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HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 07:26 PM
Scouts Take:

A.J. HAWK, LB, Ohio State

Marc Ross, Buffalo: "If the Packers get him at 5 they'll be lucky. Just a great player. Off the field, everything is great. He's just what you want in a football player. With the overall package, there are no holes. I'd take Hawk over (Mario) Williams as the best defensive player in the draft and not even think about it."

Tom Heckert, Philadelphia: "He might be the safest pick in the draft. He's the surest thing you're going to get. He's everything you want. He's going to be a super player. We can't find any holes. He's 6-1. Maybe that's it. So what? He's a three-down guy."

Jim Gruden, Tampa Bay: "Very instinctive. Fast. I don't think he's a killer as much as he is a very good technician. He's always around the ball. He just sees it and gets there and makes the play. Not flashy, but when he gets up he's always getting off the pile. Good kid."

Jerry Angelo, Chicago: "I've watched Hawk a long time. They were talking Hawk or (Chad) Greenway. I said it wasn't even close. I've always compared Hawk to (Randy) Gradishar. It's a long time ago. You're always going to like the young guy better. I'll go with Hawk. He's great."

AFC scout: "He doesn't say much but great in the locker room. He makes the athletic plays, plus he can play at the point. He can meet people, shed them and make the play. I scouted Gradishar. I don't think (Ray) Nitschke was near the athlete Hawk is. Not much different from (Brian) Urlacher. Hawk plays the point better than Urlacher. I see Green Bay in dime keeping both him and (Nick) Barnett in. Blitz one."

Phil Savage, Cleveland: "I think he's the safest guy of all of them. I think he can be as physical a tackler as Ray Lewis. I don't know that he is taking on. Hey, who is?"

A.J. Smith, San Diego: "He's an awesome player. He roams everywhere. He just will be a terrific, terrific possibly Pro Bowl-type guy."

NFC scout: "He's not showy. He'll be quiet. But guys will gravitate to him once he starts making plays. He's the consummate football player. You can build your team around him."

Charles Fisher, Seattle: "I love the way he plays the game."

AFC scout: "You can't go wrong with him. Yes sir, no sir. His only problem is he's too intense. He's got to learn to mellow out a little. His eyes look like they're going to attack you. Of course, that's exactly what you want at linebacker."

Rich Snead, Tennessee: "Really solid player. Greenway probably makes more athletic plays than Hawk. If you were making a movie you'd cast him as a linebacker. You haven't seen him in a lot of man coverage. Watching him move around, I think he should be able to do that. He's the one guy I've seen in a long time that knocks people back when he tackles them."

AFC scout: "If he was there it would take me all of 1 second to turn the card in. He's so safe we didn't even interview him at the combine."

NFC scout: "In all likelihood, he's a safer pick than (Ernie) Sims. I think he's a little overrated. I think he's going to be a good player. He may even be a Pro Bowl player. But I just think down in, down out he tends to play in the secondary. He's not the biggest, stoutest guy. He's smart, tough, he's got range. I think he's a little like Rob Morris at Indianapolis. He's dependable and consistent. I just don't know if he's ever going to be a wow guy."

Bill Polian, Indianapolis: "Who is the better defensive player, Hawk or Sims? I'd make it on a very, very slim margin for Hawk only because he's bigger. But that's only for the draft. Hawk is a big, tough guy who runs and tackles and he's got quick twitch. He's a sure, solid tackler. He doesn't miss. He's got nose for the ball. I saw him live against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and came away incredibly impressed. (Andy) Katzenmoyer was a numbers guy. This guy is production."

AFC scout: "He's better than Gradishar. By far. Gradishar wasn't a real fast kid like Hawk. He's a little bit like Nitschke from Illinois. In a way he is (vicious). He just doesn't signify and testify it. Know what I mean? When Hawk tackles, he hurts your (expletive). Nice parents. Father never pushed him in athletics at all or bragged about him being a great athlete. He wanted him to be a great person as opposed to a good athlete."

