I've watched enough Big XII and UT games to know what a good college player and what a good pro prospect are and how they are discrete entities. When Shipley runs a 4.4 at a scouting combine, I'll eat my hat.

He does not have a "measured 4.4". He has a guestimated 4.4. He also has a guestimated 4.51. There's a reason why guys run 40s at the combine and they take height/weight measurements. It's because you can't trust measurements from the school. He doesn't have speed. He also doesn't have Wes Welker's quickness. He's also coming from a program that doesn't produce pro prospects that correlate to their hype.

We are all well aware of the fact that you watch all UT games. Whether it's your pimping of Colt McCoy, or your continued pumping up of Michigan products, like that douchebag who had good bench #s and you wanted us to spend a fifth on, you can't be trusted to give an honest analysis of the players that you have the most investment in.

You should always be skeptical of Texas players...very few have ever lived up to their hype.

Michigan bias I will give you... but not UT... I am very skeptical of them for the most part... for example... I was never a fan of Orakpo but I was a fan of Roy Williams.

UT has a solid record in putting out NFL receivers... barring a disastrous 40 time... Shipley will be one of those.

You also totally discounted the fact that he owns most Texas high school receiving records... that is no small feat.

So if Shipley runs a 4.49, you'll change your tune? I see him as a solid #2 in the NFL... are you not even giving him that?

Like Leinart and Bush? Big schools= big hype. UT may be SLIGHTLY worse than others (with Vince Young and Ricky Williams) but for every one of them, they also put out a Roy Williams or Casey Hampton

Again, I'm not saying he can't make the transition, but I dont' see him as a likely project. He's 2 years older than most guys, he's behind the curve on learning a pro offense, and he's not a very big guy.

He'll never be a #2 receiver...he's too short and too slow. I wouldn't be surprised if he runs a 4.49, but that's nothing to get excited about. That's marginal speed for an NFL WR. He doesn't have Dwayne Bowe's body type or Fitzgerald's leaping ability. He's a slot receiver if it all works out for him. I see him as a poor man's Brandon Stokley if he works out. He profiles much more as a 3/4, but not a #2. He's not gonna be able to get deep, IMO, and he's not that big.

Don't count Leinart out just yet; he was beginning to look pretty solid against Green Bay.

DJ (#15), Mike Williams (#2), Cedric Benson (#5), Leonard Davis (#2), Michael Huff (#7), Ricky Williams (#5), Vince Young (#3).

This is in the last decade

It's ****ing staggering.

Of course the receivers that have come out of USC really haven't been any better, and they run a pro-style offense.

Mike Williams was #4 and that reminds me ...

Mike Williams (#10), Reggie Bush (#2), Matt Leinhart(#10), Kenechi Udeze(#20), R. Jay Soward (#29)

AS I SAID, Texas may be slightly worse than others but not to a degree that warrants your dissmissive attitude toward EVERY player.

You plan on discounting Kindle as well?

The fact is... big programs get big hype... lots of players fall flat from all sorts of places... USC included.

USC hasn't really had a true NFL dynamic type WR most of them have been of the big slow variety. Which well isn't the best thing to have at the NFL level.

R Jay Soward was before the current coaching staff at USC I wouldn't really count him. I don't count the before Mack Brown time players.

Would you like to compare the players that have made it from SC? There's quite the list of those guys too.

It was Cody they had us taking at #3, and it was like "this is incredibly bad value here so it fits Pioli". Oh and before that it was Benn so honestly he's just throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Pioli is trying to build a stud defense. A team can win with a mediocre offense as long as they have a good defense. Defense starts on the line. So that's where the team is starting.

The DE's have to be able to rush the QB, but they have to play the run equally well. In order for the 3-4 defense to succeed, they need to be stout against the run. He brought in Tyson Jackson for exactly that reason. He can rush the passer and can play the run. McGee, he's just a complete DE who Pioli took as insurance in case Dorsey can't make the switch. Best case scenario, he's solid depth who pushes for a starting spot. Worst case, he's a stable starter when Dorsey flops.

I like Pioli's approach so far. As the defense sits:

D-Line: With three DE's who could all potentially start in the league once they gain experience, the line only lacks a stud NT. We'll see this year how Tank does. Hopefully Haley can bring the nasty back out of him.

LB's: Right now, with the emergence of Mays, and the transition of Tamba, the starting unit is in better shape that anyone could have hoped for. Vrabel is a stop-gap and a mentor. He'll need to be replaced eventually. While noone really knows what the deal with DJ is, will he step up? Where has he faltered? On the field, or in the classroom? The team will probably need to find 1 or 2 more starters, whether either of them are on the roster, or in the league already we don't know.

Secondary: With 2 stud corners drafted this year, and potentially one this year, not to mention Maurice Leggett as a play making CB, the roster is pretty set at corner. Safety, is another story. Pollard got nixed and Paige is riding pine. Whether that is b/c of his play, classroom work or something off the field is unknown, but let's hope he regains form. Mike Brown is a stud vet who has had some injury problems. If healthy, he could probably serve as a good stop-gap for a couple years. After the starters, Dajuan Morgan show some spark, if he can stop going for the big interception and concentrate on coverage, he could definitely start for this team. John McGraw is decent depth and great special teams. We may need to pick some guys up eventually, but serviceable for now.

I think this defense is closer than some think. We'll see how the season plays out. Pioli could have made a better attempt to get an oline to protect Cassel, it's no secret they're crap. Maybe they know something we don't, but I doubt it. For the record I don't believe Cassel was a mistake, and will be more than a spread QB. Once the defense is built, and the offense has a line and some weapons, he shouldn't have any problems winning, or, not losing. I do know one thing though. Coming from New England, and being brought in by Pioli who knows him, he comes with a lot less questions than anyone who was available to us in the draft.

And a decent list of UT guys as well, and U-M and Ohio State... the fact is... you can build an argument for bias for or against ANY big program. Fact is, the bias is crap.... unless you can show a valid reason... i.e. Texas runs a spread therefore it's QBs will be less prepared for the NFL. But to discount a Texas WR simply because you hate Texas is silly.

(and as to the coaching staff... I would be more willing to look at position coaches and make judgements then to look at HC, OC or DC)

Texas has that stigma because of a ton of guys who were thought of as can't miss...missed.