Understanding the Scale

As a scout, it is important to have a grading scale that is both easy  to understand for both the writer and the reader. My scale isn’t mine per se, it’s very similar to the scale that I learned from Matt Manocherian’s scout school, but I expanded upon it. It consists of two scales: One is used to determine how good a player is at a certain trait, and the other gives an overall view of the prospect. Here we’ll talk about the scale used for individual traits. Note that all grades will be given considering what the player is NOW not what we think the player will become.

9: A player with this number will enter the NFL the very best at this trait. Nines are the cream of the crop and it’s a very rare grade. Think Josh Allen’s arm strength coming out of college or Lamar Jackson’s mobility.

8: This trait will stand out constantly on tape. Will put the player in the top 5 at that trait within his position. A good example would be Marquise Brown’s play speed.

7: This trait will stand out often on tape. Will put the player in the top third of starters at his position.  

6: The trait will be present and stand out occasionally on tape. This is the line where we decide whether a prospect’s trait is sufficient enough to be a solid NFL starter.

5: The trait will be present but won’t stand out on film. This number states that the player is effective as a college starter, but won’t be good enough to be a starter at the next level. Sufficient for a backup or a role player.

4: The trait will be absent from tape. Below average at the college level. A red fag.

3: The trait will be glaringly absent from tape. A trait that would need to be fixed or drastically schemed in order to see the field. A big red flag.

2-1: Very Poor. Reject.

X: A trait that is unknown due to not being asked to do that said trait. Think of grading the hands of a running back who only receives one target. Not enough sample size to make a conclusion.

Joe Burrow Scouting Report

Short Accuracy: 7 Deep Accuracy: 7 Throw Power: 6 Decision Making: 6

Frame: 6 Pocket Awareness: 7 Athleticism: 6 Playmaking: 6 Clutch: 7

Games Watched: vs Auburn (B) vs Georgia (B) @ Alabama (B)

Strengths: Joe Burrow’s strongest attribute is his accuracy. Has NFL level accuracy both on short and deep passes. Incredible touch on deep passes. Understands when to laser the ball and when to put air underneath it. Very good mechanics. Makes jaw-dropping highlight reel passes. Has great feet in the pocket. Good at climbing the pocket. Reacts well under pressure, always knows where his hot route is. When the defense drops 8 or 9, he stays patient in the pocket and waits for his receivers to get open. Can extend plays with his feet. Goes through his progressions. Can be seen him throwing to his 3rd read naturally. Has a good arm. Has the ability to hit receivers 50+ yards downfield. When he needs to he can rifle balls into tight places. A good 3rd down QB. Had some of his best games in the playoffs. Knows how to win and dominate big games. A champion. Sturdy frame at 6-foot-4.

When running he is tough and has a nose for the first down marker. Good enough athlete to be a threat on QB draw. Good speed.

Weaknesses: Can be reckless when running the ball. Rarely slides. Is sometimes a bit quick to scramble. Deep ball sometimes flutters a bit.

What we need to learn about him:  Is Joe Burrow a one-year wonder? While he was phenomenal in 2019 his 2018 season was average and the track record of QBs with only one season of excellent play is not great. I’d also be excited to learn more about his athleticism, as I doubt he has the size and speed to handle NFL level hits while scrambling. Can he have as much success in other schemes as well as he had at LSU?

Scheme and Tendencies: Joe Burrow plays in a hybrid spread/West Coast system. Plays almost exclusively from Shotgun and with 11  personnel. Throws a lot of passes over the middle. Does his best on horizontal throws like slants and crossers. 2-year starter at LSU after transferring from Ohio State.

Injury History:  2017:  Broke his thumb. Missed the entire season.

Summary: Joe Burrow with his great accuracy and feel in the pocket has the ability to start as a rookie and be a franchise QB moving forward.

Final Grade: 7.2-Immediate impact starter at the position with the potential to be a top 10 player by year 2.

