April 18, 2010

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- A Day

Overall, if you are a coach or a team captain, you are a pretty happy camper this morning because A Day is over, the competition was good, the quality of depth is there for the most part, and nobody was hurt. Last year I went down the depth chart, and it seemed to work well, so we'll do that again....

Quarterbacks

Overall, I thought all 4 QBs played well overall. A few mistakes made by all, but you want that in the spring so there is something to chew on them during film and summer drills. I think the depth chart is pretty firm if all stays as is. McElroy is the starter, McCarron will get the mop up and maybe some early snaps against some teams. Jackson, assuming he stays, will be the 3rd by default because Sims will redshirt.

Star Jackson- I thought his first showing of A Day 10 was not his best. He didn't really look like he was thrilled with things, but then a few passes went his way and he started to look confident. I think he's coming along, but he just lacks the intangibles that McElroy and McCarron have to get up the depth chart.

AJ McCarron- I think the folklore and desire to have a gunslinger has moved from Darrah to AJ. At least they will get their wish eventually. There is no question that when the time comes, he'll be ready. He's confident, has the arm and the size to be anything he wants to be. He just needs time and a little more coaching about handling situations. By that, I mean he needs to work on his awareness at times. Saban grilled him for not thinking through a couple of plays (he misread the D once, threw over the middle of the field to throw the ball away, and threw into triple coverage a couple of times), and he made a poor decision on the grounding call, and he was 3 yards beyond the line when he flipped the pass to TR, but as the game went on, the better he played. As to the debate over AJ and Greg, it is pure Internet bullshit. He's gonna start, but not this year unless Greg gets hurt. Losing a game or two will not result in any player being benched for that. I think that as far as when AJ finishes vs. where Greg finishes, AJ will be far beyond him possibly if he continues to grow.

Greg McElroy- McElroy is a nice compliment for AJ to learn from. Greg's biggest asset to the team is that he is an extension of the staff in the huddle. The term game manager gets mangled by folks, but the last two titles Bama won were QB'd by game managers. Must work somehow despite the moniker being such with fans and their desire to see ESPN stat lines. Greg doesn't have a cannon arm, but he doesn't make many bad throws ( the INT was bad, but from TV land it was hard to tell what happened), and he makes the plays when he has to make them. The Auburn and Florida game seem to be distant memories for a bunch out there. The bottom line is that this offense has a foundation with 2 Heisman running backs and an experienced QB that keeps the offense in check and doesn't lose games. I really think once it gets to fall game time, his play probably will grow as experience and more snaps with the 1s will help him. I think with the pressure not on him to win games, and letting the 2

Phillip Sims- I will say this, if you want to know what kinda guts he has, his first completion was with Barron in his grill. His mechanics are solid, and like Travis said, he needs to speed up the wheelhouse. I don't see anything in Sims game that gives me gas yet. He didn't complete many, thanks to Julio, but he has good zip on the ball, and didn't blink or show uncertainty with the first string on him.

Running Backs

The interesting thing here is that there is a lot of quality depth here. Ingram has no worries as the 1st RB, Richardson also is locked in at 2, the question starts at 3. Upchurch's role is up for grabs and Lacy and Goode look to be in a good race to be that guy. Lacy probably is ahead but it isn't as much as I would have guessed before Saturday.

Demetrius Goode- I thought he had a better day than he did a year ago. He's not letting the 3rd string role go without a fight and I like that. His TD run was a really good sign that he's ready to show up and be a player again. I don't know if he can beat Lacy out, but I will say that I was really surprised to see him playing with confidence after last year's timid showings.

Jeramie Griffin- I think he's fighting through the rehab and knee fears, but he made a good catch for a big man and looked like he wanted to play. I think he'll get some snaps in the fall, but the number per game will probably be higher early in the year than later.

Ben Howell- It is always nice to see a walkon earn a little PT, and he did late.

Mark Ingram- There just isn't a lot he can't do. I think that he has a great chance to win the Heisman again, but this year I think he will be more balanced. I think a 1200 yard rushing, 500-600 receiving year may be ahead.

