RD4/#140 - Cameron Fleming, OT, Stanford

mabrowndog

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Cameron Fleming, OT, Stanford
 

 
4th Round, #140 overall
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 323 lbs
Scouts.com Grade: 60
Position Rank: 11
Overall Rank: 134
Arm Length: 34"
Hand Size: 9.75"
40-Yd Dash: 5.28 sec
 
ESPN/Scouts.com Profile:
 
 
Overall Football Traits - 1 = EXCEPTIONAL, 2 = ABOVE AVERAGE, 3 = AVERAGE, 4 = BELOW AVERAGE, 5 = MARGINAL
 
Production: 1
2010: Redshirted
2011: (11/11)
2012: (14/14)
2013: (14/14)
 
Height-Weight-Speed: 2 - Prototypical frame with good arm length (34') for a right tackle prospect. Hand size is slightly below average (9 7/8'). Adequate top-end speed. On the heavier side and weight will need to be monitored.
 
Durability: 2 - Missed 2011 Oregon State and Oregon games with ankle injury.
 
Intangibles: 2 - Son of Kem and Karen Fleming. Aeronautics and Astronautics major. Set to graduate in spring.
 
Offensive Tackle Specific Traits
 
Pass Protection: 3 - Big, thick-bodied ROT with good length and enough quickness to prevent edge rushers from turning corner. Needs to improve consistency of hand placement but has long arms and really good natural shock in hands. Flashes ability to stay in front of defender once locked on. Absorbs and resets against straight power but sets high and can get knocked back by speed to power. Can overset and get beat inside. Crosses feet and gets caught off balance. Can stop moving feet once locked on. Ducks head and lunges at times.
 
Run Blocking: 3 - Overwhelms smaller defenders with size and upper body power. Flashes adequate powerbase and can move defenders off ball when keeps pads down. Effective in short area. More space equals more problems. Flashes ability to lock on and steer but hands slide outside frame too much. Leans and slips off blocks. Doesn't have ideal foot speed for zone heavy scheme. Flashes ability to cut off backside linebacker but not quick or agile enough to get away with poor angle.
 
Awareness: 2 - Not a finished product but has size and shock that you can't coach, and he has a good head on his shoulders. Solid overall awareness in pass pro. Knows assignments. Experienced and highly intelligent football player. Adequate locating second level assignments but can duck head and fail to pick up linebacker late on combo blocks. Inconsistent when it comes to feel for zone concepts.
 
Toughness: 3 - Don't question toughness but also don't see naturally nasty demeanor. More of a positional blocker than a mauler. Adequate overall effort and blocks through whistle on occasion but doesn't give relentless four-quarter effort. For most part does what he needs to do to get job done but little more.
 
 
Stanford Cardinal profile:
 

 
#73 Cameron Fleming
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 318
Year: Senior
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Cypress Creek
Major: Aeronautics and Astronautics
 

As a Senior (2013)
• All-Pac-12 second team
• Sporting News All-Pac-12
• Athlon Sports All-Pac-12 second team
• Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first team
• Outland Trophy watch list
• Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list
• Phil Steele preseason All-Pac-12 first team
• Lindy's preseason All-Pac-12 first team
• Athlon Sports preseason All-Pac-12 second team
• 14 games played at right tackle
• Part of one of nation's top offensive lines
     • 22nd in rushing offense (207.4 yards/game)   
     • 11th in sacks allowed (1.14/game)  
     • Seventh in tackles for loss allowed (4.14/game)
 
As a Junior (2012)
• All-Pac-12 honorable mention
• Started 14 games at right tackle
• Helped pave way for Stepfan Taylor’s 1,530 rushing yards, second-most in school history
• Protected two rookie quarterbacks, each start their college career with 3-0 record
 
As a Sophomore (2011)
• Yahoo! Freshman All-America
• All-Pac-12 honorable mention
• One of three first-year starters on the offensive line, including Sam Schwartzstein and David Yankey
• Started 11 games
• Missed Oregon State and Oregon games with ankle injury
• Part of offensive line that tied for seventh nationally in fewest sacks per game (0.85) 
• Helped Stanford compile 210.62 rushing yards per game (2nd in Pac-12, 18th in NCAA)
• Protected Andrew Luck while the quarterback threw school-record 37 touchdowns
 
As a Freshman (2010)
• Did not see action
 
The Fleming File
• Graduated from Cypress Creek (Texas) and played for head coach Greg McCaig
• Earned three varsity letters
• Anchored offensive line that that averaged 40 points and 420 total offensive yards per game in 2009
• Nation’s 38th-best offensive tackle by Rivals, 53rd by Scout and 56th by ESPN
• 2009 Texas Super Team first team, Texas Prep Insider second team
• Two-time unanimous first team Texas 15-5A all-district 
• Helped school to pair of 15-5A district championships
• Lettered in basketball
• Attended Harker Heights from 2006-07 before transferring to Cypress Creek
• Born in Fort Hood, Texas
• Full name is Cameron Jarrod Fleming
• Son of Kem and Karen Fleming
• One younger sister, Jordan
 
 

Old Fart Tree

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Not mad at that pick, although I'm surprised that the Defensive side of the ball isn't getting as much love.
 

