Bowl Game Observations: Part Seven

It’s that time of year when I turn my focus to the college bowl games to gain insight. I will do my best to find some draft eligible players that could improve your dynasty teams. This article intends to start conversations and encourage continued thought throughout the entire draft process. These are my observations based on the bowl games, unless otherwise indicated. There will be much more in-depth, thought-provoking discussions later in the offseason. I am listing these players alphabetically.

Jared Abbarederis, WR WISC
The senior wide receiver did not have a very impressive bowl game as he finished with three catches for 27 yards.  He looked like a possession NFL receiver.  Abbarederis ran clean routes, fought for extra yardage, and was a solid run blocker.  The Badgers sent him in motion to try to create separation, but his hands were inconsistent as he caught the ball as much with his body as with his hands.   Abbarederis will need some time to develop to be a weapon in the NFL.

Anthony Barr, OLB UCLA
This highly regarded tweener outside linebacker/defensive end rushed from both the left and right sides.  He uses either a swim move or a spin move to get good initial penetration.  His balance and anticipation are not what they should be as he missed running backs coming his way.  The tweener got blocked usually in one on one situations, never really forcing a double team.  If Barr is going to play the edge in the NFL, he will need to anchor his spot against the run and create more pressure as a pass rusher. The backer kept blockers away from his body so he could flow towards the ball and he does a good job trailing plays down the field, cleaning up tackles.  I’m not sure how dominant Barr will be in an NFL uniform when he faces seasoned, talented linemen.

Odell Beckham Jr, WR LSU
The wide receiver suffered limited opportunities finishing with two receptions for 35 yards in the bowl game due to  Zach Mettenberger’s absence.  He got great separation down the field, but got overthrown by the backup quarterback on one play and just missed on a poorly thrown worm burner on another.  Beckham reaches the ball at its highest point and laid out for an amazing one-handed sideline catch, showing incredible balance and concentration.  It was a brilliant double move that made that catch possible.  Beckham looks more like a solid WR3 on an NFL team, but certainly flashed enough to be considered for a taxi squad on your dynasty squad.

Jadeveon Clowney, DE SC
Clowney in second half was a better player than he was in the first half. The defensive end got pushed around early on running plays and took about a quarter to get a feel of what Wisconsin did offensively.  He has a quick first step that he uses to gain penetration into the backfield creating pressure and does a great job of getting his arms up which knocked down a few passes.  When the defender hurdled his would-be blocker, his helmet got in the way of an arrant throw that knocked the ball in the air causing it to be intercepted.  Clowney uses either a spin move or just swims around whomever is trying to block him.  There were a few plays that he got passed around between the tight end, tackle, guard, and even fullback trying to keep him away from sacking the quarterback. He is very athletic for a defensive lineman as he dropped back into pass coverage, unsuccessfully, as the back caught the touchdown pass while Clowney held him.  The defensive end’s motor was fine in this game as he would run down plays on the other side of the field even using some offensive linemen as a blocking sled.  He is the best defensive player in this class, bar none.

Mike Evans, WR TEX A&M
Evans is a big bodied, passionate wide receiver at 6′ 5″ 225 lbs.  While he did not have an outstanding game (four catches for 72 yards) like his quarterback did, however the young receiver showed enough.  The wide out adjusts well to the ball in the air as he had to reach behind for a pass thrown at his hip in stride.  He just missed making a great catch in the back of the end zone as he could only get one hand on the pigskin. Evans gets separation with his speed and quickness with a little shoulder shake tossed in. The receiver made a gauntlet combine like catch right at the sidelines as he just stopped, spun around 180 degrees, and caught the ball without the corner realizing what had happened.  Evans is a top five rookie wide receiver option depending on where he lands.

C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE IOWA
The senior athletic tight end had a decent game (four receptions for 46 yards) in his bowl game. He is not the best inline blocker, but does enough to be dangerous and occasionally splits out in the slot for the Hawkeyes .  Fiedorowicz has soft hands and runs good routes.  He has a little swim move than he uses to get off the line of scrimmage.  If you want to see effort, this tight end has it in spades.  He fully extended his body trying to make a lot of poorly thrown passes and took a lot of punishment whether he caught the ball or not.  Fiedorowicz is a lesser Zach Miller, solid dependable, but may not always be fantasy relevant.

Jarvis Landry, WR LSU
This LSU receiver also suffered by the hands of the LSU backup quarterback as he only finished with two catches for 21 yards.  He caught the ball between defenders at its highest point, gets good separation, and is quite slippery once he secures the reception.  LSU called on Landry to use his big arm as he attempted a 40+ yard rainbow toss to Beckham that did not connect.  There were at least three occasions that the wide receiver missed out on a spectacular play due to a poorly thrown pass.  I need to watch more tape this junior as he showed enough to get me intrigued.

Johnny Manziel, QB TEX A&M
Good old “Johnny Football” put on quite the show against Duke.  His team got down early and he rallied them back.  I’m not sure how good a leader he is as it looked like he angered more teammates than he inspired when he shouted at them and grabbed them by the facemask.  Let’s talk about what he did on the field.  Manziel is an improviser as he actually loves it when the play breaks down so he can dance around the pocket with his cat-like balance and reflexes.  He tosses the ball up for his receivers to get to under instead of throwing precise passes.  This quarterback has awful footwork. He rarely sets his feet before he throws and makes up for this in college with his strong arm, but the NFL is not as forgiving with accuracy.  Manziel is very quick, sinks his hips as he runs, and uses his great downfield vision as both a runner and a passer.  When the quarterback scrambles, he carries the ball very loosely almost daring defenders to separate him from the ball.  I think he could become a very good pro quarterback if he overcomes his prima donna attitude and inspires through leadership much like a former strong-armed Hattiesburg, Mississippi resident.  Johnny is no Brett, but they both had enough skill to overcome unorthodox playing habits, well Brett did. But will Johnny?

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