Bishop Media Sports Network
Ice Left In The Freezer?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With the signing of Todd Gurley to add another weapon to the Atlanta Falcon offense, it raises another big question and that is how much gas does Matt Ryan have left in the tank?
Matty Ice will be 35 years of age at the start of the 2020 season.
Ryan had a decent 2019 season in Atlanta, where he passed for almost 4,500 yards and 26 TD’s. Ryan’s 2016 MVP season was thing of beauty for Atlanta, which seems now to only be remembered as the season the Falcons blew a 25-point Super Bowl lead in the final 17 minutes of that contest.
We all know the weakness of the Falcons is defense and the hope is that gets addressed in the upcoming draft in April.
But what about offensive line? Matty Ice has been sacked 90 times in the last two seasons. Interesting stat line is Tom Brady over the past two seasons, has been sacked 48 times while Ryan was sacked 48 times in 2019. That is the most in a single season in his 12-year Falcon career. For the Falcons to be successful in 2020 then steps have to be put into place to protect Matt Ryan.
Ryan has always been known as a great distributor of the football. His career completion percentage is 65.4, which means he is accurate with the ball.
Julio Jones, who may be the best wide receiver in football, has caught 797 balls in his nine-year Falcon career with Matt Ryan being his starting QB for every single season he has been in the league.
Ryan is not a mobile QB, so protecting him must be a high priority. Ryan has averaged tossing 27 TD’s per season. The production is there for the former MVP.
Another interesting stat is that Matt Ryan has beaten every team in the NFL except two and those are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.
Yes, that means he has never beaten the QB that just landed in his division; the GOAT Tom Brady.
Matty Ice gets two shots at Brady this upcoming season and don’t think for one second that Matty Ice does not have those games circled on the calendar. All of the hype now in the NFC South is surrounding Tampa Bay.
Every great player has a nemesis they had to overcome. Michael Jordan had to get past the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James had to get past the Boston Celtics, Peyton Manning had to get past Tom Brady and the Patriot domination to win a Super Bowl and now Ryan will have two chances at Tom Brady in 2020.
Let’s take a look at the division:
Tampa Bay: Now that they have Brady, they may become a trendy pick in the NFC South
Carolina: Now that Cam Newton is gone the Panthers look like they are in full rebuild mode and may get in position to land Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 draft.
New Orleans: The Saints on paper are the team to beat, but seem to choke in the playoffs every season now.
Then you have the Atlanta Falcons, who currently have 10 former first round draft picks starting on offense in 2020.
On paper, with Matt Ryan distributing the football to Julio Jones, Todd Gurley, Calvin Ridley, Hayden Hurst, Russell Gage, and Laquon Treadwell, the Falcon offense potentially could one of the most explosive in the NFL.
Matt Ryan is the straw that stirs the drink in Atlanta. Ryan loves the city of Atlanta dearly and wants to bring a championship to the city.
Matty Ice is still a valuable asset in the NFL and will not take a back seat to any QB in the NFC South.
Matty Ryan still has ice left in freezer.
Treasure Hunter
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have addressed their starting quarterback situation in the boldest way possible; by signing one of the greatest of all time, Tom Brady.
Does Brady’s arrival make them a Super Bowl contender? Which is asking a lot, considering the Buccaneers finished in the bottom half of the NFC South in 10 of the past 12 seasons (eight last place finishes). The Buccaneers haven’t made the playoffs since 2007.
Is Tom Brady immune to father time? While he has yet to fall off performance wise, he is starting to show signs of slowing down. Brady will be 43 years old when the next NFL season begins.
Brady replaces Jameis Winston as the Buccaneers starting quarterback. Winston led the league with 30 interceptions and 5 fumbles. Brady has thrown nine or fewer in seven of the past 10 seasons. Never throwing for 14.
Brady joins the Buccaneers roster that may arguably have the best starting receiver duo in the NFL. Both Chris Godwin (1,333) and Mike Evans (1,157) topped the 1000 receiving yards last season and combined for 17 touchdowns.
Add on a couple talented tight ends in O.J. Howard and Cam Brate, with Brady’s history of maximizing the tight end position, does Brady’s arrival make them a Super Bowl Contender?
The Buccaneers must upgrade the running back position either draft or free agency. Bruce Arians and Tom Brady have a history of running backs that contribute heavily in the passing game.
