Unknown Scout Gives His Thoughts

[Broncos_OTM]

http://www.realgmfootball.com/src_encroachment/128/20081027/from_the_inside_talking_with_a_scout/

JR: How does this draft class appear to shape up in comparison with recent years at the halfway point of the college football season?

Scout: It depends really on what you need. If you need a linebacker or a safety this is the best class in years. I can find you 10 safeties who have the ability to be good NFL starters this year. Real good year for centers and probably for guards. We have three centers with first round grades and that’s pretty unusual (upon follow-up, they are Jonathan Luigs of Arkansas, Alex Mack of California, and Antoine Caldwell of Alabama). Decent year for pass rushers.

But if you need a quarterback next year and Stafford or Bradford don’t come out, forget it. The running back crop is top heavy and then really falls off. Really the offensive skill positions aren’t much in this draft. That doesn’t mean they won’t go high though (laughs).

JR: Last year at about this time, I asked you for some under-the-radar guys who were going to make good pros. You gave me Tracy Porter (CB, Indiana now on IR after earning a starting nod in New Orleans), Jamey Richard (C, Buffalo now starting at G for the Colts), and Josh Morgan (WR, Virginia Tech just breaking out in SF). Who do you have for me this year?

Scout: I just spent a lot of time looking at Wisconsin and linebacker Jonathan Casillas. Real fast and strong for his size. He’s real small but he plays bigger than he is. He’ll start in the middle for a Cover 2 base team. He’s better than the Dizon kid the Lions took, much faster and more fluid. I like Ziggy Hood from Mizzou as a big space eater type in the middle.
JR: No Beanie Wells there?

Scout: I haven’t made up my mind on Beanie just yet. There are times when I see a kid every bit as good as Adrian Peterson and then he fades. Beanie runs streaky. He isn’t the most mature kid either. He kind of showed up his coaches with the way he handled his toe and I don’t like that.

JR: What about those Buckeyes defenders, like Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis?

Scout: I love Jenkins and I couldn’t find anyone in this business who doesn’t love him. You name the quality you want in a corner, he’s got loads of it. (Our team) almost never considers defensive backs as a top 10 pick, but we would look at him hard if we had the #1 pick. He’s got Champ Bailey potential and he isn’t that far off from him already.

Laurinaitis scares me a little. There are times where he looks like he’s thinking too much and he runs stiff. In the right defense he’s got a chance to be real good, but he’s no Tampa 2 guy. I’ll tell you one thing I love about him: James Laurinaitis thrives when challenged. You can’t coach that, you can’t teach that, and it’s that quality that separates the great from the good. Ray Lewis has it, Pat Willis has that. And Laurinaitis has it.

[Broncos_OTM]

Its great it seems alot of our MAJOR weaknesses are going to be strong spots in this draft and will most likely deep. hope we find some gamers

[BroncoMan4ever]

Hopefully we can draft some capable new starters.

next season i won't care if we are starting Rookies at MLB, both Safeties, and a DE. they will probably be an upgrade over what we have now

[SpringStein]

Thanks, a good read.

[bpc]

1st - HB/WR (based on Torain)
2nd - DT
3rd - SS
4th - MLB

[SpringStein]

1st - HB/WR (based on Torain)
2nd - DT
3rd - SS
4th - MLB

Ill be the contrarian:
1. CB
2. S
3. MLB
4. DT

[gyldenlove]

I will go a third way:

1. MLB (We could go round 2 or 3 with this, but I don't want a good MLB, I want a great MLB, someone who will put foot to ass on every single play, and if for some reason there is a play he is not introducing his size 13 to someone's behind it will be because our offense is on the field, and even then I would like him to kick some butt just to stay warm!)
2. S
3. DL
4. CB

[SportinOne]

Make it a fourth:

1. DL - I don't care if we picked Moss. In my humble opinion the guy is a definite bust. But it's not his fault that he got picked so high. So if the coaching staff feels the way i do, then I think we draft the best available DL.