Recent Update

So I’ve generally stopped posting here but I want to show you guys some of the projects I’ve undertaken recently. For one I’ve started doing more podcasts. Here’s the link to my appearance on the Lay of the Land with Jeff Rich.

I’ve also done two podcasts with Katelin Marshall

Blog wise I’m writing for Forever rebuilding.

I’m really not quite sure what I want to do with Pro Style Football. I feel I’ve put some good work here. Perhaps when I’m done with college I’ll have more time to help with everyone’s fantasy football teams. But regardless I definitely had fun.

Follow me on twitter @thefootpaul.

Ohio State vs Notre Dame Preview

We all know that New Years Day is one filled with painful hangovers and great college football.  This year is no exception as two of the best teams not in the playoffs face of in Arizona.

Number 7 Ohio State and Number 8 Notre Dame will showdown in the desert in the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl, exactly ten years to the date since both teams stepped on the same field. A lot has changed since then, both have changed coaches (Ohio State did twice) and made appearances in the Championship game.  One thing is certain, we won’t see Laura Quinn with the infamous split jersey this time.

Both teams bolster a high-powered spread offense which will be looking to solve their equally talented defensive counterparts. Both teams are stacked with NFL level talent and the programs will likely produce a slew of first round draft picks like Joey Bosa and Ronnie Stanley come April.

Notre Dame Quarterback Deshone Kizer (an Ohio bred athlete) may have been one of the best stories in college football this season, taking over the for the injured Malik Zaire early in the season.   Behind his 2600 passing yards and 19 TDs, Kizer led the Irish to a 10-2 record.  Both losses were heartbreakers as the Fighting Irish lost by two points to both Clemson and Stanford.

It will be interesting to see what type of gameplan Coach Brian Kelly will employ to combat the vicious front seven of the Buckeyes.  Ohio State Defensive End Joey Bosa is someone whose impact goes deeper than the box score.  Bosa has drawn the double team for much of the season and may not get the sacks and tackle for loss stats that he’s accustomed to.  He has made up for it this year by  disrupting the quarterback’s rhythm, adding knockdowns and QB hurries to his stat sheet. Kizer will have to look to alleviate some of the pressure by utilizing screens and draws often.

After coming off the best game the Buckeyes have played all season, a 42-13 rout of arch rival Michigan.  The Buckeyes look to have finally woken up from their offensive doldrums.  Urban Meyer will most likely give Quarterback J.T. Barrett and Tailback Ezekiel Elliot a similar style of gameplan to oust their border state foes .   I expect to see an increased amount of passes from Barrett, who hasn’t had the type of season he had last year as a freshman.

Kelly said earlier this month that he feels the Irish are facing the best team in country and have prepared as such.  Of course it is normal to talk up an opponents overall performance   Meyer had similar words for the Irish, saying great things about their front seven led by linebacker Jaylon Smith.  This game has every bit of potential to come down to wire much likely Notre Dame’s losses did and OSU’s lone loss against Michigan State.

Final Score: 31-28 Ohio State.  In the end, Elliot and the Buckeyes are able to make just one more big play than the Fighting Irish as the Senior Class of the Buckeyes notch a record 50^th win on the big stage.

