Draft Prospect: OLB Vic Beasley

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G08
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http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... draft-2015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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G08
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Great talent mixed with high character and leadership tends to create high impact players in the NFL. That’s why Vic Beasley can overcome his somewhat short stature and below average length to become one many solid pass rushers.
Most may pigeonhole Beasley as a pure 3-4 edge rusher, but his ability to shoot gaps as the weakside defender and close on the ball carrier suggests he can play off the ball and excel there as well. Vic has a great tendency to keep his hands very active and this leads to deflected passes and forced fumbles.
Finding another player with the pure speed as a pass rusher is very difficult. He will get pancaked on occasion, but his balance and change of direction ability keep linemen guessing throughout the game. He’s a tough player to defeat in space.
Beasley projects as a high impact starter as he adds more counter pass rush moves to his arsenal.

http://edraft.com/nfl/news/2015-nfl-dra ... c-beasley/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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wab
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It's either him or Dupree for me. I don't even want to mess around with anyone else.
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mmmc_35
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2 games in and I don't get the Dupree love. Any one o should watch?
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crueltyabc
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What soured everyone on Ray?
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G08
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crueltyabc wrote:What soured everyone on Ray?
He's so stiff man. He doesn't jump out at me as something special. Beasley, to me, is just electric. He's a great kid, driven, he's exactly what you want in a first round pick. His ability to bend and the flexion he has in his lower half (ankles especially) are elite. You just don't see many athletes able to do that, which allows him to use his speed and quickness to get the edge and bend at sharp angles to close on the QB. It's beautiful to watch and I think with more strength and technique he will only get better. If he weighs in at 242 and runs the 40 and cone drills as well as I expect / hope, he's my pick every single day and twice on Thursday.

wab I'm going to dig into Dupree more once I get back from Cali, but the little I've seen doesn't have me smitten.
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mmmc_35
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crueltyabc wrote:What soured everyone on Ray?
Nothing but there are things to be cautious with the guy. Athletically he could be the best pass rusher in this draft by far. However I have a hard time being overlo excited by a guy who at times disappears when watching him. The talent is there.
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Anyone explain the Gregory love? I don't see it. Is it just his body type?
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Rusty Trombagent
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g08 if you fall in love with someone this long before the draft you'll totally be off the wagon come draft day.
OR DID YOU FORGET PLEADING THAT WADE PHILLIPS WOULD SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS.

best to fall in love with some complete scrub now, it'll make the break up easier.
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crueltyabc
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In watching Dupree I'm very very impressed by his first step. When he's lined up against some stiff RT he's basically past him before the RT can get out his stance, and he's solid enough to take on a TE or RB trying to pick him up in the backfield. I love him at SAM next to Houston.

Beasley, meanwhile, looks slippery in addition to being fast. He'll be more of a WILL in Fangio's system and I think he'll be very disruptive on passing downs. If teams run at him I think he'll struggle to contain on his side because he's smaller, but that's where our scraping LB and probably Ratliff will need to make the play.

I think both guys look like top 10 talent and it's basically a matter of taste.

Gregory doesn't have the speed of the guys above but I'm not mad at what I'm seeing in his draftbreakdown cutups. He can really use his LONG arms standup the olineman, and in the Wisconsin game you see him beating their left tackle regularly to the inside. Maybe he's not top ten because of the speed deficit but he's a good prospect too I think. Stiffer, taller, stronger.
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G08
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RustyTrombone wrote:g08 if you fall in love with someone this long before the draft you'll totally be off the wagon come draft day.
OR DID YOU FORGET PLEADING THAT WADE PHILLIPS WOULD SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS.

best to fall in love with some complete scrub now, it'll make the break up easier.
I loved Wade Phillips as an option when I thought Marc Trestman was staying here. I also didn't think the 49ers would be stupid enough to let Fangio out of his contract.

This happens every year. I get smitten by a player early in the process, and they wind up being studs (that toot sound you hear is me and my horn :lol:). Alshon two years ago, Aaron Donald last year. This year, as of right now, it's Vic Beasley. I need to see his combine #s, but if he's ~242 with 33.5" arms or so and runs his 4.5 dash and a sub 7 cone drill, he'll alleviate any concerns that I currently have (which aren't many).
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wab
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I don't have a lot of concerns about Beasley. Other than his ability to shed blocks, which a lot of rookie pass rushing LB's have issues with. My thing is that some of the other guys seem to "fit" what Fangio does a little better. His outside LB's are always 6'3-6'4 and in the 250-260 range. In Baltimore it was Peter Boulware, Cornell Brown, and Terell Suggs. At Stanford it was guys like Ben Gardener and Trent Murphy. And in SF it was Aldon Smith, Ahamad Brooks, and Corey Lemonier.

Just looking at Dupree, he fits that Peter Boulware/Aldon Smith mold whereas Beasley is more of a Bruce Irvin or Von Miller type.

In the end it just comes down to whether or not the Bears want to build a more traditional Fangio defense or something similar to what Fox was running in Denver.
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crueltyabc
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I have them ...