One free agent to watch is Dion Lewis. Tampa Bay hasn’t had a running back with 60 or more receptions since Warrick Dunn.
The same day Brady signed with the Buccaneers; the team announced the signing of offensive tackle Joe Haeg. Haeg spent the last four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He has played both tackle positions as well as right guard.
The addition of Haeg addresses a position where the Buccaneers were in need of depth. The Buccaneers offensive line gave up 47 sacks last season and provided little in the run game. I know PFF.com ranked the Buccaneers offensive line 7th, but stat boy doesn’t watch film.
In 2019, the Buccaneers defense gave up the fourth most points per game (28.1), tied for the 12th most TD’s allowed and ranked 18th in total yards allowed (343.9). Opponents last season averaged 67 plays per game against the Buccaneers, which was tied for third most in the NFL.
Basically, Brady is better than Winston in taking care of the football last season and that’s very important. I’m not sure spending $50 million for two seasons for a 43-year-old quarterback you’re hoping will be a better game manager is the right move.
I’m not optimistic this move will prove to be a good one for the Buccaneers on the field. Season tickets sales are through the roof and ESPN & NBC are working on the schedule right now to get Brady in prime time.
Tom Brady might be the G.O.A.T. but he’s not a top 10 quarterback right now. Tampa Bay is just paying him like he is.
King Bee
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We all have a bit more free time on our hands with everything going on currently.
It gives us some time to reflect. I’m going to determine who the best Georgia Tech football player of all time is.
Joe Hamilton is often overlooked despite having a great career. He played for the Yellow Jackets from 1996 to 1999. He set ACC career records for total offense (10,640 yards), touchdown passes (65) and total touchdowns (83).
As a senior in 1999, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, won the Davey O’Brien Award and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
He was the runner-up in Heisman voting, finishing behind Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne. In 2002, he was named as one of the fifty members of the ACC 50th Anniversary Football Team. Hamilton was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
George Godsey replaced Hamilton in 2000. He led Tech to a 9 – 2 record that year. Godsey threw for 2,906 yards and 23 touchdowns; he also had the sixth best passing efficiency in the country.
In 2001 as a senior, he completed 241 passes for 3,085 yards, both of which are school records.
Godsey finished his college career as the most accurate passer in Georgia Tech history, with a career completion percentage of 63.3. He also has the fourth most passing touchdowns in school history with 41.
He has the school record for most passing yards in a game with 486 yards against Virginia in 2001. He broke the previous record, also held by him that was 454 yards versus Clemson in 2000.
Calvin Johnson is probably the name most people would expect in this conversation. Johnson played at GT from 2004 to 2006. Johnson had 178 receptions in his career, good for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns.
He ranks first in school history in career receiving yards, second in receptions, first in touchdown receptions, and first in career 100-yard receiving games with 13.
As a junior in 2006 he had his best season. He was honored as the ACC Player of the Year, was a first-team All-ACC selection for the third consecutive year, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American.
Johnson tallied 1,202 yards on 76 catches. He also scored 15 touchdowns, which is the single season record for receiving touchdowns at Tech.
Robert Lavette played from 1981 to 1984. As a freshman, he was ACC third leading rusher (866 yards), third in receiving (45 receptions), first in all-purpose yards and first in kickoff returns.
As a sophomore, he led the ACC in rushing (1,208 yards), touchdowns (19) also a school and conference record, all-purpose yards (1,570 yards) and scoring average (10.4) points.
Lavette is the schools rushing leader with 4,066 yards and holds the record for rushing touchdowns with 45.
Keith Brooking played from 1994 to 1997. He’s the leading tackler in Georgia Tech history (467). He had two of the best tackle seasons in school history with 147 and 146, respectively, as a junior and sophomore.
Kelly Campbell was a great wide receiver and he held all of the records before Calvin Johnson.
Campbell is second in career receiving yards (2,907) and receiving touchdowns (24). He played from 1998 to 2001 so he was one of the favorite targets for Hamilton and Godsey.
This is a tough decision but I rank Joe Hamilton as the best Yellow Jacket.
Weak In the Knees?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Todd Gurley was in good form after the Rams released him, sharing a tweet about getting fired on his day off.
He made it clear that it was all business and nothing personal on Twitter before agreeing to a deal with the Falcons one day later.
After his contract with Atlanta was announced, Gurley had one last parting shot for the Rams for releasing him. The former UGA great thanked the Rams for his check today. The Rams, by releasing Gurley had to eat $20 million in dead money.
The Atlanta Falcons signed Gurley to a one year $5 million dollar contract, and the State of Georgia, which like the rest of the country is isolated due to Covid-19, was ecstatic with any good news related to sports at the moment.
Gurley grew up in North Carolina and played his college football at the University of Georgia where he was, outside of Herschel Walker the most talented running back to ever wear the red and black.
The Falcons passed on Gurley in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, when they chose Vic Beasley with the 8th selection and then just two picks later the Rams selected Gurley.
Gurley was coming off an ACL tear against Auburn in 2014 that ended his UGA career. Still it made many Falcon fans mad that Gurley was passed on by Atlanta.
Gurley has played five seasons in the NFL and has rushed for over 5,000 yards and 58 touchdowns. Todd Gurley is one of the top 2-3 running backs in the NFL when healthy.
Gurley’s health is a major question. Will the left knee holdup? Gurley will be 26 years old by the start of the season, his 6th in the NFL.
Whispers are that Gurley has an arthritic component in his surgically repaired knee, and that caused the Rams to manage his touches therefore resulting in the worst season of his career in 2019.
What makes Gurley special is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as his 218 career receptions would suggest. With Gurley coming to the Falcons now what will the Falcons get? Will they get the 2018 version or the 2019 version of Gurley?
I think he comes to Atlanta with a chip on his shoulder, and gives the Falcons the Pro Bowl player we have all come to love and respect. Matt Ryan gets another option in the passing game, and forces opposing teams to focus on a true three down back in Gurley.
With the addition of Gurley, Atlanta now has 10 first round picks starting on offense. Talent will not be a problem on offense in Atlanta.
The problem has been stopping people on defense for years. The Falcons also have brought in Dante Fowler to rush the passer, and now with the addition of Gurley the Falcons brass can focus on defense in the upcoming NFL draft. Every selection in the draft for Atlanta should be on defense.
Todd Gurley is on the Mount Rushmore of The University of Georgia running backs, and now he is back home in the state which he calls home. The Atlanta Falcons could be a force in the NFC in 2020, and if Todd Gurley is the Todd Gurley the State of Georgia knows then look out NFC.
Todd Gurley is back home and the Atlanta Falcons righted a wrong they made by passing on him in 2015.
Welcome Home Todd and thank you Rams for picking up the tab!
Who Said You Can’t Come Home?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It almost felt like one of those NFL retirement signings, where a team signs a former great to a one day contract so said player can retire a member of a particular team.
Only, in this case Todd Gurley has never played for the Falcons, nor was born in Georgia.
However, I guess when you’ve been a star player for the University of Georgia, it kind of feels like it’s always been your home.
A lot has been made, and will likely continue to be made, about Gurley’s injury, why Los Angeles handled his workload the way they did over the past season plus, as well as their willingness to accept a hit of over $20 million in dead salary-cap space this season to get out from under his contract- all of which are legitimate concerns.
The arthritis in Gurley’s knee isn’t going to get better and if actions speak louder than words, Los Angeles’ actions are the non-verbal form of “Fire, everybody get out!”
Having said all that, I think the signing can be very advantageous for both Gurley and the Falcons, as long as everyone keeps things in perspective.
For Atlanta the signing is a low risk- high reward move, beginning with the contract. Obviously, Gurley is no longer a featured, every down back, hence the
1 year/$5 million contract. That doesn’t mean he can’t be productive and justify his paycheck.
If Atlanta not only limits his touches, but more importantly can figure out how to manage those touches and use Gurley in situations he’ll be most effective, he could become an extremely impactful player.
His arrival also ignited some much needed enthusiasm among a fan base that like most of America right now, could use it.
On the flip side, if none of that happens and it becomes clear Gurley can’t be productive, Atlanta really hasn’t lost anything. Plus, they don’t have much salary cap space available, so it’s not like there were a lot of different options out there for the Falcons to choose from.
As for Gurley, I like the move for a couple reasons. For one, I think he’ll fit in well with Atlanta’s offense. He’s not going to be the focal point of the offense and the Falcon’s passing game should help him not see as many eight man fronts when he is in.
