College all-star games, we have a
problem. You are as boring as hell. The East-West Shrine Game, held
back on January 17, has been criminally boring every time I've
watched it, never more so than this year's food coma of a 19-3 game (won by the East)
that was so excitement-free they awarded the game MVP TO A KICKER. Do
something about this, all-star games. The Shrine game at least had
Mike Singletary and Jim Zorn coaching this year instead of Jerry F.
Glanville and Leeman F. Bennett; that's a start. But do something
about your on-field product. These kids are going to get blitzed the
second they hit an NFL practice field; allow some kind of blitzing.
That can create big plays BOTH ways. Allow receivers to go into
motion. Allow DBs to press cover. The only secondary coach who's
going to learn anything useful from this game is Tim Walton. But do
something. Your PRACTICES should not be twice as interesting as your
GAMES.
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| Jim Hanifan, Cal receiver (Fanbase.com) |
The highlight of this game for Rams
fans was the news that Jim Hanifan, who played in the 1955 East-West
Shrine Game, was
inducted into the game's Hall of Fame this year.
Congratulations to coach Hanifan and to former Nebraska star Tommie
Frazier. And no, I did not know that Hanifan once led the nation in
receiving.
Some of the on-field standouts from St.
Petersburg this year:
* Dominique Brown, RB, Louisville: had
my MVP vote, with 70 yards and a TD on 19 carries. He's a very big
(6'2” 240), very upright runner, but did a good job running through
and after contact while also showing speed to get around end. Good
middle runner and a good cutback runner.
* Jamon Brown, RT, Louisville: “Brown”
and “Louisville” will be early themes here. Brown blocked his
butt off in this game. On many pass plays, his opponent didn't even
get penetration across the line; in the run game, he had some
bulldozing middle blocks and some good seal blocks on draw plays.
Even if you weren't paying the strictest attention, it was noticeable
how much better the East team looked with Brown in the game, and it
looked like Singletary made it a point to have him in the game at the
end to grind out the clock.
* John Miller, RG, Louisville: Miller
and J. Brown were really strong on their side. Miller showed a lot of
strength and power. Strong drive blocking blew open holes on a couple
of good runs, and he showed the upper body strength to lock opponents
up 1-on-1. On a D. Brown draw in the 3rd, Miller opened up
the hole AND picked off a LB at the 2nd level to clear out
a 6-yard gain. He bulldozed holes for D. Brown all game, including on
the 1-yard TD run, and Mike Mayock ranked him as a 3rd-round
prospect. If he's on the board when the Rams pick in the 3rd,
he should be coming here.
* Jermauria Rasco, DE, LSU: Enough
Louisville talk; let's talk about some pass rushers with awesome
freaking names. Rasco is more likely to be a 3-4 OLB at his size. He
also would have been an excellent pick for MVP of the game. I scored
him for a minimum of six pressures and a sack, and he also blew up
several running plays. He's impressively quick off the line but
understands the value of containing the QB in the pocket, too. He
opened the 2nd half by blowing up a naked bootleg play;
DEs aren't supposed to be able to do that! And he wasn't just a speed
guy; he got a sack in the 2nd half using an inside move.
* Anthony Chickillo, DE, The U: See
what I mean about awesome names? I score Chickillo with five
pressures and a sack. He showed superior quickness off the snap and
good in-line pursuit to break up run plays. Pretty relentless player
who consistently got past his blocker's outside shoulder.
* Za'Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky: Again,
an awesome name. We'll hear from Smith again at the Senior Bowl as
well. I have him for a sack, two hits and three pressures. One of the
hits set up an interception and one of the pressures set up
Chickillo's sack. On his sack, Smith was initially ridden to the back
of the pocket but recovered and dropped Taylor Kelly (Arizona State)
from behind. Relentless, quick off the line, quick off the edge.
* Leterrius Walton, DT, Central
Michigan: Very disruptive in bursts. Got off the ball and penetrated
the backfield like a poor man's Aaron Donald. Flashed a very good
swim move.
* Deiontrez Mount, LB, guess where,
Louisville: Did everything you want to see out of a LB. Stayed with
TEs off the line and covered tightly downfield. Tackled well, stuffed
the run and set a good edge. I'll also mention Benjamin Heeney
(Kansas) here, a safety-sized LB who will probably be a special-teams
dynamo for somebody. He's all over the place and made but also missed
a lot of tackles. Can't leave your feet on EVERY hit, kid.