Eddie Lacy- The guy has the potential to do a lot in his time on campus. He just needs to be patient and pay the dues. Lacy shows a lot of vision for a guy his age and that's impressive because young RBs like to burst then look not look then burst. He needs to work on his running style some, he gets too high and that's usually how knee injuries occur.

Trent Richardson- TR has all the tools to be a Heisman winner as well. I don't know if he will get enough snaps and situations to do such, but there is nothing in his game that says he can't. His hands are improving and his blocking was better. If he can continue to block or work to improve it, that will be a big thing for this offense. The OL issues being what they are, if he can knock a rush end off the route, that frees up more options for McElroy to go to.

Wide Receivers

I think the discussion about coaching with the WRs has merit. If you missed it, a fella had the balls to say Cignetti needed to go. While I don't think he needs to be fired, I do think the coaching has not improved the talent they have. There is this bland retort about how a few looked good this spring during A Day. My reply is remember how McCoy always did too? The issue is this, drops are mental, but when one guy has it, it is one guy. When the whole crew has the drops, and Jones/Hanks/Maze all have gone through spells, it is more than the guys, it is about coaching and breaking errors. The Texas game still lingers as a bench mark of where this unit is and where it has to go to meet the potential that they have.

Earl Alexander- I didn't notice him playing, probably hurt himself trying to put his name on his EA jersey. I really think it is time for fans to move on here. He just can't stay healthy long enough to be much of a ball player.

Kenny Bell- I was happy to see him moving and working hard to get up the chart. I think he's got the speed to be a nice 4 guy in the spread. The area that he needs to work on is his upper body strength. He needs to be able to create separation and that sometimes needs to come from a push that he just can't do. Fulton pushed him around at times. Outside of that, he has good hands, and his routes seemed to be

Michael Bowman- Out with an injury. Bowman will play again this fall, but he better start moving faster and catching better than he has. Norwood and Bell and Gibson all could fill his role.

Brandon Gibson- Gibson had a better spring than any he had before. He may be the 4 going into the fall. I think he could be a good slot guy to compliment Jones or Maze outside, but with Gibson it always seems to be a case where that next step always seems to be short.

Darius Hanks- Here we are again with Hanks. Hanks every spring looks really good, and he did this year. He made all the catches he needed to and looked to be on his routes better. He is the 3 for the team but the issue for him is consistency and stepping up on a weekly basis. I like Hanks in the slot and I think when he's in sync, he's probably an underrated weapon for this team, but he just needs to continue to show the ability he displayed Saturday.

Julio Jones- The debate will rage all summer about Julio's hands. The debate about sending Julio deep will rage with it. Julio physically is a first round pick. When he has the ball in his hands, he's a first round WR. The issue is that he can't focus and gets laid back too much. The issue comes around because when the scrimmages are closed, he's all world, but you throw some lights and x thousand fans in the stadium, he gets distracted. Some of it is that he's trying to make a play before he has the ball, and that's ok but it is an error that young WR make. Other times, it is him just not following the ball in and taking his eye off the ball. I think once he gets his mind on catching the ball every time it gets in his hands, he can take every game over.

Marquis Maze- I thought he had a good game and looks like he wants to push for more looks. With Julio suffering through drops still, Maze will get those looks. He too needs to not try to make plays before he gets the ball, but he's going to get more looks by default. McElroy seems to have more confidence with Maze than Jones right now too.

Kevin Norwood- Norwood had a good game and a good spring. The staff really likes him, and he's got the ability to be a really good option for McElroy and/or McCarron down the road. The depth chart is loaded against him in part with 4 players that are JRs or SRs, but I don't see anything in his game that says he can't play at this level. He has good hands, squares up to give the QB a target, runs the routes well, and blocks well. He may not get a lot of chances this fall, but next spring he probably is a starter.

Tight Ends

The TEs didn't get a lot of opportunities to show off in the game, but as a whole, I can't see anything that gives me a reason to worry.

Preston Dial- Dial is going to be the H Back again and should get a lot of PT. The A Day game wasn't a great example because the staff threw more than they normally would, but Dial will be asked to do what he did last year and should do fine.

