Guest mz. Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Judge for yourself: which would you rather have? PS If you can't figure which is which you need to start watching more football. Player Z Overall Football Traits Production - 2 - 2005: Appeared in 12 games recording 37 tackles including 4.5 for loss. 2006-07: Appeared in all 26 games (22 starts) recording a total of 157 tackles including 15.5 for losses. Height-Weight-Speed - 1 - Displays an outstanding combination of speed and size Durability - 1 - Durability is not a substantial concern at this point though sustained a hip pointer that led to him seeing limited time against Notre Dame in 2007. Character - 0 - N/A Inside Linebacker specific Traits Instincts/Recognition - 1 - Shows natural instincts. Reads keys extremely well and finds the football quickly. Recognizes play action and reacts well. Pursuit/Point of Attack - 1 - Down-hill aggressive thumper. Does a nice job of controlling and shedding blockers. Opens hips extremely well and changes directions instantly. Shows excellent overall range. At times, gets caught out of position due to aggressive approach Tackling - 2 - A knock-out artist. Will violently explode through ball carriers when given the opportunity. Has a tendency to miss some easy tackles due to leaving feet in an effort to deliver the big hit Pass Coverage - 2 - Does a good job of looking up shallow crossers and disrupting their routes. Is able to sniff out and react to screens extremely well. Pass Rusher - 2 - Relentless and times stunts well. Displays adequate lower body strength and flashes the ability to collapse the pocket. Shows good closing speed. Player X Overall Football Traits Production - 1 - XXXX red-shirted XXX in 2004. He started 10 of the 11 games he appeared in during the 2005 season finishing with 45 total tackles, 28 unassisted tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack and five pass breakups. XXXX started all 14 games of the 2006 season finishing with 83 total tackles, 52 unassisted tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, three pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. He started 12 of the 13 games of the 2007 season finishing with 99 total tackles, 61 unassisted tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, four pass breakups, four interceptions including three he returned for touchdowns and two forced fumbles Height-Weight-Speed - 1 - XXX has the blend of height, weight and speed and NFL teams covet at the outside linebacker position Durability - 1 - XXXX is a three-year starter who has yet to miss a game with an injury. Character - 3 - XXXXX didn't start XXX in the 2007 X game because he missed a class earlier in the week Outside Linebacker specific Traits Instincts/Recognition - 3 - Locates the ball carrier quickly. Doesn't always see pulling offensive linemen when tight end blocks down and can get kicked inside. Doesn't always take sound pursuit angles. Pursuit/Point of Attack - 2 - Aggressive and quick enough to disrupt running plays in the backfield. Plays with adequate leverage, extends arms once locked on and can set the edge though occasionally turns shoulders too quickly creating a seam for the back. Shows a strong punch and can shed blockers in time to make a play. Shows sideline-to-sideline range but effort in pursuit is a little too inconsistent Tackling - 2 - Squares up to the ball carrier, wraps up and drives legs once in position though can wrap up too high and struggles to stop ball carrier's forward momentum when that happens Pass Coverage - 3 - Reads quarterbacks' eyes and shows above-average range but doesn't always get deep enough when asked to drop into zone coverage and doesn't appear to read routes all that well either. Takes too long to open hips and is going to have some problems turning and running with some NFL tight ends Pass Rusher - 2 - Explosive enough to turn the corner at the NFL level and shows ideal closing speed. Shows good body control and can recover when gets knocked off balance. Active hands and relentless but may rely on quickness too much and needs to become more polished in terms of pass rush moves Trait Scale 1 = Exceptional 2 = Above average 3 = Average 4 = Below average 5 = Marginal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I don't think those have been updated yet for the '09 draft process. I remember reading the same thing in October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mz. Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I don't think those have been updated yet for the '09 draft process. I remember reading the same thing in October. For ESPN's scouting dept. (except for Mel Kiper, of course, who rules) this wouldn't surprise me one bit. But the overall characteristics for either guy haven't changed I don't think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Well, one had an amazing senior year, while the other guy had a disappointing one that exposed some possible issues in his game. I think some of these numbers are going to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Masters Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I take player X myself. Player Z needed 26 games to get 15.5 TFL. While player X got 13.5 for a loss in one year. Throw in how CLE players arleady can't tackle for crap half the time, I do not want to see a player with the following, like player Z has: "Has a tendency to miss some easy tackles due to leaving feet in an effort to deliver the big hit" I'd rather see a player with the following, as player X has: "Squares up to the ball carrier, wraps up and drives legs once in position" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mz. Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Well, one had an amazing senior year, while the other guy had a disappointing one that exposed some possible issues in his game. I think some of these numbers are going to change. Numbers sure, characteristics I dunno. I still like your guy over Rey, but the Senior Bowl reports give me pause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gips Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Either of these guys are likely impact starters..both have a nose for the ball and can see the play unfold in their mind and react to it...curry has a better nose but rey just blasts people when the opportunity presents itself..i like them both. But kokinis and mangini are going to be looking at more than raw skill in their evaluation process it should be interesting which if either fits the mold... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaBrownsFan Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Here's a scouting report for Rey's senior bowl performance. They really seem to question his character and his natural instincts. There is no question that the 260-pound Rey Maualuga has the size, burst, athletic ability and attitude NFL teams covet at middle linebacker, but there are concerns about his discipline. He's shown a tendency to overrun running backs and bite on play action so it's important the he read his keys, fill the correct gaps and take sound pursuit angles this week. Note: Grades are done on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the best. REY MAUALUGA NO. PLAYER SCHOOL POSITION HEIGHT WEIGHT 40 TIME 58 Rey Maualuga USC ILB 6-3 250 4.62 Senior Bowl 2007 Production He appeared in 12 games recording 37 tackles including 4.5 for loss in 2005. Maualuga started 22 of the 26 games he appeared in recording a total of 157 tackles including 15.5 for losses in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 he played in 12 games, recording a total of 79 tackles including 2.5 for loss and intercepting two passes, including one he retuned for a touchdown against Ohio State in the season opener. GRADE: 2 Ht./Wt./Speed Displays an above-average combination of speed and size. GRADE: 2 Durability Durability is not a substantial concern at this point. He sustained a hip pointer that led to him seeing limited time against Notre Dame in 2007 and missed the 2008 Oregon game with a knee injury, but nothing that has anyone too worried. GRADE: 2 Character There have been off-the-field issues for Maualuga while at USC. He's dealt with them, but it's something scouts will check into. GRADE: 4 ILB SPECIFICS Instincts and recognition 4 One of if not his greatest weakness. Can be a step slow diagnosing plays and locating the ball. Overaggressive, vulnerable to play-action and vulnerable to misdirection. Pursuit/Point of attack 2 Battering ram that fills hard when reads run and can disrupt plays in the backfield. While needs to work on shedding blockers quicker, big enough to stack blockers up in the hole and hold ground when teams run at him. Above-average range for his size and can make plays from sideline-to-sideline, but doesn't always take sound pursuit angles and overruns the hole too much. Tackling 1 So aggressive that he doesn't always get into a sound tackling position, but is still an effective open-field tackler that has enough body control to make plays in space. Plays like his hair is on fire and can deliver big hits Pass coverage 3 Gets good depth in drops, shows above-average awareness and flashes decent ball skills in zone coverage, but may not have the hip fluidity or speed to excel in a Tampa Cover 2 scheme. Stiff in the hips, isn't fluid changing directions and is going to have a much harder time matching up with NFL backs in coverage. Pass rushing 2 Inexperienced and hasn't shown a wide variety of pass rush moves coming off the edge, but has the tools to improve in this area. Does a good job of timing the blitz, flashes the ability to run over blockers in the backfield and flashes an effective rip move working against backs. PRACTICE NOTES Monday (1/19/09): Monday's lighter session in shells was not the ideal setting for Maualuga, who shows good speed for his size, but is obviously not the most fluid athlete. His footwork looked great during position-specific drills but he appeared stiff in the hips when trying to match-up in man coverage. Maualuga was overaggressive at times. He overran the ball on one play during inside-run period and got caught out of a position on a misdirection run during team period. On the flipside, he displayed above-average closing burst and did a nice job of stepping up into the hole. All-in-all it was a solid all-around showing from one of the premier defensive talents in Mobile this week. Maualuga should shine when the intensity level is ratcheted up a couple of notches during full-pad practices the next two days. Tuesday (1/20/09): Maualuga remains a man among boys at the Senior Bowl. His aggression, power and head-snapping take-on ability are very apparent, even under these circumstances where there is not an abundance of hitting. He is obviously at his best coming