On Wednesday, I had the rare privilege of being a fly on the wall for NFL day at the East West Shrine Game practices in San Antonio. NFL day is the biggest day of the week, as most scouts leave on Thursday and scout the game on film. The tension was palpable as over 300 scouts gathered at Alamo Stadium to watch a great cross-section of the talent available in the 2006 NFL draft.
The change in intensity level from Monday's practice was apparent right away in drills, as many more players showed their emotion, whether they were making the perfect play or suffering the worst possible lapse at the worst possible time. The coaches were also visibly more keyed up, exalting their guys when they put the coaching in action to achieve results and really laying into them when they faltered mentally.
This was a make or break day for many players, and there was a clear sense of which guys embraced the pressure and which guys were somewhat broken by it. Every play was under the microscope.
I focused on the offensive skill players. Keep in mind that we are talking about a very small sample size of plays. I also got to talk to the director of player personnel for the game, John Murphy, and got his thoughts on some of the players. Thanks to John for taking the time out to share his observations.
Let's get down to business...
QBs - Paul Pinegar of Fresno State was the standout QB of the day and the week. He was machine like in his pocket composure, accuracy, and mechanics. He's big and sturdy, and seems like a perfect west coast offense QB. Something about him reminded me of Matt Schaub. Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski is not the towering read and deliver pocket passer that Pinegar is. He does display the leadership qualities that are becoming routine in the pedigree of MAC QBs and a scrappy improvising style at QB that uses his mobility. He was not as overwhelmingly effective as Pinegar, but showed playmaking ability. Texas A&M's Reggie McNeal definitely has the look of an athlete that could make an impact at QB. His short and intermediate throws seem way too flat, but he does have a nice deep ball. At the very best, I see him as eventually being Michael Vick with most of the speed but much less pure escapability - the line drive style passes that McNeal delivers reminds me most of Vick.
Alabama State's Tarvaris Jackson passes the eye test and displays all the raw materials that make a good QB at the next level. His throws were just as erratic on Wednesday as they were on Monday. He did make one of the sickest plays of the day on a 40 yard bomb to Marques Colston on the run that looked effortless. A project for sure, but an intriguing one. John Murphy told me that Jackson had the best tools of any QB at the game. UCLA's Drew Olsen throws a pretty ball, sure, but that's about the only good thing I can say about him based on what I saw this week. He was off as much as he was on, which seemed even more underwhelming on the heels of Pinegar's show. Brett Basanez just flat out struggled. I wish I could think of something optimistic to say about him, but I can't. You would have never thought this was the same guy that was so creative and heroic at Northwestern this season.
RBs - De'Arrius Howard continued to leave me shaking my head, breaking through to the second and third level of the defense routinely. He also showed decent receiving skills, which is a bonus when they come in a 6'0" 236 package with good speed. He often outran LBs to the edge and went through arm tackles without slowing down at all. Believe me, you would have never guessed Howard was a backup at Arkansas based on his running on Monday and Wednesday. Leon Washington of Florida State also really jumped out at me as very solid NFL material. His routes were tight and very full of intention, like a more veteran player, and his hands were almost impeccable. He showed decent drive for a little (but rock solid) guy on his runs, breaking some arm tackles. Taurean Henderson continued to make jaw-dropping moves in the passing drills and showed very quick cuts running inside. The improvement between the tackles was noticeable to me between Monday and Wednesday. Henderson proved to me that he was not just a product of Texas Tech's gimmicky system.
Nebraska's Cory Ross continued to look like the kind of guy who could stick. He seemed like a more powerful Quentin Griffin, and really impressed me with his receiving skills. He's a very determined runner and he knows how to use his low center of gravity to go through the hole like a pinball. DonTrell Moore just did not display the shiftiness that he did during the year at New Mexico. Moore seemed very small and sometimes got swallowed up by defensive lineman. He still looked like a natural runner, just not a very effective one. Wali Lundy has a powerful lower body and seems to do best between the tackles. What stood out the most to me about his was that he seemed hesitant and slow in his cuts and decisions and showed little explosiveness. He did little to distinguish himself this week, coming off a disappointing year at Virginia.