AFC scout: "He beat their other linebackers, who are pretty darn good, to the ball even when he had to go across and over them. He goes and gets (Bobby) Carpenter when Carpenter was lolly-gagging it."

Jerry Reichow, Minnesota: "This guy is a football-playing fool, the cream of the crop. He's not as tall as Urlacher. We're talking two exceptional athletes."

Tony Softli, Carolina: "Bobby Carpenter is how they're supposed to look but when you turn on the film it's No. 47 (Hawk). You can't dispute his production and what he does. He kind of has his own style."

AFC scout: "If I didn't say (Reggie) Bush was the best player in the draft it might have been Hawk. This guy has more physical up side than (Jonathan) Vilma."

AFC scout: "One of our coaches wasn't that impressed. If you watch the guy, every play he's in the right place. He's around the ball, he's square, he can cover, he can rush."

Tom Modrak, Buffalo: "If he got to us I'd celebrate until we got to camp. He makes a difference in your defense even though sometimes other people don't regard linebackers that high. He plays so hard and he's so smart and he wants to be good. His impact won't be only on the field. I think he'll be a presence on your team."

HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 07:26 PM
2a. DARYN COLLEDGE, T, Boise State

Angelo: "Smart. Good strength. Size. Nothing not to like. I like him better than the kid (Michael Roos) the Titans took in the second last year."

NFC scout: "I think he's a better guard. I compare him to Mike Wahle. He can run. He's tough. He's strong in his hips. He's not strong in his upper body. He grates on people because he has such a strong personality. He wants to be really good."

Softli: "He's going to be a pretty good pro. He's got all the athleticism and skill. He plays with a little nastiness, too. He'd be in the top five or six of tackles. Bottom of the second round."

Heckert: "I don't think he's a first. I think some people have some size issues. He's not big and everybody's going big. I think he'll go early in the second. I think he can play guard. He's just going to be a 295-pound guard, and people don't like playing with those guys. He would fit a zone scheme."

AFC scout: "I don't think he will be Wahle's size. Wahle was a lot bigger."

AFC scout: "I really like him. You can't go in the first round on him because he doesn't have the ideal size. But, boy, I think he's a good player. He's a tough sucker. Very athletic. From North Pole, Alaska."

Ross: "He's real athletic, real quick. Competitive and smart kid. Lot of upside. I think he'll end up going bottom of the first. Maybe it turned some people off that he was too smart."

HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 07:27 PM
2b. GREG JENNINGS, WR, W. Michigan

AFC scout: "He catches the ball very well. He's very physical once he gets the ball in his hands. And he can run."

NFC scout: "I think he's the second-best receiver in the draft."

AFC scout: "Fluid. Very good hands. Got some return ability. I didn't like him coming off '04 but he really picked it up in '05. He'll be a good No. 3 receiver. Adequate inside."

AFC scout: "He never caught a long ball. I don't know if he caught more than one ball more than 10 yards down the field. But he can run with the ball. He has decent size. I got him mid-second day."

Savage: "I like him. He's been hidden. He's a little bit of a small-schoolish guy. In an overall weak group of wideouts, to me he stands out."

Jerry Hardaway, Arizona: "He's a down the line guy for me. A lot of production in that arena but he doesn't match up with the big-school guys."

AFC scout: "I love him. He has great hands, great run after the catch. Not a real big guy and didn't play at a big school. He's a sleeper guy. He will be an unbelievable pro. There's something about him. He's got the 'it' quality. He acts like a pro and plays hard. He dominated that level."

HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 07:27 PM
3a. ABDUL HODGE, LB, Iowa

AFC scout: "He's a short guy. He's stiff in his lower body for a small guy. I didn't come away from the Senior Bowl feeling good about him. He makes plays. In their system, he makes a lot of tackles. I don't know how he's going to hold up on our level."

AFC scout: "Like him. He's a first-day guy. He's just not a real big guy. I like his feistiness. DeMeco Ryans is a better athlete but Hodge is much more physical."

