Kelcy Quarles - DE looks like a potential keeper

[BleedinBlue]

Probably our biggest UDFA signing is Kelcy Quarles, DT from South Carolina who somehow fell through the cracks and went undrafted. CBS had him ranked 5 spots ahead of Jayson Bromley for DT's and had him pegged for a 3rd to 4th round pick.

 

Anyway, the more I read up on this guy, the more I like him. He will fight for a spot on the team.

 

http://www.garnetandblackattack.com/2014/4/21/5596298/kelcy-quarles-nfl-draft-scouting-report

 

NFL scout had Cowboy fans on the board pleading for their front office to get this kid. Unfortunately for them, the Giants signed him first. They can pound salt.

[BleedinBlue]

Okay....found out why he dropped. He's in some trouble with the law and teams like the Patriots who had targeted him dropped him from their board after the news broke that the police are looking for him "for questioning" in a club brawl in which dozens of witnesses identified him as one of the attackers.

 

Note to self: not a team captain

 

http://www.tmz.com/2014/04/16/kelcy-quarles-multiple-witness-saw-nfl-prospect-at-nightclub-cops-say/

[BleedinBlue]

From the New England Patriots site:

To start, the exact impact Quarles had at South Carolina was hard to measure since he spent most of his time lining up next to arguably the best defensive end prospect in recent years in Jadeveon Clowney. Although Quarles burst onto the scene with 9.5 sacks in 2013, it's always been hard to tell how much of that was his talents and how much of it was teams keying on Clowney.

For most of the pre-draft process, Quarles ranged anywhere from a projected Round 2 pick to as low as Rounds 6. On Tuesday, that picture got even hazier when reports emerged that Quarles was one of two former South Carolina players sought for questioning in connection to a nightclub assault earlier this year.

The NYPD has yet to file any charges in relation to the case, so it's possible that Quarles did nothing wrong. On the other hand, the fact that Quarles is even being questioned could be a major flag for some teams. A serious indictment could even take him off of some teams' boards altogether.

So with the 2014 NFL Draft just weeks away, Quarles stands as one of the players who could see his once-lofty draft stock (9.5 sacks as a DT in the SEC is nothing to sneeze at) descend into oblivion. It wouldn't be the first time that sort of thing happened.

The Patriots need a younger prospect to grow into a larger role in the defense with Tommy Kelly and Vince Wilfork nearing the ends of their runs in New England. Behind those two, there are a whole lot of question marks, particularly in terms of guys have the potential to be dynamic interior rushers.

Quarles is a bit of a risky prospect, and that's not even taking into account the off-the-field stuff. Still, if the Patriots are going to find a defensive tackle that can rush the passer and make plays in the backfield at a good value, it might just be Quarles, who met with the Patriots earlier this offseason.

In the New England 4-3 defense, Quarles would be a versatile fit that could move along the front in different gaps. While he's still inconsistent in that area, Quarles has shown a potential to be prolific pass-rusher from the inside. Even with a player like Clowney occupying an offense's attention, an interior pass rush threat is a hard thing to pass on.

Of course, the big question remains whether the Patriots would be willing to roll the dice on Quarles considering the police investigation. If he proves to be innocent, there's certainly precedent. As the 2012 selection of Alfonzo Dennard showed, Bill Belichick is willing to take a risk on a guy who ruined his draft stock after a run-in with the law.

Although, the question remains, "Will he do it again?"

Where could the Patriots draft him?

For many players, this is a simple question that requires a quick glance at some rankings. For Quarles, it could mean his career.

For the most part, Quarles' range had been hovering somewhere between the third and fourth round. Now, it's hard to get a good read until the police investigation finishes. If there's any real dirt on Quarles, we could see his stock drop similar to the way Alfonzo Dennard's did when he punched that police officer in the days leading up to the draft.

Quarles was a potential Day 2 pick heading into this week. Now, it's possible that some teams have taken him off their boards.

 

[Nas]

He looks really good out there granted that's what highlights are supposed to show.

[JMFP]

Okay....found out why he dropped. He's in some trouble with the law and teams like the Patriots who had targeted him dropped him from their board after the news broke that the police are looking for him "for questioning" in a club brawl in which dozens of witnesses identified him as one of the attackers.

 

Note to self: not a team captain

 

http://www.tmz.com/2014/04/16/kelcy-quarles-multiple-witness-saw-nfl-prospect-at-nightclub-cops-say/

Flags are up on this one....but as a UDFA it's worth taking a flyer on this guy

[Nas]

Flags are up on this one....y

Because he's black?

[BleedinBlue]

He looks really good out there granted that's what highlights are supposed to show.

The fact that he's an interior lineman who got 9.5 sacks in the SEC says a whole lot more than highlite films. As stated in the post draft, "The SEC’s 49 picks led all conferences across college football, ahead of the second-place Atlantic Coast Conference (42 selections), making the league the undisputed draft champion for the eighth year in the row. A year ago, the SEC’s 63 picks set a new draft record. In third was the Pac-12 (34 picks), followed by the Big Ten (30)"

 

The whole breakdown:

 

SEC -- 49

ACC -- 42

Pac-12 -- 34

Big Ten -- 30

Big 12 -- 17

Mountain West --16

American -- 12

Conference USA -- 9

Independents -- 9

MAC -- 8

Sun Belt -- 4

 

 

Year after year it's the same thing. The SEC players especially dominate the first and second round. Not every player of course, but the bulk of them. It's a tough, tough conference in football and the best players in the country gravitate to the SEC because that's where the crème de la crème of competition goes. Of course, the SEC conference can't take every 5-star player because their rosters couldn't handle it, but they sure try.

 

When you look at player rankings pre-draft, the top 50 players is like reading a "Who's Who in the SEC". It's why Khalil Mack wasn't the no. 1 pick overall, because he played in a conference with questionable competition...the MAC conference. But of course, you never know...sometimes players drafted out of Div. II schools instead of Div I like the ones above, even pan out to be NFL pros...like Osi, or Phil Simms.

 

Last year Alabama (SEC) lost a squeaker to Florida St. (ACC) in the national championship. It was considered an upset. The year before, Notre Dame (Independent) nearly knocked off Alabama (SEC) in the national championship.

 

But back to my point. Interior linemen simply do not put up sack stats like a DE. Yet both Bromley and Quarles have (Bromley in the ACC, and Quarles in the SEC). That's not only rare, it's downright unheard of. That's why it's so funny to hear analysts refer to Bromley as a "pure run stuffer" as though his 10 sacks were a fluke...duhh.

 

Takes the sting off of losing Linvall Joseph and Tuck.

 

Just hope this dumb move at the nightclub doesn't kill Quarles' career....unless it's with another team other than the Giants.

[GorillaNJ]

So he was in a club and a fight broke out? Wonder if LT would have ever made it to the NFL.

 

He is done with college, not on a NFL team... he went out to a club with his buddy trying to get some pussy. Here is a shocker, he is 6'4" 300lbs and people remember seeing him!

 

Glad the Giants grabbed him