL.

On Wednesday, Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib really had an excellent session. He did very well in the pass-rushing one-on-ones as showed some quickness and power, plus variety in his pass-rushing moves. Nassib got started by blowing by Stanford offensive tackle Kyle Murphy around the corner. In a rematch, Murphy stopped a bull rush. Nassib got the better of Indiana's Jason Spriggs with quickness and a spin move before winning the second rep as he dipped and ripped underneath Spriggs to get leverage. Nassib used a bull rush to go through Western Michigan's Willie Beavers for a few wins. In the first team scrimmage, Nassib used a spin move to break free from Harvard's Cole Toner to get a sack. In the final team scrimmage, Nassib put a cap on his impressive practice by getting the corner on Murphy for a sack.

For the NFL, Nassib isn't a blinding edge rusher with elite speed around the corner. He is a physical, high-effort, quick and developed defender with a nose for the quarterback. His best fit would come as a left defensive end in a 4-3 defense to go against right tackles.

Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler continued his strong Senior Bowl. He used speed rushes to get the better of Washington State tackle/guard Joe Dahl on two reps. Butler easily walked back Iowa center Austin Blythe into the quarterback marker with powerful bull rushes. Butler is showing his special skill set and validating the early round projections.




Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington had tremendous Tuesday practice, destroying the offensive linemen. A day later, he was good, but not as dominant. Washington used speed and a spin move to fly by Michigan State center Jack Allen. Allen won the rematch when Washington tried to get low and fire by him, but Allen pushed him into the turf. Washington used power and speed to win against Dahl, but Dahl earned a draw in the rematch by stopping Washington after some initial penetration. While the offensive lineman did better against Washington on Wednesday, he still is very quick, strong, and athletic for an interior defensive lineman.

Dahl really struggled in this practice. On top of losing reps to Butler and Washington, Illinois defensive end Jihad Ward was too fast for him on two reps in the one-on-ones. As a guard or tackle, Dahl's issues with speed rushers will be exposed. He needs development.

Notre Dame center Nick Martin had an impressive day. He stood up two bull rushes from Penn State defensive tackle Austin Johnson. Martin did well in other reps and in the team scrimmage. With the exception of Michigan's Graham Glasgow, Martin has more power in his base than the other center prospects in Mobile.




Stanford offensive tackle Kyle Murphy and Virginia Tech edge rusher Dadi Nicolas are feast-or-famine players. They either look great and win decisively, or they look terrible in defeat. Murphy's good reps saw him mirror Utah State's Kyler Fackrell. In the team scrimmage, Michigan State defensive end Lawrence Thomas torched Murphy for a sack. Thomas also beat him in the one-on-ones. Thomas had an eye-opening practice.

Nicolas won some one-on-one reps and got pressure in the team scrimmage, but he struggled in the one-on-ones when his speed rush was stopped. He has a hard time shedding blocks as he lacks strength. If lineman can get their hands on Nicolas, he's in big trouble. Building some functional strength to shed blocks will be key for Nicolas as a pro.

Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day and Louisville defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins also had good practices. Each one flashed in the pass-rushing one-on-ones. Day also had a tackle for a loss in the team scrimmage. They both had good battles with Stanford guard Joshua Garnett. The defenders split the reps as Garnett held his own against bull and speed rushes.

Ohio State tight end Nick Vannett had a bad practice. In the one-on-ones, he wasn't getting separation from linebackers in man coverage -a terrible sign for a tight end - and he had a dropped pass. Vannett looks more like a blocking tight end and isn't a multi-dimensional threat.

Read more at http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl201 ... Ck3lR0Q.99

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2015 Senior Bowl: Wednesday Practice Report: South Team

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

The South team took the field of Ladd-Peebles Stadium for their second practice of the Senior Bowl. The Jacksonville Jaguars' coaching staff ran the practice and will coach them all week. The Jaguars staff' had the players practicing in full pads. Here is a run-down of the noteworthy players.

Duke safety Jeremy Cash had a phenomenal day. The physical safety was all over the field in pass coverage and also showed well as a blitzer. To get his impressive day started, Cash used his speed to burn Arkansas State tight end Darion Griswold for a sack. Cash won the rematch as Griswold lost his feet trying to keep up with the Blue Devil. In the seven-on-seven team scrimmage, Cash did extremely well at defending the deep part of the field and broke up a number of passes. He did cause a corner to drop an interception on a jump ball with a hit that jarred the ball loose and took out the receiver, but Cash had no way of knowing that and executed his assignment to break up a potential deep reception. Cash was all over the field on Wednesday, and this practice could really help his draft grade.

Another standout in the non-linemen one-on-ones was Texas Tech running back DeAndre Washington. He lost a rep to Florida's Antonio Morrison and Oklahoma's Eric Striker, before a super win over Alabama's Reggie Ragland when Washington stonewalled a bull rush from Ragland. In the receiving plays, Washington torched LSU linebacker Deion Jones on an out-and-up. In the scrimmage session, Washington had some nice runs with a burst. This was an eye-opening day from Washington.