Also, and this goes back to my initial paragraph, he’s coming “home” in a way. The fan base is going to be more supportive and will allow more time to adjust, than he probably would receive if he were to have signed somewhere else.
When you look at some of the factors, like Gurley’s contract and Miami’s decision to bring in Jordan Howard over Gurley, the message seems pretty clear that this upcoming season is a make or break year for the former Georgia running back. (As a side note, considering the Dolphins lack of success with free agents and choosing one over another, I wouldn’t blame you if you actually looked at their signing Howard as a good thing for Gurley.)
Gurley’s arrival in Atlanta truly does have the makings of a win-win for both sides, something you don’t see too often in sports today. And if not, he’ll at least be able to end it close to where he started…kind of.
The Shorter The Better
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a shadow over the entire world for weeks, forcing people into quarantine and changing the way people live and work.
One of the most publicized effects of the pandemic has been that of the sports world and the now lack of its existence.
First, it was a few basketball and soccer games being played without fans in the arenas and stadiums, followed by March Madness being cancelled. Then, after Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, the NBA suspended their season.
The NHL followed suit, as well as just about every other sport going on and suddenly ESPN was showing replays of bowling instead of SportsCenter (this may be an exaggeration).
Major League Baseball hadn’t yet begun their 2020 season and instead was about halfway through Spring Training when they decided to call it and delay Opening Day.
At first, MLB was going to delay two weeks. As time has gone on, the rumors have swirled about when baseball will be played again. Memorial Day maybe? Sometime in June?
Like pretty much everything else, when baseball starts is up in the air right now but the owners and players seem intent on getting a season in. This is, of course, happy news.
Whenever “play ball” is finally called for the season, it will certainly be the start of a diminished calendar. Even if the schedule is loaded with double headers, there’s really no way of getting a 162-game season in and still having playoffs at a time of year in which baseball is still playable.
That is, and bear with me here, good news for the Atlanta Braves. Continue bearing with me, because I’m about to make an argument based on an incredibly small sample size of evidence, but you don’t have any actual sports to read about so what else are you going to do?
The Braves are famous for winning 14 straight division championships, a record. They are equally notorious for winning only one World Series in that 15-year stretch.
Did anyone catch the math?
14 consecutive championships in 15 years doesn’t make sense; unless you know that in 1994, there were no division championships.
There was also no World Series. That’s because the players went on strike and the season was called. They were still on strike in the spring of 1995. Eventually, the union went back to work and 18 days after the season should have started, baseball began.
If that year sticks out to you, it’s because that’s the year Atlanta won it all.
That’s significant, because in all the rest of Atlanta’s postseason stints, that world-class pitching in the regular season often couldn’t meet its own high standards in the playoffs but with (slightly) less wear-and-tear on their arms, the Braves were able to run through their opponents and win the big prize at the end of the season.
The baseball gods tend to abandon Atlanta come October but maybe it’s just that the Braves run out of gas after a grueling full schedule.
Granted, every team plays the same number of games, but the Braves always seem a little more beaten down than their opponents do, with the exception of the shortened ’95 season.
Maybe, with a guaranteed shorter season on the horizon, the Braves will get a little of that 1995 mojo working.
Maybe two less months of regular season games will put life into Mike Foltynewicz’s arm come the fall. Maybe four months of games instead of six will keep Freddie Freeman healthier than he’s ever been in October.
Maybe, it’s a small sample size, but hey, the track record is there.
No Azaleas
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Over a whirlwind 48-hour span, the entire sports world came to a halt. Over the course of a few days.
What started with the NBA suspending its season quickly turned into the NHL following suit, MLB nerve wracking days, a domino effect went into full effect; suspending all operations in the middle of spring training and every collegiate sport coming to a screeching halt.
Lifelong sports fans were in a sort of state of shock as each news update brought about worse news and more cancelations.
By the time Friday, March 13 rolled around, the gravity of the situation still hadn’t quite set in, with plenty of rumors circulating about how quickly everything could get back on track.
And then it happened. The Masters – a shining jewel in American sports and one of the most fiercely protected events and brands in the world – put its annual tournament on hold.
Calendars, warmer weather and the beginning of baseball aside, anyone with roots to the south knows that the true arrival of spring comes during four magical days in April when the world’s best golfers descend upon Augusta National Golf Club.
It is possibly the most mythicized and celebrated tournament in all of sports. It gets played amongst the backdrop of an impossible green and vibrant course.
