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University of Stanford

Draft Profile: Ronald Jones

by Damian Parson February 12, 2018

College Football is the clear and only pipeline to the NFL. It is filled with thousands of talented young men that dream of playing at the next level. Only 1.5% of those players become pro football players. Every draft has positions that are deeper than others, some believe this is a quarterback class and others believe it is a running back class. Here is my scouting report!!

Ronald Jones, RB, USC

Height-Weight: 6’0 200 lbs

Film reviewed: Stanford (17), Texas (17), UCLA (17)

The Good: The Trojan running back has a mixture of speed, vision, and toughness. He is a one cut/zone runner, that is dangerous once he cuts and gets to the second level. Jones is very elusive in the open field and a tough guy to bring down. Utilizing his mixture of side steps, jukes, and spins, he knows how to make defenders look foolish. He improved this season as a between the tackle runner, displaying more strength and toughness. Jones is a capable receiver out of the backfield with solid hands. He is a homerun hitter that would scare a defense from anywhere on the field.

The Bad: Although he is a one cut back, he tends to stretch runs too far outside. That opens him to tackles for loss in the backfield. He is not elite in the pass protection department. Jones will allow the defender into his pads & space, instead of meeting them in the hole. I would like to see more effort on his routes coming out of the backfield. At times, he did not explode into his route and it came off lackadaisical. Ronald weight is not a problem, but his build raises some questions. His slender build may not hold up against the physical nature of the NFL.

Pro Comparison: Jamal Charles/Melvin Gordon

Round 2-3: Unlike Guice and Barkley, Jones is more of a day two player. He has a skillset and style of play matches the new schemes in the league. He is a versatile weapon that can make plays on the ground and through the air. If he can stay healthy he has the potential to be every down back.

Damian Parson is an Analyst for Couch Rider Report. Follow him on Facebook and Follow/Like us on Facebook or Twitter.

February 12, 2018 0 comment

Rookie Rb Grades. Photos by Jonathan Daniel, Michael Zagaris, Matthew Lewis, Sean M. Haffey, and Hannah Foslien

CRR Rookie RB Grades

by Damian Parson October 7, 2017

written by Damian Parson

CRR Rookie RB Grades

In the 2017 NFL Draft, there were players drafted in the 7 round 3-day extravaganza. Players of every position in football were drafted and even signed as free agents afterward. It is well documented that as the neighborhood running back, I love the position with a passion!! It is the most important position in football, Am I Right? (Biased you ask, YES). I may not have a degree to teach Math, History or English, BUT I am qualified to grade the running back position. *Ding Ding* Rookie RB Grades Class is in session!!

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Kareem Hunt (KC) – This young man has taken the entire league by storm and put everyone in it on notice. He was my favorite running back in the 2017 draft and I believed he was the total package. So far, that assessment has been accurate. He has a rare blend of speed, power, vision, toughness, and elusiveness. He can be labeled as “slippery” (not a migos reference), he just slides off would be tacklers and keeps churning. Some backs need to run over defenders in order to force missed tackles, but Hunt uses slight movements while toting the rock. He leads the league in rushing with 502-yards off of 68-carries which is 7.4 yards-per-carry. In four games, he is halfway to 1,000 yards, that is insane!! He’s also displayed soft hands in the passing game, just watch his 78-yard touchdown week one vs the New England Patriots. Hunt can run a diverse set of plays: power, stretch zone, pistol, single-back, and read options. I believe his best attribute is balance; he is able to stay upright and continue to drive for more yards. Considering he was underrated/valued before being selected in the 3^rd round, he has been the best through the first quarter of the season. Grade: A+

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Dalvin Cook (MIN) – The former Florida State Seminole burst on the scene week one vs the New Orleans Saints in the tune of 22 carries for 127 yards!! In college, he was one of the best homerun hitters in the nation, but he also had the blend of power to add. He lost his starting quarterback heading into week 2 vs the Steelers, he still was able to find success with a backup quarterback. He is a hardnose runner that prefers to play old-school football. He’d prefer to run power plays and halfback dives instead of the “cute” outside runs like most speed backs. He has shown great agility, vision, and burst, especially on cutback runs. He has done a good job in pass protection, giving his quarterback an extra second or two. The biggest knock on him thus far has been drops, he is third with 3 on 16 targets. Unfortunately, Cook is out for the season with a Torn Acl. This is horrible considering he was the only contender to Kareem Hunt for ROY. Grade: A

