Sunday, April 29, 2007

OL Doug Free is now a Cowboy

FROM NFL DRAFTCOUNTDOWN: DAY ONE PICK

Strengths:
Has good size with long arms and a big frame...Has outstanding feet...Very good athlete for the position...Agile and quick with great mobility...Superb balance and body control...Can pull, get out into space and reach the second level...He rarely gets beat outside and can recover from mistakes...Extremely durable and will play through pain...Smart and a hard worker...Great motor...Has a ton of experience.

Weaknesses:
Needs to get stronger and bulk up...Is not overly powerful or dominant and lacks a great initial punch...Does not always finish plays and lacks a killer instinct...Has to play with better leverage...Can get knocked back as a pass protector and does not get a big push in the run game...Did not always play against top competition.

Notes:
Former tight end...Was a four-year starter...May be looked at as a guard by some teams...He battled groin and foot injuries as a senior which led to a decline in play but to his credit he didn't miss any games...Much better prospect than former NIU Husky and current Indianapolis Colt starter Ryan Diem was coming out...More of a finesse blocker but has the physical tools and ability to potentially play left tackle.