East West Shrine Game

There are several excellent posts on various sites reviewing the practices which I have referenced below, here are some of the highlights that I noticed so far.

David Bass DE 6'5" 275 lbs.

"A natural pass rusher, Bass clearly has better developed pass rush skills than the typical small school player. Quick off the ball, Bass uses his hands well to keep the pass blocker's hands off him and beats OT around corner and back inside regularly. Despite displaying good quickness off the ball, Bass did not show the same burst once he defeat block to finish the play. Disciplined in his play, Bass maintained proper positioning and carried out his responsibility against the run."

D.C. Jefferson TE 6'5" 256 lbs


"For a tall tight end, his ability to bend knees and run block with leverage was impressive. He flashed dominant blocking ability from an h-back alignment on one play when he "pancaked" a linebacker in the hole so badly that he also took out another linebacker behind the linebacker he was blocking. Despite being a smooth and fluid athlete, he looked more like a one speed runner who lacks the burst to consistently get separation versus man coverage. In order to take advantage of his height as a receiver he will need to improve his receiving skills as he does not attack the ball in the air and seems content to wait for it to get to him."

"As for the tight ends, the only likely draftable one of the bunch performed well in Rutgers DC Jefferson. While he's not a burner, he worked hard in his routes, both across linebackers (where he fought through multiple chips and gave the quarterback a throwing window), as well as attacking the seam as well. Under-utilized at Rutgers, he's shown the route development and the extension away from his body already this week. Blocking drills shouldn't be a problem either for Jefferson."

Marcus Davis WR 6'4" 224 lbs

" Despite what a few others were murmuring on the sideline, I was impressed, on Day 1 with MARCUS DAVIS/WR/VA TECH. This is a physical specimen ala DEZ BRYANT, but raw as can be. He still misjudges some throws in the air, but he is huge, 6'4/225, and can sky for the ball. He only began to "get-it" about half way through the Hokies season. But as he continues to improve I think will make some big catches this week in the Florida sun."

"he got a nice highlight when he and North Carolina WR Erik Highsmith were lined up beside one another and both ran fly patterns. Davis beat him to the end zone by a good five yards, and Davis made a nice sliding catch at the end of the play."

"Marcus Davis looks the part, carved out of stone in his upper and lower half and looking like the most physical and naturally talented receiver here. But he struggled mightily to pick up where the deep ball was, had two drops, and looked slow and really unpolished in routes. It's just day one, but it wasn't a good start."

Caleb Schreibeis OLB 6'3" 252 lbs

"Montana State DE Caleb Schreibeis really captured my attention. I had not seen him before but he had an excellent practice. He showed he could tack wide around the tackle and quickly flatten once he got to the outside shoulder. Schreiber beat BYU T Braden Brown with an excellent outside-in shoulder move and streaked to the towel-as-QB. His quickness was very evident, but he also showed a willingness to engage and mix it up inside. At a well-chiseled 6'3" and 252 pounds, Schreiber looks like a guy with a legit NFL future as a 3-4 OLB. "

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Tuesday-Mornings-East-West-Practice-Notes.html

http://www.gbnreport.com/shrinereport.html

http://college2pro.com/showPlayer.php?id=17

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2013/01/2013-shrine-game-monday-recap.html#more-22351

Other notes:

Cooper Taylor S 6'4" 229 lbs Richmond

"Taylor was clearly the top safety on the East squad today, as he looked instinctive versus the run, in coverage and displayed impressive closing speed. On the first play of team drills he cut off his receiver's out route and intercepted Collin Klein, and followed it up the very next play with a big hit over the middle causing the WR to drop the ball. He also flashed very good recovery speed throughout the day and was a pleasant surprise athletically considering his size."

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Mondays-Review-of-East-West-Shrine-Game-Practices.html

Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:
Other notes:

Cooper Taylor S 6'4" 229 lbs Richmond

"Taylor was clearly the top safety on the East squad today, as he looked instinctive versus the run, in coverage and displayed impressive closing speed. On the first play of team drills he cut off his receiver's out route and intercepted Collin Klein, and followed it up the very next play with a big hit over the middle causing the WR to drop the ball. He also flashed very good recovery speed throughout the day and was a pleasant surprise athletically considering his size."

