Translate

Showing posts with label 2014 rookie class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014 rookie class. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Defensive Players impress in week one of preseason

Many rookies looked wonderful in their first bit of action since college football ended last January, impressing with speed, dynamics, explosiveness, and pure raw talent. We're going to go pick by pick through the draft in this article, give you the stats, and analize each player. This will be a truly informative article, not one of politics or opinion.

Defensive Linemen

1. Texans Jadevion Clowney
     Clowney played first team alongside JJ Watt and the two of them were the lone bright spot Houston had in the 32-0 shutout loss in Arizona. Clowney recorded one tackle, a 5 yard loss on a bone crushing tackle delivered to Stepfan Taylor where Clowney simply bull rushed Darren Fells. He was all over the field, however, he can't run with TE's. He got burned for a TD catch and run by John Carlson that ended up being called back for Offensive holding. Overall, he only played 2 drives, but generated pressure and made crushing tackles giving us a glimpse of what he can become.

23. Chiefs Dee Ford
     Collected 2 tackles and generated some pressure while playing with the second team defense. Jason Campbell fired 2 INT's while he was on the field, putting pressure in his face.

37. Falcons Ra'Shede Hageman
     Collected 2 tackles with the second team on Friday night. Looks like he's getting better with each day.

46. Steelers Stephon Tuitt
     Made 1 tackle, and looked a little confused in action against the Giants.

51. Bears Ego Ferguson
     Made 2 tackles in limited action, looked alright in his action against the Eagles Friday evening.

60. Panthers Kony Ealy
     Made 3 tackles with the 2nd team defense on Friday night hosting Miami. Ealy looks strong off the edge, and will be a demon to stop this season.

Linebackers

5. Raiders Khalil Mack
     Mack played with the 1st team, and made 2 tackles, playing very much as he did in college. Looks impressive and strong.

9. Vikings Anthony Barr
     Barr made a tackle and shared a strip sack on Teddy Bridgewater with DT Tom Johnson. He looked fast off the edge and played like a fanatic. Looks like he's the perfect energy Minnesota needs.

15. Steelers Ryan Shazier
     Didn't see action against the Giants Saturday evening.

17. Ravens CJ Mosely
     Very impressive debut for the former Alabama linebacker. Made a team high 5 tackles and sacked Tyrod Taylor, very strong performance and an impressive evening.

26. Eagles Marcus Smith
     2 tackles with the 2nd team Friday evening in Chicago.

40. Lions Kyle Van Noy
     Didn't see action against the Browns on Saturday.

47. Redskins Trent Murphy
     2 assist tackles in limited action against the Patriots.

50. Chargers Jeremiah Attaouchu
     1 tackle in limited action against the Cowboys Thursday night.

Defensive Backs

8. Browns Justin Gilbert
     Didn't see action against the Lions Saturday evening.

14. Bears Kyle Fuller
     3 tackles in coverage against the Eagles. Impressive night.

18. Jets Calvin Pryor
     No action Thursday against the Colts.

21. Packers HaHa Clinton-Dix
     3 tackles with the 1st team Saturday night, impressive tackler in the open field.

24. Bengals Darqueeze Dennard
     3 tackles and a sack in his extensive action against the Chiefs Thursday night. Looked good in coverage and open field tackling.

25. Chargers Jason Verrett
     Didn't see action against Dallas.

27. Cardinals Deone Buccannon
     3 tackles in limited action against the Texans Saturday.

30. 49ers Jimmy Ward
     2 tackles in limited action against the Ravens.

31. Broncos Bradley Roby
     4 tackles and a forced fumble in coverage against the Ravens. Looks extremely impressive.

41. Rams Lamarcus Joyner
     2 tackles in action against the Saints.

58. Saints Stanley Jean-Baptiste
     1 tackle in limited action against the Rams Friday night.

This has my series of articles on how our rookies played this week. Tune in Tuesday next week to start the next and more in depth assessment!

Receivers and Tight Ends impress in first preseason action

Many rookies looked wonderful in their first bit of action since college football ended last January, impressing with speed, dynamics, explosiveness, and pure raw talent. We're going to go pick by pick through the draft in this article, give you the stats, and analize each player. This will be a truly informative article, not one of politics or opinion. Part 3 in a series.

