Chiefs Yes, Memphis really had no idea how to use Poe. - Page 14

Direckshun · 04-28-2012, 06:13 PM

Fascinating...

http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/0...ogle_news_blog

A Guide to NFL Draft Sleepers
April 27, 2012, 2:18 PM

Any seasoned NFL fan knows the deal with the draft by now: Your team makes a selection and management calls the fact that he was available a miracle. “We never thought he’d drop so far,” team executives say.

It’s become such a cliché that it’s a surprise Colts G.M. Ryan Grigson didn’t say it last night when selecting Andrew Luck with perhaps the most telegraphed first overall pick in draft history. But sometimes a player does fall for reasons other teams may come to regret. For those liable to think every player their team drafted was an absolute steal, we put together a handy guide to let you know if you have a sleeper on your hands:

THE OUT-OF-POSITION SLEEPER

If you look at steals in the draft over the past decade, you’ll find a handful of players who simply moved around too much to show NFL talent. Pro Bowl DT Jay Ratliff dabbled at tight end at Auburn, while star receiver Anquan Boldin had a rocky stint as Florida State’s quarterback. Aaron Kampman, a fifth-rounder out of Iowa who has made two Pro Bowls, switched between linebacker and defensive end – and not in the way teams do that regularly in the NFL. Heck, even Pro Bowl selection Cortland Finnegan was overlooked until the seventh round at cornerback at Samford because he was playing free safety the whole time.

So when examining your steal, see if he can play anywhere else on the field. Or just assume he can and you’ll be much happier. Take Michael Robinson, the former Penn State quarterback who didn’t entertain the idea of playing anywhere but running back in the pros. Still, most switcheroo candidates will take people by surprise. Perhaps a player like LSU’s average quarterback, Jordan Jefferson, who at 6 feet 3 ran a decent 4.6-second 40-yard dash and could be a receiving threat with the right development. Or maybe just a bad quarterback.

THE BAD-SCHEME SLEEPER

There are all sorts of stories about run-first high school offenses keeping future star QBs a secret – Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger are the most notable. But it’s rarer in college, where players often go to fit a specific scheme. Still, sometimes a player gets the wrong coach and looks undervalued. One example this year is Dontari Poe, the hulking defensive lineman who raced up draft boards after being ignored during a career at the college-football backwater of Memphis. He had just eight tackles-for-loss last season. On Thursday night, after the Kansas City Chiefs took him 11th overall, Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli noted that in 49% of his plays, the design of the defensive scheme made it literally impossible for him to record any sort of statistic.

But as we go on in the draft, these players will pop up more and more. In a stunning first-round coincidence, Ryan Tannehill could be considered one of these sleepers, since he was burdened with Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman’s molasses poorly-designed offense. Of course, Tannehill was drafted by the Dolphins last night, where he’ll get a new start with a new … whoops, nevermind, Sherman is the offensive coordinator there after getting fired from his Aggies job.

THE WRONG-SPORT SLEEPER

From Bo Jackson to Brian Jordan, it’s hard to know where to draft a multi-sport athlete, but one thing is clear: They are normally drafted lower than they should be. Last year, the league saw former Miami hoops player Jimmy Graham destroy secondaries. This after another former basketball-star-turned-tight-end, Antonio Gates, has haunted defensive backs for years. The Cowboys used to have a suite at the Final Four for assistants to interview basketball coaches to see which of their players might make the leap. It’s hard to get a read on a player who doesn’t devote himself full time to one sport. (And it doesn’t always work out. For more information, please read up on Drew Henson.)

Whatever the case, this year brings Russell Wilson, the Wisconsin quarterback who was second in the country with 10.3 yards per attempts on his passes. That’s not the only thing to recommend him. He also has a minor-league baseball career that’s taken up most of his summers, so much so that it got him run out of N.C. State’s program. Maybe a team can take a flier on him and he’ll produce if he focuses on football. At the very least, you’re looking at an upgrade on the company softball team.

THE NOT-HIS-FAULT SLEEPER

I’m telling anyone who will listen that Tommy Streeter, Miami’s 6-foot-5 wide receiver, is my big sleeper this year. Streeter is fast, can catch and played for some awful quarterbacks. LSU’s Rueben Randle, who had to deal with his own QB nightmare in Baton Rogue, is another one.

There’s Mohamed Sanu from Rutgers, who didn’t exactly get Johnny Unitas’s passes coming his way. In contrast there are players like Kendall Wright, the Baylor wide receiver who went in the first round to Tennessee and got the benefit of Robert Griffin III throwing to him. There’s always a blurry line there. After all, some great wide receivers, like Michael Irvin, had elite quarterbacks in college. But many (Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Calvin Johnson) did not. So please disregard the “lack of production” disclaimer on the draft broadcast in these situations.

