Bandit ~ Randy Gregory ~ Nebraska CornHuskers ~ 6050/234
Regarding Bandits
Throughout the FootBall World, Defenses are in the process of undergoing spectacular Disruption and Revolution. Old Roles are getting dramatically transformed, and virtually every Front 7 ~ or Front 6!! ~ Defensive Job Description is transitioning into an Hybrid Role where the Defender is asked to excel in multiple Roles and multiple Fronts.
For that reason, and in order to offer NomenClature that speaks not to archaic, obsolete "Positions", but rather to Skill Sets that accurately reflect the dynamic Changes of the 21st Century Game and the Roles they have spawned, I have undertaken to craft Terminology that is designed to break Skill Sets down as they really are.
Defensive Coordinators have, since Time Immemorial, employed highly creative terminology in devising Defenses and in designating Assignments. In that Spirit, I have admittedly indulged myself considerably in devising the following NomenClature. It is undeniably colorful, but I like to think that there's an underlying Logic, as well:
Bandits ~ This is my term, derived from Defensive Schemes, for Players with the WingSpan for the Defensive Line yet who, unlike Dragons, lack the Size to play there regularly, because they can't be expected to Anchor against the Run.
They are thus the right Size though a bit tall to play MidFielder and can generally do so, but I believe are optimally employed as Wild Cards, deployed all over the Formation from Snap to Snap, usually in the murky, shifty region between the Defensive Line and the MidFielders, usually standing up, and generally giving no clue as to their Intentions.
I believe that the Bandit, whatever he's called in a given Formation, stands at the very EpiCenter of the disruptive Changes that Defensive Formations are undergoing today. Their unique combination of Size & Speed offers precisely that Wild Card Variable that I believe is potentially priceless for Defenses to compete and indeed to excel in the incessantly and rapidly evolving Strategic LandScape of the 21st Century. The Prototype would be around 6050/245 or so, I'd say.
As the ultimate Defensive Hybrid, Bandits could quite conceivably Rush the Passer, Blitz the Run, or Drop into Coverage on any given play, and from virtually any alignment on the Line or in the BackField. They won't anchor against the Run very effectively, they won't overwhelm with Power in their Pass Rush, and they're not built to Turn & Burn with WideOuts in Coverage, but they are in fact optimally built to conceivably compete effectively in all three Facets of the Game.
Of course, where and how any given Coach chooses to deploy his Players is his Business. Players that I characterize as Bandits may often or even routinely line up anywhere, on any given Down. My only purpose is simply to identify what I perceive as Skill Sets, to distinguish types, if you will, and perhaps create a universal Point of Reference.
When evaluating Bandits, this is how I break down the Attributes to which I pay most particular attention:
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 still fails if you can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables a Defensive Lineman to project Power in the Passing Game and to reject Power in the Running 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 Defense: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Navigating Traffic, Processing Speed, Motor, and Tackling.
Pass Coverage: Agility, Processing Speed, and Catch Point Capacity.
Pass Rush: Power, Agility, and Combat Skills.
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
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 against the Run.
* Drive Power in the Pass Rush.
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. Rapidly Reading & Reacting to the Offense.
* Motor ~ Intensity and Duration.
Run Defense
* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
* Navigating Traffic
* Processing Speed
* Motor
* Tackling
Pass Coverage
* Agility
* Processing Speed
* Agility
* Processing Speed
* Catch Point Capacity
Pass Rush
* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
For that reason, and in order to offer NomenClature that speaks not to archaic, obsolete "Positions", but rather to Skill Sets that accurately reflect the dynamic Changes of the 21st Century Game and the Roles they have spawned, I have undertaken to craft Terminology that is designed to break Skill Sets down as they really are.
Defensive Coordinators have, since Time Immemorial, employed highly creative terminology in devising Defenses and in designating Assignments. In that Spirit, I have admittedly indulged myself considerably in devising the following NomenClature. It is undeniably colorful, but I like to think that there's an underlying Logic, as well:
Bandits ~ This is my term, derived from Defensive Schemes, for Players with the WingSpan for the Defensive Line yet who, unlike Dragons, lack the Size to play there regularly, because they can't be expected to Anchor against the Run.
