2005 NFL Draft

Bear-Arms

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Well McPherson has been linked to gambling in the past.ArticleEdited by: Bear-Arms
 

Colonel_Reb

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Unbelievable guys. The crazies really come out this time of year!
 
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Bart, can you post the link to the McPherson story. It truly does look crazy from what you've posted of it. Good luck to the team that drafts him in the first or second round, they'll need it.
 

Don Wassall

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Well here we go, maybe. Was just reading an article on the Draft and discovered that the most bench presses by any running back at the Combine this year was 33, by Colt Colletti of small college Nicholls State. I can't find a picture of him but he sure sounds white with that name. He must have shared carries with someone else at Nicholls State because he rushed between 85 and 107 times each year, which is not a full-time load. He finished his career with 380 rushes for 2,063 yards, an excellent 5.4 yards per carry average. It's most unlikely he'll be drafted or even stick on a team as a free agent, but at least he was invited to the Combine, another name to keep in mind.
 

sunshine

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Those SI player reports are bogus. Suter was blowing by people in 2003 and this top end speed questionmy rear.I saw him run back sveral punts all the way. Might be quickest guy in draft.Suter has superior speed to Randle-El. Legit 4.3 speed.Same clownsreport Nick Speegle runs a 4.75. Yeh right. The guy only ran a 4.5 flat AGAINST THE WIND. Maybe there is a conspirancy.
 

Kaptain

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I did a search for Nicholls state football and got their homepage. Colt Colletti is as white as can be - number 34. He worked out on March 19th the results are below. He is short (5'8" I think)and stout with hugh arms and legs. Looking at him I am amazed he can run that fast.


NICHOLLS STATE (March 19th) senior running back COLT COLLETTI ran between 4.46 and 4.48 in the 40... 6.90 three-cone... 39.5" vertical... also did 33 reps of 225 pounds, which is the most recorded/reported by any running back to date... weighs in at 5092, 215 pounds... three teams were in attendance for his workout: Dallas, Green Bay and New Orleans.
 

Bart

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Right Winger, I found the Charles Robinson article at Yahoo sports under the NFL heading.
 

White Shogun

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Don Wassall said:
Well here we go, maybe. Was just reading an
article on the Draft and discovered that the most bench presses by any
running back at the Combine this year was 33, by Colt Colletti of small
college Nicholls State. I can't find a picture of him but he sure
sounds white with that name. He must have shared carries with
someone else at Nicholls State because he rushed between 85 and 107
times each year, which is not a full-time load. He finished his
career with 380 rushes for 2,063 yards, an excellent 5.4 yards per
carry average. It's most unlikely he'll be drafted or even stick
on a team as a free agent, but at least he was invited to the Combine,
another name to keep in mind.



c5k72i4n.jpg






Colletti is the running back dodging the tackle in this pic. Hard to tell his race in a black and white pic though.
smiley5.gif




Does look like a big human. With a name like "Colt" Colletti, he should definitely be in the NFL.

Edited by: White Shogun
 

sunshine

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Finally reason is prevailing. Mel Kiper figures teams now are looking at Matt Jones as a WR/QB prospect. This only reinforces what has been said here at caste numerous times that a move to TE made no sense whatsoever. Jones was never hyped as much as Texas QB Vincent Young. No surprise there.His teammate Jeb Huckeba is aquick DE prospect who should getdrafted too.I am hoping Matt gets drafted in first round. He DESERVES it. He was a very good college player albeit at times incosistent but the one constant was his ability to run by people with ease. Alex Smith , Dan Cody and Matt are actually good enough to go 1,2,3 in the draft in my humble opinion.
 

Don Wassall

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Here's the latest on Matt Jones from ESPN Insider, via Scouts Inc. They claim he has "character problems on and off the field." The description of him under "Weaknesses" and "Overall" actually reads more like many black athletes are. Jones is laid back; he's probably incapable offeigning the all-out kamikaze style that all white football players are supposed to affect every single momentbut that doesn't mean he lacks desire or ambition.


Note that this describes him as both a potential QB and as a WR but then states "he's a much better fit" at WR than QB without stating why that is, when earlier we learn he "has a great feel for the passing game," "throws a good deep ball" with accuracy and "is a dual threat at QB who is very difficult to defend because of his mobility and effectiveness as a thrower on the run." Sounds to meexactly like whatthe league keeps hoping to find in black quarterbacks.But even as a WR the best we can hope for is that he will be like Joe Jurevicius. No, we can't compare him to a superstar black wide receiver, only a white one whose career has been limited by injuries and the caste system. It's like saying a black WR prospect with similar mind-boggling measurables can hope someday to be the next Justin McCariens or Travis Taylor.


