Scouting The Draft: Clint Sintim

by Matty I on Mar 12, 2009 12:15 AM EDT in 2012 Miami Dolphins News

It's time to continue on with our draft scouting reports. Earlier this week, we took a closer look at two USC linebackers - Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews. Today it's time to look at Virginia LB Clint Sintim.

Sintim is unique in that he's one of the very few college players to have extensive experience playing in a 3-4 defense. And for more on Sintim, I turned to the guys from TheSabre.com - the best University of Virginia athletics website on the internet.

Clint Sintim

Height: 6'2 3/4" / Weight: 256
40: 4.78 / Broad: 9'11"

Clint Sintim is a well-trained 3-4 outside linebacker, having played that position for four years in former New York Jets coach Al Groh's 3-4 system at the University of Virginia. Whether he can transition to be a 4-3 defensive end or outside linebacker at the NFL level is a topic of debate among some but for a team looking to fill a 3-4 OLB slot, Sintim offers an intriguing blend of size (6'3", 248), strength, speed, high motor, and training.

Sintim is at his best when playing in downhill mode, particularly as a pass rusher when Sintim is able to play on the edge, often coming out of a four-point stance to go wide. Sintim has a nose for the quarterback and a surprisingly wide range of pass rush moves (with excellent handwork), including the ability to go into the body and bull-rush some offensive tackles when they start cheating to the outside. Against the run, Sintim seldom is caught out of position and plays his angles well but he can be inconsistent at shedding blocks and can be exploited in space by smaller, quicker offensive players.

Sintim is an adequate pass defender, a player who knows his drops, gets relatively good depth, and will be physical with receivers crossing his path. Still, having Sintim drop into coverage on a passing down usually is an opportunity wasted for a player whose natural instinct is to find the quarterback and hit him as hard as he can.

A big thanks to TheSabre.com for taking the time to help us out.

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I like him

Pick 56 if available

25th WR – HAKEEM NICKS
44TH TE - KENNY BRITT
56TH OLB - CLINT SINTIM
87TH NT - SAMMIE LEE HILL

by ATS16 on Mar 12, 2009 12:17 AM EDT reply actions

I agree and IF no backer/pass rusher

with the 25th pick nab him at 44

25th pick - Clay Mathews LB USC
44th pick - Alphonso Smith cb Wake Forest
56th pick - Clint Sintim LB Virginia
86th pick - Fili Moala DT USC

by Blaze453 on Mar 12, 2009 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

if the BPA at 25 is an OLB you gotta pull the trigger!

25th WR – HAKEEM NICKS
44TH TE - KENNY BRITT
56TH OLB - CLINT SINTIM
87TH NT - SAMMIE LEE HILL

by ATS16 on Mar 12, 2009 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Those 4 picks...would be a great draft!

"You are the people you hang out with"

by buckeyebill on Mar 12, 2009 8:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Thanks, it's just a dream but that's the fun of this time of year

they may pick one of the guys I want

25th WR – HAKEEM NICKS
44TH TE - KENNY BRITT
56TH OLB - CLINT SINTIM
87TH NT - SAMMIE LEE HILL

by ATS16 on Mar 12, 2009 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions

why do you have Britt as a TE?

he isn’t heavy enough to play TE, and i wouldn’t want to waste him there anyway?
just curious.

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Mar 12, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions

this is the type of player we need on the outside......

by hwyatt3 on Mar 12, 2009 12:21 AM EDT reply actions

Nice post Matty...

Watching Sintim grow up at UVA was fun. He is a bit reminiscent of Farrior and he has the same knack for finding the ball. I don’t think he will be available at our 56th pick. If we don’t get have a chance to get him it’s going to be with one of our first two picks. I think he got lost in the defense when Chris Long was around, but last year he proved he could hold his own in the against the ACC’s finest tackles. I say get him a jersey coach.

25th pick - LB Clint Sintim
44th pick - CB Sean Smith
56th pick - QB Pat White

Creator of the "John Philips Bandwagon"

by Heater OsE on Mar 12, 2009 8:29 AM EDT reply actions

12:15am and a post from Matty

I am shocked at the appearance of a post at that time ;)

Proud member of the EPIC 1073 Comment Thursday Lunchtime CKC
****Keeper of the Phinsider Goo Cannon****
Creator of the R&R Track Laying Max Unger Draft Bandwagon and riding shotgun on the Brandwagon.
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"Nicky introduced the estrogen....not our faults" - cbdolphin (3/11/09)

by Mosul_DolFan on Mar 12, 2009 8:55 AM EDT reply actions

12:15am?

You should have came over to the CKC last night Matty. I just signed up last night and boy did I choose an interesting night. Those guys over there cracked me up. Anyways, I would love to see Sintim picked at the 56th spot but dont think he will fall that far.

by Oregonphinfan on Mar 12, 2009 9:32 AM EDT reply actions

lol

he autoblogs at 12:15 (writes the post early in the day, then schedules it to come up at that time)

you’ll see what I mean when every single post comes up at exactly 12:15am. He’s not always on the site at that time lol

Winner of Three 2008/2009 Matty Awards
"Are We Doing This?"

by Little Nicky 21 on Mar 12, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions

exactly right, Nicky

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by Matty I on Mar 12, 2009 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm on to you I Matty Robot

Winner of Three 2008/2009 Matty Awards
"Are We Doing This?"

by Little Nicky 21 on Mar 12, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Remember, you must bathe after CKC's.

I just can’t get a bead on the TriPhin’s (umvirate, fecta, ad, whateveryoucallit) LB picks this year. Now that the OL is fairly fleshed out, my heads all wrapped up in CB’s .

And don’t be fooled, Matty’s everywhere. His Killer B’s Award is oh so dead on!

Larry Little and I both wore 66 in our football careers. I think that means something.

I, Tunaflipper, am the creator of the "Draft DJ Moore Bandwagon"

by Tunaflipper on Mar 12, 2009 10:35 AM EDT reply actions

I been very high on Sintim

Like I said before in past post he played 4 years in a 3-4 he is the best pass rushing OLB in the draft and he can drop back into pass coverage I’ll take him

Ahhhh Ta Ta Ta Ta Bye Bye Foy518

by Foy on Mar 12, 2009 11:15 AM EDT reply actions

With his size, I wonder if he can play MLB...

He has Maualuga type physical numbers. Could he move inside?

by ct1361 on Mar 12, 2009 11:53 AM EDT reply actions

Ask GatorPhan

"How can I blame you
When it's me I can't forgive?"

-From the Unforgiven III off of Death Magnetic

by Patssuck456 on Mar 12, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Porter, Sintim, Wake

all on the field at the same time? That would be nasty, but what would be nastier is Porter and Wake with Sintim there to give them a breather. Our pass rush would be relentless.

by joel311 on Mar 12, 2009 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions

It might be possible-

but I think it would waste his pass rushing talents.

"Right now he’s got to be one of the best players in America. He’s got the best first step . . .What he did to prepare for that game is what legends are made of." Urban Meyer on Percy Harvin
Lonely Leader of the Percy Harvin Bandwagon.

by GatorPhan on Mar 12, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed.

It’s a big mistake to draft a guy with the intentions of changing his position IMO. If we were playing a 4-3, it would be a slightly different story, since he’d have to learn a different system anyway. Moving an already proven 3-4 OLB to MLB would be -EV.

by joel311 on Mar 12, 2009 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions