cmd34

Pro Bowler
Messages
11,877
Reaction score
119
http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/201...nsin-badgers-travis-frederick-scouting-report

By Andrew Rosin on Apr 23 2013, 3:03p @thegnc

Today we're going to talk about the process going into the NFL Draft. I mean, it's a long way from the Rose Bowl to the NFL Draft this week. And in the process? Players will sometimes fall through the cracks. A running back fails the weird and archaic interview process. A defensive tackle can't manage 20 reps at 225 pounds. Then of course there's the 40-yard dash.

And if you didn't just stumble upon this side from popular internet add-ons from 2008? You know there's a reason why we're starting with the downfall. For if Travis Frederick had himself a good process, he would have had a chance to slot into the last quarter of the first round.

But he didn't. Frederick ran a 5.56-second 40-yard dash. And he stood pat at the local pro day. Should this matter? I don't think so. But like Phillip Fathom's parents dying at sea, it's the backstory that drives the scouting report.

Because like I said, Frederick was going to be a first-round pick. Then he was timed as the second-slowest center at 40 yards. That other guy might not even be a camp body. 5.56 from a guy that is still going to be drafted is still historically bad. There's been only one center who has been drafted with a time slower than Frederick's. It was back in 1993. He was Iowa's Mike Devlin. He ran a 5.63 way back in 1993. He started a couple of seasons and had himself a career. But still, when you draft Travis Frederick, there's always going to be on wag on the internet that's going to scream "5.56! You fools! He's slow."

But here's where and why you may be getting Frederick at value prices. For one? Frederick was always going to be one of those linemen that play in a smaller space. He's got veteran experience (30 starts over his three-year career) and he's always been on the interior. And like John Moffitt and Peter Konz before him? He's been a great technician. Especially on running plays.

If you're the team that drafts Frederick, you're going to get a player with the leg drive, the motor and the technique to move most every player off of him. He doesn't have the most spectacular power to his game, but he's not going to get blown off the ball, either. He can help a guard in pass protection, and for someone with questions about his athleticism? As a trapping guard or when he was needed to go to the second level, he's not prone to whiff in space.

As a pass blocker? He's pretty good, as well. There weren't many times on the pre-snap reads that a defender was unaccounted for, and while I already told you of his power questions, Frederick is always one to stand his ground. Otherwise, he will clamp down on blitzers and is able to maintain and help in other instances.

The big question for a pro team is if the offensive line runs the zone blocking scheme or not. Some would say that even despite his limits in athleticism, with the angles he takes, Frederick won't be a complete ill-fit in a zone blocking scheme, and his second level success shows there's something to that. Then there are the Badger fans who recall the Mike Markuson dork age and would say that Frederick wouldn't work in a zone scheme.

Me? If I want Frederick to be a safe pick on the second day? I'd hope that my team isn't running a zone. Because the fact of the matter is, while there's going to be some analyst that will praise him because he's a good football player because leadership and all that, Frederick's at his best when it's man on man, big on big, and let's see who wins.

If you're that team, and you get Frederick in the second or third round? Celebrate. He's going to do good things for you.

Also because you get a man with a majestic beard. Look at it. It makes Daniel Bryan look clean shaven.
 

Ben_in_Austin

Practice Squad
Messages
437
Reaction score
0
I mean, if you're addressing needs and he's the best center on the board. And you know, Costa can be good depth or whatever. You just gotta give Romo a pocket and this guy is solid enough to anchor the front of the line. I like the pick. I honestly had a man crush on Elam. But I want a hard hitting safety. There are still options out there, so let's just stay focused. I like the pick so far.
 

iceberg

In the Rotation
Messages
824
Reaction score
0
I mean, if you're addressing needs and he's the best center on the board. And you know, Costa can be good depth or whatever. You just gotta give Romo a pocket and this guy is solid enough to anchor the front of the line. I like the pick. I honestly had a man crush on Elam. But I want a hard hitting safety. There are still options out there, so let's just stay focused. I like the pick so far.

it depends on how you look at it. as "fans" we spend months on the mocks driving the team and making fun of jones along the way.

C is a definite need for us. he was one of the best in this draft in the position. in a sense, it addressed center and OL not just a G or OT. we can still pick up winston or another in FA and depending on the rest of the draft, address the OL.

from a corp standpoint you look at "opportunity cost". what calls did we get for a trade and who did we miss out on? as fans, we speculate. A LOT. in time i can come to appreciate the pick. but from what "what we knew going in" we could have got him in the 2nd and picked up a safety. or hell, anything.

we'll find out later where he was on other boards. if he'd have been gone by our next pick and we felt good about him, we did the right thing. but we as fans so seldom want to give the FO credit for doing the right thing so we focus on the rest.

i didn't see this coming, but i'm coming to like it.
 