NFC scout: "He's a gamer, he and Hawk. I'd like to have him. He's a guy that can dominate the middle. He's the old type middle linebacker that you don't see much anymore."

Snead: "You've got to kind of force yourself to (like) Hodge."

AFC scout: "I like him. Short but a good player."

AFC scout: "He's a high-cut guy with skinny legs. He'll go second or third round. He'll be a steady player. He's as good as he's ever going to be. He got coached up so well at Iowa and he's so muscle-bound above. He needs to put weight on his legs."

AFC scout: "The kid's reputation is better than he plays. I think he's a third- or fourth-round guy who will go second or third. He's not big and he's not real fast. Real skinny calves. He's just a pretty good football player."

NFC scout: "He's tough. I think he's stiff. Not very fast."

Savage: "He's the only (linebacker) that can really knock 'em back and he's 5-11 and 230."

HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 07:27 PM
3b. JASON SPITZ, C-G, Louisville

NFC scout: "He doesn't have a lot of girth. You could teach him to play that way (zone scheme). And he's a tough, hard-nosed kid. He's going to cut people. He's scrappy as heck. He won't play guard for a lot of teams. I think he's a center. He could play guard for the zone teams."

Fisher: "Tough guy. Athletic skills not where you want them to be. Fourth, fifth round."

AFC scout: "He's a real tough guard. I have him sixth round. Average athlete. He'll probably make a team as a backup."

RashanGary
04-30-2006, 08:23 PM
Scouts think very highly of Hawk. This has been a dream off-season.

Rastak
04-30-2006, 08:41 PM
Scouts think very highly of Hawk. This has been a dream off-season.


You might be over stating it just a tad......

billy_oliver880
04-30-2006, 08:45 PM
Scouts think very highly of Hawk. This has been a dream off-season.


You might be over stating it just a tad......

How bout a really enjoyable week? :mrgreen:

b bulldog
04-30-2006, 08:46 PM
Listening on the radio, I think that the ESPN guys were surprised that we didn't take Davis. That being said, the way the LB's were being taken, I'm glad that we did take Hawk and not Davis. I like Pope as a TE and he was on the board way to long imo.

HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 10:27 PM
Bump.

motife
04-30-2006, 10:34 PM
From the editor of an Iowa Hawkeye site :

I watched every game in Hodge's career and covered
several of his games, interviewed him face to face numerous times, etc.

Yes, he is not your cookie cutter height guy, nor is he the fastest at combines and such things.

But what he is is an instinctual player who is faster to the ball than players that are faster on straight line speed. He is a cerebral football player, because he is a smart person off the field as well. He gets the game, he plays inredibly physical, too.

When he hits people, they flat out bounce off of him and in a big way.

He plays with controlled emotion; not the kind that will get you a personal foul, just an intense love for the violence of the game of football.

This is a guy that is going to play in the NFL for a long time if he stays healthy, and he is there to play football. It's not just a paycheck for Hodge. He has a young daughter and he plays for her.

I am sad to see one of the greatest Iowa football players move on to the next level, but I am so happy he is going to a place like Green Bay where the fans will continue to respect the way he plays like he enjoyed in Iowa City.

You've got a good one.

Jon Miller
Founder/Publisher
www.hawkeyenation.com

motife
04-30-2006, 10:37 PM
Interesting Info (from FoxSports)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
READY TO PLAY

Green Bay Packers: A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State Hawk is the complete package: He was productive in college, he had great numbers at the combine, and he is known for a solid work ethic. He improves the Packers' defense much more than recent free agent signing Charles Woodson does.

EYE-POPPING STAT

Western Michigan receiver Greg Jennings (who went 52nd overall to the Packers) had 11 catches for 244 yards and four touchdowns against Ball State — and Western Michigan lost, 60-57. We hereby predict that if he ever matches those numbers in Green Bay, the Packers will win the game.

