silverbear
Semi-Official Loose Cannon
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I thought it would be interesting to copy and paste the analyses of different prospects, according to three websites that I find most valuable-- NFL Draft Countdown, NFL.com and ESPN.com (in that order)... I will highlight positives in blue fonts, negatives in red fonts... first up, the Boys' first pick:
Running Back | Junior | Arkansas Felix Jones
Height: 5-101/8 | Weight: 207 | 40-Time: 4.47
Official Bio
Strengths:
Excellent speed and quickness...Explosive with a terrific burst...Elusive in the open field...Good feet...Nice balance and change of direction skills...Great vision...Terrific hands as a receiver and runs good routes...A legit big play threat who can take it the distance...Good production...Team player with good intangibles...There isn't a lot of wear and tear on his body....Versatile and also an outstanding kick returner.
Weaknesses:
Never carried the load in college...Size and bulk are just average...Not very strong or powerful...Doesn't break a lot of tackles or pick up many yards after contact...A sub par blocker...Needs to show more patience...Won't do much damage between the tackles...His upside could be limited to a change of pace role at the next level.
Notes:
Combined with Darren McFadden to form the premier running back tandem in the nation...Earned All-American honors as a kick returner...Finished with the second best career yards per carry average (7.6) in NCAA history behind only Glenn Davis of Army (8.26)...A multi-dimensional weapon...Probably won't ever be a workhorse in the NFL but could excel in a role similar to the one he played with the Hogs....If everything clicks just right he could be a Brian Westbrook-type but he is probably more of a poor-man's Reggie Bush..Looks like a late 1st or early 2nd round talent.
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Career Statistics
Year GP Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds TD
2005 11 99 626 6.3 3 8 100 0
2006 14 154 1,168 7.6 6 15 107 3
2007 13 133 1,162 8.7 11 16 176 0
Totals 38 386 2,956 7.6 20 39 383 3
Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
Positives: Has a lean frame, but shows good muscle development and bubble, well-defined thighs and calves, large hands, wide back and room to carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk with no loss of quickness...Has excellent quickness and explosion coming out of his stance into the rush lanes...Demonstrates the feet and balance to pick his way through trash and stay upright after initial contact...Has pick-and-slide agility to make tacklers miss, especially when he turns the corner...Plays with good toughness and competitiveness, as he will lower his head and square his shoulders to drive through after contact...Not really a punishing runner, but easily bounces off tackles and gives second effort when the rush lane is clogged...Self-starter and hard worker in the training room and will put in extra time watching film...Mature with good field intelligence and vision...Has a good attitude, as he never complained about sharing the rush load, despite his obvious pedigree...Has the sudden moves out of his stance to gain advantage and the quickness to avoid and accelerate past defenders...Shows a natural feel for the crease and displays excellent vision and hip swerve as he weaves through traffic, picking his feet nicely over trash...Hits the hole with no hesitation, showing the explosive leg drive to break arm tackles, as he works hard to get upfield inside and clear the line of scrimmage...Has a low center of gravity, which allows him to keep his base moving through tight areas and does not need to gear down when cutting...Instinctive in his movements, displaying the vision to see threats...Uses his blocks well...When he keeps his pad level low going through the rush lane, he has the short-area explosion and juke moves to elude defenders turning the corner, as he excels at cutting sharply with good acceleration...Has the body control and foot agility to step and slide on his way to avoid tackles...Has made strides in being more patient to let his blocks develop, showing a good feel for the hole and vision to spot the seam in the zone...Can find the inside hole but will run a little upright doing this and he knows how to adjust on the move, using impressive pick, slide and acceleration through the holes...Has the balance needed to keep his feet and shows a sharp burst out of his cuts...Has outstanding lateral range to gain yards in chunks on outside runs, utilizing excellent change-of-direction agility to can freeze defenders with fakes and body lean...As a junior, he displayed much better ball security and the hands to handle pitchouts (had problems grabbing the ball on the fly and running with it in 2006, resulting in five fumbles, compared to one in 2007)...Has improved his patience waiting for the toss to develop before trying to burst through the seam or turn the corner...One of his better assets is his ability to accelerate into the second level, redirect and break away for the long run...Very fast-twitched runner when attacking the hole and, while he might go down on first contact at times, he has that vision to locate small seams, sink his pads and try to slip past...Has the ability to jump-cut and shoot upfield...Has a very good feel to anticipate where the rushing lanes are and does a good job of keeping his pad level to break arm tackles around the corner (not as effective running inside)...Adequate pass catcher who shows good concentration and flexibility in his pass routes, extending his hands properly away from the framework, but will use his body as a crutch when working in a crowd...Makes good body adjustments toward the ball and shows patience, body control and vision waiting for blocks to develop as a returner...Best asset as a kickoff returner is that he creative enough to vary his speed, set up the defender, execute a fake and then accelerate into the open.
