Michigan State's Malik McDowell is the latest 30-visit revealed

[Alexander]

You are 100% correct and I think that's where the problem is. People in the NFL have better access to this information and still screw it up. People on this board get second and third hand information and present it as gospel. Make decision; think no more.

Zeke had character issues as much as Bosa but didn't have that frat boy look people tend to despise. Zeke's immaturity got a pass and here we are now hoping he doesn't appear on TMZ in the next 3 months.

There is a difference between being a 20 year old kid doing off the field things versus behavior issues that arise during the interview process though.

Not once have the character slams on him talked about partying or something "immature". I don't think NFL personnel people are that naïve. They see kids coming out of school that need to grow up. But they are looking for that kid to show a little bit of maturity or for lack of a better word, "remorse" for doing something wrong.

It is relative to his sense of entitlement and overinflated sense of self worth. Even a touch of humility would have ended what already was his reputation from college because he is so talented. He didn't even try to fake it and be contrite or take what is a job interview seriously. Maybe he just does not self monitor well.

 

[fishspill]

There is a difference between being a 20 year old kid doing off the field things versus behavior issues that arise during the interview process though.

Not once have the character slams on him talked about partying or something "immature". I don't think NFL personnel people are that naïve. They see kids coming out of school that need to grow up. But they are looking for that kid to show a little bit of maturity or for lack of a better word, "remorse" for doing something wrong.

It is relative to his sense of entitlement and overinflated sense of self worth. Even a touch of humility would have ended what already was his reputation from college because he is so talented. He didn't even try to fake it and be contrite or take what is a job interview seriously. Maybe he just does not self monitor well.

The off-field things lose you weeks in this NFL. We should still be nervous about Zeke's St. Patty's hijinx not costing him a game should the media winds chose to rehash it and the league "take a stand" against such a display.

I'm not one to subscribe to the idea that great players emerge wherever they go. Environment matters and his environment wasn't conducive to his development on the field or as a person. I think this is a great spot for him. I think if he comes here he'll have his best shot at figuring things out. What I think doesn't matter. All that really matters is what Rod thought when he visited.

A 20 year old that is foolish about his approach to a once-in-a-lifetime interview process isn't enough to scare me off. I expect young men put on a pedestal their entire lives to be tone deaf. Along with that is the fact we get this info from once or twice-removed sources. The noise is loud enough to make one wonder, I'll concede, but the tape isn't something I have to just hear about and trust.

 

[Alexander]

The off-field things lose you weeks in this NFL. We should still be nervous about Zeke's St. Patty's hijinx not costing him a game should the media winds chose to rehash it and the league "take a stand" against such a display.

I didn't say I wasn't. It is just that they are different kinds of things. Either way, there is risk, whether it costs you a suspended player or being a slow leech on the team that brings everyone else down.

I'm not one to subscribe to the idea that great players emerge wherever they go. Environment matters and his environment wasn't conducive to his development on the field or as a person. I think this is a great spot for him. I think if he comes here he'll have his best shot at figuring things out. What I think doesn't matter. All that really matters is what Rod thought when he visited.

Here is a cautionary tale about Marinelli and his ability to get the most out of players. Look back at Ryan Russell. Not the same kind of special talent, but similar questions about work ethic and toughness. Marinelli spent a whole year yelling at him trying to get him to perform and eventually he had to give up. He has some Martellus Bennett like quirks too. That did not exactly gel well in Dallas either, did it? We have also shown with other troubled players like Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory that Marinelli is hardly the special tonic to get their heads screwed on correctly.

Some scouting reports on McDowell feel that an environment where he is allowed to be himself is better for him, citing Carolina and Seattle as examples. I am just not certain that we have nearly as good of a support system and discipline, especially on the defensive side of the football to reign a player like him in.

A 20 year old that is foolish about his approach to a once-in-a-lifetime interview process isn't enough to scare me off. I expect young men put on a pedestal their entire lives to be tone deaf. Along with that is the fact we get this info from once or twice-removed sources. The noise is loud enough to make one wonder, I'll concede, but the tape isn't something I have to just hear about and trust.

I am not going to lie and say that there aren't some times he looks just like the "War Daddy" we are looking for. I am not completely scared off, but there is no way I put him at the top of my list without an asterisk. A big one.

 

[fishspill]

I didn't say I wasn't. It is just that they are different kinds of things. Either way, there is risk, whether it costs you a suspended player or being a slow leech on the team that brings everyone else down.



