Two looks at BC talent

Tuesday the final official signing day happened but it wasn't big news for BC. They added one New Jersey lineman. That left BC as the 12th ACC team in Rivals and in 247. But that system has proven meaningless as BC is always 12th or 13th or 14th in the ACC and still finish 7-6. We are not blowing doors off. But the higher ranked ACC recruiting classes aren't either (hello Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech). Did those teams feel that much more talented than BC? Do they ever? Other than Clemson, there is rarely an ACC team we face where I feel like they have an overwhelming talent advantage.

If you are looking for validation that BC has a better feel for their talent needs and development, how about looking at the Combine invites.

Schools representing the most players invited to the 2019 NFL Combine:

(11) Alabama, Clemson
(10) Ohio State
(9) Georgia, Ole Miss, Washington
(8) Florida, Kentucky, Miss St., Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Wisconsin
(7) Boston College, Penn St., Stanford

— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) February 7, 2019

2019 NFL Combine invites per school:

Clemson 11
Alabama 11
Ohio State 10
UGA 9
Ole Miss 9
Wash 8
Florida 8
Kentucky 8 👀
Oklahoma 8
Miss State 8
ND 8
TAMU 8
Wisc 8
Boston College 7 👀
Penn State 7

— Jared Tokarz (@NFLDraftInsider) February 7, 2019

This also doesn't account for other guys who have a good chance of getting drafted even without the Combine (Jeff Smith). BC is finding and developing talent. I do believe that talent wins. I do believe in bigger stronger faster. But these recruiting systems are flawed and not a perfect predictor of anything. I don't trust Addazio with a clock, but I do trust him looking at high school kids and projecting what they can become.

Addazio is also good at managing the roster and is working 5th years right now too. BC's roster will be better than most in the ACC, not the 12th or 14th best.

However, there in lies the problem. BC has all these Combine level players, yet can't win at an elite level. That's on Addazio too. He's a great recruiter and a pretty good developer, but he's not a great coach. At seven years, I don't think that is going to change either.

Solid Combine for Milano

He wasn't the target of NFL Networks' coverage, but Matt Milano did do well at the Combine.

📹: Matt Milano with a 4.67 unofficial 40-yard dash time at the #NFLCombine#BCEagles pic.twitter.com/wBB9asdMoo

— BC Football (@BCFootball) March 5, 2017

Great numbers at the #NFLCombine for Matt Milano.

Vertical - 35” (5th)
40 - 4.67 (8th)
Bench - 24 (T-3rd)
Broad jump - 10’6” (4th)

— BC Football (@BCFootball) March 5, 2017

Despite his numbers, Milano's real value to the NFL remains his versatility. He can play LB and tackle whoever he is supposed to nail. He also has experience putting pressure on the QBs. Finally, he can cover too.

I don't know where Milano will go. The big sites still have him as a 6th or 7th rounder. When you are that late you are not guaranteed anything, so I hope he finds one team that believes and gives him a chance on the field.

Amidon's decision

While Andre Williams and Matt Patchan open eyes at the NFL Combine, there is one BC star whose story is not getting much attention. Alex Amidon began the season as a legitimate Wide Receiver prospect. Although BC passed less this year, Amidon's speed against elite DBs would have been enough to get NFL attention. Yet he isn't at the NFL Combine and is not training for the BC Pro Day. Alex Amidon has decided to not continue his football career. Instead he's enjoying his final days at BC as a regular student.

While I don't think Amidon would have been a sure thing in the NFL, he was good enough. Amidon possessed legitimate speed and decent hands. He easily could have caught on with the right team or in a pass happy system. Heck, he still has time to change his mind. But regardless I think Amidon does deserve congratulation on his choice. Not many people could or would turn down the allure of the NFL to find their own path.

The pre-Combine consensus on BC's three prospects

The NFL Combine kicks off this week and three BC players have a chance to make a name for themselves. After our disappointing season, I was surprised that our three seniors Emmett Cleary, Chris Pantale and John Wetzel even earned invites. More accomplished BC guys have been snubbed in the past. But even with the Combine opportunity, none of the three Eagles are sure to get drafted. All will need to use this time to change perception or get one or two teams to fall in love with them. Here is what the experts are critiquing prior to their workouts.

Emmett Cleary

WEAKNESSES Must gain additional strength in his lower body in an NFL weight program, usually widens to anchor but can get put on his heels by better power rushes if losing the hand battles. Not the quickest of feet. Height gives him some stiffness running in the open field, also makes him vulnerable to slipping off blocks or overextending after initial contact.

Chris Pantale 

BOTTOM LINE The Eagles’ starting tight end has not accumulated tremendous production throughout his career. While this is definitely in part due to the offense he played in, he does not profile as a great receiver at the next level. However, he should be a solid pass catcher, who also possesses a strong blocking mentality.

