Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-29-2016

April 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Day 2 of the NFL Draft:

Buckeye Recruits React to Draft:

Buckeye Target Trey Sermon goes Boomer Sooner:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Any 2015 Buckeyes Going To Be 2016 Browns?

April 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Growing up in the Cleveland area, I have memories of the Cleveland Browns that are quite vivid. I will passionately argue that The Fumble hurt far more than The Drive. I remember being so disgusted when the Browns traded Chip Banks and drafted Mike Junkin. And I proudly wear and own a Brian Sipe jersey, having been in the stands for Sipe’s last game as a Brown versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1983, before Sipe jumped to the USFL.

The heartaches and frustrations of the Cleveland Browns fanbase are too many to write; it is painful enough that I remember them. One of the most puzzling decisions the Browns have made since their NFL return in 1999 has been to continually ignore and neglect selecting players from Ohio State.

Yes, I know that the Browns have former Buckeyes Brian Hartline and Terrelle Pryor on the roster. Former Buckeye Simon Fraser played for the Browns as an undrafted free agent from 2005-2007. And I also remember that the Browns drafted former Buckeyes Darnell Sanders in 2002 and Brian Robiskie in 2009. But that’s it – 2 players on the current roster, with a grand total of 5 Buckeyes from 1999 through 2015.

Compare and contrast that with the Pittsburgh Steelers. From 2001, when the Steelers selected Rodney Bailey in the sixth round, the Steelers have picked a total of 8 Buckeyes. The most recent selection was in the 2015 NFL Draft, when Pittsburgh picked Doran Grant in the 4th round. Mike Adams, Doran Grant, Cameron Heyward, and Ryan Shazier are all on the Steelers roster – considering Grant grew up in Akron, and the Browns have a need at cornerback, wouldn’t it be nice to see Grant playing for Cleveland instead of Pittsburgh?

Back to my point. With so many talented Buckeyes in the 2016 NFL Draft, could the Browns wise up and improve their roster with some Buckeyes?

I will quickly add that I do not believe all of the Buckeyes would make sense for the Browns. For example, while Joey Bosa should be a tremendous pro, the Browns are running a 3-4 defense, which would transition Bosa from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker. I am not sure if that would be in Bosa’s best interests as a pro. Besides, I do not believe Bosa will even be on the board for the Browns to pick.

Could Vonn Bell be in the Browns’ draft plans?

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Browns selected Michael Thomas in the second round? How about Nick Vannett in the third round? On day 3 of the draft, picking Jalin Marshall late in the sixth or seventh round? Chase Farris? Tyvis Powell?

Hue Jackson is the latest Cleveland Browns head coach to try and turn around this once proud franchise. A good place to start is to add players from about two and half hours south on I-71.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-28-2016 (Draft Day Edition)

April 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment

2016 NFL Draft Today:

Todd McShay’s Final Mock:

#5 – Joey Bosa – Jacksonville Jaguars

#13 – Ezekiel Elliott – Miami Dolphins

#15 – Taylor Decker – Tennessee Titans

#19 – Darron Lee – Buffalo Bills

#20 – Eli Apple – New York Jets

More Draft Tweets:

Final Mel Kiper Mock Draft:

#4 – Ezekiel Elliott – Dallas Cowboys

#6 – Joey Bosa – Baltimore Ravens

#16 – Taylor Decker – Detroit Lions

#17 – Darron Lee – Atlanta Falcons

#29 – Eli Apple – Arizona Cardinals

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast Bosa Is Not Top 8 Draft Pick

April 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment

This week Ryan Rosko an editor for factoryofsadness.co joins us to discuss the Ohio State
Buckeyes in the draft along with the Cleveland Browns.

We discuss that Ryan doesn’t feel Joey Bosa is a Top 8 draft
pick. The reasons why the Cleveland Browns need to stay away from
Cardale Jones. Can the Buckeyes get 6 players drafted in the first
round of the NFL Draft to tie Miami who set the record in
2004. There was also talk about Eli Apple to the Steelers.

Chip gave us his wish list of the Browns picking Michael Thomas
and Nick Vannett along with giving Chase Farris a shot. Shannon
gives his dream scenario of the Browns drafting Joey Bosa, Michael
Thomas and Cardale Jones. Ryan wishes the Browns don’t trade out of
the 8th spot and taking Ezekiel Elliott.

Filed Under: Cleveland Browns, College Football, NFL Draft, Ohio State Football, Podcast

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-27-2016

April 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment

New 2017 WR Offer to Omar Manning:

2017 DB Prospect Daniel Wright Top 11: 

Buckeye Commit Shaun Wade Army All-American:

Ohio State #1 in Newest ESPN Rankings for 2017:

Buckeyes at the Draft:

Todd McShay’s Top Prospects by Position:

Quarterbacks:

#13 – Cardale Jones

Running Backs:

#1 – Ezekiel Elliott

Wide Receivers:

#5 – Michael Thomas

#8 – Braxton Miller

#35 – Jalin Marshall

Tight Ends:

#2 – Nick Vannett

Offensive Tackles:

#4 – Taylor Decker

Defensive Ends:

#1 – Joey Bosa

Defensive Tackles:

#13 – Adolphus Washington

Outside Linebackers:

#3 – Darron Lee

Inside Linebackers:

#2 – Joshua Perry

Cornerbacks:

#4 – Eli Apple

Safties:

#2 – Vonn Bell

#13 – Tyvis Powell

Joey Bosa Signs Endorsement Deal:

 

Nike Signs Zeke:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-26-2016

April 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Sorry for the break in daily social media updates! Heard Around the ‘Shoe is back!

Mel Kiper Jr’s. Last Big Board:

2 – Joey Bosa

8 – Ezekiel Elliott

15 – Darron Lee

16 – Taylor Decker

26 – Vonn Bell

28 – Eli Apple

61 – Joshua Perry

63 – Adolphus Washington

66 – Michael Thomas

70 – Braxton Miller

101 – Nick Vannett

153 – Cardale Jones

171 – Jalin Marshall

179 – Tyvis Powell

Todd McShay’s Tier’d Prospects:

Tier 2:

1 – Joey Bosa

4 – Ezekiel Elliott

Tier 3:

13 – Darron Lee

16 – Taylor Decker

Tier 4:

25 – Eli Apple

30 – Vonn Bell

37 – Michael Thomas

Tier 5:

51 – Braxton Miller

58 – Nick Vannett

Tier 6:

71 – Joshua Perry

77 – Adolphus Washington

Todd McShay’s Ultimate Draft Preview:

Highest Floor:

#2 – Taylor Decker

Most Consistent Tape:

#1 – Joey Bosa

#2 – Ezekiel Elliott

Most Physical Players

#5 – Ezekiel Elliott

Best fit for today’s NFL:

#3 – Darron Lee

Most pro-ready from Day 1:

#1 – Joey Bosa

Quarterback Strongest Arm:

#2 – Cardale Jones

Running back Best vision/patience:

#1 – Ezekiel Elliott

Tight End Best Ball Skills

#2 – Nick Vannett

Offensive Line Best run-blocker (tackles)

#2 – Taylor Decker

Defensive Line Best motor:

#3 – Joey Bosa

Defensive Line Best counter puncher:

Joey Bosa - Very slippery as a pass-rusher, in large part because of his ability to keep OTs off his pads with his exceptional hand-to-hand combat skills.

Linebacker Best in coverage:

#3 – Darron Lee

Safety Best in coverage:

Vonn Bell - Can match up against most slot WRs and TEs one-on-one. Has outstanding range in deep zone coverage.

Defensive Backs Best ball skills:

#2 – Vonn Bell

Buckeye Target Chase Young:

The Rise of Ezekiel Elliott Part 2:

Buckeye Mom’s Head to the Draft:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

2016 Ohio State Spring Football Conclusions

April 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

“Almost everything that is great has been done by youth…” ~ Benjamin Disraeli

For the past couple months, beginning in February, every Friday at 8am EST has begun with this quote on this site. I have written about what I perceived concerns about various position groups, and it culminated in a glorious 2016 Ohio State Spring Game on April 16th in Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer must be pleased with one crucial area as it relates to spring football – the Buckeyes left the spring game with no injuries that could impact the 2016 season. Fifth-year senior running back Bri’onte Dunn did not play in the spring game with a sprained ankle, but will be back in the mix for the starting running back spot for fall camp.

Showing my age, I can vividly recall Ohio State spring game performances that were tremendous, yet did not translate into fall game production. It is important to keep things in proper perspective. With those caveats in mind, below are three distinct impressions that were made upon me as I sat in D Deck of Ohio Stadium…

1. The 2016 Ohio State Defensive Line Will Rotate Frequently ~ Yes, Ohio State was playing as many offensive and defensive linemen as possible in the spring game. It was challenging for either the Gray’s or Scarlet’s offensive lines to protect Joe Burrow or Stephen Collier whenever either was playing quarterback. With all of that on the table, the defensive linemen who have been waiting in the wings used the spring game as an opportunity to show what they could do if given the opportunity. For example, I don’t want to call him a sleeper, but Jashon Cornell, a moved defensive end to defensive tackle, seemed to emerge during the spring game.