Wide Receivers

4. Bills Sammy Watkins
     Sammy looked impressive, catching 3 balls for 21 yards. The Bills implemented his old screen habits, giving him 2 screen passes that would gain 7 yards. His 3rd catch was a beautiful slant pattern where Sammy dove between 2 defenders to secure a catch for 14 yards. Looks good, appears to be ready to play a big part in the Bills offense this season.

7. Buccaneers Mike Evans
     Didn't see action against the Jaguars on Friday night.

12. Giants Odell Beckham Jr
     Still recovering from Hamstring tweak from day one of training camp.

20. Saints Brandin Cooks
     Extremely explosive player. Brought in game high 5 catches for 55 yards, including a 23 yard TD that featured his ability to stop and go as he took a screen pass and sidestepped players into the end zone. Also handled punt returns, needs more reps in games before getting rated for his service there.

28. Panthers Kelvin Benjamin
     1 catch. 29 yards. 1 Touchdown. Anderson went for it all and connected with an underthrown pass that Kelvin fell down to secure and catch. His form looked impressive, and his instincts were what made that play. Looks like he will be a vital part of the Panthers offense.

39. Jaguars Marquise Lee
     Didn't see the field in game 1 Friday night against the Buccaneers.

42. Eagles Jordan Matthews
     Screen receiver. Caught 4 passes for 14 yards, his longest catch picking up 5. Hands looked great, but as soon as he picks up the offense better, he'll pick up 10-15 yards per play. Looks promising simply because of his hands.

45. Seahawks Paul Richardson
     Led team Thursday night with his 4 catches, gaining 37 yards. Looks good on his short passes, longest gain picking up 12 yards. Hands and route running looks great, not too much to worry about. He's gaining prestige on the depth chart quickly.

53. Packers Davante Adams
     Davante got some good playing time in, catching 2 balls for 22 yards, used mainly on slant patterns very much like he did in college. He's being used on the field great, and his raw talent will get him more action. However, 2 fumbles (one lost) will be a set back for playing time. Probably will share time at the #3 receiver spot with Jarrett Boykin.

56. Broncos Cody Latimer
     Didn't register any stats in the Super Bowl rematch hosting the Seahawks Thursday night.

61. Jaguars Allen Robinson
     Played limited time, and was targeted a few times. No catches.

63. Dolphins Jarvis Landry
     1 catch on a screen pass that lost a yard. Not an impressive debut for the #14. We'll give him credit for catching the ball.

86. Eagles Josh Huff
     Caught 1 pass for 8 yards in Fridays scrimmage against the Bears. Looks extremely explosive, more for his 102 yard kick return that highlighted his pure speed. Took back 4 kickoffs, averaged 35 yards a return. Next third round WR steal?

90. Colts Donte Moncrief
     1 catch for 16 yards, plus a kick return for 27. Not a bad start, could be better with his hands.

91. Cardinals John Brown
     5 catches for 87 yards in the destruction of Houston's defense Saturday night. He Targeted 10 times, so his stats could be better, but the fact is that the guy was open just about every play. His 25 yard catch and run showed more of his explosive playmaking ability.

104. Jets Jalen Saunders
     Saw limited action on the field, no stats. Did take 2 punt returns for 10 yards. Nothing impressive.

106. 49ers Bruce Ellington
     3 catches for a team high 35 yards in the 23-3 loss to Baltimore Thursday night. Looked explosive off the line and unstoppable in the middle of the field, exactly what San Francisco needs. Handled kick and punt returns as well, combined for 97 all-purpose yards. Looks explosive.

115. Jets Shaquelle Evans
     Saw limited action, no stats to show for it.

118. Steelers Martavis Bryant
     1 catch for 19 yards in the loss to Green Bay Saturday evening. shared punt return duties with Dri Archer, looked mostly unimpressive overall. Little flash of explosiveness with his 19 yard catch.

123. Seahawks Kevin Norwood
     Saw no action against the Broncos.

142. Redskins Ryan Grant
     3 catches for 37 yards in his extensive action against the Patriots. Looks strong and hard to stop, exactly what the Redskins need. Should get limited playing time this regular season.

146. Cowboys Devin Street
     4 catches for a team high 43 yards. Good hands and presence, and flashes of explosiveness. Devin has a shot at being the #3 receiver for Dallas this season.

176. Packers Jared Abbrederis
     Didn't see action against the Titans Saturday night.

185. Buccaneers Robert Herron
     1 catch for 10 yards in his limited playing time. Targeted a few other times, but couldn't come up with catches. Won't see the field too much this season.

