NE Patriots host Kovacs for private workout
I saw it per Kyle Meinke. I used to despise the Patriots because I thought Belichick was an asshat (he still is), but I love how they run their organization and it's hard to not like a team interested in some Michigan players.
MT @tonypauline: Jordan Kovacs pro-day 4.56-to-4.62, 6.62-3Cone, 4.19-short shuttle, 35-inch vert...Patriots working him out privately
— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) March 14, 2013
(Slight Mod Edit - Not even "Semi-OT". This would be 100% on topic. LSA)
I don't think this is off topic since Kovacs is still at Michigan
even if he's not at Michigan, its not OT to talk about former UofM players, ESPECIALLY Kovacs
I just didn't want the OT police org of some few posters on here to get after me. Either way, great news for Jordan.
Instead you drew the ire of the Anti-OT police. Tsk tsk.
Does tagging this as "Semi-OT" help you sleep at night or something?
Do the tags in the title really ever serve any purpose?
but probably not? Maybe? Is this anything other than a flamebait post?
Thought we could be excited for Kovacs, but whether it is OT or not is definitely the bigger story.
Not sure if he has the athleticism to play on the next level, but he might have the "football"-smarts to do it. Being in the right place can make up for an inability to catch-up to a blown coverage. He'd at least make a good special-teams hustle player who will be a total gym rat and also know the film room like it's his own house (oh shucks, I just classified him into the white-guy special teams player).
Meh, it'd at least make for a good ESPN pre-game story if he makes it from walk-on to NFL player.
~Herm
umm, don't the numbers from the pro day prove that we were all wrong about his lack of athleticism? Just look at where those numbers would have placed him at the combime at the safety position.
He definitely never showed 4.5ish recovery speed on the field. Still is great that he ran it because scouts weigh it more than they should. His production speaks for itself.
/s
I don't know about this Kocacs guy, but that Kovacs guy from Michigan fits the bill to a T... at least for the demographic ESPN touted as Welker's replacement, basically you have to be:
-5'10-6'1
-white
-regularly using bi-pedal movement
-in use of all four limbs
-able to be defined as having "football-knowledge-that-just-can't-be-taught"
And there you go, you're a suitable Welker replacement.
~Herm
if you think Denard can be that guy for Tom? Yup.... that's everybody. He breaks the mold.... lol. Maybe he'll convince them to drop that tired narrative.
Dear OP,
this is not OT.
signed,
Its not OT to talk about former Michigan Football players, especially Kovacs
March 14th, 2013 at 10:19 PM ^
*squints* I'd bet over FIFTEEN dollars that "Its-not-OT-to-talk-about-former-Michigan-Football-players,-especially-Kovacs"
isn't your real name.
How can you say no to Kovacs?
how can you not like the Patriots when it has been led by a Michigan QB for the last decade
I don't think you can classify Belichek as being an asshat either. He's a football genius.
of each other. He's a prick, but is also definitely a football genius.
Not looking like a genius after letting Welker walk because asshat Belichek constantlyyanked his chain these past 2 years.
The Pat's are my NFL team but godamn I am sick of them always saying we're not going to pay guys and let them walk. If Brady had some effing defensive help and a half ass good RB we would be calling him the GOAT at this point with 5 Super Bowl rings, and who knows maybe he would have cloned Gisele at this point and had 2 smoking hot wifes.
I know a lot of NFL prospects are college seniors. Are they still finishing their education? How do all these workouts and pro days and the combine affect their senior year academics?
Not meant to thread-jack. Just something I've always wondered and this seems like a good spot.
There's a good article posted earlier today about Denard finishing up his degree while most guys in his position drop out and head south for private workouts. It'll help you get some perspective on the whole thing, like it did for me. Check it out.
There was actually a thread this morning I think but it was pushed off the front page about Denard still taking classes to graduate. Here's the yahoo story about it.
I get your point, but I am assuming there is some kind of balance, just like some students have job or academic interviews in the spring of their final semester in preparation to move to the next level professionally or academically. The private workout will assumingly be scheduled around school and if you have a big interview, it might be worth missing a class. I don't think this is that different than other professionals coming out of school, but there might be more of it.
Thanks for the article guys. Always good to read about Denard. I love that he wants to graduate on time and accomplish his goal. It's interesting to see how many prospects drop out when they must be so close to getting a degree. I'd like to know what percent finish their degree on time, finish early and just completely drop out. To the Googles!
MGoCombs, I suppose you're probably right. It just seems like I hear about so many different events that would pull them away from their school work. And I guess I envision these things as a larger time commitment than they actually are.
