BuffaloFan68 Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 I'd like to grab a LB in the 2nd, Marpet in the 3rd & then Sean Mannion in the 5th. Then perhaps a Safety &/or DE. I see several mock drafts where AJ Cann falls to us at 50 which would be a no brainer, in which case we could then take a LB in the 3rd.
John from Riverside Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 I would like to get to get the kid if for no other reason their are bills posters that know him...... but When I look at that 50th pick I really still like Fisher from Oregon..... There are mulitple reasons for this - He can play both OG and OT - Behind Glenn and Henderson (who was a rookie last year) our OT situation is REALLY thin, If something happens in the future you know that you have RT covered because Fisher was a pretty darn good OT in college.
YoloinOhio Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 I would like to get to get the kid if for no other reason their are bills posters that know him...... but When I look at that 50th pick I really still like Fisher from Oregon..... There are mulitple reasons for this - He can play both OG and OT - Behind Glenn and Henderson (who was a rookie last year) our OT situation is REALLY thin, If something happens in the future you know that you have RT covered because Fisher was a pretty darn good OT in college. i don't think they would take Marpet over fisher if they were both there at 50. But if they don't take an OL at 50, (maybe the ones they want are gone and they go BPA with a Stephone Anthony or Clive Walford), then they may go with Marpet in the 3rd if he's there.
Lurker Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Seems like a great prospect, but a lot of risk with a guy like this-- D3 school, position change. We need to make risk-averse picks in rounds 2 and 3. Agreed. The position change rather than the D-III competition worries me the most as far as being a contributor in 2015. I'm worried that the guys they need to target (like Fisher or Cann) will be gone by 50 and they'll have to settle for BPA. Usually I'm good with that, but the OL's ability to open holes for Shady is going to make or break this season. Maybe they can get last year's draft class to step up via better coaching and an easier "man-on-man" blocking scheme--but I think they need to hedge against the downside risk that might entail. There are guys with 3rd round grades that they might have to over-draft if they want to really address the OL...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Agreed. The position change rather than the D-III competition worries me the most as far as being a contributor in 2015. I'm worried that the guys they need to target (like Fisher or Cann) will be gone by 50 and they'll have to settle for BPA. Usually I'm good with that, but the OL's ability to open holes for Shady is going to make or break this season. Maybe they can get last year's draft class to step up via better coaching and an easier "man-on-man" blocking scheme--but I think they need to hedge against the downside risk that might entail. There are guys with 3rd round grades that they might have to over-draft if they want to really address the OL... I agree. At this point, I would prefer if they bypassed BPA to get oline help in rounds 2 and/or 3. If CK and Richardson pan out, that's great. But we can't count on them.
QuoteTheRaven83 Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Agreed. The position change rather than the D-III competition worries me the most as far as being a contributor in 2015. I'm worried that the guys they need to target (like Fisher or Cann) will be gone by 50 and they'll have to settle for BPA. Usually I'm good with that, but the OL's ability to open holes for Shady is going to make or break this season. Maybe they can get last year's draft class to step up via better coaching and an easier "man-on-man" blocking scheme--but I think they need to hedge against the downside risk that might entail. There are guys with 3rd round grades that they might have to over-draft if they want to really address the OL... Marpet held his own and did well in the Senior Bowl. I think he'll be fine at the next level but I doubt that he'll last til the 3rd
Lurker Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 (edited) Marpet held his own and did well in the Senior Bowl. I think he'll be fine at the next level but I doubt that he'll last til the 3rd He's never played OG or C. That takes an adjustment period, even with more highly regarded prospects... (and I don't consider 'holding your own' at Senior Bowl practices to be a good proxy for being capable of stepping into an AFC East starting lineup) Edited April 2, 2015 by Lurker
motorguy Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 SEARCH CANCEL Julio Cortez/AP Countdown to Draft Day Thu Apr. 2, 2015 T-Minus 28 Days: Meet the Upstart from Hobart It’s been 25 years since a Division III player has been selected in the top 100. Offensive lineman Ali Marpet might go by 75. The story behind one of the draft’s unlikeliest prospects. Plus, scouts on a plane and getting to know an SEC back By Robert Klemko · More from Robert· 3 Introducing Ali Marpet to the NFL has brought about a handful of firsts for Andrew Ross, a 19-year agent who’s never had a client garner as much attention—17 visits or private workouts with teams—as the standout from tiny Hobart College in Western New York has received since finishing his senior season four months ago. Marpet, a 6-4, 310-pound college tackle (and likely a guard or center in the NFL) was the first Division III athlete to be invited to the Senior Bowl