XFLBlitz at the Senior Bowl....

[XFLBlitz]

(paraphrased from NFLdraftcountdown.com)



Once Again, XFL Blitz will be at this year's Senior Bowl in Moblie, Alabama. We will bring you coverage each day, courtesy of Scott Wright. Here is today's entry:

Sunday - January 21st, 2006

• 6:20am - I am in the gate waiting to board the connecting flight here plane in Memphis, Tennessee. It looks there are a couple of guys from the Detroit Mustangs on this flight (including the d-line coach?) but otherwise there isn't much to report. (Suprisingly, no one from the Memphis Maniax. Maybe they took a private flight?) This was a 2 1/2 hour flight and after a 30 min. wait here in Memphis, we will fly another 1 1/2 hours to Mobile so I'll check when I can.

• 9:10am - Over half way there! The airport was packed with the prospects and it looked like about 25% of the roster all arrived at the same time and was waiting at the baggage claim. The autograph hounds were out in full force as well. There really are too many players to mention and to be honest I'm not 100% familar with all their faces yet but a few that I did recognize were Ryan Harris, Brandon Myles, Paul Williams and Earl Everett.and it looks like there are quite a few scouts and XFL personnel guys here, as expected, and right now looking around I spot about a half dozen or so from the Monarchs, Predators, Mustangs, etc. It really is amazing how many XFL people all converge in this one city every year. So far I don't see any prospects waiting for this plane, at least not yet. Once I pick up the rental car and get settled at the hotel I'll check in again.

• 12:45pm - I am in Mobile! There was a 30 min. delay before takeoff in Memphis but other than that the travel went smoothly. Now the fun begins! Once I get settled here I'm going to head over the the check-in at the Convention Center to pick up my media credentials for the week and see what's happening. I will definitely check in at least once more tonight and I will try and post some of my observations in terms of which players are talking to which teams so watch out for that later on.

• 3:20pm - Hanging out in the Convention Center lobby area where they have a little bar and televisions set up for the game. It's not looking good for the Saints! There are a lot of players hanging around filling out questionaires for teams and it looks like the Pittsburgh Ironmen, Orlando Rage and San Francisco Demons are in charge of that. Some of the players that I've seen walking around here so far include Leon Hall, Tony Ugoh, Stewart Bradley (who happens to be about 10 feet away right now), A.J. Davis, Samson Satele, Victor Abiamiri, and David Harris. Player registration goes until 6:30pm so I will probably hang out here until then before heading back to the hotel for the night.

• 9:15pm - Just wanted to check in and let everyone know that two more top prospects who were expected to be here won't be, with Gaines Adams and LaRon Landry both opting out. Needless to say this is a big hit considering Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas had previously dropped out as well but there is still plenty of talent on hand, headlined by Michigan cornerback Leon Hall. The Senior Bowl website may have the full 100 man roster posted already but if they don't I'll have it up tomorrow. And with that I am hitting the sack.

[XFLBlitz]

Monday - January 22st, 2006

• 11:30am - All right, the weigh-in is over and after I enter and upload all the results I will stop back and give some thoughts but first I have something for the Carolina fans. After the weigh-in a Colonel scout pulled none other than Brady Quinn into a secluded corner and spoke with him at length for about 15 minutes. Should Ricky Ray be concerned? Maybe and maybe not but I thought that was very interesting nonetheless.

• 1:45pm - The weigh-in results are in. The big story was probably Amobi Okoye coming at only 295 lbs., which is about 25 lbs. less than he was listed at. There was an audible response from the scouts when that was announced. Another big story was Troy Smith checking in at exactly 6-0, which is shorter than Ohio St. listed him but still taller than most felt he would be. So who were the most impressive guys there? The guy who stood out the most for me was Victor Abiamiri, who didn't look like he had an ounce of fat on him and was almost impressive physically as Kamerion Wimbley was a year ago. The guy just looks the part! Daymeion Hughes also caught my attention and was the cream of the crop among the defensive backs from a weigh-in standpoint. The other guy who I was real impressed with was Tony Ugoh, who looked phenomenal. Paul Posluszny was very thick in his upper body and stood out as well. Dwayne Bowe was the standout at wide reciever while I'd have to give Ryan McBean and Kenny Irons positive notice as well. And believe it or not Daniel Sepulveda (yes, the punter) was actually more impressive than a lot of the linebackers. The worst body of the day belonged to Dustin Fry but there were others who did not really stand out as well. Here are the Monday Player / Team Observations:

North Practice

At quarterback this is definitely one of the more talented groups we've seen in a while yet nobody really managed to stand out on the first day. Troy Smith probably looked the best, showcasing a strong arm and good accuracy. The running backs also failed to make a major impression but there were a few notable moments. Northern Illinois' diminutive Garrett Wolfe made a real nice catch against air on a deep ball, possibly answering some of the questions about his ability to help as a receiver out of the backfield. Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard ran hard and seemed to make a positive impression on Jon Gruden while Kolby Smith of Louisville also lined up as a fullback at times. This group of wide receivers definitely lacked a standout today but both Rhema McKnight of Notre Dame and Brandon Myles of West Virginia had their moments. On the flip side of that coin Virginia Tech's David Clowney dropped a couple of balls and struggled a bit. Iowa tight end Scott Chandler was one of the few offensive players to make a big impression, coming through with a number of nice plays in the passing game and displaying good balance. As for Clark Harris of Rutgers, let's just say that if he runs better than a 4.8 I'll be surprised. The offensive lineman definitely had their moments and it seemed like the largest crowd was gathered around "The Pit". James Marten of Boston College struggled with speed rushers but he displayed a nasty attitude and a killer instinct that resulted in a number of pancakes including one against Victor Abiamiri. Marten really has the mentality you look for in an offensive lineman! Iowa's Marshal Yanda also more than held his own against a very talented group of North defensive ends and Manuel Ramirez of Texas Tech got the best of Amobi Okoye in a matchup that I witnessed.