* Andre Davis, WR, South Florida:
Reminded me a ton of Brian Quick, which isn't meant to be criticism.
He's a big 6'2” 210, was very reliable on big-man routes like quick
slants and drags and ran effectively after the catch. Still looked a
little raw, but the tools are there. Similarly-sized Austin Hill
(Arizona) was also pretty effective, with four catches and a ton of
targets from the West QBs.
* Josh Shaw, CB, USC: had an end zone
interception and also blanketed Deon Long (Maryland) on a deep route.
Bryce Callahan (Rice) had perfect coverage on a deep ball for Tre
McBride (William & Mary). Long and McBride are both very much
pro-quality receivers, so those were significant plays. Cam Thomas
(Western Kentucky) had another of the game's better pass breakups.
* Hutson Mason, QB, Georgia: My
favorite QB of the all-star season so far, in a runaway. The stats
bear me out; he was 7-for-8 for 71 yards, best passer in the game by
far. His second play, he pump-faked and threw a beautiful 40-yard
ball with just a flick of his wrist. Besides that arm strength, he
showed the overall strength to hang in against the rush and then
fight his way out of the pocket to make completions or scramble. He
threw a perfectly-timed 20-yard slant to Davis in the 4th
and was right on with all of his quick throws. If I was a 3-QB team,
I would not mind drafting Mason at all as a developmental prospect. Size (6'2” 210) shouldn't
be an issue for him, and he was a breath of fresh air in a field of
spectacularly unimpressive QBs this month. Anthony Boone (Duke) at
least looked capable of running a pro offense, but he also appeared
to bobble every snap. He was still way off the pace of being a goat
of the game, but I'm afraid it's time to start herding those:
* Cody Fajardo, QB, Nevada: 2-for-6 for
5 yards. His first series, he threw a loopy screen to a flanker,
threw an incomplete and wobbly dumpoff pass – I never knew a pass
so short could actually wobble – and badly underthrew a pass for
one of Damian (Chicken) Parms' (Florida Atlantic) two picks. If that
wasn't a receiver not running a comeback route he was supposed to,
Fajardo underthrew it by five yards. Poor pass protection and
receiver screwups even beyond that pick play made it a very difficult
day for Fajardo.
* Dylan Thompson, QB, South Carolina:
ONE-for-6 for 5 yards. Thompson was the worst player in this game.
His first pass (again, this may have been a receiver screwup) looked
like a quick out, but the receiver ran a quick hitch. Thompson looked
pretty clueless in the pocket, which was a very bad thing considering
the East's pass rush. He got sacked by Chickillo almost immediately
in the 2nd. He re-entered in the 4th and
instantly threw about the dumbest pass you will ever see, going deep
for a man who was blanketed 1-on-1 and having no idea that the
safety, Parms, was even over there. As easy and as dumb an
interception as there can be. I don't know who's the bigger goat,
Thompson or the official who invited him to this game. He didn't
belong.
* Mickey Baucus (Arizona) and Cameron
Clemmons (Western Kentucky) stood out as offensive linemen who need a
ton of work. Clemmons repeatedly got beaten right off the snap and
struggled with speed and quickness all game. Baucus basically
unraveled, struggling with quickness both outside and inside, failing
to pick up stunts and false-starting twice. I'd also avoid B.J.
Finney (Kansas State), of the Scott Wells School of Spray-Snapping,
and Terry Poole (San Diego State), who struggled nearly as much as
his aforementioned teammates at tackle.
Shockingly, Steve Loney was an
offensive line coach in this game, but for the East, the GOOD
offensive line. It's a shame some of the West kids didn't have a
needed chance to have coach Hanifan in their ears a little bit.
What this game lacked in interesting
play, it didn't lack in interesting players. As a Rams fan, I'd
gladly welcome either of those Louisville offensive linemen. Big D.
Brown should be a very useful RB for somebody. He'd be a perfect
backup to Le'Veon Bell in Pittsburgh, for instance. Mount merits a
good look from a Rams team that is probably looking to upgrade at
SLB. D-linemen were coming out of the woodwork here, not that I
expect the Rams to draft one, and if Mason's still on the draft board
at the right time, I'd be as willing to fight for drafting him as I
was for Austin Davis a couple of years ago.
I'll have to put off the Senior Bowl
writeup till probably next weekend...
-$-