**BigMeatballDave** · 04-30-2012, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

I'm at work and follow the link to Poe's numbers. How do they stack up?

As good as Raji and in some cases better.

**BigMeatballDave** · 04-30-2012, 06:57 PM

Raji was drafted at #9

**BossChief** · 04-30-2012, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

So what's Poe's problem? Why is he slow to react?

I don't want to speak to things I havent seen with my own eyes too much....but I will venture an educated guess in this case.

Explosion usually comes with confidence in what you are supposed to do so you play without thinking...that's when natural talent takes over.

It seems a problem they had in Memphis was that they were so strapped for talent that they tried to have Poe do too many things and he never learned to do one thing really well.

Add to that the coaching staff was piss poor and probably had no clue on how to actually coach the kid up and develop his god given gifts and you have a beastly physical specimen that could flourish under premier coaching and make our defense a truly elite unit...or maybe we got bamboozled and the guy is nothing more than another future disappointing KC DL.

Time will tell

**Tribal Warfare** · 04-30-2012, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

I'm at work and follow the link to Poe's numbers. How do they stack up?

Poe
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 44
Vertical Jump: 29 1/2
Broad Jump: 08'09"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.56
3-Cone Drill: 7.90
40 Yrd Dash: 4.98

Raji

225 Lb. Bench Reps: 33
Vertical Jump: 32
Broad Jump: 08'07"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.69
3-Cone Drill: 7.90
40 Yrd Dash: 5.12

**Easy 6** · 04-30-2012, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossChief

I don't want to speak to things I havent seen with my own eyes too much....but I will venture an educated guess in this case.

Explosion usually comes with confidence in what you are supposed to do so you play without thinking...that's when natural talent takes over.

It seems a problem they had in Memphis was that they were so strapped for talent that they tried to have Poe do too many things and he never learned to do one thing really well.

Add to that the coaching staff was piss poor and probably had no clue on how to actually coach the kid up and develop his god given gifts and you have a beastly physical specimen that could flourish under premier coaching and make our defense a truly elite unit...or maybe we got bamboozled and the guy is nothing more than another future disappointing KC DL.

Time will tell

Yeah, this.

Nice take.

**BigMeatballDave** · 04-30-2012, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Poe
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 44
Vertical Jump: 29 1/2
Broad Jump: 08'09"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.56
3-Cone Drill: 7.90
40 Yrd Dash: 4.98

Raji

225 Lb. Bench Reps: 33
Vertical Jump: 32
Broad Jump: 08'07"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.69
3-Cone Drill: 7.90
40 Yrd Dash: 5.12

I'm glad someone posted this. I type way too slow.

Hammock Parties · 04-30-2012, 07:09 PM

That's impressive, then. Excellent pick, not worried anymore.

**Easy 6** · 04-30-2012, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

That's impressive, then. Excellent pick, not worried anymore.

Its not about not worrying, its about seeing the potential negatives, while acknowledging the potential reasons for optimism.

Bewbies · 04-30-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott free

Its not about not worrying, its about seeing the potential negatives, while acknowledging the potential reasons for optimism.

Wrong. It's about trolling. If we'd drafted Luck his ass would be trolling that pick too.

**BossChief** · 04-30-2012, 07:18 PM

What were the height/weight of the two?

Blick · 04-30-2012, 07:18 PM

Dude is bigger, stronger, and faster than Raji, Wilfork, and Ngata when they all came out.

I'm excited to see what he can do.

**BigMeatballDave** · 04-30-2012, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossChief

What were the height/weight of the two?

Poe 6'3" 345
Raji 6'2" 335

**BossChief** · 04-30-2012, 07:23 PM

Poe has a chance to be our "Calvin Johnson"