Ohio State vs Michigan Preview

By: Quentin Ison

“The Game” will begin another storied chapter tomorrow at Noon in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Traveling from Columbus and coming off a disappointing loss, is the Buckeyes who enter the game at 10-1. The Wolverines are perhaps one botched play away from playoff consideration but find themselves still alive in the Big Ten East Division with a 9-2 record.
The long-awaited showdown between Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh has finally come to center stage. Harbaugh and the Wolverines will be looking to end a drought against their arch-rivals, a game they haven’t won since 2011. The Wolverines are perhaps the best equipped they have been in the past decade to knock of the Buckeyes. The stellar defensive play and the emergence of Quarterback Jake Rudock have been the main stories this year. Harbaugh and Meyer’s team need a bit of help from Penn State to play undefeated Iowa in the Big Ten Conference Championship game.
The Buckeyes enter the game with many of the same questions that have surrounded them all season. When will the offense show up? Outside of standout tailback Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State has struggled to muster the offensive firepower that led them to a National Championship last season. It will be imperative for Elliot to run well and create opportunities for Quarterback J.T. Barrett and the play action to keep the tenacious Michigan secondary led by Jabrill Peppers and Jordan Davis off-balance.
There is no doubt that there will be plenty of energy flying around come kickoff at “The Big House”. Michigan may have the edge in terms of momentum, but in a game that means more than anything to both, records don’t matter. I expect this to be agrueling, physical game. (Sounds a bit like a Woody vs. Bo game, doesn’t it?). I have a gut feeling this game will come down to field position and turnovers. I do know one thing; this game is going to be very fun to watch.
In the end, I expect the Buckeyes to rise to the occasion. Elliot finds his grooves and the Buckeyes are able to escape the clutches of the “Big House” with their pride intact.
Ohio State 28 – Michigan 24

Ohio State vs Michigan State Preview

The 10-0 Ohio State Buckeyes and the 9-1 Michigan State Spartans have both been inconsistent throughout the year.  On Saturday, both teams will need to be on their A Game if either of the two plan on making the College Football Playoff.  The Buckeyes are riding a 23 game winning streak dating back to last season, but have been largely untested to thus point.  Their first “theoretical exam” will be administered at 330 this Saturday.

The games against their Michigan rivals have been pegged as their most important.  Michigan State is tied for second in the Big Ten Eastern Division, suffering its lone loss of the season on a controversial call in the Nebraska game. Connor Cook is nicked up for this game, so he will need to overcome more than the OSU zone to win this game.

The Ohio State offense has struggled for the most part except for Heisman Trophy candidate running back Ezekiel Elliot, who has run for 100 yards or more in his past 15 games.  Elliot plays better with more on the line.   Last season during the playoffs, Elliot turned in three straight 200 yard performances to help the Buckeyes win the title.  The Buckeyes have platooned quarterbacks for much of the season but Coach Meyer has pushed all his chips to the center of the table, relying on Quarterback J.T. Barrett.

Last season the Buckeyes traveled to East Lansing and defeated the Spartans 49-37 in what Urban Meyer referred to as the best offensive showing of the season.

If the Buckeyes plan to extend their streak of 30 consecutive wins against conference foes, they will need all hands on deck.  The Buckeyes will need to run a more balanced scheme against a stout Michigan State defense.

Final Score: Ohio State 38 Michigan State 28

Ohio State Vs. Penn State Preview

The Buckeyes enter the game against division rival Penn State undefeated and still clinging to the number one ranking by a slim margin. The two quarterback system yielded much success against Maryland last Saturday. J.T. Barret looked masterful in the red zone, but will the Buckeyes deploy the same strategy against the Nittany Lions (5-1 Overall, 2-0 Conference). The Buckeye offense scored on all six trips to the red zone against the Terrapins. On Monday, Coach Urban Meyer confirmed Cardale Jones is still the starter until proved otherwise. However, the Buckeyes will be unveiling something new when the take the field on Saturday. Perhaps taking a page out of Penn State’s “white out” book, Ohio State will sporting all black jerseys in an attempt to “black out” the Horseshoe.

The Nittany Lions lone loss was to Temple in the season opener, a debacle which led to 10 sacks of quarterback and potential top 10 NFL Draft pick, Christian Hackenberg. Ohio State will look to get pressure of the edge with NFL bound ends Joey Bosa and Aldophus Washington. Since the Temple game, Hackenberg has taken 9 sacks and hasn’t played the best of football. He has only thrown for over 60% once this season. The offense has run through the ground game, running back Akeel Lynch  has looked impressive at times but is questionable for this Saturday. If ready he can make a big impact since it is no secret the Buckeyes have struggled against the run this season. The good news is that OSU will be able to pin their ears back in passing situations and not have worry about a scrambling quarterback (something they struggled with last week).

