East West Shrine Game Report 3

FROM JOHN MURPHY:

HOUSTON – Scouts got to see what is often the most crucial day of practice for the 100 or so prospects in attendance here before taking their notes home and breaking down game film to create a final grade on each player in the Shrine Game.

Local or regional scouts who live in the Houston area will remain, along with longtime supporters of the game, then will make their way to Mobile, Ala., on Sunday morning for the Senior Bowl.

Today’s practices will be more game-oriented than scout friendly as players could be down to just shells. There’s likely to be less activity on the field.

I like how the East guys have come together so far, talking and acting as a group that has bonded off the field. And West coach Gene Stallings has taken time to speak directly to many players after a good play, or has offered advice and encouragement after a mistake.  That plays well in a short week as the West team will play hard for him on Saturday.

EAST ROSTER

-- Louisville QB Hunter Cantwell: Gaining momentum as we get closer to the game. His setup and delivery were better Wednesday, which helped him throw some nice, deep balls. When he drops back and sets up properly, his velocity and accuracy with the ball are much different than what I saw on days Day 1 and 2.

-- Marshall WR Darius Passmore: A fleet-footed receiver who has shown good ability during the practices. He can make defenders miss after the catch and also caught kickoffs and punts during the special teams period. His play on tape this season has him riding about a third-round grade on some boards right now.

-- South Florida WR Taurus Johnson: Had a solid day catching the ball in one-on-one and team drills. The NFL Combine will be a big decider in terms of how he enters the league; scouts have him at 4.55, while school officials say he will run in the 4.4 range.

-- South Carolina OL Jamon Meredith: Really has worked his way back up to potentially being the highest-rated player taken from this year’s Shrine Game. Has stayed in front of nearly all defenders he has faced, winning the majority of his one-on-ones. Would still like to see more of a nasty streak in him. He’s not a great finisher and still plays way too high at times.

-- Tennessee OL Ramon Foster: Big, physical blocker who has done a good job on the right side in the first three practices. Has shown good footwork and balance even though he could probably still stand to shed a few more pounds to play tackle. Most area scouts say they plan to seek out his junior tapes to see more.

-- Richmond DE Lawrence Sidbury: Has shown a good burst to the ball, gaining separation from blockers and finishing hard during one-on-ones. Has good upper-body strength and plays faster than his supposed 4.8 times in the 40. Productive athlete who could earn a solid third round pick if he has a good Combine workout.

-- Michigan DT Terrance Taylor: Has had a rougher week than expected, but, to his credit, has not complained or talked back to a coaching staff that is preaching tough love to the interior defender. He’s built low to the ground but has misfired on a few one-on-ones. While showing some burst and power at the point of attack, he has not been beating his man often enough to be considered in the top two rounds of the draft.

-- Iowa CB Bradley Fletcher: Continues to make plays and earn the respect of every receiver he lines up against. “Man you are getting on top of me fast. I didn’t know you were there until the last second and then you knocked the ball out my hands,” said an East receiver running back from a one-on-one matchup.

-- Norfolk State CB Don Carey: Has proven to be a solid addition to the game, showing good toughness. Better straight-line speed and much more fluid than I expected after watching his tapes. He was a productive small school defender that now has made a good impression here. If he finishes the week strong, it could put him among the top five cornerbacks to come out of this game.

-- LSU S Curtis Taylor: Jumps out at you sometimes during the practice, thanks to his size and the fact he gets a good break on the ball. Big kid who likes to play physical and also has some ball skills. Seems a little underrated right now, but if he runs in the high 4.4’s as he says he will at the NFL Combine, that will change quickly.

-- Mississippi State S Kevin Fitzhugh: Brings good energy and intensity to the practice field each day. Likes to jump right into one-on-one, seven-on-seven and team drills; has been knocking guys around since the first day. He knows what he does well and it shows here, but he has some limitations in pass coverage, especially if caught in one-on-one situations or covering over the top.

WEST ROSTER

-- Nevada WR Marko Mitchell: His size and length keep you watching, but he’s been too inconsistent with his route running and pass catching. Shows some good acceleration while the ball is in the air but then struggles to adjust to the ball and allows the defender to get into better position to make the catch. Has looked a little tentative; you want to see a bigger receiver be aggressive and go after the ball as if it were his ball.

-- Rice WR Jarett Dillard: Continues to catch the ball and make plays. Hard to overlook his slight stature, but he reminds me of Davone Bess or Shaun McDonald (without his top-end speed) as he has the ability to make catches in tight quarters and then slip out of danger and gain extra yardage. If he can produce a surprising 40 time, he could move into mid-round range.

