Did anyone see the game? I didn't get to. Following will be a series of reports on how players fared in practice and in games that might be of interest to posters since they play positions of need. http://gbnreport.com/shrine-game-report-offensive-line/ Shrine game report: offensive line By Colin Lindsay | January 23, 2017 Not surprisingly, in a game that ended in a 10-3 score with the only TD coming in the 4th quarter, the offensive lines at the East-West Shrine game in St. Petersburg were hardly blowing people off the line of scrimmage. The OTs, in particular, really struggled at times, and while the interior blockers held up a little better it may more a reflection that there wasn’t a whole lot of quickness among the DTs on the other side of the ball. In fact, regarding the offensive tackles, one really had to look very hard to find anyone at all at the position in St. Pete who looked like they could actually handle the outside at the next level. That said, a couple of OTs did hold up well enough to at least get further looks at the position. In fact, Oklahoma State OT Victor Salako was actually one of the better players overall in the actual Shrine game. Salako, who wasn’t all that highly regarded coming into the Shrine week was really light on his feet all afternoon; he set up quickly, did a nice job absorbing initial contact and redirecting his charge, as well as used his arms effectively to cut off the edge. And while Salako still needs to work on keeping his pads low and his footwork was a little choppy as the play developed, bottom line is that Salako kept his side of the pocket really clean on Saturday. Vanderbilt G/T Will Holden also had a very nice game. Like Salako, he appeared to be light enough on his feet for a big guy, was very smooth in his backpeddle and nicely balanced in his set. Holden also used his arms effectively to redirect his opponent to the outside and showed the agility to plant and and respond to a counter move. Holden also showed plenty of versatility as he was used at both tackle spots, as well as inside, where he may very well end up at the next level, although there clearly is OT potential there. On the other hand, several other better known OTs did not appear to help their grades at all at the Shrine. Massive (6-10) Dan Skipper of Arkansas, for example, did indeed appear to block out the sun at times and was a full fare cab ride around, although he actually has a rather small wingspan for such a big guy. However, Skipper just couldn’t move his feet once he set in the pocket and really struggled to cut off the edge; he also really couldn’t respond to quick counter moves, and actually struggled at times to anchor against good bull rushes as he just couldn’t keep his pads done. There was a similar story for Erik Magnuson, a battler with decent length who showed a devastating punch, but was far better working in a small space at OG rather than outside at RT. Meanwhile, Utah’s Sam Tevi showed some ability as a drive blocker as he was quick off the snap and played with good pad level, but got pushed around too much in pass pro as he just didn’t have the strength and technique to effectively anchor. In many ways, though, the most disappointing OT in the East-West game may have been Florida International OT Dieugot Joseph. Joseph came into the game regarded as one of the more underrated players at the position with the chance to push his grade up with a solid outing, but was consistently slow off the snap, played too high and struggled to anchor, and on too many plays was pushed deep into the pocket. At the same time, the hardest OT to grade in the St. Pete game was Texas A&M’s Avery Gennesy. Gennesy had one strike against him already heading into the game and when he measured in at just 6-3, and then looked completely lost on his first series; he couldn’t cut off the edge, he couldn’t anchor against a bull-rush, and he couldn’t react to an outside-in mover. However, as the game wore on, Gennesy was much more confident and aggressive and showed really athletic feet, got good arm extension and played with excellent pad level. Go figure. At the same time, a number of OGs held up reasonably well in the Shrine game including Auburn’s Alex Kozan, Kyle Kalis of Michigan, Adam Pankey of West Virginia and Missouri’s Chase Roullier. They were all battlers with decent strength and balance who more than held their own dealing with the opposition interior defensive lines. However, what gave us pause was that in one instance, WVU’s Pankey, who may very well have been the best OG in St. Pete, made like a turnstile on the one play when he had to face Arkansas DE Deatrich Wise.
