Thread: How about drafting Brandon Washington (OT/OG) in the Second Round?

Originally Posted by bearsfan247

Hey Soulman or anyone else...I'm having trouble doing, well anything on this board.

I can't create threads or PM's (thus this post that I will delete soon)...it just keeps telling me that I either don't have access or there may be other issues.

Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

I think you may need a certain number of posts before you get those privileges. At least that's what we were doing. It keeps the trolls away. Try doing one more post to see if 10 posts is the magic number. If that doesn't do it I'll PM one of the Staff for you and they can troubleshoot it for you. I'm not on the staff any longer so I don't have access to the admin functions.

All I know is that Webb is the one player who starts on the offensive line who is holding back the line's collective progression as a unit. Even the subs that came in mid-year last season were better than Webb, and they had hardly ever played before.

This is why I consider drafting Brandon Washington as an interesting option. He is apparently a very versatile player who is capable of playing virtually any position along the line. As a second round pick, he has to be better at blocking than the seventh rounder Webb. I would imagine that his foot work is certainly better and that he plays smarter. You're absolutely right soul in that you cannot teach intelligence. Intelligence can grow, but cannot be instilled in a body.

Lets face it. Right now Webb stinks, period. He gets beat to the inside, outside, bull rushed & commits mind numbing penalities. He's a giant with some talent & he may develop into a solid starter one day but in the meantime his on the job training is going to get Cutler killed. We can't chip every play so if we can't find a proven starter in FA I think we have to draft one early. I agree with 247 about Matt Reynolds. I haven't seen him play but everything I read about him says he blocks through the whistle & is an impressive pass blocker. I also like Mike Adams from OSU, another big guy like Webb but seems to have a clue on how to play LT. I thought he played pretty good in the Senior Bowl. Hopefully one of these fall to us in the 2nd round but that might be wishful thinking.

I haven't followed Brandon Washington much but most everything I read about him is he could play tackle but his best position is OG. But hey, these so called experts are wrong just as much as they are right so who the hell knows?

FWIW here's the NFP scouting reports on both Washington and Reynolds. Nothing here tells me either one of these guys could replace Webb at LT. Teams are extraordinarily lucky if they can get a starting LT after the 2nd round. Neither of these guys has the goods for it although Washington ranks as a decent OG with a 2nd round or 3rd round grade. At least this is how the scouts for NFP rate these guys.

BRANDON WASHINGTON OG, Miami

• 2011 GRADE: 6.9 D HT: 6-4 WT: 320
• Overview

• Scouting Report

What I like…

- A thick, naturally strong kid with a muscular set of legs and good girth through the base.

- Possesses good length for his size and has the length to consistently gain leverage into contact.

- Has experience at both guard and tackle and offers some versatility to an NFL offensive line.

- Possesses the ability to bend, sink his hips and keep his base/feet under him.

- Showcases natural athleticism for a big man with the range to reach speed off the edge in pass protection and push explosive defenders past the pocket.

- Exhibits natural fluidity in the hips when asked to mirror inside. Displays good balance/coordination with his footwork through contact and can easily push defenders past the play.

- Demonstrates "plus" recovery ability for his size and can quickly make up for a false step, slide laterally and cover the necessary ground.

- Extends his arms well into contact in the pass game and once he gains leverage can sink his hips and anchor with consistency inside.

- Showcases a natural feel picking up blitzing linebackers from the second level and stonewalling them on contact.

- Is a naturally powerful kid who can create a push in-line in the run game through contact once he drops his pad level and starts churning his legs. Has the power to overwhelm.

- Showcases good initial quickness off the snap, is quick footed getting around defenders and sealing on the outside.

- Exhibits a snap through the hips when reaching blocks off his frame and can collapse the pocket down from the backside.

- Is a "plus" athlete on the move, takes good angles into contact, showcases good range and breaks down well in space.

- Can drop his pad level quickly and cut down defenders on contact both at the line of scrimmage and down the field.

- Has a bit of a mean streak, will finish blocks and plays hard through the whistle.

- Has a ton of upside Has never really had a chance to just focus on one position and the skill set is there for him to develop his technique at one spot quickly.

What I don't like…

- Has never become real natural as a technician at either guard or tackle. Has moved back and forth between the two spots, which stunted his growth a bit.

- In pass protection on the edge, he doesn't do a great job sitting into his base initially on contact, tends to double over at the waist and will lose his balance and give up leverage because of it.

