East West Shrine game is this week: can we strike gold again?

[ursula]

Last year this game had one Crockett Gilmore and one John Urschel playing in it so you can bet Ozzie & Co. will be paying attention for mid-to-late round diamonds in the rough. So who looks interesting pre-workouts and game?

1) WR Tre McBride from William and Mary. 6'2" 205#. Seems like he is a slot receiver with good hands. Not sure if we need a guy like that as we have Campy, Marlon etc. Dane Brugler sees Pierre Garcon...

2) WR Deon Long from Maryland is here too, another slot guy who we are more familiar with.

3) DL/OLB guy Za’Darius Smith from Kentucky. 6'5", 265#. If we lose McPhee I suspect the team will more likely look to draft his replacement mid-to-late. This could be the guy.

4) Tony Oregon, OLB Oregon. 6'3" 250# Yes, his last name is Washington but we Oregonians don't use that name. ;) Another possible McPhee replacement, more versatile than Smith from Kentucky in that he can cover as well as rush the passer. If he plays he'll be fresh off the national championship game so we'll see if he flashes. Made a ton of big plays for Oregon.

5) CB Josh Shaw, USC 6'1" 200# The guy who lied about jumping off the 2nd floor balcony. he came back to the team at the end of the year and immediately started and seed to play okay as far as I could tell. It will be interesting to see where he ends up being drafted but as a day 3 prospect he seems like he could be a steal.

6) CB Cam Thomas Western Kentucky. 6'1" 190. My view of CBs in this draft is that while the 1st round is really weak, the position is pretty damn deep in the middle rounds. I could see the Ravens double dipping in fact. If so this is one guy the team will look closely at.

7) CBs Greg Henderson Colorado. 5'11" 185#. Bryce Callahan Rice. 5'10" 180#. Craig Mager Texas State. 5'11" 190#. All three could be a late round steals.


That's what I got so far. You?

[NC Raven]

5) CB Josh Shaw, USC 6'1" 200# The guy who lied about jumping off the 2nd floor balcony. he came back to the team at the end of the year and immediately started and seed to play okay as far as I could tell. It will be interesting to see where he ends up being drafted but as a day 3 prospect he seems like he could be a steal.

A good analysis but unfortunately his incident supposedly involved domestic violence. Ravens aren't going near that third rail. This guy is a hell of a player and could be a great late round value; but if that's something he's got in his makeup (and guys either have it or they don't; it's not like they treat one girl well, but beat another one...) then the chances the Ravens will draft him are zero.

[NC Raven]

3) DL/OLB guy Za’Darius Smith from Kentucky. 6'5", 265#. If we lose McPhee I suspect the team will more likely look to draft his replacement mid-to-late. This could be the guy.

4) Tony Oregon, OLB Oregon. 6'3" 250# Yes, his last name is Washington but we Oregonians don't use that name. ;) Another possible McPhee replacement, more versatile than Smith from Kentucky in that he can cover as well as rush the passer. If he plays he'll be fresh off the national championship game so we'll see if he flashes. Made a ton of big plays for Oregon.

unlike most fans, I am all for adding more speed, size and pass rush in the front seven. McPhee is on the way out; Suggs and Doom are another year older and before you know it people will be asking "Hey what happened to our front 7?" The NFL stands for "not for long" so guys like this should certainly be on the menu.

[ursula]

A good analysis but unfortunately his incident supposedly involved domestic violence. Ravens aren't going near that third rail. This guy is a hell of a player and could be a great late round value; but if that's something he's got in his makeup (and guys either have it or they don't; it's not like they treat one girl well, but beat another one...) then the chances the Ravens will draft him are zero.

Right. Forgot the DV attached. Yeah, unfortunately strike him.

[wickedsolo]

Last year this game had one Crockett Gilmore and one John Urschel playing in it so you can bet Ozzie & Co. will be paying attention for mid-to-late round diamonds in the rough. So who looks interesting pre-workouts and game?

1) WR Tre McBride from William and Mary. 6'2" 205#. Seems like he is a slot receiver with good hands. Not sure if we need a guy like that as we have Campy, Marlon etc. Dane Brugler sees Pierre Garcon...

2) WR Deon Long from Maryland is here too, another slot guy who we are more familiar with.

3) DL/OLB guy Za’Darius Smith from Kentucky. 6'5", 265#. If we lose McPhee I suspect the team will more likely look to draft his replacement mid-to-late. This could be the guy.

4) Tony Oregon, OLB Oregon. 6'3" 250# Yes, his last name is Washington but we Oregonians don't use that name. ;) Another possible McPhee replacement, more versatile than Smith from Kentucky in that he can cover as well as rush the passer. If he plays he'll be fresh off the national championship game so we'll see if he flashes. Made a ton of big plays for Oregon.

5) CB Josh Shaw, USC 6'1" 200# The guy who lied about jumping off the 2nd floor balcony. he came back to the team at the end of the year and immediately started and seed to play okay as far as I could tell. It will be interesting to see where he ends up being drafted but as a day 3 prospect he seems like he could be a steal.

6) CB Cam Thomas Western Kentucky. 6'1" 190. My view of CBs in this draft is that while the 1st round is really weak, the position is pretty damn deep in the middle rounds. I could see the Ravens double dipping in fact. If so this is one guy the team will look closely at.

7) CBs Greg Henderson Colorado. 5'11" 185#. Bryce Callahan Rice. 5'10" 180#. Craig Mager Texas State. 5'11" 190#. All three could be a late round steals.


