phragle said:
That's what I'm thinking. No more gappers like Nix -- go for the gold. Could be the interior rush presence missing since... Mike Wright?
2014 Draft Game Day 1
- Thread starter SeoulSoxFan
- Start date
That's what I'm thinking. No more gappers like Nix -- go for the gold. Could be the interior rush presence missing since... Mike Wright?
I'm a big fan of Easley. Think I'm the only guy who had him in our mock draft thread.
Of course, I had him in the second round....he would've been great there.
Of course, I had him in the second round....he would've been great there.
Exactly. Forget the injuries, and the misdemeanor battery arrest. Talk to me about when he was on the field vs. the other DT's when they were on the field. Did Louis Nix kill someone or fail a drug test that I didn't hear about, like Jernigan?
The reaction in this thread is a hilarious illustration of why caring about the draft is a waste of time.
I'll take the interior pass rush presence. He's obviously got to stay on the field, but he's a guy who can play next to Wilfork, which should allow him to really get after the QB. There's a lot of talent here.
absintheofmalaise said:
Apologies. Half the board was already commenting on the pick and with NFLN going to a commercial as the pick came in, I figured I'd throw it in a spoiler. Hindsight being 20/20, probably wish I hadn't. Hope I didn't ruin anyone's night.
I don't understand the tweets to the effect of, "If Easley stays healthy, the Patriots just won the draft!"
Isn't the injury/durability risk factored into their draft winningness? I mean, it seems like there's a huge chance Easley is made of glass. That's like saying, "If this next card comes up 2 after I hit 19, I kick ass at Blackjack!" I guess you win, but...
Isn't the injury/durability risk factored into their draft winningness? I mean, it seems like there's a huge chance Easley is made of glass. That's like saying, "If this next card comes up 2 after I hit 19, I kick ass at Blackjack!" I guess you win, but...
I think what bothers me the most is we just spent a season watching our defensive line get decimated by injuries, and it's hard to know what these guys are going to have in the tank when they get back (Wilfork, Kelly, etc.), and we just picked up another guy with an injury history, in Will Smith. I get that Easley could be the stud to end all studs if he's on the field, but if he's not, we could be doing a replay of last season. Durability means a lot in this league, and the Pats defensive line is the opposite of that, and this pick did nothing to help in that department. I hope I eat my words. I really do.
Ed Hillel said:
BigSoxFan said:
Talent without health is nothing. If he's Ras-I-Dowling or Pat Chung, how much does his "talent " matter?
Coming out of Curtis High School in Staten Island, N.Y., Dominique Easley was a five-star recruit. He was the second-ranked defensive tackle in the 2010 class by Rivals.com and Scout.com. He was invited to the Under Armour All-America Game that January. And by that February, the 6’2”, 255-pound Warrior was committed to the Florida Gators.
Five months later, Easley was enrolled down in Gainesville. He flashed enough promise that summer to avoid redshirt that fall, ultimately playing in six games and recording four tackles as a true freshman. Although in 2011, the preseason All-SEC third-teamer did more than flash; he started all 12 regular-season contests to register 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a blocked punt.
He wouldn’t make a 13th start as a sophomore, though. A second-quarter play versus Florida State took that from him.
Easley planted his left leg in the Ben Griffin Hill Stadium grass and went down without contact. And after limping to the sideline under the assistance of Florida’s medical staff, the flourishing 288-pounder had to be carted off.
It was a torn ACL. But it wasn’t the last of him.
Despite missing spring practices, Easley was healthy to start 11 games as a junior in 2012. And despite missing two games following a knee scare against Tennessee that gave way to swelling, he went on to tally 26 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, a team-best four sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection. His impact, though, went far beyond the numbers; his impact went into backfields.
That momentum carried over into 2013. The disruptive senior garnered recognition as a preseason first-team All-SEC selection. He found his name on the Lombardi Award, the Bednarik Award, the Nagurski Award and the Outland Trophy watch lists. He was voted team captain as well.
But just three games, five tackles and two tackles for loss into what was supposed to be his year, Easley’s collegiate career came to an end during practice on Sept. 24. It happened in a non-contact situation once again. This time, Easley had torn the ACL and medial meniscus his right knee.
The Gators couldn’t replace the interior void left by the 26-game starter. He wouldn’t attempt to replace his final year of NCAA eligibility, either, eventually withdrawing from classes to set his focus on recovering for the 2014 NFL draft.
