(05-01-2023 11:35 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  

(05-01-2023 10:47 AM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  When Abdullah barely got a glance is when I kinda shrugged my shoulders and gave up on understanding why certain guys do or don't get much of a look in the NFL. I feel like we've had plenty of times where a peer program has a player get drafted when we have a player who I think is better at the same position go pretty much unnoticed. I'm no NFL scout or coach though, so I'll just go on rooting for our guys and hoping for the best.

Years before that I saw my favorite team draft a RB in the 7th round after being a high-profile recruit and a very underwhelming college career (476 yards and 3TDs). They also signed an UDFA RB that tore it up in college, (4000+ yards and 26 TDs in 3 seasons) before giving up his senior year for the draft. The rationale was the stud performer was banged up from all those hits and is why RBs flame out so quickly in the NFL, while the talented yet underperforming RB was fresh and would have a better shot at a productive career. Anyway, my perspective on college production and how the pro scouts viewed things shifted after that. Not being from a P5 school is a knock, but scouting eyes are everywhere and if you can make it at that next level they’ll usually find you. Unfortunately, talent does still fall through the cracks, many players had to persevere (Kurt Warner, James Harrison, etc.) until they finally broke through, which is why we need leagues like the XFL and USFL to provide opportunities.

Like everyone else, I wish we had more guys in NFL camps, but what more can you do? Usually it’s something out of their reach to correct like KTs size, etc. If guys weren’t an inch or two too small, a step too slow or not from high school power programs they’d likely be signing P5 LOIs and not with JMU; that doesn’t mean they can’t have great careers and we can’t win many games with them.

PS: and sometimes NFL scouts get hung up on the most minor of details:

Quote:The Eagles drafted a guard who had never played guard.

Tyler Steen played right tackle at Vanderbilt and right and left tackle after he transferred to Alabama and replaced Evan Neal. But even though he stands 6-foot-6, 320 pounds and looks like a tackle, the Eagles project him as a guard for one huge reason.

Arm length.

NFL teams want offensive tackles whose arms are at least 34 inches long. Steen’s are 32¾. It sounds silly, but arm length is crucial for offensive tackles, who need to keep rushers away from their body. The shorter your arms, the harder that is to do. The better you can keep rushers off your body, the better you can wall off the edge and protect the quarterback.

Steen was a good enough athlete to play tackle at a high level in college. He played with tremendous power and polished technique, and the Eagles loved what they saw.

So 1 1/4 inches of arm extension was the difference from getting a better look at tackle where he excelled at a high level in college and players generally earn more $$$, and getting kicked inside to guard? I also remember AQ Shipley, an All American center and Rimington Trophy award winner as college football’s best center who did very well at the Combine but dropped in the draft to the 7th round because he was deemed too short (only 6’1”). He got cut from the Steelers, and kicked around theirs and the Eagles practice squads before getting a shot in Indianapolis a couple years later. He ended up playing in 8 more seasons before a career ending neck injury. Guy was everything in college but took several years to break through and show he could do the same thing in the NFL.

Yeah there is just so much that goes in to how interested an NFL team is gonna be, and right or wrong it can often come down to some measurable rather than their in-game performance.

(05-01-2023 01:41 PM)ParentofJMUMRDs Wrote:  NFL definitely does get hung up on "measurables" a lot. But the one thing you can not measure is a guys heart, drive and work ethic which is where many of those low round picks and UDFA's can shine if given the chance.

Just gotta love the metrics era in sports these days. Sometimes the eye test is more important.

Brian

Definitely a balance to it, and in my opinion the way to measure a guy's heart, drive, and work ethic is in his game stats/film rather than in his height, 40 yard dash, etc. I'll always wonder what Abdullah could've done if some NFL team put the ball in his hands on Sundays and we might end up wondering the same for PAO, Toddy, KT, and others. Like Polish Hammer pointed out though, at least now there's the USFL and XFL for the guys that aren't able to get to that point to continue showing the abilities in actual game play with/against others who are in a similar boat.

Terrance Greene going to the Jets minicamp.

I hope KT gets signed to an UDFA contract by a team with a QB who appreciates a slot receiver.

KT reminds me of Wes Welker, who was also an undersized UDFA who went on to have an outstanding NFL career. Of course it helped Welker having Tom Brady throw to him, and then Peyton Manning towards the end of Welker’s career.

We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens
Jordan Swann - Baltimore Ravens (added 5/3)

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

Now I see Jordan Swann (CB) is also invited to the Ravens mini camp, surprised he would get an invite before Edwards.

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

If Percy doesn't go anywhere, or if he does and it unfortunately doesn't work out, I am sure Cig and any JMU fan would welcome him and even see if we could throw some money at the school to get him hired as a Director of Recruitment. Nothing better than a kid who embodies JMU and was just here for 6 years and played under Cig to be the vocal leader and setting the tone and getting big time recruits in the building and on the roster.

