About those under sized players UM has...

Submitted by Hoken's Heroes on
This morning on ESPN radio, Brandon Graham was interviewed. Many see him as a 1st round pick somewhere in the late teens/early 20's. There was some talk about how Miami might pick him as Big Tuna seems to like Michigan players. So I end up googling BG and I come across a story about how BG just doesn't fit into what Miami is looking for because he's TOO SMALL. Never mind that BG was mostly dbl teamed and offenses had to carefully plan on how to contain him in every game he played last season. And then I was led to this this video about Darrell Green. All of this converges to the point of what Coach Rod is hoping to accomplish with smaller, faster and hungrier football players. It will be exciting to see who can break out to be that home run threat (yes, we know DR can but not sure about his field vision yet). It will be even better if we see more than just one emerge this season.

Geaux_Blue

March 27th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^

it's already been discussed that some feel Graham can permeate O-Lines on the college level but doesn't have the frame to "grow into" and succeed at the pro-level. i guess i missed the importance of the rest. also Graham wasn't RR's. he was Carr's. same problem WLA had with their Brandon Minor argument.

Hoken's Heroes

March 27th, 2010 at 3:49 PM ^

I have no idea if BG will make it in the NFL. What I do know is what ever team does draft him will be getting a guy with a great character, work ethic, and desire to be the best. If I remember correctly, not many thought LaMarr Woodley would be that good because he wasn't big enough and didn't wow at the combine. But LaMarr had the intangibles to make him a very good football player as he's been with Pittsburgh. Hopefully the same will end up being true about Graham.

Geaux_Blue

March 27th, 2010 at 3:54 PM ^

that you're not claiming that the NFL scouts are wrong when you say this
how BG just doesn't fit into what Miami is looking for because he's TOO SMALL. Never mind that BG was mostly dbl teamed and offenses had to carefully plan on how to contain him in every game he played last season.
and instead just noting, with CAPS, the assessment? your post was trying to point out how the NFL guys don't have any idea what they're talking about and that Graham's height isn't relevant compared to his skill. which, again, is merely the thumbs up to their thumbs down on a hypothetical that won't come to fruition until... maybe 2013?

aaamichfan

March 27th, 2010 at 3:46 PM ^

Parcells prefers the tall combo DE/OLB's, so it makes sense that they might believe BG is too small. BG is talented enough to have success in any NFL system, but like any player, certain systems fit his skill set better than others.

WoodleyIsBeast

March 27th, 2010 at 3:48 PM ^

What did people say about Lamarr Woodley and Dwight Freeney? Experts nit pick everything because there is nothing else going on all these months and that's what they are paid to do. Elvis Dumervil is 5'11. 5'11! All these smaller 3-4 OLB's are amazing because they have so much strength compacted into such a solid body. How does a 6'7 OT get low on a 5'11 OLB? He doesn't. BG is an anomaly that is going to be hell to block on the next level, it's that simple.

Zone Left

March 27th, 2010 at 4:37 PM ^

He is a tweener that doesn't have prototype size for an end in the NFL. It tends to scare away a lot of teams. Some of those teams draft Jamarcus Russell--some teams place too much emphasis on "length" and 40 times.

Don

March 27th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^

NFL analyst's wet dream of perfection about how big an OL should be. This guy was mammoth, and just pancacked one guy after another in college. His size was deemed an unbeatable advantage for him. I wonder what Aaron Gibson is doing these days.

The Beard of L…

March 27th, 2010 at 10:59 PM ^

If we're making the same argument about the future hall of fame career of Brandon Graham if he played college ball at Wyoming.