“He’ll have plenty of interest,” Gators head coach Will Muschamp told The Gainesville Sun’s Robbie Andreu on Sept. 30. “He’ll be a productive guy on the next level. He’s a really good football player. He’s extremely intelligent. He gets the game. His tape speaks for itself and how he plays the game and approaches the game. He’ll be fine. There will be a lot of organizations that want him.”
One of the organizations that may want him sits at the end of Round 1: Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
If not for medical concerns, the undersized but explosive 22-year-old wouldn’t make it within shouting distance of pick 29 overall. This, however, isn’t an ordinary case. Easley does have medical concerns that could keep him off the board well through Day 2. But he also has tremendous talent.
Great breakdown of Easley here. http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2014/03/2014-nfl-draft-close-up-florida-defensive-lineman-dominique-easley.html
Five months later, Easley was enrolled down in Gainesville. He flashed enough promise that summer to avoid redshirt that fall, ultimately playing in six games and recording four tackles as a true freshman. Although in 2011, the preseason All-SEC third-teamer did more than flash; he started all 12 regular-season contests to register 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a blocked punt.
He wouldn’t make a 13th start as a sophomore, though. A second-quarter play versus Florida State took that from him.
Easley planted his left leg in the Ben Griffin Hill Stadium grass and went down without contact. And after limping to the sideline under the assistance of Florida’s medical staff, the flourishing 288-pounder had to be carted off.
It was a torn ACL. But it wasn’t the last of him.
Despite missing spring practices, Easley was healthy to start 11 games as a junior in 2012. And despite missing two games following a knee scare against Tennessee that gave way to swelling, he went on to tally 26 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, a team-best four sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection. His impact, though, went far beyond the numbers; his impact went into backfields.
That momentum carried over into 2013. The disruptive senior garnered recognition as a preseason first-team All-SEC selection. He found his name on the Lombardi Award, the Bednarik Award, the Nagurski Award and the Outland Trophy watch lists. He was voted team captain as well.
But just three games, five tackles and two tackles for loss into what was supposed to be his year, Easley’s collegiate career came to an end during practice on Sept. 24. It happened in a non-contact situation once again. This time, Easley had torn the ACL and medial meniscus his right knee.
The Gators couldn’t replace the interior void left by the 26-game starter. He wouldn’t attempt to replace his final year of NCAA eligibility, either, eventually withdrawing from classes to set his focus on recovering for the 2014 NFL draft.
“He’ll have plenty of interest,” Gators head coach Will Muschamp told The Gainesville Sun’s Robbie Andreu on Sept. 30. “He’ll be a productive guy on the next level. He’s a really good football player. He’s extremely intelligent. He gets the game. His tape speaks for itself and how he plays the game and approaches the game. He’ll be fine. There will be a lot of organizations that want him.”
One of the organizations that may want him sits at the end of Round 1: Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
If not for medical concerns, the undersized but explosive 22-year-old wouldn’t make it within shouting distance of pick 29 overall. This, however, isn’t an ordinary case. Easley does have medical concerns that could keep him off the board well through Day 2. But he also has tremendous talent.
Great breakdown of Easley here. http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2014/03/2014-nfl-draft-close-up-florida-defensive-lineman-dominique-easley.html
Right. I hate Ray. He's a dick.SeoulSoxFan said:
But he's seen the kid play in person and was gushing. I value his opinion a thousand times more than Kipper/McShay and the other talking heads that consistently look foolish 2-3 years later.
For all we knew, the Pats wanted to trade back into the early 2nd to make the same pick, but they didn't have a dance partner.
I heard PK say a few years ago that BB has not talked to him since Spygate. PK says BB did not like how hard he was on him. PK has not visited the Pats training camp in years.mpx42 said:
As for the pick, BB has always picked productive D-linemen in the first road. He can work in a rotation.
I don't think Corsi did anything wrong. He put it in a spoiler tag. Everyone knew what it was, and if they opened it, it's on them. I, for one, appreciated that he did it because I was tired of waiting out the damn commercial.
Corsi said:
Gotta be a QB with Houston sitting there at 33.
Which might give more life to Mallett rumors.
Ed Hillel said:
Coming out of college he was considered talented. How is it a different argument?