Mike Marrow- I didn't notice Marrow both times I watched the game, but H Back is a better place for him than HB. I think with time he could contribute, but with the staff recruiting more TE's, he could be a memory.

Brad Smelley- Smelley cat....smelley cat...what....are....they....feeding you....It was good to see him getting involved in the offense again and his blocking was a little more consistent than before, but he isn't where Dial or Williams are. I think he will get PT and be used in situations where they want him running routes from behind the line.

Chris Underwood- I think this summer is make or break for Underwood. He's never moved the chart, and the recruiting of new TE's pretty well means that if he continues to flounder, this summer is probably the last chance for him.

Michael Williams- Needs to work on his pass catching and be an option in the passing attack because he's a real load to bring down. Blocking wise, he's their best option as he has lineman size with athleticism. I hope that the coaches can work with him and help him get that option together for him because if he can be a dual threat, he will be a good one.

Offensive Line

I'm ok with the DL being ahead of the OL, but I really didn't like how the edge rush seemed to be open all game long. I think 4 of the 5 spots are locked in with Carpenter, Warmack, Vlachos, and Jones having won their jobs. I think RT needs some more competition. Fluker is a good run blocker, but isn't ready to play in situations where Bama needs to throw a lot. The one thing I saw all the linemen do a lot that bothered me was that they got too high off the snap. If you watch the game again, notice how many times you see the tackles and guards get bent back by the rush. If they get lower and drive up, they bend the defenders back, but the way they did things, they were inviting a breakdown at times because they couldn't get position on defender and keep their feet.

John Michael Boswell- JMB is probably the most versatile lineman in the group, but the downside to that is that he isn't the best at either spot he plays. I think if the staff really wants to open up the RT competition, he's a dark horse, but as is, he will play as the first reserve again. I thought he played well on the 2s Saturday but isn't as physical as Warmack.

James Carpenter- He is the best left tackle the team has, but any talk of him being all SEC is a bit much. Upshaw made him a puppet several times during the game, but when Bama ran, he was able to move CU where he wanted. I think he has the capacity to improve, but he won't be a legend or anything like that. He will be a good serviceable tackle that probably would be a better guard.

DJ Fluker- Where to begin? He is in better shape than he was during the season last year. He is a force as a run blocking tackle. He is just a freshman and has a lot of upside to a guy his size. However, he's never going to be a left tackle so long as he stays at this weight and endurance level. He got gassed late and let Alex Watkins blow past him. I think McCullough probably would be a better pass blocking option if the team wants to be a pass happy offense, but since Ingram and Richardson will get the bulk of the offensive plays, Fluker will start because he's good at plowing a run lane.

Aaron Joiner- I noticed him, which means either he did something good or bad. It wasn't good, but he earned a chance to play in a spring game, and will return to the squad.

Barrett Jones- I thought Jones played well and should continue to grow and improve from a good season last year. He was spared the wrath of Dareus for the most part, but when he got Marcel, he did a better job with him than the others did.

Tyler Love- The body yells D1 player, but the fire inside that body yells underachiever. I think the fact that they moved McCullough to LT for the game and Love to RT to make it a better game kinda says a lot. Love may be able to turn that corner that folks have been waiting for, but I question if he can. His brother's motor is a lot better but his brother doesn't have the body that Tyler has.

Alfred McCullough- McCullough did well at LT and I think he is athletic enough to play either tackle this fall. He moves better than the other tackles, but lacks height to maul ends and large linebackers, like Upshaw, in the run game. If Alfred is 2 inches taller, he's starting now if not last year. As is, he's probably next year's LT if he doesn't win the RT job this year.

Brian Motley- Motley has kinda floundered around and is the 3rd string center. He will graduate after this year and that is a positive.

Taylor Pharr- Probably the biggest surprise is that he was the starting punter until injury. If the incoming help doesn't help, he may still be the punter. Prepare for the ribbing from your UT and AU fans if so, but hopefully he can hit a good punt, what I saw Saturday made me think my 33 year old ass could play.