Flags: (C: CHARACTER) Problems on and off the field(Y: YOUNG PLAYER) Need more film evaluation
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 ="tablemed"><T><T>
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 ="table"><T><T>
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<TR bgColor=#3f591a ="stat">
<TD>Career Totals</TD>
<TD align=middle colSpan=9>Passing</TD>
<TD align=middle colSpan=4>Rushing</TD></TR>
<TR align=right ="col">
<TD align=left>SEASON</TD>
<TD>CMP</TD>
<TD>ATT</TD>
<TD>YDS</TD>
<TD>CMP%</TD>
<TD>YPA</TD>
<TD>TD</TD>
<TD>INT</TD>
<TD>SACK</TD>
<TD>RAT</TD>
<TD>ATT</TD>
<TD>YDS</TD>
<TD>AVG</TD>
<TD>TD</TD></TR>
<TR align=right ="oddrow">
<TD align=left>2004</TD>
<TD>151</TD>
<TD>264</TD>
<TD>2073</TD>
<TD>57.2</TD>
<TD>7.9</TD>
<TD>15</TD>
<TD>12</TD>
<TD>11</TD>
<TD>132.8</TD>
<TD>83</TD>
<TD>622</TD>
<TD>7.5</TD>
<TD>6</TD></TR>
<TR align=right ="evenrow">
<TD align=left>2003</TD>
<TD>132</TD>
<TD>230</TD>
<TD>1917</TD>
<TD>57.4</TD>
<TD>8.3</TD>
<TD>18</TD>
<TD>7</TD>
<TD>6</TD>
<TD>147.1</TD>
<TD>96</TD>
<TD>707</TD>
<TD>7.4</TD>
<TD>8</TD></TR>
<TR align=right ="oddrow">
<TD align=left>2002</TD>
<TD>122</TD>
<TD>234</TD>
<TD>1592</TD>
<TD>52.1</TD>
<TD>6.8</TD>
<TD>16</TD>
<TD>8</TD>
<TD>20</TD>
<TD>125.0</TD>
<TD>129</TD>
<TD>614</TD>
<TD>4.8</TD>
<TD>5</TD></TR>
<TR align=right ="evenrow">
<TD align=left>2001</TD>
<TD>12</TD>
<TD>27</TD>
<TD>275</TD>
<TD>44.4</TD>
<TD>10.2</TD>
<TD>4</TD>
<TD>3</TD>
<TD>2</TD>
<TD>156.7</TD>
<TD>74</TD>
<TD>616</TD>
<TD>8.3</TD>
<TD>5</TD></TR>
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<TD>Strengths: Is a very good athlete for his size. He has great height and good bulk for his frame. Also has exceptional speed for his size. He has decent quickness but really accelerates as he runs. He has long strides and seems to be deceptive in his speed. Defenders often come up short on their pursuit angles. As a receiver, his rare combination of size, athleticism and speed present the potential for huge mismatches. He could be a big-time threat in the red zone. He has a great feel for the passing game as a collegiate quarterback. Also has big hands and is much more reliable catching the football than you would think considering his lack of experience. He has good focus and also shows the ability to catch the ball over his head. As a quarterback, he has adequate arm strength. Throws a good deep ball and shows better accuracy and touch on those passes than on short-to-intermediate ones that require more precision and zip. He is a dual threat at QB who is very difficult to defend because of his mobility and effectiveness as a thrower on the run.

Weaknesses: Has a very nonchalant attitude. Not sure if he loves playing the game of football. Looks like he's going through the motions in practice. Lacks experience as a receiver. Needs work in terms of hot reads and zone coverage recognition from WR position. Needs to improve crispness of routes but is a power-forward that will do a good job of using body to box DB's out. Must learn how to block. Doesn't seem overly willing, which is a big concern. As a quarterback, he is too inconsistent as a passer. His accuracy varies and he misses entirely too many targets. He doesn't have great patience in the pocket. Will take off too early and tries to run too much at times. Doesn't have a great feel for reading defenses or picking up "hot" reads. He locks on to his primary target too often and does a poor job of making his check downs. He has adequate but not good arm strength and would struggle to fit the ball into tight spots in the NFL. He also seems uncomfortable inside the pocket and tries to roll outside a lot and get on the move.

