Prospect Watch: BCS National Championship #1 Auburn vs. #2 Oregon

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Hard to grade any player, from any one single game, especially after a long layoff. However, Newton, as I've stated all year, is a great college QB who needs a LOT of work to be successful in the NFL. I'm just not very high on the kid.

As for Nick Fairley, I think his name is pretty ironic. He is one of the dirtier players in college football this year, but he is a baller. Unless he robs a bank, or runs a 5.50 forty, he is pretty much a top 4 lock. I had him projected second overall before the game in my mock, but he may end up number one.

Still think Carolina will select a QB, more than likely Gabbert. I expect a run on DL next with Fairley, Dareus, and Bowers. Would not be shocked to see either Green or Peterson on the board at number seven.

As for Newton, he has to go back to QB school this next month, and think about how he can improve a host of issues in his game. He appears to be a mid-first rounder to me, at best.

The white hot QB class, without Luck, is starting to turn ice cold. Gabbert is really emerging as the one guy, followed by Mallett sitting around 10th overall and Newton in the 14-18 pick area.

I see Haynewsorth as a comp. for Fairley, if only for them both being dirty players.

You still think Carolina takes a QB with their pick now that Luck is going back to college? If I was Carolina I would take AJ Green and try to give Claussen another year with another off-season and a better supporting class to try and prove himself. If he is still a disaster they might get the #1 pick again or at least get a shot at another QB. I just think it's a little early to give up on Claussen when theirs not a monster QB prospect like Luck sitting there.

Originally posted by TheFunkyChicken:

Originally posted by Quitugua:
All I really want out of this for the 49ers is Nick Fairley (DT) from Auburn for our defensive front & Jeff Maehl (WR) from Oregon who would be a good fit for the WCO under Jim Harbaugh...Enough said...

I agree that the only two guys that really did anything to make me want to draft them were Fairley and Maehl.

Maehl kinda reminds me of Jordy Nelson, or maybe Lance Moore. Not your top guy, but a guy who could make a game changing play coming off the bench.

I agree with that, a bit slower than Nelson but better hands. Maehl was the leading receiver (9-133 yards) and came up with huge catches. I think he presents match up problems as the 3rd or 4th receiver.

Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:

Originally posted by TheFunkyChicken:

Originally posted by Quitugua:
All I really want out of this for the 49ers is Nick Fairley (DT) from Auburn for our defensive front & Jeff Maehl (WR) from Oregon who would be a good fit for the WCO under Jim Harbaugh...Enough said...

I agree that the only two guys that really did anything to make me want to draft them were Fairley and Maehl.

Maehl kinda reminds me of Jordy Nelson, or maybe Lance Moore. Not your top guy, but a guy who could make a game changing play coming off the bench.

I agree with that, a bit slower than Nelson but better hands. Maehl was the leading receiver (9-133 yards) and came up with huge catches. I think he presents match up problems as the 3rd or 4th receiver.

Not to mention, Maehl will play special teams. He was the gunner on the Ducks punt team and downed one inside the 5.

Originally posted by communist:

Originally posted by WillistheWall:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Originally posted by communist:
fairley will be gone by our pick...if the panthers draft green, i will laugh at them for a month.

You are right. With Carolina and Denver, among others in front of us. He is long gone. BTW, if the Panthers get Green, it wouldn't be a bad pick, seeing as how they should get their young QB weapons. It's just the wrong pick. Hopefully 6 teams make the wrong pick, giving us multiple options at #7 .

I'm not really sure why it'd be a bad pick. AJGreen has a ton of ability and talent, he's the best WR in the draft. They need another WR because Steve Smith is always doubled and Clausen has nobody to throw to. There's no franchise QB to replace Clausen with. Their new HC(likely HC anyway) runs a 3-4 defense where Fairley will be wasted. That'd be like when the Chiefs picked Glenn Dorsey and then decided to run the 3-4. It's a waste of his talents. Same with Bowers. I believe they're set at OT. So really, what else are they going to use the pick on?

they have lafell and gettis at WR...they could look at FA for another WR. and they have a HUGE hole at DT...and imo, it is NOT ruled out that fairley could be a NT.

LaFell and Gettis are 3rd WRs at best, and Fairley is not a NT. If anything because of his height and weight(6'5'' 305 or whatever) he'd be a DE in a 3-4.

