Now that the depth chart is finalized, we can get back on track!
LAST YEAR...
With the running game having issues at times, the passing game was asked to step up. That meant the Julio being Julio show was a 13 celeb-reality episode season. Jones answered his critics and played his best ball in spite of injuries. Darius Hanks took yet another step forward with his ability to compliment Jones and Maze by getting open and making key catches. The depth behind them, however, did not step up as hoped. Gibson had folks hoping, but did not come through. Maze also was a good compliment, but did not take the step that most had hoped for him to make. Nor did Norwood, Bowman, Bell, or Alexander who combined all combined for fewer catches than Ingram. The lack of advancement by the 2nd string leaves Bama at a cross roads this fall.
THIS YEAR...
Who is back?
Kenny Bell- Bell's greatest impact to date is mouthing off after a loss that he didn't contribute to. Bell was supposed to be a speedster, and probably is without the pads on, but with pads he is pretty well in the herd. Kenny is about the same height as most of the others, and has decent hands. The problem he faces is that with White and others primed to pass him by, he may just be a career backup. This fall is one of those falls for him to see the light or else I am afraid because the Sylves and Shinns along with whomever Bama signs will be competing for his spot.
Michael Bowman- The much talked about Bowman has yet to really find a place on the field. He is very big and plays physical, but coming out of high school was very raw. He redshirted and they experimented with him at HBack last year but they have moved him back to WR. He is running 3rd string but had a pretty good summer according to most. Bowman will get a lot of comparisons to other WRs like him physically like Jones, Megatron Johnson, TO, etc. He is not as fast as any of those, but is very good at making separation with his strength. Bowman isn't going to blow away anyone, but he can be a great possession WR if he can earn the staff's trust there. Like Bell, this is a big year for him, because like Bell, there are a lot of guys ready to bury him on the depth chart.
Brandon Gibson- Gibson has teased fans with glimpses of greatness. There are practice players and gameday players and Gibson is a practice guy. He will get plenty of chances to change that image, but he has allowed another player younger than him to pass him by. Brandon projects as a potential slot WR and if he wants it and plays for it, could be good at it, but he seems to disappear every fall with the change of the leaves. He graduates this year and hopefully has done what he needs to do to earn a degree and move on from football.
Darius Hanks- Hanks is having to sit out the first couple of games to re-earn his year of eligibility. When he returns, he will be the starter who theoretically replaces Jones. He has had a very good spring and summer and I look for him to make another jump in his production now that he can be a go to guy and not the check down guy. He earned McElroy's trust because he doesn't drop many. I hope that we all see the guy who has mastered MSU than the one who sometimes goes through the motions, but a new coach should help with that. Hanks, like most of the guys above, have not had a lot of coaching over their Bama careers, but Coach Groh is a coach first, recruiter second. Look for Hanks to get around 45 to 55 catches this fall regardless of how any other guy does.
Marquis Maze- Maze is a bit of a mystery. One week, you get to see the guy who just blazes past everyone and helps stretch the field. The next week, you can't find him on the box score. If Maze's consistency issues are Julio related, then that problem is solved. If it is concentration, there are a few guys who can fix that named White, Carter, and Hanks. Maze has all the speed and athleticism to do whatever he wants . He just needs to bring that game each week and he will play on Sundays. I look for him to probably get around 40 or so snags this year as well.
Kevin Norwood- The guy flips into the endzone against PSU and looks like a hero in the A Day game a year ago, but went forever before playing again and didn't catch a pass in 8 straight games. The staff likes him, when he isn't showboating, and I know they want him to make it on the field, but he is like the herd and doesn't really separate from the pack. He does have the benefit that he is well liked by the ones that count. I look for him to contribute a little more as they will probably try to rotate him and White in more. Look for Norwood to be in for run blocking help as he does an adequate job sealing the corner from his position.
DeAndrew White- White has surprised a few because he is the "starter" going into Kent State. He will fill in for Hanks while he sits out, but he will get a lot of PT chances early on and may hold off Carter once he is up to speed. Remember, Saban is a stickler for rewarding effort and practice performance. White's vertical and speed have separated him from the other 10 6 foot 190 WRs. He has put in the work and if he can make some growth in finding his first move off the ball to separate between the defender, he will be a 3 or 4 year starter.
Who is Gone?
Earl Alexander- Injuries and not being all that good at catching the ball limited his career.
Julio Jones- Jones saved his best year for his last year. There is no telling how high his ceiling is with some coaching and focus. At Alabama, he seemed to always play better in the big games and enjoyed LSU most of all as the matchup against Patterson was a circle game for him. There is not a replacement for Jones, but the loss of Jones is not quite as big as some have made it either.
Kewione Malone- Malone got in the doghouse quickly and was gone even faster this summer.
Who is New?
Ronnie Carswell- Ronnie is a guy who must not have played against many big corners. I say that because he doesn't like contact off the line of scrimmage. He's gonna have to learn how to negotiate through the bump and separate, but as a true frosh, he will get a full year on practice squad to do such. His role and future is as a slot WR it looks like and that is good because the other guys joining him are not quite that kind of player.
Marvin Shinn- Shinn has a lot of upside to him and he's got size going for him too. I don't know how much PT if any he gets this year because of the log jam of unredshirtable guys above him, but if he plays it will probably be early and then sparingly. Shinn probably will get more looks next season as Maze and Hanks will be gone. He will get Jones comparisons too because he's tall and kinda physical like Jones, but he's not really the same type of player. I think Shinn is probably a little farther along as a true WR than Jones was.
Bradley Sylve- Bradley is another 6 footish WR but he has a lot of speed and is a guy who can be a lot of things if coached. He is going to get a lot of comments about being Percy Harvin 2, but I think he's probably a better WR than Harvin was in college. Sylve is almost a sure redshirt but like Shinn, he may get some early PT before conference play.
Duron Carter- The much speculated one comes in and probably will get his first real PT in the PSU game, at best. Carter is the big physical guy that they need in the rotation. Carter had a good year in JC with 10 TDs, but given he missed all of the summer, folks shouldn't put expectations too high too early. As Duron goes, he is a guy who really can make a QB look good. Even on bad passes, he can adjust and reel in the ball. He has a lot of moves with the ball and has a good understanding of what his position is. He is much more likely to juke and move than stiff arm and fight through tackles. While he really needed to be at practice to build a rapport with McCarron and Sims, when they do click, he should be able to do something that not many Tide WRs have done in the past- break route and help the QB get rid of the ball. On the field, he doesn't lack confidence and I think when he gets the playbook down, he should be great. My biggest worry with him is that he's a 1 and gone type of player. He's eligible for the NFL and a good season may be all he needs to jump.
The Good...
Even without Julio, they can still be just as good
Granted, nobody will be as individually as good as Jones, but as a whole, they can be as good as a whole as they were last year if not better. Hanks, Maze, Carter, and White are all very talented and bring a lot of experience (minus White) to the table. With more passes available to those guys will result in more one on one opportunities because most teams won't double these guys.
A new voice is VERY good
Let's be honest, Cignetti was not much of a coach. He was a recruiter that had to have a position job. With Groh, you know his roots and has coaching experience and a good track record. He knows how to coach and has a lot of respect in the coaching circles. I like the fact that he's moved up to a position coach, and don't be surprised if they need a new OC, he's their next. No inside info, but he's that well liked when his name comes up.
Depth is still good, but it is time for some to show it
Bama can go 4 and 5 deep at WR, but it is time for some of these guys to step up and quit waiting for it to come to them. The best news of this fall is an injury will not be the end of the world where as last year probably would have been. Bell, Bowman and Norwood are really getting down to the point where they have to step up and show what they can do on Saturdays because while the staff likes to reward seniority, they aren't shy about making the backup a freshman- just ask Jerrell Harris over the years or Mosley and Hightower.
The Bad...
No proven playmakers found....
When fans talk about passing the ball all over the place and amassing all these yards and TDs, I often wonder- who is gonna help with that? Sure we can speculate that this guy or that guy will be a star, but to date none are proven. Carter may be the closest to proven with his JuCo career, but he has 1 practice as of today. At the end of the year, there probably is a go to playmaker, but who or whom that is, nobody can honestly tell you. They can speculate based on hype and Internet folklore.
The Ugly...
Can Bama survive if Hanks and/or Maze go down?
Probably, but they really don't have any depth or leadership beyond those two. Both are proven to be tough and durable, but things happen. Bama has gotta work harder on establishing depth here. Given the attrition and NFL rate that they go through, slow playing things is not the best prescription for future seasons. I hope to see a 3 deep rotation working through most of the games throughout the season. Why? While it may kill a stat line for a couple, it will build a lot more confidence in players and develop more players. The past strategy of not playing many other than in mop up has left the Tide with 2 experienced WRs and a host of unknown commodities.
THE BOTTOM LINE....
The bottom line for the Wide Outs is pretty cut and dry, they have to make plays for Bama to win. The running game will carry the team on offense, but the WRs must help extend to win. Hanks and Maze will have good years, I don't have any doubt there, but I would like to know that White, Carter, and others were on their page and level for sure. Bama will need to fill the blocking role that Jones had, and I think a host of guys can do that. I don't think that it will be a position that makes or breaks Bama, but this is a position that will need to answer when called to duty.
The Depth Chart
1st String- Hanks-Maze-White
2nd String- Carter-Gibson-Norwood
3rd String- Bowman-Bell-Shinn
August 29, 2011
August 26, 2011
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Offensive Line and Tight Ends
Typically, I go to the Wide Outs, but given the roster is not final there, we pass and go on to the OL til Sept 1st......
Last Year
A year after dominating line after line, week after week, the return to the norm was not expected, but should have been. A lot of the blame fell on the QB because he is the visible target, but probably the most disappointing part of Bama's team was the OL. With 2 new starters, a rehabbed Center, and 2 returning starters not at Center, the expectations were higher than what should have been expected. While the running game averaged 5 yards a carry, there were a lot of games where the OL was not assertive. They also were not a very solid pass blocking core. McElroy took a lot of hits, some were his fault, but most weren't, and it derailed the flow of the offense way too often. For this unit to find dominance again, they have to find 5 guys that can be the run grade blockers that they can be.
At TE, it was a better year than normal for them. Michael Williams
(We take a moment here at the GBU to put this political disclaimer. RLB is a M Dub homer and is unapologetic about it. You can root for Will Lowery or Thomas Darrah, he will root for a guy who plays every down.)
had another solid blocking year as the lead blocking TE. Preston Dial was the H Back and the primary TE target in the passing game. He provided lead blocking from a fullback-esque manner, but was a nice safety valve for the QB. Smelley had the H Back role, wiffed his first block again and lost it again. The downside to the TE position was two part. Part one- they couldn't get more touches because they had to compensate for flaws in the OL too much. Part two- they couldn't build depth and haven't built any experienced depth there.
This Year
Who is Back?
John Michael Boswell- JMB is running and staying 2nd string. Much like McCullough, he's ok at a lot of spots, but not a starter anywhere. If he could snap the ball, I would let him work 2nd string at Center because one rollover Vlachos's knee, someone has to step up. As is, he's Steen's backup.
DJ Fluker- Fluker is a big and very solid RT. He was a lot like Jones was in 2009 in that you could see him grow as the season went on. That was evidenced by his abililty to take on Nick Fairley and beat him to the point, Auburn moved him away from DJ. Fluker is a great run blocking tackle who is at his best when he can go downhill. He is average as a pass blocker, but has a chance to continue growing there. His footwork is sporadic and to be a tackle you have to be steady with your step and form. I do think that they can pull TEs off of his side a little more and use them elsewhere. His ability to lock down the RT had a lot to do with the experiment of Jones at LT because Steen can be shadowed by DJ to the point that even the step down from Jones can be compensated from big guy's ability.
Barrett Jones- Jones is now the veteran and the best lineman they have. He probably was last year too. He played guard for 2 years, but has pulled a Carpenter and is the best LT they have at this time. It may not be popular with the recruitniks who want Cyrus Kouandijo there, but Jones is the best blind side blocker they have because he has experience, good footwork, and can get around fast enough to snare rush ends. Is he a LT in the NFL? Probably not, but he can be the LT of a championship team. The other secret out there, well it really isn't but kinda is, he's also the number 2 center if Vlachos gets hurt for the year. That really is a reflection of his ability and how morbidly bad a job has been done in developing centers.
Arie Kouandijo- AK47 had a good start to his career, but a lot like JMB, he seems to have peaked early. The good news is that he can change that, but the bouncing around from guard to tackle and back and forth has indicated that he is good but not good enough to start at any one spot. He is a good run blocker but the doghouse issue is more about his pass blocking. He has fallen to 3rd string at RT and they have tried him around some other spots, but the injury this summer has probably locked him down to 3RT. For Arie, it is more or less just a "when you want it" moment. When he does, he will push a lot of folks, perhaps even his brother, but he has to first.
Chad Lindsay- While I think he has the ability to be a good center, he's gotta make that transition from high school to college. The more I have watched his A Day game, the thing that made him stand out was he wasn't as bad as the other efforts at center, but his performance wasn't great either. Lindsay really needs to get used to the size and speed part of this level. I think he can get there but I don't like the thought of him having to start or play often unless it is in a blowout. He has a lot of technique issues that can be overlooked when the action gets away from his area, but when you focus, it is there. He needs to stay low, get his hands in faster and drive with his legs more and less with his arms. All fixable and all signs of a guy who didn't see as many bigguns back home.
Tyler Love- I could say I told you so, but I won't. He graduates eventually.
Alfred McCullough- I still say if Alfred were 3 inches higher, he'd be starting at tackle. AMC is probably my favorite lineman because he has done it all and has never complained about it. He just puts in the work and continues to find ways on the field. He is the number 6 lineman, and can play both guard and tackle positions. If Steen flounders, he will plug in at RG quickly.
Austin Shepherd- I thought Austin would compete in 2 or 3 years, but he's already winning the staff over. I don't know if he can start or outplay the starters, but I didn't think he'd be here, so what do I know? Shepherd is a big guy and is really quick off the snap. If Bama was a pass first offense, he'd be the starting RT or LT. That is his strength and he works real hard to stay in front of the defender. That was the impressive thing re-watching A Day was that he really glides out and doesn't get off balanced. He isn't the greatest run blocker alive, but with more work he should be able to tie that issue up. As is, he won't see a ton of time, but he should be the number 2 all year.
Anthony Steen- Steen has won over the new position coach with his work ethic and power. He probably fits in better with Stoutland's teachings more than Pendry's. Steen as a run blocker is a terror for defensive linemen and middle linebackers because if he gets his hands on you, he will beat you. As a pass blocker, he's improving, but he still plays stiff and slow. Steen has to grow in that area for Bama's offense to really be good. While he has Fluker to his right and Vlachos to his left to help compensate for things, there will be defenses that force him to step up. (Arkansas) I look for Bama to really focus on running the ball and that will help play to his strengths and I have always felt if your ran the ball well early, the OL gets confidence and pass blocks better.
William Vlachos- Nacho got off on the wrong foot last year with the injury and I don't know if he was in shape to start the year. It is always hard to get back in shape once the season starts because everyone is dinged by October. This year, he is healthy and we should see more of the 09 version of Vlachos. Vlachos is probably the key piece to Bama's success because there is 0 behind him right now that is ready to go anyways. His health and ability to lead the line will be crucial to their success and I think he will make a big difference from last season. Vlachos is a great run blocking center, and ok at the pass block. He has lapses in the snap control area but he hasn't dug turf as much over the last few games of 2010. He is very strong and really doesn't have to get help from either guard because he is so powerful off the snap. His issue comes when the assignment is just to fast for him and he can't get his hands on them in time. Look for him to be asked to shore up with Steen on passing situations and give better control of the middle of the pocket for the young QBs.
Chance Warmack- For all the hype about him and his rise to the starting lineup, he really struggled last year. There were good games for him, but there were some games he'd like back too. Warmack and Steen are a lot a like because they are strong but a little stiff and a little on the slow side. Warmack was supposed to be the pulling guard to replace Johnson, but he lacks the speed to jump off the snap and get in position to run the counter. Last season's running woes were partially because they could not run the counter to the right very often. In 09, they lived on that play and abused teams, but when you can't pull a guard or center, you will get exposed for it. Warmack is going to be pushed all season by a host of players- McCullough, Boswell, Arie K to name a few- to perform because he's the endangered species of the 5. They need him to lock down the spot and play it as well as Jones and Johnson did. If he can, then Bama is in great shape, if he can't, it may make for some nail biting afternoons.
Kellen Williams- I wish I could say this A Day was as good as the first one for him, but it wasn't. He is a guard playing center and plays like it. They lack depth at center and he's in the hunt because of that. I look for him to be 3C but moved back to Guard as soon as someone else shows they can handle it.
Brad Smelley- Smelley has not helped the Obama Stimulus losing his job twice. All kidding aside, this really is a big season for Smelley not just because it is his last, but because he really needs to show he is a player. As a receiving threat, he is as good an option as they have at HBack, but his blocking last year was just poor. He gets another shot to keep the job, and if he can hold it and block from it, then he is a really unsung weapon for this offense. They really need him to block and rub off the linebacker and open up in the flat to give the QB an nice checkdown target.
Chris Underwood- Underwood has found the field from time to time as the 3rd TE in the jumbo package....sorry the goal line offense....but has never shown that he could be a weapon in the offense. This is his last shot at playing too, but unlike Smelley, I don't think he'll find the field much. He lacks the size and power to be a TE and I don't know that he's ever shown the hands to be the HBack.
Brian Vogler- Vogler is best known up to now for getting p'wned by a DB at A-Day. Folks will know him better as the year goes on. Vogler is a big target and will replace Williams after graduation as the TE/run blocker for the Tide offense. This year, he probably will see more PT in spots but will be more of a mop up guy. I don't see him as the HBack because he's not natural in motion like they need to be. He is better coming off his hand and playing through. He loves to drive with his legs and move the pile a lot. If Bama has issues with the tackles, it won't surprise me if he and Williams don't see the field at the same time to shore up the edges.
Michael Williams- Williams has taken this offseason to find his hands. He is not going to be an issue blocking, he's a 6th lineman up front. He doesn't have bad hands, but he has never been allowed to get to a point where he can run more routes. He isn't going to just burn the field up or anything but he can get in the flat and move a few linebackers/safeties to the 1st down marker. I look for them to try and find ways to get him involved, but a lot of that will depend on how the 5 guys to his left do.
Who is Gone?
James Carpenter- I wish the guy I saw at the Senior Bowl had shown up the last 2 years. Carpenter was a guard playing tackle and he did the best he could, but it was rough some weeks to watch him struggle.
Brian Motley- Yep.
David Ross- Gonna wish he could have found a way on the roster this year just for insurance....
Preston Dial- Preston really was a surprise last year as far as how many looks he generated last year. He displayed a lot of ability to go from a pure blocker to a fully operation HBack. The team has a lot of guys who will step up and fill in his role, but I don't think they have one that is as well rounded and worked as hard as he does.