189. Lions TJ Jones
     Registered no stats in Saturday evenings action against the Browns.

190. Dolphins Matt Hazel
     Made no catches in the scrimmage against the Falcons Friday night.

196. Cardinals Walt Powell
     3 catches for 74 yards against the Texans, including a team long 47 yard catch. Impressive start to his season, even if it was preseason. Looks explosive.

209. Jets Quincy Enunwa
      No stats against the Colts.

218. Ravens Michael Campanaro
     Took a punt 0 yards. Too early to tell on this guy.

236. Packers Jeff Janis
     No stats in Tennessee Saturday night.

239. Bengals James Wright
     2 catches for 20 yards plus a TD pass from Matt Scott. Wright looked alright with route running, but played 3rd team for lack of development.

240. Chargers Tevin Reese
     1 catch for 17 yards, Reese looks like he can bloom into a steal. Only time will tell on that one.

244. Patriots Jeremy Gallon
     Not on roster.

Tight Ends

10. Lions Eric Ebron
     Played limited 1st team snaps, took a 2 yard screen pass from Stafford. Not a blocking TE, he was used mainly in passing downs, and spent his time running routes.

38. Buccaneers Austin Seferian-Jenkins
     2 catches for 29 yards. Spent time on both 1st and 2nd team units, and can be a good target in traffic over the middle. Still needs some polishing done, but that can be done over time.

49. Jets Jace Amaro
     2 catches for 18 yards. Good hands, and great field awareness. Ran short routes, not used as a blocker. Jace is the next TE for New York.

52. Cardinals Troy Niklas
     Saw limited time, took no stats with him out.

65. Texans CJ Feidorowicz
     Limited snaps, no stats.

98. Packers Richard Rodgers
     1 catch for 10 yards. Played on the 3rd team offense. Not bad hands, needs to improve blocking.

99. Ravens Crockett Gilmore
     No action verses the 49ers Thursday evening.

155. Dolphins Arthur Lynch
     No stats in the Georgia Dome Friday.

217. Redskins Ted Bolster
     Caught a 7 yard TD from Colt McCoy, playing on the 3rd team. Blocked and helped Lache Seastrunk gain his 63 yards against the Patriots.

230. Steelers Robert Blanchflower
     No action against the Giants Saturday night.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Rookie Running Backs Impress In Preseason Action

Many rookies looked wonderful in their first bit of action since college football ended last January, impressing with speed, dynamics, explosiveness, and pure raw talent. We're going to go pick by pick through the draft in this article, give you the stats, and analyze each player. This will be a truly informative article, not one of politics or opinion. Part 2 of a series.

RUNNING BACKS

54. Titans Bishop Sankey
     This guy turned out explosive as any player in the league, being not only a screen back but a between the tackles grinder. Not every play that he ran looked good, but he got better as the game went on. His bigger runs all popped out inside enemy territory. Sankey made a spectacular play when Charlie Whitehurst kep't the play alive to throw the ball to Sankey on the sideline. Sankey sidestepped the defender and it was off to a 23 yard gain. He brought in a TD pass from Whitehurst, a screen pass where he was sitting wide open and walked in. Looks excellent. 13 runs for 37 yards, 3 catches for 38 yards and a TD.

55. Bengals Jeremy Hill
     6 runs for 36 yards. Impressive, but quietly so. He took limited snaps, and did a lot. Hard to say though. Give him another game.

57. 49ers Carlos Hyde
     Hyde played with the 1st team, giving Frank Gore a break, running 5 times for 39 yards, including a 19 yard burst. He ran between tackles well, and played very professionally. Excellent opening day.

69. Buccaneers Charles Sims
     6 runs for 13 yards, 3 catches for 32 yards, including a screen pass turned 27 yard gain. He's a scatback, and a screen monster. He can turn little passes into a lot with his speed. That's what makes him so great. That's why he'll fit in with Tampa Bay. Looks good receiving, lots of work to do on the ground.

75. Rams Tre Mason
     15 runs for 51 yards, including a 20 yard burst, and a 25 yard kick return. Not a bad start to the NFL. Tre only needs to work on consistency. Take away his longest run of 20 yards, and you get 14 carries for 31 yards- little over 2 yards per carry. If he can run 4 or even 5 yards a carry, this guy's got a chance to get more carries on a team with former Vanderbilt Zach Stacy and Bennie Cunningham taking carries.

