Kory Sheets v. Glen Coffee - YOU DECIDE 2009

Outside of the two primary RBs that Colts fans seem to be smitten by in the 2nd and 3rd Rounds (Jennings and Brown), Kory Sheets of Purdue and Glen Coffee of Alabama bring a lot of value for RB depth later in the draft.  Some will be down on Sheets because they're convinced we need a bruising short-yardage back and that is not Sheets' specialty.  Similarly, while Coffee is a downfield, hard-nosed, runner who can break tackles, he's not as large as Jennings or Brown.  Still, there is no guarantee that we'll draft a RB that early in the draft and I think these two prospects could bring A LOT to our team.  If we've not drafted a RB in the 1st three rounds, which RB would you take if only Coffee and Sheets were on the board in the 4th Round?

Kory Sheets - Purdue

Photo
Kory Sheets Highlights
Combine Video

5'11", 208 lbs.
4.39 40 Yard Dash, 4.33 20 Yard Shuttle, 7.18 3-Cone Drill
37 Inch Vertical Jump, 15 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
234 Rushes, 1,131 Rushing Yards, 16 TDs - (4.8 Yard/Avg.)
37 Receptions, 253 Yards, 1 TD - (6.8 Yard/Avg.)
14 Kick Returns, 259 Yards - (18.5 Yard/Avg.)

INJURIES:
2008 - Suffered a shoulder contusion vs. Notre Dame on September 27th.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Lanky build with the room for additional mass without a significant loss of quickness. Quick to the hole. Agile. Can make defenders miss in tight quarters. Quickly gets to top speed and can accelerate through a gap and to the second level. Patient runner who follows his blocks, but can stick his foot in the ground and explode through holes. Good speed for the stretch play. Good vision for the cutback. Despite a lack of prototypical bulk and leg drive, is an extraordinarily effective runner near the goal-line. Good hands out of the backfield. Experienced kick returner with the vision and speed to contribute immediately in this area. Four-year contributor who has never missed a game due to injury. Enjoyed a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Could have been hidden a bit by Purdue's reliance on the passing game and surprise at the next level.

Versatile, elusive ball handler with outstanding open field running skills. Displays good vision, immediately finds the running lanes and runs with excellent quickness. Elusive, and bounces into the outside, avoiding piles and then strings several moves together in the course of a single run. Uses an effective straight arm to keep runs alive. Will pick and choose his spots on the inside, shows a burst of speed, and runs with balance and body control. Effective receiver out of the backfield who adjusts to the errant throw and catches the ball with his hands.

Kory Sheets, on film, look like exactly the kind of RB this Colts covet.  A back with the speed to make the stretch and play-action effective, the hands to catch out of the backfield, the vision to find holes and squeeze through them, and the cutback ability and elusiveness to pick up the extra 2-3 yards on each of his carries.  He's not a bruising short-yardage back but his burst and vision help make him more effective than one might think on the goal-line.  Sheets brings a lot of potential value as a return man as well, a dual-use purpose which might allow him to break the roster and contribute significantly even as a rookie.

Weaknesses: Lacks the bulk and lower leg drive necessary for grinding out the tough yards. Only had one season as the team's primary back. Operated out of a spread offense, and will likely be forced to acclimate to a more pro-style offense in the NFL. Marginal effectiveness as a pass blocker. Supplies good effort, but simply lacks the strength to hold up. Complained about the struggles of the rest of the Purdue offense -- specifically quarterback Curtis Painter -- to the press, forcing coach Joe Tiller to ban him from talking to the media at the end of 2008.

Not a big strong ball carrier who can handle the workload. Cannot run to daylight, and does not consistently play to his timed speed.

Again, Kory Sheets does not have a great deal of bulk.  This lack of bulk will make it tough for him to push the pile for a yard or two (though he could cutback or squeeze through a hole to get it), and may hurt his ability to excel as a pass blocker.  However, as mentioned above, his lanky frame allows him the freedom to put on some extra weight to increase his value as a blocker.  His complaints about Curtis Painter to the media may be a concern, although his frustration is understandable given his production even in a pass-heavy offense (and Purdue's poor season).  This could be seen as a character concern or could be seen as showing his competitiveness and desire to win games.  It probably shows a little of both.

