The Official 2013 Senior Bowl Thread

[RamBill]

Senior Bowl Festivities Underway
Posted by nickwagoner on January 22, 2013 – 3:26 AM

St. Louis Rams – Blog | Senior Bowl Festivities Underway

MOBILE, Ala. -

- Greetings from Mobile, where they claim one of the nation’s largest Mardi Gras parties but for this week at least is the home to the premiere annual College All Star game, the Senior Bowl.

- Practices got underway today and though I wasn’t able to arrive until early this evening, there is already some news to report in terms of the roster.

- First, a player I know many Rams fans are interested in is Alabama OT D.J. Fluker. The big man weighed in this morning, checking in around 6’5, 356 pounds but I’m told his 356 isn’t like former Tide tackle Andre Smith and Fluker is built much more solidly. Unfortunately, reports tonight indicate that will be all for him this week in Mobile and he has already taken off to head home and train for the combine and the draft.

- Also, a few players on the listed roster on the Senior Bowl website were late scratches. That includes Texas S Kenny Vaccaro and Wisconsin RB Montee Ball (also a St. Louis native).

- I’ll do a full roster check with the rundown tomorrow. Also, for those planning, we’ll have a Senior Bowl chat on Wednesday this week. I’m thinking a 12:30 Eastern time start so get your questions in now.

- One thing that jumps out about this Senior Bowl and this year’s draft in general is a lack of pop at the top. There’s not the usual clear cut top guys at many positions. That makes weeks like this one fun. There are a number of positions to watch this week where guys can start to separate from others.

- Perhaps no spot will be better for that than offensive tackle. Even without Fluker, Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson, Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher, Wisconsin’s Ricky Wagner and many more are still here jockeying for position behind Texas A&M stud Luke Joeckel.

- Spoke to Fisher at tonight’s media night. An impressive looking kid who is genuinely excited to be here and represent a MAC school. He takes great pride in following the footsteps of Joe Staley, the Super Bowl bound left tackle of the San Francisco *****.

- Coming tomorrow, I’ll have a big piece on Oregon OL Kyle Long, the brother of Rams DE Chris. He has an interesting story and he explains why he could no longer put off joining the “family business.”

- Long is an intriguing prospect in his own right. He started at left tackle for the Ducks but when injuries hit, kicked inside to guard. He can play both tackle spots and his versatility is valuable. As for playing for the Rams, he says he’d love to play with his brother but of course, he isn’t dead set on it and would be happy to play anywhere.

- Another interesting position that the Rams could have interest in is safety. Right now, there is no consensus on the top guy though Vaccaro seems to be the early leader in the clubhouse. Still, there is a lot of movement possible there and some contenders are in attendance. Guys like USC’s T.J. McDonald, Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo and South Carolina’s D.J. Swearinger are here and looking to make a statement.

- Spoke to Rambo, who aside from winning the awesome surname award, is here on a mission to prove he is more than just a ballhawk. I’ll have plenty on him later this week but Rambo said he knows the perception is that he can’t tackle and he has come to Mobile to prove that perception wrong. By the same token, he’s also not shying away from his ballhawking reputation. He believes that’s a God given skill that one can’t be taught.

- Baylor WR Terrance Williams was an interesting fellow in his own right. Williams credited his coaches for allowing the Bears offense to continue to thrive even without RG3 at QB. He also made it very clear that he intends to differentiate himself in what is a receiver class with no clear cut star. He wants to be the top wideout drafted.

- Georgia DT John Jenkins wins the early award for player who is the most overwhelmingly massive. He’s a large man.

- Michigan QB/WR Denard Robinson seems happy to be here and not upset with playing a position other than his normal quarterback spot. That’s a bit refreshing because not all players in his spot have moved as graciously. He cited Green Bay’s Randall Cobb as a prime example for him to follow.

- Rumor has it Purdue DT Kawann Short made quite the impression today.

- Oh, second prize in the massive human being contest is Kentucky G Larry Warford. I know there’s been a lot of talk amongst Rams fans about Alabama’s super impressive OG prospect Chance Warmack but Warford could be an interesting prospect. He’s big and physical and figures to be there into the second round. He’s the most touted interior prospect here this week and should be worth following.