http://www.walterfootball.com/eastwest2017practice6.php 2017 East-West Shrine Game: Practice Report 2017 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Practice Report By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell The third practice for the West team of the East-West Shrine was held in St. Petersburg, Fla. under sunny skies with temperatures in the 70s. The players were practicing in full pads. There were some good one-on-one battles on Wednesday for the West squad. Colorado nose tackle Josh Tupou finished off his strong week with some wins in the one-on-ones using his bull-rushing skills to power through multiple offensive linemen. Tupou would fit well as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. He could be a player like Clemson's D.J. Reader who was a fifth-round pick and had an excellent rookie season for the Houston Texans. Tupou has a burst to go along with size and power that can overwhelm offensive linemen. Missouri nose tackle Josh Augusta also impressed during the one-on-ones. He showed a serious burst to close the pocket in an instant as he had Louisville center Tobijah Hughley (6-2, 295) on roller skates. Augusta (6-5, 375) needs to continue to lose weight and improve his conditioning, but he has a surprising burst and nimbleness for such a heavy lineman. He also carries the weight a little better than expected. Augusta had a quality week, but his weight needs to continue to decline throughout the lead-up to the draft to help his draft stock. South Carolina defensive end Darius English had an impressive rep in the one-on-ones with an excellent speed rush to the inside to beat Toledo right tackle Storm Norton. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound English needs to get stronger to be a run-down defender in the NFL. English is a sleeper who could be a nice backup outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense with some DPR (designated pass rusher) potential. Arkansas defensive tackle Jeremiah Ledbetter has had a quality week of practice. In the one-on-ones, he used a swim move to get the better of Charleston Southern tackle Erik Austell. Swim moves often aren't as effective in the NFL, but Ledbetter showed a nice rip move to work to the inside for a win over Oklahoma State offensive tackle Victor Salako. The 6-foot-4, 278-pound Ledbetter is a thick base end in a 4-3 defense who could move inside to tackle in passing situations. He also could play some five-technique defensive end in a 3-4 defense. Ledbetter's collegiate teammate Deatrich Wise Jr. has had a mixed week, and that continued on Wednesday. Wise tried a bull rush against North Dakota State's Zack Johnson (6-4, 331) and that went nowhere as Johnson stood up Wise with ease. However, Wise came back to get some wins including one on a swim move where he pushed Wyoming center Chase Roullier into the turf. In the goal line team scrimmage, Wise had a good rush and swatted down the pass in the backfield. Wise has some quickness with size but gets in trouble when he plays too high, and he has a hard time bending. At one time, some draft analysts were projecting Wise to the first round, but he looks like a day-three pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He needs to work out well at the combine and pro day to help ensure he doesn't slip. Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel (6-4, 225) looks the part with good size and legit arm strength, but he has been inaccurate at times and mistake prone. That continued on Wednesday with a fumbled snap and some overthrows. In the team scrimmage, he had a nice play where he scrambled to avoid the rush and hit Louisiana-Lafayette running back Eli McGuire in the flat for a nice gain. Kiel is a real developmental project for the NFL after barely playing as a senior, but the new collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the players union reduced the number of offseason spring practices (OTAs), training camp practices, padded in-season practices, along with the length and intensity of practice. As a result, developmental players like Kiel don't get many reps in practice and don't have the opportunity to work with coaches as much in the spring. Scouting sources across the league are unanimous that the new CBA has been a career killer for players like Kiel who have some physical talent but need time to grow. Thus, Kiel faces an uphill climb to make it in the NFL. Eli McGuire has been the best running back on the West squad, and he finished his final practice in front of scouts in impressive fashion. In the team scrimmage, he showed his speed by gashing the defense up the middle. McGuire is a shifty runner with some explosion. Teams think the 5-foot-9, 205-pounder could have mid-round potential. This is a talented class of running backs, but McGuire is a good receiver