Haven't seen these in a while... I miss them...
Jordan Evans
5/7/17
SLANTS AND SCREENS: Another guy who made a position switch this weekend is Oklahoma linebacker Jordan Evans
, the first of the two sixth-round picks who worked at WILL after playing the middle in the Sooners’ 3-4. The 6-3, 234-pound Evans is a big man for a guy that runs 4.51 seconds like he did at his pro day 40-yard dash. If he can mix it up physically to match the speed, he’ll be around awhile.
“It’s not too big of a transition. It’s been smooth,” said Evans, who would have been the fastest backer at the combine if invited. “That’s what they said. I’m going to write my story starting now.”
Asked the storyline, Evans said, “Hopefully as a great, but I have to make the team first. That’s the focus.”
One thing that was normal this weekend was making sure he hooked up with second-round pick Joe Mixon like they did at Oklahoma when the backers covered the backs in passing drills.
“We usually try to go against each other,” Evans said. “He likes it because I can run with him and give him a competition. At the same time he’s one of the best running routes.”
Easy, Evans said. Mixon is the best back he’s faced in practice and a game.
“He can run. He can play like a receiver … He can juke you, truck you,” Evans said. “He’s running low 4.4s (40s) and he’s 235. Tell me who’s doing that.” …
June 1, 2017
The Cincinnati Bengals went heavy on defense in the middle rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, highlighted by the selection of four front-seven players between Rounds three and six.
The last from that group was Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Jordan Evans, someone the Bengals had an eye on throughout the draft process. The Bengals attended his Pro Day and then held a pre-draft visit with the former Oklahoma star before ultimately selecting him in Round 6 with the 193rd overall selection in the draft.
Evans was a full-time starter for the last three seasons, though his college career was highlighted by a senior season in which he recorded 98 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, eight pass deflections and one forced fumble in 13 games. He was regarded as one of the best coverage linebackers in the draft, something the Bengals needed to upgrade since Vontaze Burfict is the only consistent linebacker in that regard.
It’s pretty clear there were a wide range of opinions on Evans, and this write-up from PFF probably sums up why that’s the case:
Evans is a frustrating player to watch on film because he is an excellent athlete but doesn’t finish nearly enough plays because he lacks physicality. He is frequently in position to make plays because he uses leverage well to defeat blockers and can win with speed, but he missed 12 tackles last season and finished just 108th in tackling efficiency at the position. His athleticism serves him well in coverage, which will likely be his primary responsibility at the next level.
Evans’ athleticism and coverage ability are that of a Day 2 prospect, but his tackling ability and lack of physicality had some experts thinking he wasn’t even worth drafting.
And while linebacker wasn’t viewed as a major need coming into the NFL Draft, the Bengals were wise to take Evans. In 2018, we’ll see Marquis Flowers, Vontaze Burfict and Kevin Minter hit free agency. That’s why it was important the Bengals came out of this draft with at least one true linebacker, and they did so with Evans. The team also spent a fourth-round pick on Carl Lawson, but he’s more of a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker in this defense.
However, Evans won’t be assured of a roster spot this year as a Day 3 pick at a position that will be crowded in 2017. He’ll have to challenge Marquis Flowers, P.J. Dawson and Bryson Albright for a roster spot this season, assuming Burfict, Minter, Nick Vigil and Vinny Rey have their spots locked in.
I do think Evans ultimately makes the final roster. He’s too good of a coverage linebacker to pass up on, especially considering this is a Bengals team that needs more of what he has to offer.
Joe Mixon
this article is long so I just attached to link
http://www.espn.com/blog/cincinnati...als-rookies-john-ross-joe-mixon-see-the-field
DeDe Westbrook
Jaguars sign Westbrook
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed one of its draft picks Tuesday, getting a deal done with receiver Dede Westbrook.
Westbrook, a fourth-round selection from Oklahoma and a 2016 Heisman Trophy finalist, signed a four-year deal projected to be worth a little more than $3 million under the NFL's rookie slotting system. It included a signing bonus of around $700,000.
Westbrook was the Biletnikoff Award winner in 2016, catching 80 passes for 1,524 yards and setting a school record with 17 receiving touchdowns.
Samaje
ASHBURN — On the night the Redskins drafted running back Samaje Perine in the fourth round, Jay Gruden had this to say about the player who out bench-pressed every other player at his position (and most offensive linemen) at the NFL Scouting Combine:
“He’s a hard guy to get down, and if you do get him down, you’re going to get up holding your shoulder or something because he’s going to hit you,” Gruden said.
Fast-forward to last Saturday afternoon, at rookie minicamp. Perine and linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons, a seventh-round pick, battled each other in a pass-catching drill. They heard ‘go’ and Perine started to run, Harvey-Clemons came down to meet him and Perine juked Harvey-Clemons to the point that he stumbled, as Perine sped past.
