TacticaLion
03-12-2007, 09:06 AM
Intro
There have been a lot of talks lately about these 4 players. Many feel Gaines Adams is the pick, with his outstanding pass-rush skill... some feel we should take Carriker the Giant, for his size and run support... some feel Anderson, with his ability to do both, is the best pick... and some feel, from what they've heard from the coaches, that Bazuin is a 3rd round pass-rushing option and a "Marinelli-guy". I figured I'd post the scouting reports of each and leave the rest open for discussion.
First, the strengths:
Gaines Adams
An outstanding athlete...Extremely quick and agile with very good speed...Has a tremendous first step and a great burst to close...Has very long arms and uses his hands well...Has the frame to get bigger and develop physically...Looks fluid when dropping into coverage...A terror in opponents backfields and just seems to have a knack for getting to the quarterback...Productive and disruptive...Versatile and also has the ability to play outside linebacker for a 3-4 team at the pro level.
Adam Carriker
Has outstanding size and a big frame...Has tremendous strength and is extremely powerful...Holds his ground and is exceptional against the run...Has a motor that never stops...Solid tackler...Instinctive and pursues well...Is technically sound and uses his hands well...Is versatile and could play a number of different roles and positions...Very productive...Tough guy and a hard worker with great intangibles.
Jamaal Anderson
Has great size with a large frame and long arms...A smooth athlete with excellent agility...Strong and powerful...Terrific pass rusher who can be effective with either a bull-rush or finesse moves...Does a quality job versus the run...Motor runs non-stop...Very good in pursuit and has a burst to close...Is versatile and could play a number of different roles depending on the scheme he is in...Has a ton of upside.
Dan "Buzz" Bazuin
Aggressive and has an outstanding motor...Decent athlete with adequate timed speed and good quickness...Has a terrific first step and great anticipation...Good in pursuit and has a burst to close...Instinctive and always around the action...Is smart and a hard worker with top-notch intangibles...Just has a knack for making plays in the backfield and was extraordinarily productive throughout his career.
Then, the weaknesses:
Gaines Adams
Does not have the ideal bulk you look for and needs to add some weight...Does not play the run nearly as well as he does the pass...Needs to get stronger...Can play with better pad level and leverage...Struggles when blockers are able to lock on...Might be a bit of a DE / OLB 'tweener...Becomes somewhat one-dimensional at times...Will get overly aggressive and run himself out of plays...Intelligence???
Adam Carriker
Is not overly athletic and lacks great timed speed...A DE / DT 'tweener...He might be too tall and has trouble protecting his lower body...Is not a great natural pass rusher...Is not explosive and doesn't have a burst to close...Has battled through a series of minor injuries during his career...May not be a good fit for every team.
Jamaal Anderson
Does not have a lot of starting experience...Timed speed and quickness are good but not great...Still pretty raw and will need some technique work...Will play too high and needs to display more consistent leverage...He will struggle to separate from blocks at times...You could run the risk that he is simply a one-year wonder.
Dan "Buzz" Bazuin
A bit undersized...Is not very stout against the run...Lacks elite agility and change of direction skills...Has some trouble disengaging from blocks...Can use his hands and play with better leverage...Can be overaggressive at times...He'll miss some tackles and run himself out of plays...Didn't always play against top competition.
My Take
If the coaches feel that DE should be drafted in the first round, i'll have to side with "Iamcanadian" on this one and say GAdams should be the pick. Yes, Carriker and Anderson offer more against the run, but the Cover 2 is successful from the pressure the DLine creates. Many feel that Adams is "too small" to play DE in the NFL, but I disagree. He has the frame to grow and has the talent to succeed.
If the Lions can manage to trade down (to #5, for example), they can then package their picks and try to move back into the 1st round to fill another need (for say, Patrick Willis). Leaving this draft with GAdams AND PWillis will give our team two playmakers at two important positions... the Dwight Freeney and Brian Urlacher that our defense needs.
If we leave round 1 without a DE, Bazuin has to be the pick in round 3. If the coaches feel that he can come in and dominate, that leaves the first two rounds open to fill different needs (OL, WR, MLB or CB).
So, that's my take. If we stay in round 1, Adams should be the pick. But, if we leave round 1 without a DE, Bazuin should be grabbed in round 3. Either way, we're headed for a great draft this year.
