Is Alan Branch a " WOW " player?

[Bob Sacamano]

Woodley just makes plays

 

[speedkilz88]

I don't know, speed.

I think height is overrated in football. Dwight Freeney is shorter than Woodley. I'm not saying Woodley is another Freeney, but when I watched Michigan, this guy was all over the field.

I just knew you were going to bring up Freeney, he's the one great pass rusher that is 6-1 but the guy runs a 4.40. Woodley isnt near that kind of freakish athlete.

 

[RCowboyFan]

And you come to this conclusion how?

By barely watching any games that he played? I.e. clueless. I have watched every game last year, and I know that Branch is Legitimate Dominating force. And I haven't seen the Lazy side of him, till the draft came around and reports started to surface. Now I am not saying he is a sure thing, but at 22, he is freaking steal and worth the shot.

 

[RCowboyFan]

I don't know, speed.

I think height is overrated in football. Dwight Freeney is shorter than Woodley. I'm not saying Woodley is another Freeney, but when I watched Michigan, this guy was all over the field.

He does, but I think I like Mike LB, more than him. I think he is very underated. So I think he might end up even in 3rd round.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I just knew you were going to bring up Freeney, he's the one great pass rusher that is 6-1 but the guy runs a 4.40. Woodley isnt near that kind of freakish athlete.

his strength and explosion numbers are pretty good though

 

[StanleySpadowski]

You want to ignore all the reports- on just about every site- about questions about his motivation (lazy) and his condition (fat) go ahead. I could care less. I just hope Jerrah and company are smarter then you are.

You have to watch "reports" about any player. Name any DT in the last five drafts and I'll find you at least one "report" that he lacks motivation or his motor is in question. It's filler when a player isn't the sure fire number one overall and something needs to be listed in his negatives column. It's the same with "needs to work on route running" with WRs or "lacks fluidity in the hips" for DBs or "problems with recognition" for LBs.

You really need to spend less time reading opinions of others and start forming your own. DVR games all season then watch them in the winter or even tune to ESPNU for replays like they've been doing all month.

Branch was the one player on a pretty talented Michigan defense (Hall, Harris and Woodley are all expected to go in the first two round) that opposing offenses seemed to game plan around. He didn't seem to lack motivation to me despite facing constant double teams all season long.

 

[Rack]

Is Alan Branch a " WOW " player?

Only if you're watching him eat.

 

[chicago JK]

I had the opportunity to see Branch play in a high school game. He actually got quite a few touches on offense, playing tight end and getting a few carries out of the backfield. It was funny watching him run with two or three defenders riding piggy-back. He was probably 6-4, 270 then. I also saw him play basketball. He's definitely an elite athlete.

Since we're talking about Michigan, I also like Lamarr Woodley.

I like Woodley too. I heard him interviewed about two weeks ago and he is a very impressive young man. His dad is or was a marine. I was definately impressed with how poised he is.

Branch has to be given strong consideration if he is available at 22. Look at guys like Ngata, Henderson, Wilfork, and countless others. I was high on all of them but all came back and had their last years in college where their work ethic were questioned. I have no idea if Branch is that caliber player. If he is, you better darn well take him.

 

[silverbear]

I don't think that was what JJ was talking about but I hope he falls to 22 and we take him.

Why would you want a player who's so frickin' lazy he showed up to the most important job interview of his life out of shape??

I wouldn't draft him anywhere on the first day; in the 4th round or later, he MIGHT be worth a gamble... but no lazy player makes it onto my first day draft board, I don't want players I'm gonna have to babysit in the offseason...

 

[silverbear]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcBpbXcMHvM

Someone will have to show me all this fat he supposedly has, because I don't see it. For a 325 lbs. man he doesn't even have a gut. And if he was so lazy, how come teams couldn't run for more than 43 yards a game against Michigan?

From Gil Brandt at NFL.com, on Branch's Pro Day workout:

Branch (6-5? 328) ran the short shuttle in 4.79 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.56. Kansas City defensive line coach Tim Krumrie worked Branch hard during the position drills, and the scouts there said Branch did not look like he was in very good shape.

Indeed, Branch has come in for considerable ridicule for that "effort"... in their draft profile on him, NFL.com had this to say:

When he gets lazy or runs out of gas, he will push and lean and is prone to disappearing from the action for long stretches …

NFLDraftCountdown says:

Stamina and weight have been issues.

SI simply said:

Needs to properly condition himself.

Not having a gut is not the same thing as being in NFL shape... and I repeat, I do NOT want the Cowboys to spend a first round pick on ANY player who has question marks about his work ethic (not getting in shape for the most important job interview of your life suggests he doesn't have much of a work ethic)...

He has "bust" written all over him...

 

[silverbear]

We will take this guy if he's still there at 22 (he won't be). Anyone suggesting otherwise is delusional.

The scouts that were concerned with his conditioning at his pro day expressed their concern...and then reiterated that he's still by far the best DT in this draft. Those of you whom are referring to him as "fat and lazy" are taking these concerns a bit far.

Then why is he in a free-fall down the draft board??

A week ago, he was a consensus top 10 pick... this week, we're talking about the possibility of him slipping to Dallas at pick 22... I saw one mock draft yesterday that had him going at pick 30...

"Fat" may be too strong a criticism, but he got punked by Tim Krumrie at his Pro Day workout, scouts were laughing at him... Krumrie is nowhere near as big as Branch, and of course much older, and it was mano a mano there... his conditioning is not acceptable by NFL standards, and as I've said over and over and over again, if he can't get his conditioning up when he's trying to impress some team enough to draft him early, what makes you think he'll be able to do it week in and week out come the regular season??

 

[silverbear]

Woodley just makes plays

But scouts doubt his ability to play linebacker, which is where he'd play if the Cowboys drafted him...

