Written by Jason Askew

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What: Senior Bowl                     

Where: Mobile, Alabama Ladd-Pebbles Stadium…TV Coverage on NFL Network     

When: Saturday January 28^th 4pm

 

It’s that time of the year again where players begin a 3 month long interview in an attempt to make their dreams come true and when NFL teams turn over every rock in an attempt to find players to help their team become world champs.

This week is a great week in the whole process because it isn’t about men in tights or football against air. Rather, it is Senior Bowl week where players actually get to prove their worth on the football field in live action.

Every year the NFL invites the best senior football players from around the country to compete against each other. This atmosphere is great because not only is the game coached by NFL coaches but just about every coach in the league who isn’t coaching in the playoffs ends up in Mobile, Alabama to see the top senior recruits in person.

This year it is going to be an awesome event as usual, and if you want to watch some live practice footage you can turn into NFL Network and catch both squads. The game will also be televised on that network so if you don’t have it and want to see it you will have to make some arrangements with your buddy.

With the lockout looming last year many college juniors decided to stay in school rather than risking not playing so this year’s talent level is extremely high. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember the level of talent being this high in a long time. We will see if this group can surpass the 2000 group where the bowl saw 34 of its participants get drafted in the first 2 rounds. but even if those numbers are not met, there is some big-time talent in Mobile this week.

If you plan on watching the coverage you didn’t miss much today other than introductions and the results of the player measurements. The real practices will start on Tuesday and the bulk of the hitting will probably be on Wednesday and Thursday.

If you are a person who follows the draft casually or in advanced form and you want to get information on practice because you couldn’t see it I recommend two things:

The first thing is if you really have a few extra minutes to look online I would recommend reading multiple reports from different outlets. No analyst or expert can watch all the different practice areas at the same time so one guy might be watching the offensive and defensive lines go at it and another is watching the CBs and WRs do battle. and therefore you can see different plays with the same players involved which can change opinions.

The second thing I would recommend that you do is to take the reports and data as a piece of the pie and not the whole pie when forming opinions on a player’s capabilities. This environment is great to see how players might adapt to the NFL because you are putting the best senior players in the country together and watching them compete against each other. But remember that these players have been scouted for awhile before they ever get to Mobile so a GM or scout isn’t making 100% of their opinion on a player at the game and we shouldn’t either. Take the data the same way the people who are making the decisions do, and that is as an information point. Watching these players go against each other will confirm some reported attributes and conflict with some others but for the most part it isn’t going to be the end- all and be-all for any player.

As I do with any draft oriented functions, I have my eye on a few players that are studs. But more than just watching those players, I will be watching specific players based on the needs I perceive the Cleveland Browns to have.

On paper the South roster is the stacked one. I anticipate some great practice battles from this group. The Alabama Crimson Tide has 5 players from their national championship team on the roster and the SEC in general is well represented on the South roster.

 Let’s take a look at some position groups and player that spark my interest and may be good candidates to single out if you watch the coverage.

QBs- There is no doubt the Cleveland Browns will add to their QB group in 2012 and there are some players I will be watching.

North Roster- On the North roster I will be real interested in seeing Boise State’s Kellen Moore throwing side by side against Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins. I am interested to see if Moore’s arm strength is really as weak as they say it is. He boasts tremendous accuracy but the knock on him is his alleged lack of arm strength.

South Roster- The QB matchup between Arizona State’s Nick Foles and Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden should be fun to watch. Both of these players are big, strong armed QBs and they can get some heat on it. In most people’s eyes Foles is in a battle to be the 3^rd QB taken so I want to see if he can begin to separate himself. Weeden’s knock is his age as he played minor league baseball before deciding to go back to school and play football, so he is 28 years old.

RBs- Honestly, I am only really interested in one thing with RBs coming out this draft and that is the players that can take it to the house at a moment’s notice, so only a couple guys get my attention. There are some solid RB prospects in the game but I will only be paying attention to the ones with some sizzle.

North Roster- I will be paying close attention to Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead all week. I am interested to see how his speed stacks up against some of the faster defenders. Pead is one of the RBs who is supposed to have some real speed and quickness. I already know he has decent hands and runs good routes. I want to see how his speed stacks up.

