NFL Draft Prospect of the Week: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

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After Da'Quan Bowers, Robert Quinn is the most physically gifted defensive end prospect in this draft. At 6'5, 270, he possesses the ideal frame for a dominant, pass rushing RDE in the 4-3 scheme. While not as big as fellow prospects such as Bowers and Clayborn, Quinn is more a more explosive and fluid athlete. Many believe he has the athleticism to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. No matter which scheme Quinn is drafted into, he should be able to use his first step explosion to get pressure on the quarterback and wreak havoc in the backfield. However, there is a reason Quinn is my 4th rated DE in my NFL Draft Prospect Rankings and not number one. While listed at 270, Quinn probably plays smaller than that. He sometimes gets pushed around in the run game, and at the NFL level it will only be harder to hold the point of attack. Many think he will fit best as a pass-rushing demon in the 3-4, but I do not think he will be able to handle the coverage aspect of outside backer. I believe Quinn is best suited in the traditional 4-3 defense, next to a great defensive tackle where all he has to do is rush the passer. I would love for my Detroit Lions to snatch him up if they are drafting in the 10-15 range. Here is a great video of him from his game against Boston College and highly touted prospect, Anthony Costanzo- Click Here

NFL Draft Positional Prospect Rankings-DE

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New NFL Draft Positional Prospect Rankings-DE

With all the different types of defenses run in the NFL today, certain teams are looking for specific types of players, while others are looking for a different type. This makes it difficult to properly rank prospects, especially at positions such as defensive end. I have decided to give my top 5 overall defensive end prospects, and then also split them up into a 3-4 defensive end category and a 4-3 defensive end category.

My Top 5 NFL Draft Prospects at DE

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1. Da'Quan Bowers-6'4,280-Clemson
Bowers is my new number one defensive end prospect based entirely on his physical abilities. He is an elite physical specimen. He combines size, speed, and strength to create the perfect defensive end prospect. This year he has combined production along with his potential. Teams looking for a pro-bowl 4-3 defensive end for the next ten years are drooling over Bowers. Read More

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2. Adrian Clayborn-6'3,285-Iowa
Adrian Clayborn is slightly stockier than Bowers and might be just as strong. He is another physical specimen that has NFL scouts excited. He is not quite as quick as Bowers, but his size and strength are comparable. Clayborn is probably the more NFL-ready prospect and could play in either the 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. However, he is rated behind Bowers because his ceiling is slight lower. Read More

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3. Marcell Dareus-6'4,306-Alabama
Dareus is strictly a 3-4 defensive end, but his ability to excel at that position is what makes him my #3 DE prospect. Dareus has the perfect body for the 3-4 DE position. He combines good length with excellent strength. Dareus is not quite as explosive as Clayborn or Bowers, but he is still very quick and effective. Dareus will make some 3-4 team very happy. Read More

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4. Robert Quinn-6'5,270-North Carolina
Quinn has prototypical size for a 4-3 defensive end prospect. Some scouts believe he can also play the 3-4 OLB position, but I think he is best suited for the RDE end spot in the 4-3. He has excellent speed of the edge, and is probably the most athletic of the top DE prospects. However, he lacks the strength of some of the other DE prospects, and he needs to develop some more pass rush moves. Read More

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5. Nick Fairley-6'5,300-Auburn
Fairley, like Dareus, currently plays tackle at the collegiate level. He could definitely play UT in a 4-3 scheme in the pros, but his ability to fit in as a 3-4 DE has him ranked as my #5 DE prospect. His length,  strength, and quickness are all very comparable to Dareus; however, I give Dareus the nod right now due to consistency. They will both be first round picks, and it will be interesting to see who turns out to be more effective. Read More

Top 5 4-3 Defensive End Prospects

1. Da'Quan Bowers-Clemson
2. Adrian Clayborn-Iowa
3. Robert Quinn-North Carolina
4. Allen Bailey-Miami
5. Ryan Kerrigan-Purdue

