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Mark Eckel
Guest
By BOB McGINN
Of the 14 nose tackles drafted over the weekend, only one had more traits earmarking him for a successful career in the NFL than Northwestern’s Tyler Lancaster.
That was Vita Vea of Washington, who often has been compared to Haloti Ngata.
Vea’s new home was determined within the first 90 minutes Thursday night when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the 12th overall pick. As for Lancaster, well, that eagerly awaited phone call never came.
Lancaster cast his lot with the Green Bay Packers shortly after the draft ended late Saturday afternoon, agreeing to a free-agent contract. Now he aims to show the rest of the league that his distinctive characteristics are worthy of a lengthy career.
“I’ve known that for a long time,” Lancaster said of his athleticism Saturday night. “I believe whoever got me, in this case Green Bay, was going to have a pleasant surprise once I got on campus. As you’ve seen, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to prove something come minicamp.”
Various teams have developed baselines for success at each position based on the measurables. For one team, Vea came out at the top of the nose tackles followed closely by Lancaster’s score, which surpassed Alabama’s Da’Ron Payne and all the other nose men.
Lancaster (6-3 ½, 316) can’t begin to compare with the sheer size of Vea (6-4, 347) but hung right with him in other departments.
Lancaster’s 40 time of 5.03 seconds was a tick faster than Vea’s 5.07. Vea had the edge on the bench press, 41-32, but Lancaster had longer arms (32 7/8 inches to 32 5/8) and bigger hands (10 ¾ inches to 10).
Vea never did a vertical or broad jump; Lancaster’s 9-5 effort in the broad jump was remarkable, and his 27-inch vertical was solid.
When it came to the Wonderlic intelligence test, Lancaster almost doubled Vea, 33-17.
Lancaster was a three-year starter for the Wildcats but his statistics were far from overwhelming. He had 101 tackles (18 ½ for loss), 3 ½ sacks and three passes defensed.
However, the Wildcats had such respect for Lancaster, who played at Plainfield East High School in Romeoville, Ill., that he was voted by teammates to wear the No. 1 jersey in 2017.
“He’s a lunch-pail, blue-collar, Chicago kind of football player,” NU coach Pat Fitzgerald told the Chicago Tribune. “Nobody has moved him. He’s an All-Big Ten lineman for us – a force on the inside.”
Something’s missing here. Lancaster didn’t just become a great athlete overnight. He’s obviously strong, smart, dedicated and tough.
Why wasn’t he drafted like all those lesser athletes at nose tackle?
“I think a big part of it is mentally,” said Lancaster. “I’m not saying I have anything wrong with like my mental understanding of the game, but maybe I take coaching too literally.
“I was a one-gap player in a 4-3 defense here. I would pride myself on holding my gap where sometimes you’ve got to get out there and make a play. Leave your gap and take the TFL (tackle for loss) in the backfield instead of letting the linebacker come through and get it.
“I really think that I maybe let our scheme consume me in a way. I just need to go out there and start attacking more. I’ve got to get more hungry, I’d say. I think I can change that about myself.”
He hopes to do it for the Packers, who other than Muhammad Wilkerson haven’t added a 300-pound defensive lineman since the end of the season. Lancaster and his agent had NFL depth charts memorized and paid rapt attention to each pick for three days.
At nose tackle, Green Bay has Kenny Clark, Montravius Adams and now Lancaster.
Lancaster was one of the Packers’ 30 pre-draft visits. He didn’t want to leave.
Frequent conversations with defensive end Dean Lowry, who started alongside Lancaster in 2015, further strengthened his inclination to sign with Green Bay if he wasn’t drafted.
“I loved the atmosphere,” said Lancaster. “I’d say mid-seventh round we made that decision.”
Many teams discussed the offensive line because Lancaster was a center in high school and actually was recruited there by Northwestern. Maybe his abundant athletic ability sparked the move to defense.
In any event, Lancaster has a style change to enact and a career to chase.
Other agreements: Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Packers also added 12 other rookie free agents. He cited league sources and player, coach or university Twitter accounts.
Here is the list.
Jacob Alsadek, G, Arizona: 6-7, 312, 5.48 40-yard dash.
Tim Boyle, QB, Eastern Kentucky: 6-3 ½, 233, 4.81.
Austin Davis, C, Duke: 6-4, 301, 5.27.
Damon Gibson, TE, Minnesota State-Moorhead: 6-3 ½, 240, 4.72.
Raven Greene, S, James Madison: 5-11, 197, 4.53.
Naashon Hughes, OLB, Texas: 6-3 ½, 259, 4.76.
CJ Johnson, ILB, East Texas Baptist: 6-2, 226, 4.78.
Alex Light, T, Richmond: 6-5, 309, 5.56.
Filipo Mokofisi, DT, Utah: 6-3, 283, 5.27.
Marcus Porter, ILB, Fairmont St. (W. Va.): 6-0, 229, 4.67.
Kevin Rader, TE, Youngstown: 6-4, 250, 4.93.
Chris Seisay, CB, Portland State: 6-1, 197, 4.53.