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Mondays-Review-of-East-West-Shrine-Game-Practices.html

kam chamcellor sized safety

Originally posted by hofer36:

Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:
Other notes:

Cooper Taylor S 6'4" 229 lbs Richmond

"Taylor was clearly the top safety on the East squad today, as he looked instinctive versus the run, in coverage and displayed impressive closing speed. On the first play of team drills he cut off his receiver's out route and intercepted Collin Klein, and followed it up the very next play with a big hit over the middle causing the WR to drop the ball. He also flashed very good recovery speed throughout the day and was a pleasant surprise athletically considering his size."

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Mondays-Review-of-East-West-Shrine-Game-Practices.html

kam chamcellor sized safety

I think he is a converted OLB.

Afternoon:

Will Pericak DE 6'3" 300 Colorado

"After a solid day on Monday, Pericak was dominant today. For a 300 pounder he was consistently quick off the ball, used his hands to jolt and defeat pass blocker. Uncommon for a college defensive tackle, Pericak displayed a variety of pass rush moves and was able to defeat pass blocks with strength, quickness and a combination of both. Although the centers and guards blocking him today were not elite, his ability to drive them backwards and beat them through gaps was impressive."

*This is one guy we should seriously consider drafting.

Caleb Schreibeis OLB 6'3" 252 lbs


"Blessed with excellent foot quickness and snap anticipation, Schreibeis consistently was able to burst off the ball and threaten the corner as a speed rusher. Using good natural flexibility, he was able to dip shoulder and turn corner to pressure the quarterback. While lacking ideal size, Schreibeis' effort, intensity and ability to pass rush with good leverage allowed him to be effective as a bull rusher."


http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Tuesday-Afternoons-East-West-Practice-Notes.html

Originally posted by hofer36:
kam chamcellor sized safety

Haven't seen anything of Richmond so I can't really comment on Taylor but another guy that has terrific size at safety is Ray Ray Armstrong, formerly of Miami who got booted for some recruiting violations. He's a guy who was considered a 2nd round talent but will fall back far further after getting sent packing from Miami. I'd be very interested to see how he does in postseason workouts.

Wednesday recaps:

Travis Howard CB 6'0" 190 lbs OSU

"Ohio State CB Travis Howard once again looked great in positional drills but lousy when facing off against actual offensive players. His ball location and field awareness skills are not pretty at all. He did make a diving breakup on an out route where the ball was not thrown outside by Doege."


Zach Brown K 6'1" 200lbs Portland State

"Portland State K Zach Brown was really nailing the kickoffs deep, and he never kicked it right down the middle either at the coach's request. I wasn't really paying attention to him but I did see him sneak a 45-yard FG inside the left upright."

"We may have another helmet debacle on our hands relative to K/ZACH BROWN/Portland State. He kicked helmetless today in a scenario that reminded me of MARSHALL YANDA & SCOTT CHANDLER of Iowa not having their helmets for part of Senior Bowl week some year's back. Helmet or not BROWN was less than highly accurate today. He's got the distance and he's not off by much, but he missed about half of his kicks, just outside the posts to both sides. The snapping for him was better than for Punter HUBNER yesterday, and was split between Campbell & ROBISKIE. Special Teams could be another problem area for the West."




Marcus Davis WR 6'4" 224 lbs


"-Virginia Tech's Marcus Daviscontinued his struggles in locating the ball vertically, and didn't look the part of an NFL outside receiver. For a bigger receiver who can work down the field well, he should be controlling the deep routes, not struggling in them."

Rodney Smith WR 6'5" 219lbe Florida State


"Florida State's Rodney Smith was working well downfield and was even high pointing the ball well, but struggled to consistently bring down the ball, including one poor drop on a well-placed Nathan Stanley jump ball. For Smith thus far, everything in impressing except his ability to bring in the ball."


Erik Highsmith WR 6'2" 190lbs North Carolina


"North Carolina's Erik Highsmith on the other had was doing a great job in looking the ball into his hands, and was consistently catching the ball away from his body well. He couldn't consistently stay in bounds , but part of that was due to poor timing by quarterbacks, something that will progressively improve as the week goes on."