I'm not saying he's a bum, just that he's not a good fit in a 3-4... I see him as a situational pass rusher as a 4-3 DE...

 

[silverbear]

By barely watching any games that he played? I.e. clueless. I have watched every game last year, and I know that Branch is Legitimate Dominating force. And I haven't seen the Lazy side of him, till the draft came around and reports started to surface.

But those reports DID begin to surface, and now I read comments about his conditioning in stamina in virtually EVERY analysis I read about him...

But I guess Gil Brandt isn't enough of an expert to suit you, eh??

 

[Cajuncowboy]

From Gil Brandt at NFL.com, on Branch's Pro Day workout:



Indeed, Branch has come in for considerable ridicule for that "effort"... in their draft profile on him, NFL.com had this to say:



NFLDraftCountdown says:



SI simply said:



Not having a gut is not the same thing as being in NFL shape... and I repeat, I do NOT want the Cowboys to spend a first round pick on ANY player who has question marks about his work ethic (not getting in shape for the most important job interview of your life suggests he doesn't have much of a work ethic)...

He has "bust" written all over him...

In fairness SB, Branch did have shin splints and that could have had an affect on his conditioning for the combine. Hopefully Jerry makes the right pick. If it's me and I'm making the call and Branch is there at 22, I pull the trigger and take the guy. Could be a bust? Sure but then so could all the other guys in the draft. You just don't know.

 

[chicago JK]

From Gil Brandt at NFL.com, on Branch's Pro Day workout:



Indeed, Branch has come in for considerable ridicule for that "effort"... in their draft profile on him, NFL.com had this to say:



NFLDraftCountdown says:



SI simply said:



Not having a gut is not the same thing as being in NFL shape... and I repeat, I do NOT want the Cowboys to spend a first round pick on ANY player who has question marks about his work ethic (not getting in shape for the most important job interview of your life suggests he doesn't have much of a work ethic)...

He has "bust" written all over him...

I have no idea if Branch will be a stud or a dud as an NFL player. All I know is guys who spend their lives evaluating players aren't foul proof evaluating DTs in the first round of the NFL drafts. So, who am I to say if a guy is going to make it or not.

With that being said, I can take the same writeups that you show and they will probably say he could potentially be a dominant DT for the next ten years. These draft write ups do a good job of covering their butts on the negatives and positives of a player.

I know two facts about branch. One is he was an absolute stud last year at Michigan. And two, he hasn't impressed many teams in the dork olympics.

One of two things will happen with Branch from everyone on this message board. One is he will not be a good pro and the Negative Branch guys will say...."I told you his job interviews showed he would be a lazy player". Or he will be a very good player and the pro Branch guys will say "Branch is another in a long line of prospects where people discounted what he did on the field and put too much stock in what he did in shorts doing drills."

Time will tell. Who will be right? It looks like 50% of this board will be wrong. Check back in a few years.

 

[silverbear]

In fairness SB, Branch did have shin splints and that could have had an affect on his conditioning for the combine.

Ahhh, but it's quite likely that he got the shin splints in the first place because he's carrying around too much weight...

I had a problem with them up until about 2 years ago... but since I got diagnosed with diabeetus (nod to Wilford Brimsley), and lost 40 pounds, haven't had the first problem with them...

Hopefully Jerry makes the right pick. If it's me and I'm making the call and Branch is there at 22, I pull the trigger and take the guy. Could be a bust? Sure but then so could all the other guys in the draft. You just don't know.

No, there's no way to tell for sure, but there is no first round caliber draftee out there with a greater bust potential than Branch has, IMO...

Besides, we don't even know if he can make the move to 3-4 NT, from what I've read when Michigan went to the 3-4 they moved Alan to DE... now, I THINK he could probably make that switch, but it adds to the doubt about whether he's worth pick 22 for the Boys...

 

[silverbear]

I have no idea if Branch will be a stud or a dud as an NFL player. All I know is guys who spend their lives evaluating players aren't foul proof evaluating DTs in the first round of the NFL drafts. So, who am I to say if a guy is going to make it or not.

With that being said, I can take the same writeups that you show and they will probably say he could potentially be a dominant DT for the next ten years. These draft write ups do a good job of covering their butts on the negatives and positives of a player.

I know two facts about branch. One is he was an absolute stud last year at Michigan. And two, he hasn't impressed many teams in the dork olympics.

One of two things will happen with Branch from everyone on this message board. One is he will not be a good pro and the Negative Branch guys will say...."I told you his job interviews showed he would be a lazy player". Or he will be a very good player and the pro Branch guys will say "Branch is another in a long line of prospects where people discounted what he did on the field and put too much stock in what he did in shorts doing drills."

Time will tell. Who will be right? It looks like 50% of this board will be wrong. Check back in a few years.

Fair enough... but in the meantime, I do NOT want to see this guy in a Cowboys uniform... at pick 22, I want somebody with a few fewer question marks attached to him...

 

[InmanRoshi]

If any pro franchise throws away four years of film based on what a buffoon like Tim Krumrie did on a pro day in shorts, they are icomplete idiots and they make a complete mockery of the talent evaluation process.

 

[silverbear]

If any pro franchise throws away four years of film based on what a buffoon like Tim Krumrie did on a pro day in shorts, they are icomplete idiots and they make a complete mockery of the talent evaluation process.

And yet, Branch's draft stock has dropped significantly over the last few days...

 

[burmafrd]

Silver, don't waste your time. Those in love with Branch do not want to hear it. NT is one position where you CANNOT take any plays off. This guy has. NT is a place where you have to have stamina. This guy has questionable stamina. EVERY SINGLE WRITE UP BY EVERYONE SAYS THE SAME THING. BUT they do not want to hear it.