Top 5 3-4 Defensive End Prospects
1. Marcell Dareus-Alabama
2. Nick Fairley-Auburn
3. Adrian Clayborn-Iowa
4. JJ Watt-Wisconsin
5. Cameron Heyward-Ohio St

NFL Draft Prospect of the Week: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

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Da'Quan Bowers is one of, if not the top, defensive prospect for the NFL Draft this year. I currently have him rated #4 in my NFL Draft Rankings, but he is on the verge of jumping up in my next set of rankings. Bowers was the #1 rated prospect coming out of high school three years ago, already possessing the body of an NFL defensive end, but his play in his first two years did not reflect this. He recorded only four sacks in his first two seasons, and many people wondered if he would ever live up to his immense hype. However, this year Bowers has grown into the prospect he was born to be. He has recorded 58 tackles and 16 sacks to this point, outstanding production for any defensive end. He has been a man amongst boys utilizing his amazing strength and size to physically dominate his opponents. With a strong showing in the offseason circuit, Bowers is now in position to be taken in the top ten.

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The offseason circuit is something that Bowers is certain to excel in. He has excellent size at 6'4, 280, and he also possesses the speed and quickness of some linebackers. Comparisons to former prospects Julius Peppers and Mario Williams based purely on athletic ability and realistic. He possesses the same frame as well as strength and quickness as these former top five draft picks. Bowers also is rather raw when it comes  to pass rushing skills, a fault formerly carried by Peppers and Williams. Bowers does excel against the run. He uses his ridiculous strength to simply overpower his opponents and make his way to the ball carrier. His pass rush skills are less developed. You may say, "But he has 16 sacks!" Yes he does, but he gets these sacks simply by physically dominating his opponents. He uses his quick first step and strength to get around collegiate tackles, but this will not always work in the NFL against bigger, stronger tackles. He will need to develop some pass rush moves if he wants to stay effective at the next level.

Bowers is an outstanding prospect. He possesses elite size, athleticism, and quickness. He has all the physical tools to be a dominate defensive end at the next level. Bowers sets a hard edge against the run, and with a little work should become a dominant pass rusher. He is a future pro-bowl, three-down defensive end in the NFL. He should be a top 10 pick in this years draft.

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NFL Draft Prospect Rankings

10 Great, Easy Ways to Improve your Vertical Jump

Best 10 Ways to Improve Your Vertical Jump

Need those last few inches on your vertical jump so you can finally dunk the basketball?  Want to jump over tall buildings or simply want to be able to jump higher to impress you friends? This is a list of 10 great ways to improve your vertical jump. I give four basic, easy things you can do to improve your jump with little to no equipment. I then give four more moderately difficult exercise that require a little more effort. Then I give two intense workouts that will greatly increase your vertical if done correctly.

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I have researched as well as done all these exercises, and, in my opinion, these are the ten simplest and easiest ways to improve your vertical. The key to improving your vertical jump is working hard and doing every exercise with the intent that you will be dunking soon. It may take a few weeks, but by doing these exercises, your vertical should greatly improve. 

Basic Exercises

1. Stretching

The first basic exercise that will help you improve your jump is stretching. Simple stretching will help loosen up all the muscles that are important for jumping. This is especially important for those who work out a lot. Lifting a lot of weights, tightens up the muscles and sometimes begins to hurt their range of motion. It will also help your body stay flexible after some of the other exercises done in this workout. One stretch I find especially good is a turning lunge. This is performed by putting one leg back, so you are in a lunge position. Then extend the arm on the side of the leg that is back straight up in the air. Slowly turn away from the arm as far as you can go and then hold for 15-20 seconds. Preform three sets for each leg. I read about this stretch when I was in sixth grade, and I wholeheartedly believe that it single handily added 2-3 inches on my vertical. 

