Rahim Moore NFL Draft scouting report

by Dan Kadar on Feb 7, 2011 11:44 PM EST in 2011 NFL Draft

Rahim Moore

6'1, 196 pounds | Free safety | UCLA

Agility: Moore is a fluid athlete who can flip his hips to turn and cover. Maintains his balance when he turns and runs. Shows a solid vertical leap, but he really knows how to time it well.

Ball skills: Few safeties have as good of hands as Moore. He catches the ball like a wide receiver and knows what to do with it after the interception. Finished his career with 14 interceptions, including 10 as a sophomore.

Instincts: In pass coverage, Moore has excellent instincts. He can break on the ball in a hurry and make a play. Is much better picking up routes deep. Can get confused by complex formations where multiple receivers are lined up on the same side and

Pass coverage: Moore showed in 2009 that he was dynamic defending the pass.His hands are among the best for a defensive back in this year's class. He shows good range to move around in the deep half. Wasn't used a lot in man coverage, but he should be athletic enough to cover the slot.

Run support: UCLA used Moore closer to the line of scrimmage as a junior, which should help his progress. Moore's ability against the run is based on using good pursuit angles to the ball. Because he doesn't have great size, Moore struggles taking on blocks.

Speed: Possesses good speed short and deep. Can get up to his speed in short effort because he's quick. Uses his speed to his advantage in the passing game.

Tackling: Is a sound tackler. Isn't a devastating hitter, but uses sound technique. Drops his hips and and wraps out properly. Gets into trouble against bigger ball carriers and this shows he lack of strength.

Final word: If a team needs help in pass coverage at safety, Moore is a great option. He has a natural nose for the football, but didn't get to show it as much in 2010.

As a junior, Moore was used closer to the line of scrimmage. He did pretty well against the run, but is much better dropping into coverage. He has good instincts to quickly make a break on the ball.

A third-team All-American in 2010 and first-team in 2009.

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If he fell to the second round.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Broncos take him at 36. new DC Allen loves his ball hawking safeties.

Witnessed Playoffs last: April 28, 2008

Sincerely yours, Tortured T.O Fan

by Eddie.Teach on Feb 8, 2011 12:12 AM EST reply actions

I like it...

and have Denver sign Roman Harper from NO’s.
LCB: Champ Bailey
RCB: Richard Marshall
FS: Rahim Moore
SS: Roman Harper

by Bron#1 Fan on Feb 8, 2011 7:48 AM EST up reply actions

Can he be a true

single back safety?

by rws591 on Feb 8, 2011 12:43 AM EST reply actions

Sounds like a perfect complement to Pat Chung.

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by Richard Hill on Feb 8, 2011 2:58 AM EST reply actions

You would take an unproven commodity in Moore over Meriweather?

Meriweather isn’t perfect but, sometimes the enemy you know is better than the one you don’t. This is his last year under contract IF he doesn’t improve then let him walk.

by GregRevere on Feb 8, 2011 11:30 AM EST up reply actions

Oh, absolutely...

…but as you said, Meriweather is in the last year of his contract. So is the #2 FS, James Sanders, who has one of the most expensive contracts on the team. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots cut/traded Sanders in preference of Moore, to provide depth for the next half decade.

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by Richard Hill on Feb 8, 2011 12:12 PM EST up reply actions

No way he falls past the texans in the second round.

Really hoping he falls there

by AlDe2356 on Feb 8, 2011 3:24 AM EST reply actions

true. but likely not to make it that far

by durst on Feb 8, 2011 5:14 PM EST up reply actions

I think he would be very good for Colts but I don't think he will fall to us in the 2nd where

we could possibly take him though probably wont if we are renigotiating Sanders contract and resign Bullitt.

Site Moderator on MockingtheDraft, AnaheimCalling, and Coltzilla.

Lead organizer of the annual 7-round live mock draft at MtD

by TheAngelsColts on Feb 8, 2011 4:22 AM EST reply actions

I agree

I would really like him for the Colts in the 2nd round, but he probably won’t be there at the 53rd overall pick considering he’s one of the few really bright spots (if not the only bright spot) at safety in a very meager safety class.

Though that said, drafting him in the 1st round doesn’t seem at all likely, considering the Colts already have their #1 safety in Antoine Bethea who they signed to a 4-year contract last year. Maybe if all the other prospects the Colts liked were taken and they traded down?

