thebandit27 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I've been waiting to get this so that I could share it with TSW. First, I want to make the following points clear regarding this post: 1.) This is not "inside" information intended to break any news, just some info from a friend that I decided to pass on 2.) The source of this content holds zero influence on any team's draft strategies/decisions 3.) The fact that I spoke with this person does not mean anything other than I have an acquaintance that makes his living as an employee for an NFL team A very close friend of mine has a brother that is an NFL Junior Scout (I won't say which team out of respect for his position), and I exchanged e-mails with him last night for the first time since he arrived at the Combine. He didn't provide a whole lot of detail, but here's some of his observations from spending the last 6 days in Indianapolis: - The general consensus among NFL scouts is that the QB class is a weak one, and that it will take a GM that is very secure in his position to take the first QB off the board come April - More than a few teams that select in the top 10 picks spent a considerable amount of time with Boston College DT B.J. Raji over the last 48 hours, and it's starting to look less and less like he'll be around after pick No. 10 - There's a growing concern around the league that while USC MLB Rey Maualuga has the physical strength and mental make-up for the NFL game, he lacks the athleticism to be an impact player early on in his career - Tyson Jackson may have vaulted himself into the top half of round 1 with an excellent workout yesterday; plenty of team's scouts were visibly surprised to see that kind of athleticism from a 295-pound lineman - No team scouts as many players in as much detail as the Colts, the place is dripping with Indy scouts (probably due to the fact that the event is on their home field) - It's hardly a majority, but there is a growing sentiment that Ohio State LB Marcus Freeman may end up a better pro player than college teammate James Laurinaitis - QB Pat White created enough of a buzz with his workout that it wouldn't be a big surprise to see some team take a crack at him within the first 40 picks; one scout's opinion...Tennessee is the kind of team that could take a chance on White at pick No. 30 in the first round - And lastly, a lot of scouts express that this DE class is the most difficult to grade in a long time; with so many players being evaluated at 3-4 rush LB and so many "niche" positions in the NFL, determining which DE's have the best long-term viability has been a daunting task. This scouts' personal favorite at DE is Aaron Maybin from Penn State, whom he believes should be kept as a 4-3 end I don't know if any of that is useful to you folks, but I thought I'd pass it on...if anybody else has any information from trusted sources that they'd like to share, please do so. I'd be interested to see any different takes out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drinkTHEkoolaid Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 some interesting tidbits i would LOVE to see raji sitting there at 11 but we aren't that lucky and if we were, bills would mess it up anyways... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I was really impressed with Maybin yesterday....... Raji is a no brainer if he is there at 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 - More than a few teams that select in the top 10 picks spent a considerable amount of time with Boston College DT B.J. Raji over the last 48 hours, and it's starting to look less and less like he'll be around after pick No. 10 I'll be surprised if Raji is still there at 11 and more surprised if the Bills were to take him considering another #1 draft pick DT is currently sitting on the Bills bench. - There's a growing concern around the league that while USC MLB Rey Maualuga has the physical strength and mental make-up for the NFL game, he lacks the athleticism to be an impact player early on in his career. Although he may turn out to be a great player at some point, I've noticed he is really lacking in speed, so is he a 2 down LB? - Tyson Jackson may have vaulted himself into the top half of round 1 with an excellent workout yesterday; plenty of team's scouts were visibly surprised to see that kind of athleticism from a 295-pound lineman This is the guy I'm hoping the Bills draft "IF" they go with a defensive player in the first round,the guy is a beast at stopping the run,has long arms to block passes and can get pressure on the QB as well. I really can't stand Buffalo's inability to stop the run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJPearl2 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Very good stuff, thanks!! I think Maybin could be this draft's Dwight Freeney. Call me crazy, but he reminds me of him so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I don't know if any of that is useful to you folks, but I thought I'd pass it on...if anybody else has any information from trusted sources that they'd like to share, please do so. I'd be interested to see any different takes out there. Thanks for the info .... what kind of car do you drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Great stuff. Thanks for passing it along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwightSchrute Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I'll bet your source works for the Colts. I've been waiting to get this so that I could share it with TSW. First, I want to make the following points clear