Justin Zimmer - Signed to PS (1 Viewer)

[saintsfannca]

Surprised there's not really any mention of this.

I think this is a GREAT signing. He is somebody I, and others, were absolutely raving for to sign in a late round of the draft or a priority UDFA.

His test scores might literally give him the best DT measurables of all time. He is an insane athlete and very productive in D2. Yes they're just measurables and don't translate into performance, but we're talking about measurables that make even Suh, Donald, and McCoy look like scrubs.

I am so stoked we got this guy, I was pumping his name for weeks around the draft last may.

From the article:

"Zimmer's amazing results included a 4.85 40-Yard Dash, a 33.5-inch Vertical Jump, a 7.01 3-Cone Drill and a 9-foot-9 Broad Jump. To top it all off, he also recorded a beastly 44 reps on the Bench Press."

"On a 1-to-10 scale, a grade of 5 indicates a prospect with "average" athleticism and a grade of 10 indicates the most athletic prospect at the position. Zimmer's RAS score ranks ahead of every defensive tackle prospect from the past 10 years, including current NFL stars Ndamukong Suh, Aaron Donald and Gerald McCoy"

"It might be tempting to categorize Zimmer as a workout warrior, but his on-field numbers were also incredibly impressive. Last season, he led his team in tackles (81), sacks (13), tackles for loss (26) and forced fumbles (four)."

Small School Star Justin Zimmer Might Be The Most Athletic 300-Pound Prospect in NFL History | STACK


Awesome PS candidate to me. Glad we got some good news in this horrible season

 

[Icon]

I normally try to avoid comparing similar scenarios with different players (example: Colston was drafted in round 7, therefore such and such player drafted in round 7 will excel for us.........or expecting every UDFA RB to be like Pierre, Ivory, Khiry, etc)

But at the tail end of 2014, we randomly grabbed Willie Sneed off Carolina's practice. Turned out to be a much bigger deal than most of us realized.

 

[El Caliente]

And somewhere out there Walter Thomas is wondering if we forgot he could do a back flip.

 

[Wisco Steve]

Where was he all year prior to us signing him?

 

[SAINTSFAN]

Where has he been? Why was he not on any team's PS?

 

[dutar76]

STRENGTHS Incredible upper body strength. Crushed out 44 reps at his pro day. Can expose blockers with core strength issues quickly. Uses pad level and hip snap at point of attack to generate leverage and pop when 2*-gapping. Carries his weight well across his muscled frame. Can power through a blocker's edge as pass rusher. Three year starter with booming production spike as a senior. Highly intelligent.

WEAKNESSES Tests out more athletically than he plays. Plays with some stiffness in his lower body which limits his bend and suddenness. Inconsistent anchor. Average pursuit range and quickness when forced to move laterally. Was able to dominate his level of competition with pure power over skill. Will need develop a go-*to move and counter as a pass rusher.

BOTTOM LINE Muscular strong*man in the middle with the physical measurables to catch the attention of teams. With a little better bend and leverage, Zimmerman could become a more consistent anchor in the middle, but he might not have the athleticism in his playing style to translate all of that senior season production into anything more than a back-*end roster spot.

 

[Jive Saint]

NOFalcons will love this. He believes Justin Zimmer will be the perfect backup for DE Cameron Jordan. I like this pickup. Plus they grabbed LB Travis Feeney. Special teams will have some speed next year.

 

[WhoDat!5]

Are they going to try to transition him to guard like they did this past year with that guy that was on our practice squad (was it Kaleb Eulls)? He's got the size and speed and athleticism, but could he make the transition from one side of the ball to the other at this level?

If not, and if everyone on the interior line remains healthy and we resign Fairly, I think he would miss out on making the 53 next year. I think DT is one of our more talented position groups at the moment. Dude looks solid though. Doesn't look like most 300lb people; his build reminds me somewhat of that picture of Bunkley with out his shirt on.

 

[natedog]

Are they going to try to transition him to guard like they did this past year with that guy that was on our practice squad (was it Kaleb Eulls)? He's got the size and speed and athleticism, but could he make the transition from one side of the ball to the other at this level?

If not, and if everyone on the interior line remains healthy and we resign Fairly, I think he would miss out on making the 53 next year. I think DT is one of our more talented position groups at the moment. Dude looks solid though. Doesn't look like most 300lb people; his build reminds me somewhat of that picture of Bunkley with out his shirt on.

I could see this FO letting Fairley walk cause we think this guy could replace him.

 

[Eman5805]

I could see this FO letting Fairley walk cause we think this guy could replace him.

Sure as hell hope not.

 

[LoE]

How'd we pry him away from the Bills? Didn't they sign him as an UDFA in 2016?

--edit--
After they cut him, they didn't sign him to the practice squad. I went through their 2016 transactions.

http://thedailynews.cc/2016/08/30/just-in-bills-cut-greenville-grad-zimmer/

Buffalo Bills cut Greenville grad Zimmer
By Chip Burch • Last Updated 3:01 pm on Wednesday, August 31, 2016

BUFFALO, N. Y. — Greenville graduate Justin Zimmer’s NFL plans are on hold.

The defensive tackle, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buffalo Bills in April after his senior season at Ferris State University, was among 10 players cut by the Bills at Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.

Zimmer played in three of the Bills four pre-season games, getting three tackles, including one solo tackle. Zimmer also played a game as a fullback for the Bills.

The Bills waited until the 4 p.m. deadline in order to see how many players would be injured, which would necessitate the need for players who would have been cut to stay on the 75-man roster, according to a report in the Buffalo News.

“If there is an injury or something like that, then you have your whole roster to choose from,” Bills coach Rex Ryan told reporters.

The NFL mandates teams start training camp with a 90-man roster, which must be reduced to 75 before the final pre-season game.

On Saturday, teams will have until 4 p.m. to reduce their roster to 53 players. From there, teams can elect to sign up to 10 players to their practice squad before the first regular- season game.

Zimmer did not return a request seeking comment before press time Tuesday night.

 

[LoE]

Are they going to try to transition him to guard like they did this past year with that guy that was on our practice squad (was it Kaleb Eulls)? He's got the size and speed and athleticism, but could he make the transition from one side of the ball to the other at this level?

Doubt it. The knock on Zimmer (aside from small school) is the length of his arms.

 

[Jackavelli]

Ok can someone explain why he is not on a active roster

 

[insidejob]

Ok can someone explain why he is not on a active roster

Because the transition from Ferris State to the NFL is a pretty huge swing and he likely needs a lot of coaching and isn't NFL ready?

Just a guess...

 

[LoE]

NOFALCONS stated in another (old) thread, he believes Zimmer failed in Buffalo because they're playing him in the wrong position. Believes the right place for him to excel is DE.