Joe Thomas

[corruptpirate]

Every prospect has weaknesses. Until draft day comes, every prosepect it going to be scrutinized over and over again for their weaknesses.

If we look at at CJ. People are comparing him to to a TO-Harrison type WR. But he has nowhere the type of route running skills as those two players. He runs a 4.3 40 but can't get separation from defenders under 20 yds. And everyone raves about his highlight reel catches and that he can catch anything thrown remotely close to him, but you know what, so can Brandon LLoyd.

[ordinary]

Im sure TO and Harrison had to develop to become better route runners.

[DanTurksGhost]

Given the choice of Joe Thomas @ 4 or trade down, I would trade down pick up Levi Brown and use the extra picks on Defense.

NO! Levi Brown has OT bust written all over him, IMO. At some point he'll end up at OG.

[Feel Real Good]

Im sure TO and Harrison had to develop to become better route runners.

Route running is a function of a player's burst and change of direction skills. You can't teach it anymore than you can teach someone to run a 4.4 40.

[Boid Fink]

How the h-- can you call him a franchise LT? The guy struggles against the bum rush has short arms. How the ---- is that a franchise LT? He can deveolp into a great player but franchise LT is just hyping him up. He reminds me alot like Jordan Gross more the Gallery. Gross who is good but not franchise type player. He needs some work before you jump to the conclusion that the guys is a franchise LT.

Pretty much everyone at the NFL Network raves about JT. All the draft class are prospects right now, even CJ.

Exactly.

Short arms?  Sheesh.  What a bunch of mularkey.  It is pretty funny when people who are in the "know" call Joe Thomas a stud, and casual fans who haven't so much as watched a SINGLE UW game have called him a bust because his arm length?  Gimme a break, the smell is atrocious from that one...

As for him blocking linebackers and DBs, well that shows he has fullfilled his assignment function at the point of attack, and has the speed and athleticism to put these "nuisances" into the grass where they belong as Caddy runs by them...

These Gallery opinions are absurd as anything I have read.

How about Calvin Johnson versus BMW?  Or Brady Quinn versus Rick Mirer?  Or Jamarcus Russell versus Ryan Leaf?  Thought so.  It sounds lame because it is.

[ordinary]

How the h-- can you call him a franchise LT? The guy struggles against the bum rush has short arms. How the ---- is that a franchise LT? He can deveolp into a great player but franchise LT is just hyping him up. He reminds me alot like Jordan Gross more the Gallery. Gross who is good but not franchise type player. He needs some work before you jump to the conclusion that the guys is a franchise LT.

Pretty much everyone at the NFL Network raves about JT. All the draft class are prospects right now, even CJ.

Exactly.

Short arms?  Sheesh.  What a bunch of mularkey.  It is pretty funny when people who are in the "know" call Joe Thomas a stud, and casual fans who haven't so much as watched a SINGLE UW game have called him a bust because his arm length?  Gimme a break, the smell is atrocious from that one...

As for him blocking linebackers and DBs, well that shows he has fullfilled his assignment function at the point of attack, and has the speed and athleticism to put these "nuisances" into the grass where they belong as Caddy runs by them...

These Gallery opinions are absurd as anything I have read.

How about Calvin Johnson versus BMW?  Or Brady Quinn versus Rick Mirer?  Or Jamarcus Russell versus Ryan Leaf?  Thought so.  It sounds lame because it is.

I wouldnt call 33 inches long either my friend. Where the hell did I say he would be a bust?

[Boid Fink]

How the h-- can you call him a franchise LT? The guy struggles against the bum rush has short arms. How the ---- is that a franchise LT? He can deveolp into a great player but franchise LT is just hyping him up. He reminds me alot like Jordan Gross more the Gallery. Gross who is good but not franchise type player. He needs some work before you jump to the conclusion that the guys is a franchise LT.

Pretty much everyone at the NFL Network raves about JT. All the draft class are prospects right now, even CJ.

Exactly.

Short arms?  Sheesh.  What a bunch of mularkey.  It is pretty funny when people who are in the "know" call Joe Thomas a stud, and casual fans who haven't so much as watched a SINGLE UW game have called him a bust because his arm length?  Gimme a break, the smell is atrocious from that one...

As for him blocking linebackers and DBs, well that shows he has fullfilled his assignment function at the point of attack, and has the speed and athleticism to put these "nuisances" into the grass where they belong as Caddy runs by them...

These Gallery opinions are absurd as anything I have read.

