Re: Vladimir Ducasse, OT...

[Michael]

On Apr 23, 8:21 pm, buRford <buRf...@buR.ford.com> wrote:

<SNIP>

Decent pick.... Since the other known edge rushers were gone, getting
some depth for the o-line is a smart move. He's got all the physical
tools, just needs some polish. I think he may wind up at guard. Not
very long arms...

[Still Roper]

On Apr 23, 8:21 pm, buRford <buRf...@buR.ford.com> wrote:

> Don't know him, but he's big... and I want the lines filled.
>
> Overview
>
> A product of his work ethic and great athleticism, Ducasse is still a relative neophyte as
> a football player. Much like Tennessee's Michael Roos, the talented left offensive tackle
> has little experience on the gridiron, as he did not begin playing the game until arriving
> at Stamford High School from Haiti, putting on a football uniform for the first time in
> 2003.
>
> The similarities to Roos are what have drawn NFL scouts to the Massachusetts campus.
> Ducasse saw limited playing time during his freshman year with the Minutemen, where he
> began his collegiate career competing at both guard and tackle. As a sophomore, he took
> over the demanding left tackle position and his dominance in the trenches was evident from
> the first time he took the field.
>
> Roos, who also emigrated to the United States late in his high school career, went on to
> earn All-American honors at Eastern Washington and is now regarded as one of the premier
> left tackles in the National Football League. After just two seasons as a starter at
> UMass, many scouting analysts consider Ducasse to be the best offensive lineman in the
> NCAA Football Championship Subdivision ranks, as he earned All-American honors in 2008 and
> is expected to be one of the top draft prospects at his position entering his final
> collegiate campaign.
>
> Ducasse grew up in the town of Delmas, Haiti, where he said his father, Delinois, was
> threatened for his involvement in local politics. His father decided to move and sent
> Ducasse and one of his three other brothers, McArthur, to live with an uncle in Stamford,
> as he wanted them to have better educational opportunities. "I was happy and also scared,"
> Ducasse recalled.
>
> While living in Haiti, Ducasse played basketball, but never even saw a football game until
> arriving at Stamford High School. On the first day of 2003 fall practice, Vladimir, who
> stood 6-feet-3 and weighed 270 pounds as a 16-year old, approached the team's head
> football coach, Kevin Jones and said in broken words, "I want to play."
>
> Ducasse credited some of his friends in school for helping to get him on the team. "A lot
> of kids asked why I wasn't playing football," he recalled. "I said I play basketball, but
> I decided to give it a try. Once I got the helmet and pads on and started hitting people,
> I started to like it a lot. They told me football is an easy sport because you just hit
> people, but I learned it was not just about hitting people." The football field quickly
> became another classroom that Ducasse had to try and master.
>
> At Stamford High School, Ducasse started the final twenty games of his career, lining up
> mostly at offensive guard. He garnered All-State first-team honors from the Connecticut
> High School Coaches Association and was a first-team All-Fairfield County by the FCIAC
> Coaches Association. He was also selected to play in the Governor's Cup All-Star Game
> against Rhode Island prep all-stars.
>
> Ducasse excelled on the frontcourt for the Samford High basketball team. He also lettered
> in track-and-field, twice winning the league title in the discus while finishing second in
> the shot put. At the 2006 FCIAC Track Championship, he won the discus championship and
> gold medal with a toss of 139'0". He also topped his personal best in the shot put (had a
> 50'11" throw at the city championship) with a throw of 53' 8 1/4" in the FIAC finals, as
> he qualified for the State Class LL track meet in both events.
>
> Still, it would be his "new love," football, that would see Ducasse follow his older
> brother to the collegiate ranks (MacArthur attended Fairfield University). After just two
> seasons as a starter at Stamford, Ducasse was being pursued by several Division I
> colleges. "As for Vladimir, well, let's just say when he arrived here (from Haiti) in his
> sophomore year, he didn't even know how to put his shoulder pads on, football coach Kevin
> Jones recalls. "He didn't know anything about the game of football."
>
> With his work ethic, it did not surprise the SHS coaching staff that Ducasse went from a
> mere novice to earning a scholarship to a Division I (AA) college. "One thing I learned
> about Vladimir is that you can't tell him he can't do something," Jones stated. Ducasse
> was also surprised about all the attention he was receiving. "I never thought of getting a
> scholarship," he said.
>
> "All I wanted was to work hard on my grades. Then, when coaches told me I could go to
> college for free, I said okay. I have to thank Coach Jones for all of this. Thanks to him,
> I learned that you can have some success because you are bigger than everybody else, but
> there's a lot of different things you have to learn about blocking, where to go. When I
> started I didn't know what I was doing."
>
> Under Jones, Ducasse progressed to the point that he became a highly effective drive
> blocker. Prior to reporting to Massachusetts, he spent the past summer getting himself
> into the best shape possible. "I worked out a lot," Ducasse said."I knew I had to work
> hard every day." With every weight he lifted, every mile he ran, every bead of sweat that
> dripped off his face, Ducasse showed that the Minutemen were getting a special player who
> would grow into the team's "leader by example."
>
> Ducasse chose Massachusetts over Maine, Northeastern, Hofstra, Delaware and Buffalo, but
> his first season at UMass was a "learning experience." He did not appear on the football
> field until the team's fourth game of the 2006 season, going on to see reserve action,
> mostly on the left side, behind tackle Matt Austin and guard Nick Diana. He would go on to
> make his debut vs. Stony Brook, followed by action in each of the William & Mary, Towson
> and Rhode Island contests.
>
> In 2007, Ducasse started 12 games at left offensive tackle, missing the Towson contest due
> to an injury. He protected the blind side of the pocket, delivering 83 knockdowns/key
> blocks that also included fourteen touchdown-resulting blocks. The team ranked 21st in the
> nation with an average of 248.31 yards per game and finished 12th nationally with a 151.07
> passing efficiency rating, thanks to Ducasse registering an 86.83 percent grade for
> blocking consistency. He also recovered one fumble and had nine down field blocks that
> featured at least one runner gaining 100 yards in ten of the twelve games that the UMass
> left tackle played in.
>
> As a junior, Ducasse was named NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-American
> first-team by The NFL Draft Report, adding All-Colonial Athletic Association first-team
> accolades. He started 12 games at left tackle, as his blocking consistency grade of 91.33%
> was the highest of any lineman in the FCS ranks. He posted 94 knockdowns/key blocks,
> leading an offensive line that allowed just six sacks, the second-lowest total by any team
> in the nation, as the front wall did not yield any sacks in their last five games. The
> offense finished 26th in the nation, averaging 242.58 aerial yards per game.
>
> Entering his final season, Ducasse took his game to another level. Even though UMass
> faltered in the second half, the consensus All-American first-team choice produced an
> 85.55% grade for blocking consistency. The All-Colonial Athletic Association choice led
> the league with 16 touchdown-resulting blocks, but had cadence issues that led to seven
> penalties during his senior season.
> Analysis
>
> Pass blocking Reliable pass protector, using length and size not seen at the FCS level.
> Uses those attributes to anchor or run smaller rush ends around the pocket. Needs quite a
> bit of work in his pass protection technique before moving on to the next level. Stands
> upright and bends at the waist; will lose his balance when extending against better
> college players, much less NFL pass rushers. Inconsistent with his punch, catching rushers
> too often and giving up too much ground to less talented players. Will stop his feet after
> initial contact, shrinking the pocket. Recovery speed against outside-in or spin moves is
> questionable.
>
> Run blocking Gets out of his stance with enough agility to seal the edge, get out in front
> of stretch plays and screens as well as to find the MIKE linebacker at the second level.
> Controls his body and keeps his feet moving to find and ride smaller defenders out of the
> play. Will combo block and use his length to knock late blitzers off their approach. Must
> extend his arms when drive blocking; keeps his hands too low and against his body, and
> will give up leverage against NFL defenders. Loses his balance and gets tossed aside by
> smaller ends when reaching for them on the edge.
>
> Pullingtrapping His foot quickness will allow him to get around trash and quickly move to
> his target when pulling or trapping. Even though he is inconsistent hitting targets on the
> move, his athleticism should allow him to improve there and take out linebackers inside.
>
> Initial Quickness Good initial drive off the snap as a run blocker, getting into the
> jersey of his man and quickly collapsing the tackle when blocking down. Must speed up his
> first step in his kick slide, but has the athleticism to do so.
>
> Downfield Good mobility in space, easily getting to the second level and beyond.
> Understands angles, and is able to move his feet to create them. Willing to mix it up with
> anyone coming into his area. Fails to hit his intended target and adjust to players coming
> from inside at times. Hesitates before getting downfield to help his ballcarrier.
>
> Intangibles Voted co-captain by his teammates, Ducasse is a good student in the classroom
> and film room who lets his play do his talking for him. He must prove he can step up his
> consistency and effort against better competition.
> Career Notes
>
> Since his sophomore season (35 games as a starter), Ducasse has registered 267
> knockdowns/key blocks during that span … 48 of those blocks (17.98%) resulted in
> touchdowns by Massachusetts, as he also posted 28 of those blocks (10.49%) down field … In
> his 35 games as a starter, the Minutemen had at ...
>
> read more »

