MERRIMAN'S STOCK RISING? from the daily rag

[dmq]

Anyone trading into the top 5 for this guy is nuts!

MERRIMAN'S STOCK RISING?



We're hearing rumblings that some teams are looking to trade into the top ten -- and as high as the top five -- of the draft for the purposes of selecting Maryland defensive end/linebacker Shawne Merriman.



Again, however, the assessment of Merriman (and any other player, for that matter) is an entirely subjective issue. In response to rumors that his stock is rising, we asked a personnel exec about Merriman, and received the following assessment:



"Interesting kid. [He] does some things you like on tape but [is] inconsistent. [He] had a poor position workout in this opinion. [He] looked out of shape, constantly winded, had to take a lot of breaks. [He[ ran and jumped well but positionally looked average, [with] no burst or quickness.



"Teams worked him as a 'backer and he looked stiff and too heavy. To me, you have to figure out where he’ll play. When you watch the tape, you think he’s a backer. During the workout, he looked like an end. . . . It won’t surprise me if someone falls in love because he’s a pretty girl, but I’d be scared to pick him because he has lapses on tape where he has very little production."

[Outlaw Heroes]

I don't know, but I'm sort of starting to sour on Merriman myself. Simply did not have the production to justify all the stroke he's getting. For my money, we'd be better off taking Spears at #11 and Pollack at #20.

[Charles]

Wow,

Scathing.

I always thought Shawne was more of an athlete than a football player.

I watched him at Frederick Douglass high. I also watched Ebenezer Ekuban at Northwestern and Bladensburg high back when I attend Northwestern. College play might have changed Shawne Merriman but in high school he was just like Ekuban TE/DE/ and Power forward on the basketball team. Basically an all around athlete.

I just don't think Merriman is a football stud like Terell Suggs.

[tyke1doe]

Enough with these off-season workout wonders.

Give me Pollack.

[Charles]

Enough with these off-season workout wonders.

Give me Pollack.
I agree.

Production over under wear olympics every day and twice on Sunday

[Wood]

Merriman reminds of when IMCLONE stock took off. Alot of hype.

[jterrell]

Merriman had 8.5 sacks and 8 sacks in his sophomore and junior seasons so he had plenty of production.

This unnamed scout from the lyingest football site on the net is addressing him purely as a linebacker. If he is a LB at all it will be in the 3-4 only. He is not a 4-3 backer at all. And of course a guy 272 pounds looks heavy working out at LB.

[sadams]

were good teams and have a lot of NFL Talent. Lets get 2 of these guys : Brown, Pollack or Spears.

I think it would be great if we can get Pool in the second and have 2 OU Safeties.

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don't like Pllack any more then I do Merriman.

[InmanRoshi]

I'll ignore the fact Merriman had more sacks as a junior than Pollack had his junior year ... if the daily rag says he's just a workout warrior and not a football player, it must be true.

If we want production, then we should be slobbering all over Dan Cody. He's the only defensive end in this draft with double digit sacks in back to back years.

[noletime1995]

want Merriman unless its at 20 at the earliest. Make the trade for Howard or play the 3-4 and load up on guys like Merriman and Ware. Those our our options IMO.

[ABQCOWBOY]

I'll ignore the fact Merriman had more sacks as a junior than Pollack had his junior year ... if the daily rag says he's just a workout warrior and not a football player, it must be true.

If we want production, then we should be slobbering all over Dan Cody. He's the only defensive end in this draft with double digit sacks in back to back years.

I'm pretty sure Swancutt has had three straight seasons of 11 sacks or more.

[speedkilz88]

Please don't give credibility to the DAILY TURD. It is the biggest joke on the net. Merriman is a heck of a player and a 275 pounder isn't going to do LB drills as smoothly as a 230 LB, its genetics. But the guy can play OLB in a 3-4 and end i a 4-3, everyone knows that and that makes him one of the most versitile pass rushers in this draft.

[Hollywood Henderson]

Well put Speed...

Heck they dog the guy then say TEAMS are falling over themselves to tyradew up to get him?

[Seven]

Anyone trading into the top 5 for this guy is nuts!

MERRIMAN'S STOCK RISING?



We're hearing rumblings that some teams are looking to trade into the top ten -- and as high as the top five -- of the draft for the purposes of selecting Maryland defensive end/linebacker Shawne Merriman.



Again, however, the assessment of Merriman (and any other player, for that matter) is an entirely subjective issue. In response to rumors that his stock is rising, we asked a personnel exec about Merriman, and received the following assessment:



"Interesting kid. [He] does some things you like on tape but [is] inconsistent. [He] had a poor position workout in this opinion. [He] looked out of shape, constantly winded, had to take a lot of breaks. [He[ ran and jumped well but positionally looked average, [with] no burst or quickness.