-- BYU OG Ray Feinga: Sat out practice with an apparent minor injury. He pointed and winced when asked by a game official what was wrong, but no official announcement was made. According to a member of the team’s offensive line, Feinga will find out today if he can play Saturday.

-- Alberta OL Simeon Rottier: One of two Canadian prospects who are annually in the Shrine Game. He was quiet the first day, learning to play on the right side after playing left tackle during his time in the CIS. Has long arms and decent footwork for a young kid from Edmonton with only about five years of football under his belt. Once he shifted over to his natural side, his confidence came out and he did a nice job, especially during team drills. He locked onto Texas A&M defensive end Michael Bennett on a few plays and stayed on him downfield.

-- San Jose State DL Jarron Gilbert: Big-framed kid who has shown an improved motor and worked at a very good tempo all week. He’s got scouts heading back to watch more tape of him as he exploded on the scene by consistently creating havoc in the backfield starting about Week 3-4 of his senior campaign. This week was a good starting point, but improving on a suspected 5.3 estimated 40 time from the spring will be what evaluators wait to see at the NFL Combine.

-- Texas A&M DE Michael Bennett: Has a very good body type for the NFL. Long arms and can probably add another 10 pounds without sacrificing speed or athleticism, but something is missing at times, which likely will cause him to slip into the later rounds of the draft. He has a good get-off but not enough moves to consistently defeat an opponent. And once he is blocked, he stays blocked. Does not always fight his way back to the play. Had two plays against Alberta OL Simeon Rottier in which he was taken right out of the play and blocked 5-8 yards down field.

-- TCU LB Jason Phillips: A good-looking athlete on tape but has looked a little sluggish here at times. Not nearly as explosive to the ball or making big plays as his 4.55 speed might indicate. He is a smaller-framed defender who could get absorbed at the point of attack without having the benefit of two big defensive tackles in front of him. Disappointing is too tough a word because he’s productive on tape, so I’ll wait to see him in the game before making a final judgment.

-- Texas CB Ryan Palmer: Shorter than you would like in a cover cornerback, but he’s feisty, keeps himself in the play and has shown very good ball skills. He will get beaten over the top and on an occasional jump ball because of his limited size, but he plays hard, shows better football speed than his 40-time would indicate and should find himself taken off the board between the third and fifth rounds depending on his Combine results.

-- Utah State S/LB De’Von Hall: Has plenty of size, which jumps out at you seeing him line up in place of USC’s Kevin Ellison. He is athletic but not always as fluid as you would desire, so it would not surprise me to see some teams think about adding 10-12 pounds to his frame and moving him to WLB.  Interesting athlete who has late-round potential.

-- Oklahoma State P Matt Fodge: Had a very good day kicking the ball, especially during the dedicated special teams period where scouts saw him boom a few good punts and then angle one inside the five-yard line. The game could provide him another chance to impress since he can also handle kickoffs.

WHAT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL POST IS HEARING...

* Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe will not participate in the upcoming Senior Bowl, according to several sources close to the top-rated senior offensive lineman. Instead, Monroe will continue to train for the NFL Combine with Mike Gough in Florida.  He has a much higher grade on most boards than those in attendance at the Shrine Game. Ole Miss’ Michael Oher and Baylor’s Jason Smith would need solid performances in Mobile to be within 10 picks of Monroe when he comes off the board in April.

* Some NFL evaluators noted that several of prospects are being told or sold storylines by agents and others trying to get into the business that do not match up with their actual draft grades. One such prospect they spoke about was Central Washington quarterback Mike Reilly, who one scout noted has spent more time on the Internet writing about his experience than actually showcasing the talent necessary to make a favorable impression.

John Murphy started his own company - Next Level Scouting, Inc. - in 1999 and quickly became a familiar face in scouting circles with his detailed reports and information to all 32 NFL teams. He currently serves as Director of Scouting for the Calgary Stampeders, the recent winner of the 2008 Grey Cup Championship, completing the season with a 16-6 record. Murphy, serving as head coach, then led the South team to a 27-0 victory in the 8th annual East Coast Bowl, the first-ever shutout victory and only the second win by the South squad in the game's eight-year history. He previously worked as a U.S. college and pro scout for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and he has served on the selection committee for the East-West Shrine Game since 2002. He also is one of the creative forces behind the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge, where he serves as V.P. Director of Player Personnel and helped develop the NFL Draft Bible.

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