Kentucky linebacker Josh Forrest had an impressive practice. He ran with Washington to break up a pass in the one-on-ones. Forrest had other impressive reps in pass coverage as well. He showed some pass-rush potential and was a physical run defender. Forrest's a sleeper prospect who is showing some three-down potential for the NFL.

Ragland did well overall. He beat Northwestern's Dan Vitale with a speed-to-power rush. Ragland ran over another blocker, and was his usual physical self in the team scrimmage. In pass coverage, Ragland had an impressive rep when he ran with Vitale and then slapped the pass away. In the pass-rushing one-on-ones, Ragland lost two blitz attempts to LSU's Vadal Alexander. Despite playing outside linebacker this week, Ragland should trim down some weight to be a middle linebacker in the NFL.

Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker did well in the blitzing session. He ran over Alabama's Kenyan Drake, but TCU's Aaron Green got separation running an out route from Striker. The Senior Bowl has served to confirm that Striker has the body of a 4-3 outside linebacker. However he's natural in pass coverage and is at his best as an edge rusher. Striker will need development as a pro.

Alabama running back Kenyan Drake had a nice practice on Wednesday. He had some wins in the blitz protection one-on-ones. Drake mired Deion Jones on one play, but also lost reps to Striker and Morrison. In the receiving portion, Drake burned Georgia's Jake Ganus on a crossing route. Drake also got the better of Missouri's Kentrell Brothers on a rep. This was an important session for Drake, so it was good for him that he held his own as a blocker while excelling as a receiver. With his durability issues, Drake will probably be a third-down and backup running back in the NFL. He showed he has blocking and receiving potential.




In the receiver versus defensive back one-on-ones, LSU's Jalen Mills stood out as he came close to getting two interceptions. Mills jumped out routes to break up passes intended for Baylor's Jay Lee and Minnesota's K.J. Maye. Mills did get attention from trainers for what looked like an arm injury. He could have been vulnerable to an out-and-up as he is very aggressive.

Lee came up with the best catch of the Senior Bowl with a one-handed leaping back-shoulder reception. Alabama's Cyrus Jones was a yard behind him yet Lee came through with a great grab on a pass off the mark. Lee is having a nice week in Mobile.

Clemson's D.J. Reader and Louisville's Sheldon Rankins both had good practices. Rankins used a swim move to the outside and then inside to beat Michigan center Graham Glasgow, a rare feat over the past two weeks. Reader was a load on the inside and bulled his way into the pocket on a number of occasions.

Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed had another quality practice. In the nine-on-nine run scrimmage, he stuffed a number of runs to the perimeter and was getting praise from the Jaguars' coaches. In the pass-rushing one-on-ones, Reed split reps with Michigan center/guard Graham Glasgow. Reed won on a bull rush, and Glasgow rode him around the pocket on a speed attempt. Reed's other wins came against Arizona State's Christian Westerman and Missouri's Evan Boehm. The Crimson Tide plugger is too strong for either of those blockers. However, Arkansas road-grading guard Sebastian Tretola stopped Reed on two bull rush attempts in impressive wins for the Razorback. Both Reed and Tretotla had good practices.




Baylor tackle Spencer Drango struggled in the pass-protection one-on-ones. College teammate Shawn Oakham used speed to fire by Drango on one rep. Noah Spence burned Drango with speed off the edge twice in a row. Drango had to know what was coming and still couldn't stop it. In the team scrimmage, BYU's Bronson Kaufusi toasted him with a speed rush for a sack. Virginia Tech's Dadi Nicolas burned Drango for a sack of Jacob Coker in the team scrimmage as well. This week has made it crystal clear that Drango has to move inside to guard in the NFL.

Nicolas had an impressive pass rush where he used his speed to split a double team from Texas Tech left tackle Le'Raven Clark and Alabama running back Kenyan Drake to get a sack. In the one-on-ones, Nicolas ran around LSU's Vadal Alexander for a win, but Alexander got two victories as he held up Nicolas with ease after grabbing him.

Nicolas struggles when his speed rush is stopped. He has a hard time shedding blocks as he lacks strength. If lineman can get their hands on Nicolas, he's in big trouble. Building some functional strength to shed blocks will be key for Nicolas as a pro, but he is a fast edge rusher who could contribute as a situational player quickly.

Duke kicker Ross Martin made a statement when he was good on a 60-yard field goal. On a cold, damp day, it was a very impressive kick.

Read more at http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl201 ... XI4JCw1.99

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2016 Senior Bowl: Tuesday Rumor Mill

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from the rumor mill on Day 2.

Sources with a team picking in the top 10 say that the top four players on their draft board would be Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil, UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, and Florida State cornerback/safety Jalen Ramsey. That is how their board would stack up if Jack and Smith didn't suffer their knee tears. Obviously, this team loves Ramsey. There have been multiple other teams that have told WalterFootball.com that they have a second-round grade on Ramsey. Thus, there is a huge debate on the Seminole product. Across the board, there is nothing but consensus love for Tunsil, Jack, and Smith.

