ConcreteBoard

Quote from: ice grillin you on April 23, 2013, 03:41:27 PM
my wants for this year.....

Selection 1

A. chance warmack – day one probowl level starter....no other player in the draft can say this....would fill the weakest spot on the entire team (the fireman)...high floor high ceiling...cant ask for much more than that (would be absolutely nothing wrong with jonathan cooper her as well)

C. louie louie – DT – also really like shariff here (nicetown represent)...but i think louie fits better  as he would be able to step out and be a disruptive force as a 5 technique...shariff can play in the 3-4 i believe (some people dont) but hes more limited to a one gap guy although i think he can be a great at it...either one of them and fletcher cox would be a terrific foundation along the d front...

B. dion jordan  - OLB– truth be told im really down with whoever the eagles choose here...cant think of anyone that would piss me off...trent cole and brandon graham playing in space is not a good look...they badly need athleticism on the front seven and especially on the edges...jordan would fit the bill perfectly..negatives are that he may be a couple years away from realizing full potential and does have some bust properties
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Selection 2

A. tank carradine – OLB/DE – big time upside as a playmaker disrupter...coming off a knee injury...its this injury that will have to cause him to fall to 35 because talent wise hes a no doubt first rounder

B. justin pugh – OG – three year tackle in college but is destined for the inside in the nfl...would start day one plus has a nice upside....would be an unbelievable value pick in the second round especially considering the hole it would fill...he also should be able to fill in at tackle....providing depth along the line...bucks county represent

C.  datone jones - DE – has incredible hands...is long like chipper supposedly likes and can get to the qb...physical specimen and massive look test PASS...like about 50 other players in the draft he could go from somewhere in the 20's of the first round to the tens of the second round

D.  john cyprien – S – great tackler (will stop people) but not a monster hitter (penalty machine) which fits in the new nfl perfectly imo...hes not going to be out on an island for you nor will he run with a lot of wr's....but has more than enough range to be a playmaker....very questionable as to whether he will be around at 35

E. justin hunter – WR – eagles probably cant afford a boom or bust pick here but hunters upside is so big and their need for a true number one big outside wr is so great that I wouldnt hate on this
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Selection 3

A. jamie collins – OLB – phreaky ability....would be a solid second day selection as a fall back plan to not getting dion jordan in the first round (if they even want dion jordan)...sick combine might push this cat into the second round

B. brian schwenke – C – one thing the eagles desperately need to address in this draft is OL depth...schwenke would do that and his ability to play G or C would make him the perfect back up.....not that he wouldn't or couldnt win a starting job 

C. phillip thomas – S – all around safety prospect...very good tackler who also makes all kinds of plays on the ball...better suited for free but i think if needed he could move to strong and you wouldnt be hurt....had  a bad leg injury in 2011

D. larry warford – G – imo he wont be here going somewhere after 35 and before 67 but hes a good enough talent to trade up for in the right deal and if somehow he falls to 67 then it's a no brainer
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Selection 4

A. corey lemonier – OLB – great ability to get off the edge as a pass rusher but also played in space at auburn...would be an ideal 3-4 outside backer

B. hugh thorton – G – another versatile lineman that the eagles could add to the mix....played tackle senior year in college but he almost has to be a G in the pros with the ability to move outside in an injury situation

C. jordan reed – TE – hybrid TE type that can take advantage of match ups all over the field....ideal for the 2013 version of the nfl

D. stephan taylor – i know the last thing they need is a rb.....but i love everything about taylor...one of the better blocking backs ive seen in college and a top notch pass catcher out of the back field...is both powerful and shifty...would be a great all around weapon for chipper to line up almost anywhere he wanted...
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Selection 5

A. lerentee mcray – OLB – nice athlete who can get his man off the edge...if you saw the florida tex am game this year you will remember him working the joker...if nothing else he should be a great special teamer/back up...but def has potential to significantly contribute on defense.

B. earl watford – OG – overbrook holla!!....athletic guard with great feet who can also power...level of competition is an issue but at this stage of the draft would be a nice value pick to coach up

C. khaled holmes – C – lineman who can really move and get out to the second level...added bonus is he is supposed to be a natural born leader and super coachable...perfect attributes for a center and a locker room in general
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Selections 6-9

A.  nick williams – DT – very talented high ceiling (for a 3rd day guy) player shouldn't fall this far but im banking on the eagles to move up out of the 7th since they have four picks there...this would be a really good guy to target...limited experience

B. jakar hamilton – FS – another versatile guy....who could corner up in nickel/dime packages

C. jaron brown – WR – overshadowed by clemsons other lock nfl wr's brown has the talent and skill to shine...i also read one scout even mentioned that he would be potential change of position player to CB....seems like the perfect 7th round flyer