Aaron Douglas- Sadly, the demons that ran Douglas from UT caught up to him. The team had high hopes for him, but now a cabbie sits in a jail awaiting trial for Aaron's death.
Who is New?
Ryan Kelly- Kelly is a guy that the staff has high hopes on because he is a true center. Injuries have been an issue his last 2 seasons (HS and this summer) and he has to get to a point where they can practice him every day. He is a solid redshirt this fall.
Isaac Luatua- He too will redshirt, or should at least, and they will experiment with him at all 3 inside spots, but he is an ideal LG. Not too tall, but strong, mobile, and likes contact. All things, that will make me happy if he can translate to the college game.
Malcom Faciane- Williams 2.0 will probably get a little PT because they need depth for 2012, but I like how the guy plays and I think most fans will too when next year comes around.
Chris Jones- Jones has been a surprise this summer. He has been used in a variety of roles, but HBack seems to be his future for now. He has good hands and is athletic. He probably won't redshirt because his ability to play DB and size will probably earn him a role on special teams and blowout duty.
Harrison Jones- Harrison is going to push Smelley to perform. He won't get a lot of press and publicity, but that typically isn't a bad thing. I think you will see him in some variety each game whether at TE or HBack as they try to get him ready with Vogler and Faciane for next season. Jones has good hands for his size and is a good target because he squares up and shows his numbers to the QB. I like what I see of him and think we will see him a good bit, especially if Smelley wiffs a time or two this fall.
Cyrus Kouandijo- Never heard of this guy, don't know why they gave him a scholarship....just kidding. Cyrus has a lot of upside, and much like DJ, I stress patience from the recruitniks. The same principles apply to him that did to DJ. He's a little raw as a LT. He never played it in high school. I know some love to point to the all star game against Clowney, but he didn't exactly dominate that one, and I think that just being 2LT is great, but folks need to calm down about his future. I read too many fans posts speculating his future greatness when he has yet to play in front of a d-1 team. I do not think he redshirts, but I cannot see him beating out Barrett Jones nor do I think they want him to start just yet. I think they want to break him in slowly and use each outing to teach him how to play as opposed to throwing him out there and wishing for the best.
THE GOOD....
Experience is good
All 5 projected starters have starts under their belt. That always gives fans a good feeling. I think this season will be a back to basics season and with the experience, that will only set the bar higher and ask this OL unit to step up more. I like the Jones to LT move because he is one of the faster linemen they have. I think this 5 that is expected to start gives Bama a top 3 run blocking OL (Wisconsin and Nebraska always are my defacto best in the preseason because of track record).
New voice and new ideas are welcomed
I get a lot of complaints about my dislike of Pendry's style, but if you didn't get it after last year's debacle, I can't help you understand it. Stoutland is well respected, minus the U issue, and has produced a lot of great linemen over the years. He is more of the fundamentals coach where each guy puts a helmet on a guy than the zone blocking scheme that Pendry was. Stoutland should get through to a lot of these guys that we have all heard so much about in recruiting and if he can't get through to them, well, UAB is that way....
Depth continues to improve except at one spot....
Both guard and tackle spots have really improved to the point that for the most part you can plug and play these guys and not need a Depends change at half. That isn't to say if DJ Fluker got hurt, they wouldn't fall a notch or two, but with guys like Alfred and Austin and new guys like Cyrus in the mix, the fear of loss is not as much as it used to be.
TE depth also growing
They do have some graduation attrition after this year but Vogler, the 2 Joneses and Malcom in the middle of it all leaves them with a lot of talent at a position 3 years ago was pretty void of it.
THE BAD.....
While they all run block well, can they improve pass protection???
Let's be honest, they let McElroy get killed too much last year. The OL has to show that it can pass protect because they will have to throw some to win this fall. Outside of Jones, none of the others have great reps for being pass blockers. They as a whole have done ok outside of the SEC but in the SEC they have had some less than great moments. If Bama continues to have moments where they lose containment or miss assignments, it could equate to a lot of tense moments that didn't have to be such.
If they can't protect, the TEs can't contribute more
Every year we all sit and wish that Bama would use the TE more in passing situations. If Bama is still having issues protecting, they won't be able to put the TE into play again. While I hope it is just me being pessimistic, or realistic, I think this is going to be a reality yet again that the TE and HBack will have to shore up issues in the pass protection and effectively reduce options by one or 2 each passing down.
THE UGLY...
Backup Center Fail....epic
Now, before some of you get your tits twisted and want to fire off an epitat about how I don't know shit, let's be honest, can you say- with a straight face- that you are ok with Williams or Lindsay running the line? How a national program can be so weak at center, the most important position on the OL, is a mystery to me. If Vlachos gets hurt, it will more than likely throw things into a toss up as far as what they run with from there. If Jones goes to Center, can they play well enough to keep Steen or Warmack at guard? If not, what do you do there? If he does move there, can Cyrus or McCullough handle the rest of the year? Sure we can speculate, but I don't care to see that lineup against LSU or Florida.
The Bottom Line...
The bottom line is that this group will need to step it up from where they were last year if Bama wants to contend for the BCS. They need to gel quickly and stay healthy because a lot of rotation or mixing and experimenting in it will not be good as the season goes on. They need to be the physical and dominating force that they once were and can be again. If they can win the LOS battle and be able to supply Trent and Eddie with plenty of running room, things will be good for the Tide. If they have to pass block a lot and try to play catch up, they are still not a great OL, good but not a championship level team in that regard. So, the bottom line is that they need to take control and take the air out of the ball by winning up front and get downhill on opposing defensive lines.
At TE, I think they have the best group in the SEC. They are deep, versatile, and talented. However, their success is related to the OL's in that for them to contribute on the box score, they need the OL to play up to expectations. I really think if they can utilize Smelley and Williams into the passing game some, it will help the young QBs establish confidence because both can catch well.
Depth Chart
LT- Barrett Jones / CyKo or McCullough
LG- Warmack / McCullough / JMB
C- Vlachos / Jones / Williams or Lindsay
RG- Steen / JMB / Jones
RT- DJ Fluker / Shepherd / Arie K
Last Year
A year after dominating line after line, week after week, the return to the norm was not expected, but should have been. A lot of the blame fell on the QB because he is the visible target, but probably the most disappointing part of Bama's team was the OL. With 2 new starters, a rehabbed Center, and 2 returning starters not at Center, the expectations were higher than what should have been expected. While the running game averaged 5 yards a carry, there were a lot of games where the OL was not assertive. They also were not a very solid pass blocking core. McElroy took a lot of hits, some were his fault, but most weren't, and it derailed the flow of the offense way too often. For this unit to find dominance again, they have to find 5 guys that can be the run grade blockers that they can be.
At TE, it was a better year than normal for them. Michael Williams
(We take a moment here at the GBU to put this political disclaimer. RLB is a M Dub homer and is unapologetic about it. You can root for Will Lowery or Thomas Darrah, he will root for a guy who plays every down.)
had another solid blocking year as the lead blocking TE. Preston Dial was the H Back and the primary TE target in the passing game. He provided lead blocking from a fullback-esque manner, but was a nice safety valve for the QB. Smelley had the H Back role, wiffed his first block again and lost it again. The downside to the TE position was two part. Part one- they couldn't get more touches because they had to compensate for flaws in the OL too much. Part two- they couldn't build depth and haven't built any experienced depth there.
This Year
Who is Back?
John Michael Boswell- JMB is running and staying 2nd string. Much like McCullough, he's ok at a lot of spots, but not a starter anywhere. If he could snap the ball, I would let him work 2nd string at Center because one rollover Vlachos's knee, someone has to step up. As is, he's Steen's backup.
DJ Fluker- Fluker is a big and very solid RT. He was a lot like Jones was in 2009 in that you could see him grow as the season went on. That was evidenced by his abililty to take on Nick Fairley and beat him to the point, Auburn moved him away from DJ. Fluker is a great run blocking tackle who is at his best when he can go downhill. He is average as a pass blocker, but has a chance to continue growing there. His footwork is sporadic and to be a tackle you have to be steady with your step and form. I do think that they can pull TEs off of his side a little more and use them elsewhere. His ability to lock down the RT had a lot to do with the experiment of Jones at LT because Steen can be shadowed by DJ to the point that even the step down from Jones can be compensated from big guy's ability.
Barrett Jones- Jones is now the veteran and the best lineman they have. He probably was last year too. He played guard for 2 years, but has pulled a Carpenter and is the best LT they have at this time. It may not be popular with the recruitniks who want Cyrus Kouandijo there, but Jones is the best blind side blocker they have because he has experience, good footwork, and can get around fast enough to snare rush ends. Is he a LT in the NFL? Probably not, but he can be the LT of a championship team. The other secret out there, well it really isn't but kinda is, he's also the number 2 center if Vlachos gets hurt for the year. That really is a reflection of his ability and how morbidly bad a job has been done in developing centers.
Arie Kouandijo- AK47 had a good start to his career, but a lot like JMB, he seems to have peaked early. The good news is that he can change that, but the bouncing around from guard to tackle and back and forth has indicated that he is good but not good enough to start at any one spot. He is a good run blocker but the doghouse issue is more about his pass blocking. He has fallen to 3rd string at RT and they have tried him around some other spots, but the injury this summer has probably locked him down to 3RT. For Arie, it is more or less just a "when you want it" moment. When he does, he will push a lot of folks, perhaps even his brother, but he has to first.
Chad Lindsay- While I think he has the ability to be a good center, he's gotta make that transition from high school to college. The more I have watched his A Day game, the thing that made him stand out was he wasn't as bad as the other efforts at center, but his performance wasn't great either. Lindsay really needs to get used to the size and speed part of this level. I think he can get there but I don't like the thought of him having to start or play often unless it is in a blowout. He has a lot of technique issues that can be overlooked when the action gets away from his area, but when you focus, it is there. He needs to stay low, get his hands in faster and drive with his legs more and less with his arms. All fixable and all signs of a guy who didn't see as many bigguns back home.
Tyler Love- I could say I told you so, but I won't. He graduates eventually.
Alfred McCullough- I still say if Alfred were 3 inches higher, he'd be starting at tackle. AMC is probably my favorite lineman because he has done it all and has never complained about it. He just puts in the work and continues to find ways on the field. He is the number 6 lineman, and can play both guard and tackle positions. If Steen flounders, he will plug in at RG quickly.
Austin Shepherd- I thought Austin would compete in 2 or 3 years, but he's already winning the staff over. I don't know if he can start or outplay the starters, but I didn't think he'd be here, so what do I know? Shepherd is a big guy and is really quick off the snap. If Bama was a pass first offense, he'd be the starting RT or LT. That is his strength and he works real hard to stay in front of the defender. That was the impressive thing re-watching A Day was that he really glides out and doesn't get off balanced. He isn't the greatest run blocker alive, but with more work he should be able to tie that issue up. As is, he won't see a ton of time, but he should be the number 2 all year.
Anthony Steen- Steen has won over the new position coach with his work ethic and power. He probably fits in better with Stoutland's teachings more than Pendry's. Steen as a run blocker is a terror for defensive linemen and middle linebackers because if he gets his hands on you, he will beat you. As a pass blocker, he's improving, but he still plays stiff and slow. Steen has to grow in that area for Bama's offense to really be good. While he has Fluker to his right and Vlachos to his left to help compensate for things, there will be defenses that force him to step up. (Arkansas) I look for Bama to really focus on running the ball and that will help play to his strengths and I have always felt if your ran the ball well early, the OL gets confidence and pass blocks better.
William Vlachos- Nacho got off on the wrong foot last year with the injury and I don't know if he was in shape to start the year. It is always hard to get back in shape once the season starts because everyone is dinged by October. This year, he is healthy and we should see more of the 09 version of Vlachos. Vlachos is probably the key piece to Bama's success because there is 0 behind him right now that is ready to go anyways. His health and ability to lead the line will be crucial to their success and I think he will make a big difference from last season. Vlachos is a great run blocking center, and ok at the pass block. He has lapses in the snap control area but he hasn't dug turf as much over the last few games of 2010. He is very strong and really doesn't have to get help from either guard because he is so powerful off the snap. His issue comes when the assignment is just to fast for him and he can't get his hands on them in time. Look for him to be asked to shore up with Steen on passing situations and give better control of the middle of the pocket for the young QBs.
Chance Warmack- For all the hype about him and his rise to the starting lineup, he really struggled last year. There were good games for him, but there were some games he'd like back too. Warmack and Steen are a lot a like because they are strong but a little stiff and a little on the slow side. Warmack was supposed to be the pulling guard to replace Johnson, but he lacks the speed to jump off the snap and get in position to run the counter. Last season's running woes were partially because they could not run the counter to the right very often. In 09, they lived on that play and abused teams, but when you can't pull a guard or center, you will get exposed for it. Warmack is going to be pushed all season by a host of players- McCullough, Boswell, Arie K to name a few- to perform because he's the endangered species of the 5. They need him to lock down the spot and play it as well as Jones and Johnson did. If he can, then Bama is in great shape, if he can't, it may make for some nail biting afternoons.
Kellen Williams- I wish I could say this A Day was as good as the first one for him, but it wasn't. He is a guard playing center and plays like it. They lack depth at center and he's in the hunt because of that. I look for him to be 3C but moved back to Guard as soon as someone else shows they can handle it.
Brad Smelley- Smelley has not helped the Obama Stimulus losing his job twice. All kidding aside, this really is a big season for Smelley not just because it is his last, but because he really needs to show he is a player. As a receiving threat, he is as good an option as they have at HBack, but his blocking last year was just poor. He gets another shot to keep the job, and if he can hold it and block from it, then he is a really unsung weapon for this offense. They really need him to block and rub off the linebacker and open up in the flat to give the QB an nice checkdown target.
Chris Underwood- Underwood has found the field from time to time as the 3rd TE in the jumbo package....sorry the goal line offense....but has never shown that he could be a weapon in the offense. This is his last shot at playing too, but unlike Smelley, I don't think he'll find the field much. He lacks the size and power to be a TE and I don't know that he's ever shown the hands to be the HBack.
Brian Vogler- Vogler is best known up to now for getting p'wned by a DB at A-Day. Folks will know him better as the year goes on. Vogler is a big target and will replace Williams after graduation as the TE/run blocker for the Tide offense. This year, he probably will see more PT in spots but will be more of a mop up guy. I don't see him as the HBack because he's not natural in motion like they need to be. He is better coming off his hand and playing through. He loves to drive with his legs and move the pile a lot. If Bama has issues with the tackles, it won't surprise me if he and Williams don't see the field at the same time to shore up the edges.
Michael Williams- Williams has taken this offseason to find his hands. He is not going to be an issue blocking, he's a 6th lineman up front. He doesn't have bad hands, but he has never been allowed to get to a point where he can run more routes. He isn't going to just burn the field up or anything but he can get in the flat and move a few linebackers/safeties to the 1st down marker. I look for them to try and find ways to get him involved, but a lot of that will depend on how the 5 guys to his left do.
Who is Gone?
James Carpenter- I wish the guy I saw at the Senior Bowl had shown up the last 2 years. Carpenter was a guard playing tackle and he did the best he could, but it was rough some weeks to watch him struggle.
Brian Motley- Yep.
David Ross- Gonna wish he could have found a way on the roster this year just for insurance....
Preston Dial- Preston really was a surprise last year as far as how many looks he generated last year. He displayed a lot of ability to go from a pure blocker to a fully operation HBack. The team has a lot of guys who will step up and fill in his role, but I don't think they have one that is as well rounded and worked as hard as he does.
Aaron Douglas- Sadly, the demons that ran Douglas from UT caught up to him. The team had high hopes for him, but now a cabbie sits in a jail awaiting trial for Aaron's death.
Who is New?
Ryan Kelly- Kelly is a guy that the staff has high hopes on because he is a true center. Injuries have been an issue his last 2 seasons (HS and this summer) and he has to get to a point where they can practice him every day. He is a solid redshirt this fall.
Isaac Luatua- He too will redshirt, or should at least, and they will experiment with him at all 3 inside spots, but he is an ideal LG. Not too tall, but strong, mobile, and likes contact. All things, that will make me happy if he can translate to the college game.
Malcom Faciane- Williams 2.0 will probably get a little PT because they need depth for 2012, but I like how the guy plays and I think most fans will too when next year comes around.
Chris Jones- Jones has been a surprise this summer. He has been used in a variety of roles, but HBack seems to be his future for now. He has good hands and is athletic. He probably won't redshirt because his ability to play DB and size will probably earn him a role on special teams and blowout duty.
Harrison Jones- Harrison is going to push Smelley to perform. He won't get a lot of press and publicity, but that typically isn't a bad thing. I think you will see him in some variety each game whether at TE or HBack as they try to get him ready with Vogler and Faciane for next season. Jones has good hands for his size and is a good target because he squares up and shows his numbers to the QB. I like what I see of him and think we will see him a good bit, especially if Smelley wiffs a time or two this fall.
Cyrus Kouandijo- Never heard of this guy, don't know why they gave him a scholarship....just kidding. Cyrus has a lot of upside, and much like DJ, I stress patience from the recruitniks. The same principles apply to him that did to DJ. He's a little raw as a LT. He never played it in high school. I know some love to point to the all star game against Clowney, but he didn't exactly dominate that one, and I think that just being 2LT is great, but folks need to calm down about his future. I read too many fans posts speculating his future greatness when he has yet to play in front of a d-1 team. I do not think he redshirts, but I cannot see him beating out Barrett Jones nor do I think they want him to start just yet. I think they want to break him in slowly and use each outing to teach him how to play as opposed to throwing him out there and wishing for the best.
THE GOOD....
Experience is good
All 5 projected starters have starts under their belt. That always gives fans a good feeling. I think this season will be a back to basics season and with the experience, that will only set the bar higher and ask this OL unit to step up more. I like the Jones to LT move because he is one of the faster linemen they have. I think this 5 that is expected to start gives Bama a top 3 run blocking OL (Wisconsin and Nebraska always are my defacto best in the preseason because of track record).
New voice and new ideas are welcomed
I get a lot of complaints about my dislike of Pendry's style, but if you didn't get it after last year's debacle, I can't help you understand it. Stoutland is well respected, minus the U issue, and has produced a lot of great linemen over the years. He is more of the fundamentals coach where each guy puts a helmet on a guy than the zone blocking scheme that Pendry was. Stoutland should get through to a lot of these guys that we have all heard so much about in recruiting and if he can't get through to them, well, UAB is that way....
Depth continues to improve except at one spot....
Both guard and tackle spots have really improved to the point that for the most part you can plug and play these guys and not need a Depends change at half. That isn't to say if DJ Fluker got hurt, they wouldn't fall a notch or two, but with guys like Alfred and Austin and new guys like Cyrus in the mix, the fear of loss is not as much as it used to be.
TE depth also growing
They do have some graduation attrition after this year but Vogler, the 2 Joneses and Malcom in the middle of it all leaves them with a lot of talent at a position 3 years ago was pretty void of it.
THE BAD.....
While they all run block well, can they improve pass protection???
