Palmetto Proving Grounds

Scouts still have no idea how a player will do in the league. They all thought Roy Williams was a sure thing.

Everyone is talented that is invited to the combine. What it comes down to is what a person has inside. The scouts cannot know if they have that desire, work ethic, and competitiveness to make themselves elite.

Jerry Rice would probably be graded as a very late rounder or free agent in this day and age of the combine and emphasis on olympic skills in workouts. I have never read a report on Wes Welker, but I am sure the scouts said he simply was not athletic enough to ever even make an NFL roster.

What scouts say is just an opinion. The only thing that makes their opinion any different than any of ours is that they have more time to study film and ask what coaches are looking for. It all comes down to what a player has inside. Kenny McKinley had nothing in his skill set that was very impressive for a college coach to even think he was going to be an average college receiver. It came down to his mental makeup, his work ethic, and his cleverness and savy.

It is all the immeasurables that separate the average, or bad players from the good and the great. This guy is predicting nothing. It is all the NFL teams have to go by, though, so it makes sense to put an effort to try to predict their physical shortcomings and strengths, for whatever that is worth.

So, we're supposed to trust our coaches when it comes to their evaluation of talent but reject the opinions of professional NFL scouts? The same scouts who have MI and SG shooting up draft boards? How does that work?

That pass by Shaw was the best I've seen him throw, by the way.

That's a good point. He wasn't protected by college officials, that's for sure.

I read him to be saying that it is impossible to cover a big WR like Alshon if you let him get inside leverage. He is comparing Alshon to Plaxico and Keyshawn in that way. Its not really a "blown coverage," he was just sloppy with his technique and got killed by a good player.

Well I think he is syaing that the DB sucks actually. Every DB at this level should know no to release a WR to the inside with cover 0. I think it was more of a shot at the DB. And NFL DBs are much less likely to make this mistake.

no matter what you think of the guy's opinion, it was worth clicking the link just to see that touchdown again. :)

I do not know where you are getting this from, but in every paragraph you are just completely wrong. The first problem is that you posts are long enough to need multiple paragraphs.

Both Roy Williams were pro bowlers. If anything, jerry rice would be d1 today, he started playing football late. Despite what you seem to be claiming, he was fast. He was an all American, and 9th in the heisman voting. Welker was passed over because of his size, not his speed. No clue what KM has to do with anything.

I found the Route Tree article linked in the story to be much more interesting.

Jerry Rice was maybe what, six feet tall, six one? He ran a 4.6 at the combine, or whatever they did back then. He played for Miss. valley state, what do you think scouts would say about the competition he faced?

Wes Welker ran a 4.6 as well.

Is that fast? I am wrong? You may disagree with my opinion, which is fine by me. But the facts are, niether was very impressive in a combine setting.

I was talking about the Roy Williams who is floundering in dallas after having a couple good years. Did not have the mental makeup to deal with any type of adversity. It is not all physical, matter of fact, the difference in elite players most of the time is upstairs.

Any particular reason why Jax would be a "dreadful situation"?