Ohio State tailback Ezekiel Elliot looks primed to continue his streak of 100 yard rushing performances against Penn State’s 38th ranked run defense, which only surrenders 117 yards per game. Elliot will have to rely on his offensive line to find holes and take the pressure off Cardale Jones.

Ultimately this game comes down to whether Ohio State gets hot early or spins the wheels. If the Buckeyes score as efficiently as they did last week, the Nittany Lions will be in trouble. My prediction for the game: Ohio State 45 Penn State 17.

-Q

Note: All Stats via ESPN.com

Fantasy Football Add Drop for Week 6

Fall Break is a time  for painting pumpkins, finding your favorite and for me getting back to writing on my blog. Hopefully I can get into a habit of writing more often here as I do feel that eventually I can give something to the sports blogging world that no one else is. Recently I have been searching for my inner optimistic Browns fan by writing previews for MTAF Cleveland.  You can check out my work here. So that’s a little update on where I’ve been so now I will present my list of players I am planning or hoping to add this week in fantasy football.

Add

1. Thomas Rawls- The former Central Michigan Chippewa broke out in a huge way last week running through and around the Bengals stout defense. Lynch has struggled recently and may have hit his Shaun Alexander-esque point of no return so Rawls may become a Justin Forsett type pick up that could save your league.
2. Willie Snead- I told my buddy last week to pick Willie Snead last week in a PPR because I liked his consistency. After his break out game last week it appears he is Drew Brees number 1 or two receiver. This gives him the upside of a quality WR2 for the rest of the year. And on a side note Willie Snead is from Ball State making my top 2 add #MACtion alumni.
3. Charcandrick West- I’m not to hot on Jamaal Charles potential replacement as I’m assuming Reid will move to a committee. Plus the Chiefs O-Line isn’t that good.
4. Gary Barnidge- If Gary Barnidge is still available pick him up. No questions asked.
5. Andre Johnson- After two straight goose eggs Johnson finally found his groove last Thursday. If anyone in your league was stupid enough to give up on him early (I was, whoops) go ahead and pick him up to see if can duplicate Thursdays performance.
6. Josh McCown- Josh McCown is playing like a Pro Bowl QB despite throwing to an underwhelming receiving corps. His schedule gets a lot a tougher soon with match-ups against the Broncos, Rams and Cardinals but afterwards he can be a valuable streaming option.

Drop

1. Jamaal Charles- Obviously considering he tore his ACL
2. Marques Colston- Snead and Cooks seem like the Saints main targets plus Colston suffered a separated shoulder last week.
3. Darren Sproles- Murray is getting into a groove and Mathews has been playing well. No reason to own the third back on a medioce offense.

Fantasy Football Add Drop for Week 2

1. Marcus Mariota- Odds are he’ll be one of the first players taken off the waiver in your league, and for good reason. He looked absolutely dominant in the opener. He probably isn’t this year’s Cam Newton but he should finish near the top 10 in fantasy points this year and he has a good match-up against the Browns in week 2.
2.  Terrance Williams- Was probably drafted in your league but if not grab him in the wake of Dez Bryant’s injury. Could get 10 TDs this year.
3. Stevie Johnson- I drafted Johnson in a couple of my leagues and was very pleased with his first week numbers. He will be a good flex option all year-long.
4. James Jones- Not as excited about him as everyone else is because he only had 4 targets which was 3rd among GB WRs.
5. Tyler Eifert. Jordan Reed, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins- Any of these TEs are worth a pickup if you feel you are having issues at the position.
6. Brandon Coleman- A sleeper throughout August it now may now be too late to nab the man who could hop over Marques Colston and become the Saints number 2 receiver.
7. Titans D/ST- They have an easy match-up against the Browns and perhaps Johnny Manziel this Sunday. Should be easy points if you are streaming defenses.
8. Patriots D/ST- The Pats go up against the Bills which seems like a decent match-up, but it is there week 3 game against the Jags that will make this pick up worth it.
9. Cole Beasley (PPR)- Dallas’ slot receiver will be in line for lots of receptions now that Dez Bryant is hurt.

