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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...s-red-flag-minefield-with-incoming-prospects/
NFL.com enters red-flag minefield with incoming prospects
Posted by Mike Florio on February 17, 2014, 11:30 PM EST
Getty Images
Prior to the disappearance of Pro Football Weekly, its resident draft expert had been putting together scouting reports so frank and candid that they invited plenty of criticism for the criticisms levied against incoming prospects.
Last year, not long before PFW folded the tents, Nolan Nawrocki took a flamethrower to former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. Two years earlier, Nawrocki played the “fake smile” card with former Auburn quarterbackCam Newton.
Nawrocki recently resurfaced at NFL.com. After first catching wind of the move, I assumed that the league-owned media outlet wouldn’t authorize similarly scathing assessments of players about to enter the league-owned league.
As usual, I assumed wrong.
Nawrocki is at it again, and instead of burying the negative information within the context of a balanced assessment of a player, NFL.com has carved out all the negative stuff for one full column devoted to the red flags of various top prospects. The information contains not only the objective stuff like arrests and suspensions but inherently subjective (and entirely unsourced) character assessments that deserve the scrutiny that Deadspin already has levied upon the effort.
As to Johnny Manziel, Nawrocki says the 2012 Heisman winner “[c]arries a sense of entitlement and prima-donna arrogance seeking out the bright lights of Hollywood.”
Jadeveon Clowney, per Nawrocki, “[l]acks discipline on and off the field and has had to be managed closely since he arrived on campus.”
Nawrocki plays armchair psychologist as to Oregon tight end Colt Lyeria, writing that he is “[o]verly emotional and prone to outbursts following a dysfunctional childhood that offered little direction and much confusion related to a divorce.”
It’s an awkward situation for the league. On one hand, the in-house media outlet needs to display independence in order to have legitimacy.
On the other hand, everything written by NFL.com necessarily carries the letters N, F, and L. NFL Media is the NFL, and if a writer for NFL.com is hammering future NFL players based on something other than instantly provable facts and without any type of disclaimers (which rarely appear anywhere on NFL.com), the NFL necessarily is hammering future NFL players based on something other than instantly provable facts.
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...-most-controversial-prospects-in-14-nfl-draft
Johnny Manziel leads most controversial prospects in NFL draft........By Nolan Nawrocki/Feb. 17, 2014/ Video at link
Editor's note: NFL Media draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki doesn't stop at the game tape as he evaluates draft prospects. Just as NFL teams do, Nawrocki delves into character as he gathers information from sources at the pro and college level before constructing comprehensive scouting reports that include each player's positives, negatives and bottom line. The following is a list of 10 prospects in this year's draft, including Johnny Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney, that could be red-flagged by teams as their behavior on and off the field is investigated by scouts, with a portion of Nawrocki's take on each. Full scouting reports by Nawrocki, who previously wrote scouting reports as a Senior Editor with Pro Football Weekly, on this year's prospects are available here
Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
Suspect intangibles -- not a leader by example or known to inspire by his words. Carries a sense of entitlement and prima-donna arrogance seeking out the bright lights of Hollywood. Is known to party too much and is drawn to all the trappings of the game. ... Has defied the odds and proven to be a great college-system quarterback, but still must prove he is willing to work to be great, adjust his hard-partying, Hollywood lifestyle and be able to inspire his teammates by more than his playmaking ability.
South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney
Lacks discipline on and off the field and has had to be managed closely since he arrived on campus. Needs to learn what it means to be a pro. Plays in spurts and is too much of a flash player -- does not consistently dominate like he could. Is still immature and finding his way -- too much of a follower.
Oregon TE Colt Lyerla
Overly emotional and prone to outbursts following a dysfunctional childhood that offered little direction and much confusion related to a divorce. Not a disciplined team player. ... Has overcome a lot of adversity stemming back to his youth and defied the odds to become an impactful performer. Talent grades could garner interest in the second round, but past history could easily knock him down several rounds and off many draft boards.
South Carolina CB Victor Hampton
Character will require careful evaluation -- has been troubled by a number of off-field issues dating back to high school, when he attended four different schools. Has had issues with anger management, emotional outbursts and team suspensions. Will be targeted for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties given tendency to talk and taunt. ... Size and physicality will appeal to teams, though character concerns will cloud his draft status and could knock him off some draft boards. Will require close monitoring and has bust potential.
LSU RB Jeremy Hill
Character, maturity and stability must be investigated thoroughly -- has two criminal incidents on his record and is on probation until July, 2015. ... Big, thickly built, athletic slasher with an overinflated sense of his abilities and character red flags, which could cause some teams to shy away.
Alabama OLB Adrian Hubbard
Has a quirky personality, inflated opinion of his ability and carries a sense of entitlement that could be difficult to manage and require a patient positional coach. ... Has starter traits, but has yet to reach the impact level he thinks he makes.
Texas WR Mike Davis
Inadequate on-field body language and temperament -- is usually at the back of the line in practice drills and does not exhibit urgency in his play or leadership traits in the locker room. ... Displays starter-caliber physical traits, yet his playing demeanor and approach turn off many evaluators and could force his draft status to sink.
Florida DE Ronald Powell
Had his tires pumped since high school -- entitlement was an issue as a young player and his personality could rub some people the wrong way. ... Has developmental value as a stand-up rush linebacker, but must dedicate himself to the craft and realize he's no longer the big man on campus.
Western Kentucky DB Jonathan Dowling
Talks too much and shows off-putting body language. Questionable mental toughness. Thinks he's better than he is. Character, maturity and coachability should be looked into.
Alabama State RB Isaiah Crowell
Beats to the tune of his own drummer. Extremely immature and has a history of off-field issues. Can be difficult to coach.
