Back To Basics:Draft Special, Playing It Safe At #9

 
  
  

 Cameron Jordan and Gabe Carimi, in my view possibly the safest picks this draft for us at 9th overall, no they are not sexy or wow picks, but both are great football players. Maybe this draft we should play it safe and take a conservative approach to this upcoming draft. In this special draft edition of Back To Basics, I will go into detail on why playing it safe and taking a more conservative approach might be the best strategy to implement in the 2011 NFL Draft. So follow me after the jump for a thought provoking look on Cameron Jordan and Gabe Carimi. In the next edition I will start featuring players that you guys want to hear about, so please leave a reply in the comment section and tell me what players you want to hear about, thanks. A special Fan Choice edition will then come out next week for you guys. One more player I will be talking about is Brandon Harris CB Miami, who has jumped onto the Cowboys radar in a report that was posted on the front of the BTB website. Me being a fan of the U, I would like to talk more about Brandon Harris. Ok enough small talk, follow me to the jump to get into some heavy draft talk that's exclusively meant for us, Cowboys fans. 

 

Now for the past few months I have been hyping a player that most know about by know, Cal DE Cameron Jordan. Jordan is rising up the draft board, just like I anticipated back in October. Wes Bunting a great columnist over at National Football Post put me onto Cameron Jordan early in the fall. I got a chance to watch a few of his games and he was flat out a beast, with a Jay Ratliff like beast motor but with the size of Chris Canty or Justin Tuck. What also is a important factor in Jordan is that he plays in a base 3-4 in Cal. Getting a rookie player that already knows the basics and fundamentals of the system you implement is a great advantage for that player, and for the coaching staff who is trying to coach a player a system. It makes both of their jobs easier. While at Cal, Jordan was a defensive end, but lined up at NT and the other defensive end spot, so he is a versatile player. He weighed in at the Senior Bowl this week at 6'4 and 287 pounds, with a wingspan of 34 1/2 inches. Those are great measures for a defensive end, he is big and strong enough to play the position, and his long arms can help him in a variety of ways. This week so far at the Senior Bowl practices, he has been unstoppable, lining up against some of the best offensive line talent in the draft. Facing off against Nate Solder, Gabe Carimi, Anthony Costazno, and Derek Sherrod will also juice his draft status up. At the end of two practices, every scout is gushing over Cameron Jordan and they should be.

Cameron Jordan received a 93 grade from Scouts Inc, the ESPN scouting service they use and is run by Todd McShay who is the director of scouting for Scouts Inc. Lets start with some basics from their report. They say that he is a power based speed rusher who is great with using his hands. They note his great effort and how he will use a array of secondary moves so he doesn't get bottled up and quit on a play. I mentioned his long arms earlier and one of the pro's of having arms that size is he can block up passing windows and bat down alot of balls. In the run area they mention he is a 2 gap defensive end, Rob Ryan uses a 2 gap but also uses some 1 gap as well so that won't be a issue because Ryan uses alot of different looks and I am sure he would love to get a player like Jordan. What is good I read in his report is that he keeps a low stance to gain leverage and is patient not over reacting and losing containment. He is strong andwill use his brute strength at the point of attack to make plays. With his strong hands and long arms he uses them to get off blocks and push blockers away from his body. Jordan is very good at reading the play and reacting on the play from what I saw in his tape, he makes alot of plays by just reacting to what is happening on the field during the course of the play he reads it and reacts. One part I really liked that I read was that he isn't just a big space eater there like the classic mold of Dallas 3-4 defensive ends, he is quick and agile enough to make plays and has some good awareness and will track the ball carrier down. They mention he has a great motor and reads and reacts very good for a defensive end. They mention he is a clear competitor that loves the game of football and his father was a Pro Bowl TE for the Vikings, so he has a good bloodline. Shows great awareness but also maintains his gap assignments so he is also disciplined. Also his versatility is mentioned and that he can play in a 4-3 on top of a 3-4.

