The case for Cam Thomas & Sean Weatherspoon

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yep. I'd say it's damn near a lock.

In '07, almost all of the early mocks had Grubbs going early in round 2. Aaaaaaand the Ravens had other plans.

Seems like a Pittsburgh Steelers pick.

[Wilson8]

Interview with Cam Thomas

Cam Thomas (6-foot-4, 331 pounds) spent four seasons clogging running lanes at North Carolina. After ringing up 83 totals tackles and nine TFLs during his stint with the Tarheels, Thomas is set to take his game to the next level. He shares his journey with us in this exclusive series following his path to the draft.

Michael Lombardo: Talk about your experience at the Senior Bowl. Was it what you expected?

Thomas: It was a great experience for a guy like me. It was a different environment being out there with all those great players where you can showcase your talent. It shows that you can play amongst men, so it was a really good experience.

ML: Were you able to accomplish everything you wanted to?

Thomas: I feel like I did, for the most part. There's still some stuff you can grow on and get better at. I take everything day by day. It's not over with yet.

ML: How did your meetings go with the NFL teams in attendance? Did any of them stand out?

Thomas: All of them were basically the same. All of them were taking notes. All of them know that I'm a big guy. The Combine.

ML: Were any of the interviews more in-depth than the others?

Thomas: All of them said the same thing, man, there was nothing really different. They all see me as that big anchor guy who can plug that hole up.

ML: Are you drawing more interest from 3-4 teams or 4-3 teams?

Thomas: I can play either a 4-3 or a 3-4, you know, because at Carolina we basically did both of them. It's not that different.

ML: What is the difference for you between the two schemes?

Thomas: In a 3-4 you're head-up over the center, at the zero, and in a 4-3 you have the shade. It's really nothing different. You're right there on the center each time.

ML: Is playing nose tackle in a 3-4 a more demanding position?

Thomas: You take a lot of abuse [as a nose tackle], so you have to be a man to play that position.

ML: Let me ask you about one 3-4 team in particular, the San Diego Chargers. Did you meet with them during Senior Bowl week?

Thomas: Yeah, I met with the Chargers out there. They used to come to the school and stuff. They're looking for a nose. I met with their scout and he was a really good guy, so it went pretty well. I think he's one of the head guys [in San Diego], but I can't remember what his name was.

ML: The reason the Chargers are seeking a nose is that starter Jamal Williams is 33 years old and on the final year of his contract. What would it be like to share playing time with him next season, knowing he's been one of the best in the NFL for the last 10 years?

Thomas: The thing is, I'm going to ask questions. He's one of the best at his job, so I'd want to be around him and stick to him like glue. I'd just try to take away his knowledge of the game with what to do and what not to do. I'd work hard every day to improve my game.

ML: Other than Williams, are there any other defensive linemen you look up to or have been compared to?

Thomas: I've heard people say I'm like Albert Haynesworth a little bit, that I'm a little Albert Haynesworth in the making because of my strength. I have more strength than meets the eye.

ML: It doesn't hurt that following in Haynesworth's footsteps leads to a $100 million contact.

Thomas: Hey, if that were to happen, it'd be a blessing.

ML: Are there any NFL players who are giving you advice about the whole pre-draft process?

Thomas: My homeboy, Kentwan Balmer, he plays for the 49ers and I talk to him a lot. He tells me not to worry about the stuff I'm going through and tells me I haven't really seen nothing yet. He gives me wisdom, you know, what not to do, to work hard, don't lose that hunger.

ML: What are you goals for the NFL Combine?

Thomas: Just to go out there and show them what I can do. Also, I want to run a 4.9 [in the 40-yard dash]. I've been timed at 5.0 before and I think I can do it.

http://sdg.scout.com/2/945549.html

[Wilson8]

Yes, there is a buzz building around Cam Thomas, and not just on this blog thanks to our friends from New Jersey.

The defensive tackle from North Carolina has been a monster out here in Senior Bowl practice this week and could be a nice consolation prize for the Miami Dolphins in the middle rounds as they seek a long-term solution at nose tackle.

Can Thomas play the nose in the NFL?
"Yeah, straight nose," Thomas told me this week. "Let's go, baby."

What would he bring in that role?
"Power," he said. "A guy that can anchor. That's what they want. That's what the nose is, an anchor guy, and that's what I would bring."

Thomas officially measured at 6-3 and 331 pounds.
"That's what they had me at," he said. "But I think I'm 6-4."
His hands are "10 [inches] and some change," he says, and he plays the game with an obvious enthusiasm. Even in blocking drills, Thomas will emit a primal scream as he blows by interior linemen.

"My favorite guy is [Albert] Haynesworth," he said. "He's an animal. That's a MAN!"

And his outgoing practice demeanor? He credits that to his college program, where he played for former University of Miami and NFL coach Butch Davis and former NFL assistant John Blake was his position coach.
"You've got to have fun," Thomas said. "At North Carolina, you come with our D, you got to have fun. If anybody came out to our practice, that’s what they’d
see us doing: being loud, having fun, running, chasing the ball. That’s all we
know. Our coaching staff, that’s what they want."

Talking to Thomas, I couldn't help but think back to a young Jason Ferguson, whom I covered when he played at Georgia and I was working in Augusta. Maybe it's the No. 95 Thomas is wearing out here this week. Maybe it's the quick wit and the outgoing personality. Maybe it's the quickness off the ball and the ability to make plays on the nose.