Scouts say that Alabama defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson is a freak athlete with rare size and speed, but the knock on him is a lack of consistency. They say that if he had played consistently in college, he would be a candidate to go No. 1 overall to Tennessee. Robinson has a rare combination of strength, speed and athleticism. Teams feel that Robinson will be a three-down defender in his career and can contribute to the pass rush. After the Combine, don't be surprised if Robinson becomes a hot prospect.


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Some teams expect Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed to go in the top 20. They say he is a good athlete who is a solid defender. They love Reed's run defense and feel some team will want him to be their nose tackle. Teams feel that Reed has quickness and speed to develop into a three-down player, but at least early on, if not throughout his career, he could be coming off the field in passing situations and be limited to a two-down defender role. Thus, they expect Robinson to go ahead of Reed.

It sounds like one prospect who made a mistake in entering the draft early was LSU Jerald Hawkins. Sources from multiple teams have said they've given Hawkins day-three grades. They say he has terrible leverage, gets fooled, has to get stronger, gets bull rushed, and is stiff. Teams really knocked Hawkins for a lack of strength. They don't feel he is gifted enough to play left tackle in the NFL. They say that Hawkins has good length, and that his feet are his best attribute, so he is more of a developmental pick and backup. Multiple teams have grades on Hawkins ranging from the fourth to the sixth round.




Virginia cornerback Maurice Canady earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, but sources say that they have major concerns about Canady in coverage. Canady (6-2, 195) has good size and length for the press-man systems that are en vogue with a number of teams in the NFL. However, sources say that Canady gives up too much separation and they're grading him on the third day of the draft. Canady needs a big week in Mobile to get second-day consideration.

In speaking with scouts at the weigh-in, no player stood out for bad reasons as being very out of shape or over weight. One player who did trim down before the Senior Bowl was LSU guard/tackle Vadal Alexander. During the fall when scouts went through LSU, they said that Alexander was heavier. This morning he checked in at 6-foot-5, 336 pounds. Sources from multiple teams had weight concerns with Alexander, so it will be important for him to continue to lose weight and at least maintain this weight throughout the pre-draft workouts.

Many free agent running backs who are 30-plus years old with frequent injuries in their career have a hard time finding a team to sign them, but one potential exception this offseason is Bears running back Matt Forte. In speaking with a few teams, they feel that Forte could be a good role player as a receiving back and part-time runner to pair with a first- and second-down back. Forte won't get a big contract, but he should have a few teams interested in signing him

Read more at http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl201 ... AJocTwJ.99

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2016 Senior Bowl: Wednesday Rumor Mill

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from the rumor mill on Day 3.

Sources told me that at the East-West Shrine, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan met with every quarterback for an hour. At the Senior Bowl, Maccagnan has continued his quarterback scrutiny, as he had a formal meeting with North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. Clearly, New York isn't banking on Bryce Petty being the starter of the future and they are doing their homework on the other signal-callers.

The Jets also have scouting hard the edge-rushers. Sources say they had a formal meeting planned with Virginia Tech outside linebacker Dadi Nicolas on Tuesday night. A pass-rusher coming off the edge has been a need for the Jets after Quinton Coples didn't pan out. New York also had a formal meeting with Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler. It is hard seeing them use another first-round pick on that position, but perhaps it could be in play if Muhammad Wilkerson leaves and Sheldon Richardson faces further discipline in the form of suspensions.




Sources say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers love Florida State cornerback/safety Jalen Ramsey. They view him as a play-making defensive back who could be a tremendous cornerback or safety in the NFL. They feel he is an Alpha Dog defender and would be ecstatic to land him in the 2016 NFL Draft. While the Bucs love Ramsey, they don't expect him to get to their pick at No. 9 overall. With other needs to address on the roster, it sounds unlikely that Tampa Bay would trade up for Ramsey. Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III is getting some consideration from Tampa Bay, but in speaking with sources, the Buccaneers sound lukewarm on Hargreaves.

In speaking with sources, the Lions love Vernon Butler. They've shown a ton of interest in him and it makes perfect sense as Detroit needs to bolster the interior of their defensive line. If Butler continues to have a strong week here in Mobile, he could be firmly in play for the Lions' first-round pick.

The Bears are interested Houston cornerback William Jackson, but unfortunately for Chicago, Jackson was unable to participate in the Senior Bowl because of an injury. Chicago is in the market for cornerback help, and Jackson is coming off a huge senior year. Perhaps the Bears will target Jackson on Day 2.




In speaking with sources, the Texans plan on being active in free agency. Last year wide receivers Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts signed one-year contracts, so replacing them with some speed complements for DeAndre Hopkins could be one direction they go. Other areas that Houston could definitely address would be a veteran quarterback, running back, tight end, and offensive line help. Really all positions on the offense are potential options for the Texans looking to improve.

One team that hasn't been discussed being in the quarterback market is the San Diego Chargers. They signed Philip Rivers to an extension, and with the regime on the hot seat, nobody has projecting San Diego to take a quarterback. However, Rivers is 34 and they could get a nice draft pick for the veteran. Sources with the Chargers say the team loves North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. If the Chargers have a shot at Wentz, San Diego will have to consider taking Rivers heir apparent and seeing what they can get for Rivers. Although Rivers contract could make trading him difficult.

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