Kiper on Bradford

[Collier11]

NFL Draft: Mel Kiper talks Sam Bradford
The Oklahoman Comments Comment on this article0
Published: February 22, 2010

Kiper talks Bradford
Perhaps the biggest story line in the upcoming NFL Draft will be how scouts view Sam Bradford, who is coming off surgery on his throwing shoulder.

Some gurus are projecting Bradford will go No. 1 overall to the St. Louis Rams. Others say it’s possible Bradford could fall out of the Top 10.

ESPN Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. weighed in on the former Oklahoma quarterback during a media conference call last week.

Said Kiper: "To me, the accuracy is what jumps out at you. The problem is that it was when he was playing pitch and catch two years ago with all day to throw and some very good receivers to throw to.

"This past year, you wanted to see him under duress, and he got hurt. I think the issue that I have with Sam Bradford is that we haven’t seen him in an NFL-like setting where he’s getting pressured and he’s got to throw into small windows. We have not seen that at Oklahoma. We did in a couple games, and they lost those games — to Florida and Texas two years ago.

"Throwing on the run, he’s very good at throwing on the run, whether it is left or right…and certainly very smart. Needs to put on a little bit of weight in terms of the tall, angular frame he is, but his accuracy was precise.”

Kiper dropped Bradford in his most recent mock draft. Kiper originally had him going No. 4 to the Redskins. Now, he has Bradford at No. 6 to the Seahawks.

Last week, Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, sent an e-mail to NFL teams letting them know that Bradford will participate in the medical evaluation, interview process and Wonderlic testing during this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, but will hold off on working out.

Bradford is scheduled to hold a personal pro day for NFL scouts on March 25.

Read more: http://newsok.com/article/3441274#ixzz0gF46LlNl

[Collier11]

The obvious thing that Kiper ignores is that in those two games (florida and texas) Bradford played pretty well

[yankee]

let the talking heads do their thing. i can't believe kiper and mcshay are paid and get that much airtime just to see what MIGHT happen in the draft. i don't care where sam lands, i just wish him all the success in the world.

[SoonerShay]

It's pretty hard to take him serious as an evaluator of talent, if he thinks those are the only 2 games Bradford was ever under duress.

He also brings up throwing into small windows, ummm did he even watch the 2 games he mentioned? Bradford was making some awesome throws in both games, but especially against UF. It's not his fault people were dropping balls right and left. It wasn't his fault he threw a laser to Gresham and we got called for holding or Manny Johnson had a perfect pass and got blasted early.
Yeah those passes don't go in the stat sheet, but he threw a perfect pass still.
I have no idea if Bradford will be a star or not in the NFL, but to spread outright lies is a crock.

[IronHorseSooner]

I guess 5 TDs against a good * defense, five TDs against a good TCU D , and multiple TDs against a good Cincy D don't count. It was the D, STs, and the running game that beat us against against *.

[starclassic tama]

not to mention if you examine sam's play further against florida, you will see that one of his picks was dropped by manny on the goal line. so that makes 3/1 td to INT ratio if manny makes a routine play. and the other one was a great throw to iggy and he just gets punked by the florida db.

[soonerlaw]

I just hoped Sam would be a high draft pick this year after deciding to stay and then getting injured. Looks like that is still the case and IMO, going to the Redskins or Seahawks at 4-6 is much better than going #1 to Detroit last year.

[rawlingsHOH]

Sam played well in both of those games mentioned. Great vs Texas. Good vs Florida. A bad argument by Kiper, using simply team win/loss as measure of success. And how does THAT favor Clausen exactly?

Poor reasoning there.

[NormanPride]

I'll listen to STEP before I listen to Kiper and McShay.

[Jello Biafra]

freak injury, hair helmet[/COLOR]


I think the issue that I have with Sam Bradford is that we haven’t seen him in an NFL-like setting where he’s getting pressured and he’s got to throw into small windows.
really? we've never had to play vs a tampa 2, a cover 3, or a dime? no wonder we have been killing every one all these years...the big XII defenses ARE bunk...