WRs - BYU's Todd Watkins made some huge plays and really seemed to be harnessing his track speed to get behind the DB. His stock is on the rise. Wisconsin's Brandon Williams showed great physicality both in fighting off jams at the line and staying on his routes. He didn't repeat his standout performance from Tuesday, but he had some inspired plays, especially one on Justin Wyatt that really got Williams talking. I see him as a Santana Moss/Steve Smith type without the 5th gear if he can be consistent. Jonathan Orr, the other half of the dynamic Badger WR duo, sometimes made the easy play look hard, sometimes made the hard play look easy. He also put himself in position to make eye-popping plays, only to fail to finish the deal. Still, of all the WRs I saw this week, Orr was the one that stuck with me the most. His top plays were transcedent and seemed like the kind of athletic talent that could be special with the right coaching. When I talked to him Monday, he seemed like a real humble kid and I expect him to be coachable. His agent told me that he's working out with Gradkowski and running electronically timed 40's in the high 4.3s. That will get the NFL's attention if he can do it at the combine.
Colorado State's David Anderson and Oregon State's Mike Hass looked like the kind of WR that become their QBs favorite target on 3rd down. They ran great routes, played very physical, and always came down with the ball. They are not gamebreakers, but their consistency will be a valuable asset to whatever team they land on. Anderson is the more athletic of the two and his game may translate better in the pros. Greg Jennings was solid but the explosiveness he routinely showed at Western Michigan was just not there. Jeff Webb is going to get a look because of his size, but his consistency was lacking. The San Diego State product did show more speed than I expected. Marques Colston of Hofstra left me with a similar feeling as Tarvaris Jackson. Raw as a side of beef, but the makings of an NFL player are there. Colston is a big WR who seemed slow and sometimes got pushed around. John Murphy told me that Colston got a last second invite when Maurice Stovall decided to go to the Senior Bowl, and that he was in combine shape (212 lbs) and not at his playing weight (220 lbs), implying that we hadn't seen the best of Colston. He was very impressed with Colston's ability to use his frame to shield the DB. He came this close to comparing his to Terrell Owens sans attitude, transitioning from talking about Colston to saying "at the same point in his career, Terrell Owens was in this game".Jason Carter of Texas A&M looks like a track guy at WR, using his raw speed to make big plays, but needing work on all the finer points of the WR craft. Western Ontario's Andy Fantuz was a disappointment and I walked away feeling like he is not going to make it in the NFL. He was physically owned way too easily. Murphy said that he's not strong enough to be a TE/H-back type and seemed down on his NFL prospects. He did say Fantuz is training like he wants to make it in the NFL.
TEs - I'm convinced that Texas's David Thomas will be a QBs security blanket in the NFL. He catches everything and runs very solid routes, in addition to being hard to bring down with the way drives his hips through hits and while turning upfield. He is too small to be a true "end of the line" TE, but he can be excellent H-back, a la Chris Cooley. He's not quite the athlete to rip the seams like Cooley, but he can be as prolific in the short range stuff. Tim Day was showing soft hands and fluid routes again on Wednesday. He also knew how to exploit his height advantage against LBs. The Oregon product has the look of a credible receiving threat at TE in the pros. Cooper Wallace showed some good moves off the line and tenacity in staying his routes, but sometimes got trouble bringing the ball in. His agent said he is slimming down and showing more athleticism than he did at Auburn, but the dropoff from Day and Thomas to Wallace as a target in the passing game was large.
Offensive Line- LSU's Andrew Whitworth looked as solid and consistent as always and played left tackle. Kevin Boothe did not have a good week after dominating the Ivy League at Cornell. He got pushed around and seemed overmatched. I did notice that Boothe had good agility while pulling. He'll be a project, but Murphy said he's an interesting player if he can get stronger. Ohio State's Rob Sims, North Dakota's Chris Kuper, and Louisville's Jason Spitz all showed poweful lower bodies and seemed like road grader types. Murphy swore that Sims could play tackle in the NFL. He also said Spitz's verasatility will be valued at the next level. John also singled out South Carolina's Jabari Levey, who played left tackle, saying "it's there, the question is whether it will switch on". Washington's Joe Toledo had the ideal frame you look for in a tackle, but clearly has a long way to go before he realizes his potential.
