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USC C Marcus Martin
Posted on 4/1/14 at 12:36 pm
Posted on 4/1/14 at 12:36 pm
So I sat down today on my lunch break to watch a couple of Marcus Martin games and I came away both very impressed and slightly disappointed.
The first game I watched was against Notre Dame where he was consistently matched up against Louis Nix and occasionally Stephon Tuitt, two potential 1st round picks. Martin is very strong at the point of attack and does a really good job of holding his ground. He did get beat and put on the ground a few times, but he mostly kept Nix out of the equation. On one play, Martin goes nuts. He gets a little help from his RG on the DT, knocking that guy on the ground, then quickly gets to the second level to lay out the linebacker. A gigantic hole was created for the RB to get through. He used his length and strength really well in this game, definitely playing up to the competition. I think if he stays motivated and refines his technique a little more, then he could be a top C quickly, but he has to improve his balance and learn to better capitalize on his physical gifts.
The second game I watched was against Washington St. whom USC lost against (they lost to ND, too). Martin looked lethargic. On some plays he held ground and ate up his man, but on too many plays he barely touched guys allowing a blitz or lineman to shoot up the middle, often spelling disaster for the QB. This was Martin playing down to the competition. Too many times he was on the ground or disengaging from a block before he should have. Serious effort issues in that one, and I think it's this that will keep him out of the first round.
He's got the potential and proven ability to be utterly dominant as an interior lineman (he played guard before he switched to center this year), and if he's put in the right situation, he could have success early. I have little doubt that he'll be the first C off the board in May, and if he's there when we pick in the 2nd round, I think he's the one.
Enjoy your day!
The first game I watched was against Notre Dame where he was consistently matched up against Louis Nix and occasionally Stephon Tuitt, two potential 1st round picks. Martin is very strong at the point of attack and does a really good job of holding his ground. He did get beat and put on the ground a few times, but he mostly kept Nix out of the equation. On one play, Martin goes nuts. He gets a little help from his RG on the DT, knocking that guy on the ground, then quickly gets to the second level to lay out the linebacker. A gigantic hole was created for the RB to get through. He used his length and strength really well in this game, definitely playing up to the competition. I think if he stays motivated and refines his technique a little more, then he could be a top C quickly, but he has to improve his balance and learn to better capitalize on his physical gifts.
The second game I watched was against Washington St. whom USC lost against (they lost to ND, too). Martin looked lethargic. On some plays he held ground and ate up his man, but on too many plays he barely touched guys allowing a blitz or lineman to shoot up the middle, often spelling disaster for the QB. This was Martin playing down to the competition. Too many times he was on the ground or disengaging from a block before he should have. Serious effort issues in that one, and I think it's this that will keep him out of the first round.
He's got the potential and proven ability to be utterly dominant as an interior lineman (he played guard before he switched to center this year), and if he's put in the right situation, he could have success early. I have little doubt that he'll be the first C off the board in May, and if he's there when we pick in the 2nd round, I think he's the one.
Enjoy your day!
4
Posted on 4/1/14 at 12:48 pm to Zoombop
Would very much like the pick in the 2nd round. Would love it if he somehow slipped to us in the 3rd, but that's not going to happen.
If we don't land Martin, I want Richburg - hopefully in the 3rd (or 4th) round.
If we don't land Martin, I want Richburg - hopefully in the 3rd (or 4th) round.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 12:52 pm to Zoombop
Many draft projections have Martin going in the 3rd or 4th round. Grabbing him in the 2nd would be a reach, especially by your own admission he is not the polished, complete player we're seeking. And as NFL.com's notes on him, he "lacks desirable grit, toughness and finishing strength". In other words, he's a project. We can get a project in the later rounds or through the UDFA market.
I do like his versatility and the fact he can play center or guard, but I don't want him before the 3rd.