**BigMeatballDave** · 04-30-2012, 07:26 PM

His 40

**SAUTO** · 04-30-2012, 07:30 PM

Classic brick shithouse mother****er
Posted via Mobile Device

04-28-2012, 06:13 PM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2063447	Yes, Memphis really had no idea how to use Poe. Fascinating... http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/0...ogle_news_blog A Guide to NFL Draft Sleepers April 27, 2012, 2:18 PM Any seasoned NFL fan knows the deal with the draft by now: Your team makes a selection and management calls the fact that he was available a miracle. “We never thought he’d drop so far,” team executives say. It’s become such a cliché that it’s a surprise Colts G.M. Ryan Grigson didn’t say it last night when selecting Andrew Luck with perhaps the most telegraphed first overall pick in draft history. But sometimes a player does fall for reasons other teams may come to regret. For those liable to think every player their team drafted was an absolute steal, we put together a handy guide to let you know if you have a sleeper on your hands: THE OUT-OF-POSITION SLEEPER If you look at steals in the draft over the past decade, you’ll find a handful of players who simply moved around too much to show NFL talent. Pro Bowl DT Jay Ratliff dabbled at tight end at Auburn, while star receiver Anquan Boldin had a rocky stint as Florida State’s quarterback. Aaron Kampman, a fifth-rounder out of Iowa who has made two Pro Bowls, switched between linebacker and defensive end – and not in the way teams do that regularly in the NFL. Heck, even Pro Bowl selection Cortland Finnegan was overlooked until the seventh round at cornerback at Samford because he was playing free safety the whole time. So when examining your steal, see if he can play anywhere else on the field. Or just assume he can and you’ll be much happier. Take Michael Robinson, the former Penn State quarterback who didn’t entertain the idea of playing anywhere but running back in the pros. Still, most switcheroo candidates will take people by surprise. Perhaps a player like LSU’s average quarterback, Jordan Jefferson, who at 6 feet 3 ran a decent 4.6-second 40-yard dash and could be a receiving threat with the right development. Or maybe just a bad quarterback. THE BAD-SCHEME SLEEPER There are all sorts of stories about run-first high school offenses keeping future star QBs a secret – Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger are the most notable. But it’s rarer in college, where players often go to fit a specific scheme. Still, sometimes a player gets the wrong coach and looks undervalued. One example this year is Dontari Poe, the hulking defensive lineman who raced up draft boards after being ignored during a career at the college-football backwater of Memphis. He had just eight tackles-for-loss last season. On Thursday night, after the Kansas City Chiefs took him 11th overall, Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli noted that in 49% of his plays, the design of the defensive scheme made it literally impossible for him to record any sort of statistic. But as we go on in the draft, these players will pop up more and more. In a stunning first-round coincidence, Ryan Tannehill could be considered one of these sleepers, since he was burdened with Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman’s molasses poorly-designed offense. Of course, Tannehill was drafted by the Dolphins last night, where he’ll get a new start with a new … whoops, nevermind, Sherman is the offensive coordinator there after getting fired from his Aggies job. THE WRONG-SPORT SLEEPER From Bo Jackson to Brian Jordan, it’s hard to know where to draft a multi-sport athlete, but one thing is clear: They are normally drafted lower than they should be. Last year, the league saw former Miami hoops player Jimmy Graham destroy secondaries. This after another former basketball-star-turned-tight-end, Antonio Gates, has haunted defensive backs for years. The Cowboys used to have a suite at the Final Four for assistants to interview basketball coaches to see which of their players might make the leap. It’s hard to get a read on a player who doesn’t devote himself full time to one sport. (And it doesn’t always work out. For more information, please read up on Drew Henson.) Whatever the case, this year brings Russell Wilson, the Wisconsin quarterback who was second in the country with 10.3 yards per attempts on his passes. That’s not the only thing to recommend him. He also has a minor-league baseball career that’s taken up most of his summers, so much so that it got him run out of N.C. State’s program. Maybe a team can take a flier on him and he’ll produce if he focuses on football. At the very least, you’re looking at an upgrade on the company softball team. THE NOT-HIS-FAULT SLEEPER I’m telling anyone who will listen that Tommy Streeter, Miami’s 6-foot-5 wide receiver, is my big sleeper this year. Streeter is fast, can catch and played for some awful quarterbacks. LSU’s Rueben Randle, who had to deal with his own QB nightmare in Baton Rogue, is another one. There’s Mohamed Sanu from Rutgers, who didn’t exactly get Johnny Unitas’s passes coming his way. In contrast there are players like Kendall Wright, the Baylor wide receiver who went in the first round to Tennessee and got the benefit of Robert Griffin III throwing to him. There’s always a blurry line there. After all, some great wide receivers, like Michael Irvin, had elite quarterbacks in college. But many (Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Calvin Johnson) did not. So please disregard the “lack of production” disclaimer on the draft broadcast in these situations.
Posts: 59,693

04-30-2012, 06:57 PM	#197
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	Raji was drafted at #9
Posts: 59,997

04-30-2012, 07:09 PM	#202
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $920478	That's impressive, then. Excellent pick, not worried anymore. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 297,049

04-30-2012, 07:18 PM	#205
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $-1655912	What were the height/weight of the two? __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
Posts: 47,891

04-30-2012, 07:18 PM	#206
Blick Veteran Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South KC Casino cash: $10004900	Dude is bigger, stronger, and faster than Raji, Wilfork, and Ngata when they all came out. I'm excited to see what he can do.
Posts: 1,209

04-30-2012, 07:23 PM	#208
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $-1655912	Poe has a chance to be our "Calvin Johnson" __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
Posts: 47,891

04-30-2012, 07:26 PM	#209
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	His 40
Posts: 59,997

04-30-2012, 07:30 PM	#210
SAUTO Shit Join Date: Jun 2008 Casino cash: $10039067	Classic brick shithouse mother***er Posted via Mobile Device*
Posts: 55,715