Defensive Line - It was hard to walk away from the East-West shrine practices without noticing Auburn's Tommy Jackson. He reminded me greatly of Warren Sapp with consistent burst and penetration and endless trash talking. When I asked Murphy who impressed him the most this week, the first name out of his mouth was Tommy Jackson's. Texas A&M's Johnny Jolly got the consistent upfield push that NFL teams value so much. Murphy noted his excellence in the one on one drills. Eric Henderson was a terror on the edge and he only improved his stock this week. The Georgia Tech product's rushing ability will be coveted on draft day. James Wyche had a great first step at times, and got to the QB more than once on Wednesday. I see him having potential with his long frame (think very poor man's Jason Taylor, Javon Kearse), but it could just be that he's from my alma mater, Syracuse. Murphy said he thought Wyche was too tall and that his lower body was lacking. USC's Frostee Rucker has more than the best name in the draft. Rucker consistently pushed his blocker upfield and generally disrupted everything on his side of the field. Purdue's Rob Ninkovich also showed good edge rushing ability and great pursuit down the line. He looks like he'd fit perfectly in a 3-4 OLB slot, which is what the Browns run - who coincidentally talked to Ninkovich for a while after Monday's practice.
LBs - UCLA's Justin London was extremely aggressive in both run and pass defense in the middle. He sometimes got beat because he was too impatient in coverage, but also showed the ability to turn that aggression into big plays. Oliver Hoyte showed some skills getting the jam in coverage and was a big time hitter. John Murphy excitably told me that the NC State LB had lost 10-15 pounds already and was very serious in his preparation. Brandon Hoyte was noticeably making plays all over the field. Murphy had as glowing a review of the Notre Dame captain as any player, saying that the draft is "not for him" because of less than impressive measureables, but that he'll stick on a team that values his top notch intangibles, such as the Patriots, and start in a few years. He also noted the athleticism of James Anderson, the outside linebacker from Virginia Tech. Keith Ellison and Trent Bray, the Oregon State linebacker duo, both showed good athletic ability, particularly Ellison in coverage. Stanford's Jon Alston almost looked like a safety in coverage on Leon Washington when Washington tried to take him deep, one of the plays that made the biggest impression on me all day. Northwestern's Tim McGarigle struggled in coverage badly. Arizona State's Jamar Williams was sidelined with an injury.
DBs - Maryland corner Gerrick McPhearson, maybe the best athletic specimen at the game, was sidelined with a leg injury early. McPhearson seemed devastated when sitting with the medical staff. He is CUT, and looks the part of a guy that can reportedly run in the 4.2s. John Murphy said that he had showed the best hands of any DBs this week. Justin Wyatt was standing out with his extremely physical play all day. The USC corner was generally in the face of the WR on every route, but he also made some plays that would definitely be flagged in the NFL. He definitely improved his stock this week. Everytime I watched Ohio's Dion Byrum, the cornerback was getting beat in coverage. Texas A&M's Jaxson Appel did not seem athletic enough to really make it at the next level, but his teammates gave him one of the biggest cheers of the day when he broke up a pass. I see him as a special teamer/marginal backup safety in the NFL. Safety Josh Powell stood out, but not always for good reasons. The San Jose State product was either making big hits and INTs, or getting beaten badly. Saving perhaps the best for last, Danieal Manning from Abilene Christian made the biggest statement of any small school player this week. John Murphy was gushing about Manning, saying that he would have started over a Bullocks at safety if he had stayed at Nebraska and to keep an eye on his return ability on Saturday.
There was much less talking between team scouts and players after this practice, I only noticed four talks:
New Orleans - Miami OLB Rocky McIntosh
Oakland - Bruce Gradkowski
San Diego - TCU OT Michael Toudouze
Carolina - Andy Fantuz
I did catch a woman from Merrill Lynch approaching players about whether they had a financial advisor, which was a bizarre juxtaposition to the all out war these guys had just been part of out on the field, leaving vomit on the turf in their wake. It was a sobering reminder of the reality that millions of dollars had probably shifted around based on these players' performance on a few dozen plays. It makes the batting average of hits and misses in the draft more understandable as the event's very nature is to blow everything the players do out of proportion. I know I succumbed to that temptation in the writing of this article. I hope it sheds some light on the players you'll see at the Alamodome on Saturday at 3 (ESPN2). I'll be back with Marc Faletti (who sadly had to work Wednesday) for one last report from the game early next week.
The change in intensity level from Monday's practice was apparent right away in drills, as many more players showed their emotion, whether they were making the perfect play or suffering the worst possible lapse at the worst possible time. The coaches were also visibly more keyed up, exalting their guys when they put the coaching in action to achieve results and really laying into them when they faltered mentally.
This was a make or break day for many players, and there was a clear sense of which guys embraced the pressure and which guys were somewhat broken by it. Every play was under the microscope.