Now a few tidbits from when I watched games, I thought when he came on a rush off the end, he had some blazing speed for a big man and really showed me he can get to the passer. He was solid in the run, and read and reacted to plays while maintaining his gap assignments and contain. He really is quick and has some nice speed, he will run down a ball carrier behind the line and make the sure tackle. What I noticed is he has a bit of a mean streak and gets fired up along games off of a big play like a sack or tackle for loss, he really shows his emotion and that energy your teammates thrive off. I think he is a much better pass rusher than Scouts Inc is giving him up there, because Ive watched about 7 or 8 Jordan games and he was just a great pass rusher. If he didn't get the sack, his pressure lead to a incompletion, or worse, or a fellow teammate would finish the QB up themselves and make the sack. He has one of the best spin moves I have seen in a long time, I'm not sure why Scouts Inc didn't mention that, but Ive noticed that. He has a nice bull rush, a nice jab step, a nice swim move, and his spin move is really promising. I thought in the run game he was really good, he was patient but at the same time reacted when he had to. To me he just looks like a really good football player and I think it would be a safe pick taking him because you know what your getting, a good football player. He is smart, has a high football IQ, and will produce at a high level for a long time.

Chia's NFL Comparison:Darnell Dockett- Reasoning:Jordan compares himself to Darnell Docket, so I will let the man compare himself. Personally I see what we always wanted Chris Canty to be, a legit pass rusher, who also plays the run, and is consistent. Will be a starter instantly on any team he goes to. In my personal opinion at 9th overall after all the big names, Cameron Jordan is the safest defensive pick in the draft and there is nothing wrong with playing it safe in the draft and getting good football players. With Rob Ryan having a heavy value on his DL being able to read and react, and be disruptive, Cameron Jordan makes himself a great draft pick for this franchise. Have also seen Richard Seymour comparisons as well.

One side note on the creepy side, wears the same face mask that Greg Ellis and  Anthony Spencer wore his rookie year. His face looks like Anthony Spencer and Greg Ellis had a love child, looks very similar to Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer in the face, weird. Cameron's father Steve Jordan, was a Pro Bowl TE for the Vikings.

Now lets move on to Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin. Carimi is considered to be the best RT in the draft, and I concur. It is yet to be seen if he is a premier LT, but in my personal opinion of Carimi I think he could play anywhere on the OL besides C and be a productive player. Carimi is also working out Guard for the Senior Bowl, doing anything he can for teams to see that he is willing to play anywhere on the OL and show his versatility and dedication to the game of football. Carimi I have rated now as my highest rated offensive lineman in the 2011 NFL Draft, yes higher than Derek Sherrod. Carimi I have the opportunity to watch some of his games this year and I focused primarily on Gabe Carimi. He is a big mean strong offensive lineman. I saw him do a great job on pass rushers and be very productive and open holes in the run game. At first to be frankly dead honest, I really didnt believe Carimi was worthy of the 9th overall selection, but after about a month of debating this internally with myself, I have come to believe Carimi is the safest offensive lineman in the draft. He has started for Wisconsin for 3 years and comes from a great system in Wisconsin who usually produces high quality offensive lineman. I have soured on Derek Sherrod for a few reasons and I personally believe that come April, Carimi will be the first offensive lineman selected in the 2011 draft.

Lets move on the what Scouts Inc had to say about Gabe Carimi. Scouts Inc grades him out as the 2nd rated OT in the draft with a 94 rating, only Nate Solder is rated higher on their board, but has the same grade of a 94. After redshirting his freshman season, Carimi has been a four year starter at left tackle for Wisconsin. Carimi weighed in at the Senior Bowl this week at 6'7 and 315 pounds. His arms are over 35 inches and he was a wingspan of 83 inches, meaning he has great size and with the length of his hands and wingspan it allows him to get into a nice stance and get his arms onto guys. Carimi is one of the offensive tackles that weighed in the best, 35 inch arms and a 83 inch wingspan is top notch elite. Scouts Inc lists that shorter pass rushers might give him a harder time because they can get under him and drive him back. I don't know personally, maybe they go around him, but a man of his size in my opinion is going to own the little guys andforce them to stunt or go outside. Is capable of being on a island without help and succeed in one on one situations. Scouts Inc also says he has some pretty good footwork and will reset his feet quick enough to take on bull rushers. Again with his arms, he locks on and uses his size to drive that pass rusher outside. Not a great athlete, but has decent mobility and footwork.