PROFESSIONAL SCOUTING REPORT - Dave-Te' Thomas - CBSSports.com

Dave-Te' Thomas Biographical Information

Body Structure: Has a lanky frame, but added more than 10 pounds of bulk after 2008 with no loss in quickness. Good lower body strength, but his overall power base is lacking.

Athletic Ability: Has good quickness out of his stance and the agility to redirect and locate the cutback lane. Has the speed, balance and change of direction to slip past the pile to get into the second level. Gets most of his positive yardage with his short burst and acceleration, showing good body lean in his stride. Quick to redirect and shows good jump-cut agility. More than a one-speed type, displaying swivel hips. Runs with good torque and has decent leg drive on contact.

Football Sense: Needs normal reps to retain and is a naturally bright athlete with good football intelligence. Not a to the detail type of athlete, but plays with solid adjustment-on-the-move skills.

Character: Was a good team-oriented type his first two years, but started having problems with the coaching staff over his fumble issues in 2007. Frustration boiled over as losses mounted in 2008 and when Sheets had his famed meltdown after the Northwestern game, attacking the offensive game plan and QB Curtis Painter in the press, he was banned from talking to the media for the rest of the year. To say that his former coach is not a big fan of his is an understatement. (Fumbled once in 2008)

Competitiveness: Shows good toughness and aggressiveness, the type that is a fierce competitor on the field, but he needs to control his emotions and work within the team concept better. Never throttles down inside and shows consistency in his running style and is not the type that will lets bumps and bruises affect his play.

Work Habits: Is a good worker on the practice field, but must dedicate more hours in the weight room. Whether it is a lack of effort or just being naturally weak, a player of his size should show better power than he does (only 15 reps on 225-pound bench press).

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 5.59

Initial Quickness: Has a good burst and quick start when he keeps his pads down going up in the hole. Is a quick-twitched type of runner with some suddenness out of his stance, but is not consistently explosive. Has the short burst and body snap to get to the line of scrimmage quickly, though.

Acceleration/Burst: Has the ability to break free for long runs, but those distance scampers are far apart. He has a good burst and acceleration through the line of scrimmage, with some dart ability. Appears comfortable using a short-area burst near the goal line for his scoring opportunities.

Instincts/Balance: His balance and body control allows him to get the tough yardage through the crease, as he lacks the upper body power to simply move the pile. Has good vision to spot the rush lane, but lacks the make you miss suddenness and top-speed to elude. Is more of a speed cutter who relies on moves to break free.

Inside Running: Is not what you would consider a power runner, but uses his leg drive effectively, flashing lateral quickness and consistency seeing the cutback. When he stays low in his pads, he will get the tough yardage with his balance. Near the goal line, he has had good success slipping into the end zone.

GRADE: 6.2

Outside Running: Has good outside quickness, but is the type that needs to build up speed and it will not come suddenly. Lacks the explosion to consistently get to the corner, but shows decent production on options. Perimeter speed will get him to the edge vs. the slower defenders, but is not enough to break open-field tackles on a regular basis.

GRADE: 5.4

Elusiveness: Is not a runner who will break tackles around the corner. Has good speed, once he builds up to it, but cannot escape the secondary for long gains. Has good lateral slide in the short area, but needs to do a better job of gearing up and down in order to elude.

Tackle-Breaking Strength: Needs to use slippery moves to get success running inside. Shows good body lean and the ability to finish after contact, but is not flashy. Has good lower body strength, but needs to keep his feet running up the middle. Can be tripped up by ankle tackles (adequate knee lift).

Tendency to Fumble: Until 2008, was a major issue.  The bulk of his fumbles come when he leaves the ball exposed running between tackles off the right hash. Is susceptible to arm tackles when running up the gut and it seems that he gives up on the play once he loses the ball (despite solid tackling skills on special teams, he makes an inconsistent effort to recover his miscues).

Receiving Skills: Is a capable receiver out of the backfield, but won't run any deep patterns or do anything fancy with the ball in his hands. Is best when used as a receiver on screens, shows the hands and body control to adjust to the ball.

Route Running: Is better served on controlled routes. Does not have a lot of natural route running skills. Seems like he goes to where he needs to be and fails to settle in the soft spot of the zone. Does show adequate cutting ability in and out of his breaks.

Blocking Ability: Gets a little too tall in his stance and keeps his leg base too narrow as a blocker. Needs to block at a better pad level. Even with his added bulk, his blocking remains adequate, at best.

