Rex Grossman, QB, Florida, 6'1" 218 LBS

 

 

Jordan: It's there physically. He can make all the throws. He also makes a Brett Favre amount of boneheaded mistakes. It's one extreme for him or another, it seems. He's either really, really good--all-pro caliber--or really, really bad. If he can't become more consistent, he's going to find himself replaced by 2008.

 

Set Up-6-

Delivery-8

Read Coverages-5+

Throw Short-6-

Throw Intermediate-7

Throw Deep-6

Mobility-6-

Leadership-5+

 

Overall Rating: 5.6^

 

 

Thomas Jones, RB

 

Thomas Jones could be an offensive spark for the Buccaneers.

 

Jordan: I always liked him ever since I saw glimpses of him in Arizona. He has the physical tools; in particular, good speed. And he has some sick moves, too. He can catch the ball, and he was a complete package/work horse coming out of college. The problem is he was just too much of a finesse runner. He tends to run high and doesn’t have a lot of power generated regardless, so generally went down to the first hit. Of course, last year he really came on for Tampa Bay, and the irony is it was when Michael Pittman went down, and Pittman was the guy who took his job back in Arizona just because he was a more powerful runner. So anyway, this guy could really do some good things if he has the run blocking in Chicago. I’m not necessarily saying that A-Train and he are going to be the next Thunder and Lightning ™, but they should at least be a good 1-2 punch with the right play calling/blocking scheme.

 

Instincts-5-

Inside Running-6

Outside Running-6+

Hands/Receiving Skills-6

Block-5

 

Overall Rating: 5.8^

 

Muhsin Muhammad, WR, Michigan St., 6'2" 217 LBS, 40 time: 4.52

 

 

Jordan: At times he has great hands. At other times, he has resembles Terrell Owens on his worst days in terms of catching the football. He has big, soft hands, yet his concentration just seems to come and go. Regardless of whether or not he's using his size to screen, being physical, and pulling in the reception, or using his good build-up speed to get down the field for a deep reception, which with his outstanding size and good leaping ability, is extremely difficult to defend, he's ALWAYS a devastating blocker. People give Hines Ward all the press for that, but Muhammad may be better. He will come in and annihilate you. Did I spell that right? Remind me never to write scouting reports without using spell check on Microsoft Word first. But anyway, he's a valuable receiver who can drive you nuts every now and then with his drops.

 

Hands-6

Patterns-6-

Receive Short-6

Receive Deep-6

Catch In Traffic-6+

Run After Catch-5

Block-8

 

Overall Rating: 6.2

 

 

 

Justin Gage, WR, Missouri, 6’4” 215 LBS, 40 time: 4.57

 

 

Jordan: Big, athletic receiver who can play basketball at a high level as well. Size and vertical leap are amongst the league’s elite, and he has put on some bulk since he came out of college. Has the long frame to create all of the mismatches necessary, and despite the fact that he doesn’t have blow away speed, he knows how to make big plays with the opportunity presents itself. He can get down the field and his ball skills are on that tier right after the Randy Mosses and Brandon Lloyds of the game. He definitely has big things in his future, at the very least, as a #2 receiver.

 

Hands-6

Patterns-5

Receive Short-6

Receive Deep-6

Catch In Traffic-6+

Run After Catch-6-

Block-5

 

Overall Rating: 6.1^

 

 

 

Desmond Clark, TE, Wake Forrest

 

 

Jordan: Not only can he not block a lick, but his receiving skills that once made him a valuable commodity have vanished. He's nothing more than a relunctant checkdown target at this point. He lacks speed, athleticism, strength, and his hands aren't anything special either. Basically, he's a 3rd string kind of guy at this point. A backup at best.