In the run department he struggles to stay low, mainly because the man is 6'7 Scouts Inc, geez, but he drives his legs and plows defenders off the ball. Again not the best athlete in space, but he takes proper angles to make up for lack of athleticism and is quick enough to get to the second level. Is adequate in picking up blitzes with is recognition and has the great poise needed in pass blocking. This is my favorite part I read in the scouting report, recognizes and makes adjustments to stunts, something our OL does not do. Also shows ability to make in game adjustments, thank god. Plays with a edge, is big and mean, drives his blocks 10-15 yards down the field.

Pretty nice scouting report in my opinion, maybe I am too high on Carimi now but I have him rated as the best OL in the draft because he is big, mean, strong, and smart. I just like what he brings to the table for the Dallas Cowboys, and at 9th overall he is a very safe pick, nothing sexy, just safe. I am very high on Tyron Smith, but again he will not be great right away, it will take a year or two and he will be one of the best OL of his class, if not the best. But if we want to go the safe route and get a great football player right now, its Gabe Carimi. With Doug Free and Gabe Carimi you got great bookends for your offensive line for the next 10-12 years no question about it. Free and Carimi would be beastly together, so we should make this happen if we do go for a OL in the first round, and trading down will not work to get Carimi, he will not last past 19 at the latest. Great football player that plays with passion and a mean streak, I want him if we go the OL route in the first.

Chia's NFL Comparison-Joe Thomas, Marc Columbo (when Columbo was young and healthy, he was very dominant)

As most of you heard this week, a rumor is out there that the Cowboys would trade up for CB Patrick Peterson LSU, personally I love me some Peterson, but it would take alot to move up into the top 3, likely where Peterson goes. Not a year where we have the luxury to trade away our 2nd, 3rd, 4th, picks, we simply cannot afford to trade away that many picks. Now if Peterson comes close to us, like 2 or 3 slots away, then I would consider trading up, but still as much as Peterson is a great athlete and could become a premier player, that's alot to give up especially considering the value of players in rounds 2 through 4. Now the cornerback that was mentioned after Peterson, was Brandon Harris from Miami. The rumor stated that the Cowboys would love to get a shot at Harris. Now some are under the impression that they mean the 2nd round, well Harris is not a 2nd round player. Some mocks have Harris going as high as 9 to us, and to the Texans and Lions. Now at 9 Harris would be a great pick in my personal opinion because he has the talent to become a lockdown corner and was rarely tested at Miami because of how good he locked down his side of the field. Harris would most likely take a year to develop into the player I imagine, a great corner. He has immense talent. A reason I really like Harris is that his father is a big time high school football coach in Florida and Harris was a big time recruit, blue chip status. Harris has a passion for the game of football, and again I preach that is a major plus because not all kids love football. Harris is extremely aggressive and physical, if you ever seen his face under the helmet you know what I mean. He isn't one of those sissy boy corners, the kid is mean and nasty. Has that swagger I love in my cornerbacks and comes up big after a mistake, has the short memory we really need in Dallas.

Now lets take a look at Scouts Inc scouting report on Brandon Harris. They have Harris listed as their 3rd best corner in the draft, obviously after Peterson and Prince, who Scouts Inc is very high on. They gave him a grade of 89, but I guarantee after he works out for teams and the combine he will fly up the board, simply because he is better than the 89 grade and corners always are valued highly in the draft. Personally I see a Joe Haden rise from Harris after he works out.

They say he has the size and speed you look for in a cornerback. Harris is listed at 5'10 193 pounds. He played in every game he was at Miami, so he is durable. They list that he is very passionate about the game, and his father won big time awards coaching high school football, nothing like getting a coaches son because they seem to be more prepared and harder workers than most players. The first thing that jumps off the page is that Harris is noted for not peeking into the backfield at the QB too often, which when you do too much it gets you beat and taken on pump fakes and play fakes. Has the natural instincts to succeed in man to man coverage. Needs to improve on his zone coverage, something I think he will succeed at the next level because of his awareness and reaction skills. Is highly confident in his abilities, aka swagger. Does not back down from big games from big time competition, good because Dallas is big time fellas. What I also like is that his known to bounce back from his mistakes right away, and you want your corner to do that, to stay hungry and not get too down on himself during a game, because there are highs and lows in the NFL throughout the game.