Let's be honest, they let McElroy get killed too much last year. The OL has to show that it can pass protect because they will have to throw some to win this fall. Outside of Jones, none of the others have great reps for being pass blockers. They as a whole have done ok outside of the SEC but in the SEC they have had some less than great moments. If Bama continues to have moments where they lose containment or miss assignments, it could equate to a lot of tense moments that didn't have to be such.
If they can't protect, the TEs can't contribute more
Every year we all sit and wish that Bama would use the TE more in passing situations. If Bama is still having issues protecting, they won't be able to put the TE into play again. While I hope it is just me being pessimistic, or realistic, I think this is going to be a reality yet again that the TE and HBack will have to shore up issues in the pass protection and effectively reduce options by one or 2 each passing down.
THE UGLY...
Backup Center Fail....epic
Now, before some of you get your tits twisted and want to fire off an epitat about how I don't know shit, let's be honest, can you say- with a straight face- that you are ok with Williams or Lindsay running the line? How a national program can be so weak at center, the most important position on the OL, is a mystery to me. If Vlachos gets hurt, it will more than likely throw things into a toss up as far as what they run with from there. If Jones goes to Center, can they play well enough to keep Steen or Warmack at guard? If not, what do you do there? If he does move there, can Cyrus or McCullough handle the rest of the year? Sure we can speculate, but I don't care to see that lineup against LSU or Florida.
The Bottom Line...
The bottom line is that this group will need to step it up from where they were last year if Bama wants to contend for the BCS. They need to gel quickly and stay healthy because a lot of rotation or mixing and experimenting in it will not be good as the season goes on. They need to be the physical and dominating force that they once were and can be again. If they can win the LOS battle and be able to supply Trent and Eddie with plenty of running room, things will be good for the Tide. If they have to pass block a lot and try to play catch up, they are still not a great OL, good but not a championship level team in that regard. So, the bottom line is that they need to take control and take the air out of the ball by winning up front and get downhill on opposing defensive lines.
At TE, I think they have the best group in the SEC. They are deep, versatile, and talented. However, their success is related to the OL's in that for them to contribute on the box score, they need the OL to play up to expectations. I really think if they can utilize Smelley and Williams into the passing game some, it will help the young QBs establish confidence because both can catch well.
Depth Chart
LT- Barrett Jones / CyKo or McCullough
LG- Warmack / McCullough / JMB
C- Vlachos / Jones / Williams or Lindsay
RG- Steen / JMB / Jones
RT- DJ Fluker / Shepherd / Arie K
August 23, 2011
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Running Backs
LAST YEAR RECAP
While 2009 was about as great a year for Bama running backs as there has been since the wishbone dominated football, 2010 was a lot less than desired. Between Ingram's injury, poor OL play week in and week out, and every team in the free world knowing that Bama won't pass out of the Wildcat, there was a lot going against Bama running backs last year. With that said, it wasn't exactly a terrible year for the running game. Bama still had a 5.1 per carry average and 5 100 yard performances, but they also had some really bad outings like South Carolina and Auburn. Ingram never really looked like he was game ready til the bowl game. He fooled us all with his first 2 games, but as the season wore on, he was not the same player that shouldered Bama to win after win. Richardson missed 2 games late but was much better when Ingram was out because he plays better with more carries. That should mean good things this fall. Lacy about dropped his chance to be the heir to the throne....literally. He recovered well late in the year and earned more PT thanks in part to Richardson's injury. He too is poised to have a better year with more touches.
THIS OFFSEASON
Who is Back?
Jalston Fowler- Fowler is more of an H Back than a tailback in Bama's offense, but he will be the new Goode/Grant option that wallers out the 4th quarter in the blowouts and may be the short yardage option at times for Bama's running game. I use the word might because it isn't like Richardson and Lacy have any issues moving the pile. Fowler also has above average hands for a guy his size and that will benefit him as his role becomes more defined. Fowler has decent speed for a 240 pound guy, but he won't flip the field unless the line explodes a hole for him. He is a good lead blocker when asked to be and may be used more in that role if none of the other H's pick it up. This fall look for him to do mop up primarily as a runner and he should see more time in Bama's base formations as a blocker and safety valve check down. I think he gets more carries than expected simply because Hart is out and Grant left and also because B Sims is not big enough to be a full time back.
Eddie Lacy- With Eddie, it is all about which guy shows up on Saturday. Is it the guy who just dominates and seems to find open seams? Or is it the guy who muffs the ball at the goalline and finds the doghouse from time to time? To be fair, he didn't fumble in his last 7 appearances and he has all the natural skills to be special. Lacy likes contact and is just another cog in the Burton Burns Backfield of Doom. He fills the role that Coffee and Ingram have now vacated. His best strengths are that he does not go down easily and he is very determined. He needs to show that he can round out and be a full compliment and not just the 2nd runner. He needs to show he can block and catch a little better than he has in the past, but that comes with time as Ingram wasn't very good at it either his Freshman year. Lacy's primary function regardless is to keep Trent fresh and not force him to take more hits than needed. Trent will get his touches, more than he's ever shouldered at Bama, but Lacy needs to be there to get 100 to 130 touches this fall.
Trent Richardson- Bama fans finally get to see the most touted Bama runner in 20 years be the lead back full time. Richardson is a lot more rounded at this time than Ingram was. He is a good blocker for a back, and he catches the ball well, but his ability to cut and move and see the field is far ahead of Ingram at this point in his career. He just hasn't been able to showcase it fully. Bama fans have seen glimpses, but now it is his time to shine. Richardson should get 1000 yards and be a Heisman candidate as long as he stays healthy and keeps progressing. Richardson for all his moves and conditioning still has moments where he wants to just hit guys and allows himself to get gang tackled as opposed to making the guy miss and get the extra yards. That is a small issue to deal with when the other side of the coin is as bright as it is. Trent probably won't be doing as much of the Polecat....errr...I mean Wildcat this year and that will help him too. Richardson is at his best when he is behind the QB and sees the whole defense from his position than he is when having to check and collect the snap. I look for him to easily push the record books if healthy.
Who is Gone?
Demetrius Goode- Goode realized the depth chart was going to catch him and he wanted to showcase himself a little more. I can respect that. Goode is a solid runner, but he isn't a game changer per se. He probably could start for several schools and now will to finish his career.
Mark Ingram- Bama's first Heisman winner leaves as one of the school's most talented and decorated player. Mark had nothing left to prove. He had the ring the trophy, and the videos to prove that he was an NFL ready player. I just wish that he could have been healthy all year and displayed himself a little more.
Mike Marrow- Tweeners don't live long in the Saban era. Marrow just never picked it up and was already deep on the chart and getting deeper when he left.
Corey Grant- I wasn't all that enamored with him before he left, but I know some of the Internets best thinkers were in love with him. Grant isn't really a fit at Bama and after A Day and seeing the difference in him and Hart, it was clear he wasn't going to make an impact any time soon. With Sims and Hart both able to fill that scatback slot role, he was about to be pigeon holed as a return guy.
Who is new?
Dee Hart- Hart had all but won the 3rd string job before he got hurt during the summer. Hart before the injury was a great change of pace from Richardson and Lacy in that he was more speed with some tackle breaking abilities. He has the best hands of any back on the team and would have been a really good weapon for this offense and the young QBs to build rapport with. As is, he now sits out and rehabs to start his career next fall.
Brent Calloway- Thanks to a miriad of transfers and injuries, he gets to stay at tailback this fall. I don't foresee him playing unless injuries hit the team, but I can see him as a special teams guy. Bama will more than likely take another tailback this year in recruiting plus Hart is a freshman next year. I still don't look for him to stay at running back long, but he will give roster depth while he either redshirts or is a coverage guy for the special teams.
The Running Backs
The Good....
We all get to bear witness to Richardson's Rage
It isn't a secret that Trent likes to hit. It also isn't a secret that other teams don't like tackling him. They get 13 to 14 chances to avoid tackling him head on this fall and they get to do more of it than before! Richardson's success will only solidify that Bama is becoming Running Back U again.
It isn't hard to see why folks think Bama has one of the best backfields in America
Bama boasts Richardson and Lacy as their one two punch. That may be the best in the nation by a good mile or more. When you add Fowler, Sims, and Hart next year, you will see an even more talented and deep position.
I think I mention it every year but this is the best coached position on the team
Coach Burns is by far the best and most well rounded coach on the staff not named Saban. Where other positions got by on talent alone, and others never developed as far out as they should have, Burns has taken the best talents and found ways to grow and teach them. Ingram leaves Bama with a lot more upside and a better rounded game than what he had when he came in. Everything is smooth with him now, he doesn't miss holes, he shows patience and consistency now whereas he was a bit out of control as a runner his Fr year. With one full year to grow Coffee, he became an NFL caliber player. He continues to churn out great players and recruit great players.
The Bad....
The Depth that was once there isn't now
With Hart injured, Grant gone, Ingram in the pros, the program now is a little thin on quality depth. An injury to Eddie Lacy is huge at this point. Why? Well, the drop off in ability is pretty noticeable and when you have to let TR take a breather, and you have to hand it off to guys who are more situational or fill in type players, that is an issue. Bama needs its running game to churn out yards. The 2 young QBs need the running game hitting at a high level to take the pressure off them. The team needs them to be great to win a championship and quite honestly, if Richardson and/or Lacy get hurt, the odds of that (winning) happening are pretty well slim to none because I don't think Bama can pass its way to the BCS. It is easy to speculate and pish posh over such concerns, and I know some will try to postulate that Bama can throw and win, or point to the defense. Well, one makes the other. Don't believe it? Look back to last year. Bama the more they throw and the less balanced they were, the worse the defense was. South Carolina- couldn't run, got behind, and stunk it up. Granted, Bama's D dug a hole fast in that one, once Bama was throwing more, the defense wasn't able to get its legs under it for good. Same with LSU, Bama couldn't run the ball well, and the defense couldn't hold off LSU's lackluster offense. It is true that the defense is better, but it will be better only if the offense can sustain drives and keep them off the field.
The Ugly...
None.
The Bottom Line is....
At this point, Richardson and Lacy are going to be on track to carry the ball 250 to 300 times. Blake Sims will get a few looks in a variety of running roles and Fowler will get a few carries as well. As mentioned, with young quarterbacks, they will be a run first team and the pressure needs to be shifted to the running backs to carry the load and lead the offense. Bama's success this season is going to be heavily related to how well the running game goes. They need it to roll because the offense needs to be tougher than it was last year. The defense cannot be asked to stay out on the field as much as it did last year at times. The Saban system predicates that you run the ball and grind it out, take up lots of clock, and put the defense on an offensive position that allows them to attack more and keep the opponent in a situation where they feel pressured to score faster. That usually creates mistakes like the ones we all saw in 2009. So, the running game is a big part in the big picture. Richardson should have a big year, but they need Lacy to be right there with him. One injury to either guy could be a big issue. Both are durable guys and tough guys, so hopefully that holds up.
The Depth Chart
1st String- Richardson
2nd String- Lacy
3rd String- Fowler/Blake Sims
While 2009 was about as great a year for Bama running backs as there has been since the wishbone dominated football, 2010 was a lot less than desired. Between Ingram's injury, poor OL play week in and week out, and every team in the free world knowing that Bama won't pass out of the Wildcat, there was a lot going against Bama running backs last year. With that said, it wasn't exactly a terrible year for the running game. Bama still had a 5.1 per carry average and 5 100 yard performances, but they also had some really bad outings like South Carolina and Auburn. Ingram never really looked like he was game ready til the bowl game. He fooled us all with his first 2 games, but as the season wore on, he was not the same player that shouldered Bama to win after win. Richardson missed 2 games late but was much better when Ingram was out because he plays better with more carries. That should mean good things this fall. Lacy about dropped his chance to be the heir to the throne....literally. He recovered well late in the year and earned more PT thanks in part to Richardson's injury. He too is poised to have a better year with more touches.
THIS OFFSEASON
Who is Back?
Jalston Fowler- Fowler is more of an H Back than a tailback in Bama's offense, but he will be the new Goode/Grant option that wallers out the 4th quarter in the blowouts and may be the short yardage option at times for Bama's running game. I use the word might because it isn't like Richardson and Lacy have any issues moving the pile. Fowler also has above average hands for a guy his size and that will benefit him as his role becomes more defined. Fowler has decent speed for a 240 pound guy, but he won't flip the field unless the line explodes a hole for him. He is a good lead blocker when asked to be and may be used more in that role if none of the other H's pick it up. This fall look for him to do mop up primarily as a runner and he should see more time in Bama's base formations as a blocker and safety valve check down. I think he gets more carries than expected simply because Hart is out and Grant left and also because B Sims is not big enough to be a full time back.
Eddie Lacy- With Eddie, it is all about which guy shows up on Saturday. Is it the guy who just dominates and seems to find open seams? Or is it the guy who muffs the ball at the goalline and finds the doghouse from time to time? To be fair, he didn't fumble in his last 7 appearances and he has all the natural skills to be special. Lacy likes contact and is just another cog in the Burton Burns Backfield of Doom. He fills the role that Coffee and Ingram have now vacated. His best strengths are that he does not go down easily and he is very determined. He needs to show that he can round out and be a full compliment and not just the 2nd runner. He needs to show he can block and catch a little better than he has in the past, but that comes with time as Ingram wasn't very good at it either his Freshman year. Lacy's primary function regardless is to keep Trent fresh and not force him to take more hits than needed. Trent will get his touches, more than he's ever shouldered at Bama, but Lacy needs to be there to get 100 to 130 touches this fall.
Trent Richardson- Bama fans finally get to see the most touted Bama runner in 20 years be the lead back full time. Richardson is a lot more rounded at this time than Ingram was. He is a good blocker for a back, and he catches the ball well, but his ability to cut and move and see the field is far ahead of Ingram at this point in his career. He just hasn't been able to showcase it fully. Bama fans have seen glimpses, but now it is his time to shine. Richardson should get 1000 yards and be a Heisman candidate as long as he stays healthy and keeps progressing. Richardson for all his moves and conditioning still has moments where he wants to just hit guys and allows himself to get gang tackled as opposed to making the guy miss and get the extra yards. That is a small issue to deal with when the other side of the coin is as bright as it is. Trent probably won't be doing as much of the Polecat....errr...I mean Wildcat this year and that will help him too. Richardson is at his best when he is behind the QB and sees the whole defense from his position than he is when having to check and collect the snap. I look for him to easily push the record books if healthy.
Who is Gone?
Demetrius Goode- Goode realized the depth chart was going to catch him and he wanted to showcase himself a little more. I can respect that. Goode is a solid runner, but he isn't a game changer per se. He probably could start for several schools and now will to finish his career.
Mark Ingram- Bama's first Heisman winner leaves as one of the school's most talented and decorated player. Mark had nothing left to prove. He had the ring the trophy, and the videos to prove that he was an NFL ready player. I just wish that he could have been healthy all year and displayed himself a little more.
Mike Marrow- Tweeners don't live long in the Saban era. Marrow just never picked it up and was already deep on the chart and getting deeper when he left.
Corey Grant- I wasn't all that enamored with him before he left, but I know some of the Internets best thinkers were in love with him. Grant isn't really a fit at Bama and after A Day and seeing the difference in him and Hart, it was clear he wasn't going to make an impact any time soon. With Sims and Hart both able to fill that scatback slot role, he was about to be pigeon holed as a return guy.
Who is new?
Dee Hart- Hart had all but won the 3rd string job before he got hurt during the summer. Hart before the injury was a great change of pace from Richardson and Lacy in that he was more speed with some tackle breaking abilities. He has the best hands of any back on the team and would have been a really good weapon for this offense and the young QBs to build rapport with. As is, he now sits out and rehabs to start his career next fall.
Brent Calloway- Thanks to a miriad of transfers and injuries, he gets to stay at tailback this fall. I don't foresee him playing unless injuries hit the team, but I can see him as a special teams guy. Bama will more than likely take another tailback this year in recruiting plus Hart is a freshman next year. I still don't look for him to stay at running back long, but he will give roster depth while he either redshirts or is a coverage guy for the special teams.
The Running Backs
The Good....
We all get to bear witness to Richardson's Rage
It isn't a secret that Trent likes to hit. It also isn't a secret that other teams don't like tackling him. They get 13 to 14 chances to avoid tackling him head on this fall and they get to do more of it than before! Richardson's success will only solidify that Bama is becoming Running Back U again.
It isn't hard to see why folks think Bama has one of the best backfields in America
Bama boasts Richardson and Lacy as their one two punch. That may be the best in the nation by a good mile or more. When you add Fowler, Sims, and Hart next year, you will see an even more talented and deep position.
I think I mention it every year but this is the best coached position on the team
Coach Burns is by far the best and most well rounded coach on the staff not named Saban. Where other positions got by on talent alone, and others never developed as far out as they should have, Burns has taken the best talents and found ways to grow and teach them. Ingram leaves Bama with a lot more upside and a better rounded game than what he had when he came in. Everything is smooth with him now, he doesn't miss holes, he shows patience and consistency now whereas he was a bit out of control as a runner his Fr year. With one full year to grow Coffee, he became an NFL caliber player. He continues to churn out great players and recruit great players.
The Bad....
The Depth that was once there isn't now
With Hart injured, Grant gone, Ingram in the pros, the program now is a little thin on quality depth. An injury to Eddie Lacy is huge at this point. Why? Well, the drop off in ability is pretty noticeable and when you have to let TR take a breather, and you have to hand it off to guys who are more situational or fill in type players, that is an issue. Bama needs its running game to churn out yards. The 2 young QBs need the running game hitting at a high level to take the pressure off them. The team needs them to be great to win a championship and quite honestly, if Richardson and/or Lacy get hurt, the odds of that (winning) happening are pretty well slim to none because I don't think Bama can pass its way to the BCS. It is easy to speculate and pish posh over such concerns, and I know some will try to postulate that Bama can throw and win, or point to the defense. Well, one makes the other. Don't believe it? Look back to last year. Bama the more they throw and the less balanced they were, the worse the defense was. South Carolina- couldn't run, got behind, and stunk it up. Granted, Bama's D dug a hole fast in that one, once Bama was throwing more, the defense wasn't able to get its legs under it for good. Same with LSU, Bama couldn't run the ball well, and the defense couldn't hold off LSU's lackluster offense. It is true that the defense is better, but it will be better only if the offense can sustain drives and keep them off the field.
The Ugly...
None.
The Bottom Line is....
At this point, Richardson and Lacy are going to be on track to carry the ball 250 to 300 times. Blake Sims will get a few looks in a variety of running roles and Fowler will get a few carries as well. As mentioned, with young quarterbacks, they will be a run first team and the pressure needs to be shifted to the running backs to carry the load and lead the offense. Bama's success this season is going to be heavily related to how well the running game goes. They need it to roll because the offense needs to be tougher than it was last year. The defense cannot be asked to stay out on the field as much as it did last year at times. The Saban system predicates that you run the ball and grind it out, take up lots of clock, and put the defense on an offensive position that allows them to attack more and keep the opponent in a situation where they feel pressured to score faster. That usually creates mistakes like the ones we all saw in 2009. So, the running game is a big part in the big picture. Richardson should have a big year, but they need Lacy to be right there with him. One injury to either guy could be a big issue. Both are durable guys and tough guys, so hopefully that holds up.