2. MLB - I live in Madison but i just don't like the idea of Casillas. He seems a lot like Ian Gold to me. He's 2 inches taller than Ian was and almost the exact same weight. No thanks. We need a brute force in there. It'd be nice if this new MLB could have even somewhat below average hands.. which would be a drastic updgrade over anything we've had in a long time.

3. Safety - The status of this position might be even more dismal than our d line situation. That's hard to accomplish! For that reason, i think it's possible that we draft safety in the first or second round if there is a guy with polamalu or sanders potential. But by this point in the draft they have to get one.

4. WR/D - I've already announced (to a great clammoring of replies i might add) that i am jumping on the Travis Beckum bandwagon... but only as a wide receiver. He might not be lightning quick but he's just as fast as Marshall. We've seen Marshall get open deep plenty of times it's just a matter of getting him the ball. So what if he doesn't have the break tackle moves that Marshall does.. not a single WR in the NFL does! Nothing wrong with another huge target. If Beckum's gone then I think they should take the best defensive player available.... who's NOT a corner back. I think that guys like Dre Bly and Jack Williams are more than serviceable with a strong front seven. Even the best corner in the draft would suffer if we still can't get any pressure.

One last thing... On the topic of running backs. Yes, there have been lots of injuries to our "stable" of backs this year, but they have all done pretty well when actually given the chance. Our O line with Clady now is pretty darn solid and our passing game is built to be great. No running backs please.. we can add those after the draft or in free agency.

A young center would be nice as well.

[mattob14]

Ill be the contrarian:
1. CB
2. S
3. MLB
4. DT

Ugh, no CB in round 1 please! The position has lost importance in recent years and, even though we're aging, is still the strongest spot on the D (although that's not saying much). Safety is so bad, I could see an early pick there, otherwise we need to focus on building front-to-back.

[snowspot66]

I would be really pissed at CB or WR in the first. Complete waste at this point.

[SpringStein]

I would be really pissed at CB or WR in the first. Complete waste at this point.

Decent chance we don't re-sign Paymah. Now down to 32 year old Bly who is obviously losing skills, Champ and Jack. I'd hardly say it was a waste, especially if the CB was an outstanding KR and/or PR/

[SpringStein]

Ugh, no CB in round 1 please! The position has lost importance in recent years and, even though we're aging, is still the strongest spot on the D (although that's not saying much). Safety is so bad, I could see an early pick there, otherwise we need to focus on building front-to-back.

IMO with the depth at S in the '09 draft, we can likely get an outstanding one in the 2nd round.

[snowspot66]

Decent chance we don't re-sign Paymah. Now down to 32 year old Bly who is obviously losing skills, Champ and Jack. I'd hardly say it was a waste, especially if the CB was an outstanding KR and/or PR/

Except that we've proven you can't win with all the talent in back and none in the front. All the depth/talent int he world can't make up for the rules favoring the offense and no pressure from up front. Unless you can 100% guarantee we get another Champ, a once in a generation player, then we have to plug the holes elsewhere first.

[BroncoMan4ever]

I will go a third way:

1. MLB (We could go round 2 or 3 with this, but I don't want a good MLB, I want a great MLB, someone who will put foot to ass on every single play, and if for some reason there is a play he is not introducing his size 13 to someone's behind it will be because our offense is on the field, and even then I would like him to kick some butt just to stay warm!)
2. S
3. DL
4. CB

we could just bring random non Broncos fans down to the field to be the designated ass he is beating

[bpc]

I still see Denver taking a top flight HB if given the chance this time around. I think even if Torain does well (i'm expecting decent results with more potential), his checkered injury past and the implementation of two backs needed to carry most offenses now will motivate us to take a chance on another HB high in this draft.

I've stated many times I like Lesean McCoy. I think he'll come out from Pittsburgh and will probably be a late 1st round guy. His talent is amazing and he's only a redshirt sophomore. He's going to get better moving forward.

I could see us springing for a wide bodied DT in round 2 and a MLB who slips a little bit in round 3. SS is a huge issue but those guys tend to fall a little bit more than other positions, sort of like interior offensive linemen.