It has always been a hint to the sports world that it is safe to come outside and play for the spring and summer months.
But just like everything else, the Masters will also be empty.
If there’s one bit of silver lining, it’s that the official scoreboard for the Masters reads ‘postponed’ where so many other events are canceled outright.
Communications from Augusta National have stressed that efforts will be made to hold the tournament at some point. There have also been rumors floating out of Augusta that the club might be aiming for a Masters held in the fall as the course usually shuts down during the summer months.
For as much as the stoppage of other sports stung, the postponement of the Masters may have been the signal to the sports world that the response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic isn’t an overreaction, but rather a very urgent and necessary step to protect the masses.
No golf at Augusta in April is like the constant halts to trading on stock exchange floors. It’s the near total halt of international travel. It’s the empty shelves in stores and longtime local businesses that are now shuttered.
It’s a punch in the gut, is what it is. But hopefully a measure that will work out once the world catches its breath.
This is already guaranteed to be a sports year unlike any other. Here’s hoping that we still get our tradition unlike any other.
Let The Dominoes Fall
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Coronavirus has shut down every major sports league in America, but not the NFL. So that’s what I’m writing about.
The free agency period started and the league’s legal tampering period allowed teams to begin to talk and to negotiate with unsigned free agents.
Most eyes and ears were on the latest Tom Brady rumors, as the 42-year-old hit the unrestricted free agency for the first time in his 20-year career. More notable NFL players will be on the move over the next few days via free agency or trades.
Brady announced that his next NFL home would not be New England. He ended up signing a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers worth around $30 million a year.
Brady’s departure breaks up the most successful partnership in NFL history. Can Tom Brady win without Bill Belicheck and vice versa? Who is more vital to an organization, the quarterback or the coach?
Here is a list and a grade of some of the transactions that have been agreed upon to sign on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
The Jaguars traded defensive lineman Calais Campbell to the Ravens in exchange for a 2020 fifth round draft pick. Baltimore extends Campbell’s contract through the 2020 season.
Ravens B+ Jaguars F (total rebuild in Jacksonville)
The Dallas Cowboys franchise tagged Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper to a five-year deal worth $100 million.
Cowboys A
The Texans agreed to trade DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 fourth round pick to the Cardinals for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second round pick and 2021 fourth round pick.
Texans (F) Cardinals (A++).
The Vikings traded Stefon Diggs and a 2020 seventh round pick to the Bills for 2020 first round pick, a fifth-round pick, sixth round pick and 2021 fourth round pick. This trade has the Brady Effect written all over it. The Bills are going all in on Diggs and the division.
Vikings B Bills B
The Bears have been busy signing pass rusher Robert Quinn and tight end Jimmy Graham to free agency deals. I like Quinn’s signing but Graham’s best days are behind him.
Bears C
The Dolphins made waves by signing cornerback Byron Jones to a $17 million a year contract. Miami agreed to terms with two chronic underachievers in offensive lineman Ereck Flowers and pass rusher Shaq Lawson. I also just noticed Kyle Van Noy has signed with the Dolphins.
Dolphins B
The grades try to estimate a players’ chance of outplaying his contract. To say it is an inexact science would be an affront to science.
NCAA Crystal Ball
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At the beginning of conference basketball play I made three predictions that I promised to revisit after the season, regardless of how they turned out.
With the season now over, unfortunately not the way anyone would’ve predicted, I guess it’s time to see if I’m Nostradamus or the back-alley fortune teller.
Prediction: Florida will win the SEC Regular Season. Final Result: Fifth Place. Well, this one blew up in my face.
Not only did Florida finish fifth in the SEC, but they were one of the more disappointing teams in the country.
A top 10 team to begin the season, the Gators season is almost a perfect microcosm of the college season in general; they could never really find any consistency throughout the year.
The defense, which has been Florida’s calling card since Mike White arrived a few years ago, just wasn’t where they needed it to be.
They added some offensive talent, but when looking at their record anytime they allowed more than 65 points, their winning percentage dropped drastically.
It’s tough to win conference games when you have difficulty playing to your strength. The talent was there to make a deep run in the tournament, and I think so Mike White is a good coach, but sometimes it’s just not your year.
Prediction: Anthony Edwards will be the SEC Player of the Year. Final Result: Second Team All-SEC. So yes, technically I missed this one, but I’m ok with that.
