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Post by yanktonyote on May 19, 2014 9:01:52 GMT -6
Rookie Tyler Starr a hair above the rest
May, 19, 2014
May 19
9:30
AM ET
By Vaughn McClure | ESPN.com
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Not one day of Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp went by without Tyler Starr being noticed on the football field.
The outside linebacker and seventh-round pick from South Dakota played with high energy throughout the three sessions. And the fact his long blonde hair flopped around outside his helmet only made him much more visible.
[+] Enlarge
Michael Conroy/AP PhotoTyler Starr made a good first impression on coach Mike Smith during the Falcons' rookie minicamp.
"Well, he's a very energetic player," coach Mike Smith said of Starr. "He has the look of a very free-spirited guy. But that's not necessarily what it is. He's very focused. And I like his work ethic. I think he has the ability to rush off the edge. I think he also has the ability to be a guy that we can drop into coverage and ask to play man to man. And those are the type of guys we're trying to add to our defense."
Starr, who is is 6-foot-5 and weighs 250 pounds, has a quick first step and plays with some power. He even beat first-round pick Jake Matthews around the edge on Sunday while showing a burst not typical of a late-round pick.
The scratches on Starr's neck where indicative of how fierce and relentless a competitor he can be.
"Just coming in, the first thing was to adjust to the facilities," Starr said. "You're in a new place, new league. Just to come out here, the first thing was to learn that playbook as fast as possible so I could play fast. That's really important here. Mental errors aren't allowed in this game, especially when you're trying to earn a spot. But the mental has to be 100 percent. They'll take a physical error here and there or a technique error here or there. But, you've got to know that playbook."
Starr often rushed out of a four-point stance, something he said he altered in his game upon arriving in Atlanta. If rookie minicamp was a glimpse of his true talent, then Starr could be an immediately contributor to a team in desperate need of a pass rush. He and fellow rookie Prince Shembo are a pair of outside linebackers the Falcons could count on heavily in terms of pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
"I think the most important part is that I've got a chance to show this team what I can do and hopefully, bust my butt so I can make this team," said Starr, who signed a four-year contract Sunday that included a $45,896 signing bonus and $2.2 million in base salaries. "At the end of the day, I want to be playing football for as long as I possibly can."
His next chance to make an impression will come a week from Tuesday, when the Falcons begin organized team activities.
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Post by Yotes on May 19, 2014 9:25:36 GMT -6
I think many teams are going to regret not taking him, the Falcons got an absolute steal with this pick. It would be great to see Starr contributing right away in his career, he will be a fine representative of our program.
It's so weird to think he is basically a millionaire now. It was only a few months ago that I'd see him walking around like any other student.
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Post by 94grad on May 19, 2014 9:50:19 GMT -6
Rookie Tyler Starr a hair above the rest May, 19, 2014 May 19 9:30 AM ET By Vaughn McClure | ESPN.com Recommend3 Tweet0 Comments0 Email Print Not one day of Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp went by without Tyler Starr being noticed on the football field. The outside linebacker and seventh-round pick from South Dakota played with high energy throughout the three sessions. And the fact his long blonde hair flopped around outside his helmet only made him much more visible. [+] Enlarge Michael Conroy/AP PhotoTyler Starr made a good first impression on coach Mike Smith during the Falcons' rookie minicamp. "Well, he's a very energetic player," coach Mike Smith said of Starr. "He has the look of a very free-spirited guy. But that's not necessarily what it is. He's very focused. And I like his work ethic. I think he has the ability to rush off the edge. I think he also has the ability to be a guy that we can drop into coverage and ask to play man to man. And those are the type of guys we're trying to add to our defense." Starr, who is is 6-foot-5 and weighs 250 pounds, has a quick first step and plays with some power. He even beat first-round pick Jake Matthews around the edge on Sunday while showing a burst not typical of a late-round pick. The scratches on Starr's neck where indicative of how fierce and relentless a competitor he can be. "Just coming in, the first thing was to adjust to the facilities," Starr said. "You're in a new place, new league. Just to come out here, the first thing was to learn that playbook as fast as possible so I could play fast. That's really important here. Mental errors aren't allowed in this game, especially when you're trying to earn a spot. But the mental has to be 100 percent. They'll take a physical error here and there or a technique error here or there. But, you've got to know that playbook." Starr often rushed out of a four-point stance, something he said he altered in his game upon arriving in Atlanta. If rookie minicamp was a glimpse of his true talent, then Starr could be an immediately contributor to a team in desperate need of a pass rush. He and fellow rookie Prince Shembo are a pair of outside linebackers the Falcons could count on heavily in terms of pressuring opposing quarterbacks. "I think the most important part is that I've got a chance to show this team what I can do and hopefully, bust my butt so I can make this team," said Starr, who signed a four-year contract Sunday that included a $45,896 signing bonus and $2.2 million in base salaries. "At the end of the day, I want to be playing football for as long as I possibly can." His next chance to make an impression will come a week from Tuesday, when the Falcons begin organized team activities. Good stuff here. Thanks for posting! I agree with 1234... err.... Yotes also. If he can develop something besides the outside speed rush, look out. I think teams couldn't get past the whole FCS thing and the 40 time (which is the "everyman" measuring stick unfortunately). They need to start realizing the MVFC is stout competition, even if it is FCS. |
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Post by yanktonyote on May 19, 2014 10:00:07 GMT -6
Here is some more info on Tylers mini camp performance.
9 Things from Falcons mini camp
1. Falcons Consoling WR White: Before we get into wrapping up rookie minicamp, Falcons head coach Mike Smith again spoke Sunday about the death of Roddy White's brother, Tyrone Moore Jr., during the weekend. Smith said he's spoken to White and he knows that he's spending this time with his teammates as he copes with his loss. "We're here to support him, and I know it's difficult for the entire White family," Smith said.