- Some really talented RBs in the house this week as well, including UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin and Oregon’s Kenjon Barner, among others. Barner seemed like a genuine kid excited to be here and show the football world what he can do. He didn’t get a ton of credit for making that Oregon offense go but he had a heck of a year.

- Interesting to note, dismissed LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu aka The Honey Badger, is in town to meet with teams this week and do some damage control.

- Plenty more to come the rest of the week as I’ll be here through Thursday with multiple updates each day, insight from scouts and much more.

- The Rams contingent is here already though I’m told coach Jeff Fisher is not in attendance as he tends to other business (such as defensive coordinator hire). GM Les Snead and his group is here and doing the legwork though so we’ll try to catch up before the week is out.

- In the meantime, thanks for reading and talk to you all tomorrow.

[richtree]

I really like EJ Manuel if we can get him in Round 4 or later. He is great athletic talent that has good QBing abilities as well.

I think over past 10 years a weakness of the Rams has been getting away from developing young QB talent.

Trent Green, Marc Bulger, and even finding Kurt Warner., etc...back to Tony Banks. lol

If he falls.....

[sosa39rams]

I really like EJ Manuel if we can get him in Round 4 or later. He is great athletic talent that has good QBing abilities as well.

I think over past 10 years a weakness of the Rams has been getting away from developing young QB talent.

Trent Green, Marc Bulger, and even finding Kurt Warner., etc...back to Tony Banks. lol

If he falls.....

Exactly the same as me. In my last mock I had us taking Manuel in the 4th, and still want it to happen. Guys got all the physical traits in the world, if he gets some good coaching he's going to be a good one.

[TekeRam]

Long's disappointing day also shows that perhaps he won't be able to play left tackle, and could possibly slip. If the junior tackles had come out, he'd have been a lock for us in the 2nd round, but if he disappoints, he's a possibility. Given our ability to coach up line talent with this new staff, I'd take a long look at him depending on how he continues to rate.

How cool would it be to not only pair him with Chris, but to kick him to RT where he could face off against his brother every day?

[AvengerRam]

I see no logic in considering a developmental QB in Round 4, given the Rams current needs.

I'm liking what I'm reading about Terrance Williams so far. He has been my #1 WR for a while, and I don't think that is going to change.

[sosa39rams]

I see no logic in considering a developmental QB in Round 4, given the Rams current needs.

I'm liking what I'm reading about Terrance Williams so far. He has been my #1 WR for a while, and I don't think that is going to change.

Yup, hes been good. Dissapointed that he's not as tall as they say he was, but its no biggie. If a guy can ball, he can ball.

Someone to look out for is WR Markus Wheaton. He's been lighting it up! Little quick guy, great route runner, great speed, great hands.

[Nick]

I've been reading a lot of positive notes about safety Jonathan Cyprien. Definitely someone to watch for if the Rams don't nab a safety with picks #16 or 22.

[Rambos]

I've been reading a lot of positive notes about safety Jonathan Cyprien. Definitely someone to watch for if the Rams don't nab a safety with picks #16 or 22.

Thanks for the heads up... I like his size.

Yesterday at Senior Bowl weigh-ins, Cyprien grabbed scouts and media's attention with a "great physique" and weighing in just over six-feet and a "chiseled" 209 lbs. That's always nice to hear, but when many evaluators attending practice started mentioning his name as one of the standouts, it was hard to ignore. Dane Brugler or CBSsports.com tweeted: "Great that two of the most impressive prospects at weigh-ins were equally as impressive at practice: DE Datone Jones, SAF Jonathan Cyprien"

[Nick]

Fluker's Senior Bowl weigh in picture...




Does NOT look like a guy who weighs 355, carries it much better than you'd expect.

[Tampa_Ram]

Looks like those that wanted Fisher might be out of luck now. Beasting it up!!!

Shane P. Hallam @ShanePHallam Eric Fisher dominant. Great foot movement relentless under the pads. Just took Okafor for a ride


Tony Pauline @TonyPauline Really have to like what see from Eric Fisher/CMU. Don't be surprised if people talk top 15 soon.


Rebecca Haarlow @RebeccaHaarlow Big story out of @seniorbowl N. prak: Eric Fisher so dominant in 1on1s, some now project him ahead of Luke Joeckel @Big_Fish79 @nflnetwork

[Tampa_Ram]

Fluker's Senior Bowl weigh in picture...