I focused on the offensive skill players. Keep in mind that we are talking about a very small sample size of plays. I also got to talk to the director of player personnel for the game, John Murphy, and got his thoughts on some of the players. Thanks to John for taking the time out to share his observations.
Let's get down to business...
QBs - Paul Pinegar of Fresno State was the standout QB of the day and the week. He was machine like in his pocket composure, accuracy, and mechanics. He's big and sturdy, and seems like a perfect west coast offense QB. Something about him reminded me of Matt Schaub. Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski is not the towering read and deliver pocket passer that Pinegar is. He does display the leadership qualities that are becoming routine in the pedigree of MAC QBs and a scrappy improvising style at QB that uses his mobility. He was not as overwhelmingly effective as Pinegar, but showed playmaking ability. Texas A&M's Reggie McNeal definitely has the look of an athlete that could make an impact at QB. His short and intermediate throws seem way too flat, but he does have a nice deep ball. At the very best, I see him as eventually being Michael Vick with most of the speed but much less pure escapability - the line drive style passes that McNeal delivers reminds me most of Vick.
Alabama State's Tarvaris Jackson passes the eye test and displays all the raw materials that make a good QB at the next level. His throws were just as erratic on Wednesday as they were on Monday. He did make one of the sickest plays of the day on a 40 yard bomb to Marques Colston on the run that looked effortless. A project for sure, but an intriguing one. John Murphy told me that Jackson had the best tools of any QB at the game. UCLA's Drew Olsen throws a pretty ball, sure, but that's about the only good thing I can say about him based on what I saw this week. He was off as much as he was on, which seemed even more underwhelming on the heels of Pinegar's show. Brett Basanez just flat out struggled. I wish I could think of something optimistic to say about him, but I can't. You would have never thought this was the same guy that was so creative and heroic at Northwestern this season.
RBs - De'Arrius Howard continued to leave me shaking my head, breaking through to the second and third level of the defense routinely. He also showed decent receiving skills, which is a bonus when they come in a 6'0" 236 package with good speed. He often outran LBs to the edge and went through arm tackles without slowing down at all. Believe me, you would have never guessed Howard was a backup at Arkansas based on his running on Monday and Wednesday. Leon Washington of Florida State also really jumped out at me as very solid NFL material. His routes were tight and very full of intention, like a more veteran player, and his hands were almost impeccable. He showed decent drive for a little (but rock solid) guy on his runs, breaking some arm tackles. Taurean Henderson continued to make jaw-dropping moves in the passing drills and showed very quick cuts running inside. The improvement between the tackles was noticeable to me between Monday and Wednesday. Henderson proved to me that he was not just a product of Texas Tech's gimmicky system.
Nebraska's Cory Ross continued to look like the kind of guy who could stick. He seemed like a more powerful Quentin Griffin, and really impressed me with his receiving skills. He's a very determined runner and he knows how to use his low center of gravity to go through the hole like a pinball. DonTrell Moore just did not display the shiftiness that he did during the year at New Mexico. Moore seemed very small and sometimes got swallowed up by defensive lineman. He still looked like a natural runner, just not a very effective one. Wali Lundy has a powerful lower body and seems to do best between the tackles. What stood out the most to me about his was that he seemed hesitant and slow in his cuts and decisions and showed little explosiveness. He did little to distinguish himself this week, coming off a disappointing year at Virginia.
WRs - BYU's Todd Watkins made some huge plays and really seemed to be harnessing his track speed to get behind the DB. His stock is on the rise. Wisconsin's Brandon Williams showed great physicality both in fighting off jams at the line and staying on his routes. He didn't repeat his standout performance from Tuesday, but he had some inspired plays, especially one on Justin Wyatt that really got Williams talking. I see him as a Santana Moss/Steve Smith type without the 5th gear if he can be consistent. Jonathan Orr, the other half of the dynamic Badger WR duo, sometimes made the easy play look hard, sometimes made the hard play look easy. He also put himself in position to make eye-popping plays, only to fail to finish the deal. Still, of all the WRs I saw this week, Orr was the one that stuck with me the most. His top plays were transcedent and seemed like the kind of athletic talent that could be special with the right coaching. When I talked to him Monday, he seemed like a real humble kid and I expect him to be coachable. His agent told me that he's working out with Gradkowski and running electronically timed 40's in the high 4.3s. That will get the NFL's attention if he can do it at the combine.
