"Brock Bolen: Crazy like a fox"
Background:
Jaguar fans, meet your new full-back, Brock Bolen. He will face the stiffest competition of any UDFA in this year's class. He has an established FB, a franchise RB, and do-it-all Montell Owens to compete with. All three of those players WILL be on the opening day roster. Rashad Jennings, Chauncey Washington, and Brock Bolen will be the main competitors for the other spot(s).
In addition to FB, Brock spent some time during his Senior season playing tailback, and he accumulated nice statistics on the ground, averaging over 4 yards a carry. During his Junior year, he averaged a whopping 5.2 yards per carry on 88 rushes. Bolen is built like a mack truck, and is known as a workout warrior in the locker-room. His father was a vietnam vet, and had a gym in his house that would rival the gear at some high-schools. If Brock is anything like his father, he may be crazy enough to make it in the NFL. I was surprised when I read this.
Louisville FB Brock Bolen’s father was a Green Beret who once worked as a contract killer in Africa and has spent time in jail for offenses ranging from fighting to gun-running.
Bolen was considered the nation's top fullback coming out of high-school, and is known as an accomplished pass blocker. His run-blocking ability isn't as heralded, but that can be taught. He has the size to be a legitimate run blocking FB, and is known as a player with good balance, a crucial and difficult to teach skill.
Scouting:
Brock Bolen stands at 5'11" and weighs 233 lbs. That frame allowed him to score 14 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Louisville. He's a great goal-line and short yardage runner. He doesn't have breakaway speed, and only ran a 4.70 40-yard dash at his pro-day. He benched pressed 225 lbs 24 times, indicating decent strength, but he'll have to get stronger.
...looking for running backs that are constantly in a forward lean and don’t give the defense much of a target. Bolen has this technique down to a science, his feet are constantly moving after first contact and he has enough athleticism to make defenders miss.
Brock has terrific hands, showing he can catch the ball out the backfield as well as down field running different routes.
Athletic, tough, hard-nosed, nasty, intimidating and competitive are the best words to describe this All-American candidate.
Pros: Great balance and control at the point of contact.Has the size and ability to run through defenders.Great pass blocking skills.Runs with a low center of gravity. Cons: Not light enough on his feet to be a running back in the next level.Needs to improve his leg drive when run blocking.Does not have break away speed Overall: Has the potential to be a great 3rd down back. Needs to keep his weight down.
We see from these reports that Brock has the ability to be a potential third down back. He could be a real weapon in this scenario, because he is known for his pass blocking ability and his ability to catch out of the backfield. Those are extremely important for any third down back. You have to be able to pick up the blitz on a third down, if it isn't a short yardage situation. If there is no blitz, then you have to be able to flair out to the flat to catch the underneath route if everyone is covered. Brock is strong in all of these areas and could be a major asset to this team come September.
-Collin Streetman