Rookie Selvie shows his pass-rushing skills ..

[MauiRam]

BY BILL COATS Tuesday, August 10, 2010 12:05 am


Eager to improve their pass-rush off the edge, the Rams grabbed a trio of defensive ends in April's draft. The one picked the latest has made the earliest impression.

George Selvie, a two-time All-American at South Florida, was a seventh-round pick (No. 226 overall). He said he initially was "distraught" that he wasn't taken higher.

But that emotion has passed, he said. "I'm just glad to be here, glad to be a Ram," Selvie said. "I'm just going out there and having fun, just doing my thing, just playing football."

Though a bit undersized at 257 pounds, the 6-foot-4 Selvie has been giving the offensive linemen fits during one-on-one drills at training camp with his ability to slither past them and into the backfield. Selvie was credited with a team-high two sacks in Saturday night's scrimmage at Lindenwood University.

"I could've done more stuff, played the run a little bit better," Selvie said. "But overall, I think I had a decent scrimmage."

Running down quarterbacks is nothing new for Selvie. He had 29 sacks in college, including a stunning 14½ his sophomore season, when the Touchdown Club of Columbus named him college football's top defensive lineman.

Bothered by a high-ankle sprain the following season, Selvie dropped to 5½ sacks. He got just 3½ as a senior, when he regularly was double- and triple-teamed.

Selvie's stock plummeted, but his pass-rush skills apparently remained intact.

"He's a long guy that's got really good get-off," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "On those plays he had (at the scrimmage), it was all getting off the ball. He's obviously been taught well. That's the first thing for a defensive end, to get a good jump on the ball. He has that."

Once he engages a blocker, Selvie relies on a variety of moves to get past him.

"I try to have a little bit of everything ... be versatile," he said. "If I need to bull-rush, I'll bull-rush. But ... I'm a small guy; I don't want too many hands on me."

In addition to the veterans, Selvie is competing with fellow draftees Hall Davis of Louisiana-Lafayette (fifth round) and Eugene Sims of West Texas A&M (sixth).

According to Spagnuolo all three have flashed pass-rush ability but need to improve vs. the run.

"We're just taking our turns and showing what we've got," Selvie said. "It's good competition, and I think we're handling it pretty well."

KICKER HELP

The Rams might be in the market for a kicker for Saturday night's preseason opener against Minnesota. Josh Brown sat out Monday with a sore hip, an injury Spagnuolo termed as day-to-day.

"We may have to" sign a kicker, Spagnuolo said. "If (special-teams coach) Tom (McMahon) feels like we have to do that, we can do it Thursday or Friday and be OK."

INJURY UPDATES

Rookie wide receiver Mardy Gilyard also was on the sideline Monday. He had a previous wrist injury; at the scrimmage, he took a shot to the forearm just above the wrist. X-rays were negative.

"We're being careful with it because they're in the same area," Spagnuolo explained.

Also sidelined Monday were defensive tackle Fred Robbins and guard/center Hank Fraley, both with sore knees. Offensive linemen Adam Golberg (elbow) and Ryan McKee (back) left the morning practice early.

GOOD OFFENSE

After viewing film of the scrimmage, Spagnuolo was especially pleased with the first two offensive series in the opening "live" tackling session.

"I thought the offense had some juice. A.J. (Feeley) took us down (for a touchdown), and Sam got us down there" for another TD, Spagnuolo said. "Now, the flip side of that is, when you go against yourself that means something wasn't very good on the other side. I didn't like the big plays given up by the defense.

"There was some good and there was some bad ... about what you'd expect in a scrimmage on the first week of training camp."

RAM-BLINGS

Spagnuolo said he plans to give rookie quarterback Bradford increased reps in practice. ... One practice is scheduled for today, beginning at 2 p.m.

[HUbison]

Running down quarterbacks is nothing new for Selvie. He had 29 sacks in college, including a stunning 14½ his sophomore season, when the Touchdown Club of Columbus named him college football's top defensive lineman.

Bothered by a high-ankle sprain the following season, Selvie dropped to 5½ sacks. He got just 3½ as a senior, when he regularly was double- and triple-teamed.

Selvie is such an enigma. Had he come out (if possible) after his sophmore year, he'd be a first rounder. So what happened? High-ankle sprain his junior year.......but those heal. Double-Triple-Quadruple-Quintuple-Octomomle teamed his senior year.......but wouldn't front offices take that into account on draft day?