"Teams worked him as a 'backer and he looked stiff and too heavy. To me, you have to figure out where he’ll play. When you watch the tape, you think he’s a backer. During the workout, he looked like an end. . . . It won’t surprise me if someone falls in love because he’s a pretty girl, but I’d be scared to pick him because he has lapses on tape where he has very little production."

What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm serious....I don't understand. Someone enlighten me please. Is he in shape, a physical speciman, what!?

[Outlaw Heroes]

I'll ignore the fact Merriman had more sacks as a junior than Pollack had his junior year ... if the daily rag says he's just a workout warrior and not a football player, it must be true.


Why stop at their junior years? Don't their sophomore and senior years count?

Fair enough, Merriman didn't have a senior year, but my point is that you do Pollack a great disservice by ignoring the fact that his junior year was sandwiched between two years in which he produced at a far greater pace (and the dip in his junior season stats can be attributed to trying to bulk up too much).

[InmanRoshi]

Why stop at their junior years? Don't their sophomore and senior years count?

Merriman's senior year doesn't count because he hasn't had one.

I'm pointing out where Merriman is to "Mr Production" at the same stage in their careers, considering Merriman is just 20 years old and two years younger. Its important to note about Merriman's "lack of production" that this isn't a 5th year redshirt senior who has a 4-5 year college history.

[Doomsday101]

Merriman is clearly on my list of potential draft picks by the Cowboys with the 11th pick in the draft. He is not the only 1 but clearly would be a very good pick in my opinion.

[Outlaw Heroes]

I'm pointing out where Merriman is to "Mr Production" at the same stage in his career, considering Merriman is just 20 years old and two years younger.

Doesn't work out quite as nice when you compare their sophomore seasons.

[InmanRoshi]

Doesn't work out quite as nice when you compare their sophomore seasons.

But it does when you compare their age.

Workout Warrior has 22 career college sacks at 20 years of age. When Mr. Production was 20 years old, he had 16 career sacks in college.

[Outlaw Heroes]

But it does when you compare their age.

Can't see how age is at all relevant here. Bottom line is that any comparison between their production will result in making Merriman look far worse for the wear.

[InmanRoshi]

Of course age is relevant. 20 year old players have more ceiling than 22 year old players. We should be projecting how well these players are going to be for the entirity of the 5 years of their rookie contract. A younger player will likely have a longer career for your franchise than an older player.


Workout Warrior has 22 career college sacks at 20 years of age. When Mr. Production was 20 years old, he had 16 career sacks in college.

Given his success at such a young age, perhaps if Workout Warrior had taken a redshirt year and played his senior season, he'd be known as Mr. Production.

[Qwickdraw]

I think it's obvious why on tape he looked like an OLB and at the wprkout he looked like a DE.
Because on the tapes he IS an OLB at 250lbs. And at his workout he was 272!
That would explain the windedness and slower burst. The guy has added 20 lbs in a few months to show he can but his body is not yet used to it.
Draft him, get him down to 255 again and he'll produce. JMO.

[Outlaw Heroes]

Of course age is relevant. 20 year old players have more ceiling than 22 year old players. We should be projecting how well these players are going to be for the entirity of the 5 years of their rookie contract. A younger player will likely have a longer career for your franchise than an older player.


Workout Warrior has 22 career college sacks at 20 years of age. When Mr. Production was 20 years old, he had 16 career sacks in college.

Given his success at such a young age, perhaps if Workout Warrior had taken a redshirt year and played his senior season, he'd be known as Mr. Production.

First off, I wouldn't go so far as to call Merriman "Workout Warrier". I just don't think his production justifies all the hype. I wouldn't be unhapply with him at 11. But I would prefer, say, Spears at 11 and Pollack at 20.

As for the rest of your post:

1. Youth is nice, but I'd take an older guy who produces more any day over a younger guy (especially when by "old", we mean 22 years old).

2. You're comparing 3 seasons of stats against two. Surely that difference overwhelms the significance of their ages at that point in their respective careers.

3. Pollack spent only 4 years at Georgia (not 5, as you're suggesting).

[InmanRoshi]

First off, I wouldn't go so far as to call Merriman "Workout Warrier". I just don't think his production justifies all the hype. I wouldn't be unhapply with him at 11. But I would prefer, say, Spears at 11 and Pollack at 20.

As for the rest of your post:

1. Youth is nice, but I'd take an older guy who produces more any day over a younger guy (especially when by "old", we mean 22 years old).

2. You're comparing 3 seasons of stats against two. Surely that difference overwhelms the significance of their ages at that point in their respective careers.