Negatives: Has to learn to run at a lower pad level when running through the inside holes...Will get erect in his stance as an attempt to squeeze through tight areas...Has good leg drive, but will make bigger gains when trying to avoid, as he is generally brought down on the initial hit when operating in a crowd...He had just 22 runs on which the opposition needed more than one defender to take him down on 133 attempts in 2007...Elusive runner who does a good job of squaring up before initial contact, but must improve his body lean, as he does not do a good job of falling forward...Pitter-patter running style will see him get up on his toes...Just an adequate receiver who needs route-running refinement, as he tends to round his cuts...While he shows good hands on returns, as a receiver, he does not get to the ball at its highest point and can get a little sloppy trying to explode out of his breaks...Despite showing aggression as a blocker, his size prevents him from gaining leverage vs. bigger defenders (will get a piece of his man, but his weight-room strength fails to translate to the field, as he is not the type that can overpower second-level defenders).
Compares To: CARNELL WILLIAMS-Tampa Bay...Both are best taking the ball outside. Jones is a water bug on the field, excelling at avoiding defenders when he clears the line of scrimmage. He has a Devin Hester-type of burst as a kickoff returner and has worked well within the two-back system. Team him up with a powerful inside runner and you will get better value. We doubt his frame can handle pounding associated with touching the ball 30 times a game at the next level, especially if he doesn't learn how to run at a lower pad level between the tackles. He greatly improved his ball-security ability as a junior, something that turned out to be a major problem for his running mate, Darren McFadden. Some teams might prefer Jones over McFadden, as he has greater avoidance skills, while McFadden is more likely to seek contact and has a few off-field issues to be investigated.
Injury Report
2007: Bothered by a stomach virus vs. Kentucky (9/22)...Suffered a deep thigh bruise early in the Tennessee game (11/10) and was limited to just four plays vs. the Vols and one play the next game vs. Mississippi State (11/17).
Felix Jones
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 1
Pick (Overall): 22(22)RB | (5'10", 207, 4.469) | ARKANSAS
Overall: Prior to declaring early for the 2008 NFL draft, Jones played a versatile backup role to Darren McFadden throughout his three seasons with the Razorbacks. During that three-season span, Jones rushed for 2,956 yards and 20 scores on 386 carries, caught 39 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns. It's hard not to wonder what type of numbers Jones would have churned out as a premier back at another school. To his credit, though; Jones never showed frustration playing in McFadden's shadow. Instead, he has managed to build quite a resume as a versatile No. 2 back. Jones is not as big or strong as McFadden, but he does set the bar when it comes to breakaway speed -- and that's saying a lot considering McFadden's outstanding burst. Jones can be an instant impact player if used in as multi-purpose role.
Bear's take-- Felix was not the highest rated running back on my board, I found it hard to justify giving a first round grade to a back who only projects as a part-time, change of pace back... but if Wade Phillips REALLY believes that Jones is another Thurman Thomas, then this pick starts to look better to me... the kid does bring another dimension to the running game, and potential in the receiving game, and of course, a world of promise to our return game...
