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Rejoice! The Patriots' sixth Super Bowl victory now officially belongs to ancient history. You do not have to think about it anymore. Now is the time to move on: the 2019 NFL combine is already here, and a group of Alarm the staff will provide you with a collection of five thoughts of each day in Indianapolis.
1. The paradigm of the quarterback changes quickly.
Sonny Jurgensen, Doug Flutie and Russell Wilson, we remember, but throughout the history of the NFL, quarterbacks were at least 6 feet tall. You must be able to see on your offensive line to read the field., thought is gone. Short quarterbacks can not play in the pocket. They will get too many passes.
This traditional philosophy can still apply to some of the more traditional general managers and coaches of the league (like, for example, John Elway), but it seemed clear Wednesday in Indianapolis that, overall, the rigid standards traditionally applied by the NFL for the position are changing rapidly.
"Like the rest of the league, I think the kid is fascinating," said Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, referring to Oklahoma quarterback, Kyler Murray, who will measure about 5 feet 10 inches. "It's a bit like where we go in the league at the quarterback position: is it too small? Is it dynamic? I think we all try to understand it. "
But this change is more about hype. With the way the professional game has changed, with a more widespread offensive and academic-style look, coaches and decision-makers are starting to recognize that the old NFL archetypes are not always enforcing. "I think the 32 teams in the league are trying to determine the overall position," said Mayock. "I think in the last eight to ten years we have had to change the way we evaluate almost every position … the quarter is in the foreground."
"Times have changed," said Giants head coach Pat Shurmur. "Quarterbacks come in all shapes and sizes."
Shurmur's comment seems to contradict a report published earlier this month in which it was written that the Giants thought Murray was "probably a little too small". However, the assessment of Shurmur ultimately boiled down to the characteristics and capabilities of a caller, build. "You have to watch them play: they have to be productive, they have to make good decisions; throwing the ball accurately throw the ball at the hour. They must lead their team to victories. They must do all that is necessary to play this position. "
Wilson, Drew Brees (6 feet) and even Baker Mayfield (6 feet 1 feet) have shown in recent years that a lack of height did not prevent them from doing what was needed at the quarterback. This has opened the eyes of NFL decision makers. "You only see one person doing it and other people realize that anything is possible," said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. "You look at snowboarding and all that, and people never thought you could do more than … 720. Then all of a sudden [someone] in fact three, then a year later, ten of them do it, "Shanahan said. "So, yes, we would all be tall men with the biggest arm in the world, able to run faster than everyone else and know how to play the quarterback. [But] you have not seen those [too often] over the years.
"As I will say about every position, there is nothing absolute about it," Shanahan said. "Everyone gets too big in [the line of thinking] "The odds are, the bigger you are, the easier it is," but the little players can play, and that proves itself again and again. "
This paradigm shift occurs at the perfect time for Murray, whose stock seems to be on the rise. Talking about that…
2. Do not count Kyler Murray at no. 1.
Coaches and decision makers try not to show their cards too much during combine presses. So we are often obliged to read the tea leaves to interpret what is said. So, although it certainly does not mean anything, the way Arizona general manager Steve Keim articulated his answer to the question of whether Josh Rosen is the quarterback of the team left a lot of we scratch our heart.
"Yeah, he's right now, of course," said Keim.
Okaaaaaaaaay. This is not really a resounding endorsement for the former first-round player who has experienced serious difficulties as a rookie. Keim may have just thrown a smokescreen or sought to reinforce the value of first place, but we could also take his answer literally as Rosen is their guy … unless they get somebody out there. one of the best.
With rookie head coach Kliff Kingsbury taking over in the wilderness, it seems quite possible that the Cardinals simply choose Murray with the first overall pick. The reasons are clear: job security is fleeting at the pro level, Kingsbury may have only one chance to become an NFL head coach, and the quarterback he is trying to advance or not his career. If Keim and Kingsbury feel that Murray (or another eligible quarterback) gives them a better chance of restoring the ship as a franchise, do not be surprised if they decide daring and choose a first-round quarterback for the second sequel. year.
3. Mike Mayock brings to the Raiders the harmony they so badly need.
This year's project could be a franchise event for the Raiders, who chose three first-round picks and more overall project capital than any other team. Of course, the key to Oakland is to use all these valuable options on the types of fundamental players they can rely on in the long run.
That's where Mayock comes in. It's unclear what power the new GM has, or whether he, or head coach Jon Gruden, will be the one to make the picks on the night of the repechage. But the most important impact that Mayock can provide is to give the Raiders front office a level of harmony that was sorely missed in 2018.
"I've always thought that the biggest dysfunction of the NFL's buildings was the inability for coaching staff and supervisory staff to stay on the same page philosophically," Mayock said Wednesday, Unintentionally (or intentionally) describing the strange front office of Oakland for 2018 to install. After earning a $ 100 million, 10-year contract last January, Gruden hired the then Executive Director, Reggie McKenzie, and his staff, before setting up a separate and parallel monitoring staff. According to the reports, Gruden and his screening team had their own selection and free agency committee completely separate from McKenzie and his staff. The hiring of Mayock, at least in theory, gives the team a chance to break that division and make its front office function as one congruent unit.
"I can walk into the building on the first day and get to know all these buses," said Mayock. "Immediately, there is a link. I think it's the most important thing we've done in the past few months is to build that philosophy and understand that there's only one way to do things in our building.
"I can sit down with Jon Gruden and [defensive coordinator] Paul Guenther and define who we are and what we want in our building, "continued Mayock. "I think it helps our scouts to redefine what they're looking for when they're on the road. Understand what the defensive end of Guenther looks like What does the Gruden X Receiver look like? … I can walk on the coach side at the time of day or night and have a conversation with Jon, with Paul, with [special teams coordinator] Rich Bisaccia, with [senior defensive assistant] Jimmy O'Neil. Turn right [offensive line coach] Tom Cable; go directly to them because I've known them all for 15, 20 or 25 years. "
Maybe he's not proven and green as GM, but Mayock's role as an indispensable bridge between scouts and coaches could be key to Oakland's success in this landmark project.
4. There is a lot of length at the tackle.
The combine was free of field activities on Wednesday with offensive linemen, half-offenders and specialists moving to the physical measurement stage of the event. But it soon became clear that teams looking for long-arm offensive tackles will have a lot of options in the April project. The usual benchmark for an optimal arm length at the attack is 34 inches and a lineman trio from Florida easily passed the test: Probably in the first round, Jawaan Taylor recorded 35 de-inch arms and a span of 84 inches; Fred Johnson measured with 34-inch arms and a wingspan of 84 ½ inches; and Martez Ivey came in with breathtaking 36¼-inch arms and a huge 86¼-inch group-wide wingspan. Add the Elon Oli Udoh tackle (35-inch arm and 85-inch wingspan) and the Mississippi State tackle, Greg Little (35¼-inch arm and 85-inch wingspan), and this group of tackles has an extraordinary length. The length of the arms and the span are not quite at the position, but the guys who measured the best in the group could each see their stock get a significant boost.
5. Josh Jacobs and David Montgomery lead the group of big defenders.
The modern halves are of all shapes and sizes, but for teams that still value the mass as halfbacks, this year's combine heads of Josh Jacobs' combine harvesters. Alabama and David Montgomery from Iowa State. This duo leads a group of nine halves who has eclipsed the 220-pound threshold; both are well built, physical and elusive runners with a prototypical size to become three low bell cows at the beginning of their career. The weight of the halfback is not everything, but Jacobs and Montgomery showed Wednesday that they had the girth to go with their tough and angry racing style.
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