The Depth Chart
1st String- Richardson
2nd String- Lacy
3rd String- Fowler/Blake Sims
August 18, 2011
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Quarterbacks 2011
FINALLY!!!! Football has returned to cure the summer stupid!!!!! Scream it from the balconies, leave all the grand schemes that summer creates, and focus on football. I have tried to enjoy message board life this summer, but never in my life have I loathed summer reading more than this summer.....
LAST YEAR RECAP
While it was easy to pick on the QB at times, and even benchwarming WRs did, the overall play at QB was better than the year before when it got down to it. Greg McElroy finished his career as Bama QB with a solid Win Loss record, and had one of his best games against Auburn until the staff took the air out of the ball. McElroy didn't have a great game each week, but he wasn't the weak point in the offense. With that said, you knew what you had in McElroy- a guy who won't make the big throws but won't cost you 14 points a game on silly interceptions. Greg was for the most part the protype of what Saban likes in a QB, but with his graduation, the model will more than likely change. While some will focus on the negatives, I will remember Greg for his leadership in the 2009 Auburn game where he led the team down the field and made all the right reads. I will remember him for out Tebowing Tebow in the 2009 SEC Championship Game.
THIS OFFSEASON
Who is back?
AJ McCarron- AJ is a 4 star QB that comes from a HS that is rich in college profile players. He also is the blank canvas for any fan who dreams of the Madden/ESPN SportsCenter highlight QB. He also is the presumtive starter to a degree. AJ has the time in the system, and he has actual PT- albeit mopup. He won't lack confidence in his arm or ability to throw, that is for sure. This spring he worked on his mastery of handling the huddle and playcalling. The problem for AJ and the 1 thing that could keep him from being the starter full time or beyond the early season, is maturity. While he has progressed from year to year, he still is stubborn and gets in the Saban doghouse about his desire to throw long. He is young, and has come a long way, but he's now the starter, or wants to be at least, and there is more to quarterback than trying to wing one out the stadium. That was always one of the things that kept Croyle from being great, but he never had a great QB coach. Coach Mac is a good QB coach- his resume says so- and that leaves it up to AJ to continue to listen and grow or dig his heels in the turf and find his tail slapped more than once.
Phillip Sims- Like AJ, Sims has the capacity to be a great QB at Alabama. He is as gifted a player as Alabama has had since Walter Lewis. He has a huge arm, but is freakishly accurate. He won the accuracy drills amongst his HS peers at about every camp he attended. He is mobile and built to take a hit, but he is a pocket passer. He will not run the option or be asked to tuck and run unless the play is breaking down. As far as long term upside, it is easy to see that Sims has the most of any QB in the SEC. However, Phillip lacks live testing. A Day is nice, but it isn't the same as unfriendly fire. He needs to display to the staff that in practice and scrimmages that he can handle the pressure they throw at him. The lack of real testing will be a hard thing to overcome until he plays a few games. I think he will get his looks, but starting will only happen if AJ demonstrates that he just can't be the guy for this team to win.
Who is gone?
Greg McElroy. McElroy was as efficient a passer as anyone I have ever seen. The term game manager got demented by some fans, but I liked that he was. I liked that you knew that he would not beat the team with silly plays. Short of one Julio drop, he would have been the single season record holder for yards in a season. While it will be different to see a lot more vertical in the offense, I will miss that feeling that I had the last 2 years of feeling like Greg had things under control when it really mattered.
Who is new?
Phillip Ely- I know that as soon as I say anything about him, the rally cry of fans who think every player is superbad will put a roll in their jorts and come a calling. Ely is like McElroy in that he was a consolation prize so to speak. He lacks size and a college level arm, but he can manage an offense and has a resume that says he knows how to win. The biggest perk to me is that he does know big football as his HS team has played a lot of bigger HS programs and he won't be as awed by the size of the SEC as some will. He is serviceable and will give them a depth chart that will be 4 deep, but here's the thing, if Bama signs 2 more QBs and it has been assumed that it will happen even after Winston didn't commit, he is not going to be apart of the future plans. If they do not, he gets to fight out for the 2 or 3 spot on the roster. Regardless, he is a lock to redshirt.
Blake Sims- Sims is the 3rd string guy heading into the summer, technically. He is very athletic and has speed to spare. He probably is going to find the field this fall in 2 ways- as the wildcat QB, and at HB with some flashes of end around passes and such. With Sims at QB, the threat to run and or throw is probably the best that they've had since adapting to the formation. Sims isn't really tall enough to be a pocket QB, but if thrown into action as a pure QB, the waggles and bootlegs will be in the offense because he does throw well on the run. Sims as a QB is best when moving becuase he gets respect for his speed and scrambling skills that he can freeze safeties and get open WR to throw to. His accuracy is not great, but most scrambling QBs don't throw 65 percent.
THE QUARTERBACKS
The Good…
Lots of Potential
The lack of experience is there, but there is more upside in the 2 deep and 3 deep here than there has been since the days of the Wishbone and Coach Bryant. Regardless of who starts or how they rotate, the quarterbacks will be able to expand the offense over time in ways that Wilson and McElroy couldn't. While the potential is there and the possibility of doing big things is there, as I continue to harp, the expectation for both guys should not be higher than McElroy 2009esque levels.
The schedule is not going to knock the green off too fast...
While they do go to Happy Valley, I think we as fans all know what we should see there. To me, the QBs should not get put into a real tough spot until Arkansas or Florida, if then. It really depends on which Arkansas defense appears this fall. Will Bama see the one that flustered Alabama for 3 quarters and the defense that clogged aTm up all night or will Bama see the one that got ripped alive by Auburn and flopped against Ohio State? Florida's defense will be good as always but with new staff and philosophy they may not be on pace by the time Bama gets them. They get LSU at home so no shock and awe of Death Valley. The QB race should be over, hopefully, by the time MSU and Auburn welcome the Tide, but that really is where the rubber meets road to me.
If Bama goes 2 QB, they will have more options to use
As I have stated numerous times, I hate the 2 QB system, but I think regardless it is coming. As such, this can be a positive because both McCarron and Sims can bring some different options to the huddle. If you want a guy who can grind it out and mix it up, Sims is the guy that seems to be most suited to play it tight and lull teams in only to put one over the top of the defense. If you want a guy who can stretch the field both vertically and sideline to sideline, AJ is that guy. Also, conversely, if you throw Blake Sims into the game you get another wrinkle to use as he can create mismatches through a variety of formations and the fact there aren't many LB or SS on the schedule that can match up 1 on 1 with Sims.
If this is the big position battle, things are gonna be ok....
Here is the thing about this race, it isn't as huge as some other battles will be. Whether it is AJ or Phillip won't make Bama more of a BCS contender over the other one. Those honors go to the LT job, the D Line replacements, and the secondary's growth. So, there will be pressure for the starter, it comes with the job, but their success is not THE key to the championship.
The Bad...
For all the potential, nobody and I mean NO BODY can say what they will finally get....
What that means is in spite of what you read or hear, none of us know how these guys will really look once Saturdays come. I would love to tell you that I know for a fact one of the 3 guys would be a sure bet. If I could, I would, but then I would focus on lotto numbers and such. There are concerns with both AJ and Phillip and those won't go away after Kent State. To be honest, nobody has really witnessed how they handle a true adverse moment in a game. Will throwing an INT or two during a game make either of them crack? Will the fear of losing the job cause these guys to choke or play tighter than they would otherwise?
Two Quarterback Systems Rarely Work
Especially when they aren't complimentary to each other. If one of the two was the option/running QB, it would be one thing, but both AJ and Phillp are pocket QBs that played in pass happy offenses. This isn't Tebow and Leak or Watts and Zow. This is more like Randall and Russell, and that wasn't a great year for Saban. The system often creates more issues than it solves, but given they cannot commit to either really, it is the best option they have. My hope is that one separates himself early and the audition does not linger through October.
Can they win?
Sure, the team can win, and they should win a lot, but if called upon, can either QB step up his game and be the leader of the winning drive? For all the shortfalls Bama fans put on McElroy, he seemed to always come through when you needed him. Until they are asked to step up and win with their arms, this is a question and a concern. Some will act like that is stupid and they can do everything- including fart fire- but the bottom line is that we don't know.
The Ugly....
Can the staff really pick one and can the fans accept it?
I think there is some concern internally about naming a starter for good. How they handle this will go a long ways towards the overall success of the team. The distraction and/or dissension that can come from this can easily make for 1 or 2 losses. Remember, the 2000 team, and yes I know this isn't Dubose at the helm it is the anti-Dubose, fell apart from the issue amongst other things. The bigger issue is can the fans accept it? There is a heavy Mobile contingent on Message Boards and they won't be willing to accept that AJ is not the answer, if that is the case. I think you would find that the bulk of his pushers last year were from the area, if the truth be told.
The Bottom Line is....
Bama will be hard pressed to pick a true starter for a while. The schedule works out well to allow time to take course on the issue. I almost disqualify any person who quotes a player about the issue because it isn't a secret what is the difference between the 2 starters. One is taking them to parties and getting them access to the QB life. The other is more introverted to that life and is more of a huddle pusher. In the end, I don't know who will win, but I do believe that AJ starts the first drive and Sims backs him up and plays about every 3 series or so. Blake Sims will be the 3rd QB because Ely will redshirt. Sims, however, will be more of a running back than a QB when called upon.
DEPTH CHART
Starter- McCarron- Experience is always a trump card for Saban.
2nd String- Phillip Sims- The co-starter will get plenty of chances to win the job.
3rd String- Blake Sims/Phillip Ely- Both are too short to be starters, but both are servicable and can play a role.
LAST YEAR RECAP
While it was easy to pick on the QB at times, and even benchwarming WRs did, the overall play at QB was better than the year before when it got down to it. Greg McElroy finished his career as Bama QB with a solid Win Loss record, and had one of his best games against Auburn until the staff took the air out of the ball. McElroy didn't have a great game each week, but he wasn't the weak point in the offense. With that said, you knew what you had in McElroy- a guy who won't make the big throws but won't cost you 14 points a game on silly interceptions. Greg was for the most part the protype of what Saban likes in a QB, but with his graduation, the model will more than likely change. While some will focus on the negatives, I will remember Greg for his leadership in the 2009 Auburn game where he led the team down the field and made all the right reads. I will remember him for out Tebowing Tebow in the 2009 SEC Championship Game.
THIS OFFSEASON
Who is back?
AJ McCarron- AJ is a 4 star QB that comes from a HS that is rich in college profile players. He also is the blank canvas for any fan who dreams of the Madden/ESPN SportsCenter highlight QB. He also is the presumtive starter to a degree. AJ has the time in the system, and he has actual PT- albeit mopup. He won't lack confidence in his arm or ability to throw, that is for sure. This spring he worked on his mastery of handling the huddle and playcalling. The problem for AJ and the 1 thing that could keep him from being the starter full time or beyond the early season, is maturity. While he has progressed from year to year, he still is stubborn and gets in the Saban doghouse about his desire to throw long. He is young, and has come a long way, but he's now the starter, or wants to be at least, and there is more to quarterback than trying to wing one out the stadium. That was always one of the things that kept Croyle from being great, but he never had a great QB coach. Coach Mac is a good QB coach- his resume says so- and that leaves it up to AJ to continue to listen and grow or dig his heels in the turf and find his tail slapped more than once.
Phillip Sims- Like AJ, Sims has the capacity to be a great QB at Alabama. He is as gifted a player as Alabama has had since Walter Lewis. He has a huge arm, but is freakishly accurate. He won the accuracy drills amongst his HS peers at about every camp he attended. He is mobile and built to take a hit, but he is a pocket passer. He will not run the option or be asked to tuck and run unless the play is breaking down. As far as long term upside, it is easy to see that Sims has the most of any QB in the SEC. However, Phillip lacks live testing. A Day is nice, but it isn't the same as unfriendly fire. He needs to display to the staff that in practice and scrimmages that he can handle the pressure they throw at him. The lack of real testing will be a hard thing to overcome until he plays a few games. I think he will get his looks, but starting will only happen if AJ demonstrates that he just can't be the guy for this team to win.
Who is gone?
Greg McElroy. McElroy was as efficient a passer as anyone I have ever seen. The term game manager got demented by some fans, but I liked that he was. I liked that you knew that he would not beat the team with silly plays. Short of one Julio drop, he would have been the single season record holder for yards in a season. While it will be different to see a lot more vertical in the offense, I will miss that feeling that I had the last 2 years of feeling like Greg had things under control when it really mattered.
Who is new?
Phillip Ely- I know that as soon as I say anything about him, the rally cry of fans who think every player is superbad will put a roll in their jorts and come a calling. Ely is like McElroy in that he was a consolation prize so to speak. He lacks size and a college level arm, but he can manage an offense and has a resume that says he knows how to win. The biggest perk to me is that he does know big football as his HS team has played a lot of bigger HS programs and he won't be as awed by the size of the SEC as some will. He is serviceable and will give them a depth chart that will be 4 deep, but here's the thing, if Bama signs 2 more QBs and it has been assumed that it will happen even after Winston didn't commit, he is not going to be apart of the future plans. If they do not, he gets to fight out for the 2 or 3 spot on the roster. Regardless, he is a lock to redshirt.
Blake Sims- Sims is the 3rd string guy heading into the summer, technically. He is very athletic and has speed to spare. He probably is going to find the field this fall in 2 ways- as the wildcat QB, and at HB with some flashes of end around passes and such. With Sims at QB, the threat to run and or throw is probably the best that they've had since adapting to the formation. Sims isn't really tall enough to be a pocket QB, but if thrown into action as a pure QB, the waggles and bootlegs will be in the offense because he does throw well on the run. Sims as a QB is best when moving becuase he gets respect for his speed and scrambling skills that he can freeze safeties and get open WR to throw to. His accuracy is not great, but most scrambling QBs don't throw 65 percent.
THE QUARTERBACKS
The Good…
Lots of Potential
The lack of experience is there, but there is more upside in the 2 deep and 3 deep here than there has been since the days of the Wishbone and Coach Bryant. Regardless of who starts or how they rotate, the quarterbacks will be able to expand the offense over time in ways that Wilson and McElroy couldn't. While the potential is there and the possibility of doing big things is there, as I continue to harp, the expectation for both guys should not be higher than McElroy 2009esque levels.
The schedule is not going to knock the green off too fast...
While they do go to Happy Valley, I think we as fans all know what we should see there. To me, the QBs should not get put into a real tough spot until Arkansas or Florida, if then. It really depends on which Arkansas defense appears this fall. Will Bama see the one that flustered Alabama for 3 quarters and the defense that clogged aTm up all night or will Bama see the one that got ripped alive by Auburn and flopped against Ohio State? Florida's defense will be good as always but with new staff and philosophy they may not be on pace by the time Bama gets them. They get LSU at home so no shock and awe of Death Valley. The QB race should be over, hopefully, by the time MSU and Auburn welcome the Tide, but that really is where the rubber meets road to me.
If Bama goes 2 QB, they will have more options to use
As I have stated numerous times, I hate the 2 QB system, but I think regardless it is coming. As such, this can be a positive because both McCarron and Sims can bring some different options to the huddle. If you want a guy who can grind it out and mix it up, Sims is the guy that seems to be most suited to play it tight and lull teams in only to put one over the top of the defense. If you want a guy who can stretch the field both vertically and sideline to sideline, AJ is that guy. Also, conversely, if you throw Blake Sims into the game you get another wrinkle to use as he can create mismatches through a variety of formations and the fact there aren't many LB or SS on the schedule that can match up 1 on 1 with Sims.
If this is the big position battle, things are gonna be ok....
Here is the thing about this race, it isn't as huge as some other battles will be. Whether it is AJ or Phillip won't make Bama more of a BCS contender over the other one. Those honors go to the LT job, the D Line replacements, and the secondary's growth. So, there will be pressure for the starter, it comes with the job, but their success is not THE key to the championship.
The Bad...
For all the potential, nobody and I mean NO BODY can say what they will finally get....
What that means is in spite of what you read or hear, none of us know how these guys will really look once Saturdays come. I would love to tell you that I know for a fact one of the 3 guys would be a sure bet. If I could, I would, but then I would focus on lotto numbers and such. There are concerns with both AJ and Phillip and those won't go away after Kent State. To be honest, nobody has really witnessed how they handle a true adverse moment in a game. Will throwing an INT or two during a game make either of them crack? Will the fear of losing the job cause these guys to choke or play tighter than they would otherwise?
Two Quarterback Systems Rarely Work
Especially when they aren't complimentary to each other. If one of the two was the option/running QB, it would be one thing, but both AJ and Phillp are pocket QBs that played in pass happy offenses. This isn't Tebow and Leak or Watts and Zow. This is more like Randall and Russell, and that wasn't a great year for Saban. The system often creates more issues than it solves, but given they cannot commit to either really, it is the best option they have. My hope is that one separates himself early and the audition does not linger through October.
Can they win?
Sure, the team can win, and they should win a lot, but if called upon, can either QB step up his game and be the leader of the winning drive? For all the shortfalls Bama fans put on McElroy, he seemed to always come through when you needed him. Until they are asked to step up and win with their arms, this is a question and a concern. Some will act like that is stupid and they can do everything- including fart fire- but the bottom line is that we don't know.
The Ugly....
Can the staff really pick one and can the fans accept it?
I think there is some concern internally about naming a starter for good. How they handle this will go a long ways towards the overall success of the team. The distraction and/or dissension that can come from this can easily make for 1 or 2 losses. Remember, the 2000 team, and yes I know this isn't Dubose at the helm it is the anti-Dubose, fell apart from the issue amongst other things. The bigger issue is can the fans accept it? There is a heavy Mobile contingent on Message Boards and they won't be willing to accept that AJ is not the answer, if that is the case. I think you would find that the bulk of his pushers last year were from the area, if the truth be told.
The Bottom Line is....
Bama will be hard pressed to pick a true starter for a while. The schedule works out well to allow time to take course on the issue. I almost disqualify any person who quotes a player about the issue because it isn't a secret what is the difference between the 2 starters. One is taking them to parties and getting them access to the QB life. The other is more introverted to that life and is more of a huddle pusher. In the end, I don't know who will win, but I do believe that AJ starts the first drive and Sims backs him up and plays about every 3 series or so. Blake Sims will be the 3rd QB because Ely will redshirt. Sims, however, will be more of a running back than a QB when called upon.
DEPTH CHART
Starter- McCarron- Experience is always a trump card for Saban.
2nd String- Phillip Sims- The co-starter will get plenty of chances to win the job.
3rd String- Blake Sims/Phillip Ely- Both are too short to be starters, but both are servicable and can play a role.