- Has a tendency to get inconsistent with his footwork laterally. Is more athlete than technician and you will see his footwork get inconsistent, as he gets really overextended at times and too often goes into recovery mode quickly because of it.

- Isn't a great puncher into contact either, is heavy handed and can stick through contact, but needs to do a better job keeping himself clean at the point with a compact jolt.

- Doesn't do a great job working in tandem with his center/guard combo at this stage, will blow some assignments and give up penetration because of it.

- Tends to pop upright in the run game after his initial step and then buckle at the waist into contact as an in-line guy.

- Gets most of his push in-line through contact and not initially off the snap, needs to do a better job keeping his pad level down through contact.

Impression: The talent is there for this guy to mature into a guard you can win with consistently inside at the next level. He needs to improve his pad level in the in-line game and tighten up his footwork in all areas. However, with a year of seasoning he certainly should mature into an above-average guard in the NFL with the talent to start at right tackle as well.


(Dags, look at his scouting report. He has no chance of being a first day starter at LT so the idea that he could come in and beat Webb out is misguided. From reading this I'd say he doesn't have the footwork or the technique to even be a LT period. At his best he's an OG or RT in the NFL and even there they don't feel he's gonna be an immediate starter.)



MATT REYNOLDS OT, BYU

• 2011 GRADE: 5.7 T HT: 6-4 WT: 305
• Overview

• Scouting Report

A thickly built offensive line prospect with a sloppy mid-section, Reynolds needs to cut down some of the unnecessary stomach girth and doesn't look real long armed on tape. He possesses good coordination in pass protection when asked to mirror in space or through contact. He also showcases natural fluidity in his hips and can re-direct when need be as long as he has his feet under him. He has improved a bit with his mechanics this season, doing a better job trying to tighten up his footwork and keep his base down, but that's still a work in progress. Reynolds allows himself to get too upright at times; he gets overextended with his feet and can be slow to re-direct and mirror, especially off the snap. Also, he needs to improve his overall hand location into blocks, he's more of a catcher off the edge, doesn't showcase a real jarring punch and too often gets his hands outside the frame of defenders, exposing his chest. He possesses the natural strength at the college level to get away with it, but he still has some work to do in that area. He lacks ideal range when asked to reach speed off the edge, and he's routinely forced to open up his hips and lunge into defenders, attempting to push them past the pocket. He does understand angles, but lacks the athleticism to hold up on the left side at the next level.

He's at his best in the run game when asked to step and seal on the edge, doing a great job quickly getting into defenders, locking on with his strong hands and finishing blocks on the perimeter. He also possesses the coordination to stick to defenders through the play and likes to finish blocks, showcasing a bit of a mean streak through the play. Reynolds has some initial pop in the run game as well, displaying the flexibility to sit into his stance, keep his pad level down and create a jolt on contact when asked to play in a phone booth. However, the more space he's asked to block in, the less effective he is. He has a tendency to allow his pad level to rise when forced to reach defenders off his frame, and he really struggles to stay engaged through slide down blocks, as his feet really seem to get heavy as he lacks ideal athleticism. He showcases good body control when asked to break down in space and seal at the second level, but again he displays only average range on the move.

Impression: An overhyped college left tackle who looks better suited to play right tackle in the NFL. He is a bit older than most prospects as well and looks more like a reserve at best to me.





(Reynolds ranks significantly lower than Washington. His grade indicates he may be a long shot to even make an NFL roster as anything but a reserve. He's not very athletic, has a bad body and short arms all things that would hurt him as a LT at the next level. He's a lower round pick or an UDFA at best and I'd say he has no shot at beating Webb out either)

I guess you killed my theory, soul. lol

Originally Posted by soulman

FWIW here's the NFP scouting reports on both Washington and Reynolds. Nothing here tells me either one of these guys could replace Webb at LT. Teams are extraordinarily lucky if they can get a starting LT after the 2nd round. Neither of these guys has the goods for it although Washington ranks as a decent OG with a 2nd round or 3rd round grade. At least this is how the scouts for NFP rate these guys.

BRANDON WASHINGTON OG, Miami

• 2011 GRADE: 6.9 D HT: 6-4 WT: 320
• Overview

• Scouting Report

What I like…

- A thick, naturally strong kid with a muscular set of legs and good girth through the base.

- Possesses good length for his size and has the length to consistently gain leverage into contact.