Overall: Also a three-year member of the Razorback's basketball team, Jones began his football career at Arkansas as a wide receiver. He split time at quarterback and wide receiver as a freshman in 2001 before taking over as the fulltime starting quarterback in 2002. He has had lingering injuries and he continues to be an inconsistent performer with more of a "sandlot" style than anything. However, Jones did throw for more than 5,500 yards and rush for nearly 2,000 yards as a three year starter at Arkansas. Jones is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2005 draft class because of his versatility and rare combination of physical tools. His nonchalant attitude and seeming lack of hustle drives coaches crazy but he's a much better fit at WR than he is at QB in that regard. Jones will need to put a lot of effort into the position change if he's going to make a successful transition while elevating to the NFL level. He needs to improve his route running skills and consistency in terms of picking up the blitz. He also needs to improve his effort as a backside receiver and as a blocker. Jones will never have great initial quickness but he has exceptional speed for such a big athlete and his hands are much further along than anticipated. In our opinion, Jones has the potential to develop into a weapon as a slot-WR/H-back in the NFL  similar to the type of weapon that Joe Jurevicius (Buccaneers) was for Jon Gruden prior to Jurevicius' injuries. We grade Jones out as a third round prospect but when you consider his rare combination of physical tools and the upside he offers at the NFL level, it's not unrealistic to imagine a team taking a chance on Jones in the second round of the upcoming draft.

</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc. </TD></TR></T></T></T></TABLE>Edited by: Don Wassall
 

Don Wassall

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BTW, Scouts Inc. rates Matt Jones as only the 12th best WR prospect in this year's draft.
 
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I believe the best position for Matt Jones in the NFL would be as a QB, judging from that scouting report. The right QB coach could make him a very good one. I doubt that he would make it big as a WR. I recall that Joe Montana was a 3rd rounder in 1979. Many "experts" thought Montana's arm wasn't strong enough, plus he was too "laid back." I think Jones would have more incentive if he was drafted to play QB.
 

white lightning

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You make some good points there.He if nothing else should
have the opportunity to play qb.We all know that it's not
going to happen though.I wish him luck either way.
 

Highwayman

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sport historian said:
I believe the best position for Matt Jones in the NFL would be as a QB, judging from that scouting report. The right QB coach could make him a very good one. I doubt that he would make it big as a WR. I recall that Joe Montana was a 3rd rounder in 1979. Many "experts" thought Montana's arm wasn't strong enough, plus he was too "laid back." I think Jones would have more incentive if he was drafted to play QB.


I keep hearing conflicting reports on Matt's arm so I'm not sure he'd make it as an NFL Quarterback, I'd just like to see him get a chance to succeed anywhere, frankly.Ironically I was thinking the exact same thing as you regarding Joe Montana,'Joe Cool' they ended up calling himfor his grace under pressure.I think it possible a guy like that who doesn't get all worked up might find himself at an advantage in high-pressure situations andbeless likely to make a mistake due tonerves when everyone's heatbeat is racing and their bodies are in panic mode.
 

Highwayman

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white lightning said:
You make some good points there.He if nothing else should
have the opportunity to play qb.We all know that it's not
going to happen though.I wish him luck either way.


I'm not certain he'd be best off as a QB though, if the reports on his accuracy and arm strength are reliable.Lots of guys have a good enough arm to play college ball, only tiny fraction of those can make it in the NFL though.


Look at it this way, take skin color out of it entirely, would you really want Ron Mexico--err Michael Vick--as the quarterback of your team? Sure it's fun to watch the quarterback run around, but in the NFL unless they can pass effectively down the field that's all they are: exciting. Steve Young could run, but he also had a very powerful and accurate arm and was one of the better passers in the game.Tarkington did a lot of running around, but it was often just sideline to sideline buying timehoping to find the defense break down somewhere. (and to irritale the hell out of opposing linemen while tiring them out and watch their tongues loll out of their mouths)


Vick's armhas all the power in the world, but half the time he couldn't hit a blast furnace with a heat-seeking missile. Gimme a real quarterback any day of the week, guys who can throw the ball thirty yards downfield without the off chance it might hit a fan in the stands.Edited by: Highwayman
 

Don Wassall

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Was just watching one of the sports reports on the local news, and the topic was which way the Steelers may go when they draft 30th. The only player mentioned by name was Matt Jones and a film clip of him running in a score was shown. Unfortunately he was referred to only as a tight end and a comment was made about how the Steelers rarely throw to the tight end but they could always use one with receiving skills.