We have not seen that at Oklahoma. We did in a couple games, and they lost those games — to Florida and Texas two years ago.......

mmmkay... so sam Vs. christ, sam had more yardage and the same pass to int ratio(even though, like it was mentioned elsewhere, the 2 ints were out of his hands) and yet it was a meh game....Vs. the whorens he was 28 of 39 387 yards with 5 tds and 2 ints with one of those ints coming with little less than 30 seconds left in the game..




but his accuracy was precise.”

see above...isnt throwing into windows and being precise the same thing or have i gone my entire life mis-interpreting this statement?



heh hes a hair pie.

[47straight]

Looks like that is still the case and IMO, going to the Redskins or Seahawks at 4-6 is much better than going #1 to Detroit last year.

This. Smartest career move ever.

[Jello Biafra]

I just hoped Sam would be a high draft pick this year after deciding to stay and then getting injured. Looks like that is still the case and IMO, going to the Redskins or Seahawks at 4-6 is much better than going #1 to Detroit last year.

or going to number 1 to ST louis this year.

[rainiersooner]

Seahawks! Seahawks! Seahawks! Seahawks! Seahawks!

Come on home Sammy - I love it!!!

[goingoneight]

The obvious thing that Kiper ignores is that in those two games (florida and texas) Bradford played pretty well

I guess SEVEN TDs in two games against "elite defenses" is a poor performance. Before anyone mentions the 4 picks, remember that ALL FOUR were good passes bobbled into the oppponents' bellies. No matter what people say, that should go against the receiver.

[BetterSoonerThanLater]

sammy playing for petey makes me want to vomit

[badger]

sammy playing for petey makes me want to vomit

this. no to seattle plzkthx

[sooner94]

Florida was the best D we played that season and Sammy was extremely accurate in that game.

I remember thinking how difficult those completions looked because the Florida DB's were right there every time. He wasn't just playing throw and catch that night.

[Jdog]

hope he joins a team with a good O-line. he'll make bigger bucks in the long run if that's the case.

[rawlingsHOH]

Florida was the best D we played that season and Sammy was extremely accurate in that game.

I remember thinking how difficult those completions looked because the Florida DB's were right there every time. He wasn't just playing throw and catch that night.

i thought the game kind of exposed our WR corps as 'good', but not "NFL" level, as the florida DBs were

[StoopTroup]

Kiper: "To me, the accuracy is what jumps out at you.

Then...

Kiper: "Throwing on the run, he’s very good at throwing on the run, whether it is left or right…and certainly very smart. Needs to put on a little bit of weight in terms of the tall, angular frame he is, but his accuracy was precise.”

WTF ever...

Doosh....bag

[rainiersooner]

this. no to seattle plzkthx

Pete won't be around here for that long anyway. Don't kill my buzz! Sammy, the Slingin' Seahawk! It just has such a ring to it!!! :D

[starclassic tama]

don't let your hate of pete carroll because he is a doosh fool you. the guy is a damn good coach. his NFL record was about .500, so there are questions as to whether or not he can succeed in the league but i wouldn't mind at all if sam went there. i would prefer the redskins though.

[BoulderSooner79]

McShay has been consistent in saying the NFL guys wanted to see Sam play behind a lesser line (i.e. not dominant like our '08 line). He said that long before the '09 season started. Now I don't know if what he said was correct and it really reflects what NFL guys wanted, but it was consistent. And sadly, it didn't happen. But in the NFL, defenses don't win championships - great QBs do. And teams always seem to err on the side of picking QBs higher even though it's risky. Sam is going to be a very wealthy man soon and I just hope he lands with a team that he can guide to the playoffs on a regular basis.

[KantoSooner]

When Sam works out for the scouts at OU, who will he throw to? I can't imagine they'll just set a bunch of trash barrels around the field and see if he can hit them. And I also don't think they'll fly in their own receivers. It looks like a very nice way for Sam to give some OU receivers a bit of extra exposure. At least I'd like to believe that was part of his motivation for doing the private workout in Norman.

[soonerloyal]

Rams! Rams! Rams! Rams! Rams! Rams! Rams!

Hey, we have family in St. Louis...I can't help wanting Sam where I might actually get to see him play.

[rawlingsHOH]

When Sam works out for the scouts at OU, who will he throw to? I can't imagine they'll just set a bunch of trash barrels around the field and see if he can hit them. And I also don't think they'll fly in their own receivers. It looks like a very nice way for Sam to give some OU receivers a bit of extra exposure. At least I'd like to believe that was part of his motivation for doing the private workout in Norman.
If the work out is in Norman he'll be throwing to his OU guys, and area free agents, etc. Maybe Antwone Savage.