3. Pollack spent only 4 years at Georgia (not 5, as you're suggesting).

Even though Pollack didn't take a reshirt year, he did start college at a later age, giving him an extra year of phsyical development.

If you want to discard Merriman's freshman year, since he was playing college ball when most of his peers were still developing in high school, they are still almost identical in production at the same age age.

19 years old - Merriman 8.5 sacks
19 years old - Pollack 2 sacks

20 years old - Merriman 8.5 sacks
20 years old - Pollack 14 sacks

It still adds up to 17 sacks for Merriman, 16 sacks for Pollack.

I like Pollack too, but this fear of the super scary "Workout Warrior" boogeyman is ridiculous. Its almost as though people purposely want to hold it against a guy who works out great. People were claiming that Julius Peppers and Jevon Kearse were more workout warriors than football players when they were in the draft process, and they were both good producers in college.

Why is everyone so worried about drafting the next Ebeneezer Ekuban workout warrior flop, but not nearly as concerned about drafting the next Tyler Brayton or Chris Hovan athletically challenged, over-achiever flop? Is it because its easier to cheer for the Tyler Brayton flop, even though he's just as awfull?

[Outlaw Heroes]

Even though Pollack didn't take a reshirt year, he did start college at a later age, giving him an extra year of phsyical development.

If you want to discard Merriman's freshman year, since he was playing college ball when most of his peers were still developing in high school, they are still almost identical in production at the same age age.

19 years old - Merriman 8.5 sacks
19 years old - Pollack 2 sacks

20 years old - Merriman 8.5 sacks
20 years old - Pollack 14 sacks

It still adds up to 17 sacks for Merriman, 16 sacks for Pollack.

Now your comparison excludes Merriman's worst year (understandably, his freshman year, when many players are still learning what it takes to play the college game) while including Pollack's.

I think you're placing way too much stock in physical development in an effort to make it seem as though Merriman's production compares favourably to Pollack's. The bottom line is that Pollack had two seasons of 12 sacks or more. Merriman had no season in which he recorded double-digit sacks. And I think it's too easy to blame it on physical development. Terrell Suggs came out as a 20 year old too. Unlike Merriman, however, his youth didn't prevent him from breaking the single season sack record.

Now it's no slight on Merriman that he's not Suggs (neither, for that matter, is Pollack). My point is merely that youth shouldn't be used as an excuse for relative lack of production.

And, again, I still like Merriman. Just not enough to be able to fathom how people are talking about trading into the top 5 to get him, when virtually everyone agrees that a similar type of player with far greater productivity at a more recognized program is likely to be available at 20.

[Outlaw Heroes]

I like Pollack too, but this fear of the super scary "Workout Warrior" boogeyman is ridiculous. Its almost as though people purposely want to hold it against a guy who works out great. People were claiming that Julius Peppers and Jevon Kearse were more workout warriors than football players when they were in the draft process, and they were both good producers in college.

Fair point. Merriman is no Mamula.

[ghettogandhi]

the fact that a guy posseses tremendous physical attributes should not be a cause for concern, it should be a plus when added to his on the field stats and productivity. 3-4 lbers are now at a premium with more and more teams going to the 3-4.

names like john abraham, julius peppers come to mind.

the bottom line is he is the best 3-4 olb prospect in the draft.

[Rack Bauer]

the bottom line is he is the best 3-4 olb prospect in the draft


Says the obvious Merriman/Maryland homer.

[ghettogandhi]

Says the obvious Merriman/Maryland homer.

says Pollacks beeeatttchhh boy- are your feelings hurt cause no one is talking about your boy Pollack-

yet another article where no one metions rack main Boy toy pollack- he could go late in round one-but of course he is a better NFL draft pick than Merriman?

By the way Rack, did you get my wedding gift to yall- a case of crow. lol

[Rack Bauer]

says Pollacks beeeatttchhh boy-


Just cuz I'm not all over Merriman's nutsack doesn't mean I'm on anyone else's nutsuck. I think Pollack is the better player, doesn't mean I have man-love for him like you do for Merriman.


are your feelings hurt cause no one is talking about your boy Pollack-


Are you serious? How old are you?



yet another article where no one metions rack main Boy toy pollack


Well, Genius, the article was ABOUT Merriman... why would they mention Pollack? Should I point out every Pollack article that doesn't mention Merriman?

Again, how old are you?


- he could go late in round one-but of course he is a better NFL draft pick than Merriman?


Yes. And he'd be an even BETTER Draft pick then Merriman if he went later in the draft.

Something tells me you won't be able to figure that sentence out.



By the way Rack, did you get my wedding gift to yall- a case of crow. lol


And for the last time, how old are you?