downhill and can be a freight train in that capacity, but he isn't as powerful or agile when moving in reverse. Being flanked by two exceptional outside linebackers at USC, Maualuga's ability to rush the passer off the edge was not always apparent but it stood out today. He obviously has the size to compete at the line of scrimmage and he displays a heavy bull rush to push the pocket. In addition, he showed a quick first step and the ability to blow past the blocker. It is far too early to consider him as a 3-4 outside linebacker prospect and he needs much more time to hone his pass rush, but it's something coaches and scouts can file away as yet another positive trait to consider in his overall evaluation. Wednesday (1/21/09): There were only two negatives that we noticed today. The first is his lack of discipline at times. As previously noted, he will occasionally guess (rather than read his key and diagnose) and attack the line of scrimmage hoping to blow the play up before it has time to develop. The second is his limitations in coverage. Maualuga lost a step at one point and got tripped up on another occasion -- both times when working in man-coverage versus a running back out of the backfield, which is not a strength of his to begin with. Otherwise, it was a fine all-around performance from Maualuga on Wednesday. Maualuga was flying around the field and made plays from sideline-to-sideline versus the run. He displayed explosive power when filling gaps and outstanding closing burst in pursuit of ball carriers. Maualuga also continued to display his ability as a pass rusher on a couple occasions during Wednesday's practice. First, Maualuga absolutely embarrassed Clemson RB James Davis during one-on-one blitz pickup drills with the running backs. Maualuga used his speed to force Davis off-balance and then used a power move to throw Davis to the ground. Later on during pass-rush drills versus the offensive line, Maualuga used his straight-line speed and body control to quickly bend the edge versus Tennessee OT Ramon Foster. Thursday (1/22/09): With the team practicing in helmets and shorts and contact at a minimum, today's session was not the ideal setting for this physical thumper. Still, he took advantage of the opportunity to showcase his overall range as well as his ability to hold up in zone coverage during the team portion of practice. On one play, Maualuga closed on a hitch route thrown to the opposite hash and the 254-pounder stuck out like a sore thumb because he was clearly moving at higher speed than everyone else on defense. He also looked right at home roaming the middle during seven-on-seven drills. Maualuga showed above-average awareness during the coverage drills, picking up short crossing routes and reacting quickly to any throws to the running back. All-in-all, Maualuga followed an underwhelming though certainly not disastrous, start to the week with two impressive practices. SUMMARY Final Grade: B+ Maualuga didn't dominate the first two practices as much as we had expected. He had some problems getting past tight ends during one-on-one pass drills and holding up in coverage. In addition, his instincts remain a concern. He's just too slow locating the ball at times and he doesn't always fill the correct gap. On the flipside, Maualuga showed us why he is our top middle linebacker prospect the past two days. The human wrecking ball played with an edge, held his ground at the point of attack and showed excellent range for his size. While he still had problems matching up in man coverage and he's going to have his limitations in coverage at the NFL level, he looked more and more comfortable in zone coverage as the week progressed. Finally, it's worth pointing out that Maualuga showed some heart by improving over the course of the week, while Ohio State's James Laurinaitis didn't even make the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Either way, they are both good players. If I had to select between 1 of the 2, I take whoever is considered a better 3 down player, and if neither is a 3 down player, I pass on them both. When you are picking at 5, I expect more than a situational player.....but that's just me. We don't have to settle for a pass rusher, or a run stuffer, or a pass blocker, or a run blocker...we are high enough we can select a complete player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicopee John Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Rey was the first guy (knockout artist)... and in this report, frankly sounds a little better. They're both great prospects. I think it comes down to what Mangini wants for his defense. Curry does everything well, he's a great athlete, and is technically sound... Rey is bigger, also a great athlete, and more of a slobberknocker than Curry. Interesting to today's conversation that they also see Rey as the better cover guy, on ILB terms. Just a hypothetical to throw out there............ Browns trade their 1st round pick to somebody who really loves somebody. Doesn't have to be dramatic but enough to get a later 1st rounder and an extra 2nd rounder or two. Take one of the other 2 USC LBs late in Round 1, take a RB in Round 2 (Brown from UCONN or the kid from Liberty) and use the other second round pick to take the BPA at that time. Every team can use a little more depth. Just a question: is there THAT much difference between USC #1 LB and USC #2 and #3 LBS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Thanks for sharing that....and I have always though of Curry as a OLB.....and I see that as the bigger need of the 2 backer spots. Who are we planning on playing outside next year?