Chiefs Yes, Memphis really had no idea how to use Poe. - Page 19

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.

Titty Meat · 05-01-2012, 12:55 AM

Also to be clear playoff stats don't count. I'm talking strictly 16 regular season games less than 10 solo tackles.

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

On draft day one does not simply walk into Pioli's war room.

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Now we can add to this if you'd like.... Since we're both DC nerds and it will have been an election year with the presidential inauguration coming up after the season (unless we win some playoff games) we could do an avatar bet as well? I win you rock the Ron Paul Revolution avatar. You win I rock the Obama Hope and Change avatar? That along with Monopoly references every time we post for a month.

I'm okay with strictly a signature bet.

Romney wins the election, you can gussy up my signature until inauguration with your favorite Ron Paulisms.

Obama wins the election, I get to hope & change your sig until inauguration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Also to be clear playoff stats don't count. I'm talking strictly 16 regular season games less than 10 solo tackles.

Yup.

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 01:03 AM

Whoops, I misread your offer.

If I win the bet, you have to adopt Monopolyisms plus rock the Hope n Change bullshit.

If you win, I go LOTR all over everybody's ass plus have to wear your Ron Paul shit for a month.

Got it.

Yeah, I'm good with that.

Titty Meat · 05-01-2012, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I'm okay with strictly a signature bet.

Romney wins the election, you can gussy up my signature until inauguration with your favorite Ron Paulisms.

Obama wins the election, I get to hope & change your sig until inauguration.

Yup.

Heh we'll just stick with the Monopoly thing.

**RealSNR** · 05-01-2012, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

"It's clear Crennel needs to send Stephenson to Pennsylvania Avenue this offseason to get stronger. He looked dreadful when he filled in for Albert."

Can't. Wait.

Woah woah woah woah. Go back three spaces here. Stephenson wasn't THAT bad and doesn't need to get stronger.

**BigMeatballDave** · 05-01-2012, 01:06 AM

Anything involving LotR is Cruel and Unusual punishment.

**RealSNR** · 05-01-2012, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Whoops, I misread your offer.

If I win the bet, you have to adopt Monopolyisms plus rock the Hope n Change bullshit.

If you win, I go LOTR all over everybody's ass plus have to wear your Ron Paul shit for a month.

Got it.

Yeah, I'm good with that.

Get on the Reading Railroad, because apparently you missed the last train

(Yes, I'm aware it's pronounced Redding)

Hammock Parties · 05-01-2012, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

If he gets 9 or less, I have to do it instead, but with Lord of the Rings.

God damn.

If Poe is a huge bust, I can rip on Scott and Direckshun is entertaining as all getout.

I'm going to enjoy this.

Mr Luzcious · 05-01-2012, 06:02 AM

I for one am quite looking forward to the culmination of that bet, regardless of who wins.
A lot more entertaining than the lame sig changes that usually occur.

Direckshun · 05-01-2012, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

Woah woah woah woah. Go back three spaces here. Stephenson wasn't THAT bad and doesn't need to get stronger.

Go to jail.

Go directly to jail.

Do not pass go.

Do not collect $200.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

God damn.

If Poe is a huge bust, I can rip on Scott and Direckshun is entertaining as all getout.

I'm going to enjoy this.

**Tribal Warfare** · 05-01-2012, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I gotta say.

This guy does not have the gut of someone who is 350 lbs. This is not a Terrance Cody gut.

Much more of a Haloti Ngata physique.

Scary...

Though I wouldn't be surprised if Romeo wants him to get to 360 pounds so he can anchor better like Ted Washington. At least that's one possibility which is the drum I'm playing.

Ultra Peanut · 05-01-2012, 05:54 PM

I love how this thread is going.

And yeah, all of the "blugh blugh lazy fatass" stuff has been super confusing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

They gotta feel like huge tools right now.

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

It was a horrible few years, but the turnaround since December is amazing. A new coaching staff that's doing a great job of selling the program (as opposed to Porter turning the media against him before he even lost a game), the Big East invite, stadium improvements and further facility improvements, a strong finish to recruiting despite the coaching change; it's bizarre how positive things are now. The roster is insanely depleted and the talent that's on the team is young, but it finally feels like there's an actual plan in place and it's unbelievably exciting.

Direckshun · 10-15-2012, 11:51 PM

Bump.

Everybody get ready for an offseason's worth of Monopoly references from billay.

Billay, you live up to this 100%. From the end of the season this year to the first preseason game in 2013.

Rasputin · 10-15-2012, 11:56 PM

And neither do the Chiefs....

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

05-01-2012, 12:55 AM	#271
Titty Meat Inmem 2.0 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: My house Casino cash: $-1062442	Also to be clear playoff stats don't count. I'm talking strictly 16 regular season games less than 10 solo tackles.
Posts: 78,102

05-01-2012, 01:03 AM	#274
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2063447	Whoops, I misread your offer. If I win the bet, you have to adopt Monopolyisms plus rock the Hope n Change bullshit. If you win, I go LOTR all over everybody's ass plus have to wear your Ron Paul shit for a month. Got it. Yeah, I'm good with that.
Posts: 59,693

05-01-2012, 01:06 AM	#277
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	Anything involving LotR is Cruel and Unusual punishment.
Posts: 59,997

05-01-2012, 06:02 AM	#280
Mr Luzcious Orbital Teapot Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: a maze of pleasure Casino cash: $10008797	I for one am quite looking forward to the culmination of that bet, regardless of who wins. A lot more entertaining than the lame sig changes that usually occur. __________________ Under construction
Posts: 2,242

10-15-2012, 11:51 PM	#284
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2063447	Bump. Everybody get ready for an offseason's worth of Monopoly references from billay. Billay, you live up to this 100%. From the end of the season this year to the first preseason game in 2013.
Posts: 59,693

10-15-2012, 11:56 PM	#285
Rasputin Tip of the hat LIV Champs Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: ks Casino cash: $155421	Memphis had no idea And neither do the Chiefs.... __________________ "Those who don't believe in magic will never find it"
Posts: 56,912