The post Packers may have gotten a steal in undrafted Lancaster appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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Of the 14 nose tackles drafted over the weekend, only one had more traits earmarking him for a successful career in the NFL than Northwestern’s Tyler Lancaster.
That was Vita Vea of Washington, who often has been compared to Haloti Ngata.
Vea’s new home was determined within the first 90 minutes Thursday night when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the 12th overall pick. As for Lancaster, well, that eagerly awaited phone call never came.
Lancaster cast his lot with the Green Bay Packers shortly after the draft ended late Saturday afternoon, agreeing to a free-agent contract. Now he aims to show the rest of the league that his distinctive characteristics are worthy of a lengthy career.
“I’ve known that for a long time,” Lancaster said of his athleticism Saturday night. “I believe whoever got me, in this case Green Bay, was going to have a pleasant surprise once I got on campus. As you’ve seen, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to prove something come minicamp.”
Various teams have developed baselines for success at each position based on the measurables. For one team, Vea came out at the top of the nose tackles followed closely by Lancaster’s score, which surpassed Alabama’s Da’Ron Payne and all the other nose men.
Lancaster (6-3 ½, 316) can’t begin to compare with the sheer size of Vea (6-4, 347) but hung right with him in other departments.
Lancaster’s 40 time of 5.03 seconds was a tick faster than Vea’s 5.07. Vea had the edge on the bench press, 41-32, but Lancaster had longer arms (32 7/8 inches to 32 5/8) and bigger hands (10 ¾ inches to 10).
Vea never did a vertical or broad jump; Lancaster’s 9-5 effort in the broad jump was remarkable, and his 27-inch vertical was solid.
When it came to the Wonderlic intelligence test, Lancaster almost doubled Vea, 33-17.
Lancaster was a three-year starter for the Wildcats but his statistics were far from overwhelming. He had 101 tackles (18 ½ for loss), 3 ½ sacks and three passes defensed.
However, the Wildcats had such respect for Lancaster, who played at Plainfield East High School in Romeoville, Ill., that he was voted by teammates to wear the No. 1 jersey in 2017.
“He’s a lunch-pail, blue-collar, Chicago kind of football player,” NU coach Pat Fitzgerald told the Chicago Tribune. “Nobody has moved him. He’s an All-Big Ten lineman for us – a force on the inside.”
Something’s missing here. Lancaster didn’t just become a great athlete overnight. He’s obviously strong, smart, dedicated and tough.
Why wasn’t he drafted like all those lesser athletes at nose tackle?
“I think a big part of it is mentally,” said Lancaster. “I’m not saying I have anything wrong with like my mental understanding of the game, but maybe I take coaching too literally.
“I was a one-gap player in a 4-3 defense here. I would pride myself on holding my gap where sometimes you’ve got to get out there and make a play. Leave your gap and take the TFL (tackle for loss) in the backfield instead of letting the linebacker come through and get it.
“I really think that I maybe let our scheme consume me in a way. I just need to go out there and start attacking more. I’ve got to get more hungry, I’d say. I think I can change that about myself.”
He hopes to do it for the Packers, who other than Muhammad Wilkerson haven’t added a 300-pound defensive lineman since the end of the season. Lancaster and his agent had NFL depth charts memorized and paid rapt attention to each pick for three days.
At nose tackle, Green Bay has Kenny Clark, Montravius Adams and now Lancaster.
Lancaster was one of the Packers’ 30 pre-draft visits. He didn’t want to leave.
Frequent conversations with defensive end Dean Lowry, who started alongside Lancaster in 2015, further strengthened his inclination to sign with Green Bay if he wasn’t drafted.
“I loved the atmosphere,” said Lancaster. “I’d say mid-seventh round we made that decision.”
Many teams discussed the offensive line because Lancaster was a center in high school and actually was recruited there by Northwestern. Maybe his abundant athletic ability sparked the move to defense.
In any event, Lancaster has a style change to enact and a career to chase.
Other agreements: Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Packers also added 12 other rookie free agents. He cited league sources and player, coach or university Twitter accounts.
Here is the list.
Jacob Alsadek, G, Arizona: 6-7, 312, 5.48 40-yard dash.
Tim Boyle, QB, Eastern Kentucky: 6-3 ½, 233, 4.81.
Austin Davis, C, Duke: 6-4, 301, 5.27.
Damon Gibson, TE, Minnesota State-Moorhead: 6-3 ½, 240, 4.72.
Raven Greene, S, James Madison: 5-11, 197, 4.53.
Naashon Hughes, OLB, Texas: 6-3 ½, 259, 4.76.
CJ Johnson, ILB, East Texas Baptist: 6-2, 226, 4.78.
Alex Light, T, Richmond: 6-5, 309, 5.56.
Filipo Mokofisi, DT, Utah: 6-3, 283, 5.27.
Marcus Porter, ILB, Fairmont St. (W. Va.): 6-0, 229, 4.67.
Kevin Rader, TE, Youngstown: 6-4, 250, 4.93.
Chris Seisay, CB, Portland State: 6-1, 197, 4.53.
The post Packers may have gotten a steal in undrafted Lancaster appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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