Running Back | Junior | Arkansas Felix Jones
Height: 5-101/8 | Weight: 207 | 40-Time: 4.47
Official Bio
Strengths:
Excellent speed and quickness...Explosive with a terrific burst...Elusive in the open field...Good feet...Nice balance and change of direction skills...Great vision...Terrific hands as a receiver and runs good routes...A legit big play threat who can take it the distance...Good production...Team player with good intangibles...There isn't a lot of wear and tear on his body....Versatile and also an outstanding kick returner.
Weaknesses:
Never carried the load in college...Size and bulk are just average...Not very strong or powerful...Doesn't break a lot of tackles or pick up many yards after contact...A sub par blocker...Needs to show more patience...Won't do much damage between the tackles...His upside could be limited to a change of pace role at the next level.
Notes:
Combined with Darren McFadden to form the premier running back tandem in the nation...Earned All-American honors as a kick returner...Finished with the second best career yards per carry average (7.6) in NCAA history behind only Glenn Davis of Army (8.26)...A multi-dimensional weapon...Probably won't ever be a workhorse in the NFL but could excel in a role similar to the one he played with the Hogs....If everything clicks just right he could be a Brian Westbrook-type but he is probably more of a poor-man's Reggie Bush..Looks like a late 1st or early 2nd round talent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Statistics
Year GP Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds TD
2005 11 99 626 6.3 3 8 100 0
2006 14 154 1,168 7.6 6 15 107 3
2007 13 133 1,162 8.7 11 16 176 0
Totals 38 386 2,956 7.6 20 39 383 3
Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
Positives: Has a lean frame, but shows good muscle development and bubble, well-defined thighs and calves, large hands, wide back and room to carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk with no loss of quickness...Has excellent quickness and explosion coming out of his stance into the rush lanes...Demonstrates the feet and balance to pick his way through trash and stay upright after initial contact...Has pick-and-slide agility to make tacklers miss, especially when he turns the corner...Plays with good toughness and competitiveness, as he will lower his head and square his shoulders to drive through after contact...Not really a punishing runner, but easily bounces off tackles and gives second effort when the rush lane is clogged...Self-starter and hard worker in the training room and will put in extra time watching film...Mature with good field intelligence and vision...Has a good attitude, as he never complained about sharing the rush load, despite his obvious pedigree...Has the sudden moves out of his stance to gain advantage and the quickness to avoid and accelerate past defenders...Shows a natural feel for the crease and displays excellent vision and hip swerve as he weaves through traffic, picking his feet nicely over trash...Hits the hole with no hesitation, showing the explosive leg drive to break arm tackles, as he works hard to get upfield inside and clear the line of scrimmage...Has a low center of gravity, which allows him to keep his base moving through tight areas and does not need to gear down when cutting...Instinctive in his movements, displaying the vision to see threats...Uses his blocks well...When he keeps his pad level low going through the rush lane, he has the short-area explosion and juke moves to elude defenders turning the corner, as he excels at cutting sharply with good acceleration...Has the body control and foot agility to step and slide on his way to avoid tackles...Has made strides in being more patient to let his blocks develop, showing a good feel for the hole and vision to spot the seam in the zone...Can find the inside hole but will run a little upright doing this and he knows how to adjust on the move, using impressive pick, slide and acceleration through the holes...Has the balance needed to keep his feet and shows a sharp burst out of his cuts...Has outstanding lateral range to gain yards in chunks on outside runs, utilizing excellent change-of-direction agility to can freeze defenders with fakes and body lean...As a junior, he displayed much better ball security and the hands to handle pitchouts (had problems grabbing the ball on the fly and running with it in 2006, resulting in five fumbles, compared to one in 2007)...Has improved his patience waiting for the toss to develop before trying to burst through the seam or turn the corner...One of his better assets is his ability to accelerate into the second level, redirect and break away for the long run...Very fast-twitched runner when attacking the hole and, while he might go down on first contact at times, he has that vision to locate small seams, sink his pads and try to slip past...Has the ability to jump-cut and shoot upfield...Has a very good feel to anticipate where the rushing lanes are and does a good job of keeping his pad level to break arm tackles around the corner (not as effective running inside)...Adequate pass catcher who shows good concentration and flexibility in his pass routes, extending his hands properly away from the framework, but will use his body as a crutch when working in a crowd...Makes good body adjustments toward the ball and shows patience, body control and vision waiting for blocks to develop as a returner...Best asset as a kickoff returner is that he creative enough to vary his speed, set up the defender, execute a fake and then accelerate into the open.
