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  1. #3829

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Ravens rumored to be interested n Ricky Jean Francois. Don't know much about him. Thoughts?

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...jean-francois/





  2. #3830
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    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by bt12483 View Post
    Anyone here high on Ryan Swope?

    I think we all agree Tavon Austin is a long shot.

    This dude tied Austin's 40 time. 3rd best 10 yd split. 5th best vertical jump. 7th best broad jump. 6' , 200lbs.

    He has small hands though (but so does Torrey).

    Seems like he had a decent college career too.
    The more I read about Swope the more I like:

    STRENGTHS: Sturdy frame with long arms and good muscular definition. Exhibits strong initial burst off the snap. Flexible hips to sink, burst and separate across the field. Displays strong awareness and anticipation of zone windows, and exhibits suddenness to flip, sit and locate the ball. Plucks the ball routinely, then looks it in and secures it before turning upfield. Fearless over the middle, and looks to extend plays after the catch. Possesses quick, agile feet and has a knack for shaking coverage with jukes and stabs.
    Shows strong awareness of mismatches with linebackers and safeties, and possesses the 2nd level acceleration to beat either one. Tracks the ball well vertically, and adjusts his body nicely to throws off his frame. Effective 2nd-level cut-blocker when asked to support the run or quick WR screens. Consistently gives good effort to the whistle. Does not shy away from contact after the catch and flashes some power on contact to drag a defender.

    WEAKNESSES: Struggles to break down and redirect rapidly, particularly when asked to plant and burst out of a pivot on underneath routes. Could be more physical against press, as he doesn't always utilize his solid frame to create space like he could. Isn't a real "burner", and relies more on quickness and fakes to create separation vertically. Will sit down and wait for the throw at times rather than drive back to the ball. Doesn't possess a huge "catch radius" and isn't a guy you can necessarily just throw it up to and rely on to go get it.

    COMPARES TO: Brandon Stokley, WR, Denver Broncos - I look at Swope as a bigger, more athletic version of the veteran Stokely, but similar in terms of route-running efficiency, smarts, and craftiness in creating vertical separation. Although there are more athletic, explosive receivers in this year's group, few are more refined and ready to contribute than Swope, who probably falls somewhere between rounds 2 and 4, but is capable of putting up first-round numbers in the right offense. Has been designated by many as a pure "slot" target at the next level, but I see some tools that suggest he could be effective on the outside as well.
    Apparently he burned Alabama:
    Johnny Manziel may be the trending name for the Texas A&M Aggies after their stunning upset victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide, but it was Swope who established himself as a legitimate NFL prospect.

    The 6'1", 205 pound wideout has been a cog in the Aggies offense for three years now, but his 11 catch, 111-yard performance against the vaunted Tide defense has to be the biggest game in his career, from a significance standpoint.

    Every time Manziel desperately needed a receiver to come through in the clutch, it was Swope that came through for him. For a young quarterback playing the biggest game of his life, he couldn't have been more valuable to his team.

    Time and time again Swope went over the middle against a physical secondary and came down with the ball.

    It's one thing to have the intangibles like toughness and leadership that Swope showed against Alabama, but the production is there, too.

    As a sophomore, Swope had 825 yards and four touchdowns. As a junior, Swope put up an impressive 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns from Ryan Tannehill in Mike Sherman's pro-style offense.

    This season, Swope hasn't slowed down. Despite seeing SEC defenses on a weekly basis, breaking in a new quarterback and seeing a drastic change in offensive philosophy, Swope has still put up great production. Through 10 games he has 45 receptions for 641 yards and five touchdowns.

    While he isn't leading the Aggies in receiving, he is the team's most clutch receiver. He has three straight 100-yard receiving games and recorded double-digit receptions against both LSU and Alabama.

    With experience in a variety of offenses and with multiple quarterbacks, Swope has the kind of resume that scouts should covet. If Swope can continue to play his best games when the spotlight shines brightest, he could be a popular name when April's draft rolls around.
    Hell the Dolphins should draft this guy ASAP and reunite him with Tannehill.





  3. #3831

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by BigPlayReceiver View Post
    I've watched his Oregon 2012, FL/LSU/Cincy and a highlight tape three times each over time, but nothing jumps out at me. I would a mid 3rd round value on him due to his size.

    The vast majority of his grabs are body catches. He does have two nice TDs that he one-handed, and a nice two-handed grab on the sideline, but he doesn't have the quickness to be a consistent separator in the NFL, and body catches will equate to drops vs. NFL quality coverage. Allen body catches a lot as well.

    His route running is like most college players, sub-par. He made a lot of money on slants just like Allen.
    Nothing stands out with his YAC and that includes vision and quickness...just like Allen.
    Last, he's big, but he doesn't actively use his size advantage at all, other than running for some extra YAC with 5'9 Mathieu on his back. I would expect to see broken tackles and a consistent use of a stiff arm vs. someone other than Mathieu.

