UDFA Thread

College football and the NFL Draft

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Johnny Bollocks
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Given that I never ever have access to college football, I usually spend this time of year watching one video of a player, reading one quote from one of his coaches and then latching onto him as if my very existence, nay the existence of Beardom as a whole, depended upon it. And then, despite me wishing REALLY hard and training them constantly on Madden until they are all world, they just turn out to be schlubs in real life.

This season? Eiselen. I love every scrap of film (one, just one) and every comment from a coach (again, just the one) that I've seen and I think he might really be something.

But he probably won't.
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Middleguard wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:42 pm More than most years, these all seem like pity-picks to me. Successful UDFAs are usually a surprise, but I'm not seeing a Braunecker, Robertson-Harris, or Toliver in this bunch. Last year's crop of UDFAs produced 6 (way too many) who actually played in the regular season and are still with the team. Nothing like that will happen this year.
So if these are pity-picks, I guess my favorite, most pitiable player, has to be WR Ahmad Wagner who led his team in TD receptions with 2 (one more than one). He was not, however, his team's leading receiver. That was his QB.
The pickup I don't care for is ILB Rashad Smith. Now, I can't just type "Smith," or even "RSmith." Now it has to be "RaSmith" or "RoSmith." Probably not for long, though.
Agree.
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Mikefive wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:33 am I think it's great that we signed a big ugly named "Dieter". :D
Agreed. Likely won't make it but Matt Birk story gives you hope.
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Middleguard wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:42 pm More than most years, these all seem like pity-picks to me. Successful UDFAs are usually a surprise, but I'm not seeing a Braunecker, Robertson-Harris, or Toliver in this bunch. Last year's crop of UDFAs produced 6 (way too many) who actually played in the regular season and are still with the team. Nothing like that will happen this year.
So if these are pity-picks, I guess my favorite, most pitiable player, has to be WR Ahmad Wagner who led his team in TD receptions with 2 (one more than one). He was not, however, his team's leading receiver. That was his QB.
The pickup I don't care for is ILB Rashad Smith. Now, I can't just type "Smith," or even "RSmith." Now it has to be "RaSmith" or "RoSmith." Probably not for long, though.
Dieter Eiselen, Artavis Pierce, and Rashad Smith were all draftable prospects. I thought Pierce could have gone in the 4th or 5th round. Traore is an interesting developmental dude.
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Johnny Bollocks wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:55 pm Given that I never ever have access to college football, I usually spend this time of year watching one video of a player, reading one quote from one of his coaches and then latching onto him as if my very existence, nay the existence of Beardom as a whole, depended upon it. And then, despite me wishing REALLY hard and training them constantly on Madden until they are all world, they just turn out to be schlubs in real life.

This season? Eiselen. I love every scrap of film (one, just one) and every comment from a coach (again, just the one) that I've seen and I think he might really be something.

But he probably won't.
That video was very entertaining, and I kept thinking about how some of our OL don't stay with their blocks. Dieter would push his guy halfway down the field. Granted his opponent may not be so big but he stayed with it. That kid from Princeton may still be having Dieter nightmares.

My rookie crush last year was Stephen Denmark. He had a great highlight reel but because he didn't come from a major program he fell in the draft. I'm curious to see how a year of conditioning and NFL training will contribute to his success.
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spudbear wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:19 pmMy rookie crush last year was Stephen Denmark.
Same here. If that guy can learn to play SS, he'll be a force.
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I think you probably need to look more at Denmark as CB only (or at least I would)

I think he has absolutely incredible athletic gifts (duh) - but I'm not sure he has much in the way of instincts

Instincts are paramount at Safety - or else we'd be hearing about First Ballot HOFers Tebucky Jones and D. Manning
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Is it just me or does that Eiselen kid play with a ridiculous amount of leverage? He seems to do a great job of getting up under an opponents pads, and then using his legs, tosses him all over the place. It's crazy. Granted it's Ivy League. But the dudes he was throwing around were not small.
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I haven't looked into him at all so i'm just going off of what i've read in posts....is there any concern the Yale guard is just a dirty scum bag of a player? The first thought I had reading through some of the posts was Richie Incognito and I for one would hate to have a player like that on the Bears. Or am I just reading too much into posts?
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HurricaneBear wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 2:45 pm I haven't looked into him at all so i'm just going off of what i've read in posts....is there any concern the Yale guard is just a dirty scum bag of a player? The first thought I had reading through some of the posts was Richie Incognito and I for one would hate to have a player like that on the Bears. Or am I just reading too much into posts?
Mmmmm...looking at the video, I could see that comparison. He looks like an OG that would do anything to try and win, and/or make sure his opponent doesn't get up again. Maybe that's why he wasn't drafted. That he carries that reputation in football scouting circles.
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Me? I like that kind of take no prisoners offensive linemen. Not to the Richie Incognito extent, but I want guys who aren't afraid to mix it up either. I want to see my OL pummeling defenses (within the rules). There's a big difference between Eiselen's tape a Muti's. All of Eiselen's pancakes are legit (well, except for maybe the one where he jumps on the guy when he's down). Muti's tape is like he's in the WWE.
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HurricaneBear wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 2:45 pm I haven't looked into him at all so i'm just going off of what i've read in posts....is there any concern the Yale guard is just a dirty scum bag of a player? The first thought I had reading through some of the posts was Richie Incognito and I for one would hate to have a player like that on the Bears. Or am I just reading too much into posts?
I didn't see anything dirty on the video, although it's a highlight video. The only thing I saw that may have been outside the rules was where it looked like he might be grabbing the jersey number with his hands on the inside. Nothing wrong with pancaking a guy though.
Mikefive's theory: The only time you KNOW that a sports team player, coach or management member is being 100% honest is when they're NOT reciting "the company line".