There have been a lot of talks lately about these 4 players. Many feel Gaines Adams is the pick, with his outstanding pass-rush skill... some feel we should take Carriker the Giant, for his size and run support... some feel Anderson, with his ability to do both, is the best pick... and some feel, from what they've heard from the coaches, that Bazuin is a 3rd round pass-rushing option and a "Marinelli-guy". I figured I'd post the scouting reports of each and leave the rest open for discussion.
First, the strengths:
Gaines Adams
An outstanding athlete...Extremely quick and agile with very good speed...Has a tremendous first step and a great burst to close...Has very long arms and uses his hands well...Has the frame to get bigger and develop physically...Looks fluid when dropping into coverage...A terror in opponents backfields and just seems to have a knack for getting to the quarterback...Productive and disruptive...Versatile and also has the ability to play outside linebacker for a 3-4 team at the pro level.
Adam Carriker
Has outstanding size and a big frame...Has tremendous strength and is extremely powerful...Holds his ground and is exceptional against the run...Has a motor that never stops...Solid tackler...Instinctive and pursues well...Is technically sound and uses his hands well...Is versatile and could play a number of different roles and positions...Very productive...Tough guy and a hard worker with great intangibles.
Jamaal Anderson
Has great size with a large frame and long arms...A smooth athlete with excellent agility...Strong and powerful...Terrific pass rusher who can be effective with either a bull-rush or finesse moves...Does a quality job versus the run...Motor runs non-stop...Very good in pursuit and has a burst to close...Is versatile and could play a number of different roles depending on the scheme he is in...Has a ton of upside.
Dan "Buzz" Bazuin
Aggressive and has an outstanding motor...Decent athlete with adequate timed speed and good quickness...Has a terrific first step and great anticipation...Good in pursuit and has a burst to close...Instinctive and always around the action...Is smart and a hard worker with top-notch intangibles...Just has a knack for making plays in the backfield and was extraordinarily productive throughout his career.
Then, the weaknesses:
Gaines Adams
Does not have the ideal bulk you look for and needs to add some weight...Does not play the run nearly as well as he does the pass...Needs to get stronger...Can play with better pad level and leverage...Struggles when blockers are able to lock on...Might be a bit of a DE / OLB 'tweener...Becomes somewhat one-dimensional at times...Will get overly aggressive and run himself out of plays...Intelligence???
Adam Carriker
Is not overly athletic and lacks great timed speed...A DE / DT 'tweener...He might be too tall and has trouble protecting his lower body...Is not a great natural pass rusher...Is not explosive and doesn't have a burst to close...Has battled through a series of minor injuries during his career...May not be a good fit for every team.
Jamaal Anderson
Does not have a lot of starting experience...Timed speed and quickness are good but not great...Still pretty raw and will need some technique work...Will play too high and needs to display more consistent leverage...He will struggle to separate from blocks at times...You could run the risk that he is simply a one-year wonder.
Dan "Buzz" Bazuin
A bit undersized...Is not very stout against the run...Lacks elite agility and change of direction skills...Has some trouble disengaging from blocks...Can use his hands and play with better leverage...Can be overaggressive at times...He'll miss some tackles and run himself out of plays...Didn't always play against top competition.
My Take
If the coaches feel that DE should be drafted in the first round, i'll have to side with "Iamcanadian" on this one and say GAdams should be the pick. Yes, Carriker and Anderson offer more against the run, but the Cover 2 is successful from the pressure the DLine creates. Many feel that Adams is "too small" to play DE in the NFL, but I disagree. He has the frame to grow and has the talent to succeed.
If the Lions can manage to trade down (to #5, for example), they can then package their picks and try to move back into the 1st round to fill another need (for say, Patrick Willis). Leaving this draft with GAdams AND PWillis will give our team two playmakers at two important positions... the Dwight Freeney and Brian Urlacher that our defense needs.
If we leave round 1 without a DE, Bazuin has to be the pick in round 3. If the coaches feel that he can come in and dominate, that leaves the first two rounds open to fill different needs (OL, WR, MLB or CB).
So, that's my take. If we stay in round 1, Adams should be the pick. But, if we leave round 1 without a DE, Bazuin should be grabbed in round 3. Either way, we're headed for a great draft this year.