1. Dupree
2. Beasley
3. Gregory

I don't think Fowler or Ray are worth #7 so I'd BPA or trade if the three above are all gone.
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wab
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crueltyabc wrote:I have them ...

1. Dupree
2. Beasley
3. Gregory

I don't think Fowler or Ray are worth #7 so I'd BPA or trade if the three above are all gone.
That's how I currently have them. Although the line between Dupree and Beasley is pretty thin. And Gregory is a fairly distant 3rd.
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mmmc_35
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I think I would go

Beasley
Fowler
Ray
Dupree
Gregory
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crueltyabc
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Interesting you have Fowler second. Is there a game, play, or attribute that stands out to you?
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mmmc_35
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I watched all the videos below. Wrote up my arm chair scouts opinion on him in the BFO scouting thread. Cliff notes. HE is more physical then the others listed. Played all over the field. Very athletic And dominated. I also love his motor and aggression.

draftbreakdown.com/players/dante-fowler-jr/
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G08
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Looking back at Fangio's time in the NFL as a DC only, his OLBs averaged 6'2.5" and 247 lbs.

I think that's right in Beasley's wheelhouse. I'm expecting the kid to weigh in around 242 lbs.
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wab
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G08 wrote:Looking back at Fangio's time in the NFL as a DC only, his OLBs averaged 6'2.5" and 247 lbs.

I think that's right in Beasley's wheelhouse. I'm expecting the kid to weigh in around 242 lbs.
You're hoping :)

So am I. But I think the 6'3 237 he's listed at is pretty generous. He looks more like 6'1 220 on the field. But dude is ripped...so.
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wab wrote:
G08 wrote:Looking back at Fangio's time in the NFL as a DC only, his OLBs averaged 6'2.5" and 247 lbs.

I think that's right in Beasley's wheelhouse. I'm expecting the kid to weigh in around 242 lbs.
You're hoping :)

So am I. But I think the 6'3 237 he's listed at is pretty generous. He looks more like 6'1 220 on the field. But dude is ripped...so.
Just as long as they don't prescribe the old Shea diet... Or the Cedric Benson diet.
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G08
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wab wrote:
G08 wrote:Looking back at Fangio's time in the NFL as a DC only, his OLBs averaged 6'2.5" and 247 lbs.

I think that's right in Beasley's wheelhouse. I'm expecting the kid to weigh in around 242 lbs.
You're hoping :)
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wab wrote: So am I. But I think the 6'3 237 he's listed at is pretty generous. He looks more like 6'1 220 on the field. But dude is ripped...so.
He said in a presser that his goal was to add another 10-15 lbs to his 230 lbs frame. Whether that happens or not, who really knows. My guess is he'd be going full tilt to get that weight on prior to the combine -- it's also why I'm so interested in seeing what his numbers will be with that added weight.
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I'm changing up my tune a little bit... Beasley's size is starting to worry me.

1. Randy Gregory
I don't like him as a finished product right now, but he's a dead ringer for Aldon Smith... just needs to get into an NFL weight room and get up to 265 lbs

2. Dante Fowler Jr.
Plays with reckless abandon, violence, and aggression that I love out of a football player. He's bounced around multiple positions, but I think getting settled in at OLB in the NFL, he's only begun to scratch the surface of his potential.

3. Shane Ray
I'm honestly intrigued with the success he has had as a DT moreso than as an edge rusher (because I expected the edge rushing success). He's a bit stiff for my liking, but has a strong upper body and tremendous first step. I'm curious to see his arm length.

4. Vic Beasley
My guy. I'm a bit down on him at the moment because he seems to be maxed out on his body, while the prospects listed above have room on their frames to add mass. That being said, I think Beasley's the best pure pass rusher in this group -- the worry is not being able to handle OTs at the NFL due to their sheer size and strength. If this kid checks in at 245 and rocks the combine like I expect him to, I'd put him ahead of Ray and neck-and-neck with Fowler.
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^ Can't argue with the assessment. I can't get on the Gregory Wagon though. He just needs so much work, and doesn't have the motor of the other guys. But his frame is loads better. I know I like try hard guys to a fault. Rather miss with a guy who is going to give it everything then s guy who looks the part. I do understand the ranking just not my cup of tea.
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Alvin. Du. Pree.
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G08
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Alright I'm going to watch his games on noonkick
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I'm back on my Beasley bandwagon. Nobody disrupts like this kid does, size be damned. Combine can't come soon enough, I hope he's 242+ and runs the dash around 4.55. If he ducks the 40 with the mass on him, I'll be disappointed a la Alshon Jeffery.
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Welcome back. I have been kinda jumping to the Fowler idea myself but then I watch Vic. Keeps me grounded.
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Screw it. Lets just take Thomson at 7 and hope McKinney or Harold is there in the 2nd.
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wab wrote:Screw it. Lets just take Thomson at 7 and hope McKinney or Harold is there in the 2nd.
Where do you play Thompson to justify #7 value?
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Safety
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