North vs South Senior Bowl Game Thread

[DeaconBlues]

RW said earlier that scouts are long gone when the whistle blows. All they look at is practices and don't watch the game.

Somebody better look at game tapes, or a GM is gonna be in hot water over a practice tackle.

 

[Randy White]

So why did he pick today of all days to do none of those things?

Here, once again, is some people see what they want to see.

I go back to the 1st TD of the game by the North. The run play. That doesn't happen if Iupati doesn't get to the LB, ie: the second level. Keep in mind that he wasn't just going straight at the LB, he was doubling on the NG and THEN getting to the LB. That play, by itself, shows his " led feet " thing was not accurate and his technique was nearly perfect.

However, what people wanted to see was a bulldozer paving over players while the RB just calmly waited behind him until he got to the endzone. Anything short of that, he was " overhyped ". Well, I hate to break the news to all those people who expected that, NOBODY has ever done that. Not the great Larry Allen, not John Hannah ( arguably the greatest guard of all time ), no anybody.

What I looked for in this game, depending on the position, and this case an offensive linemen is mostly consistency and technique. Iupati showed the same, exact technique he's shown throught the week, which is what put him in the map.

I honestly can tell you that I didn't know the guy other than watching Idaho ST played a shootout game against I don't even remember who on ESPN and hearing his name mentioned as possible top prospect. Not until I started watching the practices during the week that I was convinced that this guy IS for real and that they hype is deserved.

 

[jterrell]

No, just you. Please note the date and time. They are referring to the practices. I, and others here, are referring to the game. He apparently a great practice player, but all the work he put in went out the window once the whistle blew.

You don't ignore a week of practice because a guy held in the game.

Any OL Coach would love this guy and feel quite confident they could get him to block without holding regularly.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ive-at-senior-bowl-2010-nfl-draft-projections

This year's draft has a promising group of linemen and one player is making a big impression at the Senior Bowl practices already: former Idaho guard Mike Iupati .

Listed around 6'5" and 325 pounds, Iupati is a great fit for any team's left guard position but at the Senior Bowl, coaches have been working him out at left and right tackle.

So far, the early returns on Iupati is that he is best suited for the guard position but coaches and scouts believe he has promising potential as a future tackle in the NFL.

Lions' offensive coordinator Scott Linehan went so far as to say that Iupati is obviously the best player that will play at the Senior Bowl and is an instant fantasy help.

 

[jterrell]

It is one thing to learn to improve certain quirks in your play. Or to learn a different position, one you have strengths in. I'd have a concern with a tall OL who stands up at almost every snap. It's gonna take time.

Hopefully, if he learns to play low and fire out, he'll lose the need to grab so much.

He was pushing guys off the ball every play. He wasn't losing leverage battles at all. He was hardly awful as many are now intimating, he just wasn't great and his technique was awful. He was moving guys easily but he'd then grab outside the pads and that's a no-no. It's a bigger no-no when you don't have to do it.

He did show he can get to the next level but again once there he tended to hold guys rather than just push them straight back.

He reminds me a good deal of Andre Gurode coming out of Colorado. A very, very [physical guy who dominated one on one.

 

[Bluestang]

Here, once again, is some people see what they want to see.

I go back to the 1st TD of the game by the North. The run play. That doesn't happen if Iupati doesn't get to the LB, ie: the second level. Keep in mind that he wasn't just going straight at the LB, he was doubling on the NG and THEN getting to the LB. That play, by itself, shows his " led feet " thing was not accurate and his technique was nearly perfect.

However, what people wanted to see was a bulldozer paving over players while the RB just calmly waited behind him until he got to the endzone. Anything short of that, he was " overhyped ". Well, I hate to break the news to all those people who expected that, NOBODY has ever done that. Not the great Larry Allen, not John Hannah ( arguably the greatest guard of all time ), no anybody.

What I looked for in this game, depending on the position, and this case an offensive linemen is mostly consistency and technique. Iupati showed the same, exact technique he's shown throught the week, which is what put him in the map.

I honestly can tell you that I didn't know the guy other than watching Idaho ST played a shootout game against I don't even remember who on ESPN and hearing his name mentioned as possible top prospect. Not until I started watching the practices during the week that I was convinced that this guy IS for real and that they hype is deserved.

- Did he not cost his team a TD because of the "excellent use of his hands"?

- Did he give up a couple of sacks when he went 1v1 blocking?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

He was pushing guys off the ball every play. He wasn't losing leverage battles at all. He was hardly awful as many are now intimating, he just wasn't great and his technique was awful. He was moving guys easily but he'd then grab outside the pads and that's a no-no. It's a bigger no-no when you don't have to do it.

He did show he can get to the next level but again once there he tended to hold guys rather than just push them straight back.

He reminds me a good deal of Andre Gurode coming out of Colorado. A very, very [physical guy who dominated one on one.

I don't know how you saw that

the only guy pushing people around was Ducasse

 

[Randy White]

RW said earlier that scouts are long gone when the whistle blows. All they look at is practices and don't watch the game.

