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For the Rams and the rest of the NFL, the pre-draft process hits full stride today with the first of the college all-star games.
That would be the Medal of Honor Game, which takes place in Charleston, S.C.
“I think it takes the place of the old Texas vs. the Nation game,” Rams general manager Les Snead said.
The Senior Bowl, scheduled this year for Jan. 25 in Mobile, Ala., remains the premier event of this genre and attracts tons of scouts, coaches, team executives and agents — not to mention most of the top college senior draft prospects.
But there is a place for the smaller college all-star games on the circuit. The Medal of Honor Game, for example, is a place for scouts to look at potential late-round picks or undrafted rookies.
“I use the example of that’s where guys like Ray Ray (Armstrong) were last year,” Snead said. “So you have some guys that are more back end of the draft, college free agents, and they get to go down there and show something. It might be the thing that moves them up.”
Armstrong, who was signed by the Rams as an undrafted rookie, had penalty issues this season but led the team in special teams tackles with 12 and has plenty of potential.
In between today’s Medal of Honor game and the Senior Bowl are two all-star games on Jan. 18, the NFLPA Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game.
“During the all-star phase we try to get our guys away from watching film, cross-checking their game tape, and hey, let’s get down and really focus,” Snead said.
What Snead likes his scouts to focus on at these all-star games is the strengths of players. Are they the kind of strengths that the Rams could rely on in the NFL? The scouts met at Rams Park in December and the team already has what Snead calls a “team grade” on hundreds and hundreds of players.
If there are enough scouts at a particular all-star game, he likes to have a scout concentrate on one position — such as wide receiver, defensive linemen, etc. The practices are just as important, perhaps even more important, than the game itself.
“What we do is we’ll grade the all-star game,” Snead said. “We’ve got a little system, a process that we grade the practices and the game, that is totally separate from their team grade going into this whole process.”
If a player stands out during the all-star game week, he’ll get a check for his work in practices and perhaps another check for his performance in the game itself that goes next to the team grade.
“We’ve got a lot of other different factors that we’ll do that with (use the check marks),” Snead said. “And all of a sudden you look at this guy and here’s his name amongst 20 others but he’s got six out of 10 checks. The other guy only has one. Well, maybe that breaks the tie. So that’s a little bit of what the all-star game can do.”
If you’re talking about a college free agent type who’s getting lots of checks throughout the offseason process, Snead may have a scout pull out his game tape again and take another look at the prospect. It could result in a prospect getting moved up.
At the higher levels of all-star game competition, say the Senior Bowl, the process can help move a player into the first round or move him up higher in the first round. Snead cited the case of Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher.
At Central Michigan, Fisher didn’t consistently play top competition, so there was a lot of interest in how he would fare against top players from throughout the country. Fisher didn’t disappoint.
“He goes down there and has a good Senior Bowl against some better comp, and I’m sure that helped him rise,” Snead said. “All of a sudden he’s a top 5-10 pick.”
Ultimately, Fisher ended up being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rosters for some of the all-star games are still subject to change, but at this point five players from the University of Missouri are scheduled to play in an all-star game: DE Michael Sam at the Senior Bowl; offensive tackle Justin Britt and cornerback E.J. Gaines at the East-West Shrine game; and quarterback James Franklin and linebacker Andrew Wilson at the NFLPA Bowl.
Underclassmen aren’t eligible to participate in any of the all-star games, so they have to be evaluated in other ways, be it private workouts, pro days, or the NFL scouting combine.
“Nowadays you always have to be aware of underclassmen,” Snead said. “And I think there’s gonna be a record number of underclassmen.”
The list isn’t complete because underclassman have until Wednesday to declare for the draft.
For the Rams and the rest of the NFL, the pre-draft process hits full stride today with the first of the college all-star games.
That would be the Medal of Honor Game, which takes place in Charleston, S.C.
“I think it takes the place of the old Texas vs. the Nation game,” Rams general manager Les Snead said.
The Senior Bowl, scheduled this year for Jan. 25 in Mobile, Ala., remains the premier event of this genre and attracts tons of scouts, coaches, team executives and agents — not to mention most of the top college senior draft prospects.
But there is a place for the smaller college all-star games on the circuit. The Medal of Honor Game, for example, is a place for scouts to look at potential late-round picks or undrafted rookies.
“I use the example of that’s where guys like Ray Ray (Armstrong) were last year,” Snead said. “So you have some guys that are more back end of the draft, college free agents, and they get to go down there and show something. It might be the thing that moves them up.”
Armstrong, who was signed by the Rams as an undrafted rookie, had penalty issues this season but led the team in special teams tackles with 12 and has plenty of potential.
In between today’s Medal of Honor game and the Senior Bowl are two all-star games on Jan. 18, the NFLPA Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game.
“During the all-star phase we try to get our guys away from watching film, cross-checking their game tape, and hey, let’s get down and really focus,” Snead said.
What Snead likes his scouts to focus on at these all-star games is the strengths of players. Are they the kind of strengths that the Rams could rely on in the NFL? The scouts met at Rams Park in December and the team already has what Snead calls a “team grade” on hundreds and hundreds of players.
If there are enough scouts at a particular all-star game, he likes to have a scout concentrate on one position — such as wide receiver, defensive linemen, etc. The practices are just as important, perhaps even more important, than the game itself.
“What we do is we’ll grade the all-star game,” Snead said. “We’ve got a little system, a process that we grade the practices and the game, that is totally separate from their team grade going into this whole process.”
If a player stands out during the all-star game week, he’ll get a check for his work in practices and perhaps another check for his performance in the game itself that goes next to the team grade.
“We’ve got a lot of other different factors that we’ll do that with (use the check marks),” Snead said. “And all of a sudden you look at this guy and here’s his name amongst 20 others but he’s got six out of 10 checks. The other guy only has one. Well, maybe that breaks the tie. So that’s a little bit of what the all-star game can do.”
If you’re talking about a college free agent type who’s getting lots of checks throughout the offseason process, Snead may have a scout pull out his game tape again and take another look at the prospect. It could result in a prospect getting moved up.
At the higher levels of all-star game competition, say the Senior Bowl, the process can help move a player into the first round or move him up higher in the first round. Snead cited the case of Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher.
At Central Michigan, Fisher didn’t consistently play top competition, so there was a lot of interest in how he would fare against top players from throughout the country. Fisher didn’t disappoint.
“He goes down there and has a good Senior Bowl against some better comp, and I’m sure that helped him rise,” Snead said. “All of a sudden he’s a top 5-10 pick.”
Ultimately, Fisher ended up being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rosters for some of the all-star games are still subject to change, but at this point five players from the University of Missouri are scheduled to play in an all-star game: DE Michael Sam at the Senior Bowl; offensive tackle Justin Britt and cornerback E.J. Gaines at the East-West Shrine game; and quarterback James Franklin and linebacker Andrew Wilson at the NFLPA Bowl.
Underclassmen aren’t eligible to participate in any of the all-star games, so they have to be evaluated in other ways, be it private workouts, pro days, or the NFL scouting combine.
“Nowadays you always have to be aware of underclassmen,” Snead said. “And I think there’s gonna be a record number of underclassmen.”
The list isn’t complete because underclassman have until Wednesday to declare for the draft.
