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Monday, February 27, 2012

Quick Hits from the Combine

I had the opportunity to view inside the NFL Scouting Combine for the first time on Sunday and I took notes to share. It was a great experience to bring fans in for the first time. When I first got there, I was general admission so I had to wait on the priority to check in first. When I got done checking in, we had breakfast provided. Since I got up at 5am, I was so happy to see bacon on the breakfast line (fatty coming out right there). After that we got to go into the stadium to watch the combine. Here are my thoughts on what I saw

- The first group to run was QBs. In this group Robert Griffin displayed his world class athleticism by running an unofficial 4.38 40 yard dash. From where we were sitting we had a great view of the 40. I was not only impressed by the time (he was a great sprinter so this shouldn't come as a surprise), but how fluid he looked running it. Every movement seemed effortless. He did not throw but his 40, vertical, and broad jump were all outstanding.

-One QB who wasn't very good at the combine was Nick Foles from Arizona. He had the slowest 40 from all of the QB's at 5.15. Offensive lineman Matt Kalil ran faster than that. He also was less than impressive in the throwing drills. He underthrew several deep balls and did not throw a tight spiral all day.

-The QB that probably had the best day throwing was Michigan State's Kirk Cousins. He displayed good footwork in all of the drills and throws a very catchable ball. He was also very accurate with all of his throws. Another QB that looked good throwing the football was Chandler Harnish from Northern Illinois. He put every ball right on the money and probably threw the best deep ball out of any QB in the first group.

-There were alot of "big" wide receivers that ran well in the 40. They include Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech, Michael Floyd from Notre Dame, and Tommy Streeter from Miami (Fl). The also went on to look good in the guantlet drill. Hill and especially Floyd displayed great hands and picked every pass out of the air without having to bring it in to their bodies. Hill also made a diving catch running a go route. He may have pushed himself into late first round/early second discussion.

-One guy that didn't run that should have was Alshon Jeffery. He was a big wide receiver from South Carolina that has questions about his speed to it was surprising to see him not run even though he was healthy. Now he has a ton riding on his pro day.

-The second group of QB's featured probable number one draft pick Andrew Luck. He did not throw but showed he too is an athlete by putting down a 4.59 unofficial 40 time. He also had a 36" vertical and a 10'4" standing broad jump. He has a very thick lower body that will stand up well against the wear and tear in the NFL and also has lower body explosion as evidenced by the solid vertical and broad jump numbers. This workout only reaffirmed that he will be the number one overall pick in the draft.

-A couple of late round picks that stood out were Devon Wylie from Fresno State and Junior Hemingway from Michigan. Devon Wylie has alot of Wes Welker in him. He was a small guy, didn't post a 4.4 forty, but he was very quick. In the route tree he really displayed the ability to stick his foot in the ground and make very quick cuts. He also brings value as a kick returner, having returned two kicks for TDs last year. Hemingway also didn't have the greatest 40 time but showed great hands. He will be a solid number two possession receiver that has value in rounds 4-6.

Overall it was neat to see the process up close for the first time and see just what all these athletes are put through. If anyone has the opportunity to go in future years, take it. You will not regret it.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Pre-combine mock draft