David Ross- He got to start because of Vlachos sitting out for the spring. He didn't really do ok with Chapman, and the snaps were on target, but he doesn't run block nearly as well as Vlachos. He could give a good run for a guard position next spring if one comes open to competition, otherwise, he will platoon the guards and center spots. I do think if Vlachos were to have a season ending injury, Jones may slide over like Caldwell did years ago because he's just bigger and can handle those kinda guys better than Ross can.

Anthony Steen- Steen is a project. He is strong and mauls folks when he gets on them, but is not close to ready when it comes to pass protection. He looks unsure at times about his assignments when he is zone blocking or if a switch/stunt is on. Part of that is being young. I think another year to learn will help him and next year he can compete for a job that comes open.

William Vlachos- Sometimes not playing helps improve your situation. I think getting more time for Ross is fine, but you could tell a difference with Vlachos out. Vlachos will help make Warmack and Fluker/McCullough a better player just like he helped make Jones better.

Chance Warmack- Chance continues to make the guard job a virtual one man race. Warmack is good at finishing off his block and going to the second level. I was real pleased to see him take on Davis and Chapman among others and control them as well as he did most of the game.

Kellen Williams- Williams made a key block to spring Ingram on his 60 yard run. He probably is going to be buried on the chart with Boswell, Warmack, Jones, and Steen ahead of him and all of them being fairly young. What little he played, however, he did a nice job of looking for guys to engage.

Defensive Line

Overall, the DL was a lot farther than I expected. I knew Dareus/Chapman/Davis would start, but I worried more about the 2s and 3s. After Saturday's showing, I can't really say that they worry me. The depth chart here is pretty tight and the drop off on talent and quality is not as bad as it was 3 years ago. The truth is that a lot of backups like Moore, Lewis, Murphy, etc. would start at most of the other schools. I think they probably run a lot of bodies out there this fall to build depth, keep legs fresh, and wear out opposing OLs.

Undra Billingsley- Undra played on the 2nd string and did ok. He disrupted a little bit, but he lacks the lower body power to just collapse the interior of an OL. That's part of the reason why they have moved him back and forth at TE/DE. He has the desire to contribute but is kinda a tweener at the 2 positions he can play. I think as is, he can give the DL some rest minutes and be a value in that regard, but I can't see a scenario where he starts.

Chris Bonds- I didn't really see him playing, but I gather that the staff wants another year of S&C for him and get him up to about 280.

Josh Chapman- If fans were worried about losing Cody, I think A Day should have silenced that. Chapman is a guy that I can see the defense using in a couple of different ways. He is a lot more active than Cody in pass rushing situations so I would imagine he won't be coming off the field on 3rd downs or 2nd and longs as much. I also can see them trying to bulk up the front by putting him at end with Murphy at NG some. Chapman seems to be athletic enough to do both. Really, with the secondary being as young and inexperienced as it is, they need him and some others to really push the issue and disrupt more than they did last year.

Marcel Dareus- Dareus is a man amongst boys right now. You better get a good look at him because he'll be inking with the NFL by this time next year. The coaching staff deserves a lot of praise for MD. When he came in, he was raw and knew how to be physical but had no understanding of how to use his body other than just maul a guy. Now, he uses his hands and body to create separation and is now a more complete player.

Luther Davis- I had hope for Davis and it may be just a practice thing to him, but he kinda just goes through the motions. If he can be the Davis of the NC game on Saturdays, he'll be an All SEC type guy. If he goes through the ups and downs that he has for 3 years, he may get beat out over time. Davis will start the season as the number 1 and I think that he's given himself enough of a gap to keep that job, but I can see him being rotated out a lot in nickel and dime situations like Deaderick was.

Nick Gentry- Gentry continues to fight and put a blue collar style to the front 3. He won't start, but like Undra, he can give the guys a quality breather and not have a huge drop in production.

Brandon Lewis- I liked what I saw from Lewis. He was disruptive and doesn't give up on the play. I think he can compete for a starting job this fall if he continues to improve. He has really good lower body power and drives blockers into the play a good bit. Since he's a JUCO, he probably will get a lot of opportunities to play and let some of the freshmen sit and learn/condition.

Brandon Moore- Another guy that looked good on the field. I was really impressed with how athletic he is for a 300 pound guy. A front of Square/Murphy/Moore is a lot of elbows and assholes to deal with. He uses his hands and doesn't let the lineman get his hands inside of his jersey. Like Lewis, I can see them using him a lot to keep the depth fresh.