I'm hoping Chad Jackson can pick up his career in Denver as an understudy to Royal and BMarsh eliminating the need to draft a WR high.

[nickademus]

I am not discounting the need for a good to great runner in our backfield but I just dont see one in this draft. Wells is a streaky runner and for his size that sucks. Moreno reminds me alot of portis and I would have the same concerns about him as I did with portis coming out of the U mainly size and wear/tear. The bottom line for me is there were two guys last year that would have fit the bill in Stewart and Mendenhall and IMHO no one in this draft is as good as these two. I will be more than a little pist off if Patrick Chung is not a Bronco. But as I have only recently gotten into my usually gluttany of college football this season I havent seen Lesean McCoy so BPC if you could post some clips I would really appriecate it.

[Broncos_OTM]

I am not discounting the need for a good to great runner in our backfield but I just dont see one in this draft. Wells is a streaky runner and for his size that sucks. Moreno reminds me alot of portis and I would have the same concerns about him as I did with portis coming out of the U mainly size and wear/tear. The bottom line for me is there were two guys last year that would have fit the bill in Stewart and Mendenhall and IMHO no one in this draft is as good as these two. I will be more than a little pist off if Patrick Chung is not a Bronco. But as I have only recently gotten into my usually gluttany of college football this season I havent seen Lesean McCoy so BPC if you could post some clips I would really appriecate it.

I cant even remember which game it was but the game i say of mcoy he was having a rough go. i know i should have watched other games on him but i was really dissapointed with him

[bpc]

I am not discounting the need for a good to great runner in our backfield but I just dont see one in this draft. Wells is a streaky runner and for his size that sucks. Moreno reminds me alot of portis and I would have the same concerns about him as I did with portis coming out of the U mainly size and wear/tear. The bottom line for me is there were two guys last year that would have fit the bill in Stewart and Mendenhall and IMHO no one in this draft is as good as these two. I will be more than a little pist off if Patrick Chung is not a Bronco. But as I have only recently gotten into my usually gluttany of college football this season I havent seen Lesean McCoy so BPC if you could post some clips I would really appriecate it.

I posted some in the 2009 Free Agents and draft thread somewhere in this side of the forum. Just look through there.

McCoy had another big game against Rutgers this past week. I don't get to see many games that he plays in, only the highlights but he had over 100yd and 3 TD's.

I like McCoy. I saw him last year against Michigan State and he has speed to burn along with good size. He's still maturing as a prospect (redshirt sophomore) so the best is yet to come. I like his game though. He's big enough to be an every down time of player in the NFL and for us. He can make the first guy miss and plays with a pad level that will be effective on 3rd and short. He has great vision and our system is known to look for the one cut HB... he does that better than any player i've seen this year DESPITE being so young. He has long ball speed and a nice pair of hands should we ever INCORPORATE that into our offense.. He's not a finished product yet but that works in our favor. If he was, he'd be a top 10 pick. As of right now he's a 20-30 selection in the first round which is perfect, that is where we should be drafting.

The importance of offensive weapons especially one at halfback should not be overlooked. I think a lot of fans and even coaches and FO people have been doing that in Denver because of our rep. Take a look at a team like Tennessee though... they don't have the OLine we do but tons of talents players at HB. They've drafted one in the 2nd round two years in a row and then Johnson in the first round this season. He's paying off huge dividends for them.

As much as I want Cutler to become a 35 TD passer (and he still might) this offense works better when we can control the clock, the tempo and opposing defenses by keeping them honest and making them respect our run. If we can pick up somebody to carry the rock for us that we can count on through a 16 game season, it will make Cutler, our passing game, our running game and defense much better.

Chris Johnson has sparked Tennessee to a 7-0 record this year. They had tons of holes last season going into the offseason. It takes one guy at a key position and ultimately a team can start looking better. That is why I think we need to find a solution at HB. Even if Torain does well, I think we still might take a flyer on another player. We have a franchise QB, LT, and WR. We just need to complete the pairing and take some pressure off Jay.

[bpc]

This is what we need... a guy that has the nose for the endzone and can pick up the tough yardage along with keeping a defense honest so Jay can disect them.