With Bethea playing free safety, if you’re looking at a starting strong safety to complement him or a talented back-up at free safety that you find a way to get on the field, those aren’t positions you (normally) spend 1st round picks on.

Statistics do not tell the whole story, not even close. But those without knowledge of the game rely on statistics and argue their utmost importance because that's all they have. They try to weasel their way in instead of actually looking, learning, and understanding.

The best and most successful coach from the Dungy tree is Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, who doesn't use anything close to the Dungy/Tampa 2 defense in Pittsburgh. Not a coincidence.

by project geo on Feb 8, 2011 11:40 AM EST up reply actions

Yea we wont spend a first round pick on a S.

You basically said it but assuming we keep Sanders, Bullitt (or even one of them) and Bethea taking another S in first would be dumb as he wouldn’t be starting or close to it. Now though we say that and we took DE last year but it is sorta a different situation. I do think though if the board is pretty bare at our pick then its possible but id rather we not and take him if he falls in the 2nd round.

Site Moderator on MockingtheDraft, AnaheimCalling, and Coltzilla.

Lead organizer of the annual 7-round live mock draft at MtD

by TheAngelsColts on Feb 8, 2011 11:51 AM EST up reply actions

Do you really think you keep Sanders?

I know he’s a popular player but I don’t really see the point. He never plays.

Let the beasting begin.

by TransplantedFan on Feb 8, 2011 3:07 PM EST up reply actions

Colts keeping Sanders?

1. As far as what has actually been said, we have this from mid-January in an AP article about the new Manning contract negotiations:

One way to save money could be redoing the $37.5 million contract Sanders signed after winning the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Sanders has played in only nine regular-season games over the past three seasons, and he’s missed more games (64) than he’s played in (48) during his seven-year career.

On Friday, Irsay said the team was discussing the possibility of redoing Sanders’ deal — something Condon is already preparing for.

“I anticipate the same thing you do,” Condon said. “The guy doesn’t play for three consecutive years, they’re probably not real excited about that, and they paid the other safety, what $6.5 million, this year. Is there another team in the league that pays both its safeties more than $5 million? The answer is no. So he doesn’t have to tell me anything.”

Now, that doesn’t ensure anything. All it does is point out little Sanders has done to live up to the contract the Colts signed him to, that even his mega-agent Tom Condon acknowledges it.

However I don’t think you can point to anything there as ruling out the possibility of the Colts parting ways, which as a Colts fan, I am prepared to do at this point. Like you say TransplantedFan, it’s not really worth it. Now if Sanders and his agent agree to considerably renegotiate his 2011 salary, it might then be a different story.

Considering the Colts are already on the hook cap-wise for his bonus money, what it really comes down to is his actual salary to be paid. Note that with this contract, while the Colts did pay a ridiculous sum in guaranteed money & bonuses, the truth of the matter is that the salaries were heavily backloaded to these last two years (2011 & 2012).

2008: $605K … 2009: $620K … 2010: $2.275M … 2011: $5.5M … 2012: $7M
(Numbers thanks to Colts Cap.)

Of course it’s still a bad contract for the Colts, but that isn’t much of a surprise considering Polian and the Colts usually get taken to the shed when it comes to contracts. When it comes to contracts they get worked over like a two-dollar whore.

Anyways, obviously that $5.5M salary for the 2011 season is completely unacceptable. So it boils down to a restructure or release.

2. I do think it’s likely that the Colts will keep either Sanders (by definitely restructuring his contract) or Melvin Bullitt (by re-signing him). Bullitt being the guy who, up until the 2010 season when his own shoulder injury put him on IR, was the safety starting in place of Sanders since 2007. To put it in perspective, Bullitt started 24 of 33 games he participated in the last 3 years.

Now maybe the Colts can’t afford either, depends on the demands of both and/or if there’s a new cap, but my guess is the situation is such that they probably will keep one of the two to give them an experienced starter to play alongside Bethea.

3. Sorry, didn’t mean to derail the Rahim Moore scouting report/discussion!

The best and most successful coach from the Dungy tree is Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, who doesn't use anything close to the Dungy/Tampa 2 defense in Pittsburgh. Not a coincidence.

by project geo on Feb 8, 2011 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I’m just one of those guys who thinks that if I can get 80% of Bob Sanders’ abilities but I get it for 14 games a season and 40% of the cost… why do I have Bob Sanders?

Let the beasting begin.

by TransplantedFan on Feb 9, 2011 11:10 AM EST up reply actions