Compares To: JULIUS JONES, Seattle -- Like Jones, Sheets has had some decent success near the goal line, but lacks a strong base to be considered a power runner. He finally got his opportunity to be the featured back in 2008, but he let his frustrations from a losing season boil over on to the field, which resulted in lost respect in the huddle. He is a capable receiver out of the backfield. He is best served in a running back rotation.

The issues of major concern about Sheets are his chemistry with the Purdue football team and coaching staff and his fumble issues in 2007.  In 2008 he turned his fumble issue around but could still use some work in this area.  What significance there will be in the NFL from his public complaints about the offense and quarterback is hard to judge, Manning wouldn't be a complaint and we win a lot.  Where Sheets surprises is in his short-yardage running.  So long as he keeps the ball secure he uses his burst and redirection abilities to get goal-line yards.  Could be a quality back in a rotation for the Colts and brings immediate special teams value.

SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE RECAP - TFYDraft.com

Monday Practice Notes: This running back showed quite a bit of versatility in the offense today as both a running threat with a little wiggle between in the hole as well as a legit target out of the backfield.

Tuesday Practice Notes:  Ran well in space, showed the ability to make guys miss.  Overall, had a good practice.

Wednesday Practice Notes: Showed good vision and a nice quickness hitting the hole in scrimmage work.  Bounced a couple of nice runs outside and also picked up some tough yards going north and south.  Looked good catching passes.  A very versatile back.

Thursday Practice Notes:  Really did not stand out in any single aspect.

Analysis:  Sheets is a terrific scat-back who eludes defenders and creates his own yardage.  He's got adequate size and it was nice to see him perform in a positive manner when placed in an NFL offense.  Sheets definitely improved his draft stock this week in Mobile.

What is clear from the tape, scouting reports and Senior Bowl practices is that Kory Sheets can just about do it all; He has enough elusiveness to make people miss, has big-play ability as a runner, receiver and returner, and has soft hands as a receiver.  If that's not enough, he is surprisingly effective on goal-line runs.  Where he has work to do is as a blocker, potentially in the weight room, as a route runner, potentially securing the football, and maturing to not cause rifts on the team when talking to the media.

Glen Coffee - Alabama

Photo
My World - Sports Center Segment
Highlights v. Auburn
NFL Draft Vignette
Combine Video

6'0", 209 lbs.
4.50 40 Yard Dash, 4.51 20 Yard Shuttle, 7.35 3-Cone Drill
36 Inch Vertical Jump, 24 Bench Reps

SENIOR SEASON STATS:
233 Rushes, 1,383 Yards, 10 TDs - (5.9 Yards/Avg.)
16 Receptions, 118 Yards, 1 TD (7.4 Yards/Avg.)
2 Kick Returns, 25 Yards

INJURIES:
2006 - Missed most of spring camp with an ankle sprain.  Underwent surgery on May 31st to repair an athletic hernia.  Suffered a bone bruise and a severe right knee MCL and ACL ligament sprain on August 14th in fall camp and was granted a medical hardship.
2007 - Suffered a slight shoulder contusion v. Vanderbilt on September 8th.
2008 - Suffered a bruised hip and missed most of the second half v. Arkansas State on November 11th.

ANALYSIS:

NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Well-built athlete. A bit of a slasher. Sees the hole and shows surprising burst to it, considering his height. Can make defenders miss in the open field, but seems to prefer physically taking them on at times. Lowers his shoulder into the defender and looks to intimidate. Runs with a chip on his shoulder. Good acceleration through the second level of the defense and into the open field. At least adequate straight-line speed. Good vision at the second level for the cutback. Experienced receiver out of the backfield. Good upper-body strength and effort as a pass blocker. Has been a weight room monster since high school. Has matured during his college career, and is now a faith-driven leader and sought-after speaker in the community.

Grind it out interior ball-carrier with marginal size/speed numbers. Patient ball-carrier with good vision and the ability to quickly find the cutback lanes. Works runs, shows a burst through the hole, and drives his feet on contact. Runs through tackles and picks up yardage off initial contact. Solid receiver out of the backfield and displays strength as a blocker.

