Dispatches from Senior Bowl practice

[NUance]

anyone ever wondered if niles could have played running back?

Back to your original question, I'm not sure why we never gave Niles a look at RB. He played WR at Omaha North (back when Phillip Bates was QB) and we just kept him at WR. Niles was/is a great athlete. And I think he could have been an FBS caliber RB. But NU was pretty deep at RB when Niles was a frosh. That, and back then it looked like we were going to have greater needs at WR from then on.

The thought of him having that many opportunities to get his buttery hands on the ball as a RB terrifies me. Glad he stayed at WR.

Ha ha! Yeah, but Niles didn't seem to fumble as much on kick off returns. And his fumbles *seemed* worse and were remembered more. Because we lost more of them. Niles fumbles happened out in the secondary, instead of in our own backfield.

 

[n.e.husker]

Nice catch-up on Mike McNeil, also mentions Keith Williams signed with an agent.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-report/article_0eb051d4-2aff-11e0-98a9-0017a4a78c22.html

Monday, the first day of practice, was an adjustment because McNeill didn't really play tight end as a Cornhuskers senior. He played in the slot, or he played out wide as a flanker or split end. "I was playing all receiver, so it was a little bit different," he said.
So he was a little rusty at the start of the week dropping down into a three-point stance and blocking in-line.

"Shoot, I haven't been in a 3-point stance in over a year," McNeill said. "I haven't blocked a defensive end in a year. So it was a little different, but it was fun."

 

[n.e.husker]

http://www.omaha.com/section/BIGRED03

Helu has drawn steady praise from those covering practices this week in Mobile, Ala.
Scott Wright of NFL Draft Countdown on Tuesday said Helu looked good running the football and “showed a great burst.” That followed Wright on Monday saying Helu “might have been the most impressive runner on the field today, garnering a lot of praise.”

According to Bleacher Report on Thursday, “his speed and acceleration are both better than scouts had previously noted.” SI.com said Helu was “Wednesday’s most complete back, showing a tremendous burst as well as speed carrying the ball. His ability to elude defenders was better than expected.”

The pass-catching of Helu also has received notice, although there have been some question marks with his his pass-blocking.

NU receiver/tight end Mike McNeill: “McNeill presents a big target and looks like he is using better footwork while running routes than earlier in the week. McNeill seems like a pure pass-catcher at the next level.”

 

[GMoose]

http://www.omaha.com/section/BIGRED03

Helu has drawn steady praise from those covering practices this week in Mobile, Ala.
Scott Wright of NFL Draft Countdown on Tuesday said Helu looked good running the football and “showed a great burst.” That followed Wright on Monday saying Helu “might have been the most impressive runner on the field today, garnering a lot of praise.”

According to Bleacher Report on Thursday, “his speed and acceleration are both better than scouts had previously noted.” SI.com said Helu was “Wednesday’s most complete back, showing a tremendous burst as well as speed carrying the ball. His ability to elude defenders was better than expected.”

The pass-catching of Helu also has received notice, although there have been some question marks with his his pass-blocking.

NU receiver/tight end Mike McNeill: “McNeill presents a big target and looks like he is using better footwork while running routes than earlier in the week. McNeill seems like a pure pass-catcher at the next level.”

To attest to what knapp said in an earlier post, I read from another source that Helu's pass pro was one of his strongest features. I'll wait for the actual scouts to say something before taking this stuff too seriously.

 

[GM_Tood]

"McNeil seems like a pure pass-catcher at the next level.” - He had what, 14 catches this year? What a waste of good talent. I hope nothing but the best for this kid.

 

[GMoose]

"McNeil seems like a pure pass-catcher at the next level.” - He had what, 14 catches this year? What a waste of good talent. I hope nothing but the best for this kid.

They're looking at it from a talent standpoint, not so much production. I've read McNeil's been opening eyes with some pretty acrobatic catches. If he can impress scouts, that's all that really matters... at this point.

 

[n.e.husker]

"McNeil seems like a pure pass-catcher at the next level.” - He had what, 14 catches this year? What a waste of good talent. I hope nothing but the best for this kid.

21 receptions 346 yrds and 1 td. He was wasted this year, but i see him as a dallas clark type player in theNFL. A consistant target for the QB over the middle and down the seam.

 

[knapplc]

"McNeil seems like a pure pass-catcher at the next level.” - He had what, 14 catches this year? What a waste of good talent. I hope nothing but the best for this kid.

21 receptions 346 yrds and 1 td. He was wasted this year, but i see him as a dallas clark type player in theNFL. A consistant target for the QB over the middle and down the seam.

I agree. He has that kind of usefulness.

McNeill's misuse this year was collateral damage from the decision to start Martinez. If Lee starts, likely we're a better passing team and guys like McNeill and Paul have much better cases walking in the door to the NFL. Starting Martinez may have cost these two a round or two each in the draft, which sucks for them, but in the long-term health of the Huskers, it's probably going to be a net benefit.

