Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast: Ep. 3 of Scout Talk with Russ Lande

Former NFL Scout and CFL scouting director Russ Lande and RSP author Matt Waldman continue their twice-monthly scouting podcast. This week, they discuss the Ravens' decision to draft Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr and the Raiders' improved offense, knockout factors in scouting evaluations, generating harmonious relationships between scouts and coaches, and 2020 prospects that have caught their eye.

I'm beginning to think Russ Lande and I could do a three-hour podcast and think we've only been talking for an hour. Hopefully, you're feeling the same way listening to these conversations about scouting, player development, and organization-building.

This week, Russ and I spend a little more than an hour covering a variety of timely and timeless topics pertaining to scouting football:

* The NBC broadcast team relayed John Harbaugh's story to eschew a search for another West Coast quarterback in favor of reformatting his offense around Lamar Jackson. We discuss what makes Jackson an excellent quarterback despite flaws that might sink a West Coast passer and why the Ravens made a great organizational decision.

* Derek Carr is one of the best quarterbacks against the blitz this year. This is a marked improvement from previous seasons thanks to a better offensive line and a focus on the ground game. Still, Carr deserves credit for performing well against pressure when it has breached the pocket. We discuss why Jon Gruden deserves massive credit for Carr's performance.

* Carr's college tape was rife with decision-making flaws rooted in his overreactions to pressure. The RSP once experimented with knockout factors that included the way quarterbacks handle pressure. Russ and I discuss the knockout factors on NFL scouting reports as well as some example areas that should be knockout factors when evaluating players.

* Returning to the conversation we broached about John Harbaugh and the Ravens, we discuss the value of functional relationships between scouts and coaches and how that's achieved or torn apart in the league. This includes conversations about the personality types in the pre-draft meetings and how to navigate this as a scout or team leader.

* 2020 NFL Draft prospects who’ve caught our eye.

* LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton

* Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.

* North Carolina running back Antonio Williams.

* Virginia Tech wide receiver Damon Hazelton.

If you love the NFL Draft and player evaluation, you’ll find these conversations fascinating and enjoyable. You can follow Russ on Twitter @RussLande and read more of his content at www.russlande.com

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