The North defense definitely fared a whole lot better than their offensive counterparts and while Louisville's Okoye is not physically opposing and did struggle at times he showed some flashes and displayed outstanding leadership qualities, pumping up his teammates on multiple occasions. Brandon Mebane of Cal, made a number of nice plays and displayed good leverage while Ohio State's Quinn Pitcock had his moments as well. Outside at end the guy who made you take notice wasn't one of the big names but rather Jay Moore of Nebraska, who got the better of Ryan Harris more often than not. Overall though this star-studded group of ends did not dominate the way I thought they would. In the secondary you can already see a battle developing between Leon Hall of Michigan and Daymeion Hughes of Cal and while both made their fair share of plays today I'd declare Hughes the winner by a hair. At safety Aaron Rouse of Virginia Tech struggled with his footwork and looked more like a linebacker than defensive back today. One of the most impressive defensive backs on the field was definitely Eric Weddle of Utah, who was intense, showed some leadership qualities and made a number of nice plays versus the run that drew positive notice from the coaches. Say what you want about him but Weddle is simply a football player and the type of guy who will help some team one way or another. On special teams Maryland punter Adam Podlesh showed off a booming leg and the ball makes a nice loud thud as it comes off his foot. Unfortunately due to time constraints and the weather I did not get to see much of the linebackers so I'll be sure to make them a priority tomorrow. Despite the lack of a real eye-opening performance on either side of the ball it was a good first day overall and there should be some excellent matchups throughout the rest of the week, especially between the offensive and defensive linemen. If I was going to single out the day's top performers the names that would immediately come to mind are Daymeion Hughes, James Marten, Scott Chandler, Jay Moore, and Eric Weddle but something tells me others are going to emerge as the week progresses.


South Practice

At quarterback Houston's Kevin Kolb stood out from the pack but he also had stretches where he would struggle as well. Jordan Palmer of U.T.E.P. displayed good mechanics and a smooth delivery while Chris Leak seemed to be a natural passer but sailed some of his deep balls. Auburn's Kenny Irons had great accelerations and an outstanding burst upfield while Lorenzo Booker of Florida St. was quick with great speed and showed what a good receiver he is out of the backfield. Kenneth Darby of Alabama was the least impressive of the bunch and although he was a tough inside runner he looked slow and lacked explosiveness. Perhaps the star of the entire day, on either side of the ball, was L.S.U. wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. A physical wideout who presents the quarterback with a big target, Bowe has good hands and displayed excellent concentration. Also impressive was Johnnie Lee Higgins of U.T.E.P., who ran smooth routes, showed great speed and quickness and was terrific when it came to leaping ability and body control. Chris Davis of Florida St. ran very good routes, was aggressive and attacked the ball and also worked as a punt returner. At tight end Georgia's Martrez Milner did a surprisingly good job as a blocker against his college teammate Quentin Moses and also made some nice catches. Along the offensive line Central Michigan's Joe Staley was athletic and displayed excellent feet in pass pro while Arron Sears of Tennessee was quick off the snap and played with good pad level. Justin Blalock of Texas saw action at both tackle and guard as expected while Georgia Tech's Mansfield Wrotto, who most are projecting inside, played right tackle for the most part.

At defensive end Tim Crowder of Texas displayed quick feet and awesome lateral movement while Quentin Moses of Georgia had a good burst upfield but you get the impression that he might be better off as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Inside Kareem Brown of Miami (FL) showcased a nice bull rush but he doesn't have a big repertoir of pass rush moves while DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler looked big but that's about it. The linebacker who stood out most was Earl Everett of Florida, who flowed to the ball and showed nice range. Patrick Willis of Ole Miss did a real good job in coverage while Buster Davis of Florida St. struggled in that regard, although he was the general of the defense. As expected Tony Taylor of Georgia showed his outstanding coverage skills. In the secondary Brandon Meriweather of Miami (FL) intercepted a pass and made some big hits, Michael Griffin of Texas closed on the ball well while Auburn's David Irons looked solid in man coverage and really helped himself in the eyes of scouts. And finally, Baylor punter Daniel Sepulveda kicked some high, booming punts and also did a nice job with his directions attempts. Unlike their competition it seemed like there were many more standouts on the South roster today, especially at the skill positions. We will see if that remains the case throughout the rest of this week but as of right now you'd have to say the South won this battle, although the war is not over. Regardless of whether or not the opposition picks it up this South team is going to be very fun to watch because they have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. The scary thing is that a lot of their top players failed to really make their mark today so if they start playing up to their potential as the days go by this team may be scary.

Here are the Monday Player / Team Observations:

Carolina Colonels
Brady Quinn (hmmm....)
Joe Staley
Michael Griffin

Orlando Rage
Drew Stanton
LaMarr Woodley
Tim Crowder
Mansfield Wrotto

Pittsburg Ironmen
Joe Staley
Victor Abiamiri
Justin Blalock
Kevin Kolb
Dustin Fry
Lorenzo Booker

Detroit Mustangs
Ryan Kalil
Chase Pittman
Kenneth Darby

Washington Glory
Kenneth Darby
Aaron Ross

New York Hitmen
Chansi Stuckey
Jonathan Wade
Chris Davis

Kansas City Monarchs
Jonathan Wade

[XFLBlitz]

Tuesday - January 23st, 2006

• 6:30am - Rise and shine! Today is the start of the "normal" schedule, with one practice in the morning, one in the afternoon and then a press conference this evening. I just checked the forecast and unlike yesterday there is only a 10% chance of precipitation so while it may be cloudy at least we won't get rained on like yesterday. I am going to shower up and get ready and I'll check in again before I leave the room.