out of the backfield with speed to slash through a defense. He had his third straight good practice and definitely helped himself. Sources said that McGuire is a good kid and he interviewed well with teams as well. The West team has two tight ends who played well this week in Oklahoma State's Blake Jarwin and USC's Taylor McNamara. Jarwin had the best catch of the practice and one of the best all week with a diving reception down the middle of the field in between three defenders. He showed soft hands to hold onto the ball after a hard landing. Jarwin also is a quality blocker. McNamara had an impressive over-the-shoulder catch running down the seam past Oregon State cornerback Treston Decoud. McNamara hauled in the well-thrown pass from Western Michigan's Zach Terrell. Both tight ends could be nice value picks. UCLA cornerback Fabien Moreau is a player some team sources like. He had a mixed practice on Wednesday. On the positive side, he was running with receivers and preventing separation. He also had an excellent pass break-up on a crossing route. However, he was called for a suspect holding. Rather than shaking it off, he got into it with the official and continued to jaw at the official later in practice. Moreau should show more composure and concentrate on the next play. Having a short memory is an asset for a cornerback, and Moreau will need to learn that. Baylor safety Orion Stewart (6-0, 210) had a hard hit and good run fill on the goal line to stop cold Wisconsin running back Dare Ogunbowale. Stewart could be a backup safety and special teams contributor. WalterFootball.com will have more recaps from the East-West Shrine practices on Tuesday and Wednesday along with a run-down of the post-practice team interviews. Follow @walterfootball for updates. Read more at http://walterfootball.com/eastwest2017practice6.php#CCVxbzyjA2lg5l2z.99
Players with whom the Jets conducted on field interviews: New York Jets - Oklahoma State tight end Blake Jarwin New York Jets - Clemson safety Jadar Johnson
http://www.walterfootball.com/eastwest2017recap.php 2017 East-West Shrine Game Recap By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell The player who had perhaps the best week of practice at the East-West Shrine was Florida Atlantic defensive end Trey Hendrickson and he was able to continue his strong play in the game. Henrickson was quiet until midway through the second quarter when he got upfield against Texas A&M Avery Gennesy with a speed rush. Gennesy was bumped by the h-back and Hendrickson made the turn to get a sack-fumble. Shortly later, he showed great hustle to run across the field and help get in on a tackle off a check down. Sources say that Hendrickson really helped his draft stock this week. UCLA cornerback Fabien Moreau impressed team sources during the week of practice and he finished it off with an excellent performance in the game. He had superb coverage to slap a pass away from Ole Miss wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo. Throughout the game, Moreau provided blanket coverage and also made tackles on special teams. The cover corner Moreau (5-11, 205) could be a second-day pick and is likely to be the first player drafted among the East-West Shrine participants. Florida State wide receiver Kermit Whitfield was very active in the Shrine Game. Out of the gate, Whitfield was getting a lot of passes thrown his direction but didn't produce much thanks in part to an ugly drop on a slant pass. In the second quarter, Whitfield caught a swing pass out of the backfield, and he darted down the sideline for a gain of about 25 yards. Whitfield is a gadget slot receiver, returner, and occasional tailback who will have to battle hard to make a NFL team even though he has explosive speed. Florida defensive tackle Joey Ivie has a great motor and has a knack for making his presence felt in the ground game or the pass rush. In the third quarter, Ivie got a sack, as he kept fighting through blocks to get a sack of Gunner Kiel. However, he did get washed out on a touchdown later in the fourth quarter. Ivie could be a nice day-three pick who provides depth and rotates into the game. Louisiana-Lafayette running back Eli McGuire scored the only touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter. Manitoba guard Geoff Gray opened up a big hole, and McGuire darted downfield for a score from about 15 yards out. On his next drive, McGuire showed some stop-start quickness as he burst downfield for a nice run of 18 yards. McGuire totaled 42 yards on seven carries. He could be a nice day-three pick and competitor. Arkansas defensive end Deatrick Wise Jr. had a mixed week of practice, and that could be seen in the Shrine Game. Early on, he had a tackle for a loss in run defense before missing a sack as the quarterback dodged him. In the fourth