And its' true for every All Star game, every year:

While most people only pay attention to the actual game, the practices that go on throughout the week are actually more important. For those of us that spend the week in Mobile, it’s apparent that NFL scouts and front office personnel don’t care much about the game. In fact, most NFL staffs leave on Thursday evening as Friday’s practice is only a walk through. Only a small amount of scouts stay to watch the game on Saturday.

http://bal.scout.com/2/938834.html

 

[DeaconBlues]

You don't ignore a week of practice because a guy held in the game.

I'm not saying you ignore a week of practice. But in the game he acted as if he had only played the position this week. If he just had a bad game, out of position, occasionally over-matched, then I can see the praise.

But his basic technique was poor. Anyone with eyes could see he consistently held DL, not every once in a while. And on what was probably his best play, the TD run where he blocked two different defensive players, even the commentators noted he could have been flagged on both blocks.

He needs work in game situations. Wonderful practice player, but was poor in the game. And its the games that will decide his worth.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

And its' true for every All Star game, every year:




http://bal.scout.com/2/938834.html

a lot of teams aren't sending a lot of scouts to the Combine either

they just watch NFL Network

the game isn't the end all, be all, but it is for small school players to gauge how they do against top competition

as they are making 2 jumps, as opposed to the bigger school players

 

[Bluestang]

Only a small amount of scouts stay to watch the game on Saturday.


Why?

 

[Randy White]

- Did he not cost his team a TD because of the "excellent use of his hands"?

NO. He helped his team scored one because of it.

- Did he give up a couple of sacks when he went 1v1 blocking?

Other than the 1 sack he gave up while lining up at the RG position for the first time in the game, what other sack did he gave up ?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Only a small amount of scouts stay to watch the game on Saturday.


Why?

television

 

[Bluestang]

NO. He helped his team scored one because of it.



Other than the 1 sack he gave up while lining up at the RG position for the first time in the game, what other sack did he gave up ?

sack strip fumble when canfield was qb.

 

[DeaconBlues]

NO. He helped his team scored one because of it.

Obviously, you checked out along with the scouts. He was called for holding on a TD run.

 

[Bluestang]

NO. He helped his team scored one because of it.

He was flagged for holding and cost his team a TD. Instead they get 3 pts. Also the TD run by Blount he could have been flagged twice for holding.

 

[Randy White]

a lot of teams aren't sending scouts to the Combine either

Name ONE team who does NOT send scouts to the combines ?

As a matter of fact, name ONE team who does NOT send not only scouts, but front office representatives to interview players to the combine.. ?

There's a difference between using the combine results as THE major source of scouting ( as opposed to BLESTO or others ) and not sending scoutst to the combine.

 

[Bluestang]

Obviously, you checked out along with the scouts. He was called for holding on a TD run.

It was actually a TD pass by Pike to the Gresham down the seam. It was a great throw by Pike.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Name ONE team who does NOT send scouts to the combines ?

As a matter of fact, name ONE team who does NOT send not only scouts, but front office representatives to interview players to the combine.. ?

There's a difference between using the combine results as THE major source of scouting ( as opposed to BLESTO or others ) and not sending scoutst to the combine.

I corrected it, but didn't you hear during the telecast today that teams aren't sending boatloads of scouts to the Combine anymore because of the NFL Network's coverage?

Just because NFL teams can have their people watch the Senior Bowl on TV, and it's cheaper to do that, than pay for them to stay an extra day or 2, doesn't mean the game is irrelevant

 

[UnoDallas]

Here, once again, is some people see what they want to see.

I go back to the 1st TD of the game by the North. The run play. That doesn't happen if Iupati doesn't get to the LB, ie: the second level. Keep in mind that he wasn't just going straight at the LB, he was doubling on the NG and THEN getting to the LB. That play, by itself, shows his " led feet " thing was not accurate and his technique was nearly perfect.

However, what people wanted to see was a bulldozer paving over players while the RB just calmly waited behind him until he got to the endzone. Anything short of that, he was " overhyped ". Well, I hate to break the news to all those people who expected that, NOBODY has ever done that. Not the great Larry Allen, not John Hannah ( arguably the greatest guard of all time ), no anybody.

What I looked for in this game, depending on the position, and this case an offensive linemen is mostly consistency and technique. Iupati showed the same, exact technique he's shown throught the week, which is what put him in the map.

I honestly can tell you that I didn't know the guy other than watching Idaho ST played a shootout game against I don't even remember who on ESPN and hearing his name mentioned as possible top prospect. Not until I started watching the practices during the week that I was convinced that this guy IS for real and that they hype is deserved.

I still draft him at 27

he raw yes but give a college kid that is not ?

he will start over Kozier by game 8

 

[Randy White]

He was flagged for holding and cost his team a TD. Instead they get 3 pts. Also the TD run by Blount he could have been flagged twice for holding.

Who was he holding ? The NG he was double teaming before he got to the LB or the LB ?

I will admit that I didn't see the holding penalty, started watching the game right before Blount scored the TD, but even if he did, that doesn't take away from anything he's accomplished during the entire weeil.