1. Indianapolis Colts- This pick should be a no brainer. Both Todd McShay and Mel Kiper called Andrew Luck one of the three best QB's they've ever evaluated.
Pick- Andrew Luck QB, Stanford
2. Trade-Cleveland Browns- Peyton Hillis may be gone this offseason and even when he was in there he didn't produce all that much. The Browns definitely need some firepower on offense and they have to know by now Colt McCoy is not the answer at QB.
Pick- Robery Griffin III QB, Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings- Christian Ponder actually came in and played fairly well, which was a good sign after many questioned taking him that high last year. They have some solid skill players, but their line play left alot to be desired, especially on the offensive line.
Pick- Matt Kalil OT, USC
4. Trade- St Louis Rams- Jason Smith was supposed to be the answer at the tackle position for the Rams, but he has stuggled to stay healthy and has considered by many to be a disappointment. They could use an upgrade there.
Pick- Riley Reiff OT, Iowa
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Their secondary really struggled all year, especially the corner position. Best player available and it fills a need.
Pick- Morris Claiborne CB, LSU
6. Washington Redskins- They need a QB but they will probably look for that need in a trade (Matt Flynn or Peyton Manning?). Whoever they bring in will need someone to throw to.
Pick- Justin Blackmon WR, Oklahoma St
7. Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jags have tried in multiple drafts to upgrade the pass rush but really none of those picks have turned out so far. This time may be the charm
Pick-Quinton Coples DE, UNC
8. Miami Dolphins- Hopefully they can either move up or get a QB in free agency, because that position needs to be addressed. They also need a guy opposite Cameron Wake to take some pressure off of him.
Pick- Melvin Ingram DE, South Carolina
9. Carolina Panthers- Cam Newton was a homerun pick, but now it's time to protect the franchise QB. An offensive tackle makes alot of sense with this pick.
Pick- Jonathan Martin OT, Stanford
10. Buffalo Bills- A fast start quickly fizzled this season, making it apparent they still need pieces on the defensive side of the ball. One area of particular concern is at linebacker. They need someone that can get after the QB.
Pick- Michael Brockers DE, LSU
11. Seattle Seahawks- They also need someone that can get after the QB. This guy had a huge season as the leader of the national champions.
Pick-  Courtney Upshaw OLB, Alabama
12. Kansas City Chiefs- Matt Cassell or Kyle Orton next season? Regardless of who it is, they need someone to throw to. I have a feeling Dwayne Bowe would love this pick, as it would take some of the defense's pressure off of him.
Pick- Kendall Wright WR, Baylor
13. Arizona Cardinals- They made a great pick last year in Patrick Peterson, someone who really shined his rookie year. Still need some defensive help in order to really compete in this league, but they also need offensive line help.
Pick-David DeCastro OG, Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys- They really need to look long and hard at drafting a corner with this pick. If you need convincing why, just look at their last game against the Giants.
Pick- Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles- The "Dream Team" quickly became a nightmare this season and almost lead to Andy Reid losing his job. They have a solid mix in place but they need to get younger on the defensive front 7.
Pick- Devon Still DE, Penn St
16. New York Jets- The Jets defensive really showed their age this season, especially along the defensive line. Time to inject some youth into that position.
Pick- Whitney Mercilus DE, Illinois
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland)- If he falls this far, the Bengals would be stupid not to draft him. Benson definitely isn't getting any younger and it showed this season.
Pick- Trent Richardson RB, Alabama
18. San Diego Chargers- A little surprised Norv Turner is still there, with another disappointing finish. Rivers got abused this season because both of the left and right tackles aren't very good. An upgrade is definitely needed.
Pick- Mike Adams OT, Ohio St
19. Chicago Bears- The Bears biggest problem is they really don't have anyone that can stretch the field. This guy was electric for the Irish this season and fills a huge need.
Pick- Michael Floyd WR, Notre Dame
20. Tennessee Titans- They are still in a pass-happy division, which means they need to get after the QB. Their pass rush was almost non-existent last season.
Pick- Andre Branch DE, Clemson
21. Cincinnati Bengals- Got a solid running back with the first pick, so this pick may just be used on the best player available. Best guess is that they look at a defensive lineman or in the secondary.
Pick- Dre Kirkpatrick CB, Alabama
22. St Louis Rams from Cleveland- Two first round picks from the Cleveland trade gives them flexibility. They took a solid tackle with that first pick and now it could be time to give Sam Bradford someone to throw to.
Pick- Alshon Jeffery WR, South Carolina
23. Detroit Lions- They have got to address the interior of their offensive line. That is the main reason that they can't run the ball in short yardage situations. This is definitely a team headed in the right direction though.
Pick-Peter Konz C, Wisconsin
24.Pittsburgh Steelers- Man, that is an old defense they have in Pittsburgh. Almost everyone is over the age of 32. Youth is desperately needed all over. Especially in the secondary, a secondary that got toasted by Tim Tebow.
Pick- Alfonzo Dennard CB, Nebraska
 25. Denver Broncos- Their overtime win against the Steelers was one of the greatest things I have ever witnessed. Their playmakers on defense really stepped up, however Brian Dawkins will probably not be back so they need to do something about the safety position.
Pick- Mark Barron S, Alabama
  26.Houston Texans- What a turn-a-round that defense made, thanks to a slew of draft picks that have stepped up. They could look at a wideout here, but my gut is saying it will be used along the o-line.
Pick- Cordy Glenn OG, Georgia
  27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans)- Any Patriots fan will tell you they need to use both of these first round picks on the defensive side of the ball. I will agree with them, although it's likely one of them gets traded.
Pick- Dont'a Hightower ILB, Alabama 
28.  Green Bay Packers-They are really in the position were they can afford to take a little bit of a luxury with this pick. They have so many playmakers on offense and could really use a few more playmakers on defense.
Pick-Fletcher Cox DT, Mississippi St
29.Baltimore Ravens- They are also a team that needs to get younger on the defensive side of the ball. They could use some young pass rush help.
Pick- Nick Perry DE, USC
30. San Francisco 49ers- Aldon Smith played great this season, one of the many reasons that they went 13-3. As good as their defense was this season, the offense was most definitely a work in progress. They eventually need an upgrade to Alex Smith at the QB spot, but for now I think they take the best player available.
Pick- Zach Brown OLB, UNC
31. New England Patriots- They need to do something about the pass rush in this draft. The best thing about being ahead is that you can rush the passer but they lack the players to do it constistently and effectively.
Pick-Vinny Curry DE, Marshall
32.New York Giants- It really has been amazing the players they've been able to get at the defensive end position. Matt Ryan just had no time to throw in that playoff game. Thing is that unit is still relatively young. They need to do something about the linebacker position though.
Pick-  Luke Kuechly ILB, Boston College

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

NFL combine here I come!