regarding this post: 1.) This is not "inside" information intended to break any news, just some info from a friend that I decided to pass on 2.) The source of this content holds zero influence on any team's draft strategies/decisions 3.) The fact that I spoke with this person does not mean anything other than I have an acquaintance that makes his living as an employee for an NFL team A very close friend of mine has a brother that is an NFL Junior Scout (I won't say which team out of respect for his position), and I exchanged e-mails with him last night for the first time since he arrived at the Combine. He didn't provide a whole lot of detail, but here's some of his observations from spending the last 6 days in Indianapolis: - The general consensus among NFL scouts is that the QB class is a weak one, and that it will take a GM that is very secure in his position to take the first QB off the board come April - More than a few teams that select in the top 10 picks spent a considerable amount of time with Boston College DT B.J. Raji over the last 48 hours, and it's starting to look less and less like he'll be around after pick No. 10 - There's a growing concern around the league that while USC MLB Rey Maualuga has the physical strength and mental make-up for the NFL game, he lacks the athleticism to be an impact player early on in his career - Tyson Jackson may have vaulted himself into the top half of round 1 with an excellent workout yesterday; plenty of team's scouts were visibly surprised to see that kind of athleticism from a 295-pound lineman - No team scouts as many players in as much detail as the Colts, the place is dripping with Indy scouts (probably due to the fact that the event is on their home field) - It's hardly a majority, but there is a growing sentiment that Ohio State LB Marcus Freeman may end up a better pro player than college teammate James Laurinaitis - QB Pat White created enough of a buzz with his workout that it wouldn't be a big surprise to see some team take a crack at him within the first 40 picks; one scout's opinion...Tennessee is the kind of team that could take a chance on White at pick No. 30 in the first round - And lastly, a lot of scouts express that this DE class is the most difficult to grade in a long time; with so many players being evaluated at 3-4 rush LB and so many "niche" positions in the NFL, determining which DE's have the best long-term viability has been a daunting task. This scouts' personal favorite at DE is Aaron Maybin from Penn State, whom he believes should be kept as a 4-3 end I don't know if any of that is useful to you folks, but I thought I'd pass it on...if anybody else has any information from trusted sources that they'd like to share, please do so. I'd be interested to see any different takes out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddaryl Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Tyson Jackson is way to slow to provide the Bills with any sort of pass rush. he is a tweener DE / DT and the last thing this team needs is a slow DE. I would cry if that's who we end up with in any scenario. I'll stick with Orakpo or Maybin. Orakpo is the top DE in many mocks and evaluations after the combine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickie do-right Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Do we really need an edge rusher like Maybin/Orakpo/Brown - or would Tyson Jackson be a better fit. I think all can excel. Understand, I'm not saying we don't need more sacks, but could someone like Tyson collapse the pocket, create pressure and also be a stud against the run ? Put a LB in back of Tyson with good rushing skills. Your thoughts please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I've been waiting to get this so that I could share it with TSW. First, I want to make the following points clear regarding this post: 1.) This is not "inside" information intended to break any news, just some info from a friend that I decided to pass on 2.) The source of this content holds zero influence on any team's draft strategies/decisions 3.) The fact that I spoke with this person does not mean anything other than I have an acquaintance that makes his living as an employee for an NFL team I don't know if any of that is useful to you folks, but I thought I'd pass it on...if anybody else has any information from trusted sources that they'd like to share, please do so. I'd be interested to see any different takes out there. Thanks for sharing that information. It seems like there's a lot of "cried wolf" attitudes who won't acknowledge someone. Those who post anything without as detailed an explanation get flamed quick. But I'm not surprised with any of those points. The combine makes and destroys certain players. Maualuga seems like a guy who could've been a star in the 70s or 80s, but his speed and coverage ability is not what I believe is NFL-caliber. People complain about Posluszny, but he's far better in this area. Everything will play out more, but it's little wonder the Colts are big time scouts. Sure it's their home field, but Bill Polian rarely misses on a first day pick. The whole team is basically drafted or undrafted types. Only Vinatieri I believe is a former UFA signing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastMode54 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Do we really need an edge rusher like Maybin/Orakpo/Brown - or would Tyson Jackson be a better fit. I think all can excel. Understand, I'm not saying we don't need more sacks, but could someone like Tyson collapse the pocket, create