2. Starr Shining: It's not a surprise when a first-round selection comes into rookie minicamp and continues to earn the spotlight — and tackle Jake Matthews has done just that. It might come as a surprise, however, that the player stealing some of that spotlight is a seventh-rounder and the second-to-final selection of the 2014 NFL Draft. South Dakota linebacker Tyler Starr, who the Falcons selected at No. 255 overall in last week's draft, stole a lot of attention during rookie minicamp this week for a few reasons. First, his long blonde locks coming out of the back of his helmet are hard to ignore. Beyond that, his motor doesn't stop. There is no half-speed in Starr, who saw ample time during the three-day minicamp working with what essentially is the first-team among rookies. Whether his hand was in the dirt or he was standing up, Starr showed impressive explosion off the ball and an amount of want-to. "Coming up from a small town, you're not handed anything and if you want something, you've got to be able to go out and get it. Taking a play off, going half speed, that's just not something we were taught," Starr said.
View Gallery | 25 Photos
2014 Rookie Minicamp - Day 2
3. More From Starr: Starr cuts an imposing figure at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, but perhaps he's even more impressive when he's not upright. Working in at defensive end in certain defensive sets, Starr utilizes the four-point stance on the line, which stood out among his teammates. Starr says having both hands on the ground gives him much more explosion off the ball. "It gets a little bit more weight in the back of my hips and I get more torque coming out of my stance. It helps me get to that hip of the tackle a little bit quicker, close that space because it happens so fast. The quarterback's sitting there trying to get rid of it as fast as possible and I'm trying to get there as fast as possible," Starr said.
4. Rookies Are a Quiet Group: Smith tied up the end of the three-day minicamp with an assessment of how things went for the Falcons and one of the things he said stood out to him, other than the effort that the group of drafted and undrafted rookies, and tryout players, showed was just how quiet they were. He didn't mean it in a bad way, saying it was a product of just how focused they were during practices. "They understand the importance of coming out and competing every day. They've been fun to be around," Smith said.
5. Under-the-Radar Tight End?: The Falcons went through the 2014 NFL Draft without selecting a tight end, but they may have gotten a strong candidate to make the roster in undrafted free agent Jacob Pedersen, out of Wisconsin. Pedersen was coached by the Falcons at the Senior Bowl in January and while there were a couple of other tight ends that got better looks during that game, Pedersen seems to have the pedigree to make an impact. On the roster, the Falcons have a pass-catcher in second-year tight end Levine Toilolo and a solid blocker in newly-added veteran Bear Pascoe. Pedersen left Wisconsin as the top scorer at his position in school history, and his abilities in the passing game could get a strong look as the offseason goes on. "He is an athletic player. He's not a guy that you're going to line up down-in and down-out and play in-line, but he's a guy that you'll put in postion to be a move guy, change the strength of the formation. He's done some good things and he's what we anticipated he was going to be, working with him for that week at the Senior Bowl," Smith said.
6. Matthews Drawing Rave Reviews: The Falcons' first-round selection is impressive enough in the way he carries himself on the field. When he shows off the skills that earned him a top-10 selection in the NFL Draft, however, Matthews really opens some eyes. Starr has had his fill of seeing the No. 70 jersey across from him during minicamp, and while he held his own against the former Texas A&M standout, Matthews' abilities were more than evident. "You can tell that he's so patient and he's so confident and he's so relaxed and controlled. He has the strength, he has the speed, he has the footwork — he doesn't have anything to worry about. Mentally, I don't think I've seen him mess up once. He's got all the components to be a really, really great tackle," Starr said.
7. Freeman's Vision Stands Out: Rainy weather in Flowery Branch forced the Falcons rookies into the indoor facility Sunday, and while Smith said he doesn't like practicing on the Field Turf, he did get a look at how fast this group of rookies can be. No one showed that more Sunday than running back Devonta Freeman out of Florida State. The rookie back looked explosive on the turf, showing off his quick-thinking abilities and speed around the edge. His vision, however, was impressive as he darted in and out of lanes during team periods. "Devonta is a fast, quick guy. I think he has very good vision and he's able to stick his foot in the ground and transition it in a different direction," Smith said.
8. Spruill, Smallwood Handle Large Workload: Being the two main inside linebackers during rookie minicamp, Marquis Spruill and Yawin Smallwood had just a bit more responsibility in the sometimes overwhelming crash course that occurs over the three days. Having to understand the playbook on a deep level to make calls and identifications coming out of the huddle adds an extra layer of difficulty to what they were responsible for, but the two rookies seemed to handle it well. "It's a lot more information, " Spruill said. "It's like my brain was on overload, but it's great. It's fun. We get out here and we had three solid days of work. We're working on our installs every day — day and night, in meetings. Everything's going well, though."
View Gallery | 32 Photos
2014 Rookie Minicamp - Day 1
9. No Slowdown in These Rookies: Matthews commented on the first day of rookie minicamp that this group of first-year players doesn't handle walkthroughs very well. Smith had to remind the rookies several times that walkthroughs are just that, but it was the one thing that just didn't hit home with this group after three days. "We don't know how to go through walkthroughs yet," Spruill said with a laugh. "It's a group of guys that's hungry. They just want a shot. They just want to live out their dream to play football in the National Football League."
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Post by Yotes on May 25, 2014 16:16:24 GMT -6
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Post by coyotega on Jun 15, 2014 15:50:22 GMT -6
Sean Weatherspoon is out for the 2014 season due to an Achilles tendon injury so that should open up an opportunity for Starr.
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