July 27, 2011
10 Years- Reviewing the Coaches
In looking back over 10 years, it is amazing how the coaching carousel went. To start, though, you have to go back to how Bama landed with Fran. I love this Youtube video because it pretty well sums it up. However, I'd use either the theme to Jackass or "If you are gonna be dumb" as the musical interlude.
Only my classmate, and friend Joe Nelms beats that video for me....
Yes, he was that silly back then too. Anyways, back to football....
The Dubosian Debacle...
As the 2000 season was falling apart, it was getting pretty clear that Coach Dubose had lost control of the team. Mal Moore's patience for Mike was pretty strong because most ADs would have ran him out 2 or 3 weeks before. When Dubose blamed God, it was pretty easy to cut losses at that point. However, it was about 12 months too late in all honesty. Even though Alabama won the SEC in 1999-2000, Dubose was losing his staff and players and was way too loose about things. Bama was 3-8 and getting embarrassed by teams that should have been stomped by the scout team. The best lick any player put on an opponent that fall was Dustin McClintock's sucker punch on a Central Florida player. I still wonder, would Bama have signed Albert Means and gone through the decade of suffering like they did if they had cut their losses?So, the hunt was on and Mal Moore likes to interview people. He pulled out his all time favorite interviewee to tell him no, Frank Beamer. Then it was Butch Davis- nope, a few others passed, but then this guy with the weakest coaching voice ever caught Mal's eye.
Fran Can....well might if he stayed a while...
There are just so many red flags to Coach Fran. His resume reads like a used car salesman. It is jump after jump after jump, and marginal success throughout. To be fair, he had brought TCU out of the shadows and had LaDanian Tomlinson in his backfield running nuts across the nation. So, as seems to be a common theme in this time frame, opportunity knocked and a flustered AD getting heat makes a quick hire without thinking about what he was getting. So, in comes a guy who had the right ideas, just the wrong personal goals. If you will, he had some good, some bad, and an ugly side to him that was destined to fail. Fran was organized and disciplined. He knew how he wanted to coach and what style he coached. He was a spread option coach before there was spread. He wanted to bring option to Bama, and I liked how they ran it for the most part. He was big on conditioning and he knew that the team in better shape was going to win those close games. The biggest issue he had was that Gary Patterson didn't come along and his defenses were never as good as TCU's was. He also wasn't a big recruiter when it got down to it. He told Caddy Williams he would consider playing him at CB, he let about anyone in the state that wasn't an easy get slide to Florida or Auburn or LSU. Remember, he chose Brandon Avalos (Thanks Rodney Orr) over Brandon Cox who was begging Bama to take him. With that said, he did do a heck of a job finding diamonds in the rough because he knew what kind of players he could mold. Guys like DeMeco Ryans were unknown when Fran found them.
Fran's Bama career started out pretty rough. They started 3-5 and folks were starting to question if he got it. It was hard to go from a sling it around offense to an option offense. That kinda change will alienate some players and it takes a little different back to play QB and RB in that kind of system. Bama's defense was up and down that year. They crushed Arkansas, but let South Carolina get about 7 yards a play, and spoiled Tyler Watts best game he ever had. They also gave up a slew of yards and points to Ole Miss and UT. The lowest point was when Rohan Davey and Josh Reed played catch in Bama's backyard and Fran whined. What was worse was they were getting beat in the 4th quarter. With the exception of LSU, Bama was in the game til the 4th. Ugh, LSU....Saban spanked Fran like a rented mule all day and it wasn't even as close as the score said. When a team gets 600 yards, throws for 500, and has 30 first downs, you aren't playing defense. After that, something clicked for the rest of the year. Fran was skating by until they ambushed Auburn at Jordan Hare.
The next season, fans were all in for Fran. There were fans using sigs on message boards with Bear next to Fran with quotes like "from one legend to another....the tradition continues". I threw up typing that. When the season started, the defense had caught up and played a lot better than 2001. Morehead, Johnson, King, and others were seniors and were ready to be leaders. They had some blips against OU and UGA, but the fans were seeing a better product. Sadly, behind the scenes, things were going downhill fast. Fran felt jilted because the NCAA beat Bama harder than folks told him it would, Bama was offering a long term contract to him to help him, but he was snubbing it. At the time, we all felt that it was just a matter of time that it would be done. Looking back, this should have set off a bigger red flag. Rumors of Fran to Kansas were circling the winter before, and they probably were somewhat legit. However, after Fran just ripped Saban and LSU a new one, when he wouldn't say if he would sign the extension, it was then that I knew he was dropping Bama like 3rd period French. A lethargic loss to Auburn was covered by a lethargic win over Hawaii. About a week after, he was gone.
The ugly was that he ditched without saying a word to the players. That was a new low in coaching douchery. It was ugly that he preached about "holding the rope" and didn't practice what he preached. It was ugly that Bama was about to have its 3rd coach in 3 years. Fans took it hard that a coach would spurn Bama for aTm. Coaches leave aTm for Bama not the other way around, but Fran didn't care. He still doesn't have any remorse for anything but not saying goodbye to the players. Karma caught up with Fran at aTm though and he was shamed then quit before being fired.
A beer, a blue pill, and a big mess.
So, Bama is coachless...again...and again, Mal Moore is pressed to find a coach. With Bama under NCAA probation, the list isn't real good. The first chance resided with Mike Riley. His family wasn't into a cross country adventure. They probably knew best. Jim Leavitt was a hot name but folks worried that his live in gal wouldn't be a hit with the thumpers. Oops. There were a few mumbled names like Petrino and such, but Mike Price caught an old friend's eye. Price and Moore had history with each other at WSU. State was Rose Bowl bound, they played open-exciting offense, and were winning. There wasn't a lot of vetting of Price by anyone because he was known. That's where things went off the track. Most folks don't realize that the stripper wasn't the first issue that occurred in Mike's summer of drunken haze. He was warned more than once to not fraternize with underclassmen and to not be drinking with students. Apparently, he drug a group of students into Bryant Denny to do some drinking and have fun. Well, you would think a guy paid good money would make smart decisions, even if it is just occasionally, but he was invited to a charity golf tourney that was hosted by an Auburn booster/alumni and it went horribly wrong. He found himself at a strip club and taking one home with him. Well, rumors started to swirl because he was almost set up it was that bad. Things hit an all time low when he told folks he couldn't have sex with her because he had to have Viagra to get it up. Paging Mal....again.....can't have a coach at Alabama who can't screw. So now 2 out of the last 3 have had affairs to deal with.
Price was fired after coaching the spring game and never saw the field.
The first cut is the deepest...
So, Mal has a short list because it is summer and it isn't going to be easy to get someone now. There weren't many names on this list. Tom Coughlin was available, as was Sly Croom, Richard Williamson and Mike Shula. Well, it was quickly down to the alumni. I have always felt that Moore should have named Kines or antoher coach as interim and used the failed 2003 as a coaching search year. Sure it worked out, but 4 years of more fail loomed. Mal Moore is kinda impatient and rushed this hire through. Croom felt he should have had the job, he didn't get it, and it was another issue with Jesse Jackson getting involved. So Shula was hired and made his first mistake, he kept the staff. It was a tough draw to deal with and really, they didn't deal with it. The 2003 season is a blur of just bad game after bad game. Losing to NIU, getting embarrassed by UGA, losing in overtime to ARK after blowing a big lead, losing to TN on 4th and 22, losing to Auburn again, should have been hints, but given the bar was low and there weren't many who would have won more, we all passed.
There was another issue looming. Bama wasn't recruiting worth a damn. Websites were trying hard to spin that sub par players were going to be great players. During the Shula years, such duds as Lebronski Hutchins, Travis Sikes, Mike Ford twice, Marcus Carter, Aaron Johns- don't get me started, Jimmy Barnes, Sam Burnthall, Jimmy Johns, Charles Kirschman, Charles Higgenbotham, and Terry Grant. For the 4 year term, Bama fans had to really strain to make these guys look good. The hype about how great the staff was at recruiting was pretty well debunked by 2008, but that doesn't help Shula during his 4 years does it?
Bama slowly improved, much like it did with Dubose, going from horrid, to mediocre, to good, to mediocre again. The issue deep down was two fold with Shula. He wasn't there to be THE Coach, he wanted to be a pal more than a leader to both the staff and the players. There wasn't a great deal of focus or discipline going on. As nice and upright a guy as Shula was, he was like Richt is now, too nice to be in the SEC. His last failure was his worst. Bama got slapped by Auburn again and Moore again tries to stall on pulling trigger because I think he didn't want to fire another coach. He told Shula to make changes. Shula came back with a fire nobody, reassign a few. That was enough to tell a Coach like Moore that it was time again. So now Bama has gone through 4 coaches in 8 years. The player that Shula was never translated into the coach that Shula needed to be.
One more search and finally something goes right!
Well, this time another full scope search is on. Moore is shooting a goose egg at this now with the poor choices of Fran, Price, and Shula not to mention keeping Dubose another year. First, Moore had to enquire about Beamer because he can't do a coaching search without calling him. He got his no. Kirk McNair gets folks worked up with speculation that Spurrier is flirting. That never really happened. Saban's name starts creeping up, but Rich Rodriguez is more open and easier to get to at the moment because the Dolphins had 3 or 4 games left before Saban would be able to get real on the job. Rich Rod took the job until the wife put the X on it. Then names like Grobe, Kragthorpe,Paul Johnson and Mike Sherman cropped up.
We all know how that finally turned out. And the rest is history.....
Next up- top 10 of the 10 years
July 14, 2011
10 years of Good, 10 Years of Bad, and 10 years of Ugly.....
As some of you may know, this fall will mark 10 years of the GBU. That spans 4 head coaches- Fran, Price, Shula, and Saban. 1 National Title, 1 SEC title, 2 SEC West titles, and much much more. The next few weeks will be a series of posts remembering some of the moments and discussing some of the what ifs and what could have beens of the decade that was. I get asked a lot of quesitons from time to time about this blog and hopefully I will answer some of those in this series.
How did the GBU come to existence????
Well, it was kinda by accident to be truthful. In 2002, Fran was king of the castle and Writer Mike (more to come there) had spun a lot of thought for Bama fans. Bama fans were dealing with the Dubosian Failure Syndrome and Probation. They could not accept that things were where they were. The first posting was after the OU game that year. Bama had lost to a highly talented Oklahoma team that had withstood all the tricks Bama could throw at them. However, I was reading all this hype after a loss.
I find no morals in defeat, just lessons. So a moral victory is like going to a frat party and going home with your sister and trying to spin how that was good somehow. After a day or so of reading this "it was a good loss" routine, I posted on BamaMag a post simply entitled "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly". It was named that because I had remembered a bit in the Birmingham News at the top of the sports page that always hit 1 high, low, and bad point. It was fairly well received and I just kept on doing it.
How do you go about preparing what you blog?
Here is the weekly ritual that starts on Tuesdays.
Tuesday- Typically, the prior week's GBU is winding down on the various places it goes to. I try to not keep it going after a day or so, and I do such because I typically start surfing trying to read up on the next team. If it is Kent State or Georgia State, I typically won't do quite as much reading, but I still like to know if they have any game talent or what style they play.
Thursday- This is a pretty good day when in the process. Thursdays I typically try to watch YouTube or ESPN clips of the opponent. I try not to watch just highlight reel material because I don't see the best and worst at one time. I also DVR other games to watch like ARK v. FL or UGA v. AUB, and see if there are some kinks worth finding.
Friday- I take a day from college and watch as much HS football as I can to see the prep stars and see which ones meet the mark and who is the hyped pretender. Remember in Random Thoughts I do spend time talking about recruiting and I do a recap, so it isn't just a short term thing, it is an ongoing process.
Saturday- Game day comes and I really don't watch the game and think about the play by play being good or bad per se. I do tend to keep a note pad and jot down notes at times to review on the replay/DVR to review a few things. Sometimes, I do participate in game time chat sessions with fellow fans, but I try to simply enjoy the game and not break it down as it happens. The notes I take aren't real detailed. They usually are something like:
1st- 9.53 MI run RT, good or
4th- 2.33 GM sacked corner, bad
After the game is over, I tend to let it sit. I will talk to family about the game for a bit, but I don't go to a message board or read anything that night. I like to think that it wipes the slate clean for a bit.
Sunday- I do start thinking about the game after Church. As the NFL goes on, I do see things and it makes me think about this play or that from the day before. I break my message board ban around mid-afternoon and just read. Sometimes I read things that people talk about and make a point to review those plays or players.
Sunday night, I tuck my son in bed, go to the living room, and watch the replay. I start from the begining and take notes. This time I am noting about every play. What you read on Monday really comes into place Sunday night. I watch most plays about 3 times. First time is to just see it again, second is to see where things went well/wrong, and third is to double check who made/missed it. If it is a Sister Mary game, I probably don't dig super deep into things, and sometimes I type the GBU that night. However, it usually takes about 3 hours to watch the game from start to end.
Monday- Monday is easy really. The blog post you read seem long, but they don't take long because I have already formed the ideas and structure, so it is just a matter of taking about 30 minutes to just type them out. While some think I spend more time typing the bad or focusing on it, I actually focus on the Good portion more in trying to point to as much as I can find. Some weeks of the Shula years, that was a helluva struggle. I type more of the Bad out because I cannot just do a short blurb and go on. I have to go in depth because some readers get monkey butt about stuff if you don't beat it out into a long thought. The post usually hits the boards around 10 EST, sometimes sooner or later depending on my day. After I post, I usually don't revisit it until an hour or two sometimes more later. I always give it time to just be. At that point, I tend to like to reply to as many posters as I can because if you took time to read and respond, it is the least I can do.
Some odd stats and such....
I was a bit ignorant about how viral this post was each week. It wasn't until I moved the post to this site that I realized how many people really read this. On any given week, I get anywhere from 3000 to 5000 hits on Monday. Tuesday gets about another 1 to 2K. If I do a random thought, it spikes it back up to around 1 to 2K those days. Most come from message board reading, but about 15 percent of the hits come from email and google searches. I knew the emails happened because folks emailed me telling me they had sent it to their Dad or someone who loved Bama football as well. I just didn't think that many did it each week.
Another fun stat is that the GBU is a regular read in Sweeden, Canada, Germany, the UK, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. I am guessing the Troops are reading in their spare time. I doubt a guy from the deep south translates well in those countries otherwise. Most of you who read are IE users, but the Iphone/pad has picked up this year. Of the major Bama sites, the most referred is Rivals BOL, Tider Insider does a few yet I do not attend that site, and Scout puts a regular group in as well. The most read GBU on this site is the Arkansas 2011 game, and the most read post of all time is the Random Thought from February 7th, 2011 aka recruit roundup. Just a quick note, in 2011, the blog will be Mobile friendly. So, now you can view it from your Blackberry and IPhone and it not be this small and have to deal with magnifying it. Trust me, I hated that too. Now it is fixed.
Random Favorite Memories thus far....
My favorite memory from the GBU so far is my infamous run in with Writer Mike. If the name doesn't ring a bell, Mike is best known for this moment in Fran history.... My first run in with the silver tongued one was when he was trolling about every Bama site known to man to run propaganda for Fran. Fran's last year at Bama was good up until the end. Mike didn't like that I was pointing out things in the coaching or in the plays themself, from what I gather, none of them do at times. The posts you read on here, he hated, and I am guessing that his boss probably didn't like them either. Mike had earned quite a bit of fandom on message boards because he claimed to watch film with the coaches and talked to Fran every day. The latter was probably true, but it didn't take long to figure out that he was making up half of what he said. I would guess those A&M boosters and Kim probably figured that out eventually too.
He had prodded and poked at my thoughts about things for a couple of weeks, and finally I kinda outed him. It isn't a secret, coaches don't like to sit with reporters or ankle biters during the one thing they treat as Church, film study. He kept claiming his in with the program, but never was real clear on much. It was all abstract and vague, sound familiar to some of today's "Insiders"? It came to a head when after the LSU game, Fran would not say he was coming back, he said something to the effect "it will all work out". Mike was aware then that Fran was out the back door to avoid the walk of shame, and I cornered him about that to the point he just left the message boards. Between his lying about his connections, and basically outing that he knew Fran was gone, it didn't take long after that for a few fans to figure out what had happened. Mike tried the same trick at A&M, but their fans weren't quite as message board happy so that is where the newsletter came from. McKenzie is about 1 step higher than Scott Moore in this world when it gets down to it. He always wants an audience and is always taking a small fact and surrounding it with a big lie.
How bad has the hate mail been?
Well, there are some that are just bad. I get some after Bama loses that wishes me to die. Some want to meet at the KMart parking lot in Gasden and other locations to fight. Some try to do an educated email but end up saying nothing but "I don't like what you said but I cannot dispute it, but I know I don't want to read that". Some will email over and over trying to force me to believe what they say. I love that one. I am sure the mods at various sites get a lot of emails wishing my banishment, but it is hard to do when you have to click a link to read something.
Do you like recruiting? You seem to have a hate for it.
I love recruiting, but I hate where it is going. I hate the hat thing. I hate the gimmicks in general. I didn't like them when most were going for the good guys, but now it seems to be that recruiting is almost a pimping exercise. Recruits now throw names and change positions to keep their name fresh and see their headlines on a regular basis. I would guess that most know a month or more before signing day what they will do. I also cringe when I see posts on message boards where a 40 something guy does a C&P for a 17 year old off of Facebook. I also cringe when I watch these same fans blast a young man for going to another school. To be honest, you get 25 or so players every year to come to your school, you can't sign all of them and some just don't want to go to your school. It just is a fact of life. My fear is that you get an Updyke type of guy who just goes ape shit because a player goes to the rival school and greets him somewhere with a bullet.
I want to know about recruits and where they are going just as much as anyone, but I don't put my life around their soap opera.
NEXT UP- Top 10 Players of the last 10 Seasons and The 10 that missed the Saban Era the most....
How did the GBU come to existence????
Well, it was kinda by accident to be truthful. In 2002, Fran was king of the castle and Writer Mike (more to come there) had spun a lot of thought for Bama fans. Bama fans were dealing with the Dubosian Failure Syndrome and Probation. They could not accept that things were where they were. The first posting was after the OU game that year. Bama had lost to a highly talented Oklahoma team that had withstood all the tricks Bama could throw at them. However, I was reading all this hype after a loss.
I find no morals in defeat, just lessons. So a moral victory is like going to a frat party and going home with your sister and trying to spin how that was good somehow. After a day or so of reading this "it was a good loss" routine, I posted on BamaMag a post simply entitled "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly". It was named that because I had remembered a bit in the Birmingham News at the top of the sports page that always hit 1 high, low, and bad point. It was fairly well received and I just kept on doing it.
How do you go about preparing what you blog?
Here is the weekly ritual that starts on Tuesdays.
Tuesday- Typically, the prior week's GBU is winding down on the various places it goes to. I try to not keep it going after a day or so, and I do such because I typically start surfing trying to read up on the next team. If it is Kent State or Georgia State, I typically won't do quite as much reading, but I still like to know if they have any game talent or what style they play.