    For our needs, I don't think another project WR (taken before round 5) is what we need. Rogers does not have the hands, nor the active physicality to sub-in effectively for Boldin. If you want to go the other direction (i.e., a smaller, quick slot guy) then of course, Rogers doesn't have the feet for that. Nor does he have anything over Jacoby at the #3.
    Agree to disagree I suppose--you're not seeing the things on tape that I'm seeing. Just from the Oregon tape alone, his first catch was on a slant route, caught way out away from his body and behind him. He had another near-catch on a horribly thrown ball on a hook route at at :30 (a play he maybe should have made, didn't look like he thought the ball was coming his way). His YAC on the smoke screen TD at :40 was early-career Boldinian. His routes aren't super advanced, but he played in simple, vertical-oriented offenses in college.

    The body-catching is a bit of a concern, but you have to distinguish between guys who CAN'T catch with their hands and guys who DON'T catch with their hands. Inability to catch balls away from the body is what has doomed guys like Limas Sweed and Malcolm Kelly. Rogers CAN catch away from his body at a high level, but on vertical routes he has a tendency to let them get into his body. That's a coaching thing that can be worked through.

    Guys in the NFL have to transition away from some of the techniques they were taught in college, and we have to project their capability to do that based on what they've flashed at times. Torrey Smith still struggles at times to catch the ball with proper technique on vertical routes. Hell, Boldin has made a living out of using his body to shield and catch the ball during his career. Even he tends to trap the ball pretty often, and I'm pretty incredulous that you would evaluate Boldin's hands as better than Rogers--the opposite is likely true.

    I grade Rogers out as a better prospect than Allen, but I don't think he'll go higher than the 2nd. If he didn't have the flaws in his game we're discussing he'd be a top 5 pick (he'd basically be Julio Jones, and even Jones had flaws in his game particularly with his hands.)





  4. #3832

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by bt12483 View Post
    Anyone here high on Ryan Swope?

    I think we all agree Tavon Austin is a long shot.

    This dude tied Austin's 40 time. 3rd best 10 yd split. 5th best vertical jump. 7th best broad jump. 6' , 200lbs.

    He has small hands though (but so does Torrey).

    Seems like he had a decent college career too.
    He drops a lot of passes and his Combine speed definitely doesn't show up at all on tape, but he's tough and physical. He burned a lot of teams that underestimated him during his college career. I'd take a swing on him with about a 5th or so, but he'll go higher than that to some team who falls in love with his workout numbers.

    BTW, FWIW the Ravens met with Swope at the Senior Bowl... he's one of 6 WRs the Ravens have met with thus far in the pre-draft process. They're all mid-round targets except for Tavon Austin: Corey Fuller, Tavarres King, Ryan Swope, Connor Vernon, and Markus Wheaton. No real common theme among them in terms of skillset or play style. Swope and Vernon are more possession types; Fuller, Wheaton and King are speedy deep threats; and Tavon Austin is... Tavon Austin. (he and Fuller are local products.)
    Last edited by bmorecareful; 02-28-2013 at 02:44 PM.





  5. #3833

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by bt12483 View Post
    Anyone here high on Ryan Swope?

    I think we all agree Tavon Austin is a long shot.

    This dude tied Austin's 40 time. 3rd best 10 yd split. 5th best vertical jump. 7th best broad jump. 6' , 200lbs.

    He has small hands though (but so does Torrey).

    Seems like he had a decent college career too.
    I figured Swope was good for a sub 4.5 from film. He's run away from many o' DB over the past two years.
    I like his attitude and on-field personality.
    He's quite the body catcher though, so that concerns me when lining him up outside.

    I like how he operates in space, and I think that's how he needs to make his money in the NFL...from the slot. Swope can win in spread formation routes like zips, slips, crosses and pivots b/c he has a great awareness of how defenders move and where he should be settling.

    Now he may prove me wrong and excel out-wide, but body catchers with average-builds, out-wide always concern me.
    I think his value range is early 4th through mid 5th.





  6. #3834

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by bmorecareful View Post
    and I'm pretty incredulous that you would evaluate Boldin's hands as better than Rogers--the opposite is likely true.
    Yup. We're definitely agreeing to disagree :)





  7. #3835
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    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by bmorecareful View Post
    He drops a lot of passes and his Combine speed definitely doesn't show up at all on tape, but he's tough and physical. He burned a lot of teams that underestimated him during his college career. I'd take a swing on him with about a 5th or so, but he'll go higher than that to some team who falls in love with his workout numbers.

