Tin Bits - Tuesday, January 26th 2010

It wouldn't be Tin's Fins on a Tuesday if I didn't get a Tin Bits article out there, and surprisingly there is a lot of interesting stories out there this week.

• Wes Bunting of NFP had this to say about the Senior Bowl weigh-ins: "Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody tipped the scales at a whopping 370 pounds and looked every bit of it...On the other hand, Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams carries his 329 pounds very well and possesses one of the thickest bases I have ever seen. The guy has a massive bubble, really powerful-looking thighs and looks built to sit into his stance and overwhelm inside."

• According to multiple reports, Bill Parcells is not attending the Senior Bowl week at all this year, but did attend at least some of the East-West Shrine Game week.  I wonder who he went to see there....Torrell Troup, maybe?

• Wisconsin OLB, O'Brien Schofield (#8 on my Top 10 OLB list) was named the Defensive MVP of the Shrine Game, and two days later tore an ACL in a Senior Bowl practice drill.  Schofield probably felt he had to show more of his conversion to LB, but in hindsight he should have gone out on a high note and waited for the combine/pro-days.  Now his draft stock will plummet.

• WalterFootball.com had this to say about converted QB, Joe Webb (#8 on my Top 10 QB list): "Former U.A.B. quarterback Joe Webb had a pretty good day as he attempts to make the transition to wide receiver. Webb is extremely raw, not very explosive and may not have natural hands but he was extremely physical. Not only did Webb show the ability to get off the line and beat the jam against guys like Taylor Mays and Nate Allen but he did it in a violent fashion. On one rep he simply threw Javier Arenas to the ground and on another he delivered a bona fide headslap to Taylor Mays. Later in the practice Webb drew cheers from the crowd as he beat Patrick Robinson on a deep pass, which may have been the day's biggest play."
  

• Florida State Safety and Rhodes Scholar, Myron Rolle, was said to have the body of a 'Greek God' at weigh-ins this week and in practice, "displayed excellent technique, used his hands well and did a nice job of jamming wideouts at the line".

• And one unidentified member of the Dolphins staff got visibly and audibly angry with USC Safety, Taylor Mays, after he delivered a crushing hit on a WR during practice.  Mays needs to save that stuff for the game, not the first day of practice in shells.

• Speaking of Dolphins' coaches, here is what Head Coach, Tony Sparano had to say about Mike Nolan replacing Paul Pasqualoni as Defensive Coordinator.  Nolan, by the way, is not working with the staff in Mobile this week.  He is probably relocating and doing Orientation classes, i.e. Sexual Harassment 101, OSHA training, etc.  You know, the kind of thing many of us have to do every year working in corporate America. - UPDATE:  Reader 'son of a son of shula' reports that Nolan was in fact on the field in Mobile.  I got my info from reports on Monday, so maybe he showed up late?
  

• There are now 3 confirmed mock drafts from established draft sites now listing Miami taking Jason Pierre-Paul with the 12th overall pick.  Mike Mayock of NFLN has ranked JPP as the top DE in the draft.  If he really is the top DE in the draft, then he will likely go in the top 15, but if he really is the top DE in the draft, then he won't be going to Miami, as they have no need for a 265 lb DE.  Since he is an underclassman, there will be no opportunity for him to showcase his ability to play 3-4 OLB in an All-Star game setting, thus he will be drafted per his game film, which is at DE in a 4-3.

• My #1 TE (who I actually class as a WR), Dorin Dickerson, is listed on the Senior Bowl roster as a fullback, an obvious conversion, but is getting lambasted by the media saying he can't get any separation.  How much separation does a full-back usually get?  Stay tuned on this one, as once the practices get more physical, I think he will start to gain more positive reviews.  Plus you really have to take these reports with a grain of salt.  For example I saw one report on Sean Weatherspoon that said he was "a strong filler that plays downhill from the middle very effectively. He struggled to move laterally in tight space however, he downright looked silly on the outside."  Well, that's odd considering he played predominantly outside at Missouri and was All Big Twelve at the position.