" Just to break up the big ugly talk let me mention the relatively quiet, but effective work of ERIK HIGHSMITH/WR/UNC. He very seldom seems to be the primary target in passing drills, lining up in the slot, or to the left side. But he's getting open and when throws do come his way he's catching just about everything, especially during live action. He's made several nice catches stretching along the sidelines to gain possession and keep his feet in bounds. He also looked sure handed and quick this morning returning kicks."



Emory Blake WR 6'1" 197lbs Auburn

"Finally, Auburn's Emory Blake had another impressive day running routes, showing great plant and drive in out routes, getting consistent separation on inside and outside breaking routes, and had a one-handed grab on the sidelines before crashing into (likely impressed) NFL scouts."


David Bass DE 6'5" 275 lbs. Missouri Western State


"The star of the practice without question was Missouri Western State's David Bass. He was a step quicker than another defensive linemen off the snap, maintained balance and explosiveness in every drill, and was using his hands with force in both drills and one vs. one reps. In the pass protection drill, he was 4 for 5 in getting a sack, with only Terron Armstead slowing him (but likely still forced QB out of the pocket). A dominate day, he may no longer be a "late round sleeper" if he keeps this play up."


"BASS is more of a project, primarily because he is a relatively slim 260 lbs on a 6'4 frame. But he's an eager learner and seems to grasp what's being taught very quickly. If he could add 10-15 lbs. of muscle mass I think he could handle himself as a full time 4-3 DE, who could play 3 downs in a run and chase style Defense."


"I wasn't specifically watching him but Missouri Western DE David Bass continues to jump out. His quickness off the snap and ability to get off blocks are far above and beyond anyone else on the East. Pitt RB Ray Graham–clearly the best RB here on either roster–made a good pass protect pick-up on him but Bass leapt in the air high enough that his crotch was in Graham's face. On one rep in 11s he embarrassed Nick Speller with a quick swim move and blew up a rollout. "





Cooper Taylor S 6'4" 229 lbs Richmond


"Once again, Cooper Taylor impressed today, as the Richmond safety followed up a surprising Monday. Showing great reaction and pickup ability with running back and tight ends, he closed on routes quickly and only gave up one catch in his zone/man, which was a quick out by Ray Graham (tough to defend from SS spot)."

"Cooper Taylor, Richmond–As mentioned yesterday, Taylor's size really stands out. Even so, he is still one of the more explosive DBs out of breaks. His knees have a very natural bend, and he showed good hips and fluid athleticism when he broke across the middle with a receiver. Taylor also demonstrated keen zone awareness, knowing where he was and keeping track of the receiver while looking back at the QB. He's definitely the best safety on the East roster. "


Terry Hawthorne CB 6'0" 190lbs Illinois


"The best cornerback of the day from my eyes was Terry Hawthorne. The most talented cornerback here and our top rated one coming into the game, he showed great press ability, showing a good understanding of when to sink and adjust vertically as well as stay tight to defend against in-breaking routes. I didn't see every snap he had, but from what I saw, against both smaller/speedy guys and Dan Buckner, he stayed tight and physical across the field."


Brandon McGee CB 6'0" 190lbs Miami

" To no one's surprise the INT of the morning came from BRANDON McGEE/CB/Miami in a drill featuring the East O working from their own five-yard line. After an acrobatic take away of a slightly underthrown ball, he flashed all over the field with the ball, almost turning it into a pick six. Based on his play as a Hurricane that's what I would expect from him here and at the next level. In my opinion he's the top CB prospect down here his week."


Mike Catapano DE 6'4" 272lbs Princeton


"There's a ton of coaching going on with the DL group and some of these guys are really responding in drill work. They too are a part of why the offenses are struggling so much. I have been mightily impressed by the attitudes and work ethic of two small school players #91/DAVID BASS/Missouri Western State & #77/MIKE CAPATANO/Princeton. CAPATANO is hustling his butt off and getting results from his effort. What has caught my eye with him is a reverse spin move to the inside on his pass-rush technique. That's something you don't see real often except in the most accomplished of pass rush specialists such as a DWIGHT FREENEY. CAPATANO has already made a believer out of me in two days with his size, strength, attitude and skills. This kid should get Drafted by Round 4 and has eventual starting potential."