Is listed as a good natural athlete, has the quick feet good cornerbacks possess. Has great balance, but most important fluid hips. I know from when I watched him his hips were very fluid and he moved very quickly. Hips are one of the most important factors in grading out cornerbacks in my opinion, you want guys who can move. Needs to get more compact in his back pedal, but has a really good burst out of it, meaning he is quick and reacts fast. Has excellent speed closing in on the ball to make plays. Is very physical, and will succeed in bump and run coverage but is something that he can still work on, and in Dallas I think we could really hone his skills at bump and run and could become a great cornerback here.

Another great aspect I read in his scouting report is that he knows when to go for the ball and when to go for the hit. Alot of times you see our secondary players confused and at the last possible second go for this knockout hit, which isn't much of a powerful hit to begin with, and miss out on making a possible interception. Scouts Inc note that he doesn't have alot of college picks for a good reason, teams very rarely tested him. Has very good hands and will go out and extend to intercept the ball away from his body, good ball skills are a must in the next entourage of players we bring in here simply because we lack that right now. Possesses the size, strength, and willingness to support in the run game. He will become a very solid player in the NFL for that trait alone, supporting in tackling. Has the vision to take the proper angles when attacking the play and ballcarrier. Shows good power in tackling, but at times tends to lead with his shoulder and will work on that NFL, learning to wrap up and make the play.

Personally I really like that scouting report and when I read it I really don't believe I am reading the report of Scout Inc's 29th rated player, but I am. A big reason I think Scouts Inc has him so far down on the board now, is because they felt he should of went back to Miami, where when he came out in 2012 he would of been the first or second corner taken in the draft. I've followed Harris over the years because I am a fan of the University of Miami, aka the U. I always thought Harris had some serious potential to become a great player in the NFL. At first I really wasn't thrilled that he decided to come out, mainly because I think another year of college would of honed his skills into a top 10 pick, but his decision to come out, I really can't blame him. The money and the prize of playing the NFL is something I would dream of myself and if I had the chance to enter the NFL Draft, I would enter as soon as I could. If Harris was told by the draft committee board that he wouldn't be a high pick, Harris would of went back to school. Harris would be a great fit for us guys, simply because you can never have too many corners. Really Newman being 32 is starting to weigh on me and I would love to have Brandon Harris in the wings, ready to rock. Harris would give us a really nice young core of cornerbacks. Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Harris, now that is really enticing to me. It may not be a safe pick because Harris may not be the full player I know he can be. I think after a year of NFL life and development, in 2012 he would be the best cornerback on our roster. I would be willing to roll the dice and take a player of his caliber and develop him. Ballhawk and lockdown cornerbacks are rare, and I want one, BADLY.

Some will point out a bad game against Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd, but every corner has a bad game. In the second half, Harris settled down and did a much better job against one of the nations best WR's, who reminds me of Vincent Jackson. That is the only game I can really say Harris didn't play as well as he could of, but at least he settled down and held his head high and came back tough.

Chia's NFL Comparison: Jonathan Joseph, Joe Haden, some Darrelle Revis. Physical corner who has good speed and with great cover skills.

For more info on the Senior Bowl and what scouts are saying about Cam Jordan and Gabe Carimi, check out Fan In Thick and Thin's fanshot, cwbys fanpost, and the articles on the front of BTB, great articles by OCC and KD.

Below I will post some youtube videos of each prospect so each of you can get a closer look at each player. Take a look anddiscussyour opinion of each player below in the comment section. Next Back To Basics will feature the Fan Special, where you guys pick the players, so please below recommend your player. Thanks for reading and every rec and positive comment is much appreciated.

Thank you for the videos from AloAloysius, his link is http://www.youtube.com/user/AloAloysius and he has great videos on all the top draft players, really appreciate his work.