When he does private workouts for individual teams, that is when you would see him throw to the NFL team-specific guys. Like when Washington brought Jason Campbell along to throw to Malcolm Kelly.

[picasso]

This crap get's old. There's been plenty of times in Sam's career when he's had to move out of the pocket and make a play.

I'm starting to think anyone can get a talking head gig on TV.

[Collier11]

McShay said on tv lastnite that Gerald Mccoy stood out despite the fact that he never really played on a good defense...um, im pretty sure last year we had a top 10 D

[KantoSooner]

Rawlings, thanks for the confirmation. I hope the OU receivers in question make the most of their little bonus time in the sun.

[rainiersooner]

This crap get's old. There's been plenty of times in Sam's career when he's had to move out of the pocket and make a play.

I'm starting to think anyone can get a talking head gig on TV.

Just to add on to that - here are some excerpts from an SI article on the top 50 prospects in the draft:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/nfl/02/23/combine.45/index.html?eref=sihp


38. Trent Williams/OL/Oklahoma: On the heels of a disappointing senior season, Williams' draft stock has been slipping since September. He struggled at left tackle, and by season's end was shuffled inside to center.

Now, I agree he did not necessarily meet expectations, but how many All Americans can you also classify as "struggling". And the writer seems to suggest he was moved to center because of those struggles. Just wrong.

How about this on Gresham:


44. Jermaine Gresham/TE/Oklahoma: Gresham is one of the better athletes from the tight end class, but missed the entire '09 campaign with injury. His hands are suspect, yet Gresham has good value outside the initial 30 choices.

Now, many is the Sooner fan who could complain about Gresham's blocking ability...but his hands? As in his ability to use his hands to catch balls? That's his number one strength!!! I only catch these things because I pay attention to Sooner football. I wonder how many stupid things these guys wrote about the other fifty players on that list. The incompetence is staggering.

Oh yeah, and that picture of Terrance Cody is disgusting.

[NormanPride]

Actually, Gresham's concentration is the problem. His percentages on catches made got worse the further away from the LOS he was.

[rainiersooner]

Actually, Gresham's concentration is the problem. His percentages on catches made got worse the further away from the LOS he was.

Was that a matter of drops or poor route running? I would have thought most of us agree that catching was a strength of Gresham's, but I could be wrong.

[rawlingsHOH]

Was that a matter of drops or poor route running? I would have thought most of us agree that catching was a strength of Gresham's, but I could be wrong.

Very average hands. Lots of drops, especially earlier in his career. But he made up for it. He was a monster. A match-up nightmare. A big athletic body, who could also get after in the run game by his junior year.

[rawlingsHOH]

Now, many is the Sooner fan who could complain about Gresham's blocking ability...but his hands? As in his ability to use his hands to catch balls? That's his number one strength!!! I only catch these things because I pay attention to Sooner football. I wonder how many stupid things these guys wrote about the other fifty players on that list. The incompetence is staggering.

actually the guy was pretty spot on with gresham.

great body, great athleticism, good blocker (after initally being poor), great receiving threat, but fair hands. as another poster mentioned, could be concentration, or just taking his eyes off it too soon.

[General Applewhite]

IMO, going to the Redskins or Seahawks at 4-6 is much better than going #1 to Detroit last year.

I couldn't disagree with you more.

The Lions o-line is much better than the Skins o-line.......it isn't even close.

[starclassic tama]

yeah gresham has had a mild case of skillethanditis at times, but not enough to warrant any big red flags.

[rainiersooner]

actually the guy was pretty spot on with gresham.

great body, great athleticism, good blocker (after initally being poor), great receiving threat, but fair hands. as another poster mentioned, could be concentration, or just taking his eyes off it too soon.

But as you said, that was earlier in his career. I thought by his junior year he had been living up to his potential as a receiver. I remember a lot of drops freshman and sophomore year, but not too many his junior year. Maybe you're right and that's why KW felt he had a higher chance of success running CB off tackle against Florida four times in a row (I'm not being sarcastic either - I wanted him to throw to Gresham because I thought he was solid with his hands...but that's why I'm posting on this board instead of coaching I suppose).

