Matt Skura

**WrongBaldy** · 03-20-2017, 04:12 PM

championship!!!

**ursula** · 03-20-2017, 05:33 PM

Didn;t Skura get the largest signing bonus of all the Raven UDFAs last year?

**wickedsolo** · 03-20-2017, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by ursula

Didn;t Skura get the largest signing bonus of all the Raven UDFAs last year?

Believe so.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Rxdoxx** · 03-20-2017, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by ursula

Didn;t Skura get the largest signing bonus of all the Raven UDFAs last year?

Took a bit of digging
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/r...501-story.html

Matt Skura, C, Duke: He got a $7,500 signing bonus.
Jarell Broxton, OG, Baylor: He got a $10,000 signing bonus.
Cavellis Luckett, LB , Middle Tennessee State: He got a $2,500 signing bonus.

Didn't list any others Ochi, Onwausor could have been more than minimum..

looks like Michael Pierce could also have been $10,000
http://overthecap.com/player/michael-pierce/5249/ Total Value: $1,630,000 (avg. $543,333/year; $10,000 fully guaranteed)

Stephane Nembot Total Value: $1,632,500 (avg. $544,167/year; $12,500 fully guaranteed)
http://overthecap.com/player/stephane-nembot/5245/

OL Anthony Fabiano (Harvard) ($10K bonus, per Wilson)
https://www.profootballrumors.com/patrick-onwuasor

So Broxton, Pierce and Fabiano got $10K
Nembot (A potential LT) seems to have gotten the highest at $12K
Skura got $7.5K so at least 4 players got higher bonus than him and I can't spot anything on Ochi or Onwauser (don't think Lutz got much as a K)

**PainServer52** · 03-20-2017, 07:40 PM

I really hope he can play cuz we all seen what happened with Gino when we told him to take a year off, eat his spinach, and put on some muscle for a year before taking over the starting job at C.

**Teavo** · 03-20-2017, 10:56 PM

At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds I'm not sure why people are talking about Skura like he's some kind of mighty mite who has to play bigger than he is?

Starting (I think) centers in the rest of the AFC North (from nfl.com):

Russell Bodine, Bengals: 6'3" 308 lbs
Cameron Erving, Browns: 6'5" 313 lbs
Maurkice Pouncey, Steelers: 6'4" 304 lbs

Skura is right in the mix there, size-wise.

**moose10101** · 03-21-2017, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Teavo

At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds I'm not sure why people are talking about Skura like he's some kind of mighty mite who has to play bigger than he is?

Starting (I think) centers in the rest of the AFC North (from nfl.com):

Russell Bodine, Bengals: 6'3" 308 lbs
Cameron Erving, Browns: 6'5" 313 lbs
Maurkice Pouncey, Steelers: 6'4" 304 lbs

Skura is right in the mix there, size-wise.

I agree. He's at or above the average for the entire leage. A 6'3'', 340-pound center probably couldn't fit the ball between his thighs.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 03-21-2017, 10:53 AM

I'm nto worried about his weight. I'm worried about two things 1) his strength and his impact blocking and 2) his footwork and his ability to get leverage in a block.

Michael Pierce for example thrived as a UDFA becuase he's got quick feet and a low centre of gravity. At only 6'0 he plays quick and mean so it's tough for taller guards and centres to get low on him. Can Skura do that against some of the other Dt's in this league?

The answer to that question will determine his fate IMO.

**Rxdoxx** · 03-21-2017, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

I'm nto worried about his weight. I'm worried about two things 1) his strength and his impact blocking and 2) his footwork and his ability to get leverage in a block.

Originally Posted by moose10101

I agree. He's at or above the average for the entire leage. A 6'3'', 340-pound center probably couldn't fit the ball between his thighs.

Originally Posted by Teavo

Russell Bodine, Bengals: 6'3" 308 lbs
Cameron Erving, Browns: 6'5" 313 lbs
Maurkice Pouncey, Steelers: 6'4" 304 lbs

Skura is right in the mix there, size-wise.

Bodine arm length 32 1/2" http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profil...ine?id=2543622
Erving arm length 34 1/8" http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profil...ing?id=2552240
Pouncey arm length 32 1/2" http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/...ncey?id=497042

Matt Skura 35 1/4" ARM LENGTH

GWNR's question of Can Skura do that against some of the other Dt's in this league? We will have to wait and see ... I really have no idea how arm length plays out in the interior .... I know it is a premium measurement for OT, and can move a college OT to OG if arms are short.
Skura's arms are a minimum of 1" longer than one of the other starting C in the AFC N, and almost 3 inches longer than the other 2 ... what advantage that gives Skura someone else will have to chime in, I don't know the interior OL that well to know if it is a big or insignificant thing.... just know the chances of short armed snaps should be less, even with more weight gain.

One thing is they all have big hands Cameron Erving has 10 3/8" hands, and the other 3 all have 10" hands

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 03-21-2017, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Rxdoxx

Bodine arm length 32 1/2" http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profil...ine?id=2543622
Erving arm length 34 1/8" http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profil...ing?id=2552240
Pouncey arm length 32 1/2" http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/...ncey?id=497042

Matt Skura 35 1/4" ARM LENGTH

GWNR's question of Can Skura do that against some of the other Dt's in this league? We will have to wait and see ... I really have no idea how arm length plays out in the interior .... I know it is a premium measurement for OT, and can move a college OT to OG if arms are short.
Skura's arms are a minimum of 1" longer than one of the other starting C in the AFC N, and almost 3 inches longer than the other 2 ... what advantage that gives Skura someone else will have to chime in, I don't know the interior OL that well to know if it is a big or insignificant thing.... just know the chances of short armed snaps should be less, even with more weight gain.

One thing is they all have big hands Cameron Erving has 10 3/8" hands, and the other 3 all have 10" hands

It really depends on how he uses it. OT's with long arms can lock in their punch much easier. Ronnie Stanley's greatest strength coming out was his punch.

However, it's a little different in the interior. You wanna lock in your punch and use that to control an outside rusher. It's a little more of a slap fight inside. A lot more rips are used. Given that the point of contact is much closer in the interior (i.e the DE/OLB is usually outsdie the shoulder of the OT and will take an outside path to bend the dge, whereas inside it's literally right in front of you most of the time) it really depends on how he locks his punch in. If you can contact a punch and have the upper body and lower body strength to hold it it can really effective in pass pro. I dont think it makes much of a different in the run game, but that's just me personally, it's more about using your strength than your arm length.

Personally I dont think Skura's arm length is that big of a pro as a C unless he's locking in that punch effectively after snapping. I'd have to see how he uses it.

**boller4president** · 03-21-2017, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

It really depends on how he uses it. OT's with long arms can lock in their punch much easier. Ronnie Stanley's greatest strength coming out was his punch.

However, it's a little different in the interior. You wanna lock in your punch and use that to control an outside rusher. It's a little more of a slap fight inside. A lot more rips are used. Given that the point of contact is much closer in the interior (i.e the DE/OLB is usually outsdie the shoulder of the OT and will take an outside path to bend the dge, whereas inside it's literally right in front of you most of the time) it really depends on how he locks his punch in. If you can contact a punch and have the upper body and lower body strength to hold it it can really effective in pass pro. I dont think it makes much of a different in the run game, but that's just me personally, it's more about using your strength than your arm length.

Personally I dont think Skura's arm length is that big of a pro as a C unless he's locking in that punch effectively after snapping. I'd have to see how he uses it.

Agreed. I do think it gives him a slight advantage when coming out of his stance in pass protection but in the run game how often are his arms going to be fully extended?

**Rxdoxx** · 03-22-2017, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by boller4president

Agreed. I do think it gives him a slight advantage when coming out of his stance in pass protection but in the run game how often are his arms going to be fully extended?

Maybe in the second level?
How many C have we had that made 2nd level blocks? Guards yes, but we didn't have a C that did that ...Filmstudy might know ...

Not saying Skura will, but you are right, long arms won't make much difference in close for the run game, maybe second level he he can get there.