On a somber note, Donovan Munger’s Ohio State career has come to an end, due to health concerns. Best of luck to Munger in all of his future endeavors, and many thanks for all of his contributions to Ohio State football…

For the first time since Coach Meyer came to Columbus in 2012, Ohio State has so many defensive linemen that will allow Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson to continually refresh players who will be able to harass the opposition’s quarterback. Think about this – Nick Bosa is not yet on campus, and Coach Meyer has stated Bosa will play in 2016.

2. Do Not Sweat J.T. Barrett’s 2016 Spring Game Performance ~ J.T. Barrett had an uneven day during the spring game, but there were several extenuating circumstances that impacted his performance. First of all, Barrett wore a black jersey that did not allow him to scramble or face contact. As stated up above, the offensive line was more of a ragtag collection, with projected starters Pat Elflein and Billy Price being withheld from competition. And projected starters Noah Brown and Corey Smith did not play this spring as both are still recuperating from their respective 2015 injuries.

Did Barrett make some throws in the 2016 spring game that were puzzling? Absolutely. Do I believe Barrett would have made those same throws in actual game competition? Absolutely not. Look at Barrett’s spring game as someone who was dealt some specific restrictions, and was testing the boundaries of what was possible, with a mandate to avoid injury at all costs. Look for Barrett to come out impressively against BGSU on September 3rd looking more like his typical self.

3. The 2016 Team Will Continue To Improve Every Week ~ It bears repeating, but with so many young players, the competition for playing time will be fierce and continuous all year long. Will inexperience sometimes be frustrating, especially in the secondary? Without question. The game at Oklahoma in week three will be must-watch TV for not just Ohio State and Oklahoma fans, but the nation –

Don’t take my word for it; go back and listen to the podcast link that included Clair Crawford. Read my man Tony Gerdeman’s thoughts on Ohio State following the spring game. Remember that I wrote this in April – this is going to be a team that will be feared by the end of the 2016 season.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-21-2016

April 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Buckeye Target Joshua Kaindoh lists Top 4:

Buckeye Target Cam Akers gets UA Invite:

Cardale Jones at Cavs Playoff Game last night:

Buckeye Target Amir Riep to visit MSU this weekend:

Todd McShay’s 5.0 Mock Draft: 

#4 – Ezekiel Elliott – Dallas Cowboys

#5 – Joey Bosa – Jacksonville Jaguars

#10 – Darron Lee – New York Giants

#18 – Taylor Decker – Indianapolis Colts

#20 – Eli Apple – New York Jets

Chris Jent Officially back at OSU:

New Offer Out to 2018 WR:

 

Oklahoma Checking in On Jk Dobbins:

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-20-2016

April 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Donovan Munger Done at OSU: 

Article on Ohio State and the Draft:

Eli Apple Draft Profile:

Ezekiel Elliott Draft Profile:

Braxton Miller Draft Profile:

Taylor Decker Draft Profile:

Darron Lee Draft Profile:

Adolphus Washington Draft Profile:

Nick Vannett Moves the Sticks:

Vonn Bell Moves the Sticks:

Cardale Jones Moves the Sticks:

Louis Riddick on Ezekiel Elliott:

Nick Mangold – Hockey Fanatic:

Will Smith’s Family takes out Full Page Ad:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-19-2016

April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Braxton’s First Pitch:

Spring Game Highlights:

2018 Buckeye Target Joel Honigford adds new offer:

Tate Martell to take all 5 Visits:

Ezekiel Elliott in Miami to visit Dolphins Today:

Mel Kiper’s 3 Round Mock Draft:

Round 1:

#6 Joey Bosa – Baltimore Ravens

#13 Darron Lee – Miami Dolphins

#18 Taylor Decker – Indianapolis Colts

#25 Eli Apple – Pittsburgh Steelers

#28 Vonn Bell – Kansas City Chiefs

Round 2:

#34 Ezekiel Elliott – San Diego Chargers

#49 Michael Thomas – Buffalo Bills

Round 3:

#65 Braxton Miller – Cleveland Browns

#78 Adolphus Washington – New Orleans Saints

#83 Nick Vannett – New York Jets

#87 Joshua Perry – Cincinnati Bengals

Buckeye Target Micah Clark pledges to Rutgers:

Todd McShay on Buckeyes Draft:

Cardale Jones on Gruden’s QB Camp tonight:

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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