• 12:00pm - I Just got done with the first practice and I am going to go right to work on the report as soon as I finish with this. It was an eventful morning and the big names were out in force. In addition to all the scouts Romeo Crennel, Russ Grimm and Donnie Henderson were making the rounds, I ran into the venerable Frank Coyle of Draft Insiders' Digest and no Senior Bowl experience is complete without the obligatory Drew Rosenhaus sighting. I also had a chance to talk with Amobi Okoye about his weight after the practice so look for that in the report and there will be a BIG list of player / team observations tonight. Anyway, I am going to type that up and it should be live before the South practice starts this afternoon at 1:45pm.

North Practice:

At quarterback Ohio State's Troy Smith is clearly the cream of the crop and he tosses a nice ball and showed the ability make all the throws. Drew Stanton of Michigan St. was up and down and inconsistent while Tyler Palko just doesn't have a very good arm and struggled. Troy Smith is doing a great job of rehabbing his stock after that Florida game and he's making some money this week. At running back Kolby Smith of Louisville consistently stands out and has been the top running back on the team, showing a burst to kick it outside and promise as a receiver as well. Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard continues to stand out as a receiver as well, looking very smooth and natural in that aspect of the game and making me wonder if he can't be an H-Back in the mold of Chris Cooley or Garrett Mills as well. He's going to be a unique weapon for someone. In my mind West Virginia's Brandon Myles has been without question the star at wide receiver, making a number of catches again today and beating Marcus McCauley on a deep ball and Daymeion Hughes on an intermediate thrown along the sideline. This guy is definitely making a name for himself. Meanwhile Rhema McKnight of Notre Dame runs good routes but did drop a ball today and is not going to hurt anyone downfield while Scott Chandler of Iowa consistently made plays again as well. As for the offensive linemen, Levi Brown of Penn St. and James Marten of Boston College had quick feet in drills while Dan Mozes of West Virginia and Marshal Yanda of Iowa did not and Brown also moved laterally very well. Notre Dame's Ryan Harris struggled with his technique and received lots of coaching and Manuel Ramirez of Texas Tech is big, thick and looked good today. On a side note, I talked yesterday about how Marten was really playing with a nasty demeanor and going real hard and it was only a matter of time until that resulted in a skirmish and sure enough he and David Patterson got into it today with a little wrestling and head slapping action. I really like Marten's attitude and he'd have no problem fitting in with a team like the XFL champions, the Las Vegas Outlaws. Overall the offensive line play has been extremely physical and active, which is nice to see.

Along the defensive line the story for me continues to be Amobi Okoye of Louisville, who continues to make plays in practice but concerns me with his size. He just does not look very big out there with thin legs and in my mind he's a lot closer to a defensive end than he is to a tackle physically. I had a chance to talk with Amobi after practice and he said his weight's a little low right now but that his ideal weight is 295 lbs. which he played at this year and he said it was the best he ever felt. Okoye, the youngest Senior Bowler ever, also dinged his neck a little big when he "got cheap shotted" by Dan Mozes but he said he's fine and will get him back. Okoye also said teams have spoken to him about the possibility of bulking up but in my mind there's now very little doubt that he's not a nose tackle and would be best as a 3-technique in the NFL. Cal's Brandon Mebane also looked good again today showing good power and playing with excellent leverage. Nebraska defensive ends Adam Carriker and Jay Moore both continue to make a lot of plays as pass rushers and Carriker has seen action inside at tackle as well this week. At linebacker Paul Posluszny of Penn St. is good in forward pursuit and aggressive but did not make a fluid turn in coverage. H.B. Blades of Pittsburgh looks like more of an in-the-box thumper and had some trouble when he needs to get outside to the wings but he's showed good form and technique as a tackler. Nebraska's Stewart Bradley continues to impress and showed good range to the sideline while David Harris of Michigan looked good at the line versus the run. In the secondary Eric Weddle of Utah could not keep up with Jason Hill in coverage (and he isn't exactly a blazer) so that leads you to believe the thoughts of him playing corner (at least full time) at the next level may be a little ambitious. On the other hand Virginia Tech's Aaron Rouse, who looked more like a linebacker yesterday, had no problem keeping up with Andre Allison when matched up man to man in drills. Marcus McCauley of Fresno St. has not really stood out in my eyes thus far but Josh Wilson of Maryland has, displaying a physical presence at the line and playing much bigger than his size would indicate. And finally, Colorado kicker Mason Crosby got an opportunity to show his stuff at the end of practice and was consistently hitting from 42 and 47 yards with room to spare. As you can see there were a lot of positive performances today and the North squad seemed to hit their stride on day two for the most part. The most surprising thing may be guys who were overlooked such as Brandon Myles and James Marten making their presence felt in a big way but so far the story of the week has been Troy Smith, who in my mind is clearly emerging as the #3 rated quarterback in this draft. After a rough start the North has picked up the pace which promises to make for an interesting finish to the week.

