Staley info, too:
TALE OF THE TAPE Thomas Height 6-7 Weight 311 40 time 4.92 Short shuttle 4.85 3-cone 7.88 Vertical 33" Broad jump 9'2" Arm 32½" Hand 9¾" 225lb bench 28 reps
Brown Height 6-5 Weight 328 40 time 5.32 Short shuttle 4.82 3-cone 7.81 Vertical 28.5" Broad jump 8'7" Arm 34 3/8" Hand 10¼" 225lb bench 31 reps
PROS Thomas: Thomas, a tight end and defensive end at the start of his career, grades out as an above-average athlete for the position. However, his stock rose as he was able to increase his weight by nearly 20 pounds while rehabbing from a knee injury that occurred at the Capital One Bowl in 2006. His added strength helped him become a more effective blocker at the point of attack. His strong hands allow him to create a violent punch off the snap, but his signature trademarks are his footwork and athleticism, which allow him to adjust and handle edge pass rushers. For a player of his stature, he is able to stay low and fires off the ball with a good amount of power, though he could stand to get more consistent in this area. A very bright guy in the classroom, he works as hard in the film room as he does in the weight room. He plays with both patience and aggression as he does not get penalized and is rarely beaten with the same move. His makeup and all-around skill level gives him a very attractive package for a team with a high draft choice as he would appear to be an extremely "safe" choice.
Brown: Few scouts would argue that when Brown plays his "A" game, he is a force to be reckoned with as both a drive blocker and when handling most outside pass rushers. His natural size makes him a hard guy to beat in one-on-one situations. He also displays good footwork and blocking downfield, but needs to keep a close eye on his weight and conditioning. He shows the flexibility to stay with defenders that use a lot of stunts and twists, though he's still more of a mauler type. Although he played the majority of his college downs on the left side, his size and aggressiveness could allow for an initial move to the right side for a team that has a veteran starting left tackle. He’s a smart kid who graduated in 3½ years, so he should be able to learn to cut down o
CONS Thomas: Thomas has two things working against him right now. First, the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals, who were thought to be top contenders for his services, have made free agent moves along the offensive line. Second, he does not have really long arms (32 ½ inches) which, when compared to a similar-sized tackle like Doug Free (36") or even an under-sized guard/center like Josh Beekman (32"), raises concerns. Although a few inches seem minor, a shorter-armed tackle can struggle with allowing pass rushers to get into his body. The fact that he is a naturally right-handed person, which is not his outside or lead hand when lined up at left tackle, is a further cause of concern. He made much better use of his hands as a senior, but that will be a critical area in terms of creating a consistent jolt/impact. His right knee injury passed all postseason examinations, so that does not seem to be a real issue with teams.
In fact, there's talk that Central Michigan's Joe Staley has impressed evaluators so much that some teams have explored the idea of dropping down or trading up for him instead of using a high pick on Thomas.
Brown: His detractors see a bit of an underachiever who may never live up to the vast natural ability he possesses. This stems from the fact that he takes off too many plays, gets high in his stance off the snap and fails to produce ideal results when there is a lapse in concentration on the field. He had a total of seven penalties the past two seasons. He also missed a pair of games after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee, the same knee that he sprained two years earlier, and was out of shape for several more weeks after his return last season. There are still some that feel he could eventually need a cleanout procedure on that knee. On the field, he can over-extend and get sloppy with his technique when he starts to wear down, so playing for an up-tempo position coach that is more of a motivator than pacifier would really help aid in the development of his game. The wear and tear of the NFL concerns me some when evaluating his overall potential as he seems vulnerable to a slow return from an injury and showing up to training camp at 350 one year.
p.s. I like the long arms on Doug Free (36")
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jm-prosconstackles041807&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
TALE OF THE TAPE Thomas Height 6-7 Weight 311 40 time 4.92 Short shuttle 4.85 3-cone 7.88 Vertical 33" Broad jump 9'2" Arm 32½" Hand 9¾" 225lb bench 28 reps
Brown Height 6-5 Weight 328 40 time 5.32 Short shuttle 4.82 3-cone 7.81 Vertical 28.5" Broad jump 8'7" Arm 34 3/8" Hand 10¼" 225lb bench 31 reps
Brown: Few scouts would argue that when Brown plays his "A" game, he is a force to be reckoned with as both a drive blocker and when handling most outside pass rushers. His natural size makes him a hard guy to beat in one-on-one situations. He also displays good footwork and blocking downfield, but needs to keep a close eye on his weight and conditioning. He shows the flexibility to stay with defenders that use a lot of stunts and twists, though he's still more of a mauler type. Although he played the majority of his college downs on the left side, his size and aggressiveness could allow for an initial move to the right side for a team that has a veteran starting left tackle. He’s a smart kid who graduated in 3½ years, so he should be able to learn to cut down o
CONS Thomas: Thomas has two things working against him right now. First, the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals, who were thought to be top contenders for his services, have made free agent moves along the offensive line. Second, he does not have really long arms (32 ½ inches) which, when compared to a similar-sized tackle like Doug Free (36") or even an under-sized guard/center like Josh Beekman (32"), raises concerns. Although a few inches seem minor, a shorter-armed tackle can struggle with allowing pass rushers to get into his body. The fact that he is a naturally right-handed person, which is not his outside or lead hand when lined up at left tackle, is a further cause of concern. He made much better use of his hands as a senior, but that will be a critical area in terms of creating a consistent jolt/impact. His right knee injury passed all postseason examinations, so that does not seem to be a real issue with teams.
In fact, there's talk that Central Michigan's Joe Staley has impressed evaluators so much that some teams have explored the idea of dropping down or trading up for him instead of using a high pick on Thomas.
Brown: His detractors see a bit of an underachiever who may never live up to the vast natural ability he possesses. This stems from the fact that he takes off too many plays, gets high in his stance off the snap and fails to produce ideal results when there is a lapse in concentration on the field. He had a total of seven penalties the past two seasons. He also missed a pair of games after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee, the same knee that he sprained two years earlier, and was out of shape for several more weeks after his return last season. There are still some that feel he could eventually need a cleanout procedure on that knee. On the field, he can over-extend and get sloppy with his technique when he starts to wear down, so playing for an up-tempo position coach that is more of a motivator than pacifier would really help aid in the development of his game. The wear and tear of the NFL concerns me some when evaluating his overall potential as he seems vulnerable to a slow return from an injury and showing up to training camp at 350 one year.
p.s. I like the long arms on Doug Free (36")
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jm-prosconstackles041807&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