Thursday- This is a pretty good day when in the process. Thursdays I typically try to watch YouTube or ESPN clips of the opponent. I try not to watch just highlight reel material because I don't see the best and worst at one time. I also DVR other games to watch like ARK v. FL or UGA v. AUB, and see if there are some kinks worth finding.
Friday- I take a day from college and watch as much HS football as I can to see the prep stars and see which ones meet the mark and who is the hyped pretender. Remember in Random Thoughts I do spend time talking about recruiting and I do a recap, so it isn't just a short term thing, it is an ongoing process.
Saturday- Game day comes and I really don't watch the game and think about the play by play being good or bad per se. I do tend to keep a note pad and jot down notes at times to review on the replay/DVR to review a few things. Sometimes, I do participate in game time chat sessions with fellow fans, but I try to simply enjoy the game and not break it down as it happens. The notes I take aren't real detailed. They usually are something like:
1st- 9.53 MI run RT, good or
4th- 2.33 GM sacked corner, bad
After the game is over, I tend to let it sit. I will talk to family about the game for a bit, but I don't go to a message board or read anything that night. I like to think that it wipes the slate clean for a bit.
Sunday- I do start thinking about the game after Church. As the NFL goes on, I do see things and it makes me think about this play or that from the day before. I break my message board ban around mid-afternoon and just read. Sometimes I read things that people talk about and make a point to review those plays or players.
Sunday night, I tuck my son in bed, go to the living room, and watch the replay. I start from the begining and take notes. This time I am noting about every play. What you read on Monday really comes into place Sunday night. I watch most plays about 3 times. First time is to just see it again, second is to see where things went well/wrong, and third is to double check who made/missed it. If it is a Sister Mary game, I probably don't dig super deep into things, and sometimes I type the GBU that night. However, it usually takes about 3 hours to watch the game from start to end.
Monday- Monday is easy really. The blog post you read seem long, but they don't take long because I have already formed the ideas and structure, so it is just a matter of taking about 30 minutes to just type them out. While some think I spend more time typing the bad or focusing on it, I actually focus on the Good portion more in trying to point to as much as I can find. Some weeks of the Shula years, that was a helluva struggle. I type more of the Bad out because I cannot just do a short blurb and go on. I have to go in depth because some readers get monkey butt about stuff if you don't beat it out into a long thought. The post usually hits the boards around 10 EST, sometimes sooner or later depending on my day. After I post, I usually don't revisit it until an hour or two sometimes more later. I always give it time to just be. At that point, I tend to like to reply to as many posters as I can because if you took time to read and respond, it is the least I can do.
Some odd stats and such....
I was a bit ignorant about how viral this post was each week. It wasn't until I moved the post to this site that I realized how many people really read this. On any given week, I get anywhere from 3000 to 5000 hits on Monday. Tuesday gets about another 1 to 2K. If I do a random thought, it spikes it back up to around 1 to 2K those days. Most come from message board reading, but about 15 percent of the hits come from email and google searches. I knew the emails happened because folks emailed me telling me they had sent it to their Dad or someone who loved Bama football as well. I just didn't think that many did it each week.
Another fun stat is that the GBU is a regular read in Sweeden, Canada, Germany, the UK, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. I am guessing the Troops are reading in their spare time. I doubt a guy from the deep south translates well in those countries otherwise. Most of you who read are IE users, but the Iphone/pad has picked up this year. Of the major Bama sites, the most referred is Rivals BOL, Tider Insider does a few yet I do not attend that site, and Scout puts a regular group in as well. The most read GBU on this site is the Arkansas 2011 game, and the most read post of all time is the Random Thought from February 7th, 2011 aka recruit roundup. Just a quick note, in 2011, the blog will be Mobile friendly. So, now you can view it from your Blackberry and IPhone and it not be this small and have to deal with magnifying it. Trust me, I hated that too. Now it is fixed.
Random Favorite Memories thus far....
My favorite memory from the GBU so far is my infamous run in with Writer Mike. If the name doesn't ring a bell, Mike is best known for this moment in Fran history.... My first run in with the silver tongued one was when he was trolling about every Bama site known to man to run propaganda for Fran. Fran's last year at Bama was good up until the end. Mike didn't like that I was pointing out things in the coaching or in the plays themself, from what I gather, none of them do at times. The posts you read on here, he hated, and I am guessing that his boss probably didn't like them either. Mike had earned quite a bit of fandom on message boards because he claimed to watch film with the coaches and talked to Fran every day. The latter was probably true, but it didn't take long to figure out that he was making up half of what he said. I would guess those A&M boosters and Kim probably figured that out eventually too.
He had prodded and poked at my thoughts about things for a couple of weeks, and finally I kinda outed him. It isn't a secret, coaches don't like to sit with reporters or ankle biters during the one thing they treat as Church, film study. He kept claiming his in with the program, but never was real clear on much. It was all abstract and vague, sound familiar to some of today's "Insiders"? It came to a head when after the LSU game, Fran would not say he was coming back, he said something to the effect "it will all work out". Mike was aware then that Fran was out the back door to avoid the walk of shame, and I cornered him about that to the point he just left the message boards. Between his lying about his connections, and basically outing that he knew Fran was gone, it didn't take long after that for a few fans to figure out what had happened. Mike tried the same trick at A&M, but their fans weren't quite as message board happy so that is where the newsletter came from. McKenzie is about 1 step higher than Scott Moore in this world when it gets down to it. He always wants an audience and is always taking a small fact and surrounding it with a big lie.
How bad has the hate mail been?
Well, there are some that are just bad. I get some after Bama loses that wishes me to die. Some want to meet at the KMart parking lot in Gasden and other locations to fight. Some try to do an educated email but end up saying nothing but "I don't like what you said but I cannot dispute it, but I know I don't want to read that". Some will email over and over trying to force me to believe what they say. I love that one. I am sure the mods at various sites get a lot of emails wishing my banishment, but it is hard to do when you have to click a link to read something.
Do you like recruiting? You seem to have a hate for it.
I love recruiting, but I hate where it is going. I hate the hat thing. I hate the gimmicks in general. I didn't like them when most were going for the good guys, but now it seems to be that recruiting is almost a pimping exercise. Recruits now throw names and change positions to keep their name fresh and see their headlines on a regular basis. I would guess that most know a month or more before signing day what they will do. I also cringe when I see posts on message boards where a 40 something guy does a C&P for a 17 year old off of Facebook. I also cringe when I watch these same fans blast a young man for going to another school. To be honest, you get 25 or so players every year to come to your school, you can't sign all of them and some just don't want to go to your school. It just is a fact of life. My fear is that you get an Updyke type of guy who just goes ape shit because a player goes to the rival school and greets him somewhere with a bullet.
I want to know about recruits and where they are going just as much as anyone, but I don't put my life around their soap opera.
NEXT UP- Top 10 Players of the last 10 Seasons and The 10 that missed the Saban Era the most....
April 19, 2011
Random Thoughts- A DAY
Another A Day in the books and it was about as vanilla as it could be. The objectives were pretty clear pretty early. They wanted to test the QBs in various situations- check. They wanted to put the DBs in a lot of situations and see how they performed- check. They wanted to not give away much more than they had to- check.
Going down the roster, as I have done in the past A Days, from what I saw in person and on the replay twice, here's what I see:
Quarterbacks
I don't think they will be naming a starter any time soon. In fact, I'd be shocked if there is one for Kent State and probably not one til Arkansas or later. If you have read my posts over the last 10 years of doing this, you know, I HATE 2 QB SYSTEMS! However, that's about the only way they will be able to keep both, and get the best from both. I think both have capacities that compliment each other, and both have some pretty similar weaknesses at times. The bottom line is this team is probably going to look like the 08 offense and 09 offense early on. Lots of 2 TE sets, lots of runs and a few play actions to keep teams honest. They will do all they can to keep the QB from having to win or lose the game. They will put that role on the defense and the running game.
AJ McCarron- For all the folks who screamed for him to start over Greg McElroy, they are going to get their wish, and they may live to tell they were those people. AJ has a lot of skill sets that you can't coach. Big arm, no fear to throw it anywhere, and he reads the progressions fairly fast. The problem with AJ that continues to be a Saban chewing session is concentration and carelessness. It isn't a thing that happens all the time or every time, but it seems to creep up a good bit. The fumble at the goal line will get him a lot of growling during film, the pick not so much, but his body language isn't good at times and they'll be on him about that if he wants to be a leader. He has the factors to be great, but so did Jeff Dunn. AJ has to be a leader in the huddle when he is in the 2s as much as he is in the 1s.
Phillip Sims- Sims is a guy who just makes it look simple. It looks like it is slow and steady from start to finish. His 1st half was with the 2s to start out and he struggled because he was pressing and the 2 WRs aren't as good as the 2 DBs. AJ had that issue too. However, when you watch him at A Day, nothing gets to him and he just seems to move the team with a smooth, balanced approach. The problem he has is that he hasn't learned the reads and what Ds are throwing at him. His pick was a case of him not seeing what was out there and he put out a pretty poor throw. I would like to see him get his release a little higher too and avoid so many tips at the line.
Phillip Ely- Why do I think of Brandon Avalos when I watch him???? I will reserve judgement on him for a while, but there is this sneaking suspicion in my head that he may be a stop gap till they can recruit a few more QBs.
Blake Sims- I think as a wildcat QB, he probably gives them a little more of an option feel that a true spread QB would. I think as a drop back passer or a pocket passer, he's never going to be there. He is better at passing on the move and when it is a one read play, like a waggle right to a TE or Back type play. I think like Ely, when they fill the holes on the chart, he probably moves to tailback or slot WR.
Running Backs
The running back core is deep and won't be an issue for a few years to come, I don't think. Richardson will assume the carries that Ingram had. Lacy should get the Richardson level of carries, and it looks like Dee Hart will get that end of the game wear down that Roy Upchurch, Terry Grant, and Demetrius Goode have had the last few years. I would expect they all get a full load of carries this year as they will be asked to carry the offense while 2 green QBs mature.
Jalston Fowler- Fowler will be the short yardage guy and probably will be the 4th option at back. I wouldn't be surprised to see him at H Back some too when they need another big body out there. If Bama didn't have 2 good between the tackles runners in Richardson and Lacy, he probably would get a few more carries, but they will eat his carries for the most part.
Demetrius Goode- Goode continues to work hard and just gets yards when he carries the ball, but the talent pool has caught up to him. He may rotate with Fowler based on situations and teams as to who is 4th.
Corey Grant- Well, Grant had a chance to showcase himself some in practice before Dee Hart came along. Grant is fast and a good option outside the tackles or on a swing/screen play. He isn't going to push the pile but that is not what his role should be anyways. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't experiment with him at slot or at DB. He has plenty of athleticism and talent to contribute and more, but Hart has won the staff over and that's usually not something that changes.
Dee Hart- Hart is an amazingly gifted high school senior. Remember, his teammates and classmates just started prom while he's playing college ball. Hart has good hands and a really nice 2nd burst that separates him in the open field. I like his vision and ability to miss tackles and get extra yards. I think with a year or two in the conditioning program, and a focus on building his lower body strength, he will be a really good all purpose back. This year, he will get the mop up and some 2 minute type moments because he is so good with the ball out of the backfield.
Eddie Lacy- He ran without spinning, there is hope after all. I'm kidding.....kinda. Lacy looked determined and excited to be more involved in the offense. I think he's going to be a good compliment to Richardson as they can continue the ground and pound without adjusting the playbook with the change at back. He also will push Richardson just as TR did Ingram at times. I would like to see Eddie concentrate on his pass catching and get more consistent in running routes and getting in position to catch the ball. He is far improved in his running style and ball protection from last fall.
Trent Richardson- I think we will see the TR of the first 3 games of 2010 for all of 2011. If so, this is probably a Heisman caliber season for him. He is constantly improving and his pass blocking is now another weapon he can provide. He can catch, and run with a purpose and he looked a little frustrated at times that he couldn't play more or get some hitting going. Some people just need a little violence in their game to make them go. He is easily the best running back in the conference and may be the best in the nation. It will be fun to see him get the carries and how he handles the extra load.
Wide Receivers
Overall, I was really disappointed in their play. I was hoping to see them step up to the void that Jones left and put together a great team effort. That hopefully happened during each practice and closed scrimmages. A Day alone was not their best showing and it was a little disturbing that they all look the same and are all really more possession or slot guys and not a lot of X guys. Really, they don't have a single one on campus who can stretch the field. They loaded up on WRs and after A Day, I see why.
Kenny Bell- If Bell's game matched his complaining, he'd be unstoppable, but he remains real inconsistent and has yet to show the speed he is said to have when the game is on. He does catch the ball well when he gets his looks and he seems to like contact, which is good, but he rounds off routes and at times lets the DBs get him out of the play. Heading into the fall, Bell is down the chart a bit (depending on who you ask he's somewhere between the 5th to 7th in the mix) and will probably have to step it up a lot more than he has to be a regular contributor.
Michael Bowman- If he played, it was hidden from regular sight. Bowman's future is getting a little bleak as the depth chart is probably running him around the bottom of the group it would seem. He is a big body, but he's got a lotta issues too. I won't be surprised if he transfers or has a mystery injury that moves him to a medical scholarship.
Ronald Carswell- Carswell is young and a little raw. I would like to see him get a little more physical off the bump at times and use his arm to separate the DB. The plays I noticed him the most, he was getting overwhelmed by the corner and his bump or jam. I don't think he will get a lot of PT this year, but that isn't a bad thing either for him. If he will work on his craft some more, there is a spot for him in Hanks role possibly.
Brandon Gibson- Gibson has plodded and hung around and has finally taken hold of the 3rd option for the Tide passing game. He's a good option as a possession WR and provides a big target over the flat or in the corner. His catch over Dre K around the goal line was probably the best play of the game. With Julio gone, and the only guys his size or taller being Bowman and Norwood (not counting fall enrolls) the odds are good for him being a red zone favorite to either guy because he can get up for the ball and catch it with a little more consistency.
Darius Hanks- He isn't flashy, and he isn't a true vertical threat, but he is a very solid Z Wide out who can block well and can help stretch the defense out because there is enough film on him breaking big plays to play him honest. Hanks doesn't have the big time speed to play X, but he is a good option as the Y or Z guy in the formations. I look for Hanks to get a few more catches this year, and may lead the team in catches this fall as he always seems to find the hole and give his QBs a target when they need it.
Keiwone Malone- Malone has the luxury of a few veterans being in front of him and letting him get some reps and learn a little more. He has a good grasp of football, but he seems to sit on his routes some. I would like to see him secure the ball more and be a little more assertive out there, but his routes looked clean, no rounding or breaking off on them, and he has a good burst when he gets the ball in his hands. He isn't blazing fast, but he can separate from a defender who gets flat footed. He may be a guy who can fill the Gibson/Hanks role next year.
Marquis Maze- Saturday was a tough day for Maze. He got hurt, got beat down a bit, and just didn't have one of his better days out there in general. All that aside, he is their vertical threat for now. The problem with that is that he didn't get good separation from the corners to do that and he and the two QBs need to work on their timing some if that is his role this fall. The weird thing is that when Bama went 3 wide, they kept him in the X and didn't move a taller guy there and put him at Z (where he was last year). I think he is a starter regardless of where he plays, but if one of the incoming guys can lock the X down, putting him at Z will give them more options in the passing game down the road.
Kevin Norwood- I like how Norwood plays, but he needs to do a little better job of helping his QB find him when he's separating or open in a zone pocket. I get the impression that he just can't win the coaches over completely to let him play more. Of course, A Day is hard to gauge who is where at times and he's one of them. I like his size and I like his ability to seemingly always catch what is at him. I would guess he is either 5th or 6th in the rotation right now.
DeAndrew White- The staff really likes him and he seems to be getting the playbook down good. I didn't notice him running any bad routes, but he needs to get tough on the corners and not let them push him around as much as they did Saturday. That is just a coaching and learning thing. Like Malone, they won't be leaning on him yet, so he can get some live reps and see the speed and experience the game some and grow through it. He is probably 4WR right now.
Tight Ends
Overall, they will be asked to do what they do best, block. I was pleased to see them incorporate Williams a little more and it was nice to see Jones and Vogler play. However, I think we all know what they will do 90 percent of the time in the fall, and they will do it well.
Harrison Jones- He is probably the future H Back and will press Smelley to play better or he will lose to Jones too. I like his build and like how he plays. He has the good bloodline, and he is a really good athlete for his size. Has good hands and is a nice lead blocker as a H Back, so you probably will see him a good bit as they go with different looks to throw teams off. I really won't be surprised if he wins the H Back role at some point this year.
Brad Smelley- Smelley continues to work towards being the every down H Back, but he just isn't a blocker by trade. Is that fair to him? No, because you take a guy who played QB in High School and ask him to pound around, that is hard for him to do when he really wasn't a physical QB before. He really is an oversized slot WR, but this is the last run for him and hopefully with this being it, he'll come out with a fire in him to be the blocker and be the receiving threat he can be.
Chris Underwood- I remember when Chris was here in 1998. Seems like he's been there for a decade, but this is it for him too. I think you will see him in some goal line sets and in some mop up/rest up moments, but he just isn't physical enough to be the every down guy. Like Smelley, he's an oversized WR, but he will contribute and move along.
Brian Vogler- The play everyone will talk about is Sunseri lighting him up. I would worry more if Lester or Lowery lit him up to be honest. Big V is going to see some time at both the H and Y when they go 2 TE because he's a good blocker. I think they want to get him some reps and use him like they did Williams a few years ago. Getting him ready for next year is top priority. The Jones/Vogler era may be the best TE tandem since Hape/Rutledge. Vogler is a good pass catching threat with his hand down and he is a very physical blocker and I noticed him finish several blocks over the course of the game.
Offensive Line
I like the changes that Stoutland has started working on. They are going to be more helmet on helmet and less zone blocking. I think he will help each of the 2 deep linemen grow and be pro ready. With the expectation of a run heavy offense, this change will really pay off. I don't think the changes up front have stopped, but I don't think the incommers (is that a real word) are the ones who will move the roster. They are looking for speed and power on the left side and they have found parts of it, but I don't know if they have found one guy with it yet. I know this, the most valuable position this year is center because they don't have one after Vlachos. NONE. How that has happened, I don't know, but they are really behind there. I would guess Lindsay is the 2C based on his play Saturday, but the gap between 1 and 2 is very wide.
John Michael Boswell- JMB is still that guy who can play 4 spots, but isn't the best at any. I thought he looked good again on Saturday and if he had to start, it wouldn't worry me much.
Aaron Douglas- I thought he looked good for the most part. He is a pass blocker but is not going to drive the pile against anyone. That is probably where he is losing ground to now Jones. I know the rumors are that they want 30 pounds put on him, but I question if he needs that much. I think the second issue is the style of the line is different. UT uses a more zone block technique and is more about protection and gaps than fist fights. I still think he's a legit shot at starter, sorry Cyrus K must start day 1 folks, but if they have a capable guard and Jones is the guy, that is what it is. However, if one got hurt and Jones had to slide over, I wouldn't be freaking out about using Douglas myself.