South Practice:

At quarterback Jordan Palmer of U.T.E.P. looked good and threw a nice ball early but as the session went on he really regressed. Houston's Kevin Kolb was also inconsistent and while Chris Leak of Florida was a lot better today than he was yesterday he was still third amongst this group. It's safe to say that Troy Smith of the North is the top quarterback in this game right now and it's really not even close. Kenny Irons of Auburn looked okay again at running back, displaying excellent change of direction skills, while Kenneth Darby of Alabama made a nice catch downfield but otherwise didn't stand out. Lorenzo Booker of Florida St. saw some action as a kick returner, as did Irons. L.S.U. wide receiver Dwayne Bowe continues to be one of the stars of the week, regardless of team or position, and came though with some more spectacular catches today. Bowe extends to make catches above his head and is quick in and out of breaks but he did have a couple of drops (including one where he was wide open on a deep ball) and also required some coaching attention for his route running. Johnnie Lee Higgins of U.T.E.P. can really fly and he reminds me of Sinorice Moss from last year because he just seems to be playing at a different speed than most everyone else. Florida's Dallas Baker had a little trouble with physical corners but displayed nice hands and body control, Chris Davis of Florida St. had a nice one-handed catch and Chansi Stuckey of Clemson struggled a bit with some drops. At tight end Joe Newton of Oregon St. just does not look real natural catching the ball and did not do a very good job blocking as he was pushed back by Quentin Moses. Along the offensive line Joe Staley of Central Michigan was solid, handling Tim Crowder, who was one of the stars of yesterday's practice, for the most part. Tony Ugoh of Arkansas also showed great strength and power. On the flip side Mansfield Wrotto of Georgia Tech required a lot of coaching attention and struggled with his technique while Dustin Fry of Clemson botched a snap. The standout up front has been Ryan Kalil of USC, who is very quick and consistently got movement against much bigger opponents.

The big story along the defensive line today was the reemergence of Georgia's Quentin Moses, who was seemingly all over the field. Whether it was putting pressure on the quarterback or batting down passes Moses was close to dominant today and he is so smooth and fluid as an athlete that I am more convinced than ever that he could excel as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Ryan McBean of Oklahoma St. was quick and agile for a big guy but seems to be built more like an end than a tackle while Antonio Johnson of Mississippi St. really stood out with great hip explosion and drew positive notice from scouts. On the other hand Chase Pittman of L.S.U. was not impressive and was often handled by his opponents, particularly Tony Ugoh. One of the highlights of the week for me thus far has been watching Mike Singletary coach the linebackers because he is just so passionate and animated. Today Mike was really getting on his guys for not being on the balls of their feet in a change of direction drill and Tony Taylor was often a target of that criticism. Patrick Willis continues to be the cream of the crop at linebacker, looking smooth in coverage and even picking off Jordan Palmer in 7-on-7's. If Dwayne Bowe hasn't been this squads most impressive player then it might be cornerback David Irons of Auburn, who had his second strong day in a row. Irons was one of the few guys who was able to stay with Bowe in man coverage and has really been a revelation this week. This guy is making a ton of cash down here! Aaron Ross of Texas has been very physical with larger receivers like Dallas Baker while A.J. Davis plays too far off but is able to close quickly and make a play on the ball anyway. At safety Brandon Meriweather of Miami (FL) looked really good once again, always seeming to be around the ball while displaying good awareness and ball skills to go along with a physical mentality. Meanwhile Michael Griffin of Texas has been solid but not really the star that some were expecting. There is no doubt that the conversation about the defensive backs starts and ends with David Irons though. Based on sheer talent it would appear the South squad is superior to the North and you could easily make the argument that they have the two most impressive players of the week so far in Dwayne Bowe and David Irons. We shall see if that remains the case down the stretch but when it comes to skill position talent the South sure is a fun team to watch.

Here are the Tuesday Player / Team Observations:

Carolina Colonels
Drew Stanton
Anthony Spencer
Marcus McCauley
Ray McDonald
Jonathan Wade
Brandon Myles
David Irons

Orlando Rage
Quentin Moses
Dallas Baker
Kenneth Darby

Pittsburg Ironmen
Tony Hunt
Victor Abiamiri
Rufus Alexander
Ryan Harris
Jay Moore
David Clowney
Marshal Yanda
Buster Davis
Kevin Payne
Michael Griffin
Ryan Kalil
Lorenzo Booker
Josh Wilson
Aaron Rouse
Brian Leonard
Ray McDonald
Jonathan Wade
Antonio Johnson
Kenny Irons
Aaron Ross

Detroit Mustangs
Jason Hill
Brandon Myles
Kolby Smith
Tony Hunt
Paul Posluszny
Earl Everett
Victor Abiamiri
Kareem Brown
Levi Brown

Washington Glory
Rhema McKnight
Chansi Stuckey
Rufus Alexander
Buster Davis
Ryan Harris
Fred Bennett
Le'Ron McClain
Justin Blalock
Daymeion Hughes
Nick Folk
Paul Williams

New York Hitmen
Josh Wilson
Tony Hunt
Stewart Bradley
Brandon Myles
Drew Stanton
Justin Blalock
Tony Ugoh
Mansfield Wrotto
Daymeion Hughes

Kansas City Monarchs
Kevin Kolb
Ryan Harris
Drew Stanton
Mansfield Wrotto
Dwayne Bowe
Tony Hunt

Dallas Lonestars
Troy Smith
Kevin Kolb
DeMarcus Tyler
Patrick Willis

San Francisco Demons
Kareem Brown

Los Angeles Extreme
Jason Hill
Paul Williams
Aundrae Allison
Ray McDonald
Dwayne Bowe
James Marten
Dallas Baker
LaMarr Woodley
Jay Moore
Justin Blalock

Las Vegas Outlaws
Ray McDonald
Patrick Willis

[XFLBlitz]

Wednesday - January 24th, 2006/b]

• 6:45am - Good morning. Just took a glance out the window and it does not look good and if Weather.com is correct we could be in for a wet morning practice unfortunately. The forecast for this afternoon and the rest of the week looks a lot more promising though so hopefully this is the last of the cold and rain we'll have to deal with.