"Princeton DE Matt Catapano played very well in 11s drills. He ran a nice twist where he really showed the ability to knife inside and quickly close on the QB. In live action it would have produced a safety. He also beat a heavy-footed Matt Sewell around the edge with a quick first step and a quick flatten tack. "

Caleb Schreibeis OLB 6'3" 252 lbs Montana State

" CALEB SCHREIBEIS/DE/Montana State is not going to be able to play the DE spot in the NFL in anything but long yardage passing scenarios. He's 6'3/252 and though solid, is just not big enough to play 3 downs with his hand on the ground. But he is incredibly explosive off the edge in pass rush work. It will be a project to change positions and adjust to the higher level of competition in the NFL, but from what I saw today with pads on, I think he can learn to stand up and handle OLB in a 3-4 scheme, while providing teams with hard-nosed tackling and pass rush pressure. Watch for this guy to climb up prospect lists in the next few months."








http://www.detroitlionsdraft.com/2013/01/shrine-game-notebook-west-squad-day-two/2/
http://www.miamidolphinsdraft.com/2013/01/2013-shrine-game-tuesday-notes-standout-potential-dolphins/
http://www.gbnreport.com/shrinereport.html
http://www.detroitlionsdraft.com/2013/01/shrine-game-notebook-east-squad-day-two/

Thank you for the links!

Thanks Chauncy

Excellent!

Thanks for the work.

Here are Thursday's notes that caught my eye:



David Bass DE 6'5" 275 lbs. Missouri Western State


"I was impressed with his athleticism and his willingness to learn this week. A smaller school guy should be looking to learn and he was. But he showed plenty of natural ability including pass-rush closing speed. He looks to me like a sack man for the League. If he can add a few pounds he might play in a 4-3, or he might get a shot as OLB in a 3-4. He should get a shot at both options based on his work down here. That's how impressed I am with him athletically."

"Similar to Catapano, Bass was a dominant small school pass rusher who needed to prove himself against the big boys this week. Bass jumped out and grabbed my attention during the first practice with his quick burst off the ball and his ability to dip shoulder and turn the corner. More impressive was his excellent hand use which helped him to keep the pass blocker's hands off him and beat OT inside and outside. The one area Bass will definitely need to improve is against the run as he tends to get upright and loses leverage against run blockers, which allows them to tie him up and ride him out of the play. While Bass' struggles against the run and lack of bulk/strength are an issue, his natural pass rush skill and athleticism will likely lead to him being a fourth or fifth round pick as good pass rushers are difficult to find."


Izaan Cross DT 6'4 300 GEORGIA TECH


"CROSS has looked more athletic and explosive than I expected this week. On more than a few occasions he's blown through gaps in the blocking and collapsed the pocket area. He's been stout against the run and won more than his share of one-on-one battles with interior OL. I still envision him as a 3-4 DE because he's not a flash pass-rusher or a big run stuffer, but in reality he may be able to contribute in any scheme. He could be very valuable to a scheme like the PACKERS, which varies their line groupings greatly from play to play."

"An even more interesting player to my eyes is #93/IZAAN CROSS/DT/GEORGIA TECH. He played in primarily a 3-4 scheme at Tech and finds himself playing DT in a 4-3 scheme down here. And he's looking very good at his "new" spot. He's looking a little stronger and a lot faster to the ball than the guy I saw during the regular season. I still see him as a 3-4 scheme DE, but now I'm thinking he may be scheme diverse, which can only help his Draft status. He's slipping through cracks in the OL on a regular basis in practices and holding his ground against the run. Now I wonder what kind of numbers he will post at the COMBINE and whether he can move himself up the prospect charts substantially over the next 3 months."