in more than 20 years, and he’s quietly become the hottest topic in NFL war rooms in 2015. “I started in 1995, and I’ve had five first-round picks, including Aaron Curry,” Ross says. “And it was nowhere close to this.” Part of Marpet’s allure derives from the mystery surrounding his game. He went to the combine and blew away the field with 30 bench press reps and a 4.98 40. He was dominant against schools like Endicott College and Rensselaer, but how does that translate to the NFL? And the inevitable question: How did he end up at Hobart? “I didn’t exactly come out of college as the biggest freak,” says Marpet, who attended Hastings-on-Hudson High in Westchester County, N.Y. “My high school was pretty small. It was always my dream to play at Alabama, but that wasn’t even remotely a possibility for me.” The biggest schools interested in the 200-pound tackle were Fordham and Holy Cross. He chose Hobart and landed a merit-based scholarship for part of the $57,000 yearly tuition. During his junior year, an NFL scouting service came around and tested Hobart athletes. Marpet ran a sub 5-second 40 and scored high on the Wonderlic aptitude test. The Prospects Jean Sifrin: A high school dropout's improbable 10-year journey to the NFL draft. Leonard Williams: Our Andy Benoit sat down for a film session with the draft’s best defensive player. Brandon Scherff: The draft’s best—and nastiest—blocker is a modern-day Paul Bunyan. T.J. Clemmings: A switch from defense to offensive tackle awakened a monster. Shaq Thompson: Before he was an NFL prospect, he was baseball’s worst player. “I think I realized that I had some of the same physical tools that some of the guys going to the NFL had,” Marpet says, “I thought I had a shot.” The next two years couldn’t have played out any better if they were scripted. He was a conference co-MVP as a senior, never allowing a sack, then the Senior Bowl—a coup—then the combine. In between his final game and the combine, he trained with Chip Smith and former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Bob Whitfield in Atlanta, and blew the veteran coaches away. “I’m in my 26th year doing this, and I was a little skeptical,” Smith says. “He came here, and it was like he was a sponge, physically and mentally. He went from 290 to 310, and he went from 20 bench reps to 30 in a matter of months. We immediately started seeing him improving every day, in his strength, technique, everything. He was the Giddy up and go, and we were the Whoa.” As far as the other rookies could tell, Marpet might as well have been a D-I All-American. Smith observed the SEC’s finest prospects gravitating toward Marpet, hanging on his every word. “When Ali walks in the room, he’s like the pied piper,” Smith says. Smith, who has trained more than 250 current NFL players, says he shoots straight when scouts and coaches come calling. He has a deal with draft-eligible trainees from the jump: Come here, do the job and don’t create distractions, and I will vouch for you. “But if you screw around,” Smith says, “I have to be honest with teams, because they have to be able to take me seriously when I go to bat for guys like Ali Marpet.” Marpet is a “diamond,” Smith says, and all he had to do was polish it and point it at the sun: “He’s got to thank mom and dad for that athleticism.” Thing is, mom and dad aren’t especially athletic, or especially large. Mom is 5-6, a grad student and musician. Dad is almost 6-feet, an Emmy-winning cinematographer and a big name in the New York fashion industry. Each day during Ali’s childhood, Bill Marpet worked long hours but always rose at 5 a.m. to work out. “Watching that was huge for me,” Ali says. “You have to respect that.” Ali considered a media path but ultimately majored in economics, with minors in philosophy and public policy. With his first NFL check, he plans on paying off his college loans, then put “all or most of it away.” “Smart?” Ross says. “I’d have him handle my money.” Where Marpet is picked (and how much that first check will pay) is anyone’s guess. The last D-III athlete taken in the top 100 was Ferrum College’s Chris Warren, the 89th selection in 1990. (Warren, who played 11 NFL seasons, began his college career at Virginia but transferred after two years.) Several evaluators I spoke with pegged Marpet as a second- or third-round talent. A handful of teams have evaluated him as a tackle, while most suggest that he would play guard or center. As a raw talent and a longtime tackle, he would have a significant transition to make regarding interior line technique. And yet on draft day, the biggest factor will have been Marpet’s ability to convince teams that he believes he is ready. “They want to know that I believe I can play at the next level,” he says. “Confidence for me is huge. They want to know if I can mentally handle the transition. I know I can, and I think the tape shows that I can.”
Buffalo Barbarian Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 He chose Hobart and landed a merit-based scholarship for part of the $57,000 yearly tuition. How in the world do colleges expect kids to pay this off, this country is turning into indentured service.
ndirish1978 Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 Marpet held his own and did well in the Senior Bowl. I think he'll be fine at the next level but I doubt that he'll last til the 3rd The issue is you're basically grading him based on ONE game. I don't want to draft some kid based on the underwear olympics and one game. He played T in college and projects to G/C. You're making several assumptions if you believe he's likely to be a difference-maker in the pros.