That's what I got so far. You?

Good call about Cam Thomas. He's a good player. Would be worth investing a mid round pick IMO.

I'm moving this out to the main board btw.

[JimZipCode]

Yeah, unfortunately strike him.

Ha, good pun.

[wickedsolo]

Here is the listed roster: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...e-game-rosters

Some names I'm looking at...

Domonique Brown, RB, Louisville (6'2" 220lbs). Big boy. Nice moves for a bigger guy. A bit more of a fluid athlete than Taliaferro, but similar type of player.

Sean Hickey, OT, Syracuse (6'5" 295lbs). He's a bit light in the ass, but I think he has some decent skills. Probably a late round guy, but he could be decent depth at OT or G.

Anthony Chickillo, DE, Miami (6'4" 270lbs). One of my favorite players in this draft. He's tough, does well against the run, and he's a decent pass rusher. He's not a superior athlete IMO. Still, I think he'd be a good fit here.

Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan (6'2" 240lbs). He is pretty versatile having played DE, OLB, and the MIKE position while at Michigan.

Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma (6'6" 250lbs). Recruited as a QB, but showed better skills as a runner. He's still raw, but pretty athletic.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Rice (5'10" 190lbs). I think he could be a late round sleeper. Nice skills. Has some ball hawk mentality with 12 picks in 3 seasons. Was Pre-Season All-Conference USA.

[DC Raven]

1) WR Tre McBride from William and Mary. 6'2" 205#. Seems like he is a slot receiver with good hands. Not sure if we need a guy like that as we have Campy, Marlon etc. Dane Brugler sees Pierre Garcon...

I actually went to William and Mary, so I've watched Tre McBride play a number of times. He's pretty darn fast (4.45ish if I had to guess?) and some of the craziest hands I've seen. I once saw him drop a wide open pass on a really awkwardly placed long ball, but hands like glue other than that. He reminds me of Kamar Aiken, actually. Similar size, really clean pass catcher, and fast enough. I can't speak to his technique/route running, but if he's any good in that regard, he could be a good player in the NFL.

[wickedsolo]

I actually went to William and Mary, so I've watched Tre McBride play a number of times. He's pretty darn fast (4.45ish if I had to guess?) and some of the craziest hands I've seen. I once saw him drop a wide open pass on a really awkwardly placed long ball, but hands like glue other than that. He reminds me of Kamar Aiken, actually. Similar size, really clean pass catcher, and fast enough. I can't speak to his technique/route running, but if he's any good in that regard, he could be a good player in the NFL.

Is he a body-catcher or a hands catcher?

[DC Raven]

Is he a body-catcher or a hands catcher?

Definitely hands. He's the type that looks really smooth snatching down a high ball over the middle. This is why I say he reminds me of Aiken a bit.

EDIT: Found a little video of his game against WVU (So, against real competition). Just 3 catches, but you can get an idea of his body type and stuff. The last catch isn't that clean, so this video isn't really a great indicator IMO. But, something to look at if you're curious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9je8WmYr8Y

[wickedsolo]

Definitely hands. He's the type that looks really smooth snatching down a high ball over the middle. This is why I say he reminds me of Aiken a bit.

EDIT: Found a little video of his game against WVU (So, against real competition). Just 3 catches, but you can get an idea of his body type and stuff. The last catch isn't that clean, so this video isn't really a great indicator IMO. But, something to look at if you're curious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9je8WmYr8Y

Sweet.

Looks like a high 4.4 guy...maybe 4.47-4.51. Not bad. Could be an interesting developmental pick in the 6th round range.

[ursula]

Day 1 recaps by Josh Norris here and Tony Pauline there. Plus Tony Pauline video here.

Oh, and here's Dane Brugler chiming in.

A couple of quotes-

Josh Norris on Tre McBride:

William & Mary WR Tre McBride is the real deal. We saw it during his games this season, against FCS and FBS opponents, creating separation with routes and burst, and then winning at the catch point or when forced to manipulate his body. He is the clear top prospect at this event, and a second day selection is possible.

JN on Deon Long:

Maryland’s Deon Long was the second standout on the East. As I wrote in the preview, I would not be surprised if Long has a better NFL career than Stefon Diggs. He was consistently able to create separation with burst, explosion and quickness during breaks in routes. He plays bigger but will most likely win in the “small” receiver game in the NFL.

TP on Deon:

Deon Long/WR/Maryland -- From the get-go, Long, 6-1, 195, looked ready to play football and impressed scouts with his overall game. He's exceptionally quick and beat defenders off the snap of the ball then ran scissor-sharp routes to come free. He caught all the catchable passes tossed in his direction and even snagged a few wayward throws. The only element Long seemed to be missing today was field-stretching speed, but he showed enough to peak the interest of teams needing a fourth receiver.

JN on a few CBs:

Someone has to try and shut these receivers down, right? Prior to this week kicking off, Georgia’s Damian Swann, Tennessee’s Justin Coleman and Texas State’s Craig Mager stood out. They did so again today against talented receivers. Mager is extremely aggressive when closing at the catch point and will stay in a receiver’s hip pocket. We did not see it today, but Swann and Coleman played in the slot during the 2014 season.

JN on Kasen Williams:

With the West, Washington’s Kasen Williams continues his up and down season. The previously productive receiver made some great catches away from his body but dropped a number of others. The conditions were not great thanks to poor weather, however, it has been a common theme for Williams for too long.