- Has experience at both guard and tackle and offers some versatility to an NFL offensive line.

- Possesses the ability to bend, sink his hips and keep his base/feet under him.

- Showcases natural athleticism for a big man with the range to reach speed off the edge in pass protection and push explosive defenders past the pocket.

- Exhibits natural fluidity in the hips when asked to mirror inside. Displays good balance/coordination with his footwork through contact and can easily push defenders past the play.

- Demonstrates "plus" recovery ability for his size and can quickly make up for a false step, slide laterally and cover the necessary ground.

- Extends his arms well into contact in the pass game and once he gains leverage can sink his hips and anchor with consistency inside.

- Showcases a natural feel picking up blitzing linebackers from the second level and stonewalling them on contact.

- Is a naturally powerful kid who can create a push in-line in the run game through contact once he drops his pad level and starts churning his legs. Has the power to overwhelm.

- Showcases good initial quickness off the snap, is quick footed getting around defenders and sealing on the outside.

- Exhibits a snap through the hips when reaching blocks off his frame and can collapse the pocket down from the backside.

- Is a "plus" athlete on the move, takes good angles into contact, showcases good range and breaks down well in space.

- Can drop his pad level quickly and cut down defenders on contact both at the line of scrimmage and down the field.

- Has a bit of a mean streak, will finish blocks and plays hard through the whistle.

- Has a ton of upside Has never really had a chance to just focus on one position and the skill set is there for him to develop his technique at one spot quickly.

What I don't like…

- Has never become real natural as a technician at either guard or tackle. Has moved back and forth between the two spots, which stunted his growth a bit.

- In pass protection on the edge, he doesn't do a great job sitting into his base initially on contact, tends to double over at the waist and will lose his balance and give up leverage because of it.

- Has a tendency to get inconsistent with his footwork laterally. Is more athlete than technician and you will see his footwork get inconsistent, as he gets really overextended at times and too often goes into recovery mode quickly because of it.

- Isn't a great puncher into contact either, is heavy handed and can stick through contact, but needs to do a better job keeping himself clean at the point with a compact jolt.

- Doesn't do a great job working in tandem with his center/guard combo at this stage, will blow some assignments and give up penetration because of it.

- Tends to pop upright in the run game after his initial step and then buckle at the waist into contact as an in-line guy.

- Gets most of his push in-line through contact and not initially off the snap, needs to do a better job keeping his pad level down through contact.

Impression: The talent is there for this guy to mature into a guard you can win with consistently inside at the next level. He needs to improve his pad level in the in-line game and tighten up his footwork in all areas. However, with a year of seasoning he certainly should mature into an above-average guard in the NFL with the talent to start at right tackle as well.


(Dags, look at his scouting report. He has no chance of being a first day starter at LT so the idea that he could come in and beat Webb out is misguided. From reading this I'd say he doesn't have the footwork or the technique to even be a LT period. At his best he's an OG or RT in the NFL and even there they don't feel he's gonna be an immediate starter.)



MATT REYNOLDS OT, BYU

• 2011 GRADE: 5.7 T HT: 6-4 WT: 305
• Overview

• Scouting Report

A thickly built offensive line prospect with a sloppy mid-section, Reynolds needs to cut down some of the unnecessary stomach girth and doesn't look real long armed on tape. He possesses good coordination in pass protection when asked to mirror in space or through contact. He also showcases natural fluidity in his hips and can re-direct when need be as long as he has his feet under him. He has improved a bit with his mechanics this season, doing a better job trying to tighten up his footwork and keep his base down, but that's still a work in progress. Reynolds allows himself to get too upright at times; he gets overextended with his feet and can be slow to re-direct and mirror, especially off the snap. Also, he needs to improve his overall hand location into blocks, he's more of a catcher off the edge, doesn't showcase a real jarring punch and too often gets his hands outside the frame of defenders, exposing his chest. He possesses the natural strength at the college level to get away with it, but he still has some work to do in that area. He lacks ideal range when asked to reach speed off the edge, and he's routinely forced to open up his hips and lunge into defenders, attempting to push them past the pocket. He does understand angles, but lacks the athleticism to hold up on the left side at the next level.

