Here at Sim Football Talk, buzz is emerging that linebacker Kevin Cushing’s list of likely landing spots is narrowing quickly. A week ago, he could have landed anywhere in the middle rounds, but Cushing’s draft stock has skyrocketed recently in light of recent workouts and some impressive interviews around the league. We had the chance to speak to some insiders around the league and learn a lot about the views around the league regarding the hybrid talent.
His weakness at tackling, which initially turned a lot of teams off, seems to be less of an issue. One linebackers coach, who preferred to stay anonymous, was unconcerned. “If you look at the Prospect Championship Game, he played very well. Not only did he help hold both opposing QBs to a passer rating in the mid-30s, but he recorded four tackles as well. He wasn’t the best tackler out there, but he showed great instincts and toughness, not to mention a great job getting to the ball. A little coaching on his technique, and he’ll be able to tackle at the pro level just fine.”
Several GMs have sat down with them and talked about his role on the team, and the results were only positive. One said “by drafting him we basically address our needs at safety and linebacker, which is very exciting for us.” We here at Sim Football Talk agree, as linebacker and safety are both positions where not a lot of talent was available.
So, which teams are keeping their eyes on Cushing, and which ones does he have his eye on? His agent, Andre Foster, was willing to meet with us, and while he didn’t offer a list of yeses and nos, he did give some big clues about his client’s preferences. Below is a brief interview we conducted with the agent.
SFT: What is your client looking for in a potential landing spot?
AF: Kevin is very big on being a part of a team, and also getting to make the most of his unique skillset.
SFT: Is there anywhere it seems either of those would be an issue?
AF: I think he feels that teams that aren’t reaching out to him now wouldn’t make him feel welcome and included after drafting him. In addition, if they aren’t talking to him, they probably aren’t really considering the role he might play on their team.
SFT: Do you think that’s something a team could overcome?
AF: Probably not. Trust is very important between a player and his coaches. If a player feels the team just isn’t interested in evaluating his role, then it’s very difficult to trust that the scheme they are forming and plays being called are best for the team. If he went to a team that already had a good defense, I think he’d be able to trust in the competence of the coaching staff and fill whatever role was needed. But if a team performed poorly AND hasn’t talked to him, I see that being a major obstacle.
SFT: So are you saying there are teams he might not play for?
AF: That’s tough to say. Obviously, he wants to be professional, but he has his own interests to look out for, and his own pride. I think he is starting to resent a couple of organizations.
SFT: Can you tell us which organizations those are?
AF: That wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss.
SFT: Thanks for your time.
We aren’t able to say for sure which teams Foster was referring to, but we’d take a couple of guesses. In a recent article, Cushing was stated as expressing “confusion” at why the Saber Cats hadn’t reached out to him, and “concern” that he wasn’t a great fit for their defense. The Cats finished 4-10, and that may be what Foster was referring to about a major obstacle to trust.
Additionally, a recent press conference from Foster led to him being asked about the Las Vegas Legion, and Cushing seemed irritated when he called the reporter out, stating that “I haven't received any phone calls from a couple of noteworthy area codes, and Vegas is one of them.”
At this point, it’s difficult to say where he will go, but it certainly seems that a couple of teams are off the list.
((Ready for grading, 717 words))
GRADED
His weakness at tackling, which initially turned a lot of teams off, seems to be less of an issue. One linebackers coach, who preferred to stay anonymous, was unconcerned. “If you look at the Prospect Championship Game, he played very well. Not only did he help hold both opposing QBs to a passer rating in the mid-30s, but he recorded four tackles as well. He wasn’t the best tackler out there, but he showed great instincts and toughness, not to mention a great job getting to the ball. A little coaching on his technique, and he’ll be able to tackle at the pro level just fine.”
Several GMs have sat down with them and talked about his role on the team, and the results were only positive. One said “by drafting him we basically address our needs at safety and linebacker, which is very exciting for us.” We here at Sim Football Talk agree, as linebacker and safety are both positions where not a lot of talent was available.
So, which teams are keeping their eyes on Cushing, and which ones does he have his eye on? His agent, Andre Foster, was willing to meet with us, and while he didn’t offer a list of yeses and nos, he did give some big clues about his client’s preferences. Below is a brief interview we conducted with the agent.
SFT: What is your client looking for in a potential landing spot?
AF: Kevin is very big on being a part of a team, and also getting to make the most of his unique skillset.
SFT: Is there anywhere it seems either of those would be an issue?
AF: I think he feels that teams that aren’t reaching out to him now wouldn’t make him feel welcome and included after drafting him. In addition, if they aren’t talking to him, they probably aren’t really considering the role he might play on their team.
SFT: Do you think that’s something a team could overcome?
AF: Probably not. Trust is very important between a player and his coaches. If a player feels the team just isn’t interested in evaluating his role, then it’s very difficult to trust that the scheme they are forming and plays being called are best for the team. If he went to a team that already had a good defense, I think he’d be able to trust in the competence of the coaching staff and fill whatever role was needed. But if a team performed poorly AND hasn’t talked to him, I see that being a major obstacle.
SFT: So are you saying there are teams he might not play for?
AF: That’s tough to say. Obviously, he wants to be professional, but he has his own interests to look out for, and his own pride. I think he is starting to resent a couple of organizations.
SFT: Can you tell us which organizations those are?
AF: That wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss.
SFT: Thanks for your time.
We aren’t able to say for sure which teams Foster was referring to, but we’d take a couple of guesses. In a recent article, Cushing was stated as expressing “confusion” at why the Saber Cats hadn’t reached out to him, and “concern” that he wasn’t a great fit for their defense. The Cats finished 4-10, and that may be what Foster was referring to about a major obstacle to trust.
Additionally, a recent press conference from Foster led to him being asked about the Las Vegas Legion, and Cushing seemed irritated when he called the reporter out, stating that “I haven't received any phone calls from a couple of noteworthy area codes, and Vegas is one of them.”
At this point, it’s difficult to say where he will go, but it certainly seems that a couple of teams are off the list.
((Ready for grading, 717 words))
GRADED