Recapping 2012 Commit Chris Wormley

One of the recruits that got a lot of excitement for his commitment to Michigan's 2012 class was Chris Wormley.  He comes out of Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio and was just one piece of Brady Hoke's massive Ohio haul in the 2012 and 2013 classes.  Wormley was also slated for a role in the 2012 season as the likely backup to Craig Roh.  Of course, this plan went out the window when Wormley tore his ACL in fall camp and will now redshirt the 2012 season, but he was getting some consistent play before that happened, giving fans a lot to look forward to in the future.

Wormley has a large skillset that makes him a great pick-up for the Wolverines.  He has solid size and strength, standing at 6'4" and weighing 279 lbs according to the official website.  Some think he's even big enough to eventually move to the inside once he increases his strength a little more.  He is also cited as having a great motor and speed off the snap, which is exciting for a defensive end.  Ace from MGoBlog had some concerns that his "pad level" was significantly decreasing his production.  This and Wormley's general technique will take some improvement if he truly wants to make an impact as a strongside defensive end in the future.  He seems to be pretty good at getting off the blocks, but if he can come off the ball right, he could be simply running through opponents because of his speed and strength.

Michigan's Undrafted Free Agents - Find Out Where They Ended Up

Photo Credit: AnnArbor.com

The 2012 NFL Draft is over. Luck and Griffin III have been drafted to their predicted teams. There have been good picks, and head scratchers. It has already been written about the Michigan Men (Martin, Molk, Hemingway) who were drafted onto an NFL team, so here's one about the guys who weren't.

Let it be known that when a player goes undrafted, that doesn't mean he doesn't receive a shot. Every player who enters the draft hires an agent, and when they are drafted by a team, that agent then works out the contract particulars for that player. However, when a guy goes undrafted, that player gets to choose between a limited number of teams who have expressed interest.

Most undrafted playres rarely get a starting job. Of course, the same can be said for players from the 4th round to the 7th round. These are your backup players, your practice squad guys. They're not granted the starting job right away, but have to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

Now, just because I've said this, doesn't mean it's the bottom of the barrel. There are many players who go undrafted who go on to be stars in the NFL. Jeff Saturday, Wes Welker, Rod Smith, Antonio Pierce, and Bart Scott are just some of the guys who went undrafted, busted their tails, and went on to star careers in the NFL. Can our guys do the same? It is possible, and here's my guess as to how it might work out:

Troy Woolfolk

1. Troy Woolfolk, CB--Cowboys. Woolfolk has a good shot here. Cowboys were weak in the secondary before the draft, which is why they traded up to the 6th overall spot to grab Claiborne from LSU. It wasn't until they drafted a safety, Matt Johnson, out of Eastern Washington in the 4th round, that Dallas even drafted another secondary player. We all know Woolfolk has a rocky history at Michigan, when you include injuries and being on one of the worst defenses ever during the RR era, but I think he has the potential to grab a solid backup spot behind Claiborne. I still think the weak side of the Cowboys secondary is going to be a sore spot, especially with the heavy passing league the NFL has become. And typically, you'll find more teams adding secondary players to their teams and practice squads in case there's a major injury. Only Woolfolk's injury prone history might stop him for now.

Michael Shaw

2. Michael Shaw, RB--Redskins. This is very intriguing. Most fans are very well aware of Shanahan's penchant for picking different starting running backs. Last year, it was a mix of Hightower, Torain, and Royster. This year will have an even bigger change. Hightower left via free agency, and Torain was released. What did the Skins do this year in the draft? They took Griffin III of course. Then, against all common sense, they drafted Cousins out of MSU in the 4th round. The only running back they drafted? Alfred Morris our of Florida Atlantic in the 6th round. So, bottom line--Morris has just as much of a chance as Shaw does. Shaw, at 6'1" and 195 lbs, might seem sort of tall for a prototype running back in Shanahan's zone blocking offense. Shaw ran for just over 1,000 yards and 14 TDs in his career at Michigan; a respectable number but a low one compared to others who were drafted. Bottom line--the future is bright for Shaw, and would be for any running back for Mike Shanahan.

Brandon Herron

3. Brandon Herron, LB--Buccaneers. Herron, a 4 yr letterman might have the longest road to making an NFL team. Herron starred in some games last season, even making 1 start. His 2 defensive TDs in 1 game against WMU is a highlight no fans will be soon to forget. However, his play was never steady and he only seemed to show up big in non-conference games. The Bucs have a young defense on their team, which shows when they were blown out in their last 5 regular season games, and their head coach was fired. Now, they bring in Greg Schiano from Rutgers, who had a good head coaching career there, but keep in mind that for years he coached in different defensive positions at Miami, Penn St, and even the Chicago Bears for some time. The Bucs went mostly defense during the recent draft, and with Herron's playing history, the whole situation could be iffy. Bottom line--I think Herron will be cut before training camps start in July, or at least in the first couple weeks of camp.