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Tarik Cohen (CHI) – The small star from a small school, the “Human Joystick” was overlooked for a few reason in the draft. Of course, his height, weight, and overall build did not help his case. The 4^th round pick entered the league as simply a third down back/special team ace. He has shown that he is more than a specialty player. Cohen has displayed extreme toughness (see week one vs the Atlanta Falcons). He took some shots in that game and I expected him to stay down for a bit, but he popped up with no issues. He has been able to power through arm tackles and even deliver a few blows of his own. He has caught the ball well in the passing game, showcasing his versatility. Ask the Steelers how effective the miniature back can be, he terrorized them to the tune of 12 carries 78 yards. He should’ve had the walk-off touchdown in Overtime, but a fluky out of bounds call wiped it away. He has earned more touches and a bigger role in the offense. One knock is ball security, Cohen has two fumbles with one lost on the season. The all-around jitterbug has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears. I’m intrigued to see if he can continue to be an impact player for this offense. Grade: B-

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Christian Mccaffrey (CAR) – The former Stanford Cardinal was selected 8^th overall in the draft. He was expected to be an impact runner as well as a receiver. Arguably, he possesses the best hands in the draft from any player. You will not find a more advanced route runner at the running back position in the NFL today and possibly history. After a quarter of the season has concluded, Mccaffrey has been less than stellar on the ground and I am being really respectful at the moment. He currently ranks 56^th out of 195 chartered rushers this season. He has a measly 31 carries for 89 yards rushing, that is an average of 2.9 per-carry!! If Trent Richardson was lead to slaughter for a similar amount of yards-per-carry, then we must be prepared to do the same if nothing changes. Mccaffrey is currently leading the Carolina Panthers in receptions and 3^rd in receiving yards. Honestly, the kid has been very underwhelming for a top ten draft pick. His play has raised some red flags again. I didn’t believe he was the best running back in the draft by any means and he hasn’t proved me wrong yet!! Right now CM looks better suited to play slot wide receiver than running back right now. Overreaction? Sure!! Grade: C-

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Leonard Fournette (JAC) – The former LSU Tiger was selected 4^th overall in this year’s draft. He has been a bit of a surprise in the first quarter of the season. After being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with one of the league’s WORST quarterbacks (Blake Bortles), I had low expectations for the 6’1 235-pound battering ram. Fournette has showcased good vision, great power, surprising patience and adequate elusiveness in his first four games. Everyone was aware of the power he possessed, but many doubted he would be able to catch the football. He has 12-receptions for 125-yard w/ one touchdown. That aspect of his game has been a pleasant surprise. Leonard has been able to shoulder a load consistently that was not expected in this offense. He’s show to be a short stepper when running the ball, he does not eat up grass with his stride. If he used his stride properly on a consistent basis, it would allow him to cover more ground and separate from oncoming defenders. It could improve his 3.5 yards per carry average, and escape the first level of the defense quicker. Overall the Jaguars running back has been a nice addition and I am looking forward to seeing more of him as the season progresses. Grade: B

Honorable Mentions:

Joe Mixon (CIN):B-

Alvin Kamara (NO):C-

Samaje Perine (WAS): C-

Elijah Mcguire (NYJ): C

D’Onta Foreman (HOU): C+

Chris Carson (SEA): C+

In another four weeks, I will return to bring you my latest grades for these rookie ball carriers and more!!!

Damian Parson is an Analyst for Couch Rider Report. Follow him on Facebook and Follow/Like us on Facebook or twitter.