Super Nomario

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Like Stork, he does not fit the athletic profile of prospects they typically draft. He had the worst 3-cone and short shuttle times of any OT at the combine, but he's a big dude at 6'5" 324.
 

amarshal2

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"Majoring in aeronautics and astronautics"

At Stanford though, so he's dumb.
 

mabrowndog

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amarshal2 said:
"Majoring in aeronautics and astronautics"

At Stanford though, so he's dumb.
 
He and Breslow are going to combine forces to take over the world from Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and those fuckstick schoolgirl kidnappers in Nigeria.
 

lostjumper

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bakahump said:
Those pictures reinforce the idea that he is a sizable human.
Yeah, he just looks huge to me in those pictures. I highly doubt he could move to guard at that size, so he is likely the backup at OT, and this allows Cannon to move back into guard. 
 

Reverend

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
I have no idea whether he can play but you have to love this kid.
 
So, a lineman who is literally a rocket scientist both of whose parents are colonels (one a retired lieutenant colonel and the other currently attending the Army War College) has to be the most clichéed Belichickian pick ever, right?
 
And oh look, he has a sly side too, but the jokestery attitude is embedded within a commitment to team bonding. And despite being from a stable family he has dealt with the adversity of having both parents abroad, sometimes in war zones, and sometimes at the same time. 
 
This is a little bit overwrought from a narrative standpoint, isn't it?
 

soxfan121

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Reverend said:
 
So, a lineman who is literally a rocket scientist both of whose parents are colonels (one a retired lieutenant colonel and the other currently attending the Army War College) has to be the most clichéed Belichickian pick ever, right?
 
And oh look, he has a sly side too, but the jokestery attitude is embedded within a commitment to team bonding. And despite being from a stable family he has dealt with the adversity of having both parents abroad, sometimes in war zones, and sometimes at the same time. 
 
This is a little bit overwrought from a narrative standpoint, isn't it?
 
I simply can't wait for the game thread posts relating to Fleming's academic pursuits. 
 

soxfan121

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mpx42 said:
Grantland had this great story on Cameron Fleming ready for publish as soon as he was drafted: http://grantland.com/features/cameron-fleming-stanford-nf-draft/
 
A couple of choice quotes:
 
“He’s a guy I think could benefit from coming back a fifth year,” (strength coach Shannon) Turley said. “He knows that. But is he ready to play in the NFL? I think that too. His character, I don’t think, is in question at all. He’s great at life — let’s be honest." 
“Out of all the offensive linemen I interviewed, Cameron was by far the most detailed in his answers,” said the NFL source, who asked that neither he nor his team be identified. “He spoke more like a coach than a player.”
 
“Cameron has an incredible appreciation for the physics of football, which is very important for his position,” said coach Turley. “He’s definitely one of my all-time favorite guys because he’s so easy to coach. He always responds. I’m not saying he says, ‘Yes, sir.’ I’m saying he engages in what you’re asking him to do.”
 

veritas

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You can't teach size, athleticism or intelligence, and he has those, as well as a solid work ethic. So chances are pretty good he can turn himself into a solid NFL player. But there are guys who have those things and never fulfill their potential. Ben Watson is the first who comes to mind. An athletic freak who was smart and hard working. He still never developed into more than an above average player.
 
But I'm excited about this pick, seems like an easy guy to root for and relate to (as a fellow engineer and scientist -- I'm the exact opposite of an extremely large black man who is good at sports)
 

Phil Plantier

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Am I the only one who read the article about how smart he is and wished he had excelled in a different sport than football? I'm hoping he gets cut early during camp and never gets a hit to the head again.
 

RedOctober3829

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This speaks to a subtle change in the philosophy of the Patriots' drafting post-Hernandez.  Sounds like tremendous character and intelligence won out with this one.  Not saying he doesn't have potential, but his intelligence and character stand out.
 

ALiveH

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He probably would have had greater lifetime earnings as a aero-astro engineer or going to wall street than as an NFL 4th round pick.
 

Darnell's Son

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ALiveH said:
He probably would have had greater lifetime earnings as a aero-astro engineer or going to wall street than as an NFL 4th round pick.
 
