Chargers sign Molk
That didn't take long. Not that I expected it would. The Chargers got a bargain with this one.
got signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was probably the best possible situation for him since he's from Orlando.
why is it that after years of proving that just drafting somebody by their measurables doesn't work.....and that there are some players who just know how to play....that NFL teams continue to draft players by their measurables and IGNORE actual game tape.
no way that Molk is a 7th round pick!
Congrats to the Chargers for their STEAL!
1) 90%+ of NFL scouting is game tape.
2) Look at it from an NFL teams perspective, if you watch Molk on film he struggles against larger DL, his style is condusive to a spread offense that is non-exsistent in the NFL, and to put it bluntly can't really drive block.
There are some exceptions, some guys have unimpressive film but get drafted much higher because of measurables. The latest example is Dontari Poe, a guy who was not all that dominant on film but was fast and strong in combine workouts. There are also guys with good film that slide to later rounds or go undrafted because of poor 40-times or other workouts. Travis Lewis, recent Lions draft pick, was pretty good on film but ran a 4.88 at LB. He ended up being drafted in the seventh too. I'd say that size and combine measurables are about 30% of what scouts look at.
Russell Wilson looked like a pretty good QB on film but his height sent him to the forth or fifth round. On the other hand, Michael Floyd goes late-first or early-second if he doesn't run a 4.47 at the combine. Molk could have gone on Day Two if he were 6-3, I think.
Hey! Stop looking at tape! Every time an NFL team underrates/cuts a Michigan player, they're stupid! Got it? Good.
Are there years of proof that drafting based on measurables doesn't work? Or are those failures just the most publicized anecdotes?
Obviously you can come up with a million examples of a guy without great measurables who was drafted late and is successful, but that's sort of like arguing recruiting rankings don't matter because look at all the 2-3 stars who become all-conference. The total numbers of 5th round-undrafted picks are so different from, say, the number of first rounders, that it's basically useless information.
And there are tons of guys who were great in college, who didn't have "NFL-measurables," were drafted late/undrafted, and failed in the NFL or never made it all. Which "proves" the opposite.
The guy he's competing with for the backup spot is three inches taller. I don't think Molk is worried about that.
The man is confident, talented and motivated. He beat out some good players at Michigan for that spot. His backup (off the top of my head) Rocko Koury (excuse spelling) was listed as 6' 5" who I expected big things from but was rarely used in game situations. Which begs me to say that Molk was also durable.
How much is the deal worth?
What are his chances at getting the backup spot?
Congrats to Molk. Hope he has a long, great, and injury free NFL career.