Sideline Scouting

By: Sideline Scouting Staff

April 14, 2010

Jared Odrick: 3-4 DE Candidate

Andrew_Burns @sidelinescouts With so many teams switching to the 3-4, are teams now going to have trouble finding enough of the right personnel?
Switching to a 3-4 can be both a curse and a blessing for many teams heading into the draft. The most glaring negative is the lack of true nose tackle candidates in a given draft. Nose tackles are often a hot commodity because of their scarcity and extreme value as the keystone to a good 3-4 defensive line. On the other hand, switching to a 3-4 can also expand a team’s versatility at defensive end. As we’ve seen so many times in the past, many three-technique defensive tackles fit well at defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. Jared Odrick is one such tackle in this year’s draft that fits that description. Geno Atkins is also a likely 3-4 defensive end candidate, but can play in a three technique in a 4-3 front. However, 3-4 linebackers can be very different from 4-3 linebackers in the sense that size and pass-rushing capabilities are key in a 3-4. So many pieces are interchangeable in different fronts [...]

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The State of the Buffalo Bills

By: Joe Herne (Guest Columnist)

April 4, 2010

Jimmy Clausen: Bills Draft Pick at #9?

In another tumultuous offseason in upstate New York, Buffalo Bills fans have once again seen a changing of the guard. A new general manager and head coach means a lot of change in Buffalo, or does it? Terrell Owens is gone, Aaron Schobel is potentially retired, Brad Butler retired at 26, Eric Wood is recovering from a catastrophic lower leg break, Marshawn Lynch’s career is one strike away from being on a 1-year hiatus, and the team seemingly has no starting QB heading into the draft. Oh, and an open letter to Aaron Maybin reads, “Dear Sir, please be a better OLB than you were a defensive end last year.”

And yet; as always, there is cautious optimism in the air this year for Bills fans. Perhaps blind optimism, but it is present, no less. Here’s a breakdown of where the team is, and where I see it heading for the draft. The Bills made some quiet changes to scheme and personnel this offseason that have flown under the radar, but could play a significant role in what we see occur April 22-24.

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Cam Thomas Interview

By: Ian Kenyon

April 12, 2010

Ian Kenyon: What would you say to someone who just looks at the stat sheet and doesn’t see all the tackles or sacks, how do you impact the game?
Cam Thomas: At 3-4 nose tackle, you’re holding off blockers so the linebackers can make plays. So that’s basically what happened at Carolina, it’s not always about stats, if I can help other people make plays, that’s important too.

Ian Kenyon: There were some high-profile players on that North Carolina defense this year that could have come out early, most notably Bruce Carter, Marvin Austin, and Quan Sturdivant, but all decided to return for next year and obviously you had a chance to go pro early last year. What has Butch Davis done for that program that encourages all of these players to stay for four years?
Cam Thomas: We play for a national championship and going for it all. Playing in a BCS bowl game, that’s the main goal for every school, but we emphasize that with Coach Davis and his background [...]

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Breaking Down the 2010 Running Back Class

By: Ian Kenyon

March 24, 2010

Ryan Mathews: Top RB?

For the past couple of months, C.J. Spiller has sat across the top of most boards while the list below them has shifted tremendously. Spiller still may be the first running back selected, but I don’t believe that he’ll be the most successful of the backs in the NFL. My top five running backs this year are Ryan Mathews, Jahvid Best, C.J. Spiller, Jonathan Dwyer and Montario Hardesty. The order I believe the running backs will come off the board is Spiller, Mathews, Best, Dexter McCluster and then Dwyer. Let me make a case for my list.

Let’s start at the top. I’ve been extremely high on Ryan Mathews all year and may have been one of the first people to rank him as a first round prospect. He’s 5-11, 218 pounds with 4.45 speed and has great change-of-direction ability. I love his ability to play on all three downs and carry the load as a feature back at the next level. The other two runners who get first round consideration (Best and Spiller) are smaller backs and Mathews is the only true feature back in this class.

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Free Agency Shakes Up NFL Draft Picture

By: Craig VanderKam

March 7, 2010

Ndamukong Suh: Lions Draft Pick at #2?

Free agency only officially opened two days ago but it has already brought its share of big-splash deals and there was more action in the first day this year than there often is in the first week. With many of the free agent dominos having fallen and several of the big names on the trade market having been dealt, we take a closer look at these off-season acquisitions and how they could affect the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

The Detroit Lions have acquired two players on their defensive line who are guaranteed to start for next season, DT Corey Williams in a trade from the Cleveland Browns and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch via free agency. The Lions defense has ranked last in scoring defense for three straight seasons and with the exception of safety Louis Delmas and linebacker DeAndre Levy has very few bright spots. Larry Foote is a free agent and Julian Peterson is getting old, while Sammie Lee Hill has a lot of upside but Ernie Sims and Cliff Avril can only be considered building blocks [...]

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How to Rebuild the Steelers' Secondary

By: Justin Onslow

March 9, 2010

Kyle Wilson: Steelers Draft Pick at #18?

As the old adage goes, "Defense wins championships." In recent years, nothing has been truer in the NFL. With the exception of the Saints and their Super Bowl XLIV victory in a year in which they finished 20th in total defense, the league has revolved around phenomenal defensive performances, especially in the playoffs. Defense is a game of chess, orchestrated by some of the most brilliant minds in sports. Between coverage schemes, zone blitzes, gap assignments, lineman stunts and a plethora of other brush strokes, defense is a form of art in the NFL, and the Picasso's and Van Gogh's of the defensive world are often the coaches with rings on multiple fingers.

In 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers fielded one of the best defenses in NFL history en route to a league-record sixth Super Bowl victory. That team allowed 13.9 points per game, 80.3 rushing yards per game and 237.2 passing yards per game, boasting the best total defense in the league.

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