Ryan Van Bergen

4. Ryan Van Bergen, DE--Panthers. I have to say, Van Bergen going undrafted surprised me. At 6'6 and 288 lbs, I thought he'd be the ideal pick for any team. He's had the experience on the line, and his motor was just closely mirroring that of Mike Martin. The Panthers defense was absolutely porous last year. Keep in mind that, before Cam Newton showed up, the Panthers scored 17 TDs and went 1-15. Last season with Cam, they scored 48 TDs as a team and went 6-10. Now yes, that is a significant upgrade from the previous season, but if their defense had been better, they might have contended for a playoff spot. The Panthers love their linebackers and defensive ends to be solid, and rush the passer consistently. Van Bergen shows these traits in spades. Bottom line--it will only be a matter of time till Van Bergen is able to grab an occasional starting nod, maybe due to injury or otherwise.

The next few months will prove to be interesting. Rookie mini-camps will start, and full team training camps begin towards the end of July. The NFL draft gave me just a little reprieve from the monotony of the NBA and NHL seasons. I will continue monitoring any news coming up on our new guys in the NFL, drafted or undrafted.

For Michigan's Seniors, The Future Is Now

The NFL draft is coming up, but before that happens, there is a lot of work to do for the coaches and GMs. College pro days are in full swing, giving more athletes an opportunity to show their skills whether or not they were invited to the Scouting Combine back in February. Michigan's pro day has come and gone and I'm going to throw some ideas out there about our seniors. Michigan will not have an underclassmen that has declared for the draft, which I think that is more of a testament to the type of program Hoke is building.

First, I'm not a draft expert. Picking the draft correctly is like being perfect on your NCAA Tournament bracket. It's just not going to happen. However, I've tried not to attach myself to player stats. Everyone knows by know that Jerry Rice was criticized at college for being too slow. Are we going to argue about that now? I can tell you where I believe each player would be best suited to go. Then of course, this is all subject to opinion and any views expressed forthwith are just mine.

Mike Martin, DT--Martin was an absolute stud this past season. Martin has always been a talented player on the defensive line. It took Mattison's arrival to show just how special he can be. Some scouts believe his height is a detriment, but with his motor, there's nothing that can prevent him from being an important cog on the D-line. My guess: Vikings. Kevin and Pat Williams no longer anchor their stout line, and the entire defense has holes. I could see him going in the early to mid 3rd round area.

David Molk, C--This is a tricky one for NFL scouts. He repeated his numbers at the pro day from the Combine, but also had his right foot in a cast. Molk communicates wonderfully at the line of scrimmage, rarely gets called for penalties, and knows how to audible. When he came out due to an injury at the Sugar Bowl, the drop-off was considerable. Centers can come at a premium at the NFL level, but with time Molk could easily be a Pro Bowler. My guess: Packers. The Packers just lost their sturdy Pro Bowl center Scott Wells to free agency. I believe Molk would be an asset hiking the ball to Aaron Rodgers, and he should be gone in the late 2nd round.

Junior Hemingway, WR--The NFL is a quarterback driven league. This past season had a bounty of passing records broken. Every team looks for the next big thing, and Hemingway could be it. He surprised scouts at both the Combine and the pro day with his speed. Considering he's always able to run that long post route, or go over the middle, he is an ideal fit for any team. My guess: Broncos. With losing Eddie Royal to free agency, that leaves Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker at receiver. That wouldn't be too bad with Tebow at the helm, but now that Peyton Manning has signed on as starting quarterback, they're going to need at least one more receiver to catch his passes. Middle of 4th round.

Kevin Koger, TE-- Team captain Koger seemed to disappear at times last season, yet he always makes that spectacular catch or block on just the right play. Snubbed by not getting an invite to the combine, that might make him work harder for a roster spot. My guess: Cardinals. Tight ends are becoming the sexy position of the league. Koger could be one of the top 10 TEs taken, but I don't think that'll happen till the 5th or 6th rounds.

Martavious Odoms, WR--Always efficient and elusive. In the NFL, probably better suited as a return man and special teams player. My guess: Chargers. San Diego's special teams suffered last year by losing Darren Sproles to free agency. Odoms could be that guy to step in. I wouldn't go after him til the 6th to 7th rounds however.

Ryan Van Bergen, DL--Alongside Martin, they were a formidable team to try to run against. Some pro teams stockpile players on the D-line, and Van Bergen fits any defensive system. My guess: Browns. Cleveland seems to be perpetually bad on defense, and Van Bergen could end up as a starter. I'm guessing 6th round.

Troy Woolfolk, CB--Woolfolk is a true mystery. Will he be a shutdown corner that we've seen flashes of, or the oft-injured guy we pined for? One thing that might be going for him is his dad, Butch, was drafted by the Giants in 1982. My guess: Buccaneers. The defense is aging for the Bucs, a la Ronde Barber, and Woolfolk could be a stopgap measure to replace him. I'm figuring on 7th round.

Steve Watson, Mark Huyge, Brandon Herron, Kelvin Grady, Tony Anderson, Michael Shaw, J.B. Fitzgerald, Marell Evans, Jared Van Slyke, John McColgan, Zac Johnson, amd Will Heininger are all probably going to be undrafted, or undrafted free-agents.

The 7 listed players above, however, do signal a shift in players drafted out of Michigan. In recent years the numbers have dwindled to 3 or 4. Hopefully our outgoing seniors will show we're still here to contend with, because we're "Michigan for God's sake".

Photo Credit: Miami New Times