Negatives: Has to learn to run at a lower pad level when running through the inside holes...Will get erect in his stance as an attempt to squeeze through tight areas...Has good leg drive, but will make bigger gains when trying to avoid, as he is generally brought down on the initial hit when operating in a crowd...He had just 22 runs on which the opposition needed more than one defender to take him down on 133 attempts in 2007...Elusive runner who does a good job of squaring up before initial contact, but must improve his body lean, as he does not do a good job of falling forward...Pitter-patter running style will see him get up on his toes...Just an adequate receiver who needs route-running refinement, as he tends to round his cuts...While he shows good hands on returns, as a receiver, he does not get to the ball at its highest point and can get a little sloppy trying to explode out of his breaks...Despite showing aggression as a blocker, his size prevents him from gaining leverage vs. bigger defenders (will get a piece of his man, but his weight-room strength fails to translate to the field, as he is not the type that can overpower second-level defenders).
Compares To: CARNELL WILLIAMS-Tampa Bay...Both are best taking the ball outside. Jones is a water bug on the field, excelling at avoiding defenders when he clears the line of scrimmage. He has a Devin Hester-type of burst as a kickoff returner and has worked well within the two-back system. Team him up with a powerful inside runner and you will get better value. We doubt his frame can handle pounding associated with touching the ball 30 times a game at the next level, especially if he doesn't learn how to run at a lower pad level between the tackles. He greatly improved his ball-security ability as a junior, something that turned out to be a major problem for his running mate, Darren McFadden. Some teams might prefer Jones over McFadden, as he has greater avoidance skills, while McFadden is more likely to seek contact and has a few off-field issues to be investigated.
Injury Report
2007: Bothered by a stomach virus vs. Kentucky (9/22)...Suffered a deep thigh bruise early in the Tennessee game (11/10) and was limited to just four plays vs. the Vols and one play the next game vs. Mississippi State (11/17).
Felix Jones
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 1
Pick (Overall): 22(22)RB | (5'10", 207, 4.469) | ARKANSAS
Overall: Prior to declaring early for the 2008 NFL draft, Jones played a versatile backup role to Darren McFadden throughout his three seasons with the Razorbacks. During that three-season span, Jones rushed for 2,956 yards and 20 scores on 386 carries, caught 39 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns. It's hard not to wonder what type of numbers Jones would have churned out as a premier back at another school. To his credit, though; Jones never showed frustration playing in McFadden's shadow. Instead, he has managed to build quite a resume as a versatile No. 2 back. Jones is not as big or strong as McFadden, but he does set the bar when it comes to breakaway speed -- and that's saying a lot considering McFadden's outstanding burst. Jones can be an instant impact player if used in as multi-purpose role.
Bear's take-- Felix was not the highest rated running back on my board, I found it hard to justify giving a first round grade to a back who only projects as a part-time, change of pace back... but if Wade Phillips REALLY believes that Jones is another Thurman Thomas, then this pick starts to look better to me... the kid does bring another dimension to the running game, and potential in the receiving game, and of course, a world of promise to our return game...
