By D
Senior Bowl week can be broken down into 3 distinct phases. First phase are the practices, where the players get to gain valuable experience working with NFL staff, meet with team executives and coaches, get valuable looks from scouts and also get additional financial and profession counselling. This can be the week that a player makes or breaks himself, potentially earning or costing them millions in contract money. Practices by far make the most difference from a scouting perspective as these are pretty much for the eyes of NFL evaluators. They also have scheduled post practice private meetings with GM’s, as well as team hosted dinner events.
The second phase of Senior Bowl week is the interaction with the public. Players generally go to local hospitals, schools, etc. and they meet with kids/parents. There is also the player meet and greet scheduled for Friday of Senior Bowl week. This is an event I attended for the first time this year and it was a blast. I got to meet, and have brief conversations with players, some of which I left VERY impressed with. Each player meets with fans and signs autographs for about an hour and 15 minutes straight, and at a pretty fast pace. These events are designed for players to see the effect they have on fans lives, and how their actions and attitudes are important. It is also designed to prepare them for things to come, things like sitting down for hours on end to sign auto-graphs for both those fans who would travel across the country just to meet them, and to those who may be getting that signature for financial gain. Through it all is a revelation how giving back, and remaining professional and respectful to fans is now as much a part of their job as playing football.
The last phase is the game, and while it gets all the coverage, to be honest it’s the least important of all phases. It is the final test in a week full of preparation and scrutiny, the culmination of a very taxing week and a chance to put their college colors on one last time. They are stepping out of the old life and into the new. It’s the last College Bowl game, and yet, already they have new game, new rules, new formations, and new coaches who could possibly be part of their new lives. The week is kind of culture shock for a lot of them but in spite of how draining it, it’s really just the beginning. After the last seconds of that game, players have to start moving on, start thinking of what’s up next, start taking all the things learned at Senior Bowl, all those flaws that were pointed out to them and have those ironed out before Combine. Drop 10 pounds, shave a couple seconds off that 40 time, work on running better route, rehab that tweaked thigh muscle, they have 3 weeks.
There is one last thing for fans and it occurs right after the game ends. When the game ends, some fans stay behind and line up at fences near the buses the players leave in. This is something that is really important to me, so every year, I try my best to go see the players off. The players got to the locker rooms, change out and then walk out and say goodbye to their fans, sign their last autographs as college stars, and jump on the bus to go off and catch a plane and begin their professional lives. It’s always the best time to me, and sometimes the saddest. I have always had at least one player I have had to say goodbye to as a Gator, so in some ways it kinda stinks, but then again, it’s also very exciting. In some ways, to me, it’s almost similar to the feeling you get when you drop your kid off on that first day of school. I usually don’t bother with getting an autograph, I just shake some hands and tell them that I am hoping the best for them in the draft and the rest of their careers, It’s a great wrap up to one of my most favorite weeks of football.
As a postscript, I would like to say will have plenty about the prospects I met, comments about them, what some scouting information I got on, etc., but I’ll do them as comments, I typed this thing like 5 times, and each time it was so massive I decided to just focus on what the week means to the players and fans and try to bring a little bit of this experience to you guys. I hope maybe one year we can do a FU meet down here for the week and do this as a group. I think it would be a really great time.
Finsmob Unleashed 
Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 15 (L.A.): Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson (A)
Round 2 Pick 11: Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana (A-)
Round 2 Pick 12 (L.A.): Kentrell Brothers, ILB, Missouri (B)
Round 3 Pick 10: Joshua Garnett, OG, Stanford (A)
Round 3 Pick 13 (L.A.): Deion Jones, OLB, LSU (A)
Round 4 Pick 9: Eric Murray, CB, Minnesota (C+)
Round 5 Pick 8: Deiondre’ Hall, CB, Northern Iowa (B+)
Round 6 Pick 11: Jacoby Brissett, QB, NC State (B+)
Round 7 Pick 6: Matt Ioannidis, DT, Temple (A+)
Round 7 Pick 10: Graham Glasgow, C, Michigan (C+)
I doubt Spriggs last that long, but I wasn’t going to pass him up in the mock.
These trades to add extra high picks makes these exercise pretty unrealistic. Would any team give up a 2nd and a 3rd to move up 7 spots from 15 to 8? I doubt it.
It depends on if a player falls that a team really likes. …say maybe a QB.
LOL @ SB Cha-ching!
MikeE,
I really don’t know much of what tannebaum has done before with respect to injured players. I don’t see any great players in this draft anyway. Nobody worth taking a big risk on in my mind but who knows?
Not so much injured players, but getting Suh in FA, moving up to draft Sanchez. If he wants a player, he’s gonna get ’em.
rgs, do you think this QB class would warrant a team doing that?
I don’t think there is one, but a team could think a guy like Wentz is worth it if he gets by Cleveland, Dallas, and SF.
GREAT NEWS ON Mrs. OD; –All your best wishes paid off as my lovely wife is now home safe and sound after this morning’s laser spine surgery!! –She WON’T be doing backward flips for a while BUT she is almost totally pain free after this extensive procedure. We REALLY APPRECIATE your kind thoughts!