John Wetzel

STRENGTHS Tall and thick throughout his frame that gives him great strength as a run-blocker. Explodes from a three-point stance, making him tough for tackles to hold their ground when he crashes the edge and making him capable of taking out linebackers at the second level. Strong punch, consistent in his aiming point. When balanced and patient in pass protection, extends his long arms and move his feet well enough to eclipse small rush ends -- and pulling off a bull rush against him is extremely difficult because of his strong anchor.

Draft Stuff: Kuechly, Kuechly, Kuechly, a little Fletcher and Mamula too

The NFL Combine begins this week and it will be Luke Kuechly's chance to shine. His college productivity is off the charts, but teams wonder if he has the size and speed to be as effective in the NFL. Luke's been training in Florida and ready to show off his new speed.

Todd McShay ranked Luke Kuechly as the 9th best prospect overall in the Draft.

Everyone thinks Philadelphia will draft Kuechly.

If he doesn't go to Philadelphia, look for Kansas City to give Luke a look.

BCI and Mocking the Draft spent time analyzing Kuechly's NFL future.

This blurb from CBS calls Fletcher a sleeper.

It's Mamula time and this article is actually a fair.

Kuechly Draft news and other links

Because they have yet to invite Juniors, Kuechly is still not on the list for linebackers at the NFL Combine. NFLDraftScout.com lists him as the top inside linebacker prospect. This analyst thinks Kuechly would be a good fit with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Paul Peterson will call plays for Sacremento State this year. Let's hope he lights up the scoreboard and we can bring him to BC one day.

As he stated, Mike Dawson has left college coaching and is now the AD at a Massachusetts high school.

Scout posted an update on Sam Grant...and it is not looking good for BC.

How important is Herzlich's slow 40 time?

After impressing NFL teams Sunday in the interviews, Mark Herzlich ran a disappointing 40 time on Monday. Unofficially it was a 4.92. As Mike Reiss says, NFL linebacker prospects would like to run a 4.7 or better. But for Mark's purposes, one second doesn't mean much in the whole process. If an NFL team wants to draft him, it will be about who he is and what he might become. It won't be about how fast he is right now.

Most NFL teams are going to pass on Herzlich. These are the same teams that would pass on a guy with a knee injury, character issues, or if he were undersized. It has nothing to do with cancer. It has to do with risk. Mark's history and the rod in his leg inspire many of us, but to a team in need of help, he represents a player who might get hurt again.

Conversely there will be teams that have already decided to draft Mark if he becomes available in a slot that they deem valuable. They'll view him as a character guy who will learn the system quickly and contribute right away. They are also measuring the risk. Mark may get hurt but no more so than any draft pick. If he gets hurt again or has further complications, they will just wash their hands of like they would with any other late round "flyer" pick.

Mark will be on an NFL roster next fall. We know he won't get the big payday that he might have received pre-cancer, but as this point he just needs one team to give him a shot.

Combine news and notes

Mike McLaughlin is using his face time with NFL folks to remind them he can long snap too. It is not a bad strategy. Because he played hurt last year, McLaughlin's 2009 tapes are not NFL caliber. If he thinks he can be a good linebacker in the NFL, using special teams to get your foot in the door might be the best path. The NFL Network's Mike Mayock thinks McLaughlin's bloodlines will also help him get noticed.

Matt Tennant is also talking about the ability to play multiple positions including either guard spot. A San Fran blog had the 40 times of high profile linemen. As you can see, Tennant was on the fast side.

Here are the unofficial times of other offensive linemen of note. West Viriginia's Ed Wang 5.46; Cal's Mike Tepper 5.37; Notre Dame's Sam Young 5.19, LSU's Ciron Black 5.49, Iowa's Bryan Bulga 5.26; Iowa's Kyle Calloway 5.51, Rutgers's Anthony Davis 4.38, UMass's Vladmir Ducasse 5.21; Idaho's Mike Iupati 5.26; Ole Miss's John Jerry 5.18; Oklahoma State's Russell Okung 5.17; Arkansas's Mitch Petrus 5.29; Boston College's Matt Tennant 5.13 and Texas Tech's Brandon Carter 5.36. Unofficial times are typically slower than official times.

How high will Tennant's stock rise?

This article includes Matt Tennant as a potential first round sleeper. I've been singing Tennant's praises for three seasons and I think he will make a great pro. Yet I would be very surprised if he sneaks into the first round. There are two big obstacles to working against him.

1. His size. You can be on the small side and still play Center in the NFL. However, being small limits his ability to switch to another position. Could he play OG in the NFL? Maybe. Could he play Tackle? Highly unlikely. One position means less value and limited upside. With a first round pick, teams want franchise players. Matt might become one, but doesn't seem to have that upside on paper.