• 7:30am - How about some notes... After talking with a number of scouts and industry people the consensus seems to be that both LaRon Landry and Gaines Adams made a mistake by dropping out of this game. Most feel that they are far from locks to even be the first players chosen at their positions and in the case of Landry Reggie Nelson might already have passed him on a number of draft boards. Nobody has a problem with Brady Quinn or Joe Thomas dropping out (for the most part) but the same can not be said for Landry and Adams. On another topic, as I mentioned yesterday Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe hurt his hamstring and had to leave Mobile and that is going to really hurt him come draft time. For a guy like Wolfe his ability to help on special teams is going to be huge and this week was going to be the opportunity for scouts to see him as a return man because he didn't work in that capacity as a college player. That won't happen now and I have a hard time seeing a team investing anything more than a late round pick on a 5-7, 180 lb. scat back who they're not sure can help them as a returner. Needless to say it's a real tough break for Wolfe.

• 12:30pm - Back from the first practice and it was a good one. I know I said that Jon Cornish would be replacing Garrett Wolfe on the North roster but it was actually Thomas Clayton. I have an excuse though. At the press conference Jon Gruden said it was the guy from "Kansas", which I assumed was Cornish, but in actuality it was Kansas St.

• 4:15pm - The practices are over for today and once again Dwayne Bowe was pretty spectacular. In case you didn't notice the North report is live and I will have the South's up a little later tonight. I will be leaving to cover the press conference in a little but (it starts at 5:30pm) but after that I'll be coming back to the hotel and getting right to work. I also had my chat with Percy Knox of Athletes' Performance and he had some interesting things to say, which I will detail in a later blog entry. There were quite a few notable presences at practice this afternoon, including Marv Levy, Larry Coker, Bo Pelini, Darius Walker as well as both Reggie Nelson and Greg Olsen.

North Practice

At quarterback Troy Smith of Ohio St. was solid once again but Drew Stanton of Michigan St. had his best performance of the week, showcasing a strong and accurate arm while connecting on some nice pass plays. Tyler Palko of Pitt displayed good mobility and can get out of the pocket and make something happen when his protection breaks down. At running back the big story was Kansas State's Thomas Clayton replacing the injured Garrett Wolfe on the roster and overall he looked pretty good, with three nice runs in a row and showed some shiftiness when he juked out Prescott Burgess. Even though he fumbled and had a little trouble catching the ball it's not a stretch to say that Clayton may already be the best pure running back on the North team. Perhaps his top competition, Kolby Smith of Louisville, saw a lot of action at fullback once again today. Tony Hunt of Penn St. is tough and showed a good first move but you can't expect more than that so he's definitely an inside runner. At wide receiver Rhema McKnight of Notre Dame continues to excel on short routes and slants but doesn't show much deep and pushes off a lot while David Clowney of Virginia Tech had his best day of the week so far. Paul Williams of Fresno St. faked Leon Hall out of his jock on a double move for a touchdown while Brandon Myles of West Virginia continues to make a strong impression. East Carolina's Aundrae Allison had a beautiful one-handed catch for a touchdown over Leon Hall but really struggles to get separation while Jason Hill of Washington St. looked real good and displayed excellent ball skills. In his first practice since replacing the injured Clark Harris Delaware tight end Ben Patrick made a very strong impression and had no problem assimilating himself. In fact, after being one of the stars of the East / West Shrine week he was one of the biggest stories of the day right off the bat in Mobile. Patrick has good size, is quick, gets downfield fast and made a terrific diving catch in 11-on-11's. Scouts were literally buzzing about this guy and I can't wait to see more of him the rest of the week! Along the offensive line Levi Brown of Penn St. is working hard, even coming out before practice started for some one-on-one coaching, and it's paying off because he's gotten better each day. Marshal Yanda of Iowa did a nice job against Quinn Pitcock and for the most part Ryan Harris was solid and may have had his best day of the week. The guy I'm still waiting to see something from is Samson Satele of Hawaii, who just doesn't jump out at you. There was also a botched snap between Dan Mozes of West Virginia and Troy Smith, although I'm not sure whos fault it was.

At defensive end the guy who really jumped out at me was Victor Abiamiri of Notre Dame, who looked smooth, fluid and very powerful in drills. Adam Carriker of Nebraska showed good strength as well and even showcased a nice spin move against Ryan Harris. Anthony Spencer of Purdue also looked very agile and garnered positive notice from the coaching staff. Inside at tackle, despite my reservations about his size, Amobi Okoye of Louisville continues to make big plays and he just flies by blockers (Beekman & Yanda) into the backfield at times. Okoye also seems to be very coachable and was once again seen vocally encouraging his teammates as they went through drills, showing leadership beyond his years. Meanwhile Brandon Mebane of Cal and David Patterson of Ohio St. looked slow and choppy in drills and were the least impressive guys in the group today in that regard. Head coach Jon Gruden even wandered over and spent some time watching the defensive linemen today. At linebacker Paul Posluszny of Penn St. really reacts quickly to the action and showed tremendous instincts. Also, Kevin "Boo" McLee of West Virginia looked very quick and Prescott Burgess of Michigan strikes hard and delivers a blow on impact. In the secondary the guy who really had an outstanding day of practice was Aaron Rouse of Virginia, who is big, fast, looked great in coverage and made a lot plays including two interceptions with one coming in 7-on-7's. Rouse is a loud and animated guy on the field but he had plenty to crow about today. As good as Rouse was Josh Wilson of Maryland was equally as bad, getting burnt on too many occasions to even count. He really just couldn't do anything right today. Josh Gattis of Wake Forest also had more than his fair share of troubles and just couldn't keep up with the receivers in man coverage. Leon Hall of Michigan was extremely solid and had nice coverage all day, although a scout for Cleveland was heard calling him "just another guy". One of my favorite players in the draft, Eric Weddle of Utah, had another nice day and came through with a big interception in 11-on-11's near the end of practice that really got the coaches fired up. Marcus McCauley of Fresno St. probably had his best day of the week, showing excellent recovery speed, sticking to his man like glue and making a couple of nice pass breakups in 7-on-7's. Tanard Jackson of Syracuse also had a solid day, showing a good break on the ball. As you can probably tell there were a lot of high's and low's for the defensive backs. And finally, on special teams kicker Mason Crosby of Colorado has yet to miss a kick that I've seen and was easily knocking them through the uprights from as deep as 48 yards today while Maryland punter Adam Podlesh gets very good hangtime on his boots.