Out of the three predictions I made, this one was probably the longest shot of them all. And it’s not like Edwards had a bad season. He did win Freshman of the Year honors and at least made an All-SEC team.
To expect him to come into a league like the SEC, playing for a program like Georgia where the lack of talent around him would make it easier for opposing teams to game plan against him, was a bit unrealistic.
Also, as good an overall season as Edwards had, he certainly had his struggles in conference play. There’s a good chance he’ll still be a Top 3 pick in the upcoming draft, but it’ll take him a few years to adjust.
Prediction: No more than five SEC teams will make the NCAA Tournament. Final Result: ??? Obviously, we’ll never know for certain how many SEC teams would’ve made the tournament, but I feel like I may have actually gotten this one right. Kentucky, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, and Florida were all probably locks to make it, depending on how conference tournaments turned out.
Outside of those five, there really wasn’t any team that was even on the bubble.
South Carolina may have been able to make an argument had they made a deep run in the conference tournament, but I’m not sure that would’ve been enough to get them in.
The talent level in college basketball was down across the board and the SEC was no exception. Even with teams like Auburn and LSU exceeding preseason expectations, this was still a rough year for the conference.
So, in the end, I completely missed the one prediction I thought I would get right, got a bit carried away with my expectations on the one that was a little out of reach to begin with, and never got a chance to validate the one that I may have actually have gotten right.
Well, that sounds about right.
Winners And Losers
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL scouting combine is now in the books.
More than 300 prospective NFL players were put through the ringer during the world’s most unconventional job interview.
After all, that’s what the combine is, a job interview. Some will get a job and others will leave temporarily unemployed.
Performing well in drills like the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, or the bench press can convince a team there’s untapped potential. On the contrary, a poor performance, an injury, or any other red flags can sink a player’s draft stock.
Here are some of the winners and losers from some NCAA headliners in the 2020 NFL Combine.
Winner: C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida: The former Gator weighed in at a solid 204 pounds and still managed to run a 4.39 40-yard dash (third fastest among DBs).
His bench press reps (20) showed some dedication in the weight room. Henderson was the most impressive corner in on the field drills. He needed a good day to secure a first-round selection, and he got it.
Loser: Trevon Hill, edge rusher, Miami: Hill was a potential top 100 prospect this season, but teams will likely be disappointed in his athleticism results from the combine.
The former Cane weighed in at 248 pounds, he ran a 4.89 40-yard dash and managed pedestrian jump of 28 inch vertical and 9.5 broad.
Hill will probably be a day 3 selection. Still employed, but unexpectedly lower in status.
Winner: Cam Akers, RB, Florida State: Akers improved his draft stock with a solid showing at the combine. The former Seminole finished 5th in the 40-yard dash (4.47), broad jump 10 feet 2 inches and vertical jump was 35.5 inches. Akers is now the fourth ranked running back on my board behind Swift, Taylor and Dobbins.
Loser: Van Jefferson, WR, Florida: Jefferson did not participate at the combine after discovering a fracture in his foot that will require surgery. Jefferson was slotted as a day two selection now falls to day 3. Jefferson was at the combine and took part in the various team interviews.
Winner: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson: Simmons lined up at nearly every position imaginable in college.
Simmons, before the combine was a top 10 pick, and is still a top 10 pick. Measuring in at 6 foot 4 inches (93 percentile), a 39-inch vertical (92nd percentile), 11-foot broad jump (98th percentile) and a 4.39 40-yard dash (99th percentile). Impressive for a 230 pounder.
The percentiles are NFL Combine history rankings. Let’s put it in layman’s terms, Simmons is a Defensive Freak!
Loser: Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia: There were no surprises with Fromm’s mostly average measurements earlier in the week. His arm strength during workouts was below average, his throws fluttered at times and his deep pass lacked velocity. Despite a poor showing, I suspect he’ll have an NFL career. However, his combine workout moved him down in QB stock below Eason.
While the timing, results, and measurements are key, data from the combine is not the whole story of the evaluation process.
Game film, physicals, interviews, and background checks will determine their career path. Some big differences and small similarities in the professional sports job market and regular people job markets. No matter the gig, these things can be challenging for anyone!
The Draft, however, is specifically tough on both candidates and staff. Simply put, it’s an educated gamble.