 

Hands-4+

Patterns-4+

Receive Short-5

Receive Deep-3

Catch In Traffic-5

Run after Catch-5

Block-4-

 

Overall Rating: 4.7v

 

 

 

Reuben Brown, G

 

 

Jordan: He's still a pretty good guard. He never was all that athletic of effective on pulls, but in terms of in-line blocking, he is kind of like Ray Brown was during the mid-to-late 90's. He doesn't have a lot of explosion into contact, but he's still got the size and natural power to engulf and sustain his blocks in-line. He's not a dominator, but he is a reliable player when you want to guarantee yourself some yardage in the running game. Add to that the fact that he plays next to John Tait, and you'll see that they can consistently run to their left. His pass protection doesn't really become an issue unless he's matched up with the rare finesse defensive tackle. There aren't a whole lot of defensive tackles generating consistent pass rush these days, so it's not all that important that he doesn't have much athletic ability or the ability to recover.

Run Block In Line-6+
Run Block On Move-5+
Pass Block-5
Ability to Adjust-4

Overall Rating: 6.0v

 

 

 

Olin Kreutz, C, Washington

 

 

Jordan: Severely overrated. He's a good athlete and respectable as an in-line blocker, but he's not overpowering by any stretch. He's at his best when pulling. He has excellent feet and balance and will really get out there and attack at full speed. He's a consistent player, but he's not the ideal guy that you want for most running games. He's just not Jeff Hartings or Jeremy Newberry when it comes to in-line power, or Casey Weigmann, for that matter. And he's not quite the spectacular pulling centers that are Weigmann, Kevin Mawae, and Matt Birk, either. He's good, don't get me wrong; he's just not the best center in the NFL, or even close, for that matter.

 

Run Block In Line-6-

Run Block On Move-7

Pass Block-6+

Ability to Adjust-6

 

Overall Rating: 6.5

 

 

 

John Tait, OT, BYU

 

 

Jordan: He's still rock solid even after moving back to left tackle. He has sound technique, good strength, and he rarely makes mental mistakes. He makes excellent use of his hands and is certainly one of the better run blocking left tackles in the game, for whatever that's worth (considering the run blocking of tackles in most schemes generally isn't nearly as important). He's not quite a "shutdown" left tackle, but he's probably on that very next tier--he's close; and extremely consistent.

 

Run Block In Line-6+

Run Block On Move-6

Pass Block-6+

Ability to Adjust-6

 

Overall Rating: 6.6

 

 

Roberto Garza, G, Texas A&M--Kingsville, 6'2" 296 LBS

 

 

Jordan: Has above average quickness and is a battler. Shows up to work every day. Can get down the field and block at the second level. A blue collar player, yet athletic. Can play all three interior positions at a solid level. Just don’t expect anything devastating out of him. Doesn’t have the elite strength or athletic ability to do so.

 

Run Block In Line-6-

Run Block On Move-6

Pass Block-5

Ability to Adjust-4+

 

Overall Rating: 5.7

 

 

 

Adewale Ogunleye, DE, Indiana, 6’4” 270 LBS, 40 time: 4.65

 

 

Jordan: Explosive, great speed off the edge. One of the fastest first steps in the game. Just blows up-field and can beat pretty much any right tackle to the quarterback. Has very good strength, size, and power for an end and can create some separation with his upper body strength and can be an effective bull rusher. Uses his hands well vs. the run and can play laterally which is kind of rare these days for a defensive end. His explosive closing burst makes him dangerous to just destroy opposing offenses, and he has really succeeded Taylor as the Dolphins’ brand name defensive lineman, but that’s not because Taylor has dropped off, it’s because this guy is just so explosive.

 

Recognition-7

Pursuit-7

Run Defense (POA)-7-

Pass Rush-7+

 

Overall Rating: 7.1

 

 

 

Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma

 

 

 

Jordan: Very good penetrator ON OCCASION with excellent quickness and strength combination. Athletically, he’s got everything you’re looking for. But how much of an impact does he really make? He disappears for long stretches and is just dominated by single teams.  Boom or bust prospect who has the athletic potential to be a Pro Bowler, but if he disappears the way he did in big games in college, he’s in for a rough ride.

