For more than two decades, Bob McGinn has been polling personnel people before the draft about draft prospects, first for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and most recently for golongtd.com. McGinn uses the results of those polls to rank draft prospects at their respective positions and spices up the rankings with comments from anonymous scouts.
The comments from these scouts can be effusive in their praise for a prospect but can also be damning indictments of various aspects of a prospects game/personality/traits. Not everybody likes McGinn’s collection of scouting quotes, which our sister SB Nation site for the Packers, Acme Packing Company, called a slander-fest.
It’s the time of year when we get the famous/infamous Bob McGinn anonymous scout slander-fest, in which old men give their unvarnished opinions on the young men about to embark on their NFL careers after reaching the absolute pinnacle of the college game.
At this point McGinn’s scouts are really and truly ancient cliches, coming back to the same, tired points. They also don’t actually seem to understand young people, or football. They make the same mistakes year after year, they’re sloppy, and they have almost no rigor to their opinions. And of course, many are tarnished by certain societal factors that really, really cloud their judgement.
Stands to reason Packers fans didn’t like some of the things the scouts had to say. Regardless, taken by themselves, the quotes likely provide a distorted picture of a prospect, but taken together, they begin to form a picture of what the scouting community may have thought about a given prospect.
With the draft firmly behind us, we revisit what those scouts told McGinn about seven Cowboys rookies – and add Will McClay’s take on the pick.
“He didn’t do anything (at the combine), and he doesn’t need to,” said one scout. “He was there cheering up his guys. He’s taken every opportunity with grace and he’s kind of happy to be there, where some guys would opt out of a bunch of stuff and have a crappy attitude. It’s probably more just (high) character with Caleb. They talk about how intelligent he is and how mature he is. In his interview you can get a feel for that. A guy that rushes the passer (Arvell Reese) has more value but Caleb is wired different. He is smart, he is mature, he is humble.”
“People don’t value safety like they do the money positions,” said a second scout. “But this is a good player. I saw him two summers ago and he was crouching down and looked like Ed Reed trying to sneak around in the back end. He didn’t have that kind of splash production like Ed did but this kid’s a football junkie. If he can come into Alabama and learn that scheme and talk fluently with (Nick) Saban, then he knows football.”
“You take him, you’re gonna hit,” said a third scout. “He’d be up there with the best (he’s scouted). Ed Reed broke the mold. Sean Taylor is up in there. (Eric) Berry was a big-timer. The (Troy) Polamalus and Ed Reeds of the world, they’re all his size. Brian Dawkins was his size. Really balanced as a tackler. Doesn’t miss many. Not a killer. More of a wrap-you-up, get-you-down tackler. He’s a much better Brian Branch. He’s got incredible instincts, he’s fast to the ball, he’s physical as hell. He can (cover wide receivers). He’s in the 4.4s. He’s a do-it-all impact player.”
“He’s a difference-making type player and we’re very, very fortunate to get him,” Cowboys executive vice president Will McClay said. “And I was surprised that he was there. And you look at the accolades, like when you hear coach (Nick) Saban and people talk about how smart he is, and then you talk about the importance of that. The other day we were talking about how a brain works and how that fits into a defense where you have a guy that can do that. He’s a multiplier. He’s going to make other people better. So, it was very easy to see, and I’m glad he’s a Cowboy.”
“He’s a guy with a lot of ability, and he showed up at the combine,” one scout said. “He has talent. He ran 4.51. He has traits and pretty decent production.”
“He tested really, really well and ran fast,” said a second scout. “He’s a little more finesse. Lacks core strength, but a good player.”
“He worked out well at the combine and now people are trying to make something of him,” a third scout said. “He’s a fifth-year senior who’s still raw and not productive. Hit or miss type. He ran fast, and you see a little of that in his getoff. But just overall he doesn’t have great instincts. He doesn’t play the run well. Not very strong bending and breaking with pass-rush stuff.”
“Inconsistent motor,” a fourth scout said. “When it’s third and 10 and he knows it’s pass he can get off the ball pretty good. If it’s first and 10 he kind of comes off slow, soft. Not real tough and physical setting the point. More of a fifth-fourth round project.”
“He’s a pressure player, so you would like him in any scheme,” McClay said. “I think he adds value to the scheme because of the edge rush and some of the things that he can do; the multiplicity that he could provide for the defense. But No. 1 is getting after the passer with speed and athleticism and we think he can do that.”
“He’s one of those hybrid pieces. Do you like him better off the ball or do you want to use him as both? Some teams are looking for positionless players. I think to get the most of his value you’re going to mix it up but he’s probably a better rusher than just a stack backer. He’s not a throwaway out there. Today, I’d say he’s second round because he does have some rush value. He’s kind of a unique player. At worst, he’s a rotational player. He has the demeanor to be a kick-*** on teams. He’s gonna get a jersey and help you.”
Will McClay: “A lot of similarities to Arvell Reese”
“I think he’s been on our radar all season, especially when we started talking about what we were trying to do defensively when at the Combine. Christian [Parker] came in and talked about the linebackers and the outside and the inside linebackers and potentially doing some different things. And then you start looking at Arvell Reese. There’s a lot of similarities in what they do and how they did it. And just excited to get him on the roster because of; number one, he’s extremely physical., and you want to increase the speed of your defense and the toughness. I think he does that.”
“Dallas Cowboys’ national director of college scouting Mitch LaPoint told us they had eight third-round grades heading into Day Three. I believe that all three of [their picks] were part of those eight…”
“I have him at guard. He just fits there better. He could be a right tackle. He’s a starter in the league. He could start at guard because of his size and he’s got good feet and lateral range. His hand placement is average. He’s got to get better. I was disappointed in every single Penn State guy. He’s a second-third round type.”