Tag: Paul Alexander

Chargers Prospect Interview: North Dakota State OT Dillon Radunz

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez had the opportunity of interviewing potential Chargers prospect, North Dakota State tackle Dillon Radunz.

I spent this past week down in Mobile, AL for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, a prestigious college football all-star game, where over a hundred of the top senior prospects showcase themselves in front of a crop of NFL personnel.

I was fortunate enough to sit down and talk to former North Dakota State offensive tackle Dillon Radunz to pick his brain and get an inside look at his mindset going into this year’s draft.

Vitals

Height | 6-5

Weight | 304

College Bio Page

Chargers Fit

While Radunz needs to get better at finishing blocks, he has the athleticism, range, foot quickness and run-blocking temperament needed for the NFL. With Los Angeles, Radunz is capable of playing either tackle or guard. While he develops more mass and add bulk to his frame, his skillset suggests high potential.

Round Projection: Early-Mid Round 2

Highlights

How’s your time been like at the Senior Bowl?

Overall, it’s been fun. I’ve been dying to play football since Oct. 3. It’s competitive, and every time I get done with practice I’m like, “I can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow!” My body is sore, but overall it’s been a blast.

You only played one game this past season due to COVID-19. What did you do to keep your body in shape and who did you work with?

Like you mentioned, we only played one game, which was unfortunate. To stay in shape, I pushed my conditioning and my body to get stronger and more durable, so that way when I do go into a regular season I’ll be stronger and more durable than I was before.

I went to California and started training with Joe Staley and his weight trainer. I was able to gain a lot of strength and a lot of football IQ, on and off the field from Joe and how the league operates. Worked with him and started Combine training in January in Irvine, CA and still had him as a coach.

Describe the mentality of North Dakota State that’s helped them become one of the most dominant programs.

The mentality is that we are going to bring it to whoever walks through the program and develop them into better men, not just better football players. It’s all about selfless leadership. We are going to take care of each other, push each other and give 100% each time, and that’s how we’ve become so successful.

You played left tackle in college, but got some reps this past week at left guard. What suits you better?

I want to be a left tackle because that’s where I’m most confident. But some teams want to see what I can do inside, which I have no problem with. Ultimately, I want to play a significant role early on in my professional career. I know it’s a team sport, so wherever I’m going to have the most impact, that’s where I’m going to play.

How do you handle speed differently than power?

Ultimately, it’s get in your spot. With speed, I was born with it, so it helps. For me, it’s moving my feet and extending my arms. In regards to defending power, I have great hip bend and I’m able to arch my back. However, I realize that I won’t be able to do that all the time. However, I’ve been fortunate to learn from Paul Alexander to help me develop my technique and work on that combination.

Do you have a preferred pass set?

An angle set. It’s basically an aggressive pass set on a 45-degree angle, where you have a balanced set and punch from your back. With a vertical set, you better have strong hips and a strong anchor. With a jump set, you need to have quick feet. I choose to be in between those.

Whether it was at the Senior Bowl or throughout your time at North Dakota State, who are some of the best pass rushers you’ve gone up against?

There were a lot of them at the Senior Bowl, by no surprise. In college, Ron’Dell Carter out of James Madison University was really good. Elerson Smith, who’s here at the Senior Bowl, was a good challenge when I played him while he was at University of Northern Iowa. He bulked up, so he’s quite a bit stronger now. Other than that, Khalen Saunders, who now plays with the Chiefs, was another tough matchup.

Who are some offensive linemen that you like to model your game after?

The three that I model my game after would be Joe Thomas, Taylor Lewan and David Bakhtiari.

I’m curious, is there an NFL quarterback who you’d love to block for?

Buccaneers’ Tom Brady, for sure. I jumped on the bandwagon when I was in seventh grade.

What kind of impact is Dillon Radunz going to make at the next level?

I’m going to bring team chemistry. That’s the way that I believe teams win Super Bowls. I want to instill that so that way the team is firing on all cylinders. That’s what I want to bring to others and myself, so that way whatever they ask of me I am going to do at a high level and it’ll ultimately resonate with others. Team chemistry. I think that’s what makes teams great. At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates, love the fans, and give back to the community.

Former Bengals coach thinks Justin Herbert is still in the mix with Joe Burrow

One former coach thinks the No. 1 pick is far from decided.

Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander knows a thing or two about how Mike Brown operates the franchise.

It’s notable, then, when Alexander goes out and publicly suggests Joe Burrow isn’t a lock for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft…thanks to Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.

There’s plenty of reason to believe this sort of idea before the calendar even hits February. Herbert was at the Senior Bowl where the Bengals were his coaches — Burrow wasn’t. Zac Taylor and Co. have a long, long time to work through interviews, personal visits and more with both passers (and other prospects) before making a final decision.

Alexander’s resume with the Bengals fell apart late in his tenure with the team but there’s no doubt he understands how Brown and the front office works. He spent 20-plus seasons with the team and though it’s easy to forget, was even the assistant head coach when Marvin Lewis arrived back in 2003.

Burrow figures to end up being the pick either way, but this is just another reminder nothing gets cemented in January, no matter how good Burrow has looked.

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Did a former Bengals coach take a swipe at Andy Dalton?

Did Paul Alexander comment on Andy Dalton?

Paul Alexander is one of the more interesting elements of football twitter.

The former Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach has all sorts of quality content up on his feed since moving away from coaching itself.

More recently, an interesting note about a quarterback came up. And while it seemingly refers to Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, it’s hard not to make the connection between Alexander, the Bengals and a starting quarterback by the name of Andy Dalton.

Keep in mind while the Chicago-Trubisky angle makes sense, the Bengals are off to the worst start in franchise history and a new head coach just went back on his decision and reappointed Dalton the starter.

The tweet in question:

Maybe this has nothing to do with Dalton. But this tweet followed closely:

What’s interesting here is Alexander saw plenty of bad quarterback play in Cincinnati. He arrived in 1994 as line coach and was trusted so much he was a top assistant to Marvin Lewis in 2002 as assistant head coach (he lasted half a season in Dallas after 23 years in Cincinnati).

But the Dalton connection is notable given the veteran’s downfall since his strong 2015 campaign, all the way to getting benched in favor of a rookie as soon as a new head coach arrived.

So far, it doesn’t seem like Zac Taylor has lost the locker room. The players are fighting. But Dalton was also a guy looking for a trade, which is impressive given his reputation and character.

With Dalton about to undergo his first start since getting the job back, this might be something to keep in mind.

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