Drop

1. Reggie Bush- He is now hurt and there is no chance now he’ll be stealing any of Hyde’s carries.
2. Ty Montgomery- Is now the fourth receiver on the Packers behind Cobb, Adams, and Jones. No need to own him.

Why the Redskins will win the Super Bowl

The Washington Redskins have everything a team could want when looking for a Super Bowl contender. The most important thing a winning team needs is a winning quarterback who can put up good stats. And Redskins have just that in Colt McCoy. If you take Colt McCoy’s per attempt numbers and put them over the course of season Colt McCoy stats make him look like the MVP contender he is. If he started all 16 games he was on pace for 4518 yards 17 passing touchdowns only 12 picks 5 rushing touchdowns and an NFL best 71.1 completion (record) percentage. Now it’s one thing if you’re quarterback puts up stats but loses but a player a whole new kind of special if he can put W’s in the standings. Colt McCoy is proven winner as shown by his college career. McCoy is the winningest quarterback in NCAA history (Kellen Moore went to Boise State so he doesn’t count.) Plus last season he accounted for half the teams wins despite only starting a quarter of the team’s games. If my math is correct, Colt McCoy would have won 32 games if he played in all 16.  Colt McCoy has proven to be an elite player and a winner and will spearhead this team to a Super Bowl.
Even a great quarterback like Colt McCoy can’t win a Super Bowl by himself so it’s very convenient that McCoy has some amazing offensive weapons and an improved offensive line. Alfred Morris is in line to have a great season with Colt McCoy demanding defense’s attention. And he’s bound improve his efficiency because the Redskins drafted the best lineman in the draft Brandon Schreff. Brandon Schreff will join Trent Williams to form one of the best tackle duos in the NFL. In the middle the team is led by former BGSU Falcon (and first NFL player I got an autograph from) and two subpar guards who don’t matter because they can just run around them. McCoy will also have a lot of receiving weapons like the electric DeSean Jackson, the consistent Pierre Garcon, and the former Florida Tight End who didn’t kill anybody, Jordan Reed.  This dynamic offense should be a threat to score 40 or more points every single game.

Defensively the Redskins have lots of quality players. They have a sturdy defensive line led by free agent pickup Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton and the strongest player in the NFL Stephen Paea. These two along with Ricky Jean Francois, Jason Hatcher and Chris Baker will make sure teams will have trouble running the ball. I expect teams to average negative rushing yards a game due this stout group. The Reskins have loads of pass rushers at linebacker in Ryan Kerrigan, Trent Murphy, and rookie Preston Smith to go along with inside linebackers Riley Perry Jr. and Keenan Robinson. The secondary sucks though. Deangelo Hall has less working ankles than a snake, David Amerson sucks, and everyone else is a mediocre at best. This is a genius strategy by the Redskins. Deliberately setting one position as a weakness will make opponents think they have a chance and sleep on this team. But no, once they come in cocky the other good players on the team will destroy them. Plus, they say they secondary is the defenses last line of defense, but you don’t need a last line of defense when you’re first two lines of defense are the best in the world. I mean the Redskins secondary matters so little they could just sit down and drink coffee during plays and the team’s defense will still dominate.

Final Prediction: 19-0. The Redskins offense explodes and averages 60 points a game. The defense will allow a lot of points because Roger Goodell will force the Redskin’s to only play 9 guys on defense just to give to opponents a chance, even though it won’t work. Colt McCoy wins the MVP after throwing for 5000 yards and 40 touchdowns. This team will go down as one of the greatest teams of all time.

This piece of satire was written because I lost a bet with my buddy Trevor on who would win the first preseason game between my Browns and his Redskins.