 

 

 

Alex Brown, DE, Florida

 

 

Jordan: One of the fastest first steps I’ve ever seen. One stride and he’s got the edge on the offensive tackle. The problem for him has been finishing that up. He doesn’t have premier speed or strength and doesn’t have that knack for being a truly dominant edge rusher, but he’s still above average in that aspect of the game. He has good strength and is able to drag down quarterbacks with only one arm. Wait a minute, did I just contradict myself in my own scouting report like those idiotic wannabe media scouts such as TSN's war room, Pro Football Weekly, and at least a dozen other entities, big and small? Nah--I said he doesn't have PREMIER strength, but he does have GOOD strength. Heh. OK, if I say so. ANYWAY...he has a motor and plays hard on every down; nobody can question his effort on game day, but as far as working out when he’s not in games, that’s a different story entirely. If he ever works hard enough he will reach the double digit sack area. He’s definitely good enough to do that.

 

Recognition-5+

Pursuit-6

Run Defense (POA)-4+

Pass Rush-6

 

Overall Rating: 5.9^

 

 

 

Anthony Adams, DT, Penn St., 5’11” 299 LBS, 40 time: 4.91

 

 

He is much more natural as a nose tackle. With his short build and excellent quickness and motor, he is a very disruptive player and seems to have an easier time at the point of attack when he understands his assignment a little more clearly. You can never question the guy's effort. He works east-west and makes big plays against the run, and every now and then he will get that old school Warren Sapp-like gear going and get after the quarterback. He really does not give ground on the nose. Why Nolan made him a scapegoat, I have no idea. I guess it was just an "anything to hide Derek Smith's incompetence" sort of thing.

 

Recognition-6

Pursuit-6

Run Defense (POA)-6

Pass Rush-5+

 

Overall Rating: 6.2

 

 

 

Brian Ulacher, MLB, New Mexico

 

 

Jordan: Call him overrated if you’d like, but put him in Baltimore and that defense might be even better. Yes, I said it. He’s not the kind of fiery leader Lewis is, but he’s a helluva lot tougher at the point of attack, and in Baltimore, they have plenty of leadership anyway. I’m not trying to knock Lewis in an effort to promote this guy, but Ray is what he is—a phenomenal pursuit linebacker who kills himself if he misses a tackle. Urlacher is not as fundamentally disciplined as him. However, Urlacher brings more pure athletic ability to the table. He is one of the top take-on MLBs in the game, stuffing lead backs and clogging holes all by himself. Of COURSE it helps to have big DTs in front of him—so that offensive linemen don’t get out on the other linebackers and thus open gaps. However, if you think that it’s because this guy can’t take on, you’re out of your mind. He takes on better than anyone currently playing—FULLBACKS, that is. There’s not a linebacker in football who can take on and defeat an offensive lineman who gets a full head of steam, so just throw that shit out the window. That’s what 2-gap DTs are for—to hold or at least disrupt combo blocks so that linebackers can sift their way to the ball cleanly. Either that or 8+ man fronts so that offenses become predictable when they run the ball, as they have to leave the backside defender (s) unblocked (furthest guy (s) from the ball), otherwise they will run right into the "extra" defender who can't be accounted for by potential blockers, so the entire defense can cheat over and guys taking on blocks no longer have to worry about contain nearly as much. Anyway, Urlacher has top-end speed (4.5 range), outstanding overall athleticism, is strong, is a devastating blitzer with speed, technique, and power, can cover out of the backfield and make plays on the ball, can make huge impact hits, and can fuck Paris Hilton. We should all strive to be like this guy (but only if you’re desperate on that last part).

 

Read and React-7+

Pursuit-8-

Blitz/Rush-7+

Run Defense (POA)-7+

Pass Coverage-7

Tackle-7

 

Overall Rating: 7.5

 

 

 

Lance Briggs, OLB

 

 

Jordan: Can fly. Runs better than many safeties. A tremendous asset in coverage. But in 2005, he emerged as Derrick Brooks' equal. What's interesting is, he IS only a product of the system, really. He can REALLY lay the wood and he has great speed, but at the same time, the fact that he gets to just float around back there in the cover II is what allows him to make so many plays. But like Brian Urlacher, I have to evaluate him based on his obvious pure talent. I believe he could fit in other schemes as well, since you can't teach his kind of athleticism and intensity. He isn't content to just wrap up, he will lower his shoulder and explode into contact. He flies to the ball carrier like his life depends on it. He's not taking the system for granted. He's got the energy and passion; but he can get a little better as far as his football intelligence is concerned.

