Bowl Game Observations: Part Nine

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.

Calvin Barnett, DT OK ST
The stout defensive tackle had a good showing in his bowl game with three tackles, three assists and a sack.  Most of his production was in the fourth quarter as he wore the offensive line down with his good motor never letting up on the field (he chased a few plays 15 yards down the field, unheard of with a man his size).  Barnett lined up and down the defensive line from the zero gap all the way to the four gap.  The lineman got good initial penetration, threw offensive linemen around and has a low center of gravity that makes him hard to push around.  Barnett uses a swim move, spins, or  old-fashioned brute strength/power to get past his blockers. He was either double teamed or at least chipped on every play.  Barnett has some of the best athletic skills to be a successful defensive lineman, but better than that he has the heart.  Defensive tackle required leagues make note of him.

Hasean Clinton-Dix, S ALA
Better known as “Ha Ha”, this safety usually plays over the top, but does a great job securing the edge against the running game especially the option.  He is a solid tackler, takes good angles,  knows what he sees, and plays instinctively. Clinton-Dix does a decent job in coverage and although he had good position to make the play, receiver Jalen Sanders got a step on him to sneak the ball across the goal line.  The defensive back sees the field well and kept everyone in front of him.  Clinton-Dix could be a top ten fantasy defensive back in the right defense.

Kony Ealy, DE/DT MISS
This athletic defensive lineman didn’t jump off the screen as much as his counterpart Calvin Barnett.  What became quite obvious within the first three series is that Missouri was a better defense with Ealy on the field.  The majority of Oklahoma State’s offensive production occurred while Ealy was on the sidelines.  He gets a great first step, creates pressure immediately, possesses amazing balance and flows well to the ball using good agility and vision.  The lineman is a bit more versatile than most as he dropped back in coverage a few times and plays the run almost as well as he plays the pass.  Ealy dipped his shoulder and ran through the offensive tackle on the way to sack the quarterback twice in the same series.  He keeps on attacking and if he can’t get to the signal caller, Ealy would try to swat the ball.  In the right scheme he could be a monster.

A.J. McCarron, QB ALA
The senior quarterback might want to reconsider appearing at the Senior Bowl after having a somewhat productive, but rough bowl game.  He is very accurate with quick short passes, but I wasn’t impressed with how he set his feet before throwing the ball downfield.  McCarron has a decent arm, but can float the ball at times.  He made a few nice touch bucket throws throughout the game, but became unraveled when he faced pressure.  In the NFL, the defenses are better than the Oklahoma Sooners!  When the offensive line gave him time, he had time to see down the field and find coverage weaknesses.  Occasionally, the young quarterback escaped for a few yards rushing, but did not look very athletic doing so.   McCarron showed heart trying to fight through adversity, but stumbled late in the game with a under-thrown ball for a pick six and then a strip sack that got returned for a touchdown with less than a minute left in the game.  I see him as more of a project quarterback that could be developed down the line like Matt Schaub.

 C.J. Mosley, LB ALA
The young linebacker flows quickly to the ball, sees the entire field better than most, takes good angles and is a solid tackler.  Unfortunately I did not see a strong point of attack linebacker who could shed blocks and make the tackle.  He was blocked by the fullback or a pulling lineman quite a bit on runs for my taste.  As a blitzer, Mosley applied pressure and forced the quarterback into making bad throws.  He played well in pass coverage so much so that I consider Mosley to be more of a big safety than a linebacker.  I need to review more of his games to see if this was an outlier or this is just how he plays.

Michael Sam, DE MISS
This defensive lineman took the long road to make a good impression.  While he does have a quick first step, gets penetration and keeps his arms up to knock down passes, Sam was not making much of an impact in the game.  He pressured the quarterback, but was better against the run.  When Ealy and Sam were on the field together, the defense was more dangerous. With just a little over a minute left Sam made the biggest impact on the game.  The defender strip sacked the Oklahoma State quarterback and the ball was scooped up and returned for a Missouri touchdown.   I need to watch a few more of his games to see a more consistent player that I can trust.

Jalen Saunders, WR OK
The young wide out was all over the field against the mighty Alabama defense.  He fully extends to make the catch, runs sharp routes and is willing to get a physical at times.  For a smaller framed player, he blocked well and gave as good as he got fighting for the ball.  The Sooners used him all over the field: in the slot, split out wide and even on an option pitch where he threw a nice stiff-arm.  Saunders got a step and good position on “Ha-Ha” for his first touchdown reception of the game and followed it up with a nice high sideline catch and tip-toe into the end zone for his second.  He was not without fault as he bobbled a ball in the air that got intercepted and muffed a punt (he recovered it).  Saunders reminds me a lot of T.Y. Hilton, another skinny play maker who plays a bit unevenly.

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