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Masters Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Just a hypothetical to throw out there............ Browns trade their 1st round pick to somebody who really loves somebody. Doesn't have to be dramatic but enough to get a later 1st rounder and an extra 2nd rounder or two. Take one of the other 2 USC LBs late in Round 1, take a RB in Round 2 (Brown from UCONN or the kid from Liberty) and use the other second round pick to take the BPA at that time. Every team can use a little more depth. Just a question: is there THAT much difference between USC #1 LB and USC #2 and #3 LBS? I'd take the other 2 USC LBs. I personally think Cushing is a better all around LB than Rey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 SHEP: He's also consistently ranked as the top ILB in the draft while Curry is consistently ranked as an OLB. Walter Football's Inside Linebacker Rankings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Curry's ranked at OLB because 2/3 of NFL teams play in a 4-3 and he's a prototypical SAM backer (can both cover TE's and stuff the run). For the same reason, Richard Seymour was ranked at DT when he was a draft prospect, even though he became an elite 3-4 DE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solon16 Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Displays an outstanding combination of speed and size Durability - 1 - Durability is not a substantial concern at this point though sustained a hip pointer that led to him seeing limited time against Notre Dame in 2007. Character - 0 - N/A Inside Linebacker specific Traits Instincts/Recognition - 1 - Shows natural instincts. Reads keys extremely well and finds the football quickly. Recognizes play action and reacts well. Pursuit/Point of Attack - 1 - Down-hill aggressive thumper. Does a nice job of controlling and shedding blockers. Opens hips extremely well and changes directions instantly. Shows excellent overall range. At times, gets caught out of position due to aggressive approach Tackling - 2 - A knock-out artist. Will violently explode through ball carriers when given the opportunity. Has a tendency to miss some easy tackles due to leaving feet in an effort to deliver the big hit Pass Coverage - 2 - Does a good job of looking up shallow crossers and disrupting their routes. Is able to sniff out and react to screens extremely well. Pass Rusher - 2 - Relentless and times stunts well. Displays adequate lower body strength and flashes the ability to collapse the pocket. Shows good closing speed. I got no problem with this at all....because Curry will be gone! if he isn't great but I think he's gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solon16 Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Aloy....haven't seen this guy play but once....TCU had an exceptional D so I think he might be a good candidate.....thoughts? a little lite but he'll fill out Jason Phillips, TCU Height: 6-1. Weight: 234. Projected 40 Time: 4.55. Projected Round (2009): 4. 1/10/09: Finished with a whopping 13 TFL, as well as 84 tackles and 3.5 sacks. 12/7/08: Selected to the All-Mountain West First Team once again, Jason Phillips tallied 79 tackles, 12 TFL and 3.5 sacks this year. 2007: Jason Phillips led the Horned Frogs with 73 tackles, earning himself a spot on the All-Mountain West First Team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 so my gut says we'll get a starting linebacker in free agency and then draft the other position. No doubt that is the plan...lets hope we can get one....actually, the FA pick-up is probably more important than drafting one because then we don't have to reach heading in to the draft. Drafting 2 backers back to back isn't a good idea IMO....you can end up with two future starters at the same position(backer) more or less in the same contract cycle which can muck up the process of signing them again if both are good players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solon16 Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 No doubt that is the plan...lets hope we can get one....actually, the FA pick-up is probably more important than drafting one because then we don't have to reach heading in to the draft. Drafting 2 backers back to back isn't a good idea IMO....you can end up with two future starters at the same position(backer) more or less in the same contract cycle which can muck up the process of signing them again if both are good players. well Peen normally I'd agree but at this point we'd be better off drafting all LB's....maybe we'll finally hit on one....sarcasm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YtownBrownsBacker Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I believe Curry is the #1 LB in the draft but Rey isn't #2 for 3-4 teams. Everette Brown will be a 3-4 OLB and I think after the combine and pro day he will be right there with Curry on the Browns list. So it will be do you want a ILB - Curry or a pass rusher - Brown. Might just be which one we can get in FA and go after the other in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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