 

Read and React-6

Pursuit-7+

Blitz/Rush-6

Run Defense (POA)-5-

Pass Coverage-7-

Tackle-7

 

Overall Rating: 6.9^

 

 

 

Charles Tillman, CB, Lousiana-Lafayette, 6'1" 196 LBS, 40 time: 4.50

 

 

Jordan: Was the best corner in the NFL as a rookie, got hurt, and had a pretty good 2005 season in-spite of being mis-used in the Bears' "Tampa 2" defense. He's as physical a corner as you'll ever see (when allowed to be)--I'd LOVE to see him battle Michael Irvin. One-on-one, he will shut every receiver in the league down if you let him press receivers. But as I predicted (believe it or not?!?!), the new technique rules have really prevented him from doing what he does best. These "illegal" contact rules have hurt him more than any other corner in the game. Still, he has good speed once underway, but he lacks Carlos Rogers-type explosiveness coming out of cuts. But if you're just running a "go" route, you can pretty much forget about it, unless he's caught peaking in the backfield like he did against Steve Smith. He's going to run with you, track the ball, and knock it away, and if it's a jump ball, go up for it and either knock it away or snatch it out of the sky. Only Steve Smith is strong enough to snatch it away from him.

 

Key and Diagnose-7

Man Coverage-6+

Zone Coverage-7-

Hands-7+

Run Support-5+

Tackle-7-

 

Overall Rating: 6.5v

Nathan Vasher, CB, Texas, 5'10" 180 LBS, 40 yard dash: 4.41

Jordan: The athleticism is obviously there. He can fly. He is a fluid athlete. But let's be real here--the only reason he has developed so quickly into this "shutdown corner" is because he's in the cover II. Unlike Charles Tillman, who has REGRESSED in the new scheme, he is playing out of his mind. He just sits there and waits on interceptions. He has basically found the perfect scheme for him, and if he remains with Lovie Smith another several seasons, he'll find the Hall of Fame because of this. He owes his career to the cover II. For this reason, it's very difficult for me to evaluate his coverage skills...he's a pretty solid tackler, though. And I don't think he'd be HORRIBLE on another team, so he still gets pretty high marks overall.

Key and Diagnose-6
Man Coverage-6
Zone Coverage-7+
Hands-7
Run Support-5+
Tackle-5+

Overall Rating: 6.5

 

 

 

Mike Brown, FS, Nebraska

 

 

Jordan: Hard not to love the way he plays. He’s extremely intelligent, he’s a big-time hitter, he can cover, and he has good hands and takes good angles to the interception point. When he’s out, their defense just has a whole different feel to it, and it’s not good. He provides them with that rare form of heady play in centerfield. Not to mention they miss his bone-jarring hits. He can put you in a hospital.

 

Key & Diagnose-7+

Man Coverage-5+

Zone Coverage-7

Hands-7

Run Support-6+

Tackle-7+

 

Overall Rating: 7.0

 

 

 

Mike Green, SS, Northwestern St.--Lousiana, 6'0" 195 LBS,

 

 

Jordan: Quietly developed into a very good strong safety. He’s a solid hitter, he lives near the line of scrimmage, and he consistently wraps up. He’s not going to lay you out like Brown (Mike), but he can get you down pretty rapidly himself. In pass coverage, he’s average. He won’t get left in the dust or anything and he’ll usually maintain his responsibilities but he lacks the speed and range to make much of an impact in that area. However, he’s a tackle machine and always around the ball.

 

Key and Diagnose-6

Man Coverage-5-

Zone Coverage-5

Hands-5

Run Support-7

Tackle-6+

 

Overall Rating: 6.1

 

 

 

Paul Edinger, K

 

 

Jordan: Has a weird set-up, but it works. He has a strong, accurate leg and won’t get in the tank if he misses one. He has a lot of confidence in his abilities, but he’s the REAL drunken kicker, not Vanderjagt (as Manning stated once at the Pro Bowl). He loves his booze…

Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!