Glen Coffee is an excellent change-of-pace back to Addai.  His slashing/downfield running style differs from Addai who uses his speed and moves to pick up yardage.  A 5.9 YAC average is pretty insane, especially for a junior.  That he is physical, looks to take on blockers and has the power to break tackles is good too.  His pass-catching ability would be welcomed by the Colts and that he also does well as a blocker is essential to Colts RBs.  A high-character faith-driven guy who seems like Colts material.

Weaknesses: Has a bit of an odd build for a running back. Thin hips, and though well built he lacks the bulk in his core and lower body that scouts prefer for a power runner. Runs a bit upright, which just adds to the concern regarding his build and power-running. Likes to run over defenders, but too often goes down on contact. Suspended for four games in 2007 as part of an Alabama textbook scandal. Redshirted 2006 with a knee injury.

Lacks the speed to turn the corner. Not an elusive back who creates his own yardage. More of a safety valve receiver rather than a downfield threat.

Every year you hear concerns about RBs who have odd builds or run up-right.  Yet some of the best RBs in history would fit in this description so I don't know how much of a weakness that really is for a RB.  He is a weight room warrior who could improve his lower body and core strength if asked to do so for power running in short-yardage situations but was more of an every-down back in Alabama.  The textbook "scandal" seems foo foo to me as a character concern.  The "weakness" as a receiver out of the backfield wouldn't seem to be much of an issue for the Colts as we ask our RBs to be more of a safety valve to pick up first downs, in lieu of a Reggie Bush downfield top receiving threat.

PROFESSIONAL SCOUTING REPORT - Dave-Te' Thomas, CBSSports.com

Dave-Te' Thomas Biographical Information

Body Structure: Has very good upper-body tone, but is not as muscular looking in his lower frame, despite posting impressive weight-room numbers. Has room on his frame to carry additional bulk, but could probably fill out only to 215 pounds before seeing the additional weight start to affect his quickness. Has a lean looking torso with thin hips.

Athletic Ability: More quick than he is fast, but shows good explosion and burst coming out of his stance. Attacks the holes with good pad level and forward body lean. Better as an inside runner, does not show that ease-of-movement agility to change direction and locate the cutback lanes without having to throttle down. Runs with adequate strength. Not really a shifty runner with the ability to juke defenders, but can accelerate past second-level defenders.

Football Sense: Needs just a few reps to retain plays, but seems to lack the vision or patience to wait for holes to develop, especially when taking the ball wide. Too anxious to redirect to the cut-back lanes and must do a better job of locating the seam. Is a decent student and watches a lot of tape to prepare. Is a bit of a liability when asked to block, as he struggles to pick up coverage and blitzes.

Character: Is a good program player who has really matured. Is quiet, reserved and a good worker within the community, seemed to be one of the most requested athletes on the team for charity events. A positive addition to the locker room and well-liked by staff and teammates. Humble to a fault and takes pride in his ability to communicate well with others.

Competitiveness: Plays with good urgency and effort. Is an intense competitor who will not hesitate to "bang it up" the middle of the line. Has worked hard in recent years to become a better all-around halfback, but still needs to work on his route-running skills.

Work Habits: Coffee is a good performer in the offseason and an avid participant in the training room. He is a good program sort and has solid work habits. He doesn't need to be pushed or monitored.

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 5.67

Initial Quickness: Has adequate timed speed, but looks quicker with his initial movement on the ball and has the short-area suddenness to gain advantage. Stays low in his pads and has initial burst coming out of his stance into the holes. Builds acceleration nicely. Does a decent job of generating the forward body lean to gain positive yardage after the initial hit. Lacks quick-twitch moves in his route progression and needs to learn how to quicken his steps to ride up on a defender and gobble the cushion.

Acceleration/Burst: Needs time to build to top acceleration, but he can rock the defenders back on their heels with his stop-and-go action. Shows a decent short-area burst through the holes and can escape into the second level, but is not going to outrace defenders to break away for a long run. The thing he does well is his ability to take angles and squeeze through holes without having to throttle down.

Instincts/Balance: A more patient runner between the tackles than on outside runs. Stays on the hip of his linemen, doing a nice job of lowering his shoulders and barreling through a defender. Not the type that can generate the second gear to make opponents miss in the open and has not shown great head and shoulder fakes. Does run with good forward body lean to fight for extra yardage or bounce off tackles, but must be more alert to his surroundings, as protecting the ball, while not a big problem, has seen him put the pigskin on the ground due to poor ball distribution and security.

