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The Ultimate Source for your Ph.D. in Pigskin |
2009 East-West Shrine Game Notes Houston, Texas It was another cold and dreary week in Houston for the Shrine game, but it didn't keep many of the participants from shining brightly and impressing the scouts. Unfortunately, for others, the weather was a sign of some of their performances. Overall, the week was pretty indicative of what this particular draft is all about - deep, but not necessarily star-studded. Here's a rundown of the best and worst of the week: The Good Jarrett Dillard - Wide Receiver, Rice, 5'10", 180 pounds: simply put, he's a playmaker and his college production cannot be ignored. He has fantastic, strong hands and is a very refined receiver. Despite his lack of breakaway speed, he gets separation because of his other skills - precise route running and quickness. Also, because he does such a good job timing his jump, even though he is not of the prototypical size, more often than not he will come down with the ball.- Mike Thomas - Wide Receiver, Arizona, 5'8", 195 pounds: he showed good speed and hands and was probably the most consistent receiver all week. In addition, he adds value in the return game. My only concern is that during the season, he had a habit of disappearing from the game. Kaluka Maiava - Linebacker, Southern California, 6'0", 230 pounds: as with all of the USC linebackers, he is very instinctive and recognized the action quickly. Maiava does a good job shedding blockers and and was seemingly always in on the tackle. Lawrence Sidbury - Defensive End, Richmond, 6'2", 265 pounds: his great burst and pursuit of the play was evident all week. However, he is very raw and will need time to develop. In addition, he will need to work on his strength, because he had a hard time getting away from blockers once they got their hands on him. Javarris Williams - Running Back, Tennessee State, 5'11", 220 pounds: he exhibited many of the traits that will make him a very good late-round or undrafted free agent pickup - quickness, lateral movement, and a low-to-the-ground running style. He carried people several plays to get the needed yardage. The Bad Terrence Taylor - Defensive Tackle, Michigan, 6'0", 319 pounds: one of the knocks against him at Michigan was his lack of work ethic and it showed this week. He looked sloppy and overweight. He has all of the skills to be a good player at the next level, strength and quickness especially, but almost appears to be disinterested at times. Hunter Cantwell - Quarterback, Louisville, 6'5", 236 pounds: even though he's improved since the end of the season, he still shows a significant windup in his throwing motion. He had decent zip, but he struggled with accuracy. The Ugly Tom Brandstater - Quarterback, Fresno State, 6'5", 225 pounds: he has one of the stronger arms in this year's class, but his inaccuracy is overwhelming. During his career, he didn't even have a two to one touchdown to interception ratio (poor at the college level), and the trend continued at the Shrine Game. |