Kerry Murphy- Murphy is just a lotta boy to handle. Much like Cody, he uses his freakish size to just wear down guys and poor Motley was just crumbling under him after a while. He'll get a lot of reps this year as they try to do different things, but for him to be an every down player, he's going to have to get faster off the ball than what he does. As is, he's a starter in waiting as a run stopping nose tackle.

Darrington Sentimore- DS did ok when he played. He is a rush end by trade and looks better off the open shoulder of a tackle than going inside. He has a good motor and plays to the whistle, but needs more S&C time to bulk up for this style defense. I can see him molding into a Greenwood or Washington type of end.

Damien Square- I really, really like this guy. Honestly, if he doesn't get hurt, he is probably at the same level Dareus is. He's that good and just a real power lineman who understands how to play in this defense. I can see why coaches were raving about him as he redshirted and last summer. I think he will see a lot of PT in the pass rush situations and could be a "starter" like Dareus was last year.

Linebackers

The depth here is getting better as well. I won't go as far as to say they have a 2 deep like the DL does that has little drop off, but it isn't far behind. They do have some things to work on as far as who plays where in the nickel and dime situations, and we may not have gotten a fair look as the rosters were split up, but I would say that experiment continues on through summer. Overall, they have a lot of good players that should get some mop up, breather snaps and about 6 starters for 4 spots. Always a good problem to have.

Jonathan Atchison- He plays well in space. That is the first thing I noticed about him is that he plays the Sam well in coverage. Reminds me a lot of Brooks Daniels in that regard. I question if he is 220-230, but he really could be an extra safety on the field in nickel situations in the future.


Drew Bullard- Got some PT for his efforts, and did ok what time he was in. The politics of football say that we don't see Drew until next spring's game though outside of maybe special teams.

DeMarcus Dubose- Dubose is a big guy out there and he clogs up traffic, but like Bullard the politics are what they are.

Jolston Fowler- Didn't play overly great early, but as the game wore on and he got the butterflies out of his system, he proved why he's in the right spot. Fowler as a running back is like Morrow/Griffin/Goode/etal. in that he's just a spot on the chart. Fowler's size and athleticism can allow him to be a great linebacker down the road though. I think with Patrick using his RS last year, Fowler probably uses his this year and learns the schemes, but I think he's where he needs to be.

Glenn Harbin- It may just be me, but it feels like he and Talbert have been at Bama for 50 years now. He's a big guy that can play with his hand down, but he isn't as athletic as the 3 guys in front of him.

Jerrell Harris- Physically, he looks the part, but he still gets too wrapped up in the hit and forgets to wrap up. He let Ingram and Lacy slip him a couple of times during the day. With that said, there is no way he isn't the starter because Atchison and Jordan are not as far long as he is in the understanding of the defense. He also will probably move inside when the Tide goes Nickel.

Dont'a Hightower- No worries here. Knee looks good, his understanding of the new role (Mike) looks good. He played end on the dime situations and didn't show any hesitation out there. I think the only thing he can't do is be Rolo, but before the injury I thought he would be better, if he stays through his Sr year, he may still be.

Nico Johnson- Not his best day. Got beat 2 times, and the 2nd one was the worst one. He's behind Jordan because he isn't strong in coverage. I think he can still be as good as folks, including me, think he can, but I think the value of Rolando McClain is evident when you watch him now. Now, Nico is having to think and see the field and not having a computer next to him spit it out. Bama will play so much cover package that he probably won't see much time this year outside of mop up until he can show he can play the pass.

Chris Jordan- I always smile when he plays linebacker. I'm that kinda stupid that said after signing day, like Fowler, that he'd be better off at linebacker, and he is. He's a good versatile guy that can play 3 spots and really plays well in space. He covered the running backs well when he drew those assignments and draped the TE's as well. I like what I saw of him and I can see why he's with the 1s right now.

