MadDog49er Best Board Offense Plus Notes April 11

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
I agree that this guy loves football, and is a terrific on the field leader. My problem is that there seems to be a trail of smoke wherever he goes off the field, and so few of these guys in the past have success.

Also, the TD-INT ratio in the back end of last year was abominable. To me, he is a turnover machine in the NFL. So many errors in judgment.

I like Winston as a prospect, but I dunno if I buy into the hype of putting him in the same breath as Andrew Luck. To me, that's when hype and what people say start losing credibility. Andrew Luck was THE best prospect ever, literally everything about him is elite, even the things you don't need to be elite like pure athleticism from the QB position.

So I do agree with you that there are some holes in his game that don't make him a lock to be great... I just like his arm strength, fearlessness, field leadership and natural moxy. He doesn't need to "fake" or try too hard to be a leader, he just is.

And while I do also agree the character concerns are legitimate... it's IMO better for an athlete to make these mistakes and face the scrutiny BEFORE he gets a pay day and is a big pro. Meaning I would rather have a guy that has been put on blast and has had to face the embarrassment of this kind of bad pub and has the bad taste in his mouth...

...rather than the guy who did the same things but didn't get caught. If you get caught and have to pay a price for it, you're a lot more likely to learn from your mistake than the player whose just never gotten caught. THAT'S who scares me.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
The next two weeks are hardcore crunch time. Second guessing left and right. Torture.

Agreed. Stick to your instincts. Ignore the buzz. You know a good football player when you see it.

Originally posted by LowerTheBoom:
Well, I didn't pay much attention to the Senior Bowl this year... so I will take your word for it. I will also add that I have always been a big proponent of good Senior Bowl performances translating to the field.

I don't really care about the drills/practices, so much as I do the games. I know the idea is that "Scout don't put stock into the game, they are more worried about the practices...", but historically, the players that perform well in the game tend to be quality pro's, for the most part. Patrick Willis comes to mind, and on the flip side of the coin, there is Adam Carriker, who had great practices, but wasn't much of a factor in the game. I think history tells the story of how each guy fared.

But if the game was outstanding, that says a lot.

I think living in the backfield vs. the run and vs. the pass are two different things though. A guy who can hold his ground vs the run can't necessarily collapse the pocket.

From what I've seen from Carl Davis, there IS power there, I just don't know if I see the explosion. Maybe I'll have to go back and take a second look.

In the end, just like the NBA, it is all about one-on-one matchups for most positions, and who can win more than lose. That is what makes a player like JJ Watt so successful. He wins so often it is scary. I see Davis beating his opponents a lot, even if he doesn't end up making the play.