All the time people here say the Big Ten sucks and the SEC rules, etc. Throughout the scouting process after redshirt sophomores and juniors declare, SEC school guys are labeled among the best at their positions. Of course there have been some greats from SEC schools like the Mannings and underwhelming players from the Big Ten, such as David Boston and Todd Blackledge. But if you look at the college each player went to (or hear it on Sunday night), you might notice it is not as simple as this guy went to that school so he must be great or not very good. Think about that before you base your opinion of a player on which school he goes to. Follow him in the NFL to see if he really is as good or bad as he looked in college.
Interesting that you'd pick Todd Blackledge, who retired before I was born and Boston hasnt played since '06. Anyone can accentuate their point by picking players that didn't pan out for their opposing opinion and who thrived for their point. Truth is, every conference will have players. SEC has flops like Tim Tebow, Jamarcus Russell, and our very own Derrick Harvey amongst other while having talent like AJ Green, Julio Jones, Percy Harvin, Cam Newton, and Matt Stafford. SEC has Super Bowl winning QBs like Eli and Peyton. Conversely. The Big Ten has produced 3 Super Bowl winning QBs that still play like Tom Brady (Michigan), Drew Bree's (Purdue), and Rusell Wilson (Wisconsin), with incredibly talented players like JJ Watt, Suh, Kerrigan, amongst others along with their flops. Then we have QBs from Miami of Ohio (Big Ben) and Delaware (Flacco) with Super Bowl rings. You evaluate the player, not the school.
You must be pretty young then. Blackledge was drafted in 1983, when I was 6 years old.
I remember in 2011, other board members doubted J.J. Watt would be a good pick at #16. Now he is laughing at them.
There was "Alabama hype" around Trent Richardson. We all thought he was going to be great. Look at how that turned out.
Wisconsin can make any RB look like Jim Brown. Wisconsin has been the best rushing program of the last 20 years and it isn't that close. I think Wisconsin RBs look much better in college than they actually are and that's why many of them go on to be underwhelming in the NFL.
Quote:Wisconsin can make any RB look like Jim Brown. Wisconsin has been the best rushing program of the last 20 years and it isn't that close. I think Wisconsin RBs look much better in college than they actually are and that's why many of them go on to be underwhelming in the NFL.
No kidding. I remember Ron Dayne was like the best RB in the nation as a senior, then flopped in the NFL. But apparently Montee Ball has been playing up to expectations so far.
You would think after seeing this pattern before Ball's arrival, every school that needs a running back coach called Barry Alvarez.
Quote:You must be pretty young then. Blackledge was drafted in 1983, when I was 6 years old.
I remember in 2011, other board members doubted J.J. Watt would be a good pick at #16. Now he is laughing at them.
There was "Alabama hype" around Trent Richardson. We all thought he was going to be great. Look at how that turned out.
24 or younger would be his age. simple math.
anyway, some players do get rated higher or lower based on the school they played in and the talend around them.
some player get rated that way because of their physical measurables.
we have to hope that our scouting department doesnt fall for that and does their homework better than the rest.
Quote:24 or younger would be his age. Simple math.
Anyway, some players do get rated higher or lower based on the school they played in and the talend around them.
Some players get rated that way because of their physical measurables.
We have to hope that our scouting department doesnt fall for that and does their homework better than the rest.
David Caldwell drafted two players from UCF, one of them being when most people expected us to pick the TAMU quarterback. That tells me we are not falling in the SEC trap. But some of us fell into the SEC hype, saying Johnny Manziel is more ready to start right away than Blake Bortles.
I think players from "BIG" schools get more room for error, but if you can play NFL scouts will find you.
I think yes and no. It depends on the player you're scouting. For example, looking at last years class, it was plain to see that Tajh Boyd was a product of the system and talent around him. Sure, he had great numbers in college, but he was throwing to two first round WRs and handing it to Ellington in the backfield. Add in the fact that he was short, slow, and inaccurate, and his status was easily seen.
Then on the other side of the coin you have guys like Blake. He went to UCF and did not have very good talent around him. He was able to perform well and lift both his name and his team nationally. Now, here too, people have arguments. He was facing a weak SoS (not true at all) and he had Storm and a solid defense. But then, once again, when you take the team away and just look at him, you saw a massive mobile QB with a good arm, poise, and competitiveness.
The really hard one is when you think you have a good QB playing on a good team. Like last year, when I was going through my Manziel crush. It was and is obvious that he has a big arm, great mobility, and the star factor. But he also had Mike Evans, Joeckel, Matthews, and Ogubehi, as well as a system that required almost no study for him. So there its the hardest because you cant really tell whether the good team is strengthened by a great QB, or the other way around.
My two cents.
The only thing that matters in my opinion is; has the player been in a big time game, under big time pressure, with the cameras in his face. If he played at Wyoming State but dominated his competition, if he works out at the combine very well and competitively with others from big schools, if he scores well on the Wunderlick, if he measures out in every way I think you draft him anyway. Once he gets into the NFL it may not work out for him because of the celebrity status he may not have any experience at.
Regards........................the Chiefjag
I know this sounds crazy but I think the Senior Bowl and East/West games give a really good barometer of how a player will fair in the NFL
Quote:I know this sounds crazy but I think the Senior Bowl and East/West games give a really good barometer of how a player will fair in the NFL
What's crazy is Stephen Morris was on the North team and Derek Carr was on the South team. They should not call the teams North and South if they are going to do that.
Quote:I know this sounds crazy but I think the Senior Bowl and East/West games give a really good barometer of how a player will fair in the NFL
The practices for those two games are really the only thing that matters. The games themselves are basically window-dressing.