Offensive Guard ~ John Miller ~ LouisVille Cardinals ~ 6024/304
Regarding Offensive Guards
I consider Offensive Guards far more crucial to their Teams's Prospects that most consider them to be.
The Gutters are riddled with the Corpses of Teams that were built around so-called "skill" Players ~ teams that delighted their Fantasy FootBall Fans every Year, all the way until January...until The Only Games That Really Matter.
It is then, of course, that the Capacity ~ or lack thereof ~ to Move The Chains and protect the QuarterBack against PlayOff Caliber Defenses rears its ugly head. And another Team built for Fantasy FootBall bites the dust.
This is how I break things down, when I'm evaluating Offensive Guards:
Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body Strength in the world will still fail if you simply can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables an Offensive Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing Game.
Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering out there.
Combat Skills: Paw Power, Mechanics ~ Hand Speed & Positioning ~ and of course: Frame.
Intangibles: Processing Speed and Motor. Processing Speed or Diagnostic Velocity is about how quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to how the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape effects Blocking Schemes, and Motor is about Endurance and Drive: How much Work has been put into Conditioning, and how it manifests itself.
Run Blocking: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Processing Speed, and Motor.
Pass Blocking: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Processing Speed, and Motor.
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
Power
* Core Power ~ lower body Power. Core Power trumps Torso Power. Tyrannosaurus Rex had exceptional Core Power.
* Torso Power ~ upper Body Power. Important, but not crucial. T Rex had lousy Torso Power...yet was King.
* Anchoring Strength in the Passing Game. The capacity to Stand one's Ground.
* Drive Power in the Running Game. The capacity to drive your man back.
Agility
* Fluidity, above all things: Core Agility & Flexibility makes everything possible.
* Launch Velocity ~ Speed into Contact off the Snap.
* Acceleration ~ Short Speed or Quickness.
Combat Skills
* Paw Power ~ The Power & Speed of the initial Punch.
* Paw Velocity ~ How active the Hands are.
* Paw Positioning ~ It's all about Angles & Leverage.
* Frame ~ Above all: WingSpan.
Intangibles
* Processing Speed ~ Field Vision. Reading Defensive Schemes quickly and effectively, and finding 2nd Level Targets.
* Motor ~ Intensity and Duration.
Run Blocking
* Power ~ Drive Power to project Power in the Running Game.
* Agility ~ especially Acceleration DownField or to the Flank.
* Combat Skills
* Processing Speed
* Motor
Pass Blocking
* Power ~ Anchoring Strength to reject Power in the Passing Game.
* Agility ~ especially Fluidity to Mirror the Pass Rusher.
* Combat Skills
* Processing Speed
* Motor
The Gutters are riddled with the Corpses of Teams that were built around so-called "skill" Players ~ teams that delighted their Fantasy FootBall Fans every Year, all the way until January...until The Only Games That Really Matter.
It is then, of course, that the Capacity ~ or lack thereof ~ to Move The Chains and protect the QuarterBack against PlayOff Caliber Defenses rears its ugly head. And another Team built for Fantasy FootBall bites the dust.
This is how I break things down, when I'm evaluating Offensive Guards:
Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body Strength in the world will still fail if you simply can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables an Offensive Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing Game.
Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering out there.
Combat Skills: Paw Power, Mechanics ~ Hand Speed & Positioning ~ and of course: Frame.
Intangibles: Processing Speed and Motor. Processing Speed or Diagnostic Velocity is about how quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to how the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape effects Blocking Schemes, and Motor is about Endurance and Drive: How much Work has been put into Conditioning, and how it manifests itself.
Run Blocking: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Processing Speed, and Motor.
Pass Blocking: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Processing Speed, and Motor.
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
Power
* Core Power ~ lower body Power. Core Power trumps Torso Power. Tyrannosaurus Rex had exceptional Core Power.
* Torso Power ~ upper Body Power. Important, but not crucial. T Rex had lousy Torso Power...yet was King.
* Anchoring Strength in the Passing Game. The capacity to Stand one's Ground.
* Drive Power in the Running Game. The capacity to drive your man back.
Agility
* Fluidity, above all things: Core Agility & Flexibility makes everything possible.
* Launch Velocity ~ Speed into Contact off the Snap.
* Acceleration ~ Short Speed or Quickness.
Combat Skills
* Paw Power ~ The Power & Speed of the initial Punch.
* Paw Velocity ~ How active the Hands are.
* Paw Positioning ~ It's all about Angles & Leverage.
* Frame ~ Above all: WingSpan.
Intangibles
* Processing Speed ~ Field Vision. Reading Defensive Schemes quickly and effectively, and finding 2nd Level Targets.
