Hawks sign a guard

[douche]

For me, the McDowell selection was a calculated one. And it was probably at Pete's request.

That said, I also believe that the ATV accident changed McDowell as a person. He wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer to begin with, but he was in a much worse place after that accident.

Just my opinion.

[Michael K.]

Pre Draft information -

Weaknesses
Footwork and technique are a mess. Plays with inconsistent base width and overall balance. Struggles to keep feet clean and ends up on the ground. Lines up in narrow, three-point stance from interior and struggles to fight back against down blocks and double teams. Can be washed out of his gap too often. High center of gravity made interior work a challenge at times. Can bend, but lets high pad level get the best of him. Doesn't consistently utilize his length with first hands. Has to become better at controlling the point of attack with his natural attributes. Needs to punch and control rather than leaning on blockers. Production doesn't match up with the traits and the talent. Scouts concerned about work ethic and leadership.
Sources Tell Us

"He has a chance to be a dominant player in our league. I mean dominant. It hasn't turned on for him all the way yet but if it does, he could be like Mario Williams. He's just a little lazy and I worry about whether he is going to be a self-starter." -- NFC North area scout

Sounds like a guy that will be highly motivated by getting a big pay day, right?

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/malik-mcd ... d8f19d9d89

Weaknesses: The motor is the big one. Missing games due to injury isn’t all that costly, but even before he exited the lineup in 2016, McDowell appeared less invested on a week-to-week basis on the field as Michigan State struggled. He was almost unblockable during his college career when he played with that mental edge, but it was hard to predict when that kick would come and go.

His unusual pass-rushing technique might drive his NFL coaching staff crazy for a bit. McDowell even talked at the combine about how coaches have tried to clean up that technique in the past, only to throw in the towel. “They tried to help me out but I really couldn’t get it right,” he said. ”I tried to tweak the technique a little bit ... and after a certain point they just started teaching me my own style of play.”

McDowell plays narrow and high, and the former allows him to cause damage splitting gaps, but it also leaves him susceptible to blockers engulfing him. The latter leaves him vulnerable to O-linemen getting into his pads, and he as of yet has been unable to take advantage of his stature to plug passing lanes—he rarely attempts to get his hands up for the swat.

The positives are impossible to ignore, but the team drafting McDowell will have to figure out how to bury the negatives on a more consistent basis.

Google is free guys. Everyone pretending the only thing wrong with this kid was that we didn't know he would wreck and ATV are being ridiculous. He was a project, and only a project because he was lazy and un-coachable.

McDowell totaled 34 tackles with seven for a loss and 1.5 sacks in 2016. The junior started out the year well before missing multiple games late in the season with an ankle injury. McDowell’s final games weren’t as impressive, and he seemed to take his foot off the pedal in terms of effort and motor. He also seemed to be protecting himself.

Malik McDowell may be one of the most fascinating stories in the 2017 NFL Draft class. There seems to be two sides to the Michigan State Spartan defensive end. On one side he is a highly talented and physically gifted football player whom scouts say has a very high ceiling. On the other he is an underachieving malcontent who is difficult to motivate.

McDowell and his apparent lack of motivation are a mystery to NFL pundits and scouts but signs of his inconsistency, buried in a mountain of media reports, first surfaced during his college recruiting, .

Then came the NFL Combine. Once again his physical skills were on display but when it came to the interviews and questions about his work ethic, things went south for the former Spartan. Yahoo! Sports reported on the NFL Combine’s list of winners and losers. McDowell was one of the losers after his interviews with NFL teams validated the criticism about his ethic and caused his draft stock to fall.

"Allow us to explain how a 6-foot-6, 295-pound prime athlete with long arms and big hands who runs a 4.85 40 is on the “losers” list. Said one team: “Worst interview we did.” Added another: “Awful interview. Awful.” What concerns scouts most is that for all his tremendous upside — watch him destroy Michigan, for instance — McDowell’s production and tape don’t always match up. Scouts feel like he takes plays off too often. And when they asked him about that, he got defensive. They also asked him about his attitude and work ethic, which were concerns. Many of those questions remain unanswered."

"He’s an enigma,” Kiper said in a teleconference Thursday. “He’s got all this talent and he showed it two years ago and then, this year, it was underwhelming. His grade kept dropping — he’s now 20 on (my) big board. I got him going to Oakland at 24. He should be in the top five, based on talent. He should be a top-five pick, but the production wasn’t there, the consistency wasn’t there.” – via Freep.com"

All of this information was out there, BEFORE THE DRAFT. Did they know he would wreck and ATV? No, did they know he was a fucking problem, had red flags and that EVERYONE else was passing on him? Yes. They fell in love with the potential, passed on players that could help, added lower round picks that they ended up picking scrubs with, AND didn't get a DAMN THING out of the pick they claimed they wanted all along. They outsmarted the NFL, yet again. Too bad for the poor luck! Bullshit.

[D-train]

Who would you guys take here. Zinter or Murphy. Zinter for me. G is a bigger need than DT as long as they are about equal in terms of BPA. Guessing the are about equal since one expert took one and one took the other.

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2024/4/15/24 ... y-nfl-news

[Donn Beach]

For me, the McDowell selection was a calculated one. And it was probably at Pete's request.

That said, I also believe that the ATV accident changed McDowell as a person. He wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer to begin with, but he was in a much worse place after that accident.

Just my opinion.

I'm confident they were in agreement on the Malik pick

“He’s too unique,” Schneider said. “We’ve been looking for a pass rushing 3-technique since we’ve been here together.”

[D-train]

This has us taking JPJ a G from the Ducks...

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2024-nfl ... il_15_2024

[Donn Beach]

. Troy Fautanu is off the board

[D-train]

. Troy Fautanu is off the board

Yep. Another UW stud.

[D-train]

I am going to post my Draft contest in about an hour to give people about a week to provide input on the rules and scoring system...

[Sibelius Hindemith]

This has us taking JPJ a G from the Ducks...

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2024-nfl ... il_15_2024

Isn't he a center, or does he project as a guard in the League?

[D-train]

This has us taking JPJ a G from the Ducks...

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2024-nfl ... il_15_2024

Isn't he a center, or does he project as a guard in the League?

Read. The truth will set you free.