Colorado State's David Anderson and Oregon State's Mike Hass looked like the kind of WR that become their QBs favorite target on 3rd down. They ran great routes, played very physical, and always came down with the ball. They are not gamebreakers, but their consistency will be a valuable asset to whatever team they land on. Anderson is the more athletic of the two and his game may translate better in the pros. Greg Jennings was solid but the explosiveness he routinely showed at Western Michigan was just not there. Jeff Webb is going to get a look because of his size, but his consistency was lacking. The San Diego State product did show more speed than I expected. Marques Colston of Hofstra left me with a similar feeling as Tarvaris Jackson. Raw as a side of beef, but the makings of an NFL player are there. Colston is a big WR who seemed slow and sometimes got pushed around. John Murphy told me that Colston got a last second invite when Maurice Stovall decided to go to the Senior Bowl, and that he was in combine shape (212 lbs) and not at his playing weight (220 lbs), implying that we hadn't seen the best of Colston. He was very impressed with Colston's ability to use his frame to shield the DB. He came this close to comparing his to Terrell Owens sans attitude, transitioning from talking about Colston to saying "at the same point in his career, Terrell Owens was in this game".Jason Carter of Texas A&M looks like a track guy at WR, using his raw speed to make big plays, but needing work on all the finer points of the WR craft. Western Ontario's Andy Fantuz was a disappointment and I walked away feeling like he is not going to make it in the NFL. He was physically owned way too easily. Murphy said that he's not strong enough to be a TE/H-back type and seemed down on his NFL prospects. He did say Fantuz is training like he wants to make it in the NFL.
TEs - I'm convinced that Texas's David Thomas will be a QBs security blanket in the NFL. He catches everything and runs very solid routes, in addition to being hard to bring down with the way drives his hips through hits and while turning upfield. He is too small to be a true "end of the line" TE, but he can be excellent H-back, a la Chris Cooley. He's not quite the athlete to rip the seams like Cooley, but he can be as prolific in the short range stuff. Tim Day was showing soft hands and fluid routes again on Wednesday. He also knew how to exploit his height advantage against LBs. The Oregon product has the look of a credible receiving threat at TE in the pros. Cooper Wallace showed some good moves off the line and tenacity in staying his routes, but sometimes got trouble bringing the ball in. His agent said he is slimming down and showing more athleticism than he did at Auburn, but the dropoff from Day and Thomas to Wallace as a target in the passing game was large.
Offensive Line- LSU's Andrew Whitworth looked as solid and consistent as always and played left tackle. Kevin Boothe did not have a good week after dominating the Ivy League at Cornell. He got pushed around and seemed overmatched. I did notice that Boothe had good agility while pulling. He'll be a project, but Murphy said he's an interesting player if he can get stronger. Ohio State's Rob Sims, North Dakota's Chris Kuper, and Louisville's Jason Spitz all showed poweful lower bodies and seemed like road grader types. Murphy swore that Sims could play tackle in the NFL. He also said Spitz's verasatility will be valued at the next level. John also singled out South Carolina's Jabari Levey, who played left tackle, saying "it's there, the question is whether it will switch on". Washington's Joe Toledo had the ideal frame you look for in a tackle, but clearly has a long way to go before he realizes his potential.
Defensive Line - It was hard to walk away from the East-West shrine practices without noticing Auburn's Tommy Jackson. He reminded me greatly of Warren Sapp with consistent burst and penetration and endless trash talking. When I asked Murphy who impressed him the most this week, the first name out of his mouth was Tommy Jackson's. Texas A&M's Johnny Jolly got the consistent upfield push that NFL teams value so much. Murphy noted his excellence in the one on one drills. Eric Henderson was a terror on the edge and he only improved his stock this week. The Georgia Tech product's rushing ability will be coveted on draft day. James Wyche had a great first step at times, and got to the QB more than once on Wednesday. I see him having potential with his long frame (think very poor man's Jason Taylor, Javon Kearse), but it could just be that he's from my alma mater, Syracuse. Murphy said he thought Wyche was too tall and that his lower body was lacking. USC's Frostee Rucker has more than the best name in the draft. Rucker consistently pushed his blocker upfield and generally disrupted everything on his side of the field. Purdue's Rob Ninkovich also showed good edge rushing ability and great pursuit down the line. He looks like he'd fit perfectly in a 3-4 OLB slot, which is what the Browns run - who coincidentally talked to Ninkovich for a while after Monday's practice.