* Motor ~ Intensity and Duration.
Run Blocking
* Power ~ Drive Power to project Power in the Running Game.
* Agility ~ especially Acceleration DownField or to the Flank.
* Combat Skills
* Processing Speed
* Motor
Pass Blocking
* Power ~ Anchoring Strength to reject Power in the Passing Game.
* Agility ~ especially Fluidity to Mirror the Pass Rusher.
* Combat Skills
* Processing Speed
* Motor
John Miller Scouting Report
Power: Competitive, but highly OverRated, I think: A Classic Case of tremendous Torso Power but mediocre Core Power.
Agility: Mediocre. Impressive Launch Velocity, but marginal Fluidity and insufficient Acceleration.
Combat Skills: Mediocre. Exceptional Paw Power but deficient Mechanics and mediocre Persistence.
Intangibles: Mediocre. Adequate Motor but marginal Field Vision and Processing Speed.
Run Blocking: Mediocre. Competitive at The Point of Attack, but Mediocre In Motion to the Flanks or UpField. His Acceleration and Field Vision are rocky as Hell. Best Suited for a Power Scheme, it would seem.
Pass Blocking: Deficient. Poor Fluidity, mediocre Mechanics, and overrated Power.
Agility: Mediocre. Impressive Launch Velocity, but marginal Fluidity and insufficient Acceleration.
Combat Skills: Mediocre. Exceptional Paw Power but deficient Mechanics and mediocre Persistence.
Intangibles: Mediocre. Adequate Motor but marginal Field Vision and Processing Speed.
Run Blocking: Mediocre. Competitive at The Point of Attack, but Mediocre In Motion to the Flanks or UpField. His Acceleration and Field Vision are rocky as Hell. Best Suited for a Power Scheme, it would seem.
Pass Blocking: Deficient. Poor Fluidity, mediocre Mechanics, and overrated Power.
John Miller Prospectus
John Miller is a remarkably Polarizing Prospect. Multiple Evaluators for whom I have considerable Respect have heaped Accolades on'm, and a couple that I hold in equal Esteem have gone the other way.
Usually, it's just me, Going Rogue!!
Well, I don't see much, there, I'm afraid. I should probably mention at this point that when I speak of "The Market", I am coalescing Information from around the Web that indicates the Range wherein a Prospect is likely to be selected in the Draft, as opposed to how he is graded by other Evaluators. And I should also note that I intend to stick to this Formula throughout the next few weeks, even though the Draft has obviously already been held and the UFA's signed.
The Divergence in Perceptions of John Miller's Draft Value between The Market and myself ~ and between myself and the Evaluators I mentioned, who gave Miller even higher Grades than The Market had indicated ~ would seem to be attributable either to divergent views on Miller's Agility or lack thereof, or, more likely, to an enormous Dichotomy of Perception regarding Miller's Power between myself on the one hand and everyone else on the other.
I see Miller as handicapped by a troubling convergence of mediocre Agility, mediocre Combat Skills, and marginal Field Vision, and not even attenuated by what I consider to be significantly overrated Power.
If I've underrated him or if he puts in a ton of Time & Training, he could work his way up, but he looks like a Reserve to me.
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
Usually, it's just me, Going Rogue!!
Well, I don't see much, there, I'm afraid. I should probably mention at this point that when I speak of "The Market", I am coalescing Information from around the Web that indicates the Range wherein a Prospect is likely to be selected in the Draft, as opposed to how he is graded by other Evaluators. And I should also note that I intend to stick to this Formula throughout the next few weeks, even though the Draft has obviously already been held and the UFA's signed.
The Divergence in Perceptions of John Miller's Draft Value between The Market and myself ~ and between myself and the Evaluators I mentioned, who gave Miller even higher Grades than The Market had indicated ~ would seem to be attributable either to divergent views on Miller's Agility or lack thereof, or, more likely, to an enormous Dichotomy of Perception regarding Miller's Power between myself on the one hand and everyone else on the other.
I see Miller as handicapped by a troubling convergence of mediocre Agility, mediocre Combat Skills, and marginal Field Vision, and not even attenuated by what I consider to be significantly overrated Power.
If I've underrated him or if he puts in a ton of Time & Training, he could work his way up, but he looks like a Reserve to me.
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
Yank Rank: Long Shot ~ OverRated!!
| Market Value 4th/5th Round | Yankee Grade 6th/7th Round |
Please do Note: This and all Evaluations issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men and women of Good Will!! I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and I'm trying to do so based almost entirely on a fascinating fusion of Tape, Combine Numbers, and Pro Days, while trying to attenuate my findings based on Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!!
This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!
This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!
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