D. dewayne cherrington – DT – absolute load of a beast who can also move a little although hes strictly a 0-1 technique nose

E.  marcus davis – WR – his talent should cause him to go higher but again maybe they can steal him in the 5th or 6th with a trade up...has borderline elite measureables

F.  dax swanson – CB – very small but has legit cover skills...would look good as a 4th corner  man to man guy.

G. david king – DE – dook was a stud coming out of high school but never quite flashed like he was supposed to in college....that said he has a great body that will allow him to move around the line of scrimmage...huge look test PASS

H. jonathan stewart – ILB – think he would be a great special teamer and a great competitor in a camp setting

I. zach sudfeld – TE – big 6-7 tight end who can move a little bit too....injury issues

J. earl wolff – SS – another guy that probably will go 6th round...I think he can be a starter one day but if not a very good back up and a special teams monster

QuoteChip Kelly just said he prefers to being a "right safety/left safety" operation, rather than SS/FS, to better allow disguise.

Quote from: Diomedes on April 27, 2013, 02:44:37 PM
Earl Wolff is a nice change of pace.  After Johnson, I was worried about the dick to non-dick name ratio.

Dixon (x2), McNutt, Wang, Cox, Johnson (x2)....am I forgetting anyone?

QuoteSTRENGTHS: Possesses lean, muscular frame with long arms. Displays good play recognition, and nice initial straight-ahead burst. Takes sound angles to the outside against the run, and really uses his length well to close space and make the tackle. Wraps up nicely, and routinely approaches his target low. Exhibits a fluid backpedal and flips the hips with good timing in transition.

Displays good awareness in zone coverage and does a good job of reading and reacting to the quarterback's eyes. Gets up to speed quickly when asked to plant and drive forward from a backpedal. Looks natural and instinctive when he's playing up in the box, and defending the run. Positions himself well for gap coverage as a run defender, and exhibits patience to allow the play to develop when closing from deep.

WEAKNESSES: Despite possessing a strong first step downhill, isn't nearly as explosive when reacting laterally. Is susceptible to cutbacks when up near the line of scrimmage, as he'll overrun his gap from time to time. Struggles to break down and redirect in space rapidly.

Could be more aggressive at shedding blockers as he tends to lock on and will allow himself to be directed out of the play. Is susceptible to separation across the field in man coverage, as he lacks suddenness to stop or cut abruptly. Lacks a 2nd gear to correct over the top, and does not cover enough ground to be a sideline-to-sideline, deep middle safety.

COMPARES TO: Deon Grant, Safety, Retired - When I look at Wolff, I see a guy with instincts, toughness and athleticism that remind me of Grant, who made an 11-year career for himself as a strong run defender that didn't make a lot of mistakes in coverage. Wolff has a chance to be a similar player, and should upgrade a special teams unit immediately with his downhill, physical style. Probably falls to the latter three rounds of the draft, considering the speedy, athletic depth at the position in this year's class.

QuoteNew Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly said he and other staffers were holding their collective breaths Saturday afternoon as the first two selections in the fifth round of the 2013 National Football League draft were announced.

The Eagles held the third pick in the fifth round, and had a specific player in mind to use it on - N.C. State safety Earl Wolff.

"He was a guy we had targeted and thought would go a lot higher,'' Kelly said during a post-round teleconference. "We were holding our breath to see if we could get through the (first two) picks.''
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Wolff, the 5-foot-11, 209-pounder has an extended family in Philadelphia, including his grandmother. Wolff spent Friday and Saturday watching the draft with many of those relatives at a local hotel where they gathered to view the proceedings.

When the phone call came about 2 p.m. from the Eagles telling Wolff they were going to select him, a celebration erupted around him.

"It was crazy,'' Wolff said in an interview with philadelphiaeagles.com. "I had an uncle here with a (Eagles) shirt and hat on. Once I answered the phone call and he heard me say, 'Yes sir, I would love to come to Philadelphia,' my uncle was jumping all over me.''

Wolff becomes the first Hoke County player taken in the NFL draft since defensive back C.J. Gaddis in 2007. Like Wolff, Gaddis was selected in the fifth round (159th overall) and by the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Kelly spoke to former N.C. State offensive coordinator Dana Bible before the draft about Wolff. The Eagles also received reviews about Wolff from former N.C. State defensive backs coach Mike Reid, who worked for Philadelphia from 2002 to 2006 as an assistant coach.

"He's an explosive guy who can run and jump,'' Kelly said. "He's a tough, hard-nosed, physical player. In talking to some of their coaches before picking him, they couldn't say enough good things about him. They said he's the type of guy you want in your building.''
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"It was kind of nerve-wracking,'' Wolff said. "You are anxious. But the excitement you feel when you see your name go across the TV screen and you see that phone call come in ... it's kind of hard to talk about. I've been blessed in so many different ways.''