South Practice

There really weren't any standouts at quarterback today but Chris Leak of Florida had his worst day of the week by far, as he really struggled and had communication problems with his wideouts. Of the six signal callers in Mobile it has become clear that Leak's bringing up the rear and is probably only a late round pick at best. At running back Auburn's Kenny Irons ran tough up the middle, kept his legs moving and had a real nice outside run that went for about 20 yards but he struggled mightily as a receiver and dropped a ton of balls. On the other hand Lorenzo Booker of Florida St. has some moves and continues to excel as a pass catcher while also working as a kick returner and he even had a nice run up the gut in 11-on-11's. Kenneth Darby of Alabama showed decent hands, a bit of a burst with good vision and was a load to bring down at times while his college teammate Le'Ron McClain jumped out at me for the first time today when he displayed his above average receiving abilities. Dwayne Bowe of L.S.U. is still the class of not only the wide receiver position but really the entire team and that train just kept rolling today. In fact, the only person who has been able to stop Bowe is Bowe himself and that became very apparent to guys like Aaron Ross and A.J. Davis, who were both beaten repeatedly by the dominating receiver. Chansi Stuckey of Clemson eats up ground quickly and made an outstanding one-handed catch despite good coverage by David Irons while Courtney Taylor of Auburn looked good as well. At tight end Joe Newton of Oregon St. extended to make a nice catch while Martrez Milner of Georgia continued to showcase a nice all-around package of skills. Up front Tony Ugoh of Arkansas has long arms, redirects well, plays with good leverage and is athletic enough to pull effectively. Joe Staley of Central Michigan has feet that are unparalleled and he extends his arms well but he is not overly stout at the point and will get pushed backwards by powerful defenders. Inside at guard Tennessee's Arron Sears got a great push while playing left guard and manipulates his opponent well but Mansfield Wrotto of Georgia Tech really struggled and, although he's giving good effort, showed he still has a lot to learn. Auburn's Ben Grubbs has a nice base but will allow defenders to get into his body and does not necessarily hold his ground at the point as well as you'd like. Justin Blalock of Texas is probably the best offensive lineman on the South roster but despite seeing plenty of action at tackle this week it's apparent that his future at the pro level will be inside at guard because his quickness and mobility are lacking. At center Ryan Kalil of USC was impressive once again while Dustin Fry of Clemson seems to be out of his league for the most part.

DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler got good penetration in 7-on-7's and seems to be coming on while Kareem Brown of Miami (FL) struggled a bit and had some trouble getting off blocks. Ryan McBean of Oklahoma St. showed he can disengage from blocks and locate the ball and as a testament to the kind of day he had there were literally scouts waiting in line to speak with him after practice. L.S.U. defensive end Chase Pittman tends to get hung up on blockers and has not shown much while Tim Crowder of Texas and Quentin Moses of Georgia were not nearly as impressive as they had been earlier in the week. Antonio Johnson of Mississippi St. continued his rise today as well and you could see him getting more and more attention from scouts, specifically those who run a 3-4 scheme. Florida linebacker Earl Everett had a rough day, getting some negative attention from Mike Nolan and getting berated by Mike Singletary for not finishing in the drills. Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Willis continues to have a solid week, albeit not spectacular, and is probably the best player at his position in attendance. Meanwhile Alabama's Juwan Simpson is rangy and jumped out at me for the first time today while Rufus Alexander of Oklahoma moved well laterally and had a pretty nice practice as well. In the secondary Brandon Meriweather of Miami (FL) continues to be the standout and more than held his own while seeing action at cornerback, wrestling an interception away from Chris Davis in 7-on-7's and even keeping up with the super speedy Johnnie Lee Higgins. Meanwhile Michael Griffin of Texas seems to be all over the place and is very physical when he arrives at the ball. Tennessee's Jonathan Wade had his best day of the week, looking very agile and doing a nice job of sticking in his man's hip pocket. Kevin Payne of Louisiana-Monroe is thick and appeared to be a little quicker than anticipated but Chris Davis was able to blow by and separate from him with ease. Aaron Ross of Texas was very physical but by my count he was beaten by Dwayne Bowe at least four times and will probably be having nightmares about #80, although he's certainly not the only one in that boat.

Here are the Wednesday Player / Team Observations:

Carolina Colonels
Tyler Palko
Lorenzo Booker

Orlando Rage
Tyler Palko

Jacksonville Bulls
Brian Leonard

Dallas Lonestars
Amobi Okoye
Patrick Willis
Buster Davis
Prescott Burgess
Earl Everett
Lorenzo Booker

Detroit Mustangs
Paul Williams
Amobi Okoye
Ben Patrick

Kansas City Monarchs
Patrick Willis
Kevin Kolb
Brandon Mebane
Aundrae Allison
DeMarcus Tyler

Los Angeles Xtreme
Jason Hill
Levi Brown
Quentin Moses
Doug Datish

Washington Glory
Aundrae Allison
Patrick Willis
Chase Pittman
Dallas Baker
DeMarcus Tyler
Josh Wilson
Prescott Burgess
Tyler Palko
Ryan McBean

Pittsburgh Ironmen
Kevin Payne
Manuel Ramirez
Scott Chandler
Marcus McCauley
Ryan McBean
Ray McDonald

