Rams Senior Bowl Interviews

[jrry32]

Just curious as to your thoughts about the QB Hackenberg....
I thought Smith competed well during the few drills I saw during practices....and is worth a lower round pick....Coates looks like a stud to me, it will be interesting to see whos opinion of him will be more accurate....

Coates is an incredible athlete...which makes it all the more worse. Because this is who he is:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=17426&draftyear=2005&genpos=WR

I don't know if I've ever seen a WR with hands like Coates's. He'll make some improbable catches on deep balls but drops pass after pass. His hands just aren't natural. I've always said, the most important thing to playing the WR position is catching the football. Sammie Coates doesn't do that. We're talking about Derrius Heyward-Bey, Stephen Hill, Troy Williamson, etc. caliber hands.

As far as Smith goes, talent isn't the issue with him...although he has some issues with flexibility and range. The issue with him is work ethic, weight, and conditioning. He was very out of shape this year for Penn State and one of the rumors is that they told him to not come back(declare) because they were so tired of his poor work habits and were worried it might rub off on younger guys.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Hackenberg is going to have to play a lot better to be that. The guy under Center this year wasn't a #1 pick. He wasn't even a first round pick.(although he probably would get drafted there due to the tools)

I think the system is a poor fit for him to begin with. Either ways, though, he's gotta step it up.

It's all about the tools. He makes the throws that have scouts drooling but most of the season he had constant pressure in his face. He rarely had time to throw and when he did receivers were not open. They got the extra practices in for the Bowl Game against BC and he had a very good game, more reminiscent of his time with OBrien. The line played better, they were able to run the ball and some of the young receivers stepped up, namely Chris Godwin.

To say he won't even be a first round pick is unrealistic. Scouts don't only look at 1 season they can see what he worked he had to work with. In fact I have seen scouts this year quoted that he is still the likely number 1 pick next year.

 

[jrry32]

It's all about the tools. He makes the throws that have scouts drooling but most of the season he had constant pressure in his face. He rarely had time to throw and when he did receivers were not open. They got the extra practices in for the Bowl Game against BC and he had a very good game, more reminiscent of his time with OBrien. The line played better, they were able to run the ball and some of the young receivers stepped up, namely Chris Godwin.

To say he won't even be a first round pick is unrealistic. Scouts don't only look at 1 season they can see what he worked he had to work with. In fact I have seen scouts this year quoted that he is still the likely number 1 pick next year.

Not where I'm going with this. I'm saying he didn't play like one. As I said in that post, he'd get drafted there because of his tools.

I think he has a lot to prove before he should be considered the likely #1 pick.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Not where I'm going with this. I'm saying he didn't play like one. As I said in that post, he'd get drafted there because of his tools.

I think he has a lot to prove before he should be considered the likely #1 pick.

I think he proved it in his first year as a freshmen. But he had a good Oline and a coach that took advantage of his best weapons (TEs) plus a go to Wide Receiver in Alan Robinson. I think he needs to work on some things for sure, like decision making and long ball accuracy. But he was better with both in his first year which really leads me to believe that he was getting shell shocked and it was throwing off his timing. He started the year out much better and quickly got worse as teams just blitzed him constantly. He will wow them at private workouts.

 

[Sum1]

I agree they could keep 6 but that doesnt seem to be this coaching staffs MO. and I also agree that anyone of them is replaceable and upgradable but I think our high picks would be better served shoring up the Oline so we can keep our QB upright long enough for our WRs we have already to get open.

I never said upgrading WR is of the utmost importance.

...but I'll tell you this, if Amari Cooper falls to 10 and we pass up a talent like that for a lineman that isn't of equal talent then count me disappointed. Same for almost any position. I'm not going O-line or bust.

 

[LACHAMP46]

@jrry32 love your comments on college players...I see you watch a lot of college football...Troy Williamson huh? I see a very physical player reminiscent of Jerry Rice with more speed...Maybe Terrel Owens....Both with questionable hands...I get the desire for "natural" pass catchers, but the truth is, catching can be "taught" at the next level...The other measureables, not so much....http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=120256&draftyear=2015&genpos=WR
no way a guy that really drops passes that much would be expected to go 1st or 2nd round...I like him a bunch, just like I like Quick, Martavious Bryant....I like a raw wr (with measureables), that can be had later, than a Amari Cooper/Sammy Watkins type....never know which will perform better at the biggest stage...we'll see and revisit this later...
Penn State guy is a fatboy huh? Maybe the light switch came on...5th round with his skill set is worth it..He looks better than any backup we have now...and a couple of our starters too...

 

[den-the-coach]

Zack Hodges sounds like a pretty good potential upgrade on Dunbar.

Well, we know that Hodges will score well on the wonderlic!