Messages
3,455
Reaction score
0
After a few hours to think about it, i feel a little better about the pick. If the guy can help the o-line it doesn’t matter where or how he was drafted. If he turns out to be a bust, then tonight was a huge failure. Time will tell.
 

dbair1967

Administrator
Messages
54,700
Reaction score
6,031
I actually think it was a solid pick. Am I the only one?

I'm not mad about the pick. The run on OL dictated that if they wanted to upgrade the interior OL, they had to do something. Most people didn't have Justin Pugh or Kyle Long in the first round either. And most people assumed through the whole offseason that a guy like DJ Fluker would be available for us at 18. Its clear that this draft was different than previous one's in the way players were valued.

I'm only pissed because regardless of what Jones and boy Jones say, they didn't appear to get value in the trade down with SF.
 
Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
I like the pick.

I like the player.

I like that the team recognized that there was a glaring need in the middle of the line and decided to do something about it.

I like that they didn't get stupid and trade up slightly for Cordarelle Patterson in the name of sexy/stud receivers over OL for Romo BS.


Travis Frederick is a guy I've liked for us since around February. I think he's going to be a very good player. I like him a hell of a lot more than some of the other OL that were reached for in the first... Imagine had we stayed at 18 and taken Justin Pugh. Or who was it that took Kyle Long? Wow.


We have two out of 5 positions set for the next 10 years, IMO.
 
Messages
2,450
Reaction score
0
The trade and subsequent reach is why the pick sucked we got no value. Typical Jerry makes me sick.
 

Bob Sacamano

All-Pro
Messages
26,436
Reaction score
3
Picking 31St is second round territory anyways. I think they believed that he would be off the board before their second and took him there.

Plus there was buzz that he was going to be taken in the first. Could have been from us. Who knows?
 

Jon88

Pro Bowler
Messages
19,523
Reaction score
0
From what I've seen he looks like a big stump in the middle of the line and that's what we need. He'll be able to anchor the line and help out whichever guard needs the most help.
 

bbgun

Administrator
Messages
15,005
Reaction score
2,090
I'm a UW alum, but I don't follow the Badgers that closely, so I've got nothing. :-(
 

Rynie

In the Rotation
Messages
1,321
Reaction score
54
I'm a UW alum, but I don't follow the Badgers that closely, so I've got nothing. :-(

That must have sucked. Wisconsin must have the UGLIEST bitches in the US. Unless you're into fat, pasty hoes.
 

bbgun

Administrator
Messages
15,005
Reaction score
2,090
That must have sucked. Wisconsin must have the UGLIEST bitches in the US. Unless you're into fat, pasty hoes.

In general, yes, but on campus, the 18 to 22-year-olds haven't become fat housewives yet.
 

bbgun

Administrator
Messages
15,005
Reaction score
2,090
If Middy endorses the rip-off trade and selection of Frederick one more time, I'm going to stab someone in the brain.
 

Ben_in_Austin

Practice Squad
Messages
437
Reaction score
0
it depends on how you look at it. as "fans" we spend months on the mocks driving the team and making fun of jones along the way.

C is a definite need for us. he was one of the best in this draft in the position. in a sense, it addressed center and OL not just a G or OT. we can still pick up winston or another in FA and depending on the rest of the draft, address the OL.

from a corp standpoint you look at "opportunity cost". what calls did we get for a trade and who did we miss out on? as fans, we speculate. A LOT. in time i can come to appreciate the pick. but from what "what we knew going in" we could have got him in the 2nd and picked up a safety. or hell, anything.

we'll find out later where he was on other boards. if he'd have been gone by our next pick and we felt good about him, we did the right thing. but we as fans so seldom want to give the FO credit for doing the right thing so we focus on the rest.

i didn't see this coming, but i'm coming to like it.

I don't like it at all, really. I wanted Elam and I think in spite of his height, he would have been great in Kiffin's system. But I live in a real world. So the reality is we addressed a need and I'm OK with that.
 

cmd34(work)

Draft Pick
Messages
4,342
Reaction score
0
I forgot how Middie goes all optimist after we draft guys.

Good for you Middie.


Except for when we drafted Murray, he hated that immediately and for a long time afterwards.
 
Top Bottom