(05-02-2023 03:59 PM)JMUDuke4Ever Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

If Percy doesn't go anywhere, or if he does and it unfortunately doesn't work out, I am sure Cig and any JMU fan would welcome him and even see if we could throw some money at the school to get him hired as a Director of Recruitment. Nothing better than a kid who embodies JMU and was just here for 6 years and played under Cig to be the vocal leader and setting the tone and getting big time recruits in the building and on the roster.

Or definitely as a Graduate Assistant.

It turns out that the grass isn't always greener at the flagship P5 schools. #P5Probs

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

A QB and 3 WRs!!! Mickey Matthews wouldn't even recognize JMU.

(05-02-2023 04:29 PM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 03:59 PM)JMUDuke4Ever Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

If Percy doesn't go anywhere, or if he does and it unfortunately doesn't work out, I am sure Cig and any JMU fan would welcome him and even see if we could throw some money at the school to get him hired as a Director of Recruitment. Nothing better than a kid who embodies JMU and was just here for 6 years and played under Cig to be the vocal leader and setting the tone and getting big time recruits in the building and on the roster.

Or definitely as a Graduate Assistant.

I think he has already gone through as a graduate student if I am not mistaken, so he would need to get hired on as a full time staff member.

(05-02-2023 06:47 PM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

A QB and 3 WRs!!! Mickey Matthews wouldn't even recognize JMU.

Mick: I heard you have a quarterback and three wide receivers in mini camps this year.
Cig: Yep.
Mick: What's a wide receiver?
Cig: A guy who catches passes?
Mick: What's a pass?

(05-02-2023 06:47 PM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

A QB and 3 WRs!!! Mickey Matthews wouldn't even recognize JMU.

Mickey had QBs and receivers go to camps.

(05-02-2023 04:29 PM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 03:59 PM)JMUDuke4Ever Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

If Percy doesn't go anywhere, or if he does and it unfortunately doesn't work out, I am sure Cig and any JMU fan would welcome him and even see if we could throw some money at the school to get him hired as a Director of Recruitment. Nothing better than a kid who embodies JMU and was just here for 6 years and played under Cig to be the vocal leader and setting the tone and getting big time recruits in the building and on the roster.

Or definitely as a Graduate Assistant.

I can't believe the guy who did this doesn't get at least a shot at a practice squad:
https://youtu.be/BkI0yU769M8?t=26

(05-03-2023 08:24 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 06:47 PM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

A QB and 3 WRs!!! Mickey Matthews wouldn't even recognize JMU.

Mickey had QBs and receivers go to camps.

Except Mick didn't call them receivers. He called them Outside Blockers.

(05-03-2023 08:24 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 06:47 PM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  

(05-02-2023 07:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  We have four guys attending rookie mini camps this year:

Todd Centeio - Kansas City
Terrance Green - NY Jets
Kris Thornton - Baltimore Ravens
Devin Ravenel - Baltimore Ravens

Surprised that Percy hasn't been signed to a rookie camp yet.

A QB and 3 WRs!!! Mickey Matthews wouldn't even recognize JMU.

Mickey had QBs and receivers go to camps.

Thanks, I never knew that!
/sarcasm. Of course he did (and my roommate was one of them) but please let me know the years there was >1 in a rookie camp under MM.

Centeio and Greene both going to mini camp with the Commanders.

And KT headed to mini camp with the Breveland Clowns.

Apparently Centeio had a few other teams ask about him, but he had already committed to Washington. Good to see all these guys get additional looks.

Jets haven't made any changes since rookie minicamp.
Ravens swapped 1 tryout guy (Jaquon Amos initially from Villanova) with an UDFA on Tue.
Chiefs have been more active after minicamp releasing 4 (including 2 UDFAs) and signing 4 (but no tryout players).

(05-01-2023 08:59 AM)Dukes84 Wrote:  Don't know if anyone has already posted this, but Sun Belt had its most draft choices ever. Here's the breakdown by conference:

1. SEC - 62
2. Big 10 - 55
3. ACC - 32
4. Big 12 - 30
5. Pac 12 - 27
6. AAC - 10
7. SB - 9
8. Independent - 7
9. MAC - 7
10. MWC - 5
11. Conference USA - 3
12. FCS/D2 - 12

FCS 10
D2: 2

If it weren’t for the portal FCS would have had more. At least an additional 6 draftees had started FCS before transferring to FBS. NDSU had the 1st FCS taken, a 2nd rounder, one of their big uglies, and another former player drafted 6th round out of KSU.

Some of ya’ll remember Kobie Turner (Clifton, VA) who made All-CAA and AA as a DL out of RU 2018-2021. He transferred to Wake and got drafted 3rd round.
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2023/5/11/...kie-report

Usally more than 2 D2 get drafted, and I though usally a couple D3. Portal is probably limiting that as well. From here on out P5 will have an even higher % of draftees.