No Espionage With Cappa
May 13th, 2018
Though very early, OL Alex Cappa looks to be an OK prospect. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
If this were, say, 1967 and not 2018, it would be a fantastic story that would be a documentary produced by NFL Films.
Yesterday, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter spun a compelling tale of how one scout who works as a set of eyes for Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht stumbled across a college player in the backwoods and the scout became so enamored, he kept his trap shut and prayed no one found out about the player until Licht had a chance to draft him.
The player’s name is Alex Cappa, the offensive lineman from Humboldt State.
In decades past, the NFL was filled with stories about how teams went so far as to kidnap players to keep them away from other teams’ scouts, or in the days before cable TV and the internet, steal their college gametape so no other team could accidentally find them.
This is how the Chiefs acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver Otis Taylor (he escaped a hotel room/prison cell guarded by Cowboys scouts by crawling out a bathroom window so he could sign with the Chiefs) and how the Steelers prevented the world from discovering Hall of Fame wide receiver John Stallworth.
So Koetter explained to the Bucs’ pen and mic club yesterday how the Bucs sort of tripped over Cappa and the team went full-blown Manhattan Project in hopes no other NFL team would learn of Cappa.
“What most people don’t realize is how many college play football,” Koetter explained. “I mean, we have a young corner here that didn’t even play his senior year of high school and then played at a small school. We have a couple of NAIA guys. There’s just a lot of schools that are playing football that are not on national TV every week.
“So, that’s where Jason [Licht’s] scouts, you have your regional scouts out there are beating the bushes. Sometimes when they come across some smaller guys, they keep their mouth shut. They’re not spreading the word. It just depends. You never know how it’s going to work out, but sometimes it does.”
Well, here is where the neighborhood dog steals Koetter’s barbecue right off the grill. Cappa was anything but a state secret. In fact, he was on national TV twice. He played in the Senior Bowl and participated in the combine in Indianapolis.
The Bucs, specifically Koetter, rave about how intelligent Cappa is, not to mention he’s violent. They believe Cappa is a diamond in the rough. But let’s not get carried away that the Bucs coming across Cappa is like finding a rare coin buried in a box of junk at a yard sale in Hutchinson, Kan.
Yes, Humboldt State is a far cry from Penn State. But football secrets just don’t fall from the sky to play in the Senior Bowl and work out at the combine. Cappa had to be on someone’s radar to get these invitations.
Still, Cappa is a great story. Both the legend and the reality.
May 13th, 2018 at 12:18 am
The Joes always find a way to put a damper on a story..
May 13th, 2018 at 12:57 am
Got my fingers crossed. We could use some young blood at RT.
Dotson is , in football terms, starting to break down.
Looks like Benenoch is going to compete for Right guard,depending on where Sweezy is at with his rehab.
May have 3 new starters- on a unit that prospers from stability.
Really hope we find 5 linemen that can work and grow together as a unit, so that we dont keep having 50% or more turnover
May 13th, 2018 at 1:30 am
Dude needs to get more weight and more workout, hope they make that a priority, like what he’s done with the competition hes had even though it wasn’t that challenging.
May 13th, 2018 at 6:25 am
He can easily put on 10 lbs of muscle quickly
May 13th, 2018 at 7:18 am
When Licht is sitting in the draft and a player he really covets gets close, he moves up to get him. He must be thinking “I really want this guy and I simply cant’ take a chance of losing him.”
He did it with Marpet, Pamphile, Aguayo and Cappa.
I think we may have a winner with Cappa….let’s hope so.
May 13th, 2018 at 7:19 am
I am actually glad the world found out about Cappa, for if the Bucs used anything other than 6th round or lower if the world did not know, I’d wonder about the pick…like I did with Glennon in using a third round pick for him. As it stands, Cappa’s credentials are good and it seems like had the Bucs not nabbed him when they did, someone else would have. And don’t get me wrong on Glennon…he’s a good backup QB, but at the time, the Bucs had needs in so many other places for a 3rd round pick (and no one expected the beak Schiano had for Freeman).
May 13th, 2018 at 7:22 am
Capt. Tim…Thank God you said young blood at RT and not Trueblood at RT, LOL. I hope this kid starts from day 1 either at T or G…The youth movement is upon us!!!
May 13th, 2018 at 7:45 am
lol, Joe. This guy was not a highly kept secret: https://www.ninersnation.com/2018/4/18/17250670/49ers-workout-alex-cappa-offensive-line-2018-nfl-draft
“The San Francisco 49ers are working out Humboldt State offensive lineman Alex Cappa this week, according to Matt Maiocco. The offensive line prospect has already visited the Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets. Keep in mind, this is not a pre-draft visit as this will be taking place in Arizona for 49ers offensive line coach John Benton, and not at the 49ers facility.”
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May 13th, 2018 at 7:49 am
Becoming a pro bowler will make it a great story
May 13th, 2018 at 10:06 am
We had local media projecting him as a potential pick and if marpet is considered a steal where he was drafted then if he works out as a third round pick it be a steal no matter what but don’t think he was that much under the radar
May 13th, 2018 at 1:17 pm
Yes, I believe our GM, coaches and scouts become so enamored with finding these “diamonds in the rough” that they leave better players to be drafted by others.
Licht always wants to prove that he is the smartest guy in the room.
I hope Cappa balls.
May 13th, 2018 at 1:25 pm
Love the video of him shutting down Marcus Davenport at the Senior Bowl practice. That’s serious strength.
May 13th, 2018 at 3:50 pm
I wonder if his strength is in his hair? If he had his hair cut would it render him powerless?
May 13th, 2018 at 5:24 pm
I read an article about his measurables. Not very good and not even remotely close to Marpet’s. I think this guy is more hope than anything else. I have a feeling this pick will not work out ultimately. Everyone gets excited about every single pick and a decent percentage down work out. This is the one I suspect will be a bust.
May 13th, 2018 at 7:11 pm
He wasn’t talking about Cappa. This is a non story. He was talking about the corner that he had mentioned 5 seconds earlier. SMH. Some people read too much into the bull$pit.
May 14th, 2018 at 12:09 pm
Seeing Cappa manhandle Davenport, Cappa is a lot stronger right now than he looks. When he fills out to about 320 pounds after adding about 20 more pounds of solid muscle, we may just have a Super LT to finally replace Turnstyle Smith and kick him inside to LT where he can become a road grading All Pro himself, and then all we would need would be Licht to pick up a RT rookie in the second round as an eventual replacement for Dotson. Then we could use our first pick to get a replacement our aging All Pro DB. Then at last Licht could use the rest of the picks for BPA like he used to. He won’t have the Cap room for Free Agents next year because of salaries. Then all we’ll need is an upgrade at OL Coach as good as this year’s upgrade at DLC.