Friday, January 22, 2010

Shrine Game Info

***

The East-West Shrine Game is Saturday at 3pm on ESPN2. I guess The Ocho was booked up with dodgeball.

This isn't the big pre-draft all star game. That's the Senior Bowl. The Shrine Game is #2 among AS games. Current Eagles like Brent Celek, Chris Gocong, and Tracy White played in the game. All 3 looked quite good. Correll Buckhalter had a big play in the game back in 2001 that help his draft status. OT Fenuki Tupou was picked from last year's game.

The players from the Shrine Game tend to be guys that will go in rounds 4-7 and as UDFAs. There are a handful of guys who will go earlier. Not many, though.

*** Players of Interest for the Eagles ***

EAST

WR Freddie Barnes - Goes about 6'0, 210. Caught 155 passes this year. Played in a spread offense. The question is how he'll adjust to a pro style attack. We need someone for depth since Brandon Gibson was dealt away this year. Barnes could be the kind of player we like. He's a polished receiver with okay size.

FS Van Eskridge - I tend to think the Eagles will be looking for a significant addition at safety, but if something comes up and they decide to look in the mid to late rounds Eskridge could be a target. He can hit and tackle. He knows how to play centerfield. Eskridge led ECU in tackles and interceptions. He isn't a great athlete, but takes good angles to the ball and has good instincts. Finished his career with 11 picks, 17.5 TFLs, and 197 tackles.

QB John Skelton
- If the team makes a QB trade then there will be a spot for a developmental prospect. Skelton is a real big guy with a strong arm. I'm not sure he's ideally what the Eagles are looking for, but this is a weak QB class. Very productive career at Fordham.

WR Blair White - I tend to think of him as mainly a slot receiver, but he had a great Senior season. He'll get a chance to show his stuff in a generic environment where individual skill trumps ability to fit into a role on a team. Is Blair athletic enough to play outside or is he just a slot guy?

LB/DE Chris McCoy - He played DE at MTSU. McCoy could be a SAM target. He had 20.5 TFLs this year. Disruptive player, but not explosive off the edge.

QB Mike Kafka - He had Northwestern up on Penn State when he got hurt and had to leave the game. Kafka is a leader and tough guy. He has some athletic ability. He's accurate, but I do have concerns about the fact he comes from the spread offense. Can he make pro throws? Most of the time at NW he was getting the ball to wide open guys.

WR Naaman Roosevelt - Productive player with good size. Had a stellar career at Buffalo. Has NFL size and skills. Is he fast/quick enough to beat good DBs? Definitely a guy to watch.

DE Lindsey Witten - Played a lot of LDE at UConn. Has an excellent frame at 6'5, 250. Led the Huskies this year with 11.5 sacks. Not an explosive pass rusher, but has a good motor and knows how to get to the QB. We don't have any DEs with his kind of frame.

DE Greg Hardy - Good size for a LDE at 6'4, 280. At times looked like a star in his college career. Missed time due to injuries and didn't have the kind of Senior season that he wanted. Lots of potential, but has to show he can stay healthy and be productive.

OL Chris Scott - Played LT at Tennessee. Could play G or RT in the NFL. Has the kind of size we love at 6'5, 330. Powerful enough to anchor well, which is crucial in our system.

S Barry Church - All-MAC player for 4 straight years. Has good size. Very good box Safety. Could be a SS target in the mid to late rounds.

LB/DE O'Brien Schofield - Finished 2nd in the nation with 24.5 TFLs. Played mostly LDE. Only goes about 6'2, 245. Has a skinny build. Looks more like a LB or situational rusher than a starting DE. Can he handle the move to LB? Is he one of those guys who can play DE despite being undersized?

OL Chris DeGeare - Good size at 6'4, 335. Has played G and T. Could be an Eagles target as a late round G. Remember that Max Jean-Gilles may or may not be back.


WEST

RB Dimitri Nance - Had an up and down career due to injuries. Has good size at 5'10, 225. Ran for 1,934 yards in his career. Also caught 63 passes. Could be an effective part of a RB rotation.