It's just weird. Every team, even the Rams, severely downgraded this guy who two years ago spent more time on quarterbacks than Jessica Simpson (Hi Ohhhhh). The Rams took him in the 7th and even they picked two other DEs ahead of him.

I guess in a way it's not surprising that he's getting in the backfield, but in another way it's very surprising.

[Varg6]

I agree, its very surprising but I'm sure glad we got him. When we drafted him, I honestly forgot about him and then I realized: wasn't he a stud DE? I know this name... and sure enough, it was him. I'm really pulling for him to shine this year despite being a rookie.

[HUbison]

I agree, its very surprising but I'm sure glad we got him. When we drafted him, I honestly forgot about him and then I realized: wasn't he a stud DE? I know this name... and sure enough, it was him. I'm really pulling for him to shine this year despite being a rookie.

Ain't it the truth.

I remember during the 2008 draft season, one of the draftnik websites did a "next year" mock draft with Selvie going to the Rams in the first round around #5 or #6 assuming he would come out after his junior season. I was hoping for Chris Long with the #2 pick, so I recall being excited about the opportunity of Long and Selvie on either end of the line. It was a fleeting thought, because who would have ever thought it would happen?

It's funny how things go sometimes.

[3STL9]

I had a post right after the draft. This is my favorite pick in the whole draft, give him a year. I think we can expect big things from him.

I can actually see a line of years to come with Selvie and Long on either end

[TheBritishRam]

Selvie is such an enigma. Had he come out (if possible) after his sophmore year, he'd be a first rounder. So what happened? High-ankle sprain his junior year.......but those heal. Double-Triple-Quadruple-Quintuple-Octomomle teamed his senior year.......but wouldn't front offices take that into account on draft day?

After his sophomore year offenses just started staying the hell away from him. Here's a breakdown I found of his junior year:

ON RUNNING PLAYS
• When Selvie has been left unblocked, he has been run away from 84 percent of the time
• When Selvie has been blocked by a single player, he has been run away from 83 percent of the time
• When Selvie has been double teamed, he has been run away from 80 percent of the time

What it means....
Teams aren’t running anything at him. Only 20 percent of the time are they running to his side of the ball, even when Selvie is double teamed. That has left a very small percentage of opportunities for him to rack up the six tackles for loss that do not include his five sacks.

ON PASSING PLAYS
• Selvie has been in on 192 pass plays in 2008.
• Teams have run a quick pass/screen/shovel pass or Selvie has dropped into coverage on 37 percent of the plays
• Teams have single blocked him on 40 percent of pass plays, nearly equal to the percentage of quick pass/screen/shovel pass
• Selvie has made them pay for single coverage with 14 tackles, two sacks, three TFL and one fumble recovery
• Teams have double teamed him 51 percent of the time
• Teams have triple teamed him 7 percent of the time
• Teams have quadrupled teamed him on two total plays
• Selvie was double teamed 16 times against Rutgers & UConn, 15 times against Kansas, 14 times against UCF
• Selvie was tripled teamed eight times against Kansas and four times against UCF

[Goldenfleece]

Yeah, I thought he was a great pick-up, especially for where we got him. This team is in desperate need of pass rushers, and of the three we drafted this off-season, I have to say I like Selvie's chances best.

[HUbison]

Yeah, I thought he was a great pick-up, especially for where we got him. This team is in desperate need of pass rushers, and of the three we drafted this off-season, I have to say I like Selvie's chances best.

Bingo! I'm in the same boat; Selvie appears to have a better shot than Sims or Davis either one. But what I just can't get past is that he was the 3rd of the 3 selected. The front office felt Sims and Davis both were more valuable than Selvie.

I don't get it. As best I can tell, neither is particularly more gifted in run stopping. And I don't know that anybody could make the argument they are better pass rushers.

So while I'm happy to have them all in camp, I have to wonder what it is that the front office saw or didn't see that dictated their choice back in April.

[txramsfan]

That's why.....wait for it.....the draft is a crapshoot.

Drink up

[HUbison]

That's why.....wait for it.....the draft is a crapshoot.

Drink up

The Crapshoot Express leaving the station. All Aboard!!!