94. Browns Terrence West
     Another "Needs to be more consistent" player. He had his moments, a 13 yard screen pass turned upfield, a nice 10 yard burst. But without those, he touched the ball 9 times for 12 yards. West has looked good in training camp, but if he wants more carries this season, he needs to step it up and play strong these next 3 weeks.

96. Vikings Jerick McKinnon
     McKinnon failed to impress to much in Fridays action against Oakland, taking the majority of the carries (12) for 45 yards. He didn't make a catch, and spent time returning kicks, where he averaged 15 yards a return. He's impressed Adrian Peterson, but he needs a little more work.

97. Steelers Dri Archer
     The Steelers aren't exactly known for drafting little speed monsters, but they did so with Dri and it appears to be paying off. They used him perfectly, giving him 2 runs that netted 9 yards on outside runs, and then threw him screen passes, one that went 46 yards, the other 4. He was explosive and his 4.26 40 speed just brilliantly blazed as soon as he touched the ball. He looks impressive.

103. Falcons Devonta Freeman
     Freeman had a very impressive debut, compiling 107 all-purpose yards on 11 touches. His 57 yard catch and run flashed his skill and talent well, and his 10 carries for 50 yards showed his consistency. He can take a load. Keep this up, and Freeman may just get more snaps then Steven Jackson.

113. Giants Andre Williams
     Andre has looked scary since the HOF game in Canton. In action against the Steelers in East Rutherford, Williams took 7 carries for 35 yards, a 10 yard burst being his longest run. He consistently got past the line of scrimmage, put his head down and got the ball forward. The only thing we have yet to see from Williams is his receiving hands. He has yet to catch a ball.

117. Bears Ka'Deem Carey
     Very unimpressive in Fridays game against the Eagles. 10 carries for 23 yards, he was tackled for a loss more then once. He had trouble finding holes, and looked overall confused. He's another RB with a concern on his help to the passing game. Carey struggled, and proved why Forte is starting over him this season.

124. Chiefs DeAnthony Thomas
     The Black Mumba struck with an electrifying 80 yard punt return score where Thomas simply ran around everyone on the Bengals special teams and outran them. He took a Kickoff back 35 yards, and didn't see too much action on offense. It looks like Reid want's Thomas to be the special teams man.

130. Patriots James White
     James White struggles in Thursdays scrimmage in Landover, Maryland. His 4 runs for 9 yards were most unimpressive, and he didn't add anything to the passing game. Needs a lot of help, but he should be a 3rd team player.

138. Ravens Lorenzo Taliaferro
     Lorenzo bloomed in his first action taking 13 carries for 71 yards, and adding a special explosive part of the Ravens offense. He ran consistently too, his longest run a 12 yard burst. Lorenzo keeps this up, he'll be 2nd on the depth chart, with Bernard Pierce moving back to 3rd.

181. Texans Alfred Blue
     Blue didn't look so bad in his first game against the Cardinals, taking 5 runs for 30 yards with a 14 yard run being his longest gain. He was a help to the flats, catching 2 passes for 14 yards, and looked overall impressive. He's used to backing people up, he did that in LSU behind Jeremy Hill. Now here he is trying to move to the #2 spot on the depth chart behind Arian Foster. He just might get it too.

186. Redskins Lache Seastrunk
     Another 6th round steal at the RB position? Seastrunk just might be. He tore apart the Patriots defense on Thursday night, collecting 63 yards on 12 carries, including his 21 yard strike into the secondary. The Redskins line looks much improved, and that will be the key factor for the RB position. Hes got a chance of moving to the #2 spot.

201. Chargers Marion Grice
     Not very impressive against the Cowboys, taking 14 carries for 35 yards, including an 18 yard run. Consistently stopped for the minimal gain, or the loss. Needs a lot of help with his footwork and overall strength.

204. Panthers Tyler Gaffney
     Didn't see action against the Bills Friday night.

222. Jaguars Storm Johnson
     Took 9 carries for 21 yards, playing a little with Blake Bortles, and most of the time with Ricky Stanzi. Johnson has potential, it flashed at many occasions against the Buccaneers, but he's still having trouble finishing runs. That won't be too hard for Gus Bradley to have fixed. Will probably spend the season at either #3 or on the Practice Squad.