JUST WONDERING

Is Alaska native Daryn Colledge, the offensive tackle from Boise State taken 47th overall by the Packers, the first graduate of North Pole High School to make it to the NFL?

READY TO PLAY

Green Bay Packers: Abdul Hodge, LB, Iowa. It's time for Extreme Makeover, Packers linebacking corps edition. The Packers grabbed A.J. Hawk, the best overall linebacker, in the first round, then tapped Hodge, the best natural inside linebacker, in this round. Hodge is a smart, quick defender who is great in pass coverage and reads plays well. He may start in the middle, with Hawk and former middle backer Nick Barnett on the weak side. C'mon, you didn't think you were really going to miss Paris Lenon, did you?

HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 10:53 PM
Hodge sounds like a less talented Hawk, and I mean that in a good way. They both seem perfect for December games at Lambeau.

Anybody else notice that we took a ton of guys that played college ball in the cold weather this year?

Hawk - Ohio State
Colledge - Boise State (Alaska)
Jennings - Western Michigan
Hodge - Iowa
Spitz - Louisville (it can get cold in Kentucky during the winter)
Blackmon - Boston College

RashanGary
04-30-2006, 11:05 PM
Pretty good discription. He is a poor mans Hawk..I think Hodge has to play in the middle. I wish Barnett would move to the strong side but that is a demotion in a way.

Guiness
04-30-2006, 11:21 PM
So if Hodge shows up game ready, does that mean all those people who think Barnett should be outside get their wish?

Certainly looks that way.

I saw a highlight real of Blackmon. Sure looks like he can make guys miss and get some YAC.

HarveyWallbangers
04-30-2006, 11:42 PM
Blackmon will be a corner. I watched the combine, and he doesn't have the hands for WR. I was happy to hear Thompson say he'll play corner for the Pack.

HarveyWallbangers
05-01-2006, 08:19 AM
Apparently, McCarthy was behind the Martin pick. I hope they don't regret passing on Reggie McNeal.

"McCarthy, whose background is as a quarterbacks coach, included his strong recommendation for Martin as a second-day prospect because of his arm strength — he had the strongest arm of this year’s quarterbacks, as measured by the radar gun, at the NFL scouting combine — and ability to make plays on the move."

mraynrand
05-01-2006, 08:40 AM
Thanks for posting the scouts' comments, Harv. I like the fact that as I was reading up on these guys that even the scouts and coaches who DIDN'T like them still said they were players. That's really a key here - these guys look like they can play the game.

Tarlam!
05-01-2006, 08:53 AM
Thanks for posting the scouts' comments, Harv. I like the fact that as I was reading up on these guys that even the scouts and coaches who DIDN'T like them still said they were players. That's really a key here - these guys look like they can play the game.

We graded based on the following criteria:

Talent 30%
Fills immediate need 15%
Character 15%
Versatility 10%
Team mindedness 10%
Toughness 10%
Small Town Readiness 5%
Intangebles 5%

This list, or something like it must have been used in grading the players, which is why we did not take some "name guys" when they where screaming to be picked (e.g. Eslinger)

I've said this a few times over the last day, TT is building a TEAM, NOT A ROSTER.

He looks at New England and says, "I want what they got".

It is absolutely amazing how a dozen names (only 2 of which we think will be stars, the LBs), transformed this team from also rans to a good solid base. We acknowledge the offence is a big question mark, but we have literally ceased worrying about Special Teams and Defense OVERNIGHT!

I NEVER felt this good after a Sherman draft.

RashanGary
05-01-2006, 03:31 PM
I agree Tarlam. I think he looked at Pittsburg though.

swede
05-01-2006, 03:41 PM
When I watch Hawk play I'm not reminded of Urlacher at all. I think of Mike Singletary. TT may be in the process of building the defense that I've been dreaming of. Mean. Intimidating. Fast. Hard-hitting.

We lost five games by three points or less last year. Fifteen fewer picks and a nasty defense could put this team back into the 8-10 win range in a big hurry.

Somebody slap me before I drink more of this Kool-Aid.