[goingoneight]

I saw JG drop A pass against Chatanooga... One pass all season. He bobbled maybe five in 2007.

He was arguably the most productive two-year receiving TE ever, wasn't he?

His issue is his upper body weight versus his lower body strength, and that only hurt him to have an injury. Sort of a scout's way of saying "I told ya so."

But again... no, his hands are NOT a problem.

[unbiasedtruth]

with Kiper's opinion of OU football players and $3.95 I can go to Starbucks and purchase a cup of coffee.....

[swardboy]

Let me know when you go 'cause I can get a cup free with a purchase....

[picasso]

Gresham caught the ball as well as any receiver we had during the time he was here. Oh yeah, he even caught balls that weren't thrown to him!

[rainiersooner]

Gresham caught the ball as well as any receiver we had during the time he was here. Oh yeah, he even caught balls that weren't thrown to him!

Lol - he deserves extra consideration for that...he had Mojo!

[rainiersooner]

I was just thinking though how strange it is to be talking about Bradford and Gresham as draft prospects this year, when it's been so damn long since I've seen them play! What a bummer of a year for them.

[Skinshokiefan]

Mike Shanahan will quickly turn Sam Bradford into an All Pro QB.

Sam is the perfect fit for the Shanahan system, in particular with all of the bootlegs he runs

[Jdog]

I guess 5 TDs against a good * defense, five TDs against a good TCU D , and multiple TDs against a good Cincy D don't count. It was the D, STs, and the running game that beat us against against *.

I thought he had 5 TD throws against Texas two years ago. Whats the guy talking about. yes they lost, but it wasn't Sams fault.

[Collier11]

and one of his 2 ints was a meaningless hail mary at the end of the game

[JLEW1818]

and the other was a 3rd and long, i think

[CU Sooner]

3rd and long at the end of the 1st half that he threw deep and ended up being like a punt. Probably better than a punt with the punter and ST play we had that year.

[okiewaker]

Shutdown Corner Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:15 am EST

Bradford's weight could have him flying up the boards
By Doug Farrar

As first reported by former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah of Move The Sticks, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford posted a weight of 236 pounds at his Friday morning Combine weigh-in. For those NFL personnel people who were on the fence about Bradford because of his formerly 223-pound frame, wondering if he could take repeated hits in the pocket at that size, a more muscled Bradford could shake up the top of the draft board.

What is not in question is Bradford's accuracy and ability to get the ball to all field levels. Playing behind the best offensive line in the college game in 2008, Bradford played pitch-and-catch to the tune of 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns. After shoulder injuries shut down his 2009 season and he declared for the draft, Bradford has obviously been eating his Wheaties. The question now is whether the extra weight will affect his throwing motion and mechanics in any way -- word is the new weight is solid muscle, which speaks to his work ethic.

Though defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh are widely regarded as the best players in this draft, the St. Louis Rams have a desperate need at quarterback and the first overall pick. If Bradford aces the interviews here in Indianapolis, and is able to throw well at his personal workout on March 25, he may have the Rams putting the pieces together and making him the first overall pick. And if that happens, McCoy and Suh could go to the very happy Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two teams in desperate need of interior line reinforcement.

UPDATE: Just off the media floor, Rams GM Billy DeVaney told me that the team has been in touch with Tom Condon


Found this interesting.

[GKeeper316]

ya i dont see how you can blame receivers dropping passes that hit em right in the hands on bradford.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

the bradford article is on yahoo front page

[okiewaker]

So was Branjolina just adopted another potbelly.

[Collier11]

From Twitter:

OU QB Sam Bradford just spoke to the media. Very commanding and poised presence.

[Big Red Ron]

Da Rams @ #1 mark it down.

[swardboy]

I hope so. four hour trip up I-44, stay with my sister...go watch Sammy the Rammy.

[Skinshokiefan]

I'll seriously cry if Bradford goes to the Rams at number 1.

I am praying he slips down to 4

[starclassic tama]

why? it wasn't that long ago the rams were super bowl contenders almost every year. the NFL is fleeting, most teams (other than the browns and lions) don't suck forever...

edit nevermind i just noticed you are a skins fan...