Top 5: Third-year breakout players
Posted: December 5, 2007
http://www.sportingnews.com
First, a confession: There's so much talent from the 2005 draft class that we had to bend the rules and select nine players (from five teams) who have emerged as the most impressive during the '07 season:
1. Derek Anderson, QB, and Braylon Edwards, WR, Browns. Anderson is the latest sixth-rounder turned into star quarterback, following in the footsteps of Tom Brady and Marc Bulger. The Ravens drafted him out of Oregon State, but they thought they already had their young franchise QB in Kyle Boller. Don't forget, the Browns didn't think Anderson was their man going into this season, either, as they traded to draft Brady Quinn and then chose to start Charlie Frye over Anderson in a forgettable Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh. Now they need to lock him up, a la the Cowboys with Tony Romo earlier this season. Anderson also has an uncanny rapport with Edwards, making them the breakout passing combination of '07. Edwards has always had immense talent -- now he has a 6-6 passer who can find him all over the field for big plays. Edwards has risen above all former Michigan receivers with his great hands, leaping ability and explosiveness. He and tight end Kellen Winslow give Cleveland two receivers who can dominate one-on-one matchups for many years to come.
2. Marcus Spears, DE; Chris Canty, DE; and DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Cowboys. The '05 draft was when former coach Bill Parcells built the Cowboys for the transition to a strong 3-4 defense, and he hit on all three vital components. Ware and Spears were both first-rounders, and Canty, a fourth-rounder, has joined them as key defenders in the Cowboys' stout front seven. Ware already broke out with double-digit sacks last season, but all three edge players have improved their all-around play under coach Wade Phillips. The three have combined for 14 sacks in 12 games and are anchors of the league's fourth-ranked run defense.
3. Michael Boley, OLB, and Roddy White, WR, Falcons. Michael Vick has dominated Atlanta football headlines, but a couple of guys who managed to stay on the field look like long-term keepers after slow starts to their careers. Boley, a fifth-round steal from Southern Miss, has become a tackling and playmaking machine working from the strong side. He is just as adept at flying to ballcarriers and quarterbacks as he is dropping back to cover tight ends. The highlight of Boley's season was his sacking Peyton Manning three times on Thanksgiving night.
White, like other recent Falcons wide receivers, was known for dropping balls and struggling in his routes before this season. But as tends to happen with talented wideouts, everything has clicked in his third year. Despite the uncertainty at quarterback, White, finally playing up to his first-round status, is only 80 yards away from a 1,000-yard season, and is coming off a career-best day against the Rams with 10 catches for 146 yards and his fourth TD of '07.
4. Trent Cole, DE, Eagles. Cole is the latest late-round defensive gem for the Eagles, a team that typically prefers to let free-agent veterans walk in favor of emerging youth. Cole, a fifth-rounder out of Cincinnati, has steadily increased his sack total in his first three seasons, from 5 in '05 to 8 in '06 to 9.5 in only 12 games this year. He has become a disruptive upfield force who is a perfect fit in defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's aggressive pass-rush scheme.
5. Barrett Ruud, MLB, Buccaneers. The Bucs' defense has enjoyed a resurgence, and Ruud, a second-round pick out of Nebraska, is a big reason why. He's been a prolific and tough tackler in the middle, a fine complement to the speed and quickness of outside linebackers Cato June and Derrick Brooks. He's also built for the Tampa 2 and its zone coverage: He closes ground in a hurry and quickly makes plays in front of him. He also has a pair of interceptions on the season.
http://www.sportingnews.com
First, a confession: There's so much talent from the 2005 draft class that we had to bend the rules and select nine players (from five teams) who have emerged as the most impressive during the '07 season:
1. Derek Anderson, QB, and Braylon Edwards, WR, Browns. Anderson is the latest sixth-rounder turned into star quarterback, following in the footsteps of Tom Brady and Marc Bulger. The Ravens drafted him out of Oregon State, but they thought they already had their young franchise QB in Kyle Boller. Don't forget, the Browns didn't think Anderson was their man going into this season, either, as they traded to draft Brady Quinn and then chose to start Charlie Frye over Anderson in a forgettable Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh. Now they need to lock him up, a la the Cowboys with Tony Romo earlier this season. Anderson also has an uncanny rapport with Edwards, making them the breakout passing combination of '07. Edwards has always had immense talent -- now he has a 6-6 passer who can find him all over the field for big plays. Edwards has risen above all former Michigan receivers with his great hands, leaping ability and explosiveness. He and tight end Kellen Winslow give Cleveland two receivers who can dominate one-on-one matchups for many years to come.
2. Marcus Spears, DE; Chris Canty, DE; and DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Cowboys. The '05 draft was when former coach Bill Parcells built the Cowboys for the transition to a strong 3-4 defense, and he hit on all three vital components. Ware and Spears were both first-rounders, and Canty, a fourth-rounder, has joined them as key defenders in the Cowboys' stout front seven. Ware already broke out with double-digit sacks last season, but all three edge players have improved their all-around play under coach Wade Phillips. The three have combined for 14 sacks in 12 games and are anchors of the league's fourth-ranked run defense.
3. Michael Boley, OLB, and Roddy White, WR, Falcons. Michael Vick has dominated Atlanta football headlines, but a couple of guys who managed to stay on the field look like long-term keepers after slow starts to their careers. Boley, a fifth-round steal from Southern Miss, has become a tackling and playmaking machine working from the strong side. He is just as adept at flying to ballcarriers and quarterbacks as he is dropping back to cover tight ends. The highlight of Boley's season was his sacking Peyton Manning three times on Thanksgiving night.
White, like other recent Falcons wide receivers, was known for dropping balls and struggling in his routes before this season. But as tends to happen with talented wideouts, everything has clicked in his third year. Despite the uncertainty at quarterback, White, finally playing up to his first-round status, is only 80 yards away from a 1,000-yard season, and is coming off a career-best day against the Rams with 10 catches for 146 yards and his fourth TD of '07.
4. Trent Cole, DE, Eagles. Cole is the latest late-round defensive gem for the Eagles, a team that typically prefers to let free-agent veterans walk in favor of emerging youth. Cole, a fifth-rounder out of Cincinnati, has steadily increased his sack total in his first three seasons, from 5 in '05 to 8 in '06 to 9.5 in only 12 games this year. He has become a disruptive upfield force who is a perfect fit in defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's aggressive pass-rush scheme.
5. Barrett Ruud, MLB, Buccaneers. The Bucs' defense has enjoyed a resurgence, and Ruud, a second-round pick out of Nebraska, is a big reason why. He's been a prolific and tough tackler in the middle, a fine complement to the speed and quickness of outside linebackers Cato June and Derrick Brooks. He's also built for the Tampa 2 and its zone coverage: He closes ground in a hurry and quickly makes plays in front of him. He also has a pair of interceptions on the season.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:31 PM
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