quarter, Wise came around the corner with a speed rush to get a strip-sack that the offensive tackle recovered. It was an impressive speed rush from Wise that he followed up with a bull rush into the quarterback. Wise had the biggest tackle total in the game with eight and finished with 1.5 sacks. Wise has mid-round developmental potential and has the talent to have a solid pro career. Mississippi State linebacker Richie Brown was solid all week in practice and had a nice game. He led the East squad with tackles, including an excellent tackle for a loss on a checkdown. Brown doesn't have the best of skill set, but he is an instinctive defender who is always around the ball with good run defense. He could be a nice rotational linebacker and special teams contributor. South Carolina edge rusher Darius English had two sacks in the game, although he was only credited with just a half. He had one that was a coverage sack, and the second came when he chased down the quarterback after a fumbled snap. English is a lean, lanky edge rusher who could fit as a designated pass-rusher in the NFL. He would be best as a backup outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Samford wide receiver Karel Hamilton didn't stand out in practice, but he had two excellent difficult catches along the sideline in the game. Hamilton totaled 61 yards on those two receptions. He adjusted well to both passes to grab receptions with defenders close to him. This game performance was much better than what he did in practice. Utah offensive tackle Sam Tevi has some talent, but lacks consistency. He had a good down block to open a rushing lane on one play, but also played too high at times in pass protection. Tevi is a developmental project but he has the physical talent to compete in the NFL. At the Shrine Game, the quarterbacks were unimpressive in practice, and that continued in the game, as they struggled to complete passes. It would be a bit of a surprise if any of these six signal-callers were drafted. Read more at http://walterfootball.com/eastwest2017recap.php#1F6PrbjoKSYVxlao.99
Is it normal to only interview two players? I hope so, because I'd be pretty pissed if we're at a scouting game with what? 60-70 players and only talked to two of them.
I don't know. Those were just the visible on-field interviews that the scout writing the report saw. He could have easily missed some on-field interviews and there could be countless others that happen out of sight in hotel rooms, restaurants, etc. The other thing is that the talent level for this game was pretty low. Not many players there are projected to make it in the NFL.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/...-east-west-shrine-game-nflpa-collegiate-bowl/ NFLDraftScout.com NFL Draft: Here's who shined at East-West Shrine Game, NFLPA Collegiate Bowl FCS stars Lorenzo Jerome and Javancy Jones impress, as well as Louisville TE Keith Towbridge by Rob Rang The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com Jan 22, 2017 • When it comes to the postseason all-star games, next week's Senior Bowl generates most of the attention from media and fans but there was plenty of talent on display Saturday in the East-West Shrine Game and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, as well. Lorenzo Jerome of FCS Saint Francis (Pa.) was arguably the day's biggest winner from either game, taking MVP honors in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl with two interceptions for the National team in a 27-7 loss to the Americans. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound Jerome currently checks in seventh among free safeties on NFLDraftScout.com's board. Safety, as a whole, is one of the strongest positions in this year's draft class -- led by potential top-10 picks Jamal Adams (LSU), Malik Hooker (Ohio State) and Jabrill Peppers (Michigan). Those three safeties are as gifted as any we've seen since at least 2010, when future All-Pros Eric Berry and Earl Thomas earned early first-round selections by the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. Given his sterling career at Saint Francis, it surprised no one that Jerome earned MVP honors. It is difficult to describe Jerome's impact at Saint Francis and not reach into hyperbole. From the beginning, the Florida native wowed with his athleticism and instincts, intercepting six passes as a true freshman to earn the first of four consecutive years in which he earned all-conference honors. Lorenzo Jerome wins MVP honors at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. USATSI His 18 career interceptions (including another six in 2016) led all FCS players and he was just as dynamic as a returner, finishing second in the country with a 28.9 yards-per-return average in 2016 after finishing first (31.2) as a junior. In his Saint Francis