245. 49ers Trey Millard
     NFI according to Outlads.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Rookie Quarterbacks Review for Preseason Week 1

Many rookies looked wonderful in their first bit of action since college football ended last January, impressing with speed, dynamics, explosiveness, and pure raw talent. We're going to go pick by pick through the draft in this article, give you the stats, and analize each player. This will be a truly informative article, not one of politics or opinion. Part 1- the Quarterbacks.
QUARTERBACKS
3. Jaguars Blake Bortles
     Blake came out slinging like a pro and impressing just about every NFL analyst in action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bortles completed 7 of 11 passes for 117 yards, plus a 7 yard draw play. He came straight out and threw a long strike downfield between defenders. He ran the bootleg beautifully. He threw balls over defenders and threw accurate deep passes. Bortles looked wonderful out there, and provided a glimmer of hope for the Jaguars this coming season. If he continues to play as he did Friday, he will start opening day.

22. Browns Johnny Manziel
     Johnny Football came straight out and earned himself a start for next week's Monday Night matchup against Washington. Completing 7 of 11 passes for 63 yards, Manziel was not only exciting to watch on the field, but he was electrifying. He put together 6 runs for a team high 27 yards, including a dynamic 16 yard scramble in between defenders that ended in Manziel diving for extra yards. He needs to improve his decision making, but he still played well, and threw his deep passes accurately between defenders to his receivers.

32. Vikings Teddy Bridgewater
     Teddy wasn't exactly brilliant. His first pass was a dumpoff to Cordarrelle Patterson, who took it for a first down. In the red zone, though, he came under pressure and fumbled the ball... Recovered by Matt Kalil. Overall, his skill set looked limited. In Louisville, he threw screen passes all day on slant routes. It looked to me like he was looking to do that here. It didn't happen. He has a lot of work to do on his longer drops, and his downfield accuracy, and his pocket awareness. 6 of 13 for 49 yards.

36. Raiders Derek Carr
     10 of 16 for 74 yards and an INT. Although the INT wasn't entirely his fault, his throws were off target, and Carr needs to work on his deep throw accuracy. He does nicely placing balls on screens. Jamize Olawale was the intended target on his INT, and Carr just overthrew him enough to where he couldn't catch the ball. Carr has a bit to improve on before he can overtake Matt Schuab as starter. The chances of that after this game are very slim.

62. Patriots Jimmy Garoppolo
     Jimmy looked much more impressive then Ryan Mallett, that's for sure. Garoppolo came out there and threw 9 of 13 passes complete, for 157 yards and 1 TD, the only points New England scored all game. He looked good under pressure, and he should probably pass Mallett for the starting job next month.

120. Cardinals Logan Thomas
     Logan Thomas was one of 3 impressive QB Performances by the Cardinals against the Texans, if not the most impressive. 11 of 12 passes were completions, for 113 yards and a TD that will compare him to Ben Roethlisburger. He was nearly sacked, but he ran out to the right and fired a bullet on the run into the end zone. Very impressive night for the 4th rounder, he's going to put pressure on Drew Stanton for the starting job.

135. Texans Tom Savage
     Tom Savage had a poor night. He took limited snaps, and only got 3 passes off, 2 of them completed, for 14 yards. To early to tell on this guy.

163. Chiefs Aaron Murray
     Took 2 knees to end the shootout against Kansas City.

164. Bengals AJ McCarron
     AJ sat out Thursdays game with shoulder tightness that has been there since draft day. The Bengals didn't want to risk loosing him. AJ might debut this Saturday when the Bengals host the Jets.

178. Titans Zach Mettenberger
     Zach got 7 passes off in the Titans win against Packers on Saturday. Going 4 of 7 for 87 yards and an INT, Zach still has some work to do. He has a strong arm, and he showcased that very well, with his 38 yard strike to Brian Robiskie, all arm strength no additional yards after the catch. He looks promising.

183. Bears David Fales
     5 of 7 for 68 yards and an INT, Fales showed some promise before tossing his INT. He has a good arm and good mechanics, we'll see if he can't beat Jordan Palmer out for the 3rd string position.

194. Ravens Keith Wenning
     Wenning took the last 3 knees of the game against San Francisco. Much to early to tell.

213. Jets Tajh Boyd
     Didn't appear in the Jets-Colts game. Rex Ryan did mention the thought of playing Boyd at a different position back in May.

214. Rams Garrett Gilbert
     Former #1 QB Recruit in the nation, went 6 of 11 for 53 yards against the Saints in Fridays action, plus a run for 1 yard. Not very impressive in his time.