10/27/08 - SEASON RECAP: Rutgers 54, Pitt 34 – QB Mike Teel completed 14 of 21 passes for a career-high 361 yards and a school-record six TDs for Rutgers as the Panthers pass defense came completely apart. RB LeSean McCoy scored four TDS and ran for 146 yards in defeat. McCoy broke Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett’s school record for rushing touchdowns in two seasons. By scoring four TDS, McCoy now has 28 rushing TDS in his first two years, including 14 this year. Dorsett scored 24 in his first two years.

[mattob14]

IMO with the depth at S in the '09 draft, we can likely get an outstanding one in the 2nd round.

Actually, that's kind of what I'm banking on too. But if we go CB in round 1 and S in round 2, we're left fishing for LB and DE help in the middle rounds again. IMO, impact players at LB (Curry, Spikes, Maualuaga, Laurinites) and DE (Hardy, Orakpo) can cover for suspect CBs more than great corners can cover for our broken-down front 7. The only exception to that may be a player like Jenkins. If he were to fall to our pick, he may be a good enough pure talent to make an argument for a CB. Otherwise, we've got to look elsewhere on the first day.

[SportinOne]

Chris Johnson has sparked Tennessee to a 7-0 record this year. They had tons of holes last season going into the offseason. It takes one guy at a key position and ultimately a team can start looking better. That is why I think we need to find a solution at HB. Even if Torain does well, I think we still might take a flyer on another player. We have a franchise QB, LT, and WR. We just need to complete the pairing and take some pressure off Jay.

Wait a second.. .now i agree that Johnson is a great player, but let's not give him all or even MOST of the credit for the Titans hot start. Let's not forget that:

A. The Titans O Line has been AMAZING in not only run blocking but in pass protection i believe they have given up the least amount of sacks this year. Collins isn't exactly mobile either.

B. Speaking of Collins, he's played well. Part of that is protection, part of that is a good running game, but he has awful awful awful receivers. Give him credit too.

C. The defense... This is the BIGGEST reason why they are 7-0. Until the Indy game they had given up 11 points per game!

D. Schedule: JVille, Cincy, Houston, Minnesota, Baltimore, KC, Indy. That isn't a very tough schedule.. That's 17 wins between 7 teams folks.. 1 team out of those 7 has a winning record... they've been playing, well, LOSERS!!

[bpc]

Wait a second.. .now i agree that Johnson is a great player, but let's not give him all or even MOST of the credit for the Titans hot start. Let's not forget that:

A. The Titans O Line has been AMAZING in not only run blocking but in pass protection i believe they have given up the least amount of sacks this year. Collins isn't exactly mobile either.

B. Speaking of Collins, he's played well. Part of that is protection, part of that is a good running game, but he has awful awful awful receivers. Give him credit too.

C. The defense... This is the BIGGEST reason why they are 7-0. Until the Indy game they had given up 11 points per game!

D. Schedule: JVille, Cincy, Houston, Minnesota, Baltimore, KC, Indy. That isn't a very tough schedule.. That's 17 wins between 7 teams folks.. 1 team out of those 7 has a winning record... they've been playing, well, LOSERS!!

How many games has Collins started now? The last 4? Johnson was the sparkplug for this offense and a lightning rod for the team over that period and before when Young was at the helm. He's given LendWhale White time to get in shape and now he's starting to have an effect as well.

The Oline has been playing great along with the defense. Tell me who they have on those units though? Who do they have on the OLine besides Mawae that most people know of? How about the defense? Other then me giving a shout out to Finnigan, who knows anybody on that defense outside of Bullock and Haynesworth?

The offense is hardly daunting but Chris Johnson turned around the mentality of that unit with his big play ability. He made them into a confident bunch and they're rolling now.

I'm just saying it's a total team effort but drafting Chris Johnson amid much criticism was a brilliant move that's paying off huge dividends for them. It could have a similar affect in Denver with our offense.