Tana Patrick- I was a little surprised he wasn't bigger than he was. I had heard rumblings that he was bulking up quite a bit. As is, he looked good in his chances to play. He is a pure run stopping linebacker and is still learning how to be a pass defender, but I think in time he will be another solid linebacker for Saban.

Ed Stinson- I can see why there is so much buzz around Ed. He flat out abused the tackles at times. He isn't going to challenge Upshaw yet, but as he grows and matures, he will be as good as Upshaw. I really like how he can engage a guy who has 30 pounds on him and just bend him back.

Courtney Upshaw- Courtney continues to improve and getting more PT last year and having a guy like Anders working with him is starting to pay dividends. He's a 4-3 end like Mark Anderson but also a good stand up linebacker like you see on Sundays. I like that he's taken to the S&C program and getting the total power body that he has. He can drive with his legs and disrupt or use his upper body strength and create space to get to the quarterback. I think after the summer is over, Upshaw will be ready for his "breakout" year.

Alex Watkins- Just abused Fluker late in the game. Watkins just isn't big enough physically to play much though. I could see him in special teams though.

Chavis Williams- If only the light would stay on with this guy. His motor is fine and he can play Sam and Jack, but he just doesn't do all the intangibles to get the trust of the staff. He's going to get some mopup and reserve minutes probably, but nothing to write home about.

Defensive Backs

I worried about the experience and still do. It was hard to tell who was going to be where in the nickel and dime sets that they will use most of the year because they had Jones and others on the other side. I do know this, Robert Lester isnt' the answer at safety. I would like to see Miliner and Fulton try out there.

Mark Barron- Nothing to worry with him, he looks game ready now. I think that his potential is unlimited, but limited by the ability of those around him. They really want to use him at Star and/or Money but lack of quality depth behind him may limit that.

Hunter Bush- Returned kicks and did about as well as the rest of the special teams guys.

John Fulton- If there is a person that gives me a lot of hope for the future, it is Fulton. He is fast and physical. I think he could be a guy that the staff has to find a way to get involved because he's well ahead of his true freshman label. Saban probably will spend a lot of time with him in the summer and help get him ready much like he did with KJ.

Robby Green- If there was ever a time when a suspension really hurt, this is it. Green's fine as a player, but the suspension and lack of talent behind him makes this issue hurt that much more. If he were able to be reinstated, that changes a lot of the issues in the secondary, but without him, they have that many more issues to contend with.

Phelon Jones- He played ok, but I didn't get a sense that he's a long term answer for anything. I can see the upside to him, but I can see why LSU didn't worry about letting him go to Bama. Kirkpatrick and Scott are both younger and better than he is. He probably can play Star, but I don't see him as a starter.

Dre Kirkpatrick- Real physical guy that could play safety or corner. He is a much better tackler than Scott, but not as good at covering the deep route as Scott. I think he's gonna be fine and may be another great corner by the time he is done.

Robert Lester- If you wanted to know what you have in Lester, reference the 60 yard Ingram run. In that play you see him realize he's gonna get chewed up because he's taken the wrong angle. Instead of stopping Ingram, he tries to work around Hanks and get in position. That was a double mistake because Hanks just owns him down the sideline and once he gets past him, Ingram takes a whack at him and gets an extra 5 yards. He had 8 tackles, but I couldn't name one that was meaningful. I know by me not just loving all over him, that will induce a quasi-support for him, but folks, he's not much of a player at this level.

Will Lowery- I thought he played well when he was in. He didn't get abused by anyone during the game, kept everything in play, and is sending a message to Woodson to get with it or enjoy the view.

DeMarcus Miliner- While I am high on Fulton, Miliner is a guy that needs more time and work. He needs a lot of time with the coaches and needs to get more aware of the situations. Best example, the last play TD to Gibson. There is no reason in the world to let a guy slip past you into the open on a hail mary play. There is no other place the QB will put the ball other than the end zone so why are you letting him get past you? Gibson really worked him over all game, but he does tackle well. He may be a candidate for safety.

Wes Neighbors- I get the legacy thing, but man oh man he really isn't much of a player right now. He let several guys get past him in coverage including the above mentioned Gibson TD, and just looked unsure of what he was supposed to do. He looks like another special teams guy.