2. Calf Raises

A Calf raise is another basic exercise that can improve your vertical. These can be done in many different way. The most basic way is to stand on a stair or some other object where your heel does not touch the ground. Rise up on your toes as far as you can, and then come back down, completing a full range of motion. Weight can be added as your calfs become stronger. This is an easy exercise to improve calf muscle, which is important for jumping

3. Jump Rope
A third exercise is jumping rope. This may seem easy and simple, and that is because it is. Jumping roping not only builds calf muscle and gets the body used to jumping, it also builds core strength. Core strength is another important element of jumping. To not bore yourself doing thousands of jump ropes, consider using different techniques such as jumping twice in between each swing of the rope, or switching feet in between each jump. There are many different jump rope techniques, feel free to experiment with them. 

4. Jumping

The last basic way to improve your vertical jump is by simply jumping. Go out and play basketball, work on exploding out of your jump to the rim. Preform every jump with as much effort as possible. By constantly jumping as high as you can, your jump will naturally improve. 

Moderate 

5. Box Jumps

Box Jumps are a slightly more advanced way to improve your vertical. These are done by getting a box, jumping on to it, and then jumping off. People often jump from side to side or front to back. The choice is yours, but I would recommend both. The height of the box can also be increased as your strength increases. This exercise is another good way to work on your explosion. Remember to do every rep with a strong intent. 

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6. Squats

Squats are the most basic lift to build strength in the legs. A squat done correctly will greatly increase one’s vertical jump over time. I believe this is the most important lift for most athletes. It works many muscles in the legs and, if done correctly, can improve balance and muscle control. A squat is preformed by bending at the knees, while keeping the back straight, until the thigh is nearly parallel to the ground. Experts often argue on how far down a person should squat, so I will not recommend exactly how far you should go. I would ask your coach or trainer, and see what they say. I will say that I have never gotten injured well preforming squats, and I believe that they are very, very helpful in improving one’s vertical. 

7.Core Workouts
Another good and perhaps different way to improve your vertical is by improving your core. A good way to do this is by doing crunches or planks. Leg lifts also improve cores strength, but they are rumored to cause back pain if done incorrectly (I have not experienced these). These are fairly simple exercises that will help build a strong core, which is crucial to having a good vertical jump.

8. Step-ups

Step-ups are another fairly easy exercise to do that will help improve your leg strength. They are preformed by stepping up onto a box, rather than jumping, one foot at a time. When you step down, step down first with the first foot you stepped up with. Weight can be increased with time to build great strength. 

Intense

9. Hang or Power Clean

The first intense exercise is the hang clean or the power clean. These two lifts work on total body explosion, a concept crucial to the vertical jump. Chances are the more you can clean, the higher you can jump. Here is a good video of how to preform a hang clean. Remember to preform each rep with a strong intent. Slacking off in these exercises will not help you,

10. Jump Squat

The last great way to improve your vertical is the jump squat. A jump squat is basically a squat except the lifter explodes through the squat, causing the feet to leave the ground. This lift should be done with less weight than the squat to reduce the chance or injury, but the intent is extremely important. The lifter must act as if they are trying to jump as high as possible, putting as much strength into the lift as possible. 

These ten exercises, if done correctly and with a strong intent, should help you greatly improve your vertical. It worked for me, hopefully it will for you. 

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New Nike Pro Combat Uniforms for NFL-Bad News

From thelandryhat.com

A while back I blogged about the fact that Nike had won the uniform rights to the NFL starting in 2012. Recently at Thelandryhat.com pictures have surfaced of what these jerseys could potentially look like. Let me tell you, these jerseys are terrible! Take a look at them and see for yourself. Pictured here is a preview of the Viking's Jersey.

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In My opinion: Top Ten Funniest Referee Moments

These top ten referee funny moments are based purely on my opinion. I am sorry if you do not agree with my rankings, but feel free to submit your own suggestions to me or make your own list. These are simply the ten funniest moments I have seen involving referee screw-ups. Normally I admire our striped friends for doing such a difficult job under so much pressure, but I feel like this list had to be made. I am sorry officials. Feel free to skip to the top five if you’re in a time crunch. 

#10- Ed Hochuli Screw-Up
To start off the list we have an Ed Hochuli screw-up. Despite what many people think, Hochuli is one the better referees in the NFL. However, this call is pretty funny. Not only does he screw-up the call, but then he takes about two lines to recover and return to the English language before finishing the call. 