How about Calvin Johnson versus BMW?  Or Brady Quinn versus Rick Mirer?  Or Jamarcus Russell versus Ryan Leaf?  Thought so.  It sounds lame because it is.

I wouldnt call 33 inches long either my friend. Where the hell did I say he would be a bust?

My point about his arm length is if that is all you have to back up your logic in being a Doubting Thomas, then you haven't dug around deep enough.  And I never specifically calle you out on the "bust" tag, either.  But there are some who it is directed at.  Thomas is a nasty man, very athletic, and has solid footwork and drive.  He is also very commited to being on the field, the man played d-line for a while.  So we know he is a baller at heart.  He won;t fail in the NFL.  Once he gets time in his peer group, I think he will shine amongst his fellow linemen.

[ordinary]

My opinion on Thomas is that
He will be a good like Bryant McKinne good but not Walter Jones good(dominant). And If we drafted him,I would have no complaints,because i realize that he will anchor olinemen for the next decade.

[Boid Fink]

Quick AMAZING stat about Walter Jones:  He ran the forty in under 4.6!

[mtnman]

Given the choice of Joe Thomas @ 4 or trade down, I would trade down pick up Levi Brown and use the extra picks on Defense.

NO! Levi Brown has OT bust written all over him, IMO. At some point he'll end up at OG.

Agree DTG, Levi reminds me of Leonard Davis.

[stereochemistry]

Im sure TO and Harrison had to develop to become better route runners.

So the answer to any slight on CJ is "he'll get better", but the same isn't expected out of a top LT prospect?

[dalbuc]

So the answer to any slight on CJ is "he'll get better", but the same isn't expected out of a top LT prospect?

That's about it. The key here is to watch the Calvin arguments:

Argument 1: He's transcendent, not he's a good player but he'll be the best WR in the league.
Argument 2: Anyone else in the draft is a stiff

Once more points back to the WR issue since they have to extend that gap between Calvin and the rest of the world to make him the "only" pick.

[MVP]

What is it about his arms

If 33 1/2 inch arms makes him fail as an offensive line prospect then what is the protoypical length and why is it so important?

I would think that with his quickness and strength even if his arms are short he can redirect and slide his guy out of the way for the block.

Could someone explain this? 

Because so far my opinion remains that Joe Thomas is a better prospect then Calvin Johnson. The other negatives about him are moot points too me. If his knee was still hurt he would not be even considered for top 5. Scouts would drop him into the round like Eric Winston if it was that much of a red flag. And if he needs some time to refine his game then the Bucs can afford it too him. With Luke Pettigout on the roster Thomas can be eased into the position.

[dalbuc]

You want longer arms so that you can keep the DE's from getting into your body and so you can hold him and redirect him. It is basically the same reason arm reach matters in boxing.

Thomas' arms are less than ideal, you'd like them to be longer in all honesty but what makes it a really big issue is that Gallery failed and people have pinned the short arms as the reason for that failure. The problem is that everyone knew how long his arms were before the draft so if it was such a red flag and defining trait he would have slid. If you watch Gallery his problem isn't arm length, it is that he honestly looks like he's never played the position in his life. I don't know what his wonderlic was but he just doesn't seem to know what to do nor when to do it.

[MVP]

You want longer arms so that you can keep the DE's from getting into your body and so you can hold him and redirect him. It is basically the same reason arm reach matters in boxing.

Thomas' arms are less than ideal, you'd like them to be longer in all honesty but what makes it a really big issue is that Gallery failed and people have pinned the short arms as the reason for that failure. The problem is that everyone knew how long his arms were before the draft so if it was such a red flag and defining trait he would have slid. If you watch Gallery his problem isn't arm length, it is that he honestly looks like he's never played the position in his life. I don't know what his wonderlic was but he just doesn't seem to know what to do nor when to do it.

Thanks Dalbuc.

I didn't think Gallery's poor performance in the NFL would affect Thomas as well. The only thing about this that bothers me is that is sounds like scouts are trying to talk themselves out of this pick. Whenever they label someone can't miss and thay fail in the NFL it seems that if another player shares similar attributes they'll suffer the same consequences.

I think people fail to consider that offensive line men have a far better hit rate then WRs who bust far too often. If CJ fails with his team I have a eerie feeling the next WR like him will have negatives like "he dosen't gain seperation, does not run routes well, dosen't play as fast as advertised." When the guy right before him was labeled can't miss.