More than ever the key is going to be which team selects Jones, as far as how he is used. The thoughtof him on the Steelers as an underused tight end makes me sick. Also, he is going to have to be adamant that he wants to be a wide receiver (or a quarterback), and not a tight end. We need for a team like the Titans, Rams or Colts to draft Matt.
 

Highwayman

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Actually Pittsburgh might be a great place for him. They lost Plaxico Buress, who was Big Ben's favorite target, and Matt is similar except better in every respect: taller, bigger, faster, smarter. If Roelisburger feels more confident throwing to an oversized guy like Plaxico, that might imply he'd be more inclined to throw to Jones. Plus Pittsburgh is a good team and might just make the superbowl where he could showcase his talents a lot better than if he was on one of the worst teams in the league.


With the reemergence of TEs as top recieving threats such as Tony Gonzolez, Antonio Gates and Jason Witten, some teams are scrambling to get themselves one too. These guys aren't really tight ends, they're recievers who just don't line up split wide most of the time.


Also the reporter might just have assumed that anyone that big must be a tight end, and it's possible the Steelers have no such intention, they're just looking for another big guy for Ben to throw to.
 

Don Wassall

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What you say is very possible, and if Pittsburgh draftsJones I hope they use him as a receiver. It makes all the sense in the world as he is far more talented than the overrated Burress, who got by mainly on his height and not much else, certainly not his brain. But ifJones isn't utilized that way it won'tbe surprisingin the least, especially given Bill Cowher's track record. With white players in the NFL you hope for the best but can never be surprised when it doesn't work out that way.
 

Highwayman

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Don Wassall said:
What you say is very possible, and if Pittsburgh draftsJones I hope they use him as a receiver. It makes all the sense in the world as he is far more talented than the overrated Burress, who got by mainly on his height and not much else, certainly not his brain. But ifJones isn't utilized that way it won'tbe surprisingin the least, especially given Bill Cowher's track record. With white players in the NFL you hope for the best but can never be surprised when it doesn't work out that way.





I think Cower is a pretty good coach, but with the endlessKordell Stewart debacles I can understand why some might be wary. I noticed he got one of the better grades regarding Caste and seems to be trending to a fairer environment. A couple other things in his favor include that if you consider his being ahead of the curve on the 3-4 defense and his provenability to take players like Hines Ward andRandall-El and make them into top recieving threats, you know he can think outside the box and can successfully coach the transition.


Come to think of it, perhaps Pitt would be the best place for Matt to go...can you think of an environment that would be better for him overall?
 

Don Wassall

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Good post. Cowher has mellowed some and he's been in the forefront with "slash" players, so there is some potential there, but of courseall the"slashes"have beenblack so we'll have to wait and seehow Jones is used if he ends up with the Steelers.


As far as better environments, I would say the few teams that have given white receivers an opportunity in recent years would be best -- which has been St. Louis, Tennessee and Indianapolis. Carolina is another pretty good one. But with the NFL's caste system, it's pretty much a crap shoot wherever he goes. With Jones you gotta hope that hisgreat combination of size, speed and running abilitywill entice whoever drafts him to use him ina way that maximizes his talents.Edited by: Don Wassall
 

white lightning

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What about the Colts.R.Wayne is in the last year of his
contract.They could bring him along slowly and ease him
into the offense.I doubt that they will resign Wayne
because they won't be able to afford it.I would love to
see Lumsden end up here to with E.James only on a one
year contract!
 
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There were many interesting comments about Matt Jones. My own feeling is that a player with a "laid back" disposition will have trouble converting to another position. It's true that a QB may have arm strength for college ball, but not enough for pro ball. A pro QB has to be able to throw the "out" pass to the sidelinesbefore the CB gets to it. I still think Jones should be tried at QB first. If he can't play QB in the pros, he could be a WR.


As I wrote previously, Joe Montana did not have as strong an arm as some would want coming out of Notre Dame. He was also seen as "inconsistent," while pulling off many spectacular comebacks.Does Matt Jones have similar intangibles? It would be nice to find out.
 
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