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ARE we getting up a predictions contest for the Super Bowl?? –HOWIE, are you THERE?? –I’ll be rooting for the AFC representative (Denver) BUT, I believe the younger, stronger, faster Carolina Panthers will prevail 27-10.
HOWIE–HOWIE–HOWIE 27-10 CAR
That’s great news OD, glad to hear!
Thank you, Mike. Are you folks OK after that big storm about a week or so ago? –A coin dealer from New Jersey told me that there was significant damage in your state from the storm. Hope all is well up your way!
Great to hear, OD.
Denver has the faster defense though. Their issue is they’re a bit undersized and Carolina’s offense is physical in the run game with Cam as well. DEN was tops against the run and #1 overall but that’s the matchup to watch – Denver’s rush DEF vs. Carolina’s run game.
Thank you, Tim. What’s your pick for the Super Bowl??
Tim
Dominic Smith? He’s a highly rated prospect.
That’s him. He’s 20 and probably 2 years away from trying to crack the lineup. Hasn’t displayed a lot of power but he’s a good hitter.
I read about him a while ago, they say the power is coming.
OD
All is well in my area, just a ton of snow to shovel.
That’s when having a couple of teenage sons IS A GOOD THING!
True, but those days are coming to an end, sad to say.
OD, I really just want to see a competitive game. I’d like to see Carolina face some adversity as they’ve rolled most of the season and in the playoffs. I don’t want to see Peyton have a bad game. If the Broncos lose in an entertaining game it’s not a bad thing. Someone has to lose.
As for the damage from the storm. Most of it was coastal due to the full moon and high tidal waves. It mixed with the snow storm and the tidal waves effected the coast line from NC to NY. It wasn’t Sandy bad but mixed with snow and slush and massive flooding it was pretty bad for some people and some who are still trying to recover from Sandy.
Those of us more inland got hit with a ton of snow followed by warmer temps that has rapidly melted most of it.
Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow – an early spring is his forecast! 🙂
Mike, you know how you see Conforto displaying more power in the majors than he did in the minors, they say that’s not uncommon and Mattingly was the same way. Many baseball people say Conforto reminds them of a young Mattingly. 🙂
Yeah, I’ve heard those comparisons. He’s got a nice swing. I’ll take 40 doubles and 20 HR’s from Conforto.
If you extrapolate Conforto’s stats over 500 AB’s, he’ll have pretty close to that
Miami Dolphins Cheer @MDCheer 7h7 hours ago
Courtney is you cheerleader of the week! For more, visit http://www.dolphinscheerleaders.com/chow/courtney-3
Mike, I agree on Conforto. He may hit more than 20 though. If you count his 30 ABs in the playoffs and WS where he hit 3 HRs, his 9 HRs in the RS with 174 ABs works out to 29 HRs in 500 ABs. He can drive the ball.
I’d like to see .280+ 24 80+ type numbers this season. I’m hopeful he becomes a .300 power hitter.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
YOUR PICKS
1: R1P8 S JALEN RAMSEY FLORIDA STATE
2: R2P11 OLB LEONARD FLOYD GEORGIA
3: R3P10 G VADAL ALEXANDER LSU
4: R4P9 RB KENNETH DIXON LOUISIANA TECH
5: R5P8 CB DEIONDRE’ HALL NORTHERN IOWA
6: R6P11 ILB JOSH FORREST KENTUCKY
7: R7P6 G JOE DAHL WASHINGTON ST
8: R7P10 QB TRAVIS WILSON UTAH
I like the first 4. That would be a very good draft.
FLORIDA PANTHERS putting a 4-0 ass kicking on the team with the best record in the NHL, the Washington Capitols, in Washington late in the second period. Guess it’s time to pull out my toy rats from the 1996 season, eh? –Going to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in ’96 in the igloo was one of my greatest sports thrills ever!! –Florida’s John Van Biesbrooke stoned Jaromir Jagr on a clean break-away early in the game to set the stage for Florida’s improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Little did I know that, 20 years later, Jagr would lead the Panthers to another memorable season!! At 43, Jagr is still an elite player in the National Hockey League!
I like it Rock!
Different but it works!!!!!!
I used Draftek’s big board and went BPA (Except Ramsey, who I want}
TIM; Punxsutawney Phil’s early spring prediction already has been proven right in Florida. –The high was 80 in Tampa today under mostly sunny skies!!! The only shovels I saw today were used to make sand castles at the beach!!
Historically Phil has been right 39% of the time. Flipping a coin would be closer. He is almost as bad as the past 10 years of Dolphins FO’s.
Oh, no! Phil’s been better than the Fins’ front office!
I was joking but what we have now already feels like mid March.
Hey, Look at my draft picks.
OUT for tonight. Hope to talk to you folks tomorrow.
Glad MRS. OD came out alright!
Give her a hug for me!!!!!!
Well Ok, GD. I will wait for Rob to weigh in on that. LOL
She has no gag reflex at all.
our pro bowlers looked good eh guys?
