CCBoy
04-26-2012, 03:04 AM
Trained Eye
Trained Eye: DeCastro Under The Microscope
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/news.cfm?id=EA5F2C96-E717-1F10-31A358367B419B55
...Strengths: His strength is as a pass protector ... Has nice knee bend and flexibility when he kicks away from the line. Plays with balance and you do not see any overextension which happens to a lot of college linemen ... Really good job of movement and sliding with his man. Is very light on his feet and even when he is beaten with quickness, he is able to counter the move and work back into position to finish the block ... I am impressed with the way that, when he is uncovered in the pocket, he is always looking to help a teammate with a block ... Has outstanding awareness of his assignment and what he needs to do in the scheme to be successful ... You see the ability to adjust when defenses run blitzes to try and pressure Andrew Luck ... He is good at getting to the second level, able to combo with a center or tackle and work up ... Thought he did a better job sustaining blocks when on the edge moreso than when he was inside ... He can make the backside cut off block.
Weaknesses: If there is one area that DeCastro struggles in, it is when he has to be a one-on-one blocker in the running game. He doesn't always get the movement that you would expect from a player that benched 225 pounds 34 times at the combine. In this area, you see him getting stalemated more times than not, which is surprising.
Final Take: DeCastro is the best guard in a deep draft at the position. Thought there was a real chance before free agency that he was going to be the Cowboys' selection, but now I feel like they will go in a different direction. He's an outstanding pass protector and blocker on the edge, and does things with an ease of movement. But if he has a weakness, there are times where he doesn't get the movement as a drive blocker that you would expect.
Trained Eye: DeCastro Under The Microscope
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/news.cfm?id=EA5F2C96-E717-1F10-31A358367B419B55
...Strengths: His strength is as a pass protector ... Has nice knee bend and flexibility when he kicks away from the line. Plays with balance and you do not see any overextension which happens to a lot of college linemen ... Really good job of movement and sliding with his man. Is very light on his feet and even when he is beaten with quickness, he is able to counter the move and work back into position to finish the block ... I am impressed with the way that, when he is uncovered in the pocket, he is always looking to help a teammate with a block ... Has outstanding awareness of his assignment and what he needs to do in the scheme to be successful ... You see the ability to adjust when defenses run blitzes to try and pressure Andrew Luck ... He is good at getting to the second level, able to combo with a center or tackle and work up ... Thought he did a better job sustaining blocks when on the edge moreso than when he was inside ... He can make the backside cut off block.
Weaknesses: If there is one area that DeCastro struggles in, it is when he has to be a one-on-one blocker in the running game. He doesn't always get the movement that you would expect from a player that benched 225 pounds 34 times at the combine. In this area, you see him getting stalemated more times than not, which is surprising.
Final Take: DeCastro is the best guard in a deep draft at the position. Thought there was a real chance before free agency that he was going to be the Cowboys' selection, but now I feel like they will go in a different direction. He's an outstanding pass protector and blocker on the edge, and does things with an ease of movement. But if he has a weakness, there are times where he doesn't get the movement as a drive blocker that you would expect.