#9- Referee Fights Back

This ref has had enough of taken a beating by the players, and he decides to fight back. After being sucker punched by a player, this referee takes on the whole team in a rather amazing battle. 

#8- Ref Makes a Pass

We turn to the NBA for the eight funniest referee moment. Lamar Odom passes it off the ref and to a teammate for the score. The best part of the video, besides the announcers reaction, is the referee grabbing his stomach after getting hit. He acts more like he got shot than hit by a basketball. 

#7- Referees Caught Not Paying Attention

These referees just seem to have no idea what’s going on. I know it must be hard to pay attention for a whole game, but it would be nice if they could at least pay attention for a whole field goal. 

#6- Referee Makes Up Penalty Call

This call comes in at number five due not only to the performance by the referee, but also the announcers. The referee keeps a very straight face during the call, and the announcers cannot seem to believe what they just heard. This is a very funny call, but not quite top 5 worthy.

#5- Ref Commits a Foul

The first moment in the top five comes from the NBA. The referee seems to have no idea where the ball is and runs straight into the player with the ball. He then calls a foul on Chauncey Billups for a foul the ref committed.

#4- Referee Takes Out a Player

Although this moment may not have been televised for all to see it is still worthy of the top ten. This ref has had enough of players running after the whistle and takes things into his own hands. The best part of the video is the quarterback’s reaction after he gets decked. 

#3- Giving Him the Business

This call is number three simply because of the pure emotion put into it by the referee. He seems genuinely angry at the player for “giving him the business down there” However the funniest part of this call is the hand motions the ref puts in. His two downward punches are what makes this video. 

#2- Referee Struggles Through his Explanation

Coming in at number two is an NFL referee screwing up multiple times on a single play. Their are three penalties on one play, and he simply cannot explain them all. It takes him over a minute to make the call, and you still get the feeling he has it wrong. The best part comes near the end when he forgets which team has the ball. “First down, errr, Dallas”

#1- Ref Knocked Out

Boxing comes in with the number one referee moment. This ref steps in to try to separate the two fighters and he takes a hard punch to the head and goes down like a rag doll. Granted this would not be funny if the ref was hurt, but he was okay. He goes down hard, and he is struggling to get up. His face as he tries to get up is priceless. 


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NFL Draft Offensive Prospect of the Week: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma

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DeMarco Murray burst onto the scene at Oklahoma as the successor to Adrian Peterson and the next great back at Oklahoma. He wowed players, fans, and coaches alike with his elegant running style and smooth moves. Murray rushed for 1766 yards and 27 touchdowns in his first two seasons, and he could have had considerably more if not for injury. Now Murray is healthy again and he has rushed for 911 yards and 13 touchdowns so far to go along with 374 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Murray is starting to regain his draft status after being written off by many due to constant, nagging injuries.

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At 6'1, 207 pounds Murray is lanky for a running back. He is a little on the tall side, and because of this many people think he should move to wide receiver in the pros. While Murray could succeed at wide receiver in the pros, I believe he would be best used as a Reggie Bush, Brian Westbrook type back. He has the hands and quickness to be effective receiving out the back field and even split out at wide receiver, yet he possesses the vision to run the ball when he needs to. The word I would use to describe Murray is smooth. He is not the fastest or the most explosive back out there, nor is he as strong as some of the elite backs, but he simply knows what to do when he is on the field, and he looks good doing it. He has great moves and always seems to get where he wants to. Murray simply knows how to play the game of football.

I have Murray ranked #3 in my NFL Draft Rankings, and I believe he will be a steal for whichever team drafts him. His versatility combined with his skill will cause nightmares for opposing defenses. However, if he goes to a team that is expecting him to be an every-down, pound him between the tackles back, they will be sorely mistaken. Murray must be used correctly, but if he is he will be dangerous. If Murray runs in the 4.4's at the combine expect him to go in the second round or possibly even the late first.

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