They are thus the right Size though a bit tall to play MidFielder and can generally do so, but I believe are optimally employed as Wild Cards, deployed all over the Formation from Snap to Snap, usually in the murky, shifty region between the Defensive Line and the MidFielders, usually standing up, and generally giving no clue as to their Intentions.
I believe that the Bandit, whatever he's called in a given Formation, stands at the very EpiCenter of the disruptive Changes that Defensive Formations are undergoing today. Their unique combination of Size & Speed offers precisely that Wild Card Variable that I believe is potentially priceless for Defenses to compete and indeed to excel in the incessantly and rapidly evolving Strategic LandScape of the 21st Century. The Prototype would be around 6050/245 or so, I'd say.
As the ultimate Defensive Hybrid, Bandits could quite conceivably Rush the Passer, Blitz the Run, or Drop into Coverage on any given play, and from virtually any alignment on the Line or in the BackField. They won't anchor against the Run very effectively, they won't overwhelm with Power in their Pass Rush, and they're not built to Turn & Burn with WideOuts in Coverage, but they are in fact optimally built to conceivably compete effectively in all three Facets of the Game.
Of course, where and how any given Coach chooses to deploy his Players is his Business. Players that I characterize as Bandits may often or even routinely line up anywhere, on any given Down. My only purpose is simply to identify what I perceive as Skill Sets, to distinguish types, if you will, and perhaps create a universal Point of Reference.
When evaluating Bandits, this is how I break down the Attributes to which I pay most particular attention:
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 still fails if you can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables a Defensive Lineman to project Power in the Passing Game and to reject Power in the Running 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 Defense: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Navigating Traffic, Processing Speed, Motor, and Tackling.
Pass Coverage: Agility, Processing Speed, and Catch Point Capacity.
Pass Rush: Power, Agility, and Combat Skills.
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
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 against the Run.
* Drive Power in the Pass Rush.
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. Rapidly Reading & Reacting to the Offense.
* Motor ~ Intensity and Duration.
Run Defense
* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
* Navigating Traffic
* Processing Speed
* Motor
* Tackling
Pass Coverage
* Agility
* Processing Speed
* Agility
* Processing Speed
* Catch Point Capacity
Pass Rush
* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
Randy Gregory Scouting Report
Power: Mediocre. Mind you, if I was grading him as a Dragon, who I'd look to anchor the Edge as a Defensive End in a 43, I'd grade'is Power as Awful, which is about where I believe most would put'm. But if Gregory's future Team has any Intelligence, they'll play'm in Space, and as a Bandit, Gregory can compete. Even so, I'd grade his Anchoring Strength in Run Defense as Poor, but his Driver Power in the Pass Rush is actually startlingly adept.
Agility: Magnificent. Phenomenal Launch Velocity, extraordinary Fluidity, and outstanding Acceleration in'is Pass Rush.
Combat Skills: Extraordinary. It was an enormous Pleasure to compare and contrast Gregory's 2013 Tape against 2014's, as even my amateurish eyes were able to discern remarkable Improvements in his Mechanics, and their immediate Impact. Gregory already complimented a lengthy, sprawling Frame with exceptional Paw Power and phenomenal Paw Velocity, but his Timing, his Instincts, and above all his Repertoire grew by leaps and bounds this Year
Intangibles: Impressive. It seems to me that his Field Vision is still a bit raw, but I also sensed that his Processing Speed improved considerably over the course of the Campaign. The Game seems to come naturally to'im, and I believe that Diagnostics will develop into a sizable Strength, in the Years to Come. And his Motor is tremendous.
Run Defense: Competitive. As with Power, this Grade is considerably different than that which I'd give, were I judging'm as a Dragon, tasked to set the Edge on the Line of Scrimmage. There, I'd have to go with Poor. But as a Bandit, allowed to roam freely for the most part, playing in Space, I believe that Gregory's extraordinary Fluidity and outstanding Acceleration, combined with a tremendous Motor, will allow him to cover a lot of ground and make a lot of Plays. His poor Anchoring Strength will be a Liability, but his extraordinary Combat Skills will go a long way towards ameliorating that.
Pass Coverage: Impressive and potentially Exceptional. Gregory appeared a bit raw, as is to be expected, and I'm basing that on limited exposure, which is also of course to be expected, but during those Snaps he exhibited every bit of the Fluidity going backwards as he does, going forward, and his Acceleration was equally impressive.