ILB Joe Pawelek - Stewart Bradley will return as the starting MLB. However, after the problems of 2009 there is a need for depth at that spot. Pawelek had a terrific career at Baylor. Has okay size at 6'2, 240. Really interesting guy because of 9 career INTs and 17 PBUs.

QB Matt Nichols - Another small school guy gets a chance on the big stage. Matt threw for 12,616 yards and 33 TDs in his time at Eastern Washington. 4 year starter. This is a huge opportunity for Matt. Let's hope he shows NFL ability and handles the speed of the game.

RB Lonyae Miller - Backup RB to Ryan Mathews at Fresno State, but could be of interest. Goes about 5'11, 220. Used to sharing the ball. Good career (2,062 yards and 20 TDs), but never had a great season. Did average 5.5 yards per carry for his career.

WR Seyi Ajirotutu - Big WR with NFL ability. Goes 6'3, 210. Played in a pro style offense so his numbers don't compare to the spread guys. Seyi had 129 catches and 12 TDs in his career. Could be of interest in the late rounds as a young guy to develop into a backup.

OL Reggie Stephens - Played G most of his career, but had to shift to C this season. Solid prospect. Has good size at 6'3, 330. Late round type, but could be the kind of versatile guy we need to bring in to challenge for a reserve role.

LB Keaton Kristick - Good LB. Goes about 6'3, 230. Can run, hit, and tackle. Had 2 INTs this year. I think we'd prefer him at SAM. Good motor. Fun player to watch.

OG Brandon Carter - Texas Tech's star O-lineman finally gets to play in a conventional offense. We get to see him in a 3-point stance and firing off the ball on run plays. Carter can do himself a lot of good if he handles the changes well. A guy with his size should prefer more run plays (and not just draws either). Andy and Juan like big OL. Carter could be of interest. He's 6'5, 330.

CB Jamar Wall - Talented CB prospect. Has okay size at 5'10, 203. Active DB broke up 15 passes this year. Also had 2 INTs and 2 FFs. Defensive MVP of the Alamo Bowl. We seem to like guys his size that can play the ball.

CB Devin Ross - Another solid CB. Lists at 5'10, 185. Broke up 25 passes over the last 2 years. Led Arizona in tackles so you know he's not shy about playing the run.

OT Mike Tepper - Rare 6-year player. Had some serious injury issues in his time at Cal, but played well when healthy. Played LT as a Senior and started every game. Doesn't have the footwork to play there in the NFL, but could slide into G or over to RT. Started at RT in the past. Good run blocker.

WR Kerry Meier - Former QB became a workhorse slot receiver for Kansas. Thrived in the spread attack, catching 226 passes and 19 TDs. Good hands. Knows how to get open. Good size at 6'2, 220. Does he have the speed for the NFL? Looks like a pure slot guy.

S Darrell Stuckey - Darrell was very productive in his career, but Kansas players are known to be stat-sheet stuffers. They don't always make plays at the next level. Darrell needs to stand out in the game as more than just a good tackler. He needs to make a play or two or look good in coverage. Could be a SS target for us.

ILB Lee Campbell - If we want a big thumper in the middle as a backup Lee could be our guy. Goes about 6'3, 250. Physical run stuffer. Led Minnesota in tackles. Broke up 5 passes and blocked 2 kicks. The big question is whether he has the athletic ability to play in the NFL.

CB Brian Jackson - If we want a big physical CB in the mid to late rounds Jackson could be of interest. He's over 6 feet and 200 pounds. Not a great athlete, but can be an effective cover guy when he is able to jam the receiver and be physical with him. Picked off 4 passes this year. Might have some potential as a Safety.

S T.J. Ward
- Good Safety prospect. I'm shocked he's not at the Senior Bowl. Good tackler and big time hitter. Stood out to me over the last 2 years. More of a SS than a FS. Only had 2 picks in his career. Missed 4 games this year due to injury. Oregon has had some good DBs in recent years.