QuoteTheRaven83 Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 (edited) The issue is you're basically grading him based on ONE game. I don't want to draft some kid based on the underwear olympics and one game. He played T in college and projects to G/C. You're making several assumptions if you believe he's likely to be a difference-maker in the pros. If you're good, you're good and he's shown he can hold his own against guys who've played D1 programs. I'm sure you would've said the same thing about Fred Jackson coming out of college. Probably would've said the same thing about Shannon Sharpe, London Fletcher, Wayne Chrebet, Wes Welker, Jahri Evans, Tony Romo. Theres TONS of talent out there, not always in D1 programs. Maybe he'll be a difference maker, maybe not but you can't be afraid to draft a player because of the level of play he had in college. Edited April 3, 2015 by QuoteTheRaven83
Lurker Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 The Bills sent quite a contingent to Hobart to work him out: "The reason is and this was explained to me by the Buffalo Bills when they came in, they brought their Offensive Coordinator, their Tight End coach, their Offensive Line coach and Chris Palmer (their Assistant Head Coach) and they said there was only three people in the last 20 years that had a 30-rep bench and over a 30 vertical and Ali is one of them so they knew he was very athletic and what they wanted to know was if he could catch a pass," Cragg explained." http://www.fltimes.com/sports/article_7081998a-e9bf-11e4-b260-7fb41491e9b1.html
YoloinOhio Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 The Bills sent quite a contingent to Hobart to work him out: "The reason is and this was explained to me by the Buffalo Bills when they came in, they brought their Offensive Coordinator, their Tight End coach, their Offensive Line coach and Chris Palmer (their Assistant Head Coach) and they said there was only three people in the last 20 years that had a 30-rep bench and over a 30 vertical and Ali is one of them so they knew he was very athletic and what they wanted to know was if he could catch a pass," Cragg explained." http://www.fltimes.com/sports/article_7081998a-e9bf-11e4-b260-7fb41491e9b1.html whoa! Good stuff
ALF Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 (edited) An offensive lineman who measures nearly 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 307 pounds, Marpet is still fine-tuning the body he’ll need to play high-level football. He entered college at 255 pounds, and because of the weight he loses while playing, he needs to eat as much as 9,000 calories per day to gain it back and keep it. http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/04/21/hobart-ali-marpet-hopes-make-nfl-draft-history/kVP4khiLQu2xKfOF0rgIHL/story.html# It would be very easy for him to bring his weight down and be a blocking maybe receiving TE #63 Seattle Seahawks: Ali Marpet, C/OT/G, Hobart The Seahawks could use some help on the offensive line to give Russell Wilson more time in the pocket. The rising Ali Marpet is a great fit for the blocking scheme, and he can pretty much play anywhere up front. http://walterfootball.com/draft2015_2.php Edited April 24, 2015 by ALF
....lybob Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 The Bills sent quite a contingent to Hobart to work him out: "The reason is and this was explained to me by the Buffalo Bills when they came in, they brought their Offensive Coordinator, their Tight End coach, their Offensive Line coach and Chris Palmer (their Assistant Head Coach) and they said there was only three people in the last 20 years that had a 30-rep bench and over a 30 vertical and Ali is one of them so they knew he was very athletic and what they wanted to know was if he could catch a pass," Cragg explained." http://www.fltimes.com/sports/article_7081998a-e9bf-11e4-b260-7fb41491e9b1.html That doesn't sound right - I can name two off the top of my head Mario Williams and Suh- Terron Armstead is another - maybe there are only two other Ali Marpets in the last 20 years who could bench 30 and jump 30 add Vernon Davis “He blew it up,” said Hand of Jasper’s workout. “Everything he did he crushed it. His vertical leap was 32 inches for me that day. He broad jumped 9’5”, benched pressed 34 times on the 225. He ran a 5.38 40 and did unbelievable in the shuttle.” Add Mike Jasper Add JJ Watt add Ra'Shede Hageman
frogger Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 I'd take Ali in the 3rd if he lasts and groom him to play center. I think in three years he could be a pro bowl at that position and with a man power scheme he would absolutely excel. I wouldn't start him there right away, try him at guard, but when the time comes, move wood to LG or RG and Marpet to center-bingo bango
YoloinOhio Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 That doesn't sound right - I can name two off the top of my head Mario Williams and Suh- Terron Armstead is another - maybe there are only two other Ali Marpets in the last 20 years who could bench 30 and jump 30 add Vernon Davis He blew it up, said Hand of Jaspers workout. Everything he did he crushed it. His vertical leap was 32 inches for me that day. He broad jumped 95, benched pressed 34 times on the 225. He ran a 5.38 40 and did unbelievable in the shuttle. Add Mike Jasper Add JJ Watt add Ra'Shede Hageman i assumed they meant OL
K-9 Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 I mocked him to us in the 3rd I dare you to mock him to his face. GO BILLS!!!
C.Biscuit97 Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 Way too much hype now. He will go much earlier. Loved him as a sleeper prospect but now no one is sleeping on him. Trivia question that I don't have an answer to - what is the highest a D3 player has ever been drafted in modern NFL history?
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