Burfict working with Nick Barnett

[YardRat]

http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2012/02/26/burfict-working-with-nick-barnett/

Arizona St. LB Vontaze Burfict has been much maligned with a reputation of being a hot-head on the field drawing a number of personal foul penalties and getting benched twice in his career for acting out on the field. In an effort to help him control his emotions more effectively he’s working with a veteran Bills LB leading up to the draft.

“I’ve been working with a guy named Nick Barnett who’s with my agency,” said Burfict. ”He and I have been working on things I can do in the locker room and off the field because this is a business now and there are things you cannot do in business.”

[CleveSteve]

I kind of feel bad for this dude. Watching him play it's almost like he's got some sort of disability. He gets his head in and out of games so much that I just couldn't count on him. Here's the latest from him...

http://rob-rang.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/13682485/34997871


Every prospect with some skeletons in the closet is coached up by his agent to make a strong PR move at the Combine. Former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins admitted the last time he smoked marijuana, for example, as part of an extremely forthright media session Sunday.

Arizona State LB Vontaze Burfict was laid back and very "Yes sir, no sir," although he wasn't exactly apologetic about his penchant for penalties on the field and issues with the Sun Devils coaching staff off it.

"I'm a soft-spoken guy, shy," he said. "But when I'm on the field I hate to lose and that aggression comes out."

Burfict's ASU's career was marred by a slew of personal foul penalties that hurt his draft stock. He also had an altercation in the locker room with a teammate - he said it began with an argument in a 7-on-7 drill - and he left school a year early after a very strained relationship with former ASU coach Dennis Erickson's staff.

Burfict is the No. 3-ranked inside linebacker by NFLDraftScout.com and the No. 88 prospect overall. He'll need to convince scouts that he is an impact player who can control his aggression to avoid slipping into the third or fourth round.

"I just know I'm the best linebacker in this draft," said Burfict, who added that he patterns his game after the Ravens' Ray Lewis and the Bills' Nick Barnett.

Burfict said he is down to 248 pounds after playing last season at 260, but he wasn't about to absolve the coaching staff for its role in his disappointing 2011 season.

"The coaches kind of messed me up. I didn’t know if I would start a game or be benched," he said. "It hurt me, but I tried to fight through it."

[k-oneputt]

Why would we want a guy like this ? He is not a fine young man that we have won all those games with.

[Scumbag College]

I'll be honest, I don't follow college football and I don't know who's a first round pick, a second round pick, or a fourth round pick. I know the Bills' defense has been really pushed around the last couple of years and they need a couple of guys with real attitude.

Most 21 year olds are full of testosterone and are aggressive, and if this guy can play with a chip on his shoulder that's exactly what that defense needs. I'm guessing he won't see too much of the field as a rookie, but if the Bills used a mid round pick on him I wouldn't be disappointed. There's some vets on the defense that he could learn from and keep his attitude in check. I'd rather have a guy that gets a few personal fouls rather than a guy that will play timid. I think that most guys that start getting paid well to play football will act professionally. Plus, with a guy that's been in altercations and left school a year early and is still ranked third best at his position, I'm guessing that this guy can play.

[Cali512]

I find it funny how it almost seems like hes never heard of Barnett before this whole deal.

[jamze132]

It's call steroid rage.

And who wouldn't want a LB who models themselves after an unconvicted murderer? I know I love my LBs to be bat-**** crazy!

[Ed]

Well considering we have 4 picks in rounds 4 and 5, if he did actually fall to round 4, I wouldn't mind taking a flyer on the guy. At least we have a veteran on the team that he respects and could help mold him and keep him in check.

[NOT THE DUDE...]

Well considering we have 4 picks in rounds 4 and 5, if he did actually fall to round 4, I wouldn't mind taking a flyer on the guy. At least we have a veteran on the team that he respects and could help mold him and keep him in check.

he might be the pick rd 3... if hes there, i doubt it...

[CleveSteve]

Well, he just ran 4.91 and 5.1 40 times. He will probably be there in rd 3. I'd say "no, thank you." He could go that maurice clarett spot, though (last pick of day 2 type of thing."