Many of my students seem to think they're entitled to have their instructors reschedule things around their interviews.
You're probably correct, so maybe assume was a strong word. However, I guess weighing missing a class vs. possibly playing for the Patriots might tip toward the latter. My point was more that the kids who care about school will figure out a way to balance it, like other students do with other potential careers and the tasks involved while in school.
Not bad...from assessments throughout his career most people would agree he wasn't considered "fast" by any means.
4.56 is not terrible, and his football instincts and knowledge get him in the right positions to make plays.
I think this was a great performance for Kovacs.
Belly-Chick will take his 3rd rounder and turn it into a 4th, 5th, and 6th rounder (none of which he has in 2013), and scoop up Kovacs in the 5th or 6th. Book it!
He ran a 4.56 40?
4.56-to-4.62
No wonder they are hosting him. The only question about him is his athleticism. This kind of answers that a bit and makes him a great potential pickup in the 6th or 7th round.
Here's a brief summary courtesy of SBNation - (LINK)
"Kovacs is not known for being particularly fleet of foot and was not expected to be taken in any round of the draft. NFL teams may have to reconsider after he beat the NFL Combine average for safeties in the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill, broad jump and vertical leap. He ran a 4.58 and a 4.60 in the 40, which surpassed expectations."
The 10'2'' broad jump and the 35-inch vertical got some well-deserved attention as well. He has always worked about as hard as anyone and hopefully it pays off in the form of a spot in the draft.
The Pats are the definition of a solid franchise. They have at least 10 plus wins a year and always compete for the playoffs/title. They seem to always find hidden talent in the draft too.
They are kinda like the wings, but NFL.
March 14th, 2013 at 10:43 PM ^
totally disagree with you, it is hard for me to separate the Patriots success as an organization vs the success of Tom Brady.
Is Brady winning despite the organization?; Is the organization putting Brady in the best position to win?; some combination of both?
In recent years (since maybe 2005-2006) the Patriots have been pigeon-holed as: high flying west coast passing offense with a very limited run game and a porous defence.
The Patriots have been lampooned for trading away draft picks, not being able to bring in wide receivers and tight ends (there have been 10-20 utter failures for ever Moss or Welker, ditto for Gronk and Hernandez), and their defense has really gone down hill since "spygate".
I think the new rookie wage contracts are prompting the Pats to be more aggressive with the draft, and I think Belicheck's long defensive makes up for spygate, but I still can't make up my mind if the Pats are a leader of franchises, or a follower of Tom Brady.
(the owner, Bob Kraft, seems like a great dude though. He stays out of the football decisions, tries to build relationships with players, and had a heavy hand in ending the last lock out. Stand up guy it seems.)
March 14th, 2013 at 11:07 PM ^
When you say that they regularly trade away draft picks, you're actually talking about one of the things that I love about how the Patriots run things. They trade first round picks for second round picks + future picks. They had 4 picks in the first 2 rounds in 2010 (3 in the 2nd round), 5 picks in the first 3 rounds in 2011 (2 in the 2nd round, 2 in the 3rd), and 2 in the first round last year. This is from constantly trading down in previous years, so I'm not sure how people can really lampoon them for that.
Great move by the Pats to at least kick the tires on Kovacs. He's earned the consideration.
Great for Kovacs! The Patriots and Chargers have always had a soft spot in their hearts for Wolverines!
Kovacs would probably instantly be the best player in our secondary. That's sad and not an insult to Kovacs, but an insult to the other guys. I'd love Kovacs on the Patriots. I'm still reeling from the Welker fiasco. This would make me feel better.
March 15th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
I'm not ready to say he'd be the best player in our secondary. McCourty has shown some things at safety and Talib is a very solid corner on the field if not off the field. But yeah, Kovacs could certainly make the team.
If they picked him up as a UFA. They would have kovacs and zoltan, if they got denard, talk about the most popular Michigan players over the last 5 years.
March 15th, 2013 at 12:46 AM ^
I don't know. If I were the Pats, I would not have brought Kovacs in. Seems like they could have kept it on the down low that they were interested in him and sneakily drafted him in the late rounds. What more do they need to evaluate about him? He obviously has great character. Just jingle Mattison for any necessary input and go from there. Now the entire NFL will be knockin' on this kids' door since the Pats are sniffing around!
Or maybe it's a ploy to convince someone to draft Kovacs in the 3rd round just so the Pats dont' get him later. Oh, those sneaky Pats.
Congrats to Jordan on a great workout. Someone will pick him up.