James 'Boomer" Grigsby (not hating on the player) Analysis on him from CBSSportsline

royr17 · 04-28-2005, 08:06 AM

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/draft/520856

ANALYSIS
Boomer is a bit undersized and will have to operate in a 4-3 defense in the pros, or possibly move to weak-side linebacker to take advantage of his foot speed. Grigsby would be best served operating in a system that will cover him up and let him roam free. He is a much better performer making plays on the move, as he does not always use his hands effectively to prevent blockers from getting into his exposed chest and stonewalling him on the play. He lacks natural hands for the interception and while he will make the effort, his small hands make him fight to secure the ball.

Blessed with exceptional quickness, for some reason this avid weightlifter's strength does not always translate to the football field. He has the speed to string plays wide, but when asked to face up he struggles to shed. He just seems to lack the size with bulk to hold up at the point of attack at times. He has very good lateral agility and reads the full flow of the ball well. He is very instinctive making reads and is alert to blocking schemes.

He has a great closing burst and good range vs. the run. Grigsby also does a good job of avoiding blocks on the move, which allows him to angle and take the shorter route to the ball carrier.

On the run, he is capable of taking proper angles to the ball and using his speed to slip through trash and make tackles in the backfield. He is more of an arm tackler, leading to a lot of missed hits as the bigger runners are able to slip off his shots. Boomer is a powerful tackler, but needs to improve his hand usage in order to gain good leverage. He seems to run around blocks too often and while he has good lateral agility, looks a little stiff in his hips when having to redirect.

Against the inside run, his weight room strength does not translate to the field. He has trouble shedding at times and can get pushed around working inside the box. He is a good wrapup tackler who can generate pop, but sometimes looks soft taking on the lead block and needs to bring his feet and explode into the ball carrier better. He is more of a move-oriented tackler, as he does not make many tackles head-on, but can wrap and drag the opponent down.

His pass coverage skills, especially in one-on-one situations are lacking. He seems to be late reacting to the receiver's moves and lacks the size to reroute tight ends. He needs to get better hand placement in pass protection and must do a better hob of getting to the drop point when playing in the zone.

As a pass rusher, he lacks any type of moves to be consistent here. He fails to avoid blockers on the inside blitz, but shows suddenness when coming off the edge and having a clear lane. His strength in the weight room could be better featured if only he'd face up more on tackles. Right now, I do not see him being an every down player, as he has marginal pass drop agility and is prone to reading fakes and biting on play action in pass coverage. He needs to learn better zone coverage responsibilities, as Boomer is not always in the right spot in his pass drop.

I like his athletic ability and think he will contribute on the next level, but doubt if he will ever come close to matching his collegiate statistics. Some teams might be considering him as a strong safety, as they feel he has reached maximum size growth potential. But with his pass coverage difficulties, it would be tough to make a position change at this time.

04-28-2005, 08:06 AM	Topic Starter
royr17 MVP Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Lovin my kids Casino cash: $1718676	James 'Boomer" Grigsby (not hating on the player) Analysis on him from CBSSportsline http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/draft/520856 ANALYSIS Boomer is a bit undersized and will have to operate in a 4-3 defense in the pros, or possibly move to weak-side linebacker to take advantage of his foot speed. Grigsby would be best served operating in a system that will cover him up and let him roam free. He is a much better performer making plays on the move, as he does not always use his hands effectively to prevent blockers from getting into his exposed chest and stonewalling him on the play. He lacks natural hands for the interception and while he will make the effort, his small hands make him fight to secure the ball. Blessed with exceptional quickness, for some reason this avid weightlifter's strength does not always translate to the football field. He has the speed to string plays wide, but when asked to face up he struggles to shed. He just seems to lack the size with bulk to hold up at the point of attack at times. He has very good lateral agility and reads the full flow of the ball well. He is very instinctive making reads and is alert to blocking schemes. He has a great closing burst and good range vs. the run. Grigsby also does a good job of avoiding blocks on the move, which allows him to angle and take the shorter route to the ball carrier. On the run, he is capable of taking proper angles to the ball and using his speed to slip through trash and make tackles in the backfield. He is more of an arm tackler, leading to a lot of missed hits as the bigger runners are able to slip off his shots. Boomer is a powerful tackler, but needs to improve his hand usage in order to gain good leverage. He seems to run around blocks too often and while he has good lateral agility, looks a little stiff in his hips when having to redirect. Against the inside run, his weight room strength does not translate to the field. He has trouble shedding at times and can get pushed around working inside the box. He is a good wrapup tackler who can generate pop, but sometimes looks soft taking on the lead block and needs to bring his feet and explode into the ball carrier better. He is more of a move-oriented tackler, as he does not make many tackles head-on, but can wrap and drag the opponent down. His pass coverage skills, especially in one-on-one situations are lacking. He seems to be late reacting to the receiver's moves and lacks the size to reroute tight ends. He needs to get better hand placement in pass protection and must do a better hob of getting to the drop point when playing in the zone. As a pass rusher, he lacks any type of moves to be consistent here. He fails to avoid blockers on the inside blitz, but shows suddenness when coming off the edge and having a clear lane. His strength in the weight room could be better featured if only he'd face up more on tackles. Right now, I do not see him being an every down player, as he has marginal pass drop agility and is prone to reading fakes and biting on play action in pass coverage. He needs to learn better zone coverage responsibilities, as Boomer is not always in the right spot in his pass drop. I like his athletic ability and think he will contribute on the next level, but doubt if he will ever come close to matching his collegiate statistics. Some teams might be considering him as a strong safety, as they feel he has reached maximum size growth potential. But with his pass coverage difficulties, it would be tough to make a position change at this time.
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