DJ Fluker- Fluker will thrive under the new coach. I really like the thought of him not having to think about where to be so much and just who to put a hat on and drill him down. He is their best run blocking lineman by a long ways. He is improving in the pass block, but he gets overwhelmed by a speed rush. Hightower got on him a few times and he lost Donta too early. It is still a work in progress and he is showing a lot of progress from a year ago. He looks like he's in much better shape, short of the gimpy knee, and looks a little more comfortable about what his role is. I do think RT is where he has to play if he plays tackle, and Barrett Jones moving to LT instead of him kinda ends that talk don't it? I still wouldn't mind seeing him slide over to guard at some point to get more speed at tackle when they want to throw the ball more, but that's a long theory and conversation for a summer down time. As is, he's gonna be a good focal point where you see a lot of Richardson runs this fall.
Barrett Jones- Jones is like JMB except he's probably the best at all 5 spots. I thought he looked good at LT. He is mobile and did a good job on Upshaw for the most part. He has a good first step out and keeps his feet and body centered and doesn't get out of balance. I don't know if he is quite the run blocking force they'd like at LT, but he probably does it better than either McCullough or Douglas right now. Regardless of where he lands, I like the odds that his spot will be the best pass blocked area on the 5.
Arie Kouandijo- He played RT Saturday but is probably going to play both T and G at times. I think the thing with him is that there are just veterans ahead of him and he'll have to wait his time out to get his shot. I like him at guard a little better because he's not quite mobile enough on the outside blitz yet, but I like his technique and I like that he doesn't quit on the play even when he got beat a time or two.
Chad Lindsay- He is who I would peg as the backup center if left up to me, but he's got a lot of work and practice to do if that is who starts next year. I thought he did a good job of standing up Williams and others, but I didn't see a lot of gaps or surge from him in the game. He probably is better suited as a guard, but they need a guy to backup Vlachos, and he's probably it.
Tyler Love- I'm not gonna beat a dead horse, but you know his issue and you know I have said it for 4 years now. He isn't going to play any time soon, at least not in anything other than deep roster playout against the Kent States and such.
Alfred McCullough- If AMC was about 3 inches taller, he'd started a long time ago. Technically he is sound, and he is tough and strong, but he just gives up too much size to bigger D linemen out there. He will play some tackle and guard this fall and I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't use him in the goal line some as an extra TE. To me, Jones moving to LT is more of an impact/statement on Alfred than anything. However, he will continue to be a guy who will get mentioned a lot for different starting roles and always be a big contributor off the bench.
Austin Shepherd- I thought he looked ok against the 2s Saturday. He's big, and you won't miss him out there because you can see him over the sea of 6-2 guys they have. The only issue he is gonna have is where can he possibly play and start? LT? No, he's not fast enough. RT? Nope, depth chart is deep there. Guard? Depth chart lookin pretty set there for a while. Center? Too tall. So despite him looking fairly good out there, I don't know if he'd play short of a couple of injuries.
Anthony Steen- The Incredible Hulk is a very solid run guard and with the issues at LT, he has been given another chance to hold down a starting job. He has improved his pass blocking from last fall, but he still struggles with speed. Hightower got past him relatively unscathed and blew up the play. He had a few times where he wasn't quite sure who his hat was for, and that cause a few issues at times, but he is still young and raw. I think with the focus being run baby run, he probably will be fine if that is who they start.
William Vlachos- Oh please football gods, don't let him get hurt, they know not what they have behind him. Vlachos looks healthy again and looked in better condition than last fall. That is the main thing for him is getting him back to 09 health and conditioning. If he comes in this fall like he did last one, it could be another long season. As is, he did a real good job of opening some running lanes up the pipe and sealed off several good blocks for TR during the game. They need him to step up and be a leader though. Individually, they are all 5 good and one or two of them may even be great, but they need someone to rally them together and keep them organized. He should be that guy.
Chance Warmack- Chance has answered the bell again and kept his job through Spring. I know the playbook was short and sweet, but I would have liked to have seen if they could run him on the counter now or is he still not quick enough to pull around. Like Vlachos, that's his main thing, can he get in good playing shape. I like that he can work with Vlachos and move the pile and create the lane, but I need to see him take on some good rushers and see where his improvement is from last fall.
Kellen Williams- He and Lindsay rotated as the White center. I think he's better off at guard too, but he'll never play there either. At center, he's gotta get quicker out of his stance. He was slow coming out of the snap and let the player rushing his gap get all over him quick. He needs some work on the shotgun snaps too. He has time to work on those things as those are both just experience and coaching things. I still can't believe they don't have a single guy that is just ready to go at center though.
Defensive line
Overall, it was a good day for the defense as a whole and with the scrimmage being what it was, the DL was not going to just be allowed to do all the tricks it does. With that said, I was real pleased with how much depth they have and how much more surge was coming from the line. They have a lot of new faces that need to learn the technique differences and some of the differences in the 3-4 and Saban's Nickel schemes and what they know from the 4-3 and such.
Josh Chapman- When he is focused and in shape, he is a very formidable player. He is one of the strongest on the team and he has a really good motor. I like that he has answered the bell because most assumed Jesse Williams would take him over. That hasn't and probably won't happen. JC's stat line won't blow the doors off anyone, but his role is to clog the lane and drive it back to the QB. He did that a good bit and moved to the ball well. He could stand to work on some drills to speed up his hands some to keep the linemen out of his chest guard.
Quinton Dial- I saw him all over the field and he looks the part. He will add some depth to the rotation this fall at both spots, but he's gotta learn the system still. I think as long as his motor and pursuit are where they are, they will find more ways to get him on the field each week.
Nick Gentry- The Internets loves them some Gentry. All kidding aside, I like him as a good change of pace from the big bodies they throw out there on normal occasions. Gentry will continue to provide the role he did last year. I think that's a good contributing role for him and the team and a good reminder that not everybody has to start to be a big part in the process....was that too coachy? Ahem, I like how Gentry seems to always squirt past the guards and be in the backfield. He's smart and does a good job of confusing the lineman on him because you can't tell if he is going at you or around you or through you.
Brandon Ivory- That's a big ol boy. I don't know how much PT he has in his future this year, but I think the odds improve next year as there will be some spots to fill next spring.
Brandon Lewis- I thought he looked real good as the game wore on. He's a little small for DE in the base 3-4, but he is very strong and a senior with some PT experience. Like Ivory, it is hard to tell how much time he will get this fall, but I can't see a reason not to put him in a rotation somewhere.
Darrington Sentimore- I get what Saban was saying. He gets the pass rush aspect of his job. He doesn't quite have the patience for the run stopping part of his game. I think you probably will see a good deal of him in passing and blitz situations because he can disrupt things and draw double teams to open up other rushers. I won't be surprised if he lines up inside a good deal on nickel as they attempt to find as many options as possible to get a set of fresh legs on the field.
Damion Square- I thought he looked much more in shape and I don't see anyone who will take that spot from him. The thing about Square is that he can be whatever the play needs him to be. If they need him to be a gap filling lineman, he does that well. If they need him to rush the QB, he can do that. If they need him to drive open a gap for the linebackers, he can definitely do that. Saturday was a unique drill for him and the line, they weren't dialing up a lot for them, and that was on purpose, but he was still very effective at keeping his lineman stiff most of the day. I look for him to have a really good year.
Ed Stinson- Stinson is running as the number 2 end and he probably will play a good bit as he will rotate with Square and Sentimore and Williams/Dial/others. If Bama played a 4-3, he would probably be a starter or a rush end specialist. That is what they want him to be. I think as a full time end in the 3-4, he probably is a little light because the guys who play in those roles need to be closer to 290-310 range, but they can use him off the edge and hopefully disrupt. If they can scheme him right, and keep a 300 pound tackle off him, he can be a zone end and drop into coverage, or play man on a TE or FB. He is strong and has good speed still in spite of the weight gain, and that part is where he starts to contribute, but I question if he can play end every down.
Jesse Williams- Could you hear the Internet bubble hiss as the game wore on? The guy who the Internets said could do all and piss fire was a let down for those folks. To me, he was fine. There are 2 things fans need to do to temper their bullshit. First, he isn't a nose guard. He's a defensive tackle. He is more comfortable in the 3-4 as an end, which is where he has practiced with the 1s. When you move him in at NG, he isn't comfortable with the technique or the placement that comes with that. Second, he has only played here for 2 weeks roughly. He won't know the plays or the techniques to play in this scheme yet. Cody would have looked like shit too if he came in the spring, for a different reason partially, but it isn't fair to Williams to say he should be all world just because you saw a picture with tats and a big bicep. Williams as is, has to get his hands faster and keep the linemen from getting in on him. I look for him to work on his technique a lot in the summer and with his size, he will play very well as an end and a part time NG, but he won't be the next Cody.
Linebackers
The one position that is so deep it is sick is LB. I was really surprised by a few in how they were progressing and one that just came in and looks like a guy who has played 2 or three years. The good thing about the depth is that it gives them several looks and tricks to throw to the offense that can confuse them.
Trey Depriest- I told folks I really liked him after signing day. You saw it Saturday. He is a HS senior who plays like a 2nd or 3rd year player. The best thing about him is that he gets the role. He moves to the ball and is very good in space. He keeps blockers from tying him down when he is moving to the ball. He has really good instincts and will only improve. I don't see him redshirting unless they just really can't find a place for him. I think he's a ST starter and probably a 2nd/3rd Mike.
Jerrell Harris- Fans want him to be so much more, but he still is that same guy he was 4 years ago. He flies around and when he lucks into a play, he makes a play with a big hit. I get why fans have made him a unicorn. However, he stays in the coaches' doghouse because he doesn't stay in position. Where Trey DePriest is young but yet seemed to stay in position all day, Harris got too far inside a few times and allowed the play to get around him. I don't think fans see that because he's not at the finish of the play. Harris is starting at Sam which is kinda the lifetime achievement award for a guy. He will get some snaps, but there are a lot of guys ahead of him when they go to passing defense, so I don't think folks will get a lot of Harris watching.
Donta Hightower- He's back. He moves like the Donta of old. He runs at close to if not the same speed as before. Last year was a challenge that he struggled through because it was obvious that he had not recovered yet and was trying to do things his body couldn't. That won't be a problem now. With that year in his character, he seems to have grown as a leader on the defense. They will use him at Mike in base set situations, and at a rush end when they go nickel and dime. He should excel in that role because before the injury, he was thought as the best Jack they had. Donta will have a big fall if he stays healthy and continues to push those around him to improve.
Adrian Hubbard- I liked what I saw of AH Saturday. He is quick and he is bulking up nicely. He dominated Tyler Love a few times and displayed his ability to drive a bigger player back into the QB. His motor runs well and he really has the upside that should translate into big plays in the future. He is the number 2 Jack with Watkins out. I don't know how much PT he can get with Watkins back, but I think they will work on getting him a little seasoning for next year. I think he can open the role up to be a true hybrid linebacker who can play with his hand down or standing and playing in space. It will be fun to watch at least.
Nico Johnson- Nico looked healthy and he and CJ have made a big leap in their communication. What is so impressive about Nico is that he always finds the ball regardless of who he has to engage to get the ball. He is the starting Will and will play on about every down now because he is just that good.
CJ Mosley- CJ has started to make that next step. He reminds folks of Rolando McClain and rightfully so. He is very smart and a future tandem of he and DePriest is a nice thought for folks to salivate on. Mosley is the Mike in nickel and Dime situations and can play Will when needed. I like how well he reads the play and how he seems to make the call to the others who depend on him. His chemistry with Nico is real good and as much nickel as they play, he should thrive with that teamwork. I think if folks liked him last year, they will love him this year because he has a full year under his belt now.
Chris Jordan- Jordan has consistently held the 2nd string ILB role and will continue to. He is a good sub and serves an important role. He probably is a little small to start, but when they need to get some subs in to rest the starters, he is more than capable of holding his own.
Tana Patrick- Tana is now a Jack and deep on the chart. I didn't really see him much Saturday and I think that kinda says all in itself.
Courtney Upshaw- He continues to work on his role and I think he knows he really needs to put a full resume out there to the NFL Draft. When he is healthy, he is one of the best in the nation at rushing the QB. He has a lot of intangibles that you can't coach. His motor runs non-stop and he likes to hit and disrupt the offense. He just has to give it 14 games. He needs to work on keeping double teams from getting on him at times because that is where his nicks and bumps come from. Saturday, I didn't see him getting doubled, which was designed probably, and I don't know that they wanted him to go full bore at a new LT, so what you see on TV isn't going to say much. I did like that I saw him more in space and in coverage a little more. I did like that he is moving to the play better than he did last year. This fall is big for him and the bigger he plays, the better Bama will do.
Defensive Backs
I think DB will be a strong suit for Bama and they should be using the same philosophy they did in 2009 once Barron gets healthy. They have a real depth at safety now, but corner could stand to be a little deeper. With the scrimmage being so pass oriented, it gave folks a good look at a lot of guys and how they handled the beating drum. Overall, I was pleased with their play. There wasn't a bad breakdown or an exposed weakness. That's about all you can ask for exiting the spring.
Mark Barron- The black jersey was on but playing him was a good thing to do for him. Because he couldn't tackle, it made him be more of a coach and made him focus on reading and doing some things that he probably hasn't done as much. It may be a blessing in disguise to him that this injury happened because if he can progress in what he sees and bark that to the others, that will only improve the secondary. That was missing at times last year because they were all young. This year is his year though. He's the veteran, the leader, and it will be interesting to see if he takes a more vocal role now.
John Fulton- If they wanna play zone all day, Fulton is probably not going to win over the staff over because he's not that mentality. He is a lockdown guy who wants to go on Revis Island and rename it Fulton Stadium. That's what he is. He is probably their best man cover corner, that includes Dre, because he is always in position. The issue is that Bama plays a lot of zone and they need him to play in space and actually let his guy slip past him. That is hard sometimes. If Kirkpatrick goes pro, I don't see anyone who will take Fulton out of that role next year though.
Phelon Jones- Phelon is a bit of a frustrating thing. There are plays where he is all over the play. Then the next play he is out of position. They want him to step up and be a Star corner or the Money at times, but I don't think he's won the trust of the staff to be that. Jones as is is probably running as the 5th corner.
Dre Kirkpatrick- Dre is the lead corner and he is the best of the 3 starters at the whole role of zone and man situations. Dre's strengths are that the can close the gap when he makes a mistake and he doesn't let it get to him. He is a good tackler for a corner. He reads the play fairly well and doesn't get juked out all that bad. His area for growth is that he still lets his guy get to the outside where he doesn't have safety help and that crept up again in the 1st quarter when Gibson got around him. Yes it was a great throw, but if he drives Gibson out of that route, it is either a pick or an incomplete pass. This fall he is a lock as a starter because they don't have a guy who can give them what he does.
Robert Lester- Lester is starting as one of the 3 safeties they rotate. Lester is at his best playing center field and reacting to the play coming at him. He does a good job of playing that role and supports the corners well in that role. He isn't as comfortable in a man situation where he has to guard a guy heads up. Lester will really thrive if they can use their dime coverage more because it will keep him from playing man at all. He can sit in cover 2 and shadow and support in that role. Barron and Lowery/Williams/Perry can do those other situations. Lester does need to get better at tackling and avoid the arm tackles. I saw that a few times in the first half and it allowed way too much YAC. Lester does see the plays better now and I look for him to have a good year as long as he can be the center fielder.
Will Lowery- The lore has kinda wore off. With Perry and Williams starting to come into their own, Lowery's role probably lessens. He hustles, he tackles well, he is able to see the play as well as anyone out there, but he is a physical mismatch. He will get plenty of reps when they go dime, but I don't think you will see him as much in the nickel or base situations. His contribution to last season was good and it helped give the staff time to groom some others, but I don't see him getting a lot of reps this year.
DeQuan Menzie- Menzie was the starter at corner in last year's season opener. His injury and recovery bumped him down a bit. He is healthy, and he looks really good. He will get a lot of PT because he can cover, and tackle well. I won't be surprised if he isn't the 2nd corner and slides to Star when they go into other sets as Arenas did. I would like to see him get a little more aggressive on the blitz, but if he can be a trusty lockdown to compliment Dre, that will be just as important in the big picture. It is a shame he got hurt because he is just is an amazing athlete.
DeMarcus Millner- I get in the fan doghouse every time I talk about Millner because I'm not as sold on him as some. He apparently runs a 2.4 in the 40 and has made Chuck Norris wear his PJs. All kidding aside, I think he's out of position as the island corner. I think he's probably better suited as a Star or Money kind of player. He tackles well, and moves well, but isn't the best at recovering when he gets behind the play. He does play zone better than Fulton, and that keeps him ahead of Fulton. If they have some issues at FS, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried him out there as long as they could find 3 corners to cover up front. I hope to see him continue to grow into the role and not make as many mistakes as he did last year. I think with Menzie being 100% will help that as much as anything.
Nick Perry- It is hard to read Perry when he is in a black jersey, but I like that he still had 2 tackles regardless. He wants to be in the play and he was in the play for the most part. I think folks will get a better view of Perry in the fall when he is playing ST and reserve safety.
Vinnie Sunseri- What isn't to like about him? He is a hitter and he is very smart. He is too small for LB and maybe a step slow for safety, but he hides that by his understanding of how to play the game right. You'd think he was a coach's son or something.....I think you see him on ST and probably being the star of the unit this fall, and might slip into a few situational sets as a safety. Regardless, they will have to find a way to get a guy like him on the field.
Ranzell Watkins- Don't know where they found him but Buckeye to that guy. I liked how he played. If there was one guy out there that really took that moment serious and wanted to show it, it was Ranzell. The reality is that he's not going to play unless they are clearing the bench. However, for a one shining moment, Thomas Darrah Spring Award was definately his because he played really really well.
Jarrick Williams- I wasn't a big Williams fan last year, but I liked his progression and I like how he wanted to be in the play despite his black jersey status. Jarrick has impressed the staff too. He just needs to get healthy and stay there. It was hard to tell much other than he wants to play and wants to get in the play because he couldn't tackle and they intentionally didn't attack him on deep routes. However, this fall I think he pushes to be one of the 3 starting safeties.
Going down the roster, as I have done in the past A Days, from what I saw in person and on the replay twice, here's what I see:
Quarterbacks
I don't think they will be naming a starter any time soon. In fact, I'd be shocked if there is one for Kent State and probably not one til Arkansas or later. If you have read my posts over the last 10 years of doing this, you know, I HATE 2 QB SYSTEMS! However, that's about the only way they will be able to keep both, and get the best from both. I think both have capacities that compliment each other, and both have some pretty similar weaknesses at times. The bottom line is this team is probably going to look like the 08 offense and 09 offense early on. Lots of 2 TE sets, lots of runs and a few play actions to keep teams honest. They will do all they can to keep the QB from having to win or lose the game. They will put that role on the defense and the running game.
