NFL 2013 Preseason Week 1 Notes and Updates, Volume 1

August 12, 2013 by

Volume 1 of Notes and Updates as it pertains to Week 1 of the 2013 NFL Preseason is below:

  • After missing two games with an undisclosed injury to his knee, Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Rishard Matthews has returned to practice, running a vertical route and making a fantastic catch down the sideline on a Ryan Tannehill pass; it was described as the play of the day.
  • Atlanta Falcons Cornerback Desmond Trufant had a nice start to his career, playing well in his NFL debut. As quoted from Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith, “I was impressed with the way that they [Desmond Trufant / Robert Alford] handled it, not only their production on the field but their grade sheet when we graded it on Friday.” 
  • Minnesota Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson demonstrated his elite skills in the return right off the bat, with a 50 yard return on the opening kickoff. Despite less than ideal route running skills, he was also able to produce in the passing game with 4 receptions for 54 yards

More to follow on Week 1 of the 2013 NFL Preseason later in the week.

Filed Under: 4-3 Defensive Ends (DE), Atlanta Falcons, Cornerbacks (CB), Detroit Lions, Football Analytics, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Wide Receivers (WR)

What Is The Outlook On The Detroit Lions 2013 NFL Draft Class?

July 8, 2013 by

The Detroit Lions 2013 NFL Draft lacked any arbitrage opportunities and the class is also at a high risk of not producing any pro bowl players. Having volunteered with an organization that deals heavily with International Students, I have been told directly from an individual that came from the same region as Ansah on how easy it was to doctor his birth certificate as well as the purposes behind why he did it.  In addition of the reports of scouts questioning his age, this tidbit of information does not give me any confidence in the age of DE Ziggy Ansash matching that on his birth certificate, adding further risk on his selection. It is quite possible that even if Ansah is the real deal, that his career has a high risk of being shorter than the typical defensive end.

CB Darius Slay is likely to be a solid, but unspectacular cornerback once his knee heals. As long as he returns to full health, he holds the highest probability of making a pro bowl. The odds are against him, but it is not out of the realm of possibility for that to be his ceiling.

The 2013 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions has all the makings of finishing in the bottom third of the league in long term production since the first two round picks have a bit of risk, and the rest of the picks have analytical profiles of very little upside and arbitrage opportunity.

Filed Under: 4-3 Defensive Ends (DE), Cornerbacks (CB), Detroit Lions, Football Analytics, NFL Draft