FlankerBack Matt Hazel ~ Coastal Carolina
Chanticleers ~ 6010/198
Chanticleers ~ 6010/198
Regarding Flankers
Flankers ~ or FlankerBacks ~ for those who don't know and are interested in knowing ~ are the "Wide Receivers" who line up a step or two off the Line of Scrimmage on one end or the other ~ hence the term "Flanker."
They tend to be smaller than the Split End though usually larger than the SlotBack, if there is one.
And they're actually considered "Backs" ~ like HalfBacks or FullBacks...or QuarterBacks!! ~ which I find rather cool.
*Please do note, though: Schematically, the Flanker is whoever lines up as the Flanker...But for the purposes of these Scouting Reports, I am applying this NomenClature to those who are Flankers by trade, so to speak: Those whose Skills Sets apply best to that particular Job Description. What their Coaches might do with them, once they're drafted, is another matter all together. Ditto, the Split Ends & SlotBacks. In any case, many play multiple Roles.
The most compelling Attributes of a FlankerBack in the 21st Century, are, in my view, and in no particular order:
Separation. Getting Open. This encompasses their ability to beat Press, their Acceleration out'f the Blocks, their Routing Precision, their Agility, their Ricochet, their capacity to outsmart Defenders, and their Instincts.
Catching. This encompasses Hands, Catch Radius, Vertical Agility, and Timing.
Navigation. How well he Navigates the Field in Pursuit of Yards After Catch: Power, Agility, and Field Vision.
Blocking. Having a WideOut who doesn't Block effectively is like having 10 Men on the Field of Battle.
They tend to be smaller than the Split End though usually larger than the SlotBack, if there is one.
And they're actually considered "Backs" ~ like HalfBacks or FullBacks...or QuarterBacks!! ~ which I find rather cool.
*Please do note, though: Schematically, the Flanker is whoever lines up as the Flanker...But for the purposes of these Scouting Reports, I am applying this NomenClature to those who are Flankers by trade, so to speak: Those whose Skills Sets apply best to that particular Job Description. What their Coaches might do with them, once they're drafted, is another matter all together. Ditto, the Split Ends & SlotBacks. In any case, many play multiple Roles.
The most compelling Attributes of a FlankerBack in the 21st Century, are, in my view, and in no particular order:
Separation. Getting Open. This encompasses their ability to beat Press, their Acceleration out'f the Blocks, their Routing Precision, their Agility, their Ricochet, their capacity to outsmart Defenders, and their Instincts.
Catching. This encompasses Hands, Catch Radius, Vertical Agility, and Timing.
Navigation. How well he Navigates the Field in Pursuit of Yards After Catch: Power, Agility, and Field Vision.
Blocking. Having a WideOut who doesn't Block effectively is like having 10 Men on the Field of Battle.
Matt Hazel Scouting Report
Separation ~ Outstanding. Matt Hazel can boast of neither remarkable Fluidity nor of explosive Ricochet out'f'is Breaks...But he is extraordinarily crisp in his Routes, exceptionally defined and refined...and that is invaluable to a QuarterBack with 1000 Pounds or so of Savages bearing down on'm. Matt Hazel Moves Chains & Saves Lives.
Catching ~ Outstanding. Impressively consistent Focus, soft Hands, and reliably consistent Extension, Timing, Spatial Diagnostics, and Vertical Agility. Not dynamic in any way, but adept in all: A skilled, hard-working Craftsman.
Navigation ~ Mediocre. Excellent Field Vision. Won't waste Yardage. But his Power is weak and his Agility is unremarkable.
Blocking ~ Mediocre. Smart, but not especially hungry for Contact.
Catching ~ Outstanding. Impressively consistent Focus, soft Hands, and reliably consistent Extension, Timing, Spatial Diagnostics, and Vertical Agility. Not dynamic in any way, but adept in all: A skilled, hard-working Craftsman.
Navigation ~ Mediocre. Excellent Field Vision. Won't waste Yardage. But his Power is weak and his Agility is unremarkable.
Blocking ~ Mediocre. Smart, but not especially hungry for Contact.
Matt Hazel Prospectus
It's a little bizarre to recommend a guy from Coastal Carolina for'is Refinement, Development, and Savvy, but here I go.
Based on Agility alone, I wouldn't even be writing about Matt Hazel ~ which is not to say that he doesn't possess adequate Acceleration, Fluidity, and Ricochet ~ but FootBall is about more than physical Tools, isn't it?
Matt Hazel strikes me as a remarkably Intelligent and Driven young man ~ a guy who is determined to make the most of what he's got and is blessed with the cerebral Capacity to do so. I am speaking, as I always end up doing, about Trajectory, of course, and I believe that Matt Hazel is absolutely loaded with it.
When I look at his natural athletic Talents alone, I see: UFA.
A UFA who might or might not receive a single Invitation.
But when I multiply his moderate but not inconsequential athletic Talents times his Drive ~ impressive ~ and his Intelligence ~ phenomenal, or so I perceive ~ I get a potential StudHorse: A Starter and a damned good one.
Of course: As with all Evaluations, I'm simply assessing my subjective, speculative Grade.
Whether or not some NFL Coach is smart enough to see beyond the unremarkable athletic Talents and the Small School Resume and see the Composite Potential FootBall StudHorse...is entirely up to Coaches of this Great Game.
Thanks, as always, to the extraordinary Work by the men of Draft BreakDown!!
Based on Agility alone, I wouldn't even be writing about Matt Hazel ~ which is not to say that he doesn't possess adequate Acceleration, Fluidity, and Ricochet ~ but FootBall is about more than physical Tools, isn't it?
Matt Hazel strikes me as a remarkably Intelligent and Driven young man ~ a guy who is determined to make the most of what he's got and is blessed with the cerebral Capacity to do so. I am speaking, as I always end up doing, about Trajectory, of course, and I believe that Matt Hazel is absolutely loaded with it.
When I look at his natural athletic Talents alone, I see: UFA.
A UFA who might or might not receive a single Invitation.
But when I multiply his moderate but not inconsequential athletic Talents times his Drive ~ impressive ~ and his Intelligence ~ phenomenal, or so I perceive ~ I get a potential StudHorse: A Starter and a damned good one.
Of course: As with all Evaluations, I'm simply assessing my subjective, speculative Grade.
Whether or not some NFL Coach is smart enough to see beyond the unremarkable athletic Talents and the Small School Resume and see the Composite Potential FootBall StudHorse...is entirely up to Coaches of this Great Game.
Thanks, as always, to the extraordinary Work by the men of Draft BreakDown!!
Yank Rank: StudHorse ~ SuperSleeper!!
| Consensus Market Value UFA | Yankee Grade 2nd/3rd Round |
Please 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 of Good Will!!
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