BJ Scott- Real impressed with his growth and use of the redshirt to get back to the breakout Scott again. Did a great job on Julio in coverage, but needs to work on tackling. I really think if the staff didn't waste a year with the WR crap, he's an all SEC lockdown guy this fall. As is, he's going to be having that fabled breakout game this fall, just at defense.

Rod Woodson- I see the potential in him, but he really is just a raw athlete when you get down to it. I think he almost would be better served playing at Sam because his instincts are more in line with a linebacker than that of a cover safety. I think his spot on the depth chart during A Day has a little insider intention to wake him up, but he's still going to backup Barron and Lester.

Kendall Kelly- Not bad for a guy going on 2 weeks on the job. He suckered AJ into throwing at him once and broke it up, and he laid some good wood on a few guys in the flat when the QBs left them hanging. I really expected him to look lost, but he's playing the position better than I could have expected. He needs to get some mop up PT to see himself doing it and learning more, and down the road he could be a good one.

Specialists.....eeek

Cade Foster- Better biceps than kicking game right now. He brings back memories of the Wild Thing because he can drill one 10 yards into the endzone on one kick and short it 15 the next. I get the feeling that a platoon is coming here until Cade can control his leg inside 40 on FGs and kickoffs.

Jeremy Shelley- Pretty consistant at A Day. He doesn't have a big leg, but he's going to be steady when kicking 35 yard FGs and extra points. That will be welcomed.

Any Punter used- In a phrase....oh shit.... never in my lifetime can I remember a time where the most welcomed newcomer is a punter because they flat out don't have one on campus today. There was a point where I thought i might have to lose 10 lbs and give it a whirl. I'm pretty sure I could get a net of 25 yards.

April 12, 2010

Pre-A-Day Random Thoughts....

If you haven't watched the Gruden Camp, I highly recommend it. Gruden is one of the great offensive minds of this generation and he puts the pressure down on this year's class of QBs to see what they are made of. On a side note, my gut says that this class of QBs will not be one of those great groups when their careers are over.

Drafting the Tide

It is now down to the crunch and the players have done all the hoops and hurdles for the scouts and GMs that would take them. McShay is high on Bama's class this year with 3 guys in the 1st round. But he is an idiot according to fans....

Personally, I think it is a stretch for 3. 2 might be if the trades start picking up this weekend. McClain is the sure bet as a first round pick. Where he goes, well that part is more a mystery because if the trades that are rumored happen do happen, he could go around the 11th pick or fall around the 17-20 range. With the Broncos parting ways with Marshall, Dez Bryant is hard to pass on. Personally, I think for McClain, the team and scheme is more important than the draft number. In a 4-3, he's going to be good, but he's made and thinks like a guy in a 3-4 and will be better off with a Pittsburgh or San Diego or Cowboys defense than someone like San Fran or Arizona that plays in the 4-3 and would ask McClain to move around more.

I know a lot of folks are putting Kareem in the 1st, but really Cody has more of a shot than he does because there are more teams who are going to be drafting for future needs in the later half than immediate need. Like Rolo, Cody will be attractive to 3-4 teams and they just happen to be at the bottom of the board. The trick here is that San Diego has a late 1st and an early 2nd round pick. Do they wait and get Cody for cheaper? If they are in a bind with their salary budget, probably. It also depends on which running backs are still on the board. LT's departure and Sproles being a buck fifty soaking wet will require them getting a quality counter punch to him.

Jackson has the skills, but is he a 1st round pick? The issue for him is kinda the same. He is a cover 2/tampa 2 guy. Some teams play man every down and won't look at him. The Vikes are liking him, but they like Robinson from FSU as well. That may be a coin flip or coach's preference there and then KJ falls on to round 2 and is a nice pickup for a Chiefs or Bucs team in the early second.

If that happens, Arenas's stock really kinda falls for a while because those teams are the teams that would have burned a 3rd on him. If those events happen, Mike Johnson is the next off the board in the late 3rd early 4th range. A team like Philadelphia may have an interest as they are starting to rebuild for the long run. Washington and the Dolphins as well as the Fins are parting ways with Smiley. Ironic. Arenas and a team like the Bengals who play a lot of nickel and other teams like the Bucs and Vikes who play a lot of multi sets will have an interest in him for corner, but if teams are looking return man, the Pats may be into him because Welker is out for a long while.