Maybe it's the country upbringing; Thomas is from Eagle Springs, N.C., while Ferguson is from Nettleton, Miss.

But the similarity is striking. At least it is to me.

UPDATE 6:22 P.M.: Just got off a conference call with ESPN draft guru Todd McShay, and, well, maybe I got a little excited there on ol' Cam Thomas. I asked McShay about him as a possible nose tackle sleeper, especially considering the great shortage of those who can play the position, and he was sorta lukewarm.
"He flashed on and off, he showed some ability," McShay said. "Certainly he has the size to play that spot, but I think you're talking more of a backup. I just don't think he has great physical tools."
Ouch.

Then again, Big Ferg went in the seventh round, 229th overall out of Georgia, 13 years ago. That was Bill Parcells' first draft with the Jets, and they're still going strong as an NFL tandem.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports...am-thomas.html

[Wilson8]

Cam Thomas had a really good Senior Bowl but if you try to find video of him or look at his stats, you aren't going to go away impressed.

The Senior Bowl hype on Thomas has moved him up to a point that he has become a super hero.

I don't think the Chiefs can take an early round draft risk on a one week wonder.

Cam might be a good NFL NT but his value round will be in the 3rd or 4th.

[Ralphy Boy]

Originally Posted by Wilson8

Cam Thomas had a really good Senior Bowl but if you try to find video of him or look at his stats, you aren't going to go away impressed.

The Senior Bowl hype on Thomas has moved him up to a point that he has become a super hero.

I don't think the Chiefs can take an early round draft risk on a one week wonder.

Cam might be a good NFL NT but his value round will be in the 3rd or 4th.

I'd love it if we could get him there, I just think he'll go earlier. My prediction is 2nd round because of his size, lots of teams needing a NT and the fact that unlike guys like Cody, Thomas is a very solid 330 lbs.

CBS has him rated as the #8 DT and #94 overall
Dan Williams and Cody are the only two NT prospects weighing in excess of 305 lbs that are rated higher than him.

I think Thomas makes sense for KC because of how much Haley hates fat boys.

[Ralphy Boy]

Pretty good article on 3-4 teams

FWIW think about all the teams running a 3-4 that could be in the market for a NT
San Diego - Williams will be 34
Denver - 26th ranked run D
Arizona
Cleveland - Rogers isn't a long term solution & the 28th ranked run D
Pittsburgh - Hampton isn't getting any younger
KC -31st ranked run D
New England - if they don't plan on paying Wilfork beyond the tag and don't think Brace can do the job.
Buffalo - making the change and the 30th ranked run D
Miami - When Jason Ferguson went down they struggled.

[Wilson8]

I agree that NTs will go early with teams needing them. Some NFL team very well might use a 2nd round pick on him. If that happens it is because a team HOPES they get the big man they saw at the Senior Bowl practice and game not the player they saw at NC. North Carolina had a very good defense this year and Cam was part of that but in watching North Carolina games Thomas really does not stand out. He had 10 solo tackes, 13 assists, and no sacks. I know the big man in the middle does not get the tackles, but I want a little more. I'd rather use 2nd round picks on players that really produced at the college level.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that Cam Thomas would be a bad pick, just not 2nd round.

I'd target Cam Thomas in the 3rd round for the Chiefs. If Thomas gets picked up before, Torell Troup from Central Florida would be the next choice.

It would be nice to have Sean Weatherspoon, but I agree with others it's just not happening with the draft picks the Chiefs currently have.

[Saccopoo]

Kade Weston is someone that isn't getting much publicity, but he's a huge man (6'5", 330 lbs.) that carries his weight extremely well. He also had decent production from the NT position with 28 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. I wouldn't mind the Chiefs taking a flyer on him with one of their fifths.

The guy has the space to easily carry another 20-30 pounds (and maybe more).

[Wilson8]

An example of why it is a bad idea to move Cam Thomas too far up your draft board. North Carolina’s Balmer has zero sacks and 19 tackles in two years with 49ers. Ayers had 19 tackles last year for Denver.

Said one longtime NFL executive who preferred not to go on record, "For the big guys, the Senior Bowl is bigger than the Combine. If a guy comes out of nowhere with a great workout in Indy, he'll earn himself a look. If he impresses here, some teams get excited and convince themselves he's turned the corner. Hell, look at the kid, [Robert] Ayers last year or the North Carolina defensive tackle [Kentwan Balmer] a few years ago. Play well here, and the head coach falls in love with a guy, and the next thing you know, he jumps into the first round."
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/s...r-bowl-linemen

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Wilson8

An example of why it is a bad idea to move Cam Thomas too far up your draft board. North Carolina’s Balmer has zero sacks and 19 tackles in two years with 49ers. Ayers had 19 tackles last year for Denver.

Ryan Sims is my favorite example of Senior Bowl defensive line magic. The guy had a relatively non-descript career at North Carolina but had a huge Senior Bowl week. All of a sudden, he's the next Warren Sapp and a top ten draft pick. I'd take any performance explosion at the Senior Bowl by a defensive lineman with a grain of salt. (Seems that the defensive line always has a big week there, while the O-linemen all get reported of sucking. It's like that every single year.)