Broaddus - Scouting Report: Iowa's Hitchens A Compact, Tough LB

[L.T. Fan]

Just talked to my friend in Iowa. He has been in the hospital and didn't know Hitchens had been drafted. He is obviously a partisan individual about him but I trust his judgement about players. He was a QB himself. Anyway he gave high marks to Hitchens as to his speed and tackling ability. He thought he played at 230 lbs and was a little light but it also accounted for his speed. Long story short he thought Hitchens was a solid player.

 

[Cotton]

1. Anthony Hitchens may lead the Big Ten in tackles, but the Hawkeye linebacker learned Saturday that performance matters.

Hitchens had eight tackles for Iowa in its game with Purdue, but he spent most of the second half on the sidelines, pulled from the game by Iowa coaches because of a lack of consistency in his play.

“It just shows me that I’m not where everyone thinks I’m at. I’ve still got to improve,’’ Hitchens said.

Hitchens said he missed coverage responsibilities on several occasions against the Boilermakers, leading to big plays and a coach’s decision to pull the junior.

“It was a tough day. I made some mistakes and I’ll learn from it,’’ Hitchens said. “I’m accountable, just like every other player on the team.’’

At least he recognizes accountability. This organization will bleed that from him soon enough, don't worry.

 

[boozeman]

At least he recognizes accountability. This organization will bleed that from him soon enough, don't worry.

Wait, so you think our staff would approach it like Iowa's did? It takes gross negligence and slacking for Dallas to bench anyone.

 

[boozeman]

Just talked to my friend in Iowa. He has been in the hospital and didn't know Hitchens had been drafted. He is obviously a partisan individual about him but I trust his judgement about players. He was a QB himself. Anyway he gave high marks to Hitchens as to his speed and tackling ability. He thought he played at 230 lbs and was a little light but it also accounted for his speed. Long story short he thought Hitchens was a solid player.

Big difference between being a solid player and the 119th best player in this entire class, which is exactly what we are saying by where we picked him.

 

[Cotton]

Wait, so you think our staff would approach it like Iowa's did? It takes gross negligence and slacking for Dallas to bench anyone.

No, quite the opposite. They will bleed his need for accountability. I figured that was clear from my post.

 

[boozeman]

No, quite the opposite. They will bleed his need for accountability. I figured that was clear from my post.

Oh. This is a staff that knows what buttons to push then. Got it.

 

[Cotton]

Oh. This is a staff that knows what buttons to push then. Got it.

Are you drunk?

 

[boozeman]

Are you drunk?

I get it now. Move along. Nothing to see here.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Big difference between being a solid player and the 119th best player in this entire class, which is exactly what we are saying by where we picked him.

I get it that he was picked with a reach and above his rating but there's nothing I can do about that. I'm just trying to see what kind of player he is or may become because I know absolutely nothing about him. When he was picked is a done deal and its history to me. I have no agenda with this or any other player that was drafted. I just hope he does well for the team.

 

[boozeman]

I get it that he was picked with a reach and above his rating but there's nothing I can do about that. I'm just trying to see what kind of player he is or may become because I know absolutely nothing about him. When he was picked is a done deal and its history to me. I have no agenda with this or any other player that was drafted. I just hope he does well for the team.

Well, I think we'd all love to be proven wrong. As we've seen, many times over, that it is pretty rare. When a guy we take has been viewed as a reach, they pretty much are.

We aren't mature enough as an organization to be able to thumb our nose at conventional wisdom and come out ahead.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Well, I think we'd all love to be proven wrong. As we've seen, many times over, that it is pretty rare. When a guy we take has been viewed as a reach, they pretty much are.

We aren't mature enough as an organization to be able to thumb our nose at conventional wisdom and come out ahead.

True enough. I guess that brings us back to the starting point When Schmitty said is a trying to justify this pick. Not so. Regardless of the motivations or rationale of the Dallas organization for doing what they do, all I can do is sort throughout it and hope it will somehow work out. I'm too damn old to get upset about someone else's shortcomings.