Ok...I can't read this bible...but he looks like a big angry kid who's
probably had to toughen up quickly with the name Vladimir....

[Ray OHara]

"Still Roper" <mark_edw...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:fec8fb90-8c53-4c6c...@k41g2000yqf.googlegroups.com...

Ok...I can't read this bible...but he looks like a big angry kid who's
probably had to toughen up quickly with the name Vladimir....

======================================================================

Vladimir and Ivan are common names in the carribean.
think Vlad Guerrero and Ivan Rodriguez

[Still Roper]

On Apr 23, 9:35 pm, "Ray OHara" <raymond-oh...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> "Still Roper" <mark_edwards_2...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message

Ahhhh...ok...that's better...

[Harlan Lachman]

In article
<85e87bdc-bc65-4ed6...@f17g2000vbd.googlegroups.com>,
Michael <mjd...@verizon.net> wrote:

With a second round pick, it will be decent if he plays well some time
in the first year at some position.

This is not a late round developmental pick like Slauson. A second
round pick should be a player and should play.

After him (i.e., still on the board when picked) was Charles Brown,
Asamoah (great name), John Jerry (another great name), Veldheer,
Dickson, Burnett, Major Right, etc. That is four other OL, two safeties
and a TE. All areas we need to upgrade.

With no third round pick, I hope we done good.

Has the potential to be a great pick or a serious miss in a strong draft
with few picks.

harlan