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Hard to grade any player, from any one single game, especially after a long layoff. However, Newton, as I've stated all year, is a great college QB who needs a LOT of work to be successful in the NFL. I'm just not very high on the kid.

As for Nick Fairley, I think his name is pretty ironic. He is one of the dirtier players in college football this year, but he is a baller. Unless he robs a bank, or runs a 5.50 forty, he is pretty much a top 4 lock. I had him projected second overall before the game in my mock, but he may end up number one.

Still think Carolina will select a QB, more than likely Gabbert. I expect a run on DL next with Fairley, Dareus, and Bowers. Would not be shocked to see either Green or Peterson on the board at number seven.

As for Newton, he has to go back to QB school this next month, and think about how he can improve a host of issues in his game. He appears to be a mid-first rounder to me, at best.

The white hot QB class, without Luck, is starting to turn ice cold. Gabbert is really emerging as the one guy, followed by Mallett sitting around 10th overall and Newton in the 14-18 pick area.

I see Haynewsorth as a comp. for Fairley, if only for them both being dirty players.

You still think Carolina takes a QB with their pick now that Luck is going back to college? If I was Carolina I would take AJ Green and try to give Claussen another year with another off-season and a better supporting class to try and prove himself. If he is still a disaster they might get the #1 pick again or at least get a shot at another QB. I just think it's a little early to give up on Claussen when theirs not a monster QB prospect like Luck sitting there.

What I am hearing from Carolina is that the players do not respect Clausen, and once that is shot, there is little hope for recovery. The Panthers might end up looking hard at Alex Smith. Wouldn't be surprised.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:
Can someone tell me why Gabbert is such a monster prospect now? I admit I haven't seen a lot of him since I didn't think he would declare this year but in the Bowl game and Youtube highlights I haven't been all that impressed as he isn't terribly accurate. His stats aren't all that impressive especially compared to Chase Daniels who came out of the same system. I know stats can be deceiving though.

Is the hype all based off of potential with Gabbert? Does he have a crappy supporting cast which are deflating his numbers? Gabbert's a nice prospect but from what I've seen I don't think "bonafide top-5 pick."

It's mostly based on potential, not to mention supply/demand (not enough quality QBs in this draft, too many teams in desperate need of a quality QB to develop).

If it's all about potential than I'd rather take a shot on Newton, Mallett, hell even Locker (not with our #7 pick).

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Hard to grade any player, from any one single game, especially after a long layoff. However, Newton, as I've stated all year, is a great college QB who needs a LOT of work to be successful in the NFL. I'm just not very high on the kid.

As for Nick Fairley, I think his name is pretty ironic. He is one of the dirtier players in college football this year, but he is a baller. Unless he robs a bank, or runs a 5.50 forty, he is pretty much a top 4 lock. I had him projected second overall before the game in my mock, but he may end up number one.

Still think Carolina will select a QB, more than likely Gabbert. I expect a run on DL next with Fairley, Dareus, and Bowers. Would not be shocked to see either Green or Peterson on the board at number seven.

As for Newton, he has to go back to QB school this next month, and think about how he can improve a host of issues in his game. He appears to be a mid-first rounder to me, at best.

The white hot QB class, without Luck, is starting to turn ice cold. Gabbert is really emerging as the one guy, followed by Mallett sitting around 10th overall and Newton in the 14-18 pick area.

I see Haynewsorth as a comp. for Fairley, if only for them both being dirty players.

You still think Carolina takes a QB with their pick now that Luck is going back to college? If I was Carolina I would take AJ Green and try to give Claussen another year with another off-season and a better supporting class to try and prove himself. If he is still a disaster they might get the #1 pick again or at least get a shot at another QB. I just think it's a little early to give up on Claussen when theirs not a monster QB prospect like Luck sitting there.

What I am hearing from Carolina is that the players do not respect Clausen, and once that is shot, there is little hope for recovery. The Panthers might end up looking hard at Alex Smith. Wouldn't be surprised.

I could see Alex going to Carolina, or a veteran like Billy Volek (who Rivera should know well enough) to run the show until Clausen is ready (or someone else can be developed).

