Scouting Joe Thomas

[WisconsinCard]

thats the problem....right now Thomas is NOT worth a #1 overall

he is nowhere near as dominating as Pace was in college

if the Cards are slotted (after a possible trade down) 4th or lower, he's probably a good pick, but at #1, no way

I've watched every badgers game and he doesn't impress me at all. He is not a dominating LT even at the college level. I would say over rated.

 

[NEZCardsfan]

I've watched every badgers game and he doesn't impress me at all. He is not a dominating LT even at the college level. I would say over rated.

The problem is people are looking at NFL Draft boards way too early. Don't even bother with them until the JR declares. Do your scouting by watching College Football.

Joe Thomas isn't even the best LT in his conference. Long is. HAIL TO THE VICTORS

 

[earthsci]

Joe Thomas isn't even the best LT in his conference. Long is. HAIL TO THE VICTORS

Michigan OL do well in the NFL.

 

[Snakester]

The problem is people are looking at NFL Draft boards way too early. Don't even bother with them until the JR declares. Do your scouting by watching College Football.

Joe Thomas isn't even the best LT in his conference. Long is. HAIL TO THE VICTORS

I agree. Jake Long is better. I think after the combine and Senior Bowl, we will see Jake Long as the top offensive tackle in next years draft.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

HAIL TO THE VICTORS

42-39

 

[BW52]

42-39

Boo.Damn Ohio State.

 

[Shogun]

From NFLDC:

Strengths:
An excellent athlete for the position...Has outstanding feet...Great size with long arms...Very mobile and agile...Displays great balance and gets set quickly...Able to pull, slide and block in space...Still has the frame to bulk up and add some more weight...Technically sound, instinctive and very smart with top intangibles...Rare prospect who can legitimately play the crucial left tackle position at the pro level.

Weaknesses:
Is only one year removed from a major knee injury...Is not always as aggressive as you'd prefer and could show more of a killer instinct...Needs to get stronger, especially in the lower-body, and develop physically...Struggles a bit with power and the bull rush...Tends to play with a narrow base at times...Is still learning the position to a degree after playing tight end and defensive end early in his career.

Notes:
Was also an excellent shot-putter for the Badger track and field team...Almost came out last year as a junior after he was told that he'd be a Top 10-15 overall pick by the NFL's underclassmen advisory panel but then he tore the ACL in his right knee while playing defensive end in the Badgers bowl game...Is not as good of a pass blocker as D'Brickashaw Ferguson was last year (very few are) but he might be a better all-around player...Will be one of the elite prospects available.

 

[JeffGollin]

the only defense for that pick was that the rumor was Ogden told the Cards don't pick me,...I still thought we should take Ogden, but Rice was a good player, just a jerk.

Ogden of course is a HOF LT.

That's not the way I heard it. It was even more off the wall:

The Late Giant GM George Young related that he and Mr. B were waxing nostalgic during an NFL meeting, when Ogden's name came up. Mr. B observed that the senior tackle had attended a Maryland prep school considered doormats "back in the day" when Mr. B attended (I think it was a Jesuit) school in Maryland).

George said that it was at this moment he realized the Cards would pass on Jonothan Ogden and probably go the Simeon Rice route instead.

 

[JeffGollin]

Nothing wrong with zeroing in on Thomas or any other OT.

However, in keeping with the Green "best player" philosophy (which, despite our doldrums, has I think served us well), we should be zeroing in on the top players in the draft and then slotting them where they should be properly ranked.

If you believe the media, a few high-profile skill players like Quinn and Peterson figure to be ranked higher and should be in high demand.

Assuming the Cards draft in the top 3, this might be one of those years where they trade down - but only if the deal is sweet enough and only to a point where they can get the guy they want (whether it be Thomas, Podlzuski or possibly a really talented CB or S).

Also - as we learned from the Pace/Johnson trade-down experience - there's a threshhold below which top talent falls off. If we're to trade out of our top pick, it should not be so far that we drop below the blue-chip talent range.

What you hope for is that a LT like Thomas (a) fits within our definition of "blue chip" talent and (b) we can move to somewhere around #6 - #10 and still get him.

Or - There is so much talent-depth at LT that we can still pick up a stud late in the first or even in the high second round.

Of course, the danger in picking Best Athlete is that we sit on our hands in free agency re the OL and then bypass LT in the draft (because the right guy wasn't there for us at the right time). There has to be built into the equation a mechanism where we get at least one more offensive lineman who can help us.

Note - This may mean identifying free agent linemen who, while they're not perfect, are the type of journeymen whom the Card scouts and coaching staff feel could at least do the job to minimum NFL standards (i.e. better than we've got now) if you signed 5 of them straight across. At least that way, we wouldn't be vulnerable and leading from weakness going into the draft.

 

[Russ Smith]

That's not the way I heard it. It was even more off the wall:

The Late Giant GM George Young related that he and Mr. B were waxing nostalgic during an NFL meeting, when Ogden's name came up. Mr. B observed that the senior tackle had attended a Maryland prep school considered doormats "back in the day" when Mr. B attended (I think it was a Jesuit) school in Maryland).

George said that it was at this moment he realized the Cards would pass on Jonothan Ogden and probably go the Simeon Rice route instead.

I prefer to think that he refused to sign with us than that Mr Bidwill was stupid enough to pass on him because of what highschool he attended. But your version is probably right knowing our history.

 

[vinnymac]

not like rice was a bad pick. he just didn't want to be here at the end. that is why he went to the buccaneers.

 

[Russ Smith]

not like rice was a bad pick. he just didn't want to be here at the end. that is why he went to the buccaneers.

Agreed but Ogden was a HOF player and we desperately needed a LT at that time.

 

[vinnymac]

the cardinals needed a lot of players back then. they still do. it all goes on what kind of head coach you have at the time. a lot of things changed since then. the cardinals have their own stadium and i know the bidwills are going to want a sell out stadium before the season starts next season. so they are going to do whatever it takes to get a winner on the field.