Ryan McCrystal

Titans rookie takes a shot at Vanderbilt

Tennessee Titans rookie Brandon Barden, an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt seemingly took a shot at his alma mater during the team’s recent rookie camp.

Barden was speaking to The Tennessean about fellow rookie Taylor Thompson, who originally committed to Vanderbilt but backed out and enrolled at SMU. While discussing Thompson’s change of heart, Barden had this to say:

“Yeah, he decided to de-commit from us. I don’t know what’s up with that … I can’t really blame him, to be honest.”

I’m sure many of us would think the same thing of a player de-committing from Vandy, but it’s an odd comment coming from a former Commodore.

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Titans Leave a comment

Osemele, Gradkowski compete for starting job with Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens lost veteran left guard Ben Grubbs this offseason and immediately turned to the draft to fill his shoes.

The Ravens drafted Kelechi Osemele, a collegiate left tackle, in the 2nd round and then picked up Gino Gradkowski two rounds later. Both rookies will be given an opportunity to compete with Jah Reid for Grubbs’ old job.

Gradkowski also played center in college, and could be Matt Birk’s eventual replacement. He saw snaps at both center and guard in rookie camp. Osemele received a handful of snaps at left tackle, but it appears as though the Ravens are set on leaving him at guard.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Ravens 1 Comment

Adonis Thomas catches on with Browns

The Cleveland Browns already added one rookie running back, and now they have another. Undrafted free agent Adonis Thomas impressed enough during his tryout to earn a contract and an invitation to training camp. The Browns cut running back Armond Smith to make room.

Thomas still has an uphill battle to make the final roster, competing with Montario Hardesty, Brandon Jackson and Chris Ogbonnaya, but he may have the skill set the Browns are looking for in their third-string running back.

While it didn’t come as a huge surprise when Thomas went undrafted, he was a personal favorite of mine and earned a late 3rd-round grade. He’s lacks the elite speed of a typical third-down back, but otherwise has the skill set teams look for to fill that hole. He’s an elite receiver out of the backfield and a tough runner for his size.

A broken arm caused him to miss time in 2011, which could have led to his fall in the draft. But before the injury, Thomas played a key role in Toledo’s near upset of Ohio State.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Browns Leave a comment

Bobby Wagner in mix to start for Seahawks

The Seahawks Seahawks took a lot of heat for the 1st-round selection, but they may have hit a home run with Bobby Wagner in the 2nd round.

Wagner is expected to compete with free agent acquisition Barrett Ruud and journeyman Matt McCoy for the starting job at inside linebacker, according to the Seattle Times.

Inside linebacker can be a difficult position for a rookie, as it is often treated as the quarterback off the defense. But should Wagner win the job, second-year strong-side linebacker K.J. Wright is expected to take over the defensive calls.

With that pressure off of Wagner, he just may be the favorite for the job. Ruud is coming off a year in which he ranked 47th out of 50 qualifying inside linebackers on Pro Football Focus, and McCoy has started just three games in the league since 2006.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Seahawks Leave a comment

Travis Benjamin will compete for starting job with Browns

Many felt the Cleveland Browns reached to fill their need for a receiver when they selected Travis Benjamin with the 100th overall selection, but the Browns coaching staff has liked what they’ve seen from Benjamin so far.

Pat Shurmur stated that Benjamin will have an opportunity to compete for a starting job, likely challenging Mohamed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs for the job opposite Greg Little.

Expecting Benjamin to start may be overly optimistic, but what he does bring to the table is pure speed. Benjamin is the only legitimate deep threat on the Browns current roster, and could be used in a similar role to the one the Ravens used for rookie Torrey Smith in 2011. The combination of Benjamin and Brandon Weeden should allow the Browns to take more shots down the field than in previous seasons.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Browns Leave a comment

A.J. Jenkins in better shape than Aldon Smith last year

San Francisco 49ers 1st-round pick A.J. Jenkins took some heat last week when Jim Harbaugh criticized his conditioning on the first day of rookie camp. But according to 49ers defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga, Jenkins is in better shape than Aldon Smith was when he first reported to camp in 2011.

Sopoaga had this to say to the San Francisco Chronicle about Smith’s debut:

“I wish his agent would have warned him about this being a different level of training. I was kind of feeling bad for him when our first time last week he was running the hills and he was drooling, he was throwing up. I was thinking ‘Uh oh, come on now. Welcome to the pros.’”

Any time a rookie shows up out of shape it raises a red flag, but as Smith proved last year it is possible to overcome a slow start.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in 49ers Leave a comment

Cordy Glenn to play left tackle for Bills

The Buffalo Bills are planning to let 2nd-round pick Cordy Glenn compete for the starting job at left tackle, and began using him there this weekend at rookie camp. It’s an odd decision considering Glenn’s size (6’6″, 343 lbs) and his lack of athleticism. Most draft analysts, myself included, assumed Glenn would be shifted inside to guard or to right tackle.

Bills new left tackle?

This move raises more questions about the Bills strategy when it comes to the offensive line. Despite having significant holes on the line, especially at tackle, the Bills have ignored the position in recent drafts. Then just when Demetress Bell stepped with a reasonably solid performance in 2011 at left tackle, the Bills let him walk as a free agent.

For whatever reason, the Bills don’t value the offensive line position. It’s a unique strategy, but their their patchwork offensive line strategy has worked reasonably well so far. However, with a relatively immobile quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick, having a slow-footed rookie at left tackle could lead to disastrous results.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Bills, Uncategorized 1 Comment

2012 Draft Grades

Are post-draft grades worthess? This time of year the cynics come out of the woodwork to say “you can’t grade a draft until three years  have gone by.” While there is definitely some truth to that statement, grading a draft class immediately after the fact is far from worthless. In fact the post-draft grades are crucial to the grading process down the line.

