Ricky Sapp And Eron Riley Switch Places

[b&bjetsfan]

Jets announce they promoted OLB Ricky Sapp to active roster & signed WR Eron Riley, who was cut from 53-man roster Tues, to practice squad

[Maxman]

This is Sapp's shot. Although he still has to find a way to get the Jets to make him active this week.

[flgreen]

This is Sapp's shot. Although he still has to find a way to get the Jets to make him active this week.

Yep

I liked Sapp a lot coming out. He was an impact player at Clemson who was plagued with knee injuries. This for sure is his chance

Hope Rex can spin some magic with this kid if he can stay healthy

.04/25/2010 - A closer look at the Eagles' draft picks: Round 5/134 -- Ricky Sapp, LB/DE, 6-4, 252, Clemson: The Eagles continued their pursuit of pass-rushers by grabbing Sapp in the fifth round. He's an athletic kid with 4.6 speed who the Eagles could used as a third-down blitzer, but was projected as a 3-4 rush linebacker before the draft. The Eagles play a 4-3.

• Full Ricky Sapp News Wire
  

Overview

Sapp was a three-year starter at "Bandit" defensive end at Clemson. His cat-like quickness and burst has NFL teams eyeing him as a potential linebacker in a 3-4 defensive alignment. It should be a smooth transition, considering the "Bandit" is a stand-up rush position, not the traditional down lineman role.

Rather than challenge offensive linemen outweighing Sapp by 50-75 pounds, playing on the second level could allow Sapp to dominate on blitzes, much like Dallas' DeMarcus Ware, who also made the smooth transition to linebacker from collegiate defensive end. With 16 quarterback pressures, 17.5 sacks and 38.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, Sapp is clearly capable of disrupting the pocket.

Sapp was a first-Team USA Today All-American selection, adding second-team honors from EA Sports as a senior at Bamberg-Ehrhart High School. He was rated the top prospect in the state of South Carolina by Super Prep and the nation's second-best defensive end by College Football News. Rivals.com rated him third at his position nationally and second overall in the state.

The Greenville Touchdown Club Player-of-the-Year earned All-State first-team accolades in his last two years and was an All-Region choice as a sophomore. The Shrine Bowl choice recorded 82 tackles, 25 stops for loss and 11 sacks as a senior. He added 70 tackles, including 27 behind the line of scrimmage, along with 11 more sacks as a junior.

Sapp was a track and basketball standout. He was a three-year state regional champion in the 100m (10.76 career-best), 200m (21.0 career-best), and 4x100m relay. The two-year starter and was a two-time All-Region selection as a forward for the basketball team.

Sapp chose Clemson over Florida State, Georgia, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia Tech. He became the first Tiger defensive lineman named first- or second-team All-American by USA Today to enroll at the university since Chester McGlockton in 1988.

Sapp spent his freshman season backing up All-American Gaines Adams at the bandit (right defensive end) position. He did not start any of the 13 games he appeared in, but still managed to finish second on the team with four sacks. He also broke up two third-down pass attempts and had two pressures that caused interceptions.

With Adams having graduated, Sapp emerged from a heated battle in fall camp to claim the right defensive end position. He worked hard in the offseason, bulking up to 240 pounds after playing at 220 the previous season.

While he did reach double digits in sacks, he did drop the quarterback six times and made 9.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He collected five pressures, with three causing interceptions. He also delivered 44 total tackles (24 solo) while starting all 13 games.

Sapp was starting to emerge as a junior, recording 9.5 stops for loss through the first 10 games of 2008 before suffering a right knee anterior cruciate tear vs. Virginia that ended his season two games short of its conclusion. He underwent surgery, finishing with 25 tackles (12 solos) and 2.5 sacks.

Sapp returned to action in 2009, starting all 14 games, but he was the first to admit that he played at less than 100 percent as the knee continued its recovery process. He told the media during his time at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine that he played his senior year with a right knee that was at about "60 percent."

The extra upper-body strength came in handy during his final season, as Sapp stepped into more of a linebacker role in Kevin Steele's defense. In 2008, while playing the "bandit" defensive end position, he was used as more a pass rusher but sometimes dropped into zone coverage. Sapp sometimes lined up as an outside linebacker, a position that many NFL scouts believe he'll play on the next level.

After the season, Sapp was invited to the prestigious Senior Bowl, but declined. While that game is usually a good way for an elite talent to further boost their draft stock, Sapp felt he needed to spend the time further rehabbing his knee and preparing for the Combine.

In an interview with the Orangeburg Times Democrat, Sapp defended his reason for concentrating on training over playing in the all-star game, "As the days go by, I know that I'm getting closer and closer to combine time. I have one ultimate goal and that is to live my dream and become a professional football player. I am getting so close; it feels like I can just reach out and grab it.

That feeling is in the pit of my stomach and that is what wakes me up every morning to train as hard as my body can."

Analysis

Read & React: Appears to have the instincts to handle the transition to linebacker. Has been asked to primarily rush the passer as a defensive end, but quickly locates the ball and has the agility and acceleration to change direction. Hustles downfield in pursuit.

Run defense: Lacks the bulk necessary to stack and shed as a defensive end. Can get bulled over in the running game and relies on his lateral agility and swim move to get past blocks, but too often takes himself out of the play. To his credit, Sapp hustles downfield and makes many of his plays in pursuit, showing the straight-line speed and agility necessary to move to linebacker.

Pass defense: Intriguing potential, despite his limited experience in coverage. Has a rare combination of straight-line speed and agility for his size. Drops into coverage as a zone defender from his defensive end position and shows good balance and the agility to re-direct in space. Good straight-line speed.

Tackling: Effective drag-down tackler from behind. Wraps up securely when taking on ballcarriers laterally or head-on. Flashes explosiveness as a hitter, but too often is a catch tackler. Needs to add strength, especially in his upper body.

Pass Rush/Blitz: Natural pass rusher. Experienced standing up and with his hand on the ground. Explosive burst and good flexibility to get under the tackle's reach and around the edge. Active hands and a good swim move to get past the initial blocker. Lacks strength to bull rush NFL offensive tackles. Relies on his agility to get past the blocker. Struggles to disengage once tied up.

Intangibles: Better athlete than football player. Will require an extensive Combine medical check after multiple injuries while at Clemson, including a partially torn ACL in his right knee in 2008. Top prep prospect who signed with Clemson over Oklahoma, Florida State and Georgia. Three-year South Carolina regional champion in the 100 meter (10.76), 200 meter (21.0), and 4x100 meter relay in high school.

Positives: Lanky build with plenty of room for additional muscle mass, especially in his upper body.

Negatives: Often generates pressure off the edge, but only has 12.5 sacks in 33 games. Lacks strength at the point of attack. Lacks the bulk to stack and shed blocks when properly engaged.

NFL Comparison: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys

[Il Mostro]

It's like a chess match on the short bus...