AJ McCarron- For all the folks who screamed for him to start over Greg McElroy, they are going to get their wish, and they may live to tell they were those people. AJ has a lot of skill sets that you can't coach. Big arm, no fear to throw it anywhere, and he reads the progressions fairly fast. The problem with AJ that continues to be a Saban chewing session is concentration and carelessness. It isn't a thing that happens all the time or every time, but it seems to creep up a good bit. The fumble at the goal line will get him a lot of growling during film, the pick not so much, but his body language isn't good at times and they'll be on him about that if he wants to be a leader. He has the factors to be great, but so did Jeff Dunn. AJ has to be a leader in the huddle when he is in the 2s as much as he is in the 1s.
Phillip Sims- Sims is a guy who just makes it look simple. It looks like it is slow and steady from start to finish. His 1st half was with the 2s to start out and he struggled because he was pressing and the 2 WRs aren't as good as the 2 DBs. AJ had that issue too. However, when you watch him at A Day, nothing gets to him and he just seems to move the team with a smooth, balanced approach. The problem he has is that he hasn't learned the reads and what Ds are throwing at him. His pick was a case of him not seeing what was out there and he put out a pretty poor throw. I would like to see him get his release a little higher too and avoid so many tips at the line.
Phillip Ely- Why do I think of Brandon Avalos when I watch him???? I will reserve judgement on him for a while, but there is this sneaking suspicion in my head that he may be a stop gap till they can recruit a few more QBs.
Blake Sims- I think as a wildcat QB, he probably gives them a little more of an option feel that a true spread QB would. I think as a drop back passer or a pocket passer, he's never going to be there. He is better at passing on the move and when it is a one read play, like a waggle right to a TE or Back type play. I think like Ely, when they fill the holes on the chart, he probably moves to tailback or slot WR.
Running Backs
The running back core is deep and won't be an issue for a few years to come, I don't think. Richardson will assume the carries that Ingram had. Lacy should get the Richardson level of carries, and it looks like Dee Hart will get that end of the game wear down that Roy Upchurch, Terry Grant, and Demetrius Goode have had the last few years. I would expect they all get a full load of carries this year as they will be asked to carry the offense while 2 green QBs mature.
Jalston Fowler- Fowler will be the short yardage guy and probably will be the 4th option at back. I wouldn't be surprised to see him at H Back some too when they need another big body out there. If Bama didn't have 2 good between the tackles runners in Richardson and Lacy, he probably would get a few more carries, but they will eat his carries for the most part.
Demetrius Goode- Goode continues to work hard and just gets yards when he carries the ball, but the talent pool has caught up to him. He may rotate with Fowler based on situations and teams as to who is 4th.
Corey Grant- Well, Grant had a chance to showcase himself some in practice before Dee Hart came along. Grant is fast and a good option outside the tackles or on a swing/screen play. He isn't going to push the pile but that is not what his role should be anyways. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't experiment with him at slot or at DB. He has plenty of athleticism and talent to contribute and more, but Hart has won the staff over and that's usually not something that changes.
Dee Hart- Hart is an amazingly gifted high school senior. Remember, his teammates and classmates just started prom while he's playing college ball. Hart has good hands and a really nice 2nd burst that separates him in the open field. I like his vision and ability to miss tackles and get extra yards. I think with a year or two in the conditioning program, and a focus on building his lower body strength, he will be a really good all purpose back. This year, he will get the mop up and some 2 minute type moments because he is so good with the ball out of the backfield.
Eddie Lacy- He ran without spinning, there is hope after all. I'm kidding.....kinda. Lacy looked determined and excited to be more involved in the offense. I think he's going to be a good compliment to Richardson as they can continue the ground and pound without adjusting the playbook with the change at back. He also will push Richardson just as TR did Ingram at times. I would like to see Eddie concentrate on his pass catching and get more consistent in running routes and getting in position to catch the ball. He is far improved in his running style and ball protection from last fall.
Trent Richardson- I think we will see the TR of the first 3 games of 2010 for all of 2011. If so, this is probably a Heisman caliber season for him. He is constantly improving and his pass blocking is now another weapon he can provide. He can catch, and run with a purpose and he looked a little frustrated at times that he couldn't play more or get some hitting going. Some people just need a little violence in their game to make them go. He is easily the best running back in the conference and may be the best in the nation. It will be fun to see him get the carries and how he handles the extra load.
Wide Receivers
Overall, I was really disappointed in their play. I was hoping to see them step up to the void that Jones left and put together a great team effort. That hopefully happened during each practice and closed scrimmages. A Day alone was not their best showing and it was a little disturbing that they all look the same and are all really more possession or slot guys and not a lot of X guys. Really, they don't have a single one on campus who can stretch the field. They loaded up on WRs and after A Day, I see why.
Kenny Bell- If Bell's game matched his complaining, he'd be unstoppable, but he remains real inconsistent and has yet to show the speed he is said to have when the game is on. He does catch the ball well when he gets his looks and he seems to like contact, which is good, but he rounds off routes and at times lets the DBs get him out of the play. Heading into the fall, Bell is down the chart a bit (depending on who you ask he's somewhere between the 5th to 7th in the mix) and will probably have to step it up a lot more than he has to be a regular contributor.
Michael Bowman- If he played, it was hidden from regular sight. Bowman's future is getting a little bleak as the depth chart is probably running him around the bottom of the group it would seem. He is a big body, but he's got a lotta issues too. I won't be surprised if he transfers or has a mystery injury that moves him to a medical scholarship.
Ronald Carswell- Carswell is young and a little raw. I would like to see him get a little more physical off the bump at times and use his arm to separate the DB. The plays I noticed him the most, he was getting overwhelmed by the corner and his bump or jam. I don't think he will get a lot of PT this year, but that isn't a bad thing either for him. If he will work on his craft some more, there is a spot for him in Hanks role possibly.
Brandon Gibson- Gibson has plodded and hung around and has finally taken hold of the 3rd option for the Tide passing game. He's a good option as a possession WR and provides a big target over the flat or in the corner. His catch over Dre K around the goal line was probably the best play of the game. With Julio gone, and the only guys his size or taller being Bowman and Norwood (not counting fall enrolls) the odds are good for him being a red zone favorite to either guy because he can get up for the ball and catch it with a little more consistency.
Darius Hanks- He isn't flashy, and he isn't a true vertical threat, but he is a very solid Z Wide out who can block well and can help stretch the defense out because there is enough film on him breaking big plays to play him honest. Hanks doesn't have the big time speed to play X, but he is a good option as the Y or Z guy in the formations. I look for Hanks to get a few more catches this year, and may lead the team in catches this fall as he always seems to find the hole and give his QBs a target when they need it.
Keiwone Malone- Malone has the luxury of a few veterans being in front of him and letting him get some reps and learn a little more. He has a good grasp of football, but he seems to sit on his routes some. I would like to see him secure the ball more and be a little more assertive out there, but his routes looked clean, no rounding or breaking off on them, and he has a good burst when he gets the ball in his hands. He isn't blazing fast, but he can separate from a defender who gets flat footed. He may be a guy who can fill the Gibson/Hanks role next year.
Marquis Maze- Saturday was a tough day for Maze. He got hurt, got beat down a bit, and just didn't have one of his better days out there in general. All that aside, he is their vertical threat for now. The problem with that is that he didn't get good separation from the corners to do that and he and the two QBs need to work on their timing some if that is his role this fall. The weird thing is that when Bama went 3 wide, they kept him in the X and didn't move a taller guy there and put him at Z (where he was last year). I think he is a starter regardless of where he plays, but if one of the incoming guys can lock the X down, putting him at Z will give them more options in the passing game down the road.
Kevin Norwood- I like how Norwood plays, but he needs to do a little better job of helping his QB find him when he's separating or open in a zone pocket. I get the impression that he just can't win the coaches over completely to let him play more. Of course, A Day is hard to gauge who is where at times and he's one of them. I like his size and I like his ability to seemingly always catch what is at him. I would guess he is either 5th or 6th in the rotation right now.
DeAndrew White- The staff really likes him and he seems to be getting the playbook down good. I didn't notice him running any bad routes, but he needs to get tough on the corners and not let them push him around as much as they did Saturday. That is just a coaching and learning thing. Like Malone, they won't be leaning on him yet, so he can get some live reps and see the speed and experience the game some and grow through it. He is probably 4WR right now.
Tight Ends
Overall, they will be asked to do what they do best, block. I was pleased to see them incorporate Williams a little more and it was nice to see Jones and Vogler play. However, I think we all know what they will do 90 percent of the time in the fall, and they will do it well.
Harrison Jones- He is probably the future H Back and will press Smelley to play better or he will lose to Jones too. I like his build and like how he plays. He has the good bloodline, and he is a really good athlete for his size. Has good hands and is a nice lead blocker as a H Back, so you probably will see him a good bit as they go with different looks to throw teams off. I really won't be surprised if he wins the H Back role at some point this year.
Brad Smelley- Smelley continues to work towards being the every down H Back, but he just isn't a blocker by trade. Is that fair to him? No, because you take a guy who played QB in High School and ask him to pound around, that is hard for him to do when he really wasn't a physical QB before. He really is an oversized slot WR, but this is the last run for him and hopefully with this being it, he'll come out with a fire in him to be the blocker and be the receiving threat he can be.
Chris Underwood- I remember when Chris was here in 1998. Seems like he's been there for a decade, but this is it for him too. I think you will see him in some goal line sets and in some mop up/rest up moments, but he just isn't physical enough to be the every down guy. Like Smelley, he's an oversized WR, but he will contribute and move along.
Brian Vogler- The play everyone will talk about is Sunseri lighting him up. I would worry more if Lester or Lowery lit him up to be honest. Big V is going to see some time at both the H and Y when they go 2 TE because he's a good blocker. I think they want to get him some reps and use him like they did Williams a few years ago. Getting him ready for next year is top priority. The Jones/Vogler era may be the best TE tandem since Hape/Rutledge. Vogler is a good pass catching threat with his hand down and he is a very physical blocker and I noticed him finish several blocks over the course of the game.
Offensive Line
I like the changes that Stoutland has started working on. They are going to be more helmet on helmet and less zone blocking. I think he will help each of the 2 deep linemen grow and be pro ready. With the expectation of a run heavy offense, this change will really pay off. I don't think the changes up front have stopped, but I don't think the incommers (is that a real word) are the ones who will move the roster. They are looking for speed and power on the left side and they have found parts of it, but I don't know if they have found one guy with it yet. I know this, the most valuable position this year is center because they don't have one after Vlachos. NONE. How that has happened, I don't know, but they are really behind there. I would guess Lindsay is the 2C based on his play Saturday, but the gap between 1 and 2 is very wide.
John Michael Boswell- JMB is still that guy who can play 4 spots, but isn't the best at any. I thought he looked good again on Saturday and if he had to start, it wouldn't worry me much.
Aaron Douglas- I thought he looked good for the most part. He is a pass blocker but is not going to drive the pile against anyone. That is probably where he is losing ground to now Jones. I know the rumors are that they want 30 pounds put on him, but I question if he needs that much. I think the second issue is the style of the line is different. UT uses a more zone block technique and is more about protection and gaps than fist fights. I still think he's a legit shot at starter, sorry Cyrus K must start day 1 folks, but if they have a capable guard and Jones is the guy, that is what it is. However, if one got hurt and Jones had to slide over, I wouldn't be freaking out about using Douglas myself.
DJ Fluker- Fluker will thrive under the new coach. I really like the thought of him not having to think about where to be so much and just who to put a hat on and drill him down. He is their best run blocking lineman by a long ways. He is improving in the pass block, but he gets overwhelmed by a speed rush. Hightower got on him a few times and he lost Donta too early. It is still a work in progress and he is showing a lot of progress from a year ago. He looks like he's in much better shape, short of the gimpy knee, and looks a little more comfortable about what his role is. I do think RT is where he has to play if he plays tackle, and Barrett Jones moving to LT instead of him kinda ends that talk don't it? I still wouldn't mind seeing him slide over to guard at some point to get more speed at tackle when they want to throw the ball more, but that's a long theory and conversation for a summer down time. As is, he's gonna be a good focal point where you see a lot of Richardson runs this fall.
Barrett Jones- Jones is like JMB except he's probably the best at all 5 spots. I thought he looked good at LT. He is mobile and did a good job on Upshaw for the most part. He has a good first step out and keeps his feet and body centered and doesn't get out of balance. I don't know if he is quite the run blocking force they'd like at LT, but he probably does it better than either McCullough or Douglas right now. Regardless of where he lands, I like the odds that his spot will be the best pass blocked area on the 5.
Arie Kouandijo- He played RT Saturday but is probably going to play both T and G at times. I think the thing with him is that there are just veterans ahead of him and he'll have to wait his time out to get his shot. I like him at guard a little better because he's not quite mobile enough on the outside blitz yet, but I like his technique and I like that he doesn't quit on the play even when he got beat a time or two.
Chad Lindsay- He is who I would peg as the backup center if left up to me, but he's got a lot of work and practice to do if that is who starts next year. I thought he did a good job of standing up Williams and others, but I didn't see a lot of gaps or surge from him in the game. He probably is better suited as a guard, but they need a guy to backup Vlachos, and he's probably it.
Tyler Love- I'm not gonna beat a dead horse, but you know his issue and you know I have said it for 4 years now. He isn't going to play any time soon, at least not in anything other than deep roster playout against the Kent States and such.
Alfred McCullough- If AMC was about 3 inches taller, he'd started a long time ago. Technically he is sound, and he is tough and strong, but he just gives up too much size to bigger D linemen out there. He will play some tackle and guard this fall and I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't use him in the goal line some as an extra TE. To me, Jones moving to LT is more of an impact/statement on Alfred than anything. However, he will continue to be a guy who will get mentioned a lot for different starting roles and always be a big contributor off the bench.
Austin Shepherd- I thought he looked ok against the 2s Saturday. He's big, and you won't miss him out there because you can see him over the sea of 6-2 guys they have. The only issue he is gonna have is where can he possibly play and start? LT? No, he's not fast enough. RT? Nope, depth chart is deep there. Guard? Depth chart lookin pretty set there for a while. Center? Too tall. So despite him looking fairly good out there, I don't know if he'd play short of a couple of injuries.
Anthony Steen- The Incredible Hulk is a very solid run guard and with the issues at LT, he has been given another chance to hold down a starting job. He has improved his pass blocking from last fall, but he still struggles with speed. Hightower got past him relatively unscathed and blew up the play. He had a few times where he wasn't quite sure who his hat was for, and that cause a few issues at times, but he is still young and raw. I think with the focus being run baby run, he probably will be fine if that is who they start.
William Vlachos- Oh please football gods, don't let him get hurt, they know not what they have behind him. Vlachos looks healthy again and looked in better condition than last fall. That is the main thing for him is getting him back to 09 health and conditioning. If he comes in this fall like he did last one, it could be another long season. As is, he did a real good job of opening some running lanes up the pipe and sealed off several good blocks for TR during the game. They need him to step up and be a leader though. Individually, they are all 5 good and one or two of them may even be great, but they need someone to rally them together and keep them organized. He should be that guy.
Chance Warmack- Chance has answered the bell again and kept his job through Spring. I know the playbook was short and sweet, but I would have liked to have seen if they could run him on the counter now or is he still not quick enough to pull around. Like Vlachos, that's his main thing, can he get in good playing shape. I like that he can work with Vlachos and move the pile and create the lane, but I need to see him take on some good rushers and see where his improvement is from last fall.
Kellen Williams- He and Lindsay rotated as the White center. I think he's better off at guard too, but he'll never play there either. At center, he's gotta get quicker out of his stance. He was slow coming out of the snap and let the player rushing his gap get all over him quick. He needs some work on the shotgun snaps too. He has time to work on those things as those are both just experience and coaching things. I still can't believe they don't have a single guy that is just ready to go at center though.
Defensive line
Overall, it was a good day for the defense as a whole and with the scrimmage being what it was, the DL was not going to just be allowed to do all the tricks it does. With that said, I was real pleased with how much depth they have and how much more surge was coming from the line. They have a lot of new faces that need to learn the technique differences and some of the differences in the 3-4 and Saban's Nickel schemes and what they know from the 4-3 and such.
Josh Chapman- When he is focused and in shape, he is a very formidable player. He is one of the strongest on the team and he has a really good motor. I like that he has answered the bell because most assumed Jesse Williams would take him over. That hasn't and probably won't happen. JC's stat line won't blow the doors off anyone, but his role is to clog the lane and drive it back to the QB. He did that a good bit and moved to the ball well. He could stand to work on some drills to speed up his hands some to keep the linemen out of his chest guard.
Quinton Dial- I saw him all over the field and he looks the part. He will add some depth to the rotation this fall at both spots, but he's gotta learn the system still. I think as long as his motor and pursuit are where they are, they will find more ways to get him on the field each week.
Nick Gentry- The Internets loves them some Gentry. All kidding aside, I like him as a good change of pace from the big bodies they throw out there on normal occasions. Gentry will continue to provide the role he did last year. I think that's a good contributing role for him and the team and a good reminder that not everybody has to start to be a big part in the process....was that too coachy? Ahem, I like how Gentry seems to always squirt past the guards and be in the backfield. He's smart and does a good job of confusing the lineman on him because you can't tell if he is going at you or around you or through you.
Brandon Ivory- That's a big ol boy. I don't know how much PT he has in his future this year, but I think the odds improve next year as there will be some spots to fill next spring.
Brandon Lewis- I thought he looked real good as the game wore on. He's a little small for DE in the base 3-4, but he is very strong and a senior with some PT experience. Like Ivory, it is hard to tell how much time he will get this fall, but I can't see a reason not to put him in a rotation somewhere.
Darrington Sentimore- I get what Saban was saying. He gets the pass rush aspect of his job. He doesn't quite have the patience for the run stopping part of his game. I think you probably will see a good deal of him in passing and blitz situations because he can disrupt things and draw double teams to open up other rushers. I won't be surprised if he lines up inside a good deal on nickel as they attempt to find as many options as possible to get a set of fresh legs on the field.
Damion Square- I thought he looked much more in shape and I don't see anyone who will take that spot from him. The thing about Square is that he can be whatever the play needs him to be. If they need him to be a gap filling lineman, he does that well. If they need him to rush the QB, he can do that. If they need him to drive open a gap for the linebackers, he can definitely do that. Saturday was a unique drill for him and the line, they weren't dialing up a lot for them, and that was on purpose, but he was still very effective at keeping his lineman stiff most of the day. I look for him to have a really good year.
Ed Stinson- Stinson is running as the number 2 end and he probably will play a good bit as he will rotate with Square and Sentimore and Williams/Dial/others. If Bama played a 4-3, he would probably be a starter or a rush end specialist. That is what they want him to be. I think as a full time end in the 3-4, he probably is a little light because the guys who play in those roles need to be closer to 290-310 range, but they can use him off the edge and hopefully disrupt. If they can scheme him right, and keep a 300 pound tackle off him, he can be a zone end and drop into coverage, or play man on a TE or FB. He is strong and has good speed still in spite of the weight gain, and that part is where he starts to contribute, but I question if he can play end every down.
Jesse Williams- Could you hear the Internet bubble hiss as