The family connection to Philadelphia may cause Wolff to be hunting for tickets to Eagles games next fall.

"Almost all my family still lives in North Philly,'' he said. "I used to go up there each summer to spend time, but I haven't been up there since about the 12th grade. I had about 15 members of my family from Philadelphia here with me now. My grandmother is extremely happy.''

Quote from: DH on May 10, 2013, 01:51:19 PM
pretty sure that was jpp who jumped out of the pool

QuoteThird Day Gems: S Wolff
Tuesday, May 21, 2013

As much as I value pre-draft evaluations, the prospect's landing spot is a pivotal part of the process. Few talents can transcend any scheme and impact their team's success. In fact, plenty of starters and contributors at the NFL level only fill certain roles and might not be considered a long term starter at that position. It is all about figuring out where a player wins and giving them a chance to succeed in that area. In this series I will take a look at prospects selected on the third day that could offer an immediate impact thanks to their strengths and situations. I will never call myself an expert on the coverages and schemes that are included, but I am working hard to learn, so feel free to (politely) point me in the right direction. With that said, I cannot recommend this defensive write-up by Jene Bramel enough.

Plenty has been made of Chip Kelly's entrance into the NFL coaching ranks. Outside of the up-tempo offensive style, the finer points of his team's philosophy are still relative unknowns at this point in the process. With Billy Davis set to run the defense, many have pegged the Eagles as a "3-4" team. While 4-3 and 3-4 are general blanket terms, not every three man front is created equal.

When Davis was with the Cardinals, he said this about the team's defensive scheme: "Everybody puts us in that 3-4 category, but what we are is an 'under front, a 4-3 'under' defense. The 'under' is almost a 3-4. As 3-4 [defenses] go, it's not really what we do here."

As Davis explained, the Cardinals' front seven most often resembled an under front (which is explained well here and here). The two obviously have their similarities but there are important distinctions, as those links discuss. Now, does that mean the Eagles will follow that same logic in 2013? No, but expect to see a variety of alignments in the front half of the team's defense. Once again, it is tough to predict Kelly's input on the general philosophy of that side of the ball, so this is can be termed an educated guess.

With that discussion focusing on the front seven, what should we expect from the Eagles coverage-wise? I can only guess based on the moves they have made throughout the offseason. Expect to see some zone concepts with Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher, Brandon Boykin and Jordan Poyer, but a strict zone system is tough to universally conclude with Curtis Marsh in the picture. I do think, above all, Davis and Kelly will want strong tacklers in their defensive backfield. Basic, yes, but an important trait nonetheless.

Enter fifth-round rookie safety Earl Wolff, a prospect I ranked No. 85 overall prior to the draft. General Manager Howie Roseman has already said he expects Wolff to focus on special teams while learning the safety spot during his rookie year. Because of that, Wolff's impact on the defense might not be immediate, but my expectations are a little higher. I think he showed the tools of a future starter while at N.C. State.

On the point of tackling, Wolff loves to throw his body around, especially when lining up his target on the edge. That same physicality can be seen when closing in coverage, extending his arms to disrupt the catch point and cause an incompletion. Despite those flashes of violence, Wolff also understands when a conservative angle is necessary, specifically when working as the last line of defense from a single high alignment. There are areas of improvement as a tackler, including not recognizing crack back or seal blocks to open the edge, but Wolff is willing and showed a controlled aggression when dipping under blocks or working through trash.

In coverage, Wolff lined up as a pure strong and free safety, showing pre-snap movement when getting in position for each. He will not be the type to press targets at the line of scrimmage, as Wolff tends to keep an arm's length distance when forced to work in man coverage. There were times where this became an issue, as Wolff occasionally bit inside on multiple breaking routes or allowed a completion, albeit with minimal yards after the catch, when tight coverage could have prevented it.

His best work is in zone, since Wolff is very aware of his positioning in short to intermediate passing lanes. On numerous occasions I saw Wolff keep himself on a string and watch the quarterback's eyes to stay in front of an intended receiver and force a second or third read. The Wolfpack safety's lateral recovery speed is much better than when tested vertically, but Wolff understands the shortest distance between two spots is a straight-line and that is evident when he undercuts passes by locking on to the catch point.

The Eagles signed Patrick Chung to a three year deal, but there's a reason he only played three snaps in the Patriots' final two postseason games. He can be frustrating with his lack of awareness and positioning. Kenny Phillips is another big name at the position, but he has had trouble staying on the field and is only on a one year contract. Wolff is a physical and reliable tackler with awareness to disrupt throwing lanes in zone coverage. That might seem vague and somewhat minimal when discussing a potential starting safety, but as I stated before, we are kind of in the dark with the Eagles' defensive scheme. As more information becomes available my expectations could change, but for now I would be surprised if Wolff's career is mostly spent on special teams.