draft picks & UDFA impact
I posted this as my alter ego on another message board but thought it might be of interest here as well ...
I remember a line from Marv Levy some 15 years ago when he was talking about what he expected from the young veterans on his team, the 2nd and 3rd year players. It was something to the effect of "by the 3rd year, we expect our youngsters to be pushing the starters - they've been acclimated to the pro game, they should have the playbook down and they really should be able to show us their talent." He implied that if you were stuck as a 3rd stringer - unless you showed incredible special team acumen a la Mark Pike - after that amount of time, you - and the team - might be better off parting ways.
I tried to apply this reasoning to positions on our football team - and see how our first year players might impact the younger veterans on the roster.
Roscoe Parrish: As a 2nd rounder and the highest draft pick, he's a shoo-in for the roster even if he decides to take the summer off and come in looking like Len Pasquarelli. The punt returner position is his to lose, despite our top-ranked special teams. It protects Clements from the risks of the job and allows Parrish a chance to grow into a slot WR role. Since he makes the roster, that leaves Reed, Aiken, Fast Freddie and any other rookies fighting for the remaining 2 or 3 slots. I was a huge Reed fan thru his LSU days but he hasn't shown me half the separation and hands he did in college, or even in pre-season. I think he may be done here.
Kevin Everett: This selection seems close to a boom or bust type pick for the front office. Comments made by his coaches and pro scouts extol praises on his skills, but injuries and QB issues at the U seem to have hampered his growth. I think we see him as a special teamer and as a change-up TE - on the field maybe 20-30 percent of the time by the end of the season, especially as game situations require JP to throw. Assuming Campbell and Euhus recover fully, that leaves Trafford, Neufeld, Gomez and camp fodder fighting for a spot on the practice squad at best.
Raymond Preston: Given he was drafted in front of higher ranked centers like Brown and Wilkerson, I have to think he did well enough in personal workouts to justify his on-field performance, giving up just 1 sack in 2 years and considered the best player on a bad team. I think "the Duke" has a 50-50 chance of winning the pivot position IF and only if Teague is moved out to LT. In nearly every scenario, I see Preston on the final roster barring serious injury. Tucker is a solid backup and Sobieski has yet to show the talent that had him as one of the top prep players. Smith, Gudmundsen, Gandy, Geisinger and Esposito are all also in the mix as backups to the interior OL positions. I'm guessing 3 of the above 5 are gone, with one one of those a candidate to the practice squad.
Eric King: A solid performer in a tough conference, I think King has the smarts and toughness (likened to a poor man's Winfield) to overcome his size and compete with Greer and Thomas for the nickel role. King was a team leader and has good instincts - whether that compensates for his lack of size remains to be seen. The fact that Vincent has moved over to safety may allow all the above to stay on the roster.
Justin Geisinger: A big tough working stiff, he'll compete with the Gandys and Smiths to get a backup role this year. His skills were adequate as a tackle in college but seem much more suited for guard in the pros. Being a later round selection, he also is more likely to be a Practice Squad candidate.
Lionel Gates: At first I thought this was a throwaway pick but it makes sense if Henry does get traded in the pre-season. He's a big guy with enough quicks and good pass catching skills to spell Mcgahee from time to time. With Shaud Williams showing potential as an alterna-back to Willis' bruising style, I think Joe Burns, despite his ST contributions, may be the odd man out of this mix.
Now we get to the UDFAs - I'm as excited about who we picked up in the days following the draft as those we got during the draft. Last year, 4 UDFAs made the team. Obviously, as the team improves, those numbers will be tough to duplicate. I'm going to list them in order of who I think has the best chance of sticking with the team.
Jim Leonhard: Steve Tasker reborn as a safety - them's big shoes, but jeez, all you have to do is read comments about his play from his teammates, coaches and opponents to realize this kid's got all the intangibles along with great athletic skills. He's just too short too short too short! But Coy Wire shows us that athletic prowess without instincts are worthless in the NFL. This boy's got all the instincts, leading the country in interceptions over a 2 year peiod. At 5-8, he runs a 4.45, can dunk the basketball and was one of the top punt returners in the country. He's competing with Wire and Baker for the backup safety spots. Baker showed a world of potential last pre-season. I think Coy becomes the odd man out. Absolute worst case, Leonhard makes the PS but I don't think he stays there for long.
Liam Ezekial: I was hoping we would draft him or the kid from UNLV in the middle rounds since our backup LBs have not done much more than play special teams. Ezekial's all passion, yet has the size and skills to stick in the NFL. The knocks on him are that he's not fast and hasn't played top competition. But he's fast enough, has a nose for the football and - based on reviews of his play - is a tougher, meaner version of John Holocek. I give him a 50-50 shot to make the roster since Crowell, Hagans and Stamer have not pushed our starters yet. That leaves him fighting Towns and Brantley for a PS position even if he doesn't make the team. I like his chances.
George Gause: Projected to go as high as the 2nd round by some draft publications, Gause's inconsistencies overshadowed his obvious talents. At 6-5, 270, he has the size and strength to compete against Denney and Osunde for a backup role. He put up solid numbers in South Carolina. He's fast but not explosive. If Krumrie can light a fire under this kid - a big if - he may be the steal of this UDFA class.
Jon Goldsberry: If this kid played defense, his nickname would have to be "Tackleberry". He was voted the top special teams "Demon" in the Big 10. Since we lost Luke Lawton, who i thought would challenge Shelton last year, I think this kid is a perfect backup who will upgrade our already great special teams. Fullback is such a throwaway position in the NFL that you wonder if the Bills even save him a spot on the PS. He has decent receiving skills so he may be worth stashing away even if his "special" skills don't get him a roster spot.
Geir Gudmundsen: McNally took this kid out to dinner - and has been watching this kid's progress even at a small school like Albany. Obviously unpolished, his best shot comes on the PS but he'll have to fight Mcfarland and Pruce for that position. If McNally sees something in you, you have a fighting chance.
There are other kids that obviously have a chance but 4 of the 5 UDFAs above have the intangibles to help the team now in some way as special teamers - and that's the quickest way to get a spot on the team. Just watch and see if these kids shine on the return and block teams in the preseason. A lot of the young vets who weren't on the bubble the last couple years need to step up or these kids jump right over them.