He's at his best in the run game when asked to step and seal on the edge, doing a great job quickly getting into defenders, locking on with his strong hands and finishing blocks on the perimeter. He also possesses the coordination to stick to defenders through the play and likes to finish blocks, showcasing a bit of a mean streak through the play. Reynolds has some initial pop in the run game as well, displaying the flexibility to sit into his stance, keep his pad level down and create a jolt on contact when asked to play in a phone booth. However, the more space he's asked to block in, the less effective he is. He has a tendency to allow his pad level to rise when forced to reach defenders off his frame, and he really struggles to stay engaged through slide down blocks, as his feet really seem to get heavy as he lacks ideal athleticism. He showcases good body control when asked to break down in space and seal at the second level, but again he displays only average range on the move.

Impression: An overhyped college left tackle who looks better suited to play right tackle in the NFL. He is a bit older than most prospects as well and looks more like a reserve at best to me.





(Reynolds ranks significantly lower than Washington. His grade indicates he may be a long shot to even make an NFL roster as anything but a reserve. He's not very athletic, has a bad body and short arms all things that would hurt him as a LT at the next level. He's a lower round pick or an UDFA at best and I'd say he has no shot at beating Webb out either)

Good info Soulman. This is one of the places I read about Reynolds. Walterfootball.com

But if he can't play LT then we don't need him. I would be happy with Adams, although I've heard coflicting reports about him as well. At least I've seen him play a few times & he looked good. I just hope the Bears get it right, whoever it is.


I'm not sure how the 1. got on there. I think they rated him #8.

1. Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 325.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.20.
   Projected Round (2011): 2-3.
   12/14/11: Reynolds had a dominant performance against Ole Miss to start the season. Reynolds was blocking his man through the whistle and shut down every defensive end he faced. Against Texas and TCU, Reynolds was not as dominant but still had a quality performances. Right now, he is a better pass blocker than run blocker. While bull rushes were completely ineffective against Reynolds, he also showed the quick feet to drop back and mirror defenders on speed rushes. Reynolds needs to improve his run blocking and tenacity in the ground game.
   
   8/20/11: Matt Reynolds has had a fantastic career at BYU. He almost entered the 2011 NFL Draft, but decided to return for his senior year. Reynolds has gotten into better shape by converting some fat into muscle. He's a tough run blocker who has been developing his pass blocking. The athletic Reynolds is well-coached. BYU offensive line coach Mark Weber developed Logan Makins at Fresno State, and he speaks of Reynolds as being a comparable prospect to Mankins. A major drawback to Reynolds is that he will be a 25 year-old rookie. However, Eagles rookie guard Danny Watkins is 27 and Falcons defensive tackle Peria Jerry was 24 as a rookie, and they both were first-rounders. Thus, the age issue shouldn't hurt Reynolds too much.

Originally Posted by soulman

If it comes down to a BPA thing yeah, that could happen. The problem is Konz doesn't do much to help now unless they shift Garza back to RG. The issue with DeCastro is that the guy is a great pass blocker so you may want to play him at LG which is where CWill plays. Before he was injured CWill probably graded out as the best lineman on the team. So what happens to him. Do you move him back to LT to compete with Webb. That would make perfect sense if he can play LT but up to this point he's proven that he can't.

Bottom line is spending a first round pick on an interior lineman creates even more of a logjam than there already is unless you can shift some guys around to their benefit.

LT was Chris Williams' natural position when he was at Vanderbilt, so of course he would be able to compete with Webb. I'm not at all convinced that he can't play the position because he was never given ample opportunity to play there and yet be successful. Based on the fact that he was drafted to be our LT in the first round, he has to have more talent than Webb. I don't get the fixation that Webb is so good when people complain about him and yet when a person offers a viable solution, it gets shot all to hell.

Originally Posted by Dagan81

I guess you killed my theory, soul. lol

Oh.....it's you again.

Seriously though, Cordy Glenn was another guy brought up as a possible 1st round pick with the thought of having him play LT but from what I can see in these scouting reports these guys are either OG's or no more than RT's in the NFL. They both have limitations that I don't believe they could overcome as a LT.

This is one of those years where there are actually several top LT prospects but the question is how long will they last. Tice wants OT's who can play OG not the other way around so I'm thinking Glenn and Washington don't fit his concepts for his lineman. JMO

Somewhere in the second tier is a good LT prospect who may take a year or two to develop and that's who we should be looking for IMHO. Sox watches these guys a lot whereas I'm pretty much going off of the scouting reports. Maybe he has some different thoughts so ask him to chime in on some of these guys. I just can't see us using a high pick on an OG unless we plan on playing him there and moving CWill.