Perine makes his strength and downhill running ability immediately obvious, but he can turn a corner remarkably well for someone 5-foot-11 and 234 pounds. If he can prove himself as an asset in the passing game, Perine could challenge Rob Kelley for the top running back job in the fall.
“You see him out there running around – were you impressed?” Gruden asked after practice Saturday. “Yeah, so was I. I like guys who come in here and love football and he does. He’s a very smart guy. You can tell that he’s going to be a very hard worker and, of course, he runs hard.
“You can’t see that in shorts, obviously, but you could see that his pad level is always down, he’s got good vision, he’s got good feet in the hole and he caught the ball well.”
Coaches are always eager to get their players in pads, but Gruden and Co. aren’t questioning Perine’s ability to give and take hits. In T-shirts or shells, Perine can still work on his pass-catching skills, which went underutilized when he was in college at Oklahoma.
On the practice play where Perine discarded Harvey-Clemons, the ball wound up badly overthrown. Perine put himself in great position, but no one watching got to see his hands. There is plenty of time for that, of course, but the Redskins will want to know what Perine can contribute on third downs.
“I’m getting better at it,” Perine said. “It’s something that I’ve always knew how to do but I just wasn’t used much for it, so it’s a little rusty.”
Perine caught only 10 passes for 106 yards last season as a junior. Mixon was used far more in the passing game, and was the team’s second-leading receiver.
Even if Perine has all the ability and traits necessary, his mental game will likely slow him initially. Perine has been praised as a fast learner and hard worker but, particularly in pass protection, he’ll need time to learn NFL defenses and how to beat them.
“College you could run up to the other guy and the play’s off, but here plays can take a lot longer to develop so you have to stay on that guy longer. Getting a wide base, learning where to put my hands and all that stuff is going to help out in the long run,” Perine said.
Perine will eventually develop an understanding of where the pressure is coming from. He said he’s just started going over all the different defensive fronts in meetings with his new coaches.
“We’ve hit on it slightly, but there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in the NFL, so you have to be ready for that, have to be ready for guys coming in all directions,” Perine said. “You just have to have your head on a swivel and everything isn’t going to be as basic and up front as it was in college.
“Not saying that college football is basic, but compared to the NFL and what their defenses throw at you, it looks pretty basic. It was a big change, but I’ll be ready for it.”
If he is, Perine could become a fixture of the Redskins’ running game very quickly.
Jordan Evans
5/7/17
SLANTS AND SCREENS: Another guy who made a position switch this weekend is Oklahoma linebacker Jordan Evans
, the first of the two sixth-round picks who worked at WILL after playing the middle in the Sooners’ 3-4. The 6-3, 234-pound Evans is a big man for a guy that runs 4.51 seconds like he did at his pro day 40-yard dash. If he can mix it up physically to match the speed, he’ll be around awhile.“It’s not too big of a transition. It’s been smooth,” said Evans, who would have been the fastest backer at the combine if invited. “That’s what they said. I’m going to write my story starting now.”
Asked the storyline, Evans said, “Hopefully as a great, but I have to make the team first. That’s the focus.”
One thing that was normal this weekend was making sure he hooked up with second-round pick Joe Mixon
like they did at Oklahoma when the backers covered the backs in passing drills.“We usually try to go against each other,” Evans said. “He likes it because I can run with him and give him a competition. At the same time he’s one of the best running routes.”
Easy, Evans said. Mixon is the best back he’s faced in practice and a game.
“He can run. He can play like a receiver … He can juke you, truck you,” Evans said. “He’s running low 4.4s (40s) and he’s 235. Tell me who’s doing that.” …
June 1, 2017
The Cincinnati Bengals went heavy on defense in the middle rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, highlighted by the selection of four front-seven players between Rounds three and six.
The last from that group was Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Jordan Evans, someone the Bengals had an eye on throughout the draft process. The Bengals attended his Pro Day and then held a pre-draft visit with the former Oklahoma star before ultimately selecting him in Round 6 with the 193rd overall selection in the draft.
Evans was a full-time starter for the last three seasons, though his college career was highlighted by a senior season in which he recorded 98 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, eight pass deflections and one forced fumble in 13 games. He was regarded as one of the best coverage linebackers in the draft, something the Bengals needed to upgrade since Vontaze Burfict is the only consistent linebacker in that regard.
It’s pretty clear there were a wide range of opinions on Evans, and this write-up from PFF probably sums up why that’s the case:
Evans is a frustrating player to watch on film because he is an excellent athlete but doesn’t finish nearly enough plays because he lacks physicality. He is frequently in position to make plays because he uses leverage well to defeat blockers and can win with speed, but he missed 12 tackles last season and finished just 108th in tackling efficiency at the position. His athleticism serves him well in coverage, which will likely be his primary responsibility at the next level.