S Robert Johnson - Solid mid-round prospect from Utah. Goes 6'2, 200. Had a terrific showing in the bowl game. Had some big hits and controlled the middle of the field. Also had a pick. Finished his career with 13 INTs. Complete player. Solid instincts. Doesn't look like a great athlete.

WR David Reed - Could be an interesting target for us. Incredibly productive in Junior College then went to Utah and put up solid numbers. Caught 81 passes this year. Has okay size at 6'0, 190. Good KOR. Has good RAC ability. Talented guy, but doesn't look like a future NFL starter. Could be a good role player.

LB Jason Beauchamp - Led UNLV in tackles, TFLs, and sacks. Played some DE in college, but is more of a LB at the next level. This game will give him a chance to show that he can cover and play in space. Could be a SAM target for us. Lists at 6'3, 235.

___

26 comments:

Cliff said...

There are a couple guys I like on name alone, and I mean name alone, not reputation, purely name:

FS Van Eskridge: I've been dying for a "Van" since Van Buren (who, of course, I wasn't alive to see)

QB Mike Kafka: I'd love to make Kafka-esque metaphors after pre-season games

WR Seyi Ajirotutu: Love the guys who I can't pronounce, something about being the only person in a room able to pronounce his name would make me feel more sophisticated, though

CB Jamar Wall: defense and wall seem to go together

LB Jason Beauchamp: just fun to say, but is it "Bo-champ" or "Bew-champ"?

All of these guys have that Brent Mussberger quality to their names. I dig that.

Cliff said...

Other Eagles prospects on my All-Name Team:

QB Dan LeFevour
QB Juice Williams

RB Jahvid Best
RB Jonathan Dwyer

FB Manase Tonga

WR Dez Bryant
WR Jordan Shipley (just sounds fast)
WR Dexter McCluster

TE Michael Hoomanawanui

I could go on...

Chris said...

@Cliff

Jahvid Best would be an incredible fit for this team and offense. He has Shady type moves and he was a national class sprinter as well. I wouldn't mind McCluster either though at his size I'm not sure how well he'd hold up.

Since you were talking offense another guy I wouldn't mind that has a great name is Danario Alexander, WR, Mizzou. He is a very big target (6'5", 220) and a great leaper. A bigger, faster Baskett with great hands. Just what we need.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Alexander struggled in the bowl game. I was highly disappointed. Didn't look fast or sudden at all.

Chris said...

Hi Tommy,

Great job on the blog. When you go big time don't forget us. ;-)

I thought Alexander had a big game against Navy. Were all his yards in garbage time?

The guy I think we really could use is Brandon Graham (of the guys in the late 1st round / early 2nd).

Myron said...

I thought Greg Hardy was a consensus top 50 pick. Hmm, guess not. Either way, he is one of the many DE prospects to analyze for the Eagles this year. Don't know how he stacks up compared to Derrick Morgan and Jerry Hughes, though. (my two personal favorite DE prospects in this year's draft)

Joe Pawelek is a very interesting prospect, as you said. Doesn't get much attention as a small-school player, but his stats are very intriguing. Could be an excellent value pick / project if the Eagles grab him in the later rounds.

Tommy Lawlor said...

I watched some stuff on TCU and Jerry Hughes tonight. He is really tempting if we don't make another move at DE.


RE: Alexander

He was 6-137 vs Navy, but they have bad DBs. I thought Alexander looked slow and stiff in the game. He'll be at the Senior Bowl starting Monday and we'll see what he can do.

Unknown said...

What are your thoughts on UW DE Daniel Teo-Neshiem? his motor is unbelievable and I'm sure that alone will land him a spot with some NFL team.

Matt said...

Thanks Tommy for putting this preview together. I'll never be the scouting guru you and others are who post here, but its fun to pretend and educate myself in the process. Your insight is greatly appreciated.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Daniel Teo-Neshiem only measured in at 6'2, 250. Not a great athlete, but does have a good motor and plays strong. Could be of interest in the late rounds.

arby said...

Cliff@QB Mike Kafka: I'd love to make Kafka-esque metaphors after pre-season games

I've seen some stuff this guy has done that is totally surreal.