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Hard to grade any player, from any one single game, especially after a long layoff. However, Newton, as I've stated all year, is a great college QB who needs a LOT of work to be successful in the NFL. I'm just not very high on the kid.

As for Nick Fairley, I think his name is pretty ironic. He is one of the dirtier players in college football this year, but he is a baller. Unless he robs a bank, or runs a 5.50 forty, he is pretty much a top 4 lock. I had him projected second overall before the game in my mock, but he may end up number one.

Still think Carolina will select a QB, more than likely Gabbert. I expect a run on DL next with Fairley, Dareus, and Bowers. Would not be shocked to see either Green or Peterson on the board at number seven.

As for Newton, he has to go back to QB school this next month, and think about how he can improve a host of issues in his game. He appears to be a mid-first rounder to me, at best.

The white hot QB class, without Luck, is starting to turn ice cold. Gabbert is really emerging as the one guy, followed by Mallett sitting around 10th overall and Newton in the 14-18 pick area.

I see Haynewsorth as a comp. for Fairley, if only for them both being dirty players.

You still think Carolina takes a QB with their pick now that Luck is going back to college? If I was Carolina I would take AJ Green and try to give Claussen another year with another off-season and a better supporting class to try and prove himself. If he is still a disaster they might get the #1 pick again or at least get a shot at another QB. I just think it's a little early to give up on Claussen when theirs not a monster QB prospect like Luck sitting there.

What I am hearing from Carolina is that the players do not respect Clausen, and once that is shot, there is little hope for recovery. The Panthers might end up looking hard at Alex Smith. Wouldn't be surprised.

Wouldn't be surprised either. Posted up a list of teams Alex could start for next year -- there's about 6-8 of them. He'll go somewhere else and start.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Hard to grade any player, from any one single game, especially after a long layoff. However, Newton, as I've stated all year, is a great college QB who needs a LOT of work to be successful in the NFL. I'm just not very high on the kid.

As for Nick Fairley, I think his name is pretty ironic. He is one of the dirtier players in college football this year, but he is a baller. Unless he robs a bank, or runs a 5.50 forty, he is pretty much a top 4 lock. I had him projected second overall before the game in my mock, but he may end up number one.

Still think Carolina will select a QB, more than likely Gabbert. I expect a run on DL next with Fairley, Dareus, and Bowers. Would not be shocked to see either Green or Peterson on the board at number seven.

As for Newton, he has to go back to QB school this next month, and think about how he can improve a host of issues in his game. He appears to be a mid-first rounder to me, at best.

The white hot QB class, without Luck, is starting to turn ice cold. Gabbert is really emerging as the one guy, followed by Mallett sitting around 10th overall and Newton in the 14-18 pick area.

I don't think Car goes with a QB #1 overall, just dont see a kid worthy of it. But I do agree that Peterson or Green could be available, I expect Cle to pull the trigger on Green if he is there.

Regarding Fairley, do you think having only 1 solid year of production hurts him at all?

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Hard to grade any player, from any one single game, especially after a long layoff. However, Newton, as I've stated all year, is a great college QB who needs a LOT of work to be successful in the NFL. I'm just not very high on the kid.

As for Nick Fairley, I think his name is pretty ironic. He is one of the dirtier players in college football this year, but he is a baller. Unless he robs a bank, or runs a 5.50 forty, he is pretty much a top 4 lock. I had him projected second overall before the game in my mock, but he may end up number one.

Still think Carolina will select a QB, more than likely Gabbert. I expect a run on DL next with Fairley, Dareus, and Bowers. Would not be shocked to see either Green or Peterson on the board at number seven.

As for Newton, he has to go back to QB school this next month, and think about how he can improve a host of issues in his game. He appears to be a mid-first rounder to me, at best.

The white hot QB class, without Luck, is starting to turn ice cold. Gabbert is really emerging as the one guy, followed by Mallett sitting around 10th overall and Newton in the 14-18 pick area.

I see Haynewsorth as a comp. for Fairley, if only for them both being dirty players.

You still think Carolina takes a QB with their pick now that Luck is going back to college? If I was Carolina I would take AJ Green and try to give Claussen another year with another off-season and a better supporting class to try and prove himself. If he is still a disaster they might get the #1 pick again or at least get a shot at another QB. I just think it's a little early to give up on Claussen when theirs not a monster QB prospect like Luck sitting there.