    BTW, FWIW the Ravens met with Swope at the Senior Bowl... he's one of 6 WRs the Ravens have met with thus far in the pre-draft process. They're all mid-round targets except for Tavon Austin: Corey Fuller, Tavarres King, Ryan Swope, Connor Vernon, and Markus Wheaton. No real common theme among them in terms of skillset or play style. Swope and Vernon are more possession types; Fuller, Wheaton and King are speedy deep threats; and Tavon Austin is... Tavon Austin. (he and Fuller are local products.)
    Quote Originally Posted by BigPlayReceiver View Post
    I figured Swope was good for a sub 4.5 from film. He's run away from many o' DB over the past two years.
    I like his attitude and on-field personality.
    He's quite the body catcher though, so that concerns me when lining him up outside.

    I like how he operates in space, and I think that's how he needs to make his money in the NFL...from the slot. Swope can win in spread formation routes like zips, slips, crosses and pivots b/c he has a great awareness of how defenders move and where he should be settling.

    Now he may prove me wrong and excel out-wide, but body catchers with average-builds, out-wide always concern me.
    I think his value range is early 4th through mid 5th.
    You guys watch more college football than I do, so I respect your opinion.

    It seems he did a lot of damage against top schools like LSU and Alabama. To me that counts for a lot.

    I get the drops and body catches - he has very small hands.

    But overall he seems pretty badass. Speed, toughness, smarts.

    I hate to bring this up, but do you think being white is hurting his draft level? I mean he was like top 3 in most of the combine stats. Plus he already played with a pro QB in Tannehill. How is there not more buzz about this guy?





  8. Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    So, Jean-Francois.... I wouldn't mind it. He graded out well vs the run. We'll have to see what his price is, but it seems like he'd be pretty good for us. I hope we get to McBean this upcoming season as well.





  9. #3837

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by BigPlayReceiver View Post
    Yup. We're definitely agreeing to disagree :)
    LOL, I like Boldin as much as the next guy (bought his jersey very quickly after the Ravens acquired him), but his hands are not the strongest element of his game. It's not that he really drops a lot of passes, but if you want to talk about guys who catch with their bodies and not their hands, that's been Boldin's game forever. It's not a big surprise for a guy who didn't play receiver until his sophomore year of college.

    Boldin is a lot of things--tough, fearless, competitive, strong, dependable--but a clinician catching the ball he ain't. Saying Da'rick Rogers has better hands is probably an overstatement, admittedly, but you're majorly underrating his hand strength. I think a recent scouting report I read had him catching 94% of all "catchable" balls thrown his way at Tennessee, which would be an insanely high figure if it's accurate.

    Even saying all that... the guy who's at the top of my wish list for WRs in this draft is still DeAndre Hopkins. Sadly, I get the sense that the Ravens are definitely not targeting WR highly in this draft.





  10. #3838

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by bmorecareful View Post
    LOL, I like Boldin as much as the next guy (bought his jersey very quickly after the Ravens acquired him), but his hands are not the strongest element of his game. It's not that he really drops a lot of passes, but if you want to talk about guys who catch with their bodies and not their hands, that's been Boldin's game forever. It's not a big surprise for a guy who didn't play receiver until his sophomore year of college.

    Boldin is a lot of things--tough, fearless, competitive, strong, dependable--but a clinician catching the ball he ain't. Saying Da'rick Rogers has better hands is probably an overstatement, admittedly, but you're majorly underrating his hand strength. I think a recent scouting report I read had him catching 94% of all "catchable" balls thrown his way at Tennessee, which would be an insanely high figure if it's accurate.

    Even saying all that... the guy who's at the top of my wish list for WRs in this draft is still DeAndre Hopkins. Sadly, I get the sense that the Ravens are definitely not targeting WR highly in this draft.
    I'm arriving late to the party so please forgive me if missed other points being made about Boldin versus Da'rick Rogers. Are you relying on the "eye test" to validate the claim that Boldin made his living catching with his body more than his hands?





  11. #3839

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    I know Francois played for LSU. He seems like a guy who is better against the run than the pass. Packers are also after him so he might cost more than what we can pay. Regardless, I believe he was the backup for Justin Smith.
    "Flacco will never win a Super Bowl in my lifetime" - Lamarr Woodley, Squealers LB<-- what Flacco stares at before every game





  12. #3840

    Re: Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

    Quote Originally Posted by pslholder96 View Post
    I'm arriving late to the party so please forgive me if missed other points being made about Boldin versus Da'rick Rogers. Are you relying on the "eye test" to validate the claim that Boldin made his living catching with his body more than his hands?
    You can say Boldin is slow and doesn't get separation but can't say he has bad hands. He has his drops but the majority of his catches are away from his body.
    "Flacco will never win a Super Bowl in my lifetime" - Lamarr Woodley, Squealers LB<-- what Flacco stares at before every game





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