MOBILE, Ala. — This week, we're in the belly of the Senior Bowl beast in Mobile, Alabama. I'm riding shotgun with the Big Boy, who is still muttering under his breath about how Dan Skipper was robbed of a Super Bowl ring. Skipper is a free agent. Who knows? Maybe the two can be reunited? Think of the possibilities...
We watched the American and National teams go through their first practices. Here are five thoughts on what I saw - I was hyper-focused on the QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs, and DBs - plus some picked-up pieces regarding what I'm hearing about the Patriots.
1. Michael Penix was the best QB I saw on day one. He doesn't always marry his body with his feet, but when operating in rhythm, he puts the ball where it needs to be and with the proper velocity. It didn't matter what quadrant he was throwing to on the field, though his ball placement on deep overs, outs, and comebacks was what you want from a starting signal caller. Bo Nix, who is on the same team, didn't jump for me today, though he's the better athlete of the two. Of the other QBs, Joe Milton's arm is absurd. The ball jumps out of his hand. One problem: he has yet to show he can play the position. Spencer Rattler of South Carolina is small, but he does drive the ball well, including outside the numbers. Tulane's Michael Pratt had some decisive reps, which I like, but some of his throws had tails on 'em.
2. Ladd McConkey and Roman Wilson, come on down. Boy, oh boy, did those two jump off the page today. McConkey is faster than you think, runs crisp routes, and has a plan for how he's getting open. He put a few DBs in the blender, creating plenty of space. Wilson, out of Michigan, has easy speed and is so fluid coming in and out of breaks. He split the safeties on a post and had I been sitting next to Bedard; I may have hugged him. It was that nice. Two bigger names that didn't impress: Xavier Legette and Devontez Walker. Legette is built like a brick shithouse, but everything felt choppy with him, and I don't think he tracked the ball particularly well. Walker had a few drops and got pushed around by one of the bigger corners, Notre Dame's Cam Hart. If I were Walker, I'd find the master copy of that rep and launch it to the moon. Others who stood out (in a good way) were Brenden Rice (Jerry's kid), Jamari Thrash (he tracked it well), and Javon Baker.
3. Not a bad year to need tight ends, and considering the Pats don't have any under contract, they should be happy. I liked almost all of them on day one. Penn State's Theo Johnson (6'6", 257), Minnesota's Brevyn Spann-Ford (6'6", 267), Jared Wiley of TCU (6'6", 253), Kansas State's Ben Sinnott (6'4", 254) and Jaheim Bell of Florida State (6'1", 244) all had solid days. Bell is fast and could be seen as a bigger receiver in the slot. He also has some position versatility. Sinnott moved better today than in any of the tapes I saw of him from this past season and is physical at the point of attack. The other three are freaks, size-wise. Johnson and Wiley, in particular, move like receivers regarding their fluidity, and all showed good sense, sliding into open areas. Pair one of this group with Hunter Henry and that would make whoever the QB is happy.
4. It's hard to get an excellent feel for the run game with the players in uppers only, but Georgia's Daijun Edwards made some folks miss, and Dylan Laube from UNH (!) is a rocked-up speedster with natural hands. I heard some chatter from scouts who believe he could also play some slot. After one day, I'd say that's a stretch, but Laube got well-deserved attention.
5. Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell is a stud. He gave every receiver on the National roster hell and won far more of his one-on-ones than he lost. Iowa's Cooper Dejean may be CB1 heading into draft season, but if Mitchell puts a few more days like these together, he could make a compelling case. Also, there appears to be an on-field edge there. Yes, please.
On the Pats
- For now, the Patriots' front office is conducting business as usual. Matt Groh is leading the contingent down here in Mobile, which is consistent with what I reported shortly after the season ended. Those I spoke with say Groh remains involved in all facets - pro and college scouting, the draft, etc. Yeah, he's in charge for now.
- That said, some external and internal sources believe Elliott Wolf will eventually be the choice to run the front office. However, it remains unlikely that he'll get the title of general manager. He has established an excellent relationship with the Krafts and appeals to them partly because he didn't grow from the Belichick tree. Wolf has filled several roles during his career, including scouting for the Green Bay Packers (while working under his father, legendary GM Ron Wolf) and aiding Mayo in his coordinator search.
- I can't stress enough how little buzz the Pats' offensive coordinator search has generated league-wide. Talking to league sources, there's a lot of hemming and hawing about the quality of the position. "Their best playmaker is a 6th round liliputian (Pop Douglas). Sure. Where do I sign up?" says one. Another added, "What does Mayo want them to be? I don't know that anyone knows the answer yet." And finally, "The job looks worse on paper than it did a year ago when Billy (O'Brien) took over. The QB (he was referring to Mac) can't play. They did what (?) with JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and Devante Parker (a sizeable contract for one, an extension for another)? They have some key free agents. It could be rough if they don't hit a home run in the draft." Some of the names they're spoken to, including Luke Getsy, drew shrugs from sources I've talked to here in Alabama.