Evans’ athleticism and coverage ability are that of a Day 2 prospect, but his tackling ability and lack of physicality had some experts thinking he wasn’t even worth drafting.
And while linebacker wasn’t viewed as a major need coming into the NFL Draft, the Bengals were wise to take Evans. In 2018, we’ll see Marquis Flowers, Vontaze Burfict and Kevin Minter hit free agency. That’s why it was important the Bengals came out of this draft with at least one true linebacker, and they did so with Evans. The team also spent a fourth-round pick on Carl Lawson, but he’s more of a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker in this defense.
However, Evans won’t be assured of a roster spot this year as a Day 3 pick at a position that will be crowded in 2017. He’ll have to challenge Marquis Flowers, P.J. Dawson and Bryson Albright for a roster spot this season, assuming Burfict, Minter, Nick Vigil and Vinny Rey have their spots locked in.
I do think Evans ultimately makes the final roster. He’s too good of a coverage linebacker to pass up on, especially considering this is a Bengals team that needs more of what he has to offer.
Joe Mixon
this article is long so I just attached to link
http://www.espn.com/blog/cincinnati...als-rookies-john-ross-joe-mixon-see-the-field
DeDe Westbrook
Jaguars sign Westbrook
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed one of its draft picks Tuesday, getting a deal done with receiver Dede Westbrook.
Westbrook, a fourth-round selection from Oklahoma and a 2016 Heisman Trophy finalist, signed a four-year deal projected to be worth a little more than $3 million under the NFL's rookie slotting system. It included a signing bonus of around $700,000.
Westbrook was the Biletnikoff Award winner in 2016, catching 80 passes for 1,524 yards and setting a school record with 17 receiving touchdowns.
Samaje
ASHBURN — On the night the Redskins drafted running back Samaje Perine in the fourth round, Jay Gruden had this to say about the player who out bench-pressed every other player at his position (and most offensive linemen) at the NFL Scouting Combine:
“He’s a hard guy to get down, and if you do get him down, you’re going to get up holding your shoulder or something because he’s going to hit you,” Gruden said.
Fast-forward to last Saturday afternoon, at rookie minicamp. Perine and linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons, a seventh-round pick, battled each other in a pass-catching drill. They heard ‘go’ and Perine started to run, Harvey-Clemons came down to meet him and Perine juked Harvey-Clemons to the point that he stumbled, as Perine sped past.
Perine makes his strength and downhill running ability immediately obvious, but he can turn a corner remarkably well for someone 5-foot-11 and 234 pounds. If he can prove himself as an asset in the passing game, Perine could challenge Rob Kelley for the top running back job in the fall.
“You see him out there running around – were you impressed?” Gruden asked after practice Saturday. “Yeah, so was I. I like guys who come in here and love football and he does. He’s a very smart guy. You can tell that he’s going to be a very hard worker and, of course, he runs hard.
“You can’t see that in shorts, obviously, but you could see that his pad level is always down, he’s got good vision, he’s got good feet in the hole and he caught the ball well.”
Coaches are always eager to get their players in pads, but Gruden and Co. aren’t questioning Perine’s ability to give and take hits. In T-shirts or shells, Perine can still work on his pass-catching skills, which went underutilized when he was in college at Oklahoma.
On the practice play where Perine discarded Harvey-Clemons, the ball wound up badly overthrown. Perine put himself in great position, but no one watching got to see his hands. There is plenty of time for that, of course, but the Redskins will want to know what Perine can contribute on third downs.
“I’m getting better at it,” Perine said. “It’s something that I’ve always knew how to do but I just wasn’t used much for it, so it’s a little rusty.”
Perine caught only 10 passes for 106 yards last season as a junior. Mixon was used far more in the passing game, and was the team’s second-leading receiver.
Even if Perine has all the ability and traits necessary, his mental game will likely slow him initially. Perine has been praised as a fast learner and hard worker but, particularly in pass protection, he’ll need time to learn NFL defenses and how to beat them.
“College you could run up to the other guy and the play’s off, but here plays can take a lot longer to develop so you have to stay on that guy longer. Getting a wide base, learning where to put my hands and all that stuff is going to help out in the long run,” Perine said.
Perine will eventually develop an understanding of where the pressure is coming from. He said he’s just started going over all the different defensive fronts in meetings with his new coaches.
“We’ve hit on it slightly, but there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in the NFL, so you have to be ready for that, have to be ready for guys coming in all directions,” Perine said. “You just have to have your head on a swivel and everything isn’t going to be as basic and up front as it was in college.
“Not saying that college football is basic, but compared to the NFL and what their defenses throw at you, it looks pretty basic. It was a big change, but I’ll be ready for it.”
If he is, Perine could become a fixture of the Redskins’ running game very quickly.
