Ensconatus' Scouting Reports

Discussion in 'NFL Draft' started by Clark, Jan 7, 2014.

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  1. Clark

    Clark #ShoutboxAlley4Life

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    I'm starting a thread for my own scouting reports that I've been compiling. Right now I'm going to be starting with QBs. I'm using this for a couple different reasons. One, I would like opinions and conversation and two, I want to be able to look back at these reports in the future to better groom my scouting abilities.

    I apologize if they are a bit long. There really isn't any other way to do them. I'll probably be posting three QB reports today.

    We will be starting with:

    Aaron Murray - 6'1 - 210 LBs

    While a smaller prospect, I've slowly become a fan of him over the last year. His senior season made big strides for him and he answered the bell.

    My QB reports are broken down into 6 categories. Arm, Feet, Eyes, Pocket Presence, Tendencies and Accuracy/Ball Placement

    ARM - "Limited deep but smart and accurate enough to live in the intermediate area"

    Positives:
    + good release, high and tight considering size
    + strong enough to work the field without testing the deep waters too much
    + nice touch on the fade as well as flat checks and broken plays

    Negatives:
    - doesn't change the platform of his release often enough, thus sees some batted balls
    - not a truly gifted power arm, really pushes his body into the throws to get down field.

    FEET - "solid technique in the lower portion of his body, must thrive in the quick passing game"

    Positives:
    + fluid and smooth drops, doesn't have to force the motions
    + will work left and right in the pocket while keeping his feet under him.

    Negatives:
    - doesn't make many nuance moves to work inside pocket and find best throwing lane
    - not a natural thrower on the run. Tends to one hop balls when flushed from the pocket.

    EYES - "Eyes up and active, but must work on not staring down the TE"

    Positives:
    + reads entire field
    + uses eyes to hold safety
    + high end ability on timing routes and reads

    Negatives:
    - While capable of reading entire field, he will revert back to staring down his targets. This is especially true of the TE over the middle.

    POCKET - "stands tall even in traffic"

    Positives:
    + feels pressure
    + moves up in the pocket with success
    + though short, pressure in his face doesn't effect him as much
    + eyes stay up even when pocket is collapsing

    Negatives:
    - edge pressure moves him off his spot and effects his mechanics
    - doesn't make small nuance moves often enough to find best throwing lanes, creating issue of him throwing over the top to check downs with limited success.

    TENDENCIES - "Gamey and smart with decent athletic ability"

    Positives:
    + takes what's given
    + loves back shoulder throws
    + targets TE over the middle often (I think this is a great trait to move into the pros with)
    + risk taker, game changer.
    + will run with the ball to produce big plays
    + very smart with the ball

    Negatives:
    - risk taker
    - stares down TE

    ACCURACY - "Great and surprising accuracy in the intermediate and short areas"

    Positives:
    + good to great placement when mechanics are sound.
    + beautiful back shoulder throws! especially in RZ
    + great slant route ball placement allowing YAC at the next level
    + deep ball placement is good but should be careful

    Negatives:
    - accuracy gets sloppy when hurried from the edges
    - deep ball at the next level will be stifled regardless of accuracy, must use returns, digs and back shoulder to beat coverage deep.

    Overall:

    Positives

    + I think the guy can really produce for a team in this league. He is limited but his intangibles, accuracy and tendencies create a winning formula. He to me is jay cutler meets Matt Ryan. He's not going to beat you with his laser beam speed ball, but he is going to dink and dunk his way into the heart of some team. I would personally bet on the guy to eat pro defenses with his back shoulder throw in the red zone

    Negatives

    - size of course is his hurtle. He is going to need to continue his technique inside crowded pockets and learn to make those small nuance movements to find the best passing lanes. His deep ball is limited and he will have to have an offense dedicated toward getting the defense to bite on the short stuff to open up his deep ball. Over/under scheme.
     
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  2. UrbanLegend3

    UrbanLegend3 Pro Bowler

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    This is really great work very in depth. Please keep it up.
     