[nickademus]

You dont have to sell me on the value of an impact RB. It would help both Jay and our D. I remember the pre-TD superbowl years with guys like Gerald Wilhight and Sammy Winder as our starting HBs. With our O-Line shaping up to be one of the best I feel like a high end RB is a must, but I just dont see one in this draft. I think next year will be better. IMHO in this draft the value is going to be at S and LB especially in the first few rounds. So since these are pretty obvious needs for us I would like to make the first two picks count. IF we went with a 3rd round RB I wouldnt complain.

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Decent chance we don't re-sign Paymah. Now down to 32 year old Bly who is obviously losing skills, Champ and Jack. I'd hardly say it was a waste, especially if the CB was an outstanding KR and/or PR/

If only there was a 3rd way to acquire players besides the draft and through trades. If only the league allowed players who had played 4 or more seasons to leave their current teams for new ones if they don't have a contract. Maybe the union should try to negotiate that into the next CBA.

and no, they aren't CB in the 1st round desperate.

[SpringStein]

and no, they aren't CB in the 1st round desperate.

Oh, I agree. Unlike most everyone, I won't be at all surprised if one of the top ones slides (to wherever we are) that we would pull that trigger.

Actually at this point it seems unlikely as I think there will be 2 studs, Malcolm Jenkins and Vontae Davis, that should be goth top 12. Otherwise I don't see a "can't miss" CB prospect.

[elsid13]

Oh, I agree. Unlike most everyone, I won't be at all surprised if one of the top ones slides (to wherever we are) that we would pull that trigger.

Actually at this point it seems unlikely as I think there will be 2 studs, Malcolm Jenkins and Vontae Davis, that should be goth top 12. Otherwise I don't see a "can't miss" CB prospect.

Alphonso Smith of Wake might surprise some folks and jump into the 10 to 15 range of the 1st round.

[lex]

This is what we need... a guy that has the nose for the endzone and can pick up the tough yardage along with keeping a defense honest so Jay can disect them.

10/27/08 - SEASON RECAP: Rutgers 54, Pitt 34 – QB Mike Teel completed 14 of 21 passes for a career-high 361 yards and a school-record six TDs for Rutgers as the Panthers pass defense came completely apart. RB LeSean McCoy scored four TDS and ran for 146 yards in defeat. McCoy broke Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett’s school record for rushing touchdowns in two seasons. By scoring four TDS, McCoy now has 28 rushing TDS in his first two years, including 14 this year. Dorsett scored 24 in his first two years.

Just to put a fine point on something, McCoy has more TDs after two seasons than Dorsett did after two seasons. But alas, Dorsett left college as the record holder for career TDs. Not only that but he played as a freshman on a team with a lot of other freshmen. They didnt play as many games then and he didnt have Jeff Otah paving the way either.

[SpringStein]

Alphonso Smith of Wake might surprise some folks and jump into the 10 to 15 range of the 1st round.


I like Smith a lot, but see him currently as a late first early second. But you're right, that could change.

[eddie mac]

Alphonso Smith of Wake might surprise some folks and jump into the 10 to 15 range of the 1st round.


IMHO he'll be the best long-term CB prospect to come out of this draft. All-pro written all over him.

[SportinOne]

How many games has Collins started now? The last 4? Johnson was the sparkplug for this offense and a lightning rod for the team over that period and before when Young was at the helm. He's given LendWhale White time to get in shape and now he's starting to have an effect as well.

The Oline has been playing great along with the defense. Tell me who they have on those units though? Who do they have on the OLine besides Mawae that most people know of? How about the defense? Other then me giving a shout out to Finnigan, who knows anybody on that defense outside of Bullock and Haynesworth?

The offense is hardly daunting but Chris Johnson turned around the mentality of that unit with his big play ability. He made them into a confident bunch and they're rolling now.

I'm just saying it's a total team effort but drafting Chris Johnson amid much criticism was a brilliant move that's paying off huge dividends for them. It could have a similar affect in Denver with our offense.

Even if it were a team full of nobodies, does it really matter who they are as long as they are getting it done? Their defense would be great no matter who was at RB. Same thing with the O line. And by the way, Kyle Vanden Bosch says hello.