Here is a cautionary tale about Marinelli and his ability to get the most out of players. Look back at Ryan Russell. Not the same kind of special talent, but similar questions about work ethic and toughness. Marinelli spent a whole year yelling at him trying to get him to perform and eventually he had to give up. He has some Martellus Bennett like quirks too. That did not exactly gel well in Dallas either, did it? We have also shown with other troubled players like Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory that Marinelli is hardly the special tonic to get their heads screwed on correctly.

Some scouting reports on McDowell feel that an environment where he is allowed to be himself is better for him, citing Carolina and Seattle as examples. I am just not certain that we have nearly as good of a support system and discipline, especially on the defensive side of the football to reign a player like him in.


I am not going to lie and say that there aren't some times he looks just like the "War Daddy" we are looking for. I am not completely scared off, but there is no way I put him at the top of my list without an asterisk. A big one.

Fair enough. Rod's part in this as I see it is to be a check that there's something he can do with the guy as much as anything. I find it hard to fathom McDowell was never taught more than 2 moves but that's about all he showed. Did well with them though. He has to be coachable.

The bigger influence will be the locker room. I think Dak and company have that over everyone as far as a young guy goes. I wouldn't feel at all good about McDowell coming in 2-3 years ago but the room has changed in the last year. The squad is turning to youth which is both reinvigorating the vets and placing expectations on newcomers. It doesn't mean he can't be him but he'll certainly be expected to fall in line as far as effort and prep go. If those scouts are right and that flies in the face of what he needs then this certainly isn't the place for him.

 

[xwalker]

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-corner-blog/article145118004.html


I was wondering if the team was interested in Malik, glad that they are.

He's got a huge ceiling and is still only 20 years old. They gotta be looking at him as a 3T right?

He has incredible physical talent, IMO.

At 6-6, 295, he played both DE and DT. He could line up and beat OTs around the edge then move inside and drive OGs straight back into the QB. He did see some triple team blocking.

I have not wowed by very many players in this draft, but this guy (physically) is a wow player.

I would need to know what percentage of snaps that he played and that type of thing to even start to know if he was slacking. Even then, it's really hard to know from the limited amount of information that we the fans have about these players mental makeup.

I think he could play both 3-tech DT and LDE in Marinelli's scheme.

 

[xwalker]

I didn't say I wasn't. It is just that they are different kinds of things. Either way, there is risk, whether it costs you a suspended player or being a slow leech on the team that brings everyone else down.



Here is a cautionary tale about Marinelli and his ability to get the most out of players. Look back at Ryan Russell. Not the same kind of special talent, but similar questions about work ethic and toughness. Marinelli spent a whole year yelling at him trying to get him to perform and eventually he had to give up. He has some Martellus Bennett like quirks too. That did not exactly gel well in Dallas either, did it? We have also shown with other troubled players like Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory that Marinelli is hardly the special tonic to get their heads screwed on correctly.

Some scouting reports on McDowell feel that an environment where he is allowed to be himself is better for him, citing Carolina and Seattle as examples. I am just not certain that we have nearly as good of a support system and discipline, especially on the defensive side of the football to reign a player like him in.


I am not going to lie and say that there aren't some times he looks just like the "War Daddy" we are looking for. I am not completely scared off, but there is no way I put him at the top of my list without an asterisk. A big one.

The reports remind of of MartyB. IMO, MartyB was one of the most physically talented TEs that I've seen. Unfortunately, he just screwed around while in Dallas and did just enough elsewhere to get paid. He could still be scary in Green Bay if he can stay focused, but his career will never be what it could and should have been based on his physical talent. I was at training camp MartyB's first couple of years and he was incredibly impressive at times. One minute he was running around with DBs flailing around trying to cover him as he would just reach out and effortlessly pluck balls out of the air. Then a few minutes later he was blocking better than some of the backup OLinemen they had back then. As an inline blocker, he was far superior to Witten. He couldn't remember the details enough to do any of the move (H-Back) type blocking and they had to use John Phillips for that, despite the fact that he was far inferior physically.

There is really no way for me as a fan to be able to judge these types of players. We (fans) just don't have enough information. It's easier when they have multiple arrests or failed drug tests, but I don't think McDowell has those; although, I have not really researched it in detail.

 

[fishspill]

P.S. - I forgot to add, much like with Bosa, I'm probably yelling at a cloud anyway as we won't even get a shot at him. Just don't go to the Giants...

 

[Alexander]

P.S. - I forgot to add, much like with Bosa, I'm probably yelling at a cloud anyway as we won't even get a shot at him. Just don't go to the Giants...

I think the Commanders might take a shot at him.

 

[fishspill]

I think the Commanders might take a shot at him.

I've seen that way too much as well. I'll be hoping he flakes for sure. Probably will in that zoo.