At least, I hope it is. :mellow:

 

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I agree with some of the above posts, we have all of this offensive firepower that is getting noticed by people across the nation now that they're gone. It really adds to the aggravation of our offense lately.

 

[n.e.husker]

http://huskerextra.com/sports/football/article_5edf82f7-14ae-54c6-8250-ec272e838ff9.html

Of the six Nebraska players in action Saturday in Mobile, Ala. -- kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on the NFL Network -- three play skill positions: running back Roy Helu, tight end Mike McNeill and wide receiver Niles Paul. Each has an excellent chance to be selected during the April 28-30 NFL Draft.
Helu and McNeill bolstered their stock this week with strong Senior Bowl practices, NFL Network analyst Charles Davis told me Friday.

Having three skill-position players drafted in one year would qualify as significant news for Nebraska, which had a not-so-grand total of three skill-position guys selected in the past nine drafts combined: running back Brandon Jackson in 2007, and tight end Tracey Wistrom and quarterback Eric Crouch (chosen as a wideout) in 2002.

 

[mmmtodd]

"McNeil seems like a pure pass-catcher at the next level.” - He had what, 14 catches this year? What a waste of good talent. I hope nothing but the best for this kid.

21 receptions 346 yrds and 1 td. He was wasted this year, but i see him as a dallas clark type player in theNFL. A consistant target for the QB over the middle and down the seam.

I agree. He has that kind of usefulness.

McNeill's misuse this year was collateral damage from the decision to start Martinez. If Lee starts, likely we're a better passing team and guys like McNeill and Paul have much better cases walking in the door to the NFL. Starting Martinez may have cost these two a round or two each in the draft, which sucks for them, but in the long-term health of the Huskers, it's probably going to be a net benefit.

At least, I hope it is. :mellow:

its easy to lay it on martinez, but another angle i think is the real issue is when you throw in a guy like chris brooks, that was a ghost while at nebraska (with lee as his QB, 14 catches, 179 yards), goes and makes an NFL roster. to me that falls back more on a certain WR coach and/or the offensive staff in general not being able to utilize talent correctly.

even with martinez starting, the move of mcneill from tight in to the 'adjuster' position by the offensive staff was the real reason he was 'wasted'...our best set of hands was regularly featured on the sideline all year.

 

[Blackshirt316]

Amazing how talented our guys seem to be at these things but our offensive staff can't maximize that talent while they play here. Our offensive coach em up ability is almost as bad as it was with the last staff on D.

 

[knapplc]

its easy to lay it on martinez, but another angle i think is the real issue is when you throw in a guy like chris brooks, that was a ghost while at nebraska (with lee as his QB, 14 catches, 179 yards), goes and makes an NFL roster. to me that falls back more on a certain WR coach and/or the offensive staff in general not being able to utilize talent correctly.

even with martinez starting, the move of mcneill from tight in to the 'adjuster' position by the offensive staff was the real reason he was 'wasted'...our best set of hands was regularly featured on the sideline all year.

That's a good point, and I don't want it to seem like I was throwing Martinez under the bus. Mostly I was commenting on the repercussions of starting any Freshman. Nothing specific about Marty.

 

[knapplc]

I'm not going to post specifics, but it seems like Roy Helu, Jr. made a lot of heads turn this week. He's solidly at #3 behind Kendall Hunter and DeMarco Murray. Interesting that the top three RBs in the draft likely will come from the Big XII. Lots of talent around here.

I didn't find much about anyone else from yesterday's practices, but then again I'm not looking that hard today. Busy day.

Here's hoping everyone has a solid game, and impresses the scouts. Every guy on the roster has a chance and the ability to shine.

 

[zoogs]

its easy to lay it on martinez, but another angle i think is the real issue is when you throw in a guy like chris brooks, that was a ghost while at nebraska (with lee as his QB, 14 catches, 179 yards), goes and makes an NFL roster. to me that falls back more on a certain WR coach and/or the offensive staff in general not being able to utilize talent correctly.

even with martinez starting, the move of mcneill from tight in to the 'adjuster' position by the offensive staff was the real reason he was 'wasted'...our best set of hands was regularly featured on the sideline all year.

I think it has been noted a few times (not sure) that McNeil himself was the impetus for that move. Some moves are just portrayed as mutual decisions when it's really the coaches call, but I think McNeil wanted this. And it would have been great...if he had been given the opportunities. We saw at the end of the year (OU I believe) a few times when we really tried to get the ball to McNeil since the role he had been worked into was just being ignored.

Brooks is a completely different situation. Supposedly one of the more talented receivers we had on the roster, but he couldn't get onto the field. Understandable when you had Nunn, Purify, Swift in front of him, but even after that he did not get many chances on the field. That was frustrating. 14 catches his senior year? That is a surprisingly high number to me.

Knapp, you're forgetting about Mark Ingram, who is head and shoulders above any other RB in the draft. Are there any other stud junior RBs? I'm glad Helu is showing up well, though.