Did they? I know Landry made some plays.
Glad Albert didn’t get hurt, so yeah, our PB’ers did good.
Besides Landry, I saw Jones make a nice break up and near pick reading the QB and jumping the route on a long sideline throw.
concerning FFR … isn’t this tax season?
Yes but not even a drive by. The last we heard of him he talked about being sick and blood was involved.
He’s that guy in the pic you posted earlier. Contracted a rare form of encockalitis.
Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 8: Jalen Ramsey, CB/FS, Florida State (A)
Round 2 Pick 11: Kentrell Brothers, ILB, Missouri (B+)
Round 3 Pick 10: Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State (A+)
Round 4 Pick 9: D.J. White, CB, Georgia Tech (B-)
Round 5 Pick 8: Nila Kasitati, OG, Oklahoma (F)
Round 6 Pick 11: Dadi Lhomme Nicolas, OLB, Virginia Tech (B)
Round 7 Pick 6: Jake McGee, TE, Florida (C+)
Round 7 Pick 10: Temarrick Hemingway, TE, South Carolina State (B)
I’m worried about Nicholas as well. I think he was the guy that punched the ref last year.
Yep, was him
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football-news/4661735-virginia-tech-dadi-nicolas-punches-referee-video-frank-beamer-hokies-north-carolina
I guess this is where in depth team research comes into play. Was it just a bad moment where he slapped the refs hand in the cookie jar or is it an indicator of more stuff behind the scenes. I do have to say Sporting news calling that a punch is a complete misrepresentation of what occurred.
Fanspeak updated there Rankings & this my haul😂
DE JOEY BOSA
OHIO STATE
42: R2P11
DT ROBERT NKEMDICHE
OLE MISS
73: R3P10
OLB JORDAN JENKINS
GEORGIA
104: R4P9
CB HARLAN MILLER
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
135: R5P8
TE TYLER HIGBEE
WESTERN KENTUCKY
168: R6P11
CB ERIC MURRAY
MINNESOTA
195: R7P6
ILB CASSANOVA MCKINZY
AUBURN
199: R7P10
OLB VICTOR OCHI
I’ll have to do some more research into nicholas past. You could be right it could have been an isolated incident then it’s more forgivable.
Noah Spence he reminds me of Jordan too much. Also with as many issues as he has had with Drugs miami is a bad place for him. It would be like having a pedophile run the largest daycare in the world
Rob – Where are you man???
FFR – If you have a sec between clients, pop on and say hello. We’re concerned about you brother!
D-Bolt
I took Harlan Miller in the 5th RD and FirstPick gave me an F. lol
Harlan Miller is going to be a good cornerback I think
Seems like he could be. FirstPick is kinda screwed up with their ratings
First pick really hasn’t updated their rankings too much. For the longest time they had guys kept in the system who had said the were going back to school a month before that.
And I do believe Miller is going to be good….real good.
Interesting item to keep your eye on is Eric Galko from Optimum Scouting said something is going to be getting out about Tunsil being involved in the Nkemdiche hotel window incident.
Tunsil’s past isnt squeaky clean. He has had some issues and actually started the year on a team imposed suspension. Robert Nkemdiche has been relatively clean most his career there, his brother hasnt. I dont know if he just sees the end of school and was liek fuck it im partying it up while i can kind of thing or what but i was pretty shocked to hear that report. I wouldnt be suprised though to find out Tunsil was at least partying with him.
dbolt48 says:
February 3, 2016 at 9:10 am
First pick really hasn’t updated their rankings too much. For the longest time they had guys kept in the system who had said the were going back to school a month before that.
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Seems they make adjustments late Tuesdays, or were during last few weeks of regular season. I know they haven’t adjusted yet for after senior bowl because Vernon butler is still there in the 4th round. I dont see him making it out of the first and definitely not out of the second.
I really want Nkemdiche because he is very versatile, we could use him on offense as a FB/TE, he could move inside and play DT but primarily id want him as a DE because he is just a beast on the field. I am though nervous about guys who want to party instead of taking care of business and keeping their nose clean at possibly the most important time of their lives. The distractions of South Beach parties is going to be a helluva thing for them to resist at a time they are showing that they cant even resist them in smaller settings.
Dadi Nicholas has a felony arrest for second degree grand larceny in 2012 when he was a freshman, and i couldnt find anything else on him outside of the punching the ref thing.
Sound like a great guy
Hitting refs and grand larceny
The bengals or Cowboys will probably draft him
New blog up
Tunsil was suspended for benefits violation, nothing criminal. He has one arrest for simple assault, but this is the circumstance of it:
Tunsil was arrested for an alleged incident that took place Thursday (June 25, 2015) night at the residence of Tunsil’s mother. Tunsil allegedly punched his stepfather after the stepfather allegedly shoved his mom.
I dont know that i can blame him much for coming to the aid of his mother.
I am not sure what involvement he had with Nkemdiche, but otherwise his history isnt as checkered as i thought. I had never heard why he was suspended or what the simple assault charge was for.
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/694922510689771520