 

[smram]

Don't know why they aren't talking to Coats, and that tackle from Penn State....and Laken Thomlinson?

With the ties that Snead and Fisher have at Auburn, pretty sure they already know every single thing about Coates

 

[jrry32]

@jrry32 love your comments on college players...I see you watch a lot of college football...Troy Williamson huh? I see a very physical player reminiscent of Jerry Rice with more speed...Maybe Terrel Owens....Both with questionable hands...I get the desire for "natural" pass catchers, but the truth is, catching can be "taught" at the next level...The other measureables, not so much....http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=120256&draftyear=2015&genpos=WR
no way a guy that really drops passes that much would be expected to go 1st or 2nd round...I like him a bunch, just like I like Quick, Martavious Bryant....I like a raw wr (with measureables), that can be had later, than a Amari Cooper/Sammy Watkins type....never know which will perform better at the biggest stage...we'll see and revisit this later...
Penn State guy is a fatboy huh? Maybe the light switch came on...5th round with his skill set is worth it..He looks better than any backup we have now...and a couple of our starters too...

http://www.draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=253869&gif=WealthyDirectArawana
http://www.draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=252488&gif=CelebratedUnimportantArmednylonshrimp
http://www.draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=253062&gif=UntimelyReasonableCrossbill
http://www.draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=253863&gif=SickFinishedEsok
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http://www.draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=255033&gif=BlushingFoolishCurassow

Catching cannot be taught. Now, maybe Coates's hands aren't as bad as they seem and it has more to do with concentration...but you either have natural hands or you don't. It's why a guy like Troy Williamson busted. There were few CBs in the NFL that could run with him but the guy couldn't catch a cold.

no way a guy that really drops passes that much would be expected to go 1st or 2nd round

Troy Williamson was a top 10 pick. Stephen Hill was a top 50 pick. Teams convince themselves that these guys hands aren't as bad as they seem or that they can be coached up. And it bites them in the ass. Coates is a freakish athlete but his hands are a problem.

And the odd thing is that he makes the incredibly difficult catches...but he drops an insane amount of easy passes. Are his hands terrible? I don't know. It's hard to tell. But I wouldn't draft him because I don't trust his hands. And hands are the most important thing to playing the WR position.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Coates is an incredible athlete...which makes it all the more worse. Because this is who he is:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=17426&draftyear=2005&genpos=WR

I don't know if I've ever seen a WR with hands like Coates's. He'll make some improbable catches on deep balls but drops pass after pass. His hands just aren't natural. I've always said, the most important thing to playing the WR position is catching the football. Sammie Coates doesn't do that. We're talking about Derrius Heyward-Bey, Stephen Hill, Troy Williamson, etc. caliber hands.

As far as Smith goes, talent isn't the issue with him...although he has some issues with flexibility and range. The issue with him is work ethic, weight, and conditioning. He was very out of shape this year for Penn State and one of the rumors is that they told him to not come back(declare) because they were so tired of his poor work habits and were worried it might rub off on younger guys.

I did not hear that rumor that Franklin asked him Smith not to come back, but I can believe it. He never was a world beater. A guy with his size and he was not the strongest guy on the roster. I have seen the lazy moniker but did not realize that it was that bad.

 

[jrry32]

I did not hear that rumor that Franklin asked him Smith not to come back, but I can believe it. He never was a world beater. A guy with his size and he was not the strongest guy on the roster. I have seen the lazy moniker but did not realize that it was that bad.

Well, I can't say for certain these are true. Just things I've heard and read on other sites from PSU people.

But I agree, I can believe it based on what I see on film. Especially his conditioning as he seemed to visibly tire and play worse late in some games.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Well, I can't say for certain these are true. Just things I've heard and read on other sites from PSU people.

But I agree, I can believe it based on what I see on film. Especially his conditioning as he seemed to visibly tire and play worse late in some games.

Yes I definitely agree that he got worse as the games went on. As a Jr. he could have/should have been the anchor on that line. It wasn't until Miles deiffenbach came back that Smith started to play well.

Deiffenbach had a torn ACL but he was the best player on that line two years straight (even though he only played about two games this year.) I think he is worth a late round look without the knee. But as I said with Ogbuehi I am not crazy about using picks on guys with injuries. I could see maybe after round 5.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Catching cannot be taught. Now, maybe Coates's hands aren't as bad as they seem and it has more to do with concentration...but you either have natural hands or you don't.

Some of those videos...ouch!!!! Still I have to agree to disagree, catching can be taught...Concentration seems to be the kids major problem...Will he become a force, no one knows...Do you spend a 1st round pick on him? Hell no...But if we trade our 1st rounder, pick up an extra late 2nd or early 3rd, I wouldn't mind a DGB or Coates..