Does NOT look like a guy who weighs 355, carries it much better than you'd expect.

Looks like a giant. def carries it well, much better then Andre Smith did during draft time

[Nick]

Yeah, if Fisher keeps this up for the rest of the week, then he probably doesn't make it beyond Arizona @ 7.

[RamBill]

Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher talks about the level of competition at the 2013 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Plus, Oregon OT Kyle Long speaks about the possibility of playing alongside older brother and Rams DE Chris Long.

Watch Fisher and Long Videos

[RamBill]

Posted by nickwagoner on January 22, 2013 – 7:12 PM

St. Louis Rams – Blog | Senior Bowl: Tuesday Morning Practice (North Squad)

MOBILE, Ala. -

- Just back from this morning’s North team practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Some guys missing, some guys flashing and a whole lot of on lookers watching.

- First, from a Rams perspective, here’s something I found interesting. GM Les Snead, Director of College Scouting Taylor Morton and a couple others from the scouting staff take a little different approach to scouting here. Rather than sitting in the stands and getting a big picture view, Snead likes to be down on the field, right in the mix. It allows him to stalk the sidelines, see how guys interact and evaluate players up close. Plenty of people come down here for the networking but make no mistake, Snead and Co. are all business.

- Between after the practice interviews on the field and the formal interviews at night, the Rams will have someone talk to pretty much every player in attendance at this Senior Bowl. The formal interviews take place for about two and a half hours every night at a local hotel.

- As for today’s practice, there were a few players either not in attendance or not practicing worth noting in the morning session. Oregon OT Kyle Long, brother of Chris, was nowhere to be found during the practice. No word on his whereabouts but he wasn’t there. Same for Ohio State DT John Simon.

- Linebackers Arthur Brown (Kansas State) and Trevardo Williams (Connecticut) also did not participate in practice.

- A few former Rams are walking the bleachers here. Former wideout/safety Mike Furrey is here. He’s now the head coach at Kentucky Christian University. Although he doesn’t have a defined role yet, former Rams CB Todd Lyght is a part of the Eagles’ coaching staff and down here talking to prospects on their behalf. Another former CB, Travis Fisher, has also been spotted down here. I’ll try to catch up with him for an update.

- It’s an interesting mix this week at quarterback as none of the signal callers seem to stand above the rest. The North features Miami (Ohio)’s Zac Dysert, North Carolina State’s Mike Glennon and Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib. Glennon hit some big throws during team drills and seven on seven but nobody really seemed to stand above the rest.

- North Carolina DT Sylvester Williams is an impressive player. He’s also a St. Louis native with an interesting story. I plan to have more on him in the coming days.

- Another local guy playing DT who is drawing some buzz is Missouri Southern’s Brandon Williams. He’s built solid despite weighing in around 340 pounds and he has the look of a small school gem.

- Some talented receivers showed up for the North during the Tuesday morning practice. Oregon State’s Markus Wheaton can absolutely fly. He made some big catches down the field in team drills and during seven on sevens. Of course, nobody looks more athletic than Texas’ Marquise Goodwin. This is an Olympic level athlete with the burst and explosion that could make him a big time performer if he gets the fundamentals down.

- Kansas State WR Chris Harper brings a little different dimension. Harper has great size and strength. He’s not the fastest guy here but he’s solid and made some nice grabs.

- Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher is as advertised. A big, long limbed, quick footed tackle. Scouts say he may lack the punch and power to be a dominant run blocker but he has the pass protection skills to step in immediately.

- Michigan WR/QB Denard Robinson is still wearing the no contact jersey. He’s struggling a bit to adjust to his new position and he really struggled with trying to catch punts at the end of practice.

- Of course, everyone who tried to catch punts at the end of practice really struggled.

- Off to get a look at the South team. It seems this is where the major talent is as many of the bigger “names” reside on the South squad. Back with an update on that and much more after this practice.

- Thanks for reading.

[sosa39rams]

Fluker's Senior Bowl weigh in picture...




Does NOT look like a guy who weighs 355, carries it much better than you'd expect.

Guys a beast. Looks like he weighs 280 lbs, very impressive.