New York Hitmen
Manuel Ramirez
Amobi Okoye
Ryan McBean
Rufus Alexander
Paul Posluszny
Le'Ron McClain
Kareem Brown
DeMarcus Tyler
Brandon Meriweather

Memphis Maniax
Paul Williams
Jason Hill
Aundrae Allison
Dallas Baker

Las Vegas Outlaws
Troy Smith
Ryan McBean
Buster Davis
Daniel Sepulveda
Mansfield Wrotto
Ben Grubbs
Antonio Johnson
Chansi Stuckey
Quinn Pitcock
Manuel Ramirez
Aaron Ross
Chase Pittman
Justin Blalock

[XFLBlitz]

Thursday - January 25th, 2007

• 8:45am - All right, I am off to the North practice and the weather is looking as good as it has all week. The first report may not be up until early this evening because I have an interview (with Rick Ballou in Jacksonville) to do afterwards which will create a major time crunch before the South session begins. Bear with me though because I will do my absolute best and if nothing else I'll update the blog a time or two. Time for some football!

12:00pm - Just got back from the first practice and it was relatively uneventful. In fact, the crowd was real sparse, even more so than I remember on Thursdays in past years. Maybe the South's speed will bring them out this afternoon. I will have another update in a little bit but for the time being here's a little something to get those Pittsburgh fans salivating: After practice a Ironmen scout pulled Troy Smith to the side and talked with him extensively.

12:45pm - After this morning's practice I had a chance to talk with David Canter who represents, among others, Eric Weddle, C.J. Gaddis, Ryne Robinson and Deshawn Wynn. He said Weddle is being looked at mainly as a safety but most teams feel he can help out at corner as well, especially in the slot. They are confident Weddle will run at least a 4.4 and they think 4.3 is realistic and considering how well some of Canter's past clients like Troy Williamson and Chad Jackson have run at the Combine I wouldn't put it past him. As far as Gaddis goes he's probably in the rounds 3-5 area right now but will impress in workouts with his size and speed, with a lack of experience being the obvious drawback. Deshawn Wynn is a little over 230 lbs. right now but will get down to about 225 lbs. and likely run in the 4.5 area and apparently teams are all over the board with him in terms of a round projection. And finally, Robinson has a shot to be a late round pick and contribute as a #4 wideout and return man at the next level. I have always been a big fan of Eric Weddle's which is why I made him one of the first players I interviewed for the site this year. Eric has definitely made a positive impression down here this week and shown that he is a true football player and a real playmaker in the secondary.

• 5:15pm - As mentioned earlier I noticed something very interesting after the South's practice this afternoon. South Head Coach Jim Skipper, who also happens to coach the San Francisco Demons, ran both Quentin Moses of Georgia and Chase Pittman of L.S.U. through linebacker drills for about 5 min. before leaving and saying "I saw what I needed to see". Are these the potential 3-4 outside linebackers he alluded to at the press conference yesterday?

• 10:00pm - All of today's coverage is now live so check it out. And with that I am going to bed as I am beat but be sure to stop back often tomorrow because while everyone else is going home I am contining to provide live, on location coverage right through the weekend.

North Practice

As he has been all week Ohio State's Troy Smith was once again the top quarterback on the North roster, showcasing a great arm by throwing 20 yard ropes and also what appeared to be strong hands. Drew Stanton of Michigan St. has a smooth and natural motion, showed good accuracy on throws to the wings and displayed nice command and presence in the two-minute drill. Pittsburgh's Tyler Palko really has to wind up and simply doesn't have the physical tools you look for. At running back Thomas Clayton of Kansas St. looked really good once again, with solid change of direction skills and the ability to make one cut and go. Both Clayton and Kolby Smith of Louisville were sketchy as receivers today but Brian Leonard of Rutgers continued to show soft hands and a knack for getting north / south very quickly. West Virginia's Brandon Myles has been the best wide receiver on the North roster and uses his hands to snatch balls away from his body, although he did have a bad drop on a pass from Troy Smith after he had beaten Leon Hall. Myles received a lot of positive notice from the coaches, especially for his route running, and might very well be the second best receiver in Mobile period behind only Dwayne Bowe. The team also worked on reverses quite a bit so you can probably expect to see that in the game. Ben Patrick of Delaware was impressive again at tight end and is so natural that he almost looks like a 270lb. wide receiver. Up front along the offensive line Notre Dame's Ryan Harris did a great job of protecting the edge and had his best day of the week while Josh Beekman of Boston College really plays under control. Also, Texas Tech's Manuel Ramirez is real stout at the point of attack and Iowa's Marshal Yanda was able to handle David Patterson with relative ease.

One of the standouts of the day along the defensive line was Quinn Pitcock of Ohio St., who was quick off the snap, plays with a lot of energy and has a tremendous motor. Louisville's Amobi Okoye was outstanding again today, blowing by Doug Datish, Dan Mozes and James Marten. Adam Carriker of Nebraska also beat James Marten outside while Brandon Mebane of Cal bull rushed him, Anthony Spencer of Purdue got good penetration in 11-on-11's and Notre Dame's Victor Abiamiri gave Levi Brown fits with his quickness off the edge. At linebacker Nebraska'a Stewart Bradley showed nice hands in an interception drill while H.B. Blades of Pitt did an okay job in coverage as well. Eric Weddle of Utah continues to impress in the secondary, showing the ability to turn and flip his hips as well as excellent ball skills. Coaches were often heard praising Weddle and he is certainly the type of player they tend to love. Josh Wilson of Maryland bounced back a bit today, looking smooth and agile with good change of direction skills. At safety Virginia Tech's Aaron Rouse looked a little high in his backpedal although that might be because he's abnormally tall for the position and Josh Gattis of Wake Forest appears to be just an in-the-box type. Rouse was another guy who was singled out for compliments by the coaching staff on more than one occasion. At the end of practice the team worked on field goals and despite missing his attempt of the week (that I saw) Mason Crosby of Colorado was very solid and hit a 53-yarder with horns blowing and teammates screaming all around him. Still, in my opinion Crosby has not been quite as impressive as Mike Nugent was down here a couple of weeks ago.