 

[Sasquatch]

I didn't say I wasn't. It is just that they are different kinds of things. Either way, there is risk, whether it costs you a suspended player or being a slow leech on the team that brings everyone else down.



Here is a cautionary tale about Marinelli and his ability to get the most out of players. Look back at Ryan Russell. Not the same kind of special talent, but similar questions about work ethic and toughness. Marinelli spent a whole year yelling at him trying to get him to perform and eventually he had to give up. He has some Martellus Bennett like quirks too. That did not exactly gel well in Dallas either, did it? We have also shown with other troubled players like Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory that Marinelli is hardly the special tonic to get their heads screwed on correctly.

Some scouting reports on McDowell feel that an environment where he is allowed to be himself is better for him, citing Carolina and Seattle as examples. I am just not certain that we have nearly as good of a support system and discipline, especially on the defensive side of the football to reign a player like him in.


I am not going to lie and say that there aren't some times he looks just like the "War Daddy" we are looking for. I am not completely scared off, but there is no way I put him at the top of my list without an asterisk. A big one.

I too am curious about which recent successes the organization has had getting the most out of similarly wired players that induce people to argue that this would be a great place for him. McClain for a few months?

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Like him better than most. High ceiling guys, Cowboy up like a War Daddy.

 

[baltcowboy]

If it was all about "believing their eyes" then there would rarely be draft busts.

When is the last time you saw a first round pick who bombed that didn't look good playing in college?

There is a work ethic and character element involved in player success.

I hear you but watching Bosa playing in games you could see him dominating. Then all of a sudden Broaddus said he is similar to Greg Ellis. The whole board freaked. Bosa was the best pass rusher in the draft. You could see it on tape and he proved it with his play.

 

[reddyuta]

I hear you but watching Bosa playing in games you could see him dominating. Then all of a sudden Broaddus said he is similar to Greg Ellis. The whole board freaked. Bosa was the best pass rusher in the draft. You could see it on tape and he proved it with his play.

Bosa had some just some minor off the field concerns,he was an animal on the field.i would rather take a lesser player like Takk or watt who I know will give 100% on every play than a player who has motivation problems which wont improve after getting 20 million.

 

[baltcowboy]

Bosa had some just some minor off the field concerns,he was an animal on the field.i would rather take a lesser player like Takk or watt who I know will give 100% on every play than a player who has motivation problems which wont improve after getting 20 million.

I would take Watt because he actually reminds me of Bosa. I just don't see him being there at 28. Tak would be a top 15 pick without the injury. I just don't think he is special. At his size he needs to be to play in the NFL.

 

[OUCowboy]

Guy is lazy. And he hasn't proven anything. Would rather have Brantley. McDowell is all hype without the production.

I wouldn't necessarily agree. Yes, it appears his effort needs a kick start at times, but it could be the fact that he was the only defensive player for Michigan State who was worth anything. After playing a lot of the season in a losing cause, it looked like he was worn down. The film room break down posted earlier explains that theory.

Is that actually what happened? Who knows, but I think McDowell is an intriguing prospect with a great deal of upside.

 

[xwalker]

I wouldn't necessarily agree. Yes, it appears his effort needs a kick start at times, but it could be the fact that he was the only defensive player for Michigan State who was worth anything. After playing a lot of the season in a losing cause, it looked like he was worn down. The film room break down posted earlier explains that theory.

Is that actually what happened? Who knows, but I think McDowell is an intriguing prospect with a great deal of upside.

IMO, McDowel is one of the most talented players in this draft.

The Cowboys should spend a lot of time interviewing him and checking out his rumored work-ethic issues.

 

[KDM256]

I really like McDowell as a player and feel like his overall body of work at Michigan State was solid. I will not hold his 2016 season against him because everybody on that Michigan State squad was awful after a shaky start of the season.

I believe Dallas coaching staff could get the best out of McDowell and figure he'll come in and try to prove to himself that he can play on Sundays. Would love to see him at #60 but if the coaching staff like him at 28, wouldn't get much of a fuss out of me as well.

 

[TheFinisher]

He's one of the top 5 most talented players in this class IMO and has all pro potential

He's basically what Jerry described when talking about wanting a war daddy, someone you need to put two on all game long

 

[TheFinisher]

I'm all aboard this train, I just hope there are 27 teams actually dumb enough to pass on him.

We should be talking about whether Myles Garrett or Malik McDowell should be the #1 pick by Cleveland.... that's how good this kid is

 

[Western]

Given the country club atmosphere at the Star in Frisco, could head coach Garrett (forget Marinelli, this is the head coaches job) inspire, motivate, and unleash McDowell's potential?
If Jimmy or Parcells were running things, I would be on board.