After that, Bama fans you may not see another guy til the late 6th or 7th if at all. Peek's 40 time was too slow to burn a pick on before the bottom of the draft. Marquis Johnson ran well but didn't separate himself from the drowning pool of players like him. Deaderick and Washington may be a late pickup for a team trying to fill scout team needs for a while, and Upchurch may get a last second pickup for the same cause, but none of them have done anything in workouts to get noticed and their game films aren't an ESPN highlight reel.

Regardless, from where the draft class was 2 years ago to now, it is a vast improvement...

A Day 10 things I'll watch for...

1. Secondary play

It will not be a situation where you will see the 5 starting d backs together because the "Star" may be on the other side, or playing another position. I will be watching to see how they handle situations where the blitz hasn't disrupted and how they handle playing on the island for a bit.

2. O Line v. D Line

Both sides have some holes to fill and it will be interesting to see who has the advantage. Depending on injuries heading into the game or the coaches' desire to play starters, we may not see much here as far as quality 1s on 1s after the 1st or 2nd quarter.

3. How many snaps for Sims and Jackson?

At first, I was surprised to see Sims paired with McElroy, but last year they did a similar pairing. McCarron and Jackson will pair up and it will be interesting to see how the snaps are divided. I guess it is needless to say, if AJ throws a touchdown, there will be a quadrant of fans who beckon for him to start because he's the only hope. All prodding aside, this game will give us a feel for how the coaches see the 2s and 3s there.

4. Special Teams... are there any?

Gotta feeling that my dislike for special teams play continues, but I like being wrong in these situations.

5. DJ Fluker- over/under weight guesses

Fluker is much like Cody and Smith. If he can control his weight, he will be all that fans and scouts hype him to be. If he cannot, he is nothing more than space filling. All rumors say he's down and in better shape, but this one kinda needs to be monitored in July too.....

6. After Julio, do any of the receivers look ready to be the 2nd option on a consistent basis?

It has been a constant issue for 2 years, and probably will for this year. The QBs have yet to find a solid backup option to Julio if he's covered. Maze has been it at times, but as history shows, for every Florida game, there is a Texas game. Hanks is the same way, after MSU his looks were almost non-existent. Bowman's out, so Norwood's big chance is now. Same for Dial and Williams at TE.

7. Can AJ show the complete game or is the game management still shaky?

I can't remember where I read it, but one poster mentioned listening to Gruden and McCoy chirp play calls out and the level of difficulty there was to it. It can be in a complex offense. This offense isn't super complex but it isn't vanilla. AJ has the physical game down. He has the arm. He has the height. He has the presence in the pocket. Saban has mentioned it, and it is what they are wanting him to grow and improve.....the dreaded phrase for some.....game management. If he is confident in the huddle and confident in leading the 10 guys with him, that hurdle is over. If there is a lot of confusion or missed assignments (blocks wrong way/wrong route ran), then that's where they are still working on him. Also, a lot of folks talk about him in the closed scrimmages, it is a different animal when there are x thousand watching over x hundred.

8. Can Dareus be stopped, and if not is it more him or the lineman across of him?

That's always a hard thing to watch and figure out. Of course he won't be able to light a QBs Christmas tree, but if he gets 5 real sacks and not 5 tags, we are watching either a great thing coming or a bad situation on the strong side. Gut says great thing for what it is worth.

9. When Bama goes nickel, who plays next to Donta?

Nico's been bruised up a lot in practice, and Jordan has shown flashes of ability to hold it down, but Harris has been the will in nickel primarily. This is important to know because last year the will had to do a lot of different things and flipping players around to get that matchup is a tip off that good offenses will catch. I think even if Nico was healthy, he'd go out on nickel and dime situations because Harris is faster.

10. Can Richardson and Ingram take the game over and put the QB talk to bed?

Nothing would make me happier than to see both of them ground it out and take the focus off the passing game, but this is spring and you chuck the shit out of it more than you ever would in the fall.