Inside Running: Not really strong in his lower body to simply run over defenders. Not the type that can consistently move the pile, but he does have the body lean and balance to gain valid yardage between the tackles. When he keeps his pad level down, he has enough of a short-area burst to squeeze through tight areas, just lacking the leg drive to side-step or run over smaller defenders to get past the second level. When he plays at that low pad level, he can get leverage and is developing a more fluid pick and slide. Won't be easily tripped up because of his above-average balance.

GRADE: 6.8

Outside Running: Too impatient waiting for blocks to develop when turning the corner and has to improve his timing when trying to redirect through the cutback lanes. When he gets out along the perimeter, his speed and second gear are not evident and he can be caught from behind. Will tend to cut back too often, but has to learn to be more patient with his blockers and use his body control to turn it up around the corner.

GRADE: 5.4

Elusiveness: Has some shiftiness, but not enough to generate a second gear and simply pull away from the pack. While his pick and slide ability is effective, he is just better using cutback lanes than trying to out-run his blocking to get past tacklers. Has the body control and balance to redirect without having to vary his speed., but is generally a one-cut runner than one who relies on shiftiness. Rare to see him go down on first contact because of the way he keeps his body lean moving forward.

Tackle-Breaking Strength: Does a nice job of squaring his shoulders and lowering his pads. Has an above-average stiff arm that he uses quite a bit to break tackles. Has the balance and pad level to get through trash. A darting runner who is tough to bring down in isolated coverage.

Tendency to Fumble: Needs to work on his ball security mechanics, as he gets a bit careless distributing the ball to keep it away from the defender.  Had five fumbles last season and all were caused by keeping the ball exposed. With stronger arms, this might not be an issue. Shaun Alexander (ex-Seattle) had a similar problem earlier in his college career before his body began to fill out.

Receiving Skills: Has some flexibility and good foot quickness for receiving duty coming out of the backfield. Has developing hands and the ability to turn and catch off-target throws, but his route running, or lack of, has prevented him from being a part of the intermediate-to-deep passing game. He will extend and catch away from the frame, but also lets some balls absorb into his body.

Route Running: Does not look like a natural route runner, due to poor footwork, but shows good vision to look the ball in without breaking stride. With his leaping ability, he can go up and high point the ball.

Blocking Ability: Not effective as a lead blocker and must be alert to the blitz and stunts when asked to provide pass protection. He shows good intent, but the Alabama scheme did not put much emphasis in their tailbacks doing blocking chores. He is a decent cut blocker, just not a face-up one.

Compares To: KEVIN SMITH, Detroit -- Like Smith, Coffee is a physical back with good upper-body strength, but he has thin hips and does not show the explosive leg drive needed to move the pile. When he stays low in his pads and remains patient following his blockers, he is a decent chain mover. He lacks patience bouncing out wide, generally outrunning his blockers or cutting too often. He definitely could have used another year in college, as he really only has a handful of impressive performances to show for his Alabama career.

What is clear about Coffee is that he runs hard, has the balance, vision, and patience to run well between the tackles, and rarely goes down on initial contact.  In the short passing game he shows the hands to be effective but could use work on his route-running.  If needed for short-yardage, move the pile, runs, Coffee may need to improve his lower body strength.  However, as a downhill, one-cut, physical runner who can find holes in between the tackles, he is a good change-of-pace back.  As he is young, only a junior, he could probably work on his ball security issues, route running, and familiarity with blocking assignments.  Still, it would take him a year or two to be getting a lot of carries in our offense, most likely.

Another Scouting Report - MockingtheDraft.com

Comparison:

Kory Sheets and Glen Coffee are probably two of the most under-rated prospects entering this draft at RB.  Sheets is an elusive, fast RB who can break big runs, catches the ball well out of the backfield, and brings special teams value as a rookie.  Coffee is a bit bigger and stronger with a downfield running style between the tackles, who excels in physical confrontations and rarely goes down on initial contact.  Both players could bulk-up a bit if asked to do so by a NFL coaching staff.  Both players could use work as pass blockers, ball-security, and other running techniques.  Yet, both players are hard workers, very competitive, and producers when they carry the ball.  If we don't go with a RB in the first three rounds of the draft, which of these two backs would you select in the 4th Round?

YOU DECIDE