pressure and also be a stud against the run ? Put a LB in back of Tyson with good rushing skills. Your thoughts please. I don't think Orakpo is a speed rusher. I think he is an all around athlete. He could be good against the run. I think Maybin's ceiling is the heighest, but it worries me he has on;y one year of solid production. I keep going back and forth, but right now I'd be happy with either one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddaryl Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I don't think Orakpo is a speed rusher. I think he is an all around athlete. He could be good against the run. I think Maybin's ceiling is the heighest, but it worries me he has on;y one year of solid production. I keep going back and forth, but right now I'd be happy with either one Orakpo has a little bit of everything. He has speed, he has power and he has some moves. Maybin has that elusive 1st step that is very attractive but I agree with your analysis.. he is a project because of his lack of experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Tyson Jackson is way to slow to provide the Bills with any sort of pass rush. he is a tweener DE / DT and the last thing this team needs is a slow DE. I would cry if that's who we end up with in any scenario. I'll stick with Orakpo or Maybin. Orakpo is the top DE in many mocks and evaluations after the combine. People get too carried away with "speed rushers". Just Because some one is not a blazer doesn't mean they can't get to the qb. There is a player that you might recall, his name was Reggie White, He wasn't a speed rusher. Tyson Jackson in my view probably is the safest pick for a DE in this entire Draft. He is strong against the run, has good moves to the qb and is an effective bullrusher. Having said all that, I still would rather have Orakpo, but definitely not Maybin. Too much of a risk to get Maybin. He undoubtedly would be a situational passrusher in his first year at best. He probably won't be an everydown player for at least three years, he just doesn't have the strength to stand up tackles at this stage of his development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizell Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 People get too carried away with "speed rushers". Just Because some one is not a blazer doesn't mean they can't get to the qb. There is a player that you might recall, his name was Reggie White, He wasn't a speed rusher. Tyson Jackson in my view probably is the safest pick for a DE in this entire Draft. He is strong against the run, has good moves to the qb and is an effective bullrusher. Having said all that, I still would rather have Orakpo, but definitely not Maybin. Too much of a risk to get Maybin. He undoubtedly would be a situational passrusher in his first year at best. He probably won't be an everydown player for at least three years, he just doesn't have the strength to stand up tackles at this stage of his development. White had 2, 8, 7, and 15 sacks in college. Tyson Jackson had less sacks in college than Reggie White did his senior year. The only similarity imo is that they're both bigger DEs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I'm glad -but a little surprized- to hear the QB's 'ain't all that'. I didn't think they were in college. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Great post, bandit. Thanks for sharing that info with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2003Contenders Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Orakpo has a little bit of everything. He has speed, he has power and he has some moves. Maybin has that elusive 1st step that is very attractive but I agree with your analysis.. he is a project because of his lack of experience. Based on Modrak's comments last week, I get the impression that the Bills really like Orakpo as an every-down DE. They seem to be playing a wait-and-see approach with Maybin to see how he looks with the added weight. And it sounds like they are skeptical about Brown, based on his being less than 6'2". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I'm glad -but a little surprized- to hear the QB's 'ain't all that'. I didn't think they were in college. It hurts us though Chandler. The best case scenario was that both quarterbacks were taken in the top ten and three offensive tackles would also be gone when the Bills pick. Now there's a possibility that as many as three players (including Andre Smith) we wanted drafted before us will not be taken. As a Bills fan you shouldn't be glad about the quarterback's stock dropping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 It hurts us though Chandler. The best case scenario was that both quarterbacks were taken in the top ten and three offensive tackles would also be gone when the Bills pick. Now there's a possibility that as many as three players (including Andre Smith) we wanted drafted before us will not be taken. As a Bills fan you shouldn't be glad about the quarterback's stock dropping. I do think that Andre Smith and the two QB's will be there at 11 and some of the higher rated player will be gone. at that point what at first seems like disaster will become opportunity. 11 may be a very desirable place for a trade. The team trading for the 11 th player is not risking top 10 money. Guys like Conner Barwin and Mack or the DE from Georgia Tech might be the best options in a trade down scenario. The Bills need to leverage their assets as best they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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