Cliff said...

Rick, that's the spirit!

Kafka could only be matched if we drafted a Dickens. Then all of us Wire fans could say how "Dickensian" our offense is.

RE: DE Jerry Hughes

He's my most desired pick right now, outside of Eric Berry who I don't even want to talk about because I see that as nearly impossible.

It'd be nice if we had an extra pick or two in the first 3 rounds. QB sale!

Myron said...

Tommy, one of these days leading up to the draft you're going to have to do a big rundown of all the DE prospects in the draft and their respective pros and cons.

It's my favorite football position of all time, and Reggie White is probably my favorite player of all time, so I really, really would love to see the Eagles select a DE in the first / second round this year and strike gold once again (Trent Cole being their first time they really "struck gold" with this position in the draft in the past decade).

Right now, after watching highlight films of some of the guys this year, I have the top five prospects as such (no order):

Jerry Hughes (TCU)
Everson Griffen (USC)
Derrick Morgan (Ga Tech)
Greg Hardy (Ole Miss)
Brandon Graham (Michigan)

Jerry Hughes is the most "interesting" prospect of the bunch because he plays with an unbelievable motor and intensity. He is a bit undersized for a 4-3 end, however, and may be of more interest in the higher rounds to one of the many 3-4 teams looking for an OLB.

Carlos Dunlap of Florida is also an intriguing prospect because of his physical tools (6'6" 290lbs) but supposedly he lacks a work ethic and does some spotty stuff off-field. I don't know if it's worth taking a risk on a guy like that, to be honest, even if he does have elite measurables.

Unknown said...

Interesting ranking Myron, i'd probably go like this but this is the first time i've ever looked at any tape, what do i know! haha

Derrick Morgan
Jerry Hughes
Corey Wooten (Pre-injury he looks fantastic)
Brandon Graham
Everson Griffen

Griffen is only that low because he seems to be a bit lacking up top.

(He seems dumb)

Unknown said...

Jamar Wall has stood out a little bit tonight, what sort of round would you expect him to go Tommy?

Cliff said...

Watching the Shrine Game...

I like QB Max Hall. He seems excited to be there. After every completion he's giddy.

Unknown said...

Freddie Barnes could be nice WR depth behind avant. Could replace what we had in Brandon Gibson.

Eddie said...

WR barnes is taking over now

Unknown said...

Just realised i repeated exactly what you said in your post Tommy. Don't sue!

Cliff said...

QB Mike Kafka looked good on that final drive, too. Drove his team down the field with less than 2 minutes to go for the score.

He's more than just a name, apparently.

Myron said...

Things I took from this game:

Freddie Barnes (slot receiver in the Jason Avant mold - catches everything and consistently gets open)

Andrew Quarless (he's a playmaker. seems to have good body control and nice hands)

John Skelton (very raw but looks almost Elway-esque at times)

Mike Kafka (I don't know about his mechanics but I like his ability to do well under pressure, and has some scrambling ability)

Greg Hardy (Could be a solid DE in the NFL but I was expecting a few more big plays from him to be honest)

Darryl Clark (It's too bad this guy isn't more accurate - he has a nice frame and great scrambling ability)

Myron said...

Oh yeah, and:

Romeo Crennel > Martyball.

(Yeah, so that guy was fired after a 14-2 season. I think I can understand why now.)

Tommy Lawlor said...

I posted some quick stuff on SNB.

http://www.scoutsnotebook.com

Cliff said...

Just read your notes on Scouts Notebook. I didn't realize Kam Chancellor played in the game. I didn't tune in until late. Crap. Kam is a guy I'll really be rooting for because he's been the heart of my Hokie defense the past 2 seasons.

Unknown said...

Out of curiosity Tommy why do we always try to convert our SAM backers from DE's or MLB's or WILL's or whatever else? Is their a reason we never take a SAM backer in college and try to make him a SAM backer in the NFL?

Cliff said...

Lito's not starting for the Jets today. I remember that feeling.