Go back to leather helmets, NFL.
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Right. I didn't see anything after the whistle or chop blocking, so definitely not Incognito.
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But I did get a craving for some pancakes watching his highlights.
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Mikefive wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:17 pm
HurricaneBear wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 2:45 pm I haven't looked into him at all so i'm just going off of what i've read in posts....is there any concern the Yale guard is just a dirty scum bag of a player? The first thought I had reading through some of the posts was Richie Incognito and I for one would hate to have a player like that on the Bears. Or am I just reading too much into posts?
I didn't see anything dirty on the video, although it's a highlight video. The only thing I saw that may have been outside the rules was where it looked like he might be grabbing the jersey number with his hands on the inside. Nothing wrong with pancaking a guy though.
But I'm not crazy right. His ability to instantly gain leverage on a guy was pretty impressive. Tossing 260 lbs OLB's around like they were tissue paper.
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Yogi da Bear wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 3:10 pm Me? I like that kind of take no prisoners offensive linemen. Not to the Richie Incognito extent, but I want guys who aren't afraid to mix it up either. I want to see my OL pummeling defenses (within the rules). There's a big difference between Eiselen's tape a Muti's. All of Eiselen's pancakes are legit (well, except for maybe the one where he jumps on the guy when he's down). Muti's tape is like he's in the WWE.
If I'm not mistaken you are allowed to "fall" on a defender you were blocking if he finds himself on the ground.

Dude is an ass-kicker.
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All I know is some dude at Princeton has PTSD after that game.
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Johnny Bollocks wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:55 pm Given that I never ever have access to college football, I usually spend this time of year watching one video of a player, reading one quote from one of his coaches and then latching onto him as if my very existence, nay the existence of Beardom as a whole, depended upon it. And then, despite me wishing REALLY hard and training them constantly on Madden until they are all world, they just turn out to be schlubs in real life.
:rofl:
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G08 wrote: Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:04 pm
Yogi da Bear wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 3:10 pm Me? I like that kind of take no prisoners offensive linemen. Not to the Richie Incognito extent, but I want guys who aren't afraid to mix it up either. I want to see my OL pummeling defenses (within the rules). There's a big difference between Eiselen's tape a Muti's. All of Eiselen's pancakes are legit (well, except for maybe the one where he jumps on the guy when he's down). Muti's tape is like he's in the WWE.
If I'm not mistaken you are allowed to "fall" on a defender you were blocking if he finds himself on the ground.

Dude is an ass-kicker.
You're allowed to unintentionally "fall" on him if it's part of the play, but you aren't allowed to intentionally "jump" on him once he's down, as he does in that clip. I've seen that called as holding. In fact, I've even seen it called as holding if you unintentionally fall on him and then stay there, not letting him get up. Funny ass play that show his aggressiveness, but I don't think it's legal.
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Yeah, there were a few plays where Dieter plopped on top of a guy on the ground. The only other possible penalties were a few pushes in the back. NFL refs seem to be big on calling those the last year or so. Hopefully the coaches as well as Whitehair and Spriggs can help Dieter understand what they can get away with in the NFL.

Dieter did have a few highlights where his man was on the ground and he just stood over him, pushing him back whenever he tried to get up. You gotta like that. When I put you down you stay down!
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They interviewed Dieter on the Bears 100 Proof Podcast thingy. It's hard to listen to because there's 4 hosts asking questions. But he does have a cool story and seems like he'll do whatever it takes to succeed. He mentioned his favorite quote, "There's nothing better than moving a man from point A to point B against his will."
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Bears Whiskey Nut wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:10 pm
Mikefive wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:17 pm I didn't see anything dirty on the video, although it's a highlight video. The only thing I saw that may have been outside the rules was where it looked like he might be grabbing the jersey number with his hands on the inside. Nothing wrong with pancaking a guy though.
But I'm not crazy right. His ability to instantly gain leverage on a guy was pretty impressive. Tossing 260 lbs OLB's around like they were tissue paper.
You're not. Leverage is impressive. Its plausible to me that a guy that smart really understands technique. Physical gifts only take you so far. He's going to be a fun one to watch
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So my opinion on the ivy league smart thing. Not that I doubt Dieters intelligence.

"Smart" is a really wide swath of the spectrum of intelligence. While ivy league schools generally have smart people, they also have dumb people. There is obviously the old book smart vs street smart saying. There is also try hard people vs common sense. I know and have spoke to the extremes in education from ivy league, multiple PhD, etc to GED students.

Smartest all around guy I ever met community college drop out. He scores 140 on iq tests, can explain astro physics to me, fix cars, and has insane common sense.

I know a few people who have the right credentials but I swear are as dumb as my dog. They just worked hard. Literally not thar book smart and lack common sense.

We use a special intelligence for a specialized team I'm on. Not iq but more decision making. I kind of was the guy who implimented it. Ivy leaguers score generally similar to us knuckle dragers.

Now generally Harvard Yale etc, your upper echelon in overall iq. But not always.
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Example is wonderlic test. Herbert is 4.0 GPA etc, 25 wonderlic. That safety whom was a rodes scholar. He got like a 33. Sure both are super fucking smart. Tom brady also had a 33, bet intelligence wise hes same as that fsu safety.
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AZ_Bearfan wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 12:41 pm "There's nothing better than moving a man from point A to point B against his will."
Love that in my OL. But there was a reason he wasn't drafted in the early rounds, and I'm sure it will rear its ugly head some time during camp. My guess is that he's painfully slow, and won't be able to pull in an NFL pro style offense.
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His first time ever playing OL was his rookie year at Yale, and he started. I think he has upside but is just new to the sport so we'll see. He does look painfully slow when he pulls.
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