Chiefs Yes, Memphis really had no idea how to use Poe. - Page 17

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.

Ultra Peanut · 04-30-2012, 10:36 PM

Poe's D-Linemate Frank Trotter just got signed as a UDFA by the Jaguars. I mention this because I really loved watching both of them play and was fairly surprised Trotter hadn't even gotten the slightest NFL look, so I'm happy he's getting a chance. I felt absolutely confident that Poe, Trotter, and Johnnie Farms were quality players standing in the way of an even more stunningly terrible team than the one that showed up the past few years.

Whatever you can imagine about the coaching staff at Memphis' ineptitude, try harder. They were such tremendous ****ups that it shamed the boosters into a full-scale revolt that's culminating in the deposition of the AD and President and a huge, sudden influx of money into the program.

Direckshun · 04-30-2012, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut

Poe's D-Linemate Frank Trotter just got signed as a UDFA by the Jaguars. I mention this because I really loved watching both of them play and was fairly surprised Trotter hadn't even gotten the slightest NFL look, so I'm happy he's getting a chance. I felt absolutely confident that Poe, Trotter, and Johnnie Farms were quality players standing in the way of an even more stunningly terrible team than the one that showed up the past few years.

Whatever you can imagine about the coaching staff at Memphis' ineptitude, try harder. They were such tremendous ****ups that it shamed the boosters into a full-scale revolt that's culminating in the deposition of the AD and President and a huge, sudden influx of money into the program.

They gotta feel like huge tools right now.

Poe has basically exposed how little anybody thinks of tha tprogram right now.

Titty Meat · 05-01-2012, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Doesn't matter.

Crennel showed up and is squeezing every ounce of talent out of Dorsey and Jackson in this defense.

Bailey, also regarded as a project defensive lineman, seems to be coming along very well.

These things all bode very well for Poe.

But it's going to take him a year to be competent and consistent, and two years to better assess what we've got in him.

350 lbs with all that athletic ability and strength, though.... You're giving a master cook fantastic ingredients.

Won't even get 10 tackles this season. Want to bet on it?

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Won't even get 10 tackles this season. Want to bet on it?

Ooooooooo...... Ten tackles.

That is an enticing bet.

Hmmmm.

What are the stakes.

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 12:05 AM

Let's make this creative.

Like, loser has to make a Lord of the Rings analogy in every post for a month, or something.

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 12:09 AM

Don't you puss out on me, bitch.

You opened this can, let's eat it all.

Titty Meat · 05-01-2012, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Let's make this creative.

Like, loser has to make a Lord of the Rings analogy in every post for a month, or something.

Sounds good but I've never seen the Lord Of The Rings believe it or not.

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Sounds good but I've never seen the Lord Of The Rings believe it or not.

Give me the nerdiest pop culture reference you're into.

Titty Meat · 05-01-2012, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Give me the nerdiest pop culture reference you're into.

Hmm i'm not sure. I like shitty reality shows like Dog The Bounty Hunter and Storage Wars?

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Hmm i'm not sure. I like shitty reality shows like Dog The Bounty Hunter and Storage Wars?

Damn.

You ever read?

Comic books? Are you familiar with the game of Monopoly?

**BigMeatballDave** · 05-01-2012, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Sounds good but I've never seen the Lord Of The Rings believe it or not.

You're not missing anything. HUGE POS.

Titty Meat · 05-01-2012, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Damn.

You ever read?

Comic books? Are you familiar with the game of Monopoly?

Yes. I play Monopoly and RISK.

I also play the computer game Political Machine if you're familiar with that.

I love Katy Perry's music I can sing all of her songs.

**BigMeatballDave** · 05-01-2012, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Hmm i'm not sure. I like shitty reality shows like Dog The Bounty Hunter and Storage Wars?

Storage Hunters is better

**BigMeatballDave** · 05-01-2012, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Won't even get 10 tackles this season. Want to bet on it?

LOL Okay.

Titty Meat · 05-01-2012, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

Storage Hunters is better

What's that?

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, 10:36 PM	#241
Ultra Peanut v^V^v^V^v^V^ Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Holland* Casino cash: $10005177	Poe's D-Linemate Frank Trotter just got signed as a UDFA by the Jaguars. I mention this because I really loved watching both of them play and was fairly surprised Trotter hadn't even gotten the slightest NFL look, so I'm happy he's getting a chance. I felt absolutely confident that Poe, Trotter, and Johnnie Farms were quality players standing in the way of an even more stunningly terrible team than the one that showed up the past few years. Whatever you can imagine about the coaching staff at Memphis' ineptitude, try harder. They were such tremendous ****ups that it shamed the boosters into a full-scale revolt that's culminating in the deposition of the AD and President and a huge, sudden influx of money into the program. __________________
Posts: 39,518

05-01-2012, 12:05 AM	#245
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2063447	Let's make this creative. Like, loser has to make a Lord of the Rings analogy in every post for a month, or something.
Posts: 59,693

05-01-2012, 12:09 AM	#246
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2063447	Don't you puss out on me, bitch. You opened this can, let's eat it all.
Posts: 59,693