MARCUS DAVIS WR 6'3 225 VIRGINIA TECH


"This is an excellent athlete who's on the upswing as a pass receiver. His size gets your attention immediately. Then his speed to get separation hits you. And finally you realize his ups and ability to high point the ball fit the bill for most NFL Offenses these days. I also like the way he is evolving as a leader out on the field. He's still not at his ceiling yet, but really appears to want it now. He has No. 2 receiver potential as a pro. He's like a raw MICHAEL FLOYD to my eyes. "


D.C. JEFFERSON TE 6'5 250 RUTGERS


"Potential, potential, potential… that's the word that comes to mind from what I have seen of him this week. He didn't see the ball much at Rutgers, but the good side to that is he's a better blocker than you might expect from a guy with his physical tools. He has shown some strong flashes of his inherent receiving skills all week. They will only require some good pro coach tutoring to blossom. He made an impressive leaping catch of a Hail Mary attempt at practice in the rain this morning. There's more where that came from. He might have a MARCEDES LEWIS pro career in front of him"


BRANDON McGEE CB 6'0 200 MIAMI (FLA)


"He may be the best prospect down here period. He's a great athlete and a savvy, confident defender. The key to his future will be to convince him that not every pass can be an INT. And he's more willing to hit in run support than a lot of the other Corners down here. From what I saw of him I would expect he's going to put up some very impressive numbers in Indy in his shorts. I can see BRANDON as a solid 2nd Round Pick, which may be the highest selection from this game. "

"Although a number of cornerbacks came to Tampa viewed as better prospects, McGee clearly had the best week of practice of any cornerback. In every practice his quick feet and agility showed up in his ability to transition and close fast on passes on front of him. Additionally, his loose hips, fluid movement skill and timing let him flip hips to turn and run with receiver without losing a step. While many cornerbacks can cover well, McGee's consistent ability to break-up and intercept passes proved he can be a playmaker. Although, he still will need to work-out well this spring, his showing this week could put him in position to be a third round pick."


Zach Sudfeld TE 6'6" 255 Nevada

" The star of the day to me was a repeat: ZACH SUDFELD/TE/Nevada. This guy just keeps getting 10 plus yards downfield at over 250 lbs. and shows great catching mechanics and footwork. He had two more excellent TD catches on high throws where he pulled the ball in and also managed to tap both feet before going out of bounds. He's also doing some solid work inline blocking in the running game. I'm positive he's going to be in my TOP 100 after his work down here and in the Nevada Bowl game. Laugh if you want, but he's looking like a poor man's TONY GONZALEZ to me."

Mike Catapano DE 6'4" 272lbs Princeton

"Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton (6033, 270 and 4.85): After dominating the Ivy League, Catapano came to Tampa needing to prove he could be as productive against better competition and he definitely did that. Quick off the ball, Catapano displayed strong and aggressive use of hands to jolt and defeat pass blocks with surprising ease. Able to consistently beat the offensive tackle around the corner and inside allowed him to regularly pressure the quarterback in every drill. Not only productive rushing the passer, his ability to defeat run blocks allowed him to make plays against the run at him and away. His strong week of practice has put Catapano in position to be a third round pick if he continues to perform well the rest of the spring."

Cooper Taylor S 6'4" 229 lbs Richmond

"NFL teams are always leery of 6'4+ safeties as they usually struggle to change directions quickly and can be liabilities in coverage, which has NFL teams wondering if Taylor would be better making the move to linebacker. However, after a good all-around week of practice where he displayed better hip flexibility, agility and foot quickness to flip hips and change directions, teams now feel he has what it takes to stay at safety. Quick reading and reacting to plays in front of him, Taylor showed the quickness to close on passes in front of him and the range to help with outside coverage. In addition to his good play against the pass, Cooper was active and constantly around the ball on run plays. Taylor's performance this week has teams convinced he can definitely be a backup safety and elite special teams player with the potential to become a quality starter, which is why he will likely be drafted in the fourth or fifth round."


http://www.gbnreport.com/shrinereport.html
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/NFP-Reviews-The-East-West-Shrine-Game-Practices.html

Nice posts and info, ready to watch the game tomorrow.

Not impressed by Pitt RB Ray Graham, only 2 good plays, a return and run, but stuff on 3rd and 1, a bad return and a fumble on opening drive.

Middle Tennessee State WR Anthony Amos had a nice reverse run TD on West Opening drive, kid has come out of nowhere.

http://draftwatchers.com/east-west-shrine-game/