I do like his versatility and the fact he can play center or guard, but I don't want him before the 3rd.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 12:52 pm to GOON
quote:
, I want Richburg
4 year starter, never missed a game
Posted on 4/1/14 at 12:53 pm to GOON
Yup, Richburg is my No. 2 center prospect as well. My only concern with him is that he doesn't have Martin's size or length, but he moves almost as well and is more refined in his technique.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 12:57 pm to ClientNumber9
I've seen some draft projections putting him as Green Bay's 1st round pick. He definitely has the talent, just not the consistency. I'm willing to attribute a lot of the consistency/motivation issues to the disaster USC coaching and culture has been the past few years. Consistency aside, he's still a better interior player than several other guys who are projected in round two.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 1:03 pm to Zoombop
The only team that they played with any defense was Stanford:
LINK
0:09 seconds in: Gets turned around and falls on his face, not much good to say on that one.
0:38 seconds in: Good solid, 1-on-1 block against his assignment, used good technique in getting low before impact and driving the defender out of the box. Next run play he sheds the defender and moves beyond the LOS and into the secondary. Not a bad thing but it would have been better if he held the block or tried to move to the left side to assist if someone else screws up.
0:56 seconds in: Maintains his hold, only issue is he pushed the defender into the backfield, wasn't a problem here because the QB rolled out to the right.
1:11 in: 3 man rush, sat in open space, no issue.
1:33 in: Hard to tell, but it looks like he got beat on the play but not definitive.
2:15 in: He whiffed on a block pretty bad, if it was any passing play other than a quick slant, QB would have been pulling sod out of his facemask.
Make your own judgments, but I don't think there's enough consistent proof on film (against quality opponents) to really say he's worth a high-round pick to be honest. Granted, this is just a game highlights video, but I'm not about to slice up the entire game. Yes, I'm sure there were better plays than those by him, but it starts off rough and ends rough.
LINK
0:09 seconds in: Gets turned around and falls on his face, not much good to say on that one.
0:38 seconds in: Good solid, 1-on-1 block against his assignment, used good technique in getting low before impact and driving the defender out of the box. Next run play he sheds the defender and moves beyond the LOS and into the secondary. Not a bad thing but it would have been better if he held the block or tried to move to the left side to assist if someone else screws up.
0:56 seconds in: Maintains his hold, only issue is he pushed the defender into the backfield, wasn't a problem here because the QB rolled out to the right.
1:11 in: 3 man rush, sat in open space, no issue.
1:33 in: Hard to tell, but it looks like he got beat on the play but not definitive.
2:15 in: He whiffed on a block pretty bad, if it was any passing play other than a quick slant, QB would have been pulling sod out of his facemask.
Make your own judgments, but I don't think there's enough consistent proof on film (against quality opponents) to really say he's worth a high-round pick to be honest. Granted, this is just a game highlights video, but I'm not about to slice up the entire game. Yes, I'm sure there were better plays than those by him, but it starts off rough and ends rough.
This post was edited on 4/1/14 at 1:08 pm
Posted on 4/1/14 at 1:13 pm to bountyhunter
Yeah, I tend to stay away from highlight videos, and I'm not surprised by some of the things you mentioned. If you watch the Washington St. game film on YouTube, it's pretty rough. However, I really believe in the right circumstance he can come in and clean up his inconsistencies. His talent is certainly high round caliber because I'm not the only person that has him ranked as the top center in this class.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 1:15 pm to ClientNumber9
quote:
Grabbing him in the 2nd would be a reach
If the team was sure that he could start Day 1 (not saying they do), taking him at #27 wouldn't even be a reach, IMO. Look at the Cowboys last year. Everyone said they reached in the 1st for a Center that was projected in the 3rd by the media guys, and Fredrick came in and played well as a rookie from game 1.
As fans, it's hard to judge what is really a reach, and what isn't. All we have to go off of are the media's evaluations of them, which could be, and I'm sure most of the times are, completely different from the actual scouts that re employed by teams.
This post was edited on 4/1/14 at 1:18 pm
Posted on 4/1/14 at 1:28 pm to Zoombop
Well good thing he will be playing the best of the best every sunday!
Posted on 4/1/14 at 1:35 pm to Isaid
And he'll be practicing against the best of the best of the best every single day! 
Posted on 4/1/14 at 1:39 pm to Isaid
I just see him as more of a developmental pick. I think you could get someone with the same level of consistency late in the draft, but physically he looks the part. That being said, I don't think he's an immediate starter to me. Granted, training camp can fix those things, but I'd hate to put a guy that's having to learn so much in so little time into a high-pressure starting position first year in. That's for a guy that's technically and physically sound coming out of college.
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