Consider this example, if Andrew Luck turns out to be the next Ryan Leaf, will the Colts receive a failing grade in three years? Those same cynics who criticize the post-draft grading may say yes, but it’s not that simple. Nearly every scout, coach and general manager in the league would have made the same selection and, as a result, the Colts post-draft grade of the selection receives high marks. No matter what happens down the road, this was the right decision. It would be difficult to ever give the Colts a failing grade for the selection of Luck, regardless of the outcome.

Consider another example, let’s say Mohamad Sanu (Bengals 3rd-round pick) and John Hughes (Browns 3rd-round pick) both turn into busts. Do the teams get the same grade in three years for these selections? If you only look at the draft from the perspective of what happened on the field, yes. But if you refer to the initial reaction of the selections, it’s not even close. Sanu was a consensus top 100 pick, and many teams had 3rd-round grades on him. If he fails, it doesn’t change the fact that it was a safe pick by the Bengals. A certain percentage of 3rd-round picks will turn into busts, even the highly-rated ones. John Hughes, on the other hand, received very few, if any, 3rd-round grades from other teams. The Browns reached to fill a need and if he fails to pan out, the Browns grade should be a reflection of their questionable decision.

So while these grades certainly will change in three years, they will also serve as a valuable tool for evaluating these draft classes in the future.

Click on a team’s logo for their draft grade.

AFC East AFC North AFC South AFC West
NFC East NFC North NFC South NFC West
Posted on May 14, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Draft Grades - 2012 Leave a comment

Draft Grades: Seattle Seahawks

For the second consecutive year, the Seattle Seahawks whiffed in the 1st round and demonstrated a complete lack of understanding as to how to effectively use the draft to rebuild a franchise. While the Seahawks have some talent, they’re headed in the wrong direction.

I thought the selection of James Carpenter was bad last year, but Bruce Irvin may be worse. Not only was Irvin a fringe 1st-round prospect at best, but he’s a developmental prospect with serious character concerns. If the Seahawks wanted to gamble they should have selected Janoris Jenkins, who is at least NFL-ready in terms of his talent. Irvin will be effective as a situational pass rusher, but that’s not the type of player you target with the 15th selection.

Bobby Wagner was a nice 2nd-round value. He’ll likely back up Barrett Ruud in 2012 with a chance to take over the starting job in the future.

I like Russell Wilson a lot, but I’m not sure the 3rd round was the right place for the Seahawks to select him. He has all the tools necessary to have a long career as a backup, but his upside is somewhat limited. Considering the just signed Matt Flynn, the move is even more questionable.

I love the selection of Robert Turbin. His health is a concern, but if he can stay on the field he can push Marshawn Lynch for carries. In the 4th round he was a safe gamble.

Jaye Howard adds some depth to the defensive line, but was a reach in the 4th round. He’ll compete for a backup job and should make the final roster cuts.

Korey Toomer is a decent developmental prospect, but he’ll have plenty of competition at linebacker in Seattle. He definitely does not have a guaranteed roster spot.

Jeremy Lane is a nice developmental prospect. The Seahawks needed to add depth to the secondary and he had value in the 6th round.

I like the selection of Winston Guy. He’ll probably never develop into a starter, but he’ll back up Kam Chancellor at strong safety and immediately make a difference on special teams.

J.R. Sweezy played defensive tackle at N.C. State but will be converted to guard in Seattle. It’s tough to judge a player switching positions, but in the 7th round there’s no risk involved.

Greg Scruggs will compete with Jaye Howard and others for a backup job, but it’s tough to imagine both rookies surviving the final roster cuts.

Just like last year, the Seahawks whiffed in the 1st round but rebounded with some solid mid and late-round picks. They continue to add depth, but they won’t turn things around until the start to find the elite prospects in the early rounds.

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Draft Grades - 2012, Seahawks Leave a comment

Draft Grades: San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers had a chance to fill some holes in this draft but reached too often and failed to add any instant-impact players. It was a disappointing haul for a team hoping to make another deep playoff run in 2012.

A.J. Jenkins is a talented receiver but was a huge reach in the late 1st round. He put together a solid 2011 season, but has always been inconsistent and had a history of clashing with his coaches at Illinois. Ron Zook openly criticized his attitude on multiple occasions. It will be interesting to see how he gets along with Jim Harbaugh, who isn’t the type to put up with diva receivers.

LaMichael James is a dangerous weapon, but this was too early for a player who projects as a career backup with character and injury concerns. He’ll have to compete with Kendall Hunter and Brandon Jacobs for carries behind Frank Gore, and could legitimately end up as the 4th-string running back.

Joe Looney was a solid value in the 4th round. He’ll have a chance to compete for the starting job at right guard.

Darius Fleming will compete for a backup job at outside linebacker behind Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith.

Trent Robinson could be a steal in the 6th round. He’s a prototypical free safety who could compete for playing time if Dashon Goldson continues to struggle in coverage as he has the past few years.

Jason Slowey is a developmental prospect who will be groomed to potentially replace 33-year-old Jonathan Goodwin in a few years.

I love the selection of Cam Johnson. He’s had a history of injuries which likely led to his fall, but could be one of the better steals of this class. If healthy, he’s a better prospect than Darius Fleming.

The 49ers whiffed with their first two picks. Even if Jenkins develops into a quality receiver, they missed an opportunity to add someone who could make a more immediate impact. But while their early picks were disappointing, they did find some value in the later rounds which could allow them to salvage something from this draft class.

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in 49ers, Draft Grades - 2012 Leave a comment
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