October 7, 2017 0 comment

AFC East New England Patriots New Orleans Saints NFL

Patriots Preseason: Game 1 takeaways

by Damian Parson August 13, 2016

written by Damian Parson

Patriots Preseason

Patriots Preseason: Game 1 takeaways

Preseason football for Pats Nation has arrived. Game one had it’s ups and downs but we made it right? Here are four notable takeaways from game one against the New Orleans Saints.

1. Malcolm Mitchell

The 4^th round pick out of the University of Georgia was on pace to have a great game. He displayed strength, great hands, and strong at the point of attack. He did a terrific job catching the football away from his body. He finished the game with 4-catches and 55-yards in the second quarter, might I add. The offense did not gain traction until Mitchell touched the field. He gained the type of separation the starting receivers were not producing.

The Georgia Native’s rookie debut was halted suddenly after suffering what looked to be a gruesome arm injury, but it was a dislocated elbow sidelining him around 4-weeks. The former Bulldog adds athleticism, strong hands, and a better catch radius than the “Julian Edelman” and “Danny Amendola“s of the world. If he can come back after his injury and continue his fast start, the offense will have another piece the puzzle.

2. Tyler Gaffney

This young player was on my radar for some time now. He has battled injuries going back two years ago in his rookie year. Only the real Pats fans would have been pulling for him to succeed. The former Stanford Cardinal had not played a snap in the NFL before last night. It was his NFL debut, and he had a good showing in his first taste of NFL gameplay. The former Carolina Panther. showed good vision, decisiveness, and an excellent burst. He displayed that burst on his 44-yard touchdown. He finished the game with 9-carries for 64-yards and a TD. He also did a pretty good job in pass protection last night as well. If he can continue to build on this performance going forward, he can certainly carve out a role in this offense similar to Dion Lewis from last year’s preseason.

3. Pass Rush

After trading Chandler Jones and the injury to Rob Ninkovich, most pundits wondered how the Patriots would generate a pass rush. Last night the pass rush came from several different players and positions on the defensive front. The defense finished with 2-sacks, 4-QB hits, a hand full of hurries, and a forced fumble/touchdown. Early in the game Jabaal Sheard, Chris Long, and Shea McClellin provided good consistent pressure off the edge. Sheard was nearly unstoppable; he generated pressure in one on one situations and against double teams.

You can certainly ask Mark Ingram about Sheard after the Hollywood Native used one hand to strip Ingram for a fumble that was recovered by New England. He is the key piece for this defensive front, and I expect a big year from him. Long placed notable pressure as well, he was in a 2-point stance on the edge and displayed good leverage with his length. His bull rush was effective and consistent. The star on the defensive front was 2nd-year player Trey Flowers.

The former Arkansas Razorback finished the game with 6-tackles, 2-QB hits, a forced fumble/recovered, and a defensive score. He generated pressure from all over the line. Lining up at DE and DT, he was impressive rushing the QB from all area codes last night. If the defensive front can keep up this type of performance, the absence of Tom should be a little easier of a task to handle.

4. Grappolo’s resilience

Jimmy Grappolo had one of the most anticipated starts to preseason that I have ever seen. There was an abundance of pressure for the 3rd year QB to play early and well. The young QB started the game 3-7 for 33-yards displaying bad footwork, decisions, and ball placement. The signs were not looking good for him especially when the offensive line gave up pressure on his first two drives. If the Head Coach were an ordinary guy and not Bill Belichick Jimmy would have been pulled early on, but he was allowed to continue. Jimmy and the offensive line showed resilience and rebounded together as a group.

The former Eastern Illinois quarterback finished his next 8-passes, going 6-8 for 113-yards. He was awarded time in the pocket and established a rhythm, making throw after throw. He even evaded defenders and ran for a critical 4^th down conversion. That type of resilience and mental toughness is key even in the preseason. He struggled without about six other offensive starters. However, the silver lining is he rebounded without them as well. If he can continue to grow in this preseason, the Patriots should be in good hands with the young QB!!

Damian Parson is an Analyst for Couch Rider Report. Follow him on Facebook and Follow/Like us on Facebook or twitter.

August 13, 2016 0 comment