NFL.com enters red-flag minefield with incoming prospects
Posted by Mike Florio on February 17, 2014, 11:30 PM EST
Prior to the disappearance of Pro Football Weekly, its resident draft expert had been putting together scouting reports so frank and candid that they invited plenty of criticism for the criticisms levied against incoming prospects.
Last year, not long before PFW folded the tents, Nolan Nawrocki took a flamethrower to former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. Two years earlier, Nawrocki played the “fake smile” card with former Auburn quarterbackCam Newton.
Nawrocki recently resurfaced at NFL.com. After first catching wind of the move, I assumed that the league-owned media outlet wouldn’t authorize similarly scathing assessments of players about to enter the league-owned league.
As usual, I assumed wrong.
Nawrocki is at it again, and instead of burying the negative information within the context of a balanced assessment of a player, NFL.com has carved out all the negative stuff for one full column devoted to the red flags of various top prospects. The information contains not only the objective stuff like arrests and suspensions but inherently subjective (and entirely unsourced) character assessments that deserve the scrutiny that Deadspin already has levied upon the effort.
As to Johnny Manziel, Nawrocki says the 2012 Heisman winner “[c]arries a sense of entitlement and prima-donna arrogance seeking out the bright lights of Hollywood.”
Jadeveon Clowney, per Nawrocki, “[l]acks discipline on and off the field and has had to be managed closely since he arrived on campus.”
Nawrocki plays armchair psychologist as to Oregon tight end Colt Lyeria, writing that he is “[o]verly emotional and prone to outbursts following a dysfunctional childhood that offered little direction and much confusion related to a divorce.”
It’s an awkward situation for the league. On one hand, the in-house media outlet needs to display independence in order to have legitimacy.
On the other hand, everything written by NFL.com necessarily carries the letters N, F, and L. NFL Media is the NFL, and if a writer for NFL.com is hammering future NFL players based on something other than instantly provable facts and without any type of disclaimers (which rarely appear anywhere on NFL.com), the NFL necessarily is hammering future NFL players based on something other than instantly provable facts.
------------------------------
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...-most-controversial-prospects-in-14-nfl-draft
Johnny Manziel leads most controversial prospects in NFL draft........By Nolan Nawrocki/Feb. 17, 2014/ Video at link
Editor's note: NFL Media draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki doesn't stop at the game tape as he evaluates draft prospects. Just as NFL teams do, Nawrocki delves into character as he gathers information from sources at the pro and college level before constructing comprehensive scouting reports that include each player's positives, negatives and bottom line. The following is a list of 10 prospects in this year's draft, including Johnny Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney, that could be red-flagged by teams as their behavior on and off the field is investigated by scouts, with a portion of Nawrocki's take on each. Full scouting reports by Nawrocki, who previously wrote scouting reports as a Senior Editor with Pro Football Weekly, on this year's prospects are available here
Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
Suspect intangibles -- not a leader by example or known to inspire by his words. Carries a sense of entitlement and prima-donna arrogance seeking out the bright lights of Hollywood. Is known to party too much and is drawn to all the trappings of the game. ... Has defied the odds and proven to be a great college-system quarterback, but still must prove he is willing to work to be great, adjust his hard-partying, Hollywood lifestyle and be able to inspire his teammates by more than his playmaking ability.
South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney
Lacks discipline on and off the field and has had to be managed closely since he arrived on campus. Needs to learn what it means to be a pro. Plays in spurts and is too much of a flash player -- does not consistently dominate like he could. Is still immature and finding his way -- too much of a follower.
Oregon TE Colt Lyerla
Overly emotional and prone to outbursts following a dysfunctional childhood that offered little direction and much confusion related to a divorce. Not a disciplined team player. ... Has overcome a lot of adversity stemming back to his youth and defied the odds to become an impactful performer. Talent grades could garner interest in the second round, but past history could easily knock him down several rounds and off many draft boards.
South Carolina CB Victor Hampton
Character will require careful evaluation -- has been troubled by a number of off-field issues dating back to high school, when he attended four different schools. Has had issues with anger management, emotional outbursts and team suspensions. Will be targeted for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties given tendency to talk and taunt. ... Size and physicality will appeal to teams, though character concerns will cloud his draft status and could knock him off some draft boards. Will require close monitoring and has bust potential.
LSU RB Jeremy Hill
Character, maturity and stability must be investigated thoroughly -- has two criminal incidents on his record and is on probation until July, 2015. ... Big, thickly built, athletic slasher with an overinflated sense of his abilities and character red flags, which could cause some teams to shy away.
Alabama OLB Adrian Hubbard
Has a quirky personality, inflated opinion of his ability and carries a sense of entitlement that could be difficult to manage and require a patient positional coach. ... Has starter traits, but has yet to reach the impact level he thinks he makes.
Texas WR Mike Davis
Inadequate on-field body language and temperament -- is usually at the back of the line in practice drills and does not exhibit urgency in his play or leadership traits in the locker room. ... Displays starter-caliber physical traits, yet his playing demeanor and approach turn off many evaluators and could force his draft status to sink.
Florida DE Ronald Powell
Had his tires pumped since high school -- entitlement was an issue as a young player and his personality could rub some people the wrong way. ... Has developmental value as a stand-up rush linebacker, but must dedicate himself to the craft and realize he's no longer the big man on campus.
Western Kentucky DB Jonathan Dowling
Talks too much and shows off-putting body language. Questionable mental toughness. Thinks he's better than he is. Character, maturity and coachability should be looked into.
Alabama State RB Isaiah Crowell
Beats to the tune of his own drummer. Extremely immature and has a history of off-field issues. Can be difficult to coach.
