Charles Scott, RB, LSU

Sorry for the long delay, everyone. It's been one test/presentation/paper after another at school for me, and I'm entering the last week. The good news is that I'll have at least two weeks off work and school this winter, so hopefully I'll start adding a voice of insanity to Rob's voice of reason.

It probably makes me a bad person, but I smiled when I heard Charles Scott was out for the year with a broken smile. Now, LSU is my 2nd favorite college program, and I actually think quite a bit of Scott. Nothing personal against him at all. But I was very happy to have a legitimate NFL prospect to scout for the full 4 games I usually use on a prospect. Two games really isn't enough to develop a feel for a guy, actually. Though, I will add that watching Ciron Black in 2009 was even less pleasant than 2008 - LSU misses giant LG Herman Johnson a lot.

Actually, the loss of Johnson told me about Scott. Scott had a great 2008, running for over 1,100 yards and scoring 18 TDs on the ground. 2009 was a lot rougher, with Scott averaging a still-respectable 4.7 YPC but significantly down from the 5.4 he averaged in 2008. College stats are almost worthless, though, so without further ado, here is the report!

(Note, for those unfamiliar with my grading system, most of what is HERE applies. The actual criteria I use has changed (and could change later as I write a few of these), but in general the meaning of the grades are the same.

Charles Scott
LSU
Senior RB
5'11, 235lbs

Athletic Ability:
Speed: 5.5
Quickness: 6.0
COD (Change of Direction): 5.0

( A 5.5 is not a terrible grade, it's not good by any means, but a guy can be a good player even if he has a 5.5 or two, so long as he makes up for it... The 5.0 grade is a bigger concern)

Scott isn't a great athlete, and in the NFL he would have merely okay athletic ability. While Scott has some burst and some speed, he won't be leaving anyone behind and just about every safety in the league will be able to beat Scott to a point downfield. Scott's change-of-direction is not very good, as it brings him almost to a halt.

Football Smarts:
Polish: 6.5
Instincts: 6.0
Football Character: 6.0
Personal Character: 6.0
Holds ball securely and does not fumble at all, in sync with QB, makes good blocks in the passing game. He does not have great vision, sometimes running straight into his linesmen, but as LSU only has Scott as a powerback I suspect some of that is due to the play-calling. He does show the ability to locate and find a hole at the second level much more effectively than he does at the LOS.

RB Specific:

Power: 7.0 (Blows up defenders)

Tackle Breaking: 6.0 (Blows them up, but does not have an ounce of shiftiness and does not dodge tackles in the backfield. Legs are strong enough to at least gain yardage if not break the tackle.)

Receiving: 6.0/NA (Caught everything thrown to him, which in four games meant 5 passes, none of them more than a screen/shovel pass)

Open Field Running/RAC: 6.5 (While he lacks COD, he is a terror to tackle in the open field due to his power and strength)

Vision/Cutting: 5.0 (Scott is more of a straight-ahead back, and while his vision is better than 5.0, his cutback skills are not.)

Inside Running: 6.0 (Has ideal frame for inside running, but his marginal vision and burst, combined with a tendency to run a little higher than he should, makes him too easy to tackle for a back his size. This is somewhat mitigated by toughness and the strength needed to fall forward after contact.)

Outside Running: 5.5 (Needs OL to seal off corner, as Scott will not beat many defenders to it. Once he gets shifted forward, though, he will be dangerous as he is too strong for almost all defensive backs to bring down unassisted.)

Blocking: 6.0/NA (LSU rotated their backs thoroughly and I am out of LSU games with Scott in them. Typically did not keep Scott in to block, but he had a couple nice blitz pickups when he was kept back and I feel he will do well at blocking in the NFL, given a year or two to get some more experience.)

Fit for Seattle: I actually think Scott works well in Seattle if we keep the Zone Blocking system. While he is not a dynamic threat in the passing game, he can be used on screens and flares and his strength makes him tough to tackle. His biggest weakness as an inside runner is that he isn't hard to bring down at the LOS, which is surprising given that he is a power back. However, one advantage of the ZBS is that it tends to get keep the RB from getting hit as much in the backfield (something Scott's lack of elusiveness makes a concern). If Seattle can get Scott past the defensive line, he can do some damage against linebackers and defensive backs.

Overall: I like Scott, to an extent. Losing Herman Johnson really hurt Scott because Johnson often cleared out a path for Scott to run through, where he could wreak havoc on linebackers. He lacks great speed but could provide the power in a 1-2 Speed/Power role. He's not worth spending a first day pick on, but if his clavicle checks out medically he is someone to consider in the 3rd-4th round range.

Final Grade: 5.9 - Not quite a starter, but still a valuable member.