[Ed]

Well, he just ran 4.91 and 5.1 40 times. He will probably be there in rd 3. I'd say "no, thank you." He could go that maurice clarett spot, though (last pick of day 2 type of thing."
Wow, that is really slow. Has he been injured or something?

[k-oneputt]

He plays quick. Closes. Intense. Good Instincts. Has an edge/nasty streak in him. Big hitter. And as already stated is bat**** crazy. Which is not necessarily a bad thing at his position.
I know his downsides but if we can harness him some, especially if we can get him later in the draft, then why not use a 4th rd. pick on him.
The fine young men the last dozen of years havent won us anything. take a chance on him I say.

[psubills62]

Alright, so I'm on a PSU message board. There's a guy who posts on there who claims to be a scout who attended the combine. He's not actually employed right now, but a buddy who works for Team A couldn't make it, and since this guy worked previously for Team A, he went instead.

FWIW, this guy has seemed pretty trustworthy in the past. He educated a lot of people on Quality Control coaches, as he says he was one. His views of the combine mimic almost exactly Ingtar's. So I'm sure a lot of people will dismiss it, but I haven't seen any reason not to trust him yet, although his evaluations seem a bit off.


With that said, he talked about Burfict. Here's the exact quote:


Funny, sad, and true… all at the same time. Vontaze Burfict (Arizona State, LB). Before the season began, most nfl teams create their “very early” evaluation lists, just to have a basic idea of who to keep their eyes on. Burfict, without a doubt, was seen by everyone as a first rounder. Today, I’m betting he goes in seventh (scouts actually started a pool on this… for the record I got Cinci in the seventh), most believe he’ll go undrafted. How’d it happen? First, when asked why he wasn’t any good last year he blamed his coaches. Never a good thing. Then, he ran a 5.10 40 at the combine... yikes. He posted a 10-yard split of 1.78, which is terrible (it’s actually the split that is more alerting than the 40, though the forty is bad). Any of these things would likely get you not drafted. But get this… so I am in the player interviews as a note taker for the team I was helping with. The question was “why should we draft you?” Pretty simple, standard question. It’s a soft-ball question for many… except Vontaze. He starts off by saying something about the persecution of Jesus by the Greeks (I believe he meant the Romans…) and something about Dr. King and Gandhi, etc. Then he says the whole world has always been against him and he’s always “slapped dem Bit@#$ up.” So “F them, F dem coaches, players, media…” And get ready… “F you guys, who are you to judge me (I thought to myself “well… we are scouts so kind of our job)?!” Needleless to say, the team I was with isn’t planning on drafting him. It’s a funny story, you don’t get many f bombs during interviews, but sad, all at the same time. I hope he gets his life around, lot of anger there.

He talked about a few other prospects, but mostly gave info on what he was hearing about PSU prospects (being a PSU message board and all). TIFWIW.

[k-oneputt]

LOL.

That is one sick dude.
I like him even more now. He reminds me of a combo of Bryan cox, Bart Scott, T. Suggs, L. Taylor, and R. Lewis.
For a 7th rd pick they should run to the podium because This guy plays faster then those combine times.
He won't last until the 7th but my bet is Baltimore will take him.
Guys like this scare the **** out of the Bills so he's not coming here.
We like the Poz and Kelsay type picks.

Good read though.

[CleveSteve]

I pity the fool that drafts this guy on the first or second day. I also kind of pity Burfict... I think the dude has some serious mental issues. I don't know if it's disabilities or psychological issues. He needs help or he could end up in a lot of trouble.

[k-oneputt]

Alot of good lb's have psychological issues. No need to name them.
It appears that there is no way he is now going on the first or second day of the draft but later on someone will roll the dice with him.

[utmhead]

Bert Breer from the NFL network was on the radio this morning where i live and the host asked about this guy. Breer said after this weekend he is a mid to late round pick. All he did in the interviews was make excuses why this happened and that happened. Nothing was every his fault. Which is different to a guy like Jenkins who has made mistake, but has owned up to them and taken responsibility for them.

[k-oneputt]

Who's his agent ? Certainly not helping the kid, or maybe he isn't listening to the agent either.