South Practice

Jordan Palmer of U.T.E.P. was the best of the bunch at quarterback today but that really isn't saying much because outside of one play where he drilled a throw through a tight space to Joe Newton Houston's Kevin Kolb was very erratic, even throwing a ball right into the ground while Florida's Chris Leak overthrew a wide open Dwayne Bowe on one play. At running back Auburn's Kenny Irons makes himself small as he goes through the hole but continues to struggle with his hands as a receiver while Lorenzo Booker of Florida St. effortlessly plucked balls out of the air with his hands as a pass catcher. Alabama fullback Le'Ron McClain also displayed a knack for catching the ball and has really impressed me the last couple of days. Dwayne Bowe looked very good once again, coming through with a number of big plays and even though he doesn't get a lot of separation he really doesn't need to because he knows how to use his body so well. On a side note Bowe seemed to be goofing around a little bit today and some scouts may or may not like that kind of thing. Auburn's Courtney Taylor had another strong performance, Clemson's Chansi Stuckey caught a touchdown and Johnnie Lee Higgins of U.T.E.P. displayed terrific ball skills in 7-on-7's when he outfought Michael Griffin for a ball that he just seemed to want more. Georgia tight end Martrez Milner looked decent again but another drop raises some of the same concerns that plagued him throughout his senior season. Up front Tony Ugoh of Arkansas continues to struggle while Joe Staley of Central Michigan continues to impress by looking strong and powerful. Ryan Kalil of USC, Arron Sears of Tennessee and Ben Grubbs of Auburn have been three of the more consistent performers all week long and all have a legitimate shot at breaking into the first round come April.

At defensive tackle DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler got good penetration and showed nice effort in pursuit. At end Quentin Moses of Georgia saw some action standing up as Head Coach Mike Nolan personally ran him and Chase Pittman of L.S.U. through some linebacker drills after practice. Moses actually looked pretty good and I think that is where his future lies at the next level while Pittman, well, let's just say Moses looked a lot better. I really didn't see a whole lot of the linebackers but Patrick Willis of Ole Miss is still far and away the best of the bunch. New roster addition Michael Coe of Alabama St. fared very well in his first action with the team and had little trouble fitting in, looking smooth and athletic with a burst. Coe also does a nice job of staying low in his backpedal and even though he was beat by Dwayne Bowe for a touchdown he should not worry because nobody has been able to slow that guy down this week. Jonathan Wade of Tennessee also looked excellent today, breaking up a pass intended for Dallas Baker that drew loud whoops from his teammates and also intercepting a Jordan Palmer pass. Miami (FL) safety Brandon Meriweather continues to be extremely impressive as well, coming through with yet another interception in 11-on-11's. On special teams kicker Nick Folk of Arizona showed off a big leg while Aaron Ross, Chansi Stuckey and Chris Davis all worked as punt returners.

Here are the Thursday Player / Team Observations:

San Francisco Demons
Quentin Moses
Chase Pittman

Kansas City Monarchs
Amobi Okoye
Tyler Palko

Los Angeles Xtreme
Rhema McKnight

New York Hitmen
Levi Brown
Anthony Spencer

Pittsburgh Ironmen
Troy Smith

Washington Glory
Josh Wilson

[XFLBlitz]

Friday - January 27th, 2006

• 7:00am - It's hard to believe that it is already Friday! On tap today we have the team walk-through's and those run back-to-back for an hour each from 9:30am to 11:30am central. After that I'll be on air with Rick Ballou in Jacksonville again at 12:30pm and then I'll type up whatever I can take away from today's
"practices". Keep in mind though that these are easily the most boring sessions of the week, with teams literally just walking through plays and formations with no pads. I will check back in once more before I leave.

• 8:45am - I am off to the walk-though's. I also just wanted to remind everyone that tonight. I'll check in when I get back.

• 1:45pm - All right, the walk-through reports are up. I'm not gonna lie to you and say there is a lot of groundbreaking stuff in there but I did sprinkle in some pretty pictures to keep it interesting. It's been a long week so I am going to take advantage of a lull in the action to go out for the afternoon to take a tour of the battleship U.S.S. Alabama, do some shopping and maybe catch a flick later on tonight. I will try to check in when I can.

• 10:00pm - I am going to call it a night but first thing on the agenda tomorrow morning is to type up all the answers to the Senior Bowl Q&A. Look for that along with gameday coverage.

Senior Bowl - Friday North Walk-Through

For the most part the North worked on their two-minute drill and player substitutions, which led to a faster pace than you would noramlly expect from a walk-through session. I was once again surprised by how large Virginia Tech safety Aaron Rouse looks and he really is something of a specimen at the safety position. Also, Penn St. linebacker Paul Posluszny has a terrific upper half and almost looks like a body builder. It seemed like Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard was being used in a variety of ways so I would look for him to get quite a bit of work in the game.

Senior Bowl - Thursday South Walk-Through

One thing that kind of jumped out at me was just how big U.T.E.P.'s Jordan Palmer is and he reminds me a bit of Matt Jones in terms of his build. During an onside kick drill Kenneth Darby of Alabama tried to field a ball but dropped it and received some ribbing from his teammates and the crowd, which was kind of funny. Other than that there really isn't a whole lot to report. Afterwards the autograph hounds were out in force to collect signatures from their local players like the Irons brothers, the Bama guys etc. and they all did a real nice job of accomodating the fans.


There are no Player / Team Observations for Friday.