(04-13-2018, 01:22 PM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote:

(04-13-2018, 12:57 PM)jessepeck1213 Wrote: Cherry picking those three games make me think you're looking at a game log of stats and didn't really watch him. If you watched any of his games you'd know instantly that he is special. His Barry Sanders like agility and ability to make yards o  his own without any help is the best I've ever seen.

I saw more Penn State games last year then I cared to. Just because I have a differing opinion doesn't mean I didn't watch him. I tend not to buy into media hype regarding players and judge them by what I see, instead. Keep in mind that 3 of the 50 biggest draft busts in NFL history have been Penn State RB's (Ki-Jana Carter, Blair Thomas and Curtis Enis.)

I believe a school's history of producing successful/unsuccessful players at a position or overall can be instructive to some extent.

When there is schematic/coaching continuity over time, you can get a sense in what type of players that program wants in a position.  It's interesting that for as long as Penn State was a national power under Paterno, they never produced any defensive backs worth anything in the NFL.  Outside of Bill Rowe, their defensive linemen typically sucked in the NFL.  Yet, Penn State got the reputation as being "Linebacker University," because they have produced a plethora of outstanding NFL linebackers.  Penn State has also produced a number of outstanding fullbacks and interior OLs.  I believe coaches/programs have a paradigm of what they look for in a player at a given position, and how they are to coach those players.  Those paradigms may or may not be conducive to a productive NFL career.

I think recruiting/traditions also play a role in what schools produce what players at which positions.  You don't think a coach recruiting a T prospect to USC wouldn't point to noteworthy USC alums like Anthony Munoz, Bruce Matthews, Tony Boselli and Tyron Smith and tell that young prospect that could be him?  I'm pretty sure UGA points to Georgia's history of producing stud RBs like Herschel Walker, Rodney Hampton and Terrell Davis in trying to convince the next group of runners to come to the school.
I think this tends to work in the opposite direction as well.  If a school does not have a great history of producing NFL players, they certainly can't use that to their advantage in getting many players. 

Is a player coming from a school with a long history of producing players at his position guaranteed to succeed in the NFL?  No.  Is a player coming from a school without a history of producing stud players guaranteed to fail in the NFL?  No.  But I submit the school/program can be a guide or one of several factors.

I do not think I would hold those three busts against Penn State or against Barkley.  First, before those guys washed out in the NFL, Penn State produced very talented and productive NFL RBs, most notably Franco Harris, Lydell Mitchell and Curt Warner.  Secondly, I think Ki-Jana Carter had all of the tools to make it in the NFL.  He went to a bad team with a bad offensive line and blew out his knee immediately.  Curtis Enis and Blair Thomas?  Maybe they were destined to bust.  But then after those guys, Penn State broke that string of busts with Larry Johnson who had some good years with the Chiefs.  Barkley has wiggle and change of direction that none of those Penn State runners have had since Warner.  He has the burst that Enis and Thomas never had, but also has the size to be a feature back.

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(04-13-2018, 02:48 PM)Cleatwood Wrote:

(04-13-2018, 02:31 PM)knarnn Wrote: https://twitter.com/LanceZierlein/status...57312?s=19

Cowboys will certainly be in the market even more so now.

Sutton, Ridley, Washington, and Moore. The WR run could happen quick.

Yes it could.

In the mid to late first round, you have Arizona, Baltimore, Dallas, Buffalo, Tennessee and Jacksonville all with needs at WR.

I don't think all of those teams definitely will go WR in the first, but it should come as a shock to nobody to see any of these teams going WR in the first.

I know I don't want Moore, based upon what I have seen.

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