Pass Rush: Terrifying. The gutters are littered with the Corpses of Prospects with the kind of spectacular Launch Velocity that Gregory brings, but with him, that's only the beginning. Combined with his serpentine Fluidity, his Pteradactylian WingSpan, his furious Paw Velocity, and his extraordinary Pass Rush Repertoire, Gregory is a NightMare.
Agility: Magnificent. Phenomenal Launch Velocity, extraordinary Fluidity, and outstanding Acceleration in'is Pass Rush.
Combat Skills: Extraordinary. It was an enormous Pleasure to compare and contrast Gregory's 2013 Tape against 2014's, as even my amateurish eyes were able to discern remarkable Improvements in his Mechanics, and their immediate Impact. Gregory already complimented a lengthy, sprawling Frame with exceptional Paw Power and phenomenal Paw Velocity, but his Timing, his Instincts, and above all his Repertoire grew by leaps and bounds this Year
Intangibles: Impressive. It seems to me that his Field Vision is still a bit raw, but I also sensed that his Processing Speed improved considerably over the course of the Campaign. The Game seems to come naturally to'im, and I believe that Diagnostics will develop into a sizable Strength, in the Years to Come. And his Motor is tremendous.
Run Defense: Competitive. As with Power, this Grade is considerably different than that which I'd give, were I judging'm as a Dragon, tasked to set the Edge on the Line of Scrimmage. There, I'd have to go with Poor. But as a Bandit, allowed to roam freely for the most part, playing in Space, I believe that Gregory's extraordinary Fluidity and outstanding Acceleration, combined with a tremendous Motor, will allow him to cover a lot of ground and make a lot of Plays. His poor Anchoring Strength will be a Liability, but his extraordinary Combat Skills will go a long way towards ameliorating that.
Pass Coverage: Impressive and potentially Exceptional. Gregory appeared a bit raw, as is to be expected, and I'm basing that on limited exposure, which is also of course to be expected, but during those Snaps he exhibited every bit of the Fluidity going backwards as he does, going forward, and his Acceleration was equally impressive.
Pass Rush: Terrifying. The gutters are littered with the Corpses of Prospects with the kind of spectacular Launch Velocity that Gregory brings, but with him, that's only the beginning. Combined with his serpentine Fluidity, his Pteradactylian WingSpan, his furious Paw Velocity, and his extraordinary Pass Rush Repertoire, Gregory is a NightMare.
Randy Gregory Prospectus
What a Pleasure.
I may have to start spending even more time per Report, going forward, because studying Randy Gregory was a blast.
It's absolutely crucial with Gregory that he get drafted by the right Team, mind you. Don't get me wrong: I happen to consider the general Hysteria about his Weight or lack thereof to be preposterous. But if he gets drafted by a Team that tries to beef'm up to 265/270 and convert'm into a Dragon and a full time 43 End, they would be courting Disaster.
Randy Gregory is best playing most'f'is Snaps either hovering around the Line, or set back off'f it.
Give the man some Space...and sit back and marvel at his Work.
That's my Unsolicited Advice, anyway!!
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
I may have to start spending even more time per Report, going forward, because studying Randy Gregory was a blast.
It's absolutely crucial with Gregory that he get drafted by the right Team, mind you. Don't get me wrong: I happen to consider the general Hysteria about his Weight or lack thereof to be preposterous. But if he gets drafted by a Team that tries to beef'm up to 265/270 and convert'm into a Dragon and a full time 43 End, they would be courting Disaster.
Randy Gregory is best playing most'f'is Snaps either hovering around the Line, or set back off'f it.
Give the man some Space...and sit back and marvel at his Work.
That's my Unsolicited Advice, anyway!!
Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!
Yank Rank: SuperBeast ~ Blue Chip
Bargain!!
Bargain!!
| Market Value Top 10 | Yankee Grade Top 3!! |
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!!
In EarthSpeak: Virtually all of my opinions are inferred.
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!! None of this is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning!! Caveat Emptor!!
In EarthSpeak: Virtually all of my opinions are inferred.
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!! None of this is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning!! Caveat Emptor!!
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