LBs - UCLA's Justin London was extremely aggressive in both run and pass defense in the middle. He sometimes got beat because he was too impatient in coverage, but also showed the ability to turn that aggression into big plays. Oliver Hoyte showed some skills getting the jam in coverage and was a big time hitter. John Murphy excitably told me that the NC State LB had lost 10-15 pounds already and was very serious in his preparation. Brandon Hoyte was noticeably making plays all over the field. Murphy had as glowing a review of the Notre Dame captain as any player, saying that the draft is "not for him" because of less than impressive measureables, but that he'll stick on a team that values his top notch intangibles, such as the Patriots, and start in a few years. He also noted the athleticism of James Anderson, the outside linebacker from Virginia Tech. Keith Ellison and Trent Bray, the Oregon State linebacker duo, both showed good athletic ability, particularly Ellison in coverage. Stanford's Jon Alston almost looked like a safety in coverage on Leon Washington when Washington tried to take him deep, one of the plays that made the biggest impression on me all day. Northwestern's Tim McGarigle struggled in coverage badly. Arizona State's Jamar Williams was sidelined with an injury.
DBs - Maryland corner Gerrick McPhearson, maybe the best athletic specimen at the game, was sidelined with a leg injury early. McPhearson seemed devastated when sitting with the medical staff. He is CUT, and looks the part of a guy that can reportedly run in the 4.2s. John Murphy said that he had showed the best hands of any DBs this week. Justin Wyatt was standing out with his extremely physical play all day. The USC corner was generally in the face of the WR on every route, but he also made some plays that would definitely be flagged in the NFL. He definitely improved his stock this week. Everytime I watched Ohio's Dion Byrum, the cornerback was getting beat in coverage. Texas A&M's Jaxson Appel did not seem athletic enough to really make it at the next level, but his teammates gave him one of the biggest cheers of the day when he broke up a pass. I see him as a special teamer/marginal backup safety in the NFL. Safety Josh Powell stood out, but not always for good reasons. The San Jose State product was either making big hits and INTs, or getting beaten badly. Saving perhaps the best for last, Danieal Manning from Abilene Christian made the biggest statement of any small school player this week. John Murphy was gushing about Manning, saying that he would have started over a Bullocks at safety if he had stayed at Nebraska and to keep an eye on his return ability on Saturday.
There was much less talking between team scouts and players after this practice, I only noticed four talks:
New Orleans - Miami OLB Rocky McIntosh
Oakland - Bruce Gradkowski
San Diego - TCU OT Michael Toudouze
Carolina - Andy Fantuz
I did catch a woman from Merrill Lynch approaching players about whether they had a financial advisor, which was a bizarre juxtaposition to the all out war these guys had just been part of out on the field, leaving vomit on the turf in their wake. It was a sobering reminder of the reality that millions of dollars had probably shifted around based on these players' performance on a few dozen plays. It makes the batting average of hits and misses in the draft more understandable as the event's very nature is to blow everything the players do out of proportion. I know I succumbed to that temptation in the writing of this article. I hope it sheds some light on the players you'll see at the Alamodome on Saturday at 3 (ESPN2). I'll be back with Marc Faletti (who sadly had to work Wednesday) for one last report from the game early next week.
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so I can go back and see what was said about who my Bengals get 
and their success rate.McNeal - remember, I thought he'd stay at QB, and be drafted. I think he has better chances than some of the 2nd-3rd rounders. He has been the victim of many coaches and OCs. He made two frauds get drafted high by the Pack. Never have been high on Basanez or Olsen. Bith are decent college QBs, but do not have "it" or are athletic enought o make up for their mistakes.I like Henderson as a KFaulk type of guy. I do not see Ross making it. I just do not think he is either explosive or powerful, and NFL RBs are both. I do not see any of these guys as solid, RBs in the NFL. I cannot see any of these guys carrying the mail. Maybe you are right on Howard. But, of the guys I have watched, I did not see a 300-carry RB.Could Williams be too small at 175 to get off of the line in the NFL? Could Watkins=Lelie? Speed and potential, but ....I, too, like Sloan. Can he be a decent fantasy TE?You and I agreed a couple of weeks ago on Appel. I do not like him at all.Once again, great job. This will help many watch the game in a different light tomorrow. You have a good writing style, too. Keep it up.