What I am hearing from Carolina is that the players do not respect Clausen, and once that is shot, there is little hope for recovery. The Panthers might end up looking hard at Alex Smith. Wouldn't be surprised.

You mean what you're reading on message boards and in the news, right?

Anyways, if this is indeed actually the case and not just the opinions of a couple players (I only remember one news article where I think Steve smith bashed him, but I'm not that knowledgeable about Carolina) then I would agree that Claussen needs to go. At a popular message board I visited it seemed like most posters wanted Claussen gone.

But even if they get rid of Claussen I see them picking up a veteran QB (if the CBA ever gets done anyways) before I see them reaching for a QB at the #1 spot. At the message board I visited the posters seem pretty split between Green and Fairly.

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
What I am hearing from Carolina is that the players do not respect Clausen, and once that is shot, there is little hope for recovery. The Panthers might end up looking hard at Alex Smith. Wouldn't be surprised.

You mean what you're reading on message boards and in the news, right?

Originally posted by Dino:

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
What I am hearing from Carolina is that the players do not respect Clausen, and once that is shot, there is little hope for recovery. The Panthers might end up looking hard at Alex Smith. Wouldn't be surprised.

You mean what you're reading on message boards and in the news, right?

lmao!!!!!! then it must be true!!!!

Dont get the bashing for Cam. He was steady last night. He wasnt his usual Superman self he showed every game this year....but it was steady, steady enough for a chapionship game.

He is a mid 1st rounder, that can go as high as #5, I am sure he will blow people away at his Pro Days and Combines )should he do the Combines, and should he declare).

Like it or not, we will take a long and hard look at him.

Originally posted by ninerlifer:
Dont get the bashing for Cam. He was steady last night. He wasnt his usual Superman self he showed every game this year....but it was steady, steady enough for a chapionship game.

He is a mid 1st rounder, that can go as high as #5, I am sure he will blow people away at his Pro Days and Combines )should he do the Combines, and should he declare).

Like it or not, we will take a long and hard look at him.

I really think it comes down to his intelligence. Harbaugh's offense has a massive amount of plays to run (in the Orange Bowl they said there were so many plays that an offensive lineman had to wear a wristband with some plays as well) and Harbaugh stresses intelligence as an important characteristic that he values in a QB. The physical skills are all there, but it all comes down to what's going on in his noggin. That's only going to be determined by interviews and a little bit by the wonderlic and we as fans really have no way of determining intelligence and work-ethic.

From a pure potential and physical skills standpoint, there is no one better.

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by ninerlifer:
Dont get the bashing for Cam. He was steady last night. He wasnt his usual Superman self he showed every game this year....but it was steady, steady enough for a chapionship game.

He is a mid 1st rounder, that can go as high as #5, I am sure he will blow people away at his Pro Days and Combines )should he do the Combines, and should he declare).

Like it or not, we will take a long and hard look at him.

I really think it comes down to his intelligence. Harbaugh's offense has a massive amount of plays to run (in the Orange Bowl they said there were so many plays that an offensive lineman had to wear a wristband with some plays as well) and Harbaugh stresses intelligence as an important characteristic that he values in a QB. The physical skills are all there, but it all comes down to what's going on in his noggin. That's only going to be determined by interviews and a little bit by the wonderlic and we as fans really have no way of determining intelligence and work-ethic.

From a pure potential and physical skills standpoint, there is no one better.

I really think that Having Luck in the system for 3 years helped Stanford this year. It will take a few years for a team with a rookie qb for them to get the entire playbook...it will be dumbed down rookie year and 2nd and 3rd year more plays will be run. Case in point Dononvan McNabb. 15 on the Wonderlic from a traditional option team in Syracuse. He started 6 games his rookie year, and 2nd year took his team to the NFC title game.

I dont see how the wonderlic shows anything. Alex scored high....yet qb smarts on field showed something else. Im not going into the wonderlic debate again....but it dont make or break a QBs smarts on the football field. But no one should automatically assume that a rookie QB is gonna get the whole playbook thrown at him at once, it takes more time to get the complete playbook down, like Luck. That debate is here:

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/thread.php?num=147861&highlight=cam newton