This guy was lucky enough to snag tickets to the 2012 NFL combine on Sunday. This is the day that the Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers work out, so probably not alot of fatties unless 2006 Mike Williams decides to show up. I am excited for several reasons. Number one, this is the first time that they let fans watch the combine, so I get to be apart of history. Number two, I am a huge NFL draft nerd, spending the last few years watching the combine on my computer, so it will definitely be exciting to watch in person this year. The last and biggest reason I'm excited is I get to watch Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin, and Justin Blackmon compete and participate in drills. I'll be taking notes and doing a blog over the notes later. I was just so excited for this opportunity that I couldn't not do a short blog post about it.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Coaches can be fat too (Here's to you Rex Ryan)

It was brought to my attention that I neglected the coaches when rolling my top fatties in each sport list. As someone who had many great coaches, let me take the time to right this terrible wrong. I was going to pick one from each sport, but I feel that is unfair to all of the other fatties looking to make the cut. Well here goes nothing (and in no particular order.)

Rex Ryan

If I mention the phrase "fat coach," the first person you probably think of is Rex Ryan. This isn't a knock on Rex, kudos to him for embracing his inner fatty. I wish he didn't have a mouth that runs all the time, I think I'd respect him more as a coach. He is a lineman at heart and enjoys hanging with the lineman so props for that. I think I'll have a cheeseburger in honor of Rex.

Vinny Del Negro

Okay so he's not really fat, but he is a waste of space, so that's close right? If you type in "Vinny Del Negro" and "Set plays" in to Google, nothing comes up and for good reason: he doesn't have any. It's amazing the Clippers are as competitive as they are despite having Del Negro as a coach. Lob(ster) City.

Ozzie Guillen

Doesn't have typical fattie features, but he does have a chubby face. Of course I'm writing this as I'm shoving a sandwich in my face, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. Actually that would be too much sodium so please don't do that. Anyway, fatties can relate to Ozzie mostly because no one understands anything he says, much like no one understands what we say because we have food in our mouths.

Rob Ryan

Not gonna lie, he made it purely for this picture. What a man's man.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2012 NFL draft prospect rankings

Top 5 at each position

QB
1. Andrew Luck, Stanford
2. Robert Griffin III, Baylor
3. Nick Foles, Arizona
4. Ryan Tannehill, Texas AM
5. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma St

RB
1. Trent Richardson, Alabama
2. Chris Polk, Washington
3. Lamar Miller, Miami (Fl)
4. Doug Martin, Boise St
5. David Wilson, Virginia Tech

WR
1. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma St
2. Michael Floyd, Notre Dame
3. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
4. Kendall Wright, Baylor
5. Mohamed Sanu, Rugters

TE
1. Dwayne Allen, Clemson
2. Orson Charles, Georgia
3. Evan Rodriguez, Temple
4. Coby Fleener, Stanford
5. Kevin Koger, Michigan

OT
1. Matt Kalil, USC
2. Riley Reiff, Iowa
3. Jonathan Martin, Stanford
4. Mike Adamas, Ohio St
5. Matt Reynolds, BYU

OG
1. David DeCastro, Stanford
2. Cordy Glenn, Georgia
3. Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin
4. Brandon Washington, Miami (Fl)
5. Kelechi Osemele, Iowa St

C
1. Peter Konz, Wisconsin
2. Michael Brewster, Ohio St
3. Ben Jones, Georgia
4. Philip Blake, Baylor
5. David Molk, Michigan

DT
1. Devon Still, Penn St
2. Alameda Ta'amu, Washington
3. Fletcher Cox, Mississippi St
4. Jerel Worthy, Michigan St
5. Brandon Thompson, Clemson

DE
1. Quinton Coples, UNC
2. Nick Perry, USC
3. Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
4. Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
5. Brandon Jenkins, Florida St

OLB
1. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
2. Zach Brown, UNC
3. Lavonte David, Nebraska
4. Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma
5. Chase Thomas, Stanford

ILB
1.  Luke Kuechly, Boston College
2. Vontaze Burfict, Arizona St
3. Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
4. Kevin Reddick, UNC
5. Audie Cole, NC State

S
1. Mark Barron, Alabama
2. Markelle Martin, Oklahoma St
3. Trumaine Johnson, Montana
4. Winston Guy Jr., Kentucky
5. Brandon Taylor, LSU

CB
1. Morris Claiborne, LSU
2. Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
3. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
4. Chase Minnifield, Virginia
5. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama

K
1. Randy Bullock, Texas AM
2. Carson Wiggs, Purdue
3. Blair Walsh, Georgia
4. Phillip Welch, Wisconsin
5. Danny Hrapmann, Southern Miss

P
1. Shaun Powell, Florida St
2. Drew Butler, Georgia
3. Bryan Anger, Cal
4. Kyle Martens, Rice
5. Jeff Locke, UCLA

LS
1. Kevin Ballinger, Purdue