  3. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    Take this purely as constructive criticism because I DO NOT wish to deter you from this. Anyone willing to put time into studying players I want to help!!!

    And this is nothing to do with whether I agree or disagree but rather for you to improve what you're doing. When you say things like sloppy mechanics...what is sloppy? His footwork? His arm height? His release? your assessment seems to suggest when he gets edge pressure he's moved off his spot which results in sloppy mechanics. A lot of QB's footwork gets messed up in that situation but if it's something to do with his arm or release, let us know what it is.

    When you write things like deep ball placement is good but must be careful...then write it will be stifled at the next level regardless, it's rather confusing to the reader what that means. Can he or can't he throw the deep ball. And the judge on NFL arms is not the deep ball as almost no NFL QB throws the ball 70yds in a game. The throws that make or break guys is a 15-18yd deep out/comeback from the opposite hash. Not whether he can throw the ball that far, but whether you can throw it on a rope because any arc leaves you open to a pick 6.

    You mention he can hold the safety with his eyes but also stares down his TE. How often does he do either? Is he really good at holding or moving the safety but will ocassionally stare down his TE? Does he ONLY stare down the TE? When does he do that...on 3rd down, when losing, when taking a lot of pressure...try to get a little more detail in there if you can.

    Some of your commentary regarding his movement in the pocket is confusing. You say he stands tall but doesn't move well within the pocket but moves up in the pocket with success. If you're like me, you probably have a bunch of handwritten notes that you're writing from but try to put these things into context so we can 'see' what you see. One problem I have with some of the 'professional' insight is they give a lot of positives and negatives that sometimes contradict each other...perhaps so however the guy turns out they can say see, he never did move well within the pocket or whatever.

    Goodluck and keep it up. I'm still re-watching the Bowl games to see how everyone in them played.
     
  4. Clark

    Clark #ShoutboxAlley4Life

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    I actually have the answers to these things.

    He gets sloppy moving left to right when the rush comes. Someone with a limited arm you don't want throwing off his back foot and that's what tends to happen when he drifts.

    He can't throw the deep ball on a rope because of arm strength. He has a really decent arcing deep ball and not much else in that area. The placement is good and the accuracy is good as well but I fear it won't be as open at the next level. I think he has the power to get the far hash out/come back. However you will see he has to really push it. The next level the hashes get tighter so it's slightly questionable.

    His favorite target is his TE (over the middle primarily) so in clutch situations he would tend to just stare him down and wait. It was almost exclusively due to deciding where the ball was going pre snap.

    He moves in the pocket well considering people around him but he doesn't make the little moves that aren't necessarily forced. The shorter QBs will work within the pocket and drift slightly left or right to find that throwing lane and that's where he needs work.

    He works the pocket considering the rush but not as a tool for throwing lanes. That's a very tricky thing to word properly.
     
  5. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    Damn thats a lot of words
     
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  6. Clark

    Clark #ShoutboxAlley4Life

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    Lol sorry ::shrugs::
     
  7. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    Dont worry, I say its too long now, but Ill read your thoughts on Aaron Murray since he's a guy Im not too fond of. I'll find a hole in your analysis to pick at :D
     
  8. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    Well that didn't take long, you said it yourself;
    Thats not encouraging words to read for a fan base looking for their next QB.

    Also regarding his release. Even if his mechanics are there, he still lets go of the ball fairly low. WR's will have a harder time seeing the balls in when they're being thrown. I mean we could work with him, Jake Locker also has a low release, which is actually why Im not excited about Murray. Why do we need 2 of the same thing?
     
  9. Renfro95

    Renfro95 Starter

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    Great work. Wish I had time to break it down like that. I do some. Was checking out Fales and Brett Smith this morning. I posted about Fales this morning. I will just say, not a fan of Smith at all, i leave it at that. lol
     
  10. titantrusince82

    titantrusince82 I'm down with the Titans for better or worse

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    Way to do your homework!
     
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