 
He's doing what he wants though. He can go back to being an "aero-astro engineer" after his career is over in his late twenties/early thirties and have a pretty sweet bankroll to fall back on. He could fund his graduate education and a company at the same time with his earnings, all while doing something he truly enjoys and not many people get to do.
 

Jettisoned

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Darnell's Son said:
 
He's doing what he wants though. He can go back to being an "aero-astro engineer" after his career is over in his late twenties/early thirties and have a pretty sweet bankroll to fall back on. He could fund his graduate education and a company at the same time with his earnings, all while doing something he truly enjoys and not many people get to do.
 
Assuming he doesn't have CTE from playing college/professional football for 10 years straight...
 

Darnell's Son

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No shit, he's doing what he wants is the point. You may wish he did differently, but he's doing what he feels is best for himself.
 

( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)

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I am pretty onfident that all NFL players are now more then well educated about the risks of playing football.  Most of them choose to continue to do so, a handful have walked away.  I am extremly confident that Cameron Fleming is more than smart enough to see the risks, evaluate what he thinks is best for him and his family and then make his own decision.  Thank you for your concern, but I don't think this guy needs a nanny.
 

Norm Siebern

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It never ceases to amaze me just how frick'n HUGE NFL linemen are. I mean, moveable mountains huge. I hope this guy makes it. Seems immensely likeable. I am pulling for him.
 

Reverend

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( . ) ( . ) and (_!_) said:
I am pretty onfident that all NFL players are now more then well educated about the risks of playing football.  Most of them choose to continue to do so, a handful have walked away.  I am extremly confident that Cameron Fleming is more than smart enough to see the risks, evaluate what he thinks is best for him and his family and then make his own decision.  Thank you for your concern, but I don't think this guy needs a nanny.
 
You're nuts.
 

bakahump

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Norm Siebern said:
It never ceases to amaze me just how frick'n HUGE NFL linemen are. I mean, moveable mountains huge. I hope this guy makes it. Seems immensely likeable. I am pulling for him.
Had the pics up thread on my screen.
 
6 yo asks...."Is that the new Patriot? How did he get to be so giant?"
 

67YAZ

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RedOctober3829 said:
This speaks to a subtle change in the philosophy of the Patriots' drafting post-Hernandez.  Sounds like tremendous character and intelligence won out with this one.  Not saying he doesn't have potential, but his intelligence and character stand out.
That reminds me of an old Dr. Z anecdote - sometime in the early '80s, Z came upon the notion that the best players also seemed to be the smartest players, so why not draft for intelligence? Z regaled Bill Walsh with this profound insight - who else could better appreciate it? Walsh heard him out for a few minutes, then stopped him and said, "That's great. Your smart guys can chase my dumb guys into the endzone."

Physical ability is still - and will always be - the most important characteristic. Intelligence and character are obviously part of the composite player profile, but with much less weight. Otherwise, guys from the Ivies and the service academia would be flying off the boards.

What is interesting, though, is that Fleming and Stork are both larger than the typical Pats lineman. With Scarnecchia leaving, maybe there's a some significant changes in the works. Something worth watching.
 

Darnell's Son

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bakahump said:
Had the pics up thread on my screen.
 
6 yo asks...."Is that the new Patriot? How did he get to be so giant?"
 
You should tell him/her that he studied really hard and became a rocket scientist.
 

Reverend

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Darnell's Son said:
 
You should tell him/her that he studied really hard and became a rocket scientist.
 
+everything
 

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67YAZ said:
That reminds me of an old Dr. Z anecdote - sometime in the early '80s, Z came upon the notion that the best players also seemed to be the smartest players, so why not draft for intelligence? Z regaled Bill Walsh with this profound insight - who else could better appreciate it? Walsh heard him out for a few minutes, then stopped him and said, "That's great. Your smart guys can chase my dumb guys into the endzone."
 
Dr. Z; what a great guy. He is a  former customer of mine, what a sin regarding what happened to him, so sad to say the least...................
 

54thMA

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Super Nomario said:
Not sure if you saw this when it came out, but it probably can't be posted too many times:
 
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-presents/0ap2000000284904/NFL-Films-Presents-Yours-truly-Dr-Z
 
Thanks for posting that, 7:14 in gets me every time.
 
In the opening shot on the table and the closing shot again on the table he's got a lot of the pieces he bought from me, several of the items were custom made pieces.  He's also got a large glass cabinet upstairs filled with pieces he bought.
 
 Last time I saw him was in early November of 2008 before he got sick.
 

 
 

Deathofthebambino

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What are those pieces of?  They look like little military scenes or something, but it's a bit tough to tell.