2. Undervalued Centers. Few teams spend first round picks on Centers. Since 2000, only six centers have been drafted in the first round. Despite the Center's importance in picking up coverage, teams like to build around Tackles. Centers are often afterthoughts. Is Matt a big enough name or have enough upside to use a first round pick?

What can he do at the Combine help his draft status?
I don't think the Combine will change much about Tennant's status. I am sure he'll do well in the interviews. BC guys always seem to impress with their smarts, attitude and interview skills. But assume teams know about his personality already. To continue his momentum, Matt will need to blow teams away with his performance in the drills. A Mamula-like performance combined with interview skills and his tape would make it easier for a team to use a high-value pick on Tennant.

But being a Combine warrior has its downside too. Teams and fans expect too much. In the end, I think the second round might be the best solution for Matt. He'll have a chance to play right away and grow without the heightened expectations that come from being a first rounder.

Signing Day eve and other links

Wednesday is National Signing Day and we will finally meet Spaz's first full recruiting class. Look for a variety of analysis on our class, the ACC and New England recruiting. BC will also have their usual PR and profiles on the incoming recruits. Once everything is settled, I'll give my thoughts on the incoming guys.

In the later discussion on this roundtable, one of the Rivals guys already labels BC's class a disappointment.

These guys think Rettig will challenge Shinskie for the starting position. All the practices have been "informal" so far, but there is very good word of mouth on Rettig so far. Let's hope his back doesn't act up.

Tennant and McClaughlin were the only BC players invited to the NFL Combine.

Jim Noel's brother will go to Maryland if he can eventually qualify.

BC keeps talking to Matt Ryan's cousin.

The Combine and what it says about Akins, Purvis and others

Only three Eagles were invited to the NFL Combine. The number isn’t surprising. The invite list was…somewhat. Raji and Brace are no brainers. Akins was a surprise. Used in multiple positions during the course of his career my fear come draft time was the NFL wouldn’t know where to use him (CB, Safety, Linebacker). I guess his size in the defensive backfield will be valuable enough regardless of questions about having NFL secondary speed. I hope he performs well in Indianapolis.

As for the other potential draftees, there is a reasonable explanation for each of their exclusions.

Toal – At this point his injury history negates any upside he might have to an NFL team, therefore no combine. He still might get drafted but not until the late rounds. His Pro Day will be the only way to move up teams’ draft boards.

Ramsey – He is a late bloomer at an undervalued position (G) so the combine was always a reach. In the plus column though are his size, great final season and the school’s reputation for producing quality lines. If he doesn’t get drafted, I think he will probably catch on. It doesn’t hurt that Bicknell Jr and Jags are both in the NFL and, I imagine, would gladly pick him up as a free agent.

Crane – Like Toal, the timing of his injury cost him. This is a shallow QB class too. With a better, injury-free season, he’d be at the combine. The plus side is that Crane has the body, arm strength and athleticism to be an NFL QB. Matt Cassel’s success shows you don’t need the college reps to mature into a good NFL QB. Matt Ryan’s success shows that BC was doing something right with QBs. I think Crane will probably have good free agent choices if he is not drafted late. His Pro Day will be very important.

Robinson – Great guy but there is no way a team uses a draft pick on him. He’s smart and tough, but comes up short in the size and speed category. If you don’t have those qualities, you need velcro hands…which BRob doesn’t. In addition to a good Pro Day, he’s going to need to turn heads at any minicamp opportunity.

Purvis – He’s the most interesting case of the non-invitees. If he had come out last year, he would have been drafted. This year was supposed to be his spring board into a first day pick. After the Kent State game it was obvious to everyone in the building that BC’s passing game was going to take a major step back. For most of the season people assumed the NFL would account for that change in offenese and still acknowledge Purvis’ previous work. Apparently they didn’t. In trying to point out this slight to Purvis, the data actually supports an argument that he regressed this year.

Compare Purvis’ Senior Year to his Junior Year.
2008 – receptions 24, yards 176, touchdowns 0
2007 – receptions 50, yards 521, touchdowns 4

Now here are BC’s total passing numbers for those same two seasons
2008 – receptions 233, yards 2471, touchdowns 17
2007 – receptions 335, yards 3981, touchdowns 28
The team’s decline in those categories respectively was 30%, 38% and 39%.
Purvis’ decline respectively – 52%, 66%, and 100%.

When Purvis goes around working out or interviewing, he'll also battle the John Carlson standard. Last year during the draft process Carlson was trying to explain his struggles as a Senior. Like Purvis, Carlson was a Tight End who had to adjust from a first-round QB (Brady Quinn) to a raw rotation (Clausen et al). But his productivity in those same categories only declined by only 15%, 41%, and 25%.

I don’t blame Purvis nor do I think he played poorly. I think his blocking was good and I think he will be a good NFL Tight End. He was just had an off year at the wrong time.