career, Jerome found the end zone eight times, in five different ways, with three kick return touchdowns, two interception returns, a punt return, a fumble return and a receiving touchdown. Also turning heads at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl was Virginia running back Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell, who rushed for a game-high 96 yards on just nine carries and scored a touchdown, showing the vision, sharp lateral cutting ability and burst to create yards on his own. Though he lacks ideal bulk at just 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Mizzell possesses the soft hands out of the backfield to project as a complementary threat at the next level. Mizzell is currently ranked 21st among this year's stacked running back class. He rushed for 940 yards (5.0 YPC) and five touchdowns while catching 52 passes for 404 yards and two additional scores last season. Though the splashy finales will certainly help the stock of Jerome and Mizzell, the player who might see the biggest boost from his efforts in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl could wind up being Louisville tight end Keith Towbridge, who showed soft, reliable hands in this contest after serving essentially as a third tackle for the Cardinals last season. Towbridge, in fact, caught just two passes last season while Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson favored Cole Hikutinias as the Cardinals' go-to threat down the seam. While perhaps lacking Hikutini's quickness and natural receiving skills, the 6-foot-4, 262-pound Towbridge possesses a powerful frame and long arms (33 5/8"), as well as a combination of grit and physicality as a blocker that will appeal to NFL teams looking for an "old school" tight end. The exceptional depth of this year's tight end class may keep Towbridge on the board in the late rounds or perhaps even push him out of the draft entirely, but don't be surprised if he makes an NFL roster. Meanwhile, at the Shrine Game, Louisiana Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire provided some of the only offensive fireworks of the 10-3 game, rushing for 42 yards, 18 of them coming on a fourth-quarter touchdown jaunt. The 5-foot-9, 212 pound McGuire entered the week already well known among scouts, given that he ran for 4,312 yards and 42 touchdowns over his career and considered leaving for the NFL after his junior season. McGuire's square frame and powerful, downhill running style make him a favorite for many among this year's very talented and deep running back class. While his frame suggests power, McGuire also possesses vision, quickness and burst, as he demonstrated on what turned out to the game-winner. Like Towbridge at the NFLPA game, the player who may have helped his cause the most at the Shrine Game was one who showed a different skill-set than scouts had seen on tape. Javancy Jones earned acclaim at Jacksonville State for his ability to wreak havoc off the edge, earning Second Team FCS All-American honors with 82 tackles, including 19.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2016, alone. Realizing that his best chance at the NFL was off the line of scrimmage given his 6-foot-1, 245 pound frame, Jones switched to this role during practice this week and stood out in the game, itself, recording four tackles, including a tackle for loss in limited duty. Jones set the tone on the game's first drive, showing impressive awareness, body control and closing speed to make a one-on-one tackle of speedy Utah running back Joe Williams to eliminate a potential scoring opportunity. Williams, fresh off of a big run, caught a pass in the right flat and appeared to be in good position to waltz into the end zone. Jones closed in a flash, however, cutting down the Utes' running back with an impressive solo tackle. Perhaps best of all for Jones, whereas safety, running back and tight end are relative strengths of the 2017 draft class, the depth at linebacker -- especially inside linebacker -- is not as good. If he can maintain this week's momentum through the workout stage leading up to the draft, Jones could hear his name called on Day 3. A year ago, the Shrine Game -- the longest running all-star game in college football -- produced four players selected among the top 100 picks of the draft, including New England Patriots' starting left guard Joe Thuney and Pittsburgh Steelers' nose guard Javon Hargrave, who will face off Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is relatively new -- founded only in 2012 -- but it is considered by scouts to be the fastest growing of the all-star games. Among its notable alumni include 2015 Combine sensation Chris Conley (now a wide receiver with the Kansas City Chiefs) and Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Trevone Boykin.