South Roster- Florida RB Chris Rainey is the guy I want to see in action against this group. Raney is blazing fast but is only 174lbs. I want to see if he can adjust to playing in the slot and I will be interested to see if he is even willing to attempt blocking in the passing game. At his size his only hope may be playing in the slot. We will see if he can because it would be sad if his speed went to waste.

WRs-  Once again I am looking for players to take the top off the defense and also I will be looking at some small school players to see if they can adjust to the level of competition.

North Roster- T.J. Graham is a player I want to see for sure. He is a track champion and a 4 year contributor in football at N.C. State. He is an excellent return man and I will be interested if he can get off the line in bump and run situations. I will also be looking at how reliable his hands are. I will also have my eye on Brian Quick from Appalachian St. He is a big, smooth WR who has ‘big play’ written all over him but I will be anxious to see if he can get open against good competition.

South Roster- There are two slot/return players I will have my eyes on. Joe Adams is one of my favorite slot players in this draft so I am interested to see if he can get open in close quarters and I want to see if he has any fear going across the middle. Marquis Maze is a player I was never high on but if motivated he can be a difference maker playing in the slot.

OL- The Browns need a RT so that is my main interest. It would also be nice if the guy could play LT in a pinch but I just want a good, young player for the future.

North Roster- I will be watching two players on the North squad. Ohio State tackle Mike Adams will be tested but it may not be until game time. The South’s roster boasts many NFL caliber pass rushers and I want to see if Adams can hold up over the entire course of a game. He will probably play LT but I think he could be a dominate RT in the NFL. Kelechi Osemele is a player from Iowa State most people assume will be a guard in the NFL. He played LT in college and I think has the athleticism to play RT in the NFL. I will be interested in seeing if he can.

South Roster- Ben Jones and Zebrie Sanders will be two offensive lineman I will be watching. Both of these players are players I think can play RT in the NFL. Sanders has a chance to be a great player in the NFL I want to see if he can become consistent enough to count on.

DL- Cleveland is set at DT as far as starters go but it would be nice to get a DT who can get pressure in the nickel package. The Browns need a RDE so all the ends will be looked at, but I will be watching a bit closer with some.

North Roster- Vinny Curry is a versatile DE but he isn’t elite in any category. The aspect that he excels most at is his motor. I am interested to see if he will get past Mike Adams in practice. Cam Johnson could be a late round project at DE. I want to see if he flashes more speed than I have seen from his tape.

South Roster- Jaye Howard is a player I have my eye on for a nickel DT. North Carolina DE Quinton Coples is a player that shows elite ability on film but his problem is that he looks uninterested at times and disappears during games. I want to see if he will be locked in for the entire week. Andre Branch had a great year and I want to see if he is like his teammate from last year, Daquan Bowers, or if he’s a different type player. Alabama OLB Courtney Upshaw is a player I think can be a full time DE in a 4-3 scheme so I will be watching his pass rush skills this week.

LBs- There are two LBs I will be focusing on this week. James-Michael Johnson from Nevada is one and Zach Brown is the other. Johnson looks like he can play on the weakside or the middle. I want to see if it is true and will he make plays against good competition. Brown is a player I am very low on. He is the classic example of a player who is very talented but not highly motivated. I want to see if he is willing to step up or is he another paycheck collector.

DBs- There are a few DBs who spark my interest.

North Roster- Jamell Fleming and Alfonzo Denard are two players you might want to check out. Fleming is a really good man to man player but I have questions about his willingness to support the run so I want to see how physical he plays. Denard is one of my favorite players in the entire draft pool. This guy is a CB who plays with ‘little man’s syndrome” and he is as competitive as they get and loves to mix it up. I am excited to see him battle all week long. He never backs down.

South Roster- Janoris Jenkins and Markelle Martin are two DBs I’m looking forward to seeing. Jenkins is a gifted cover man who got in trouble while at Florida and left school. I want to see if he is letting his work get his stock up or relying on his talent to do so. Martin is a highly ranked safety I want to see because I wonder if he is another ‘in the box guy’ or if he can excel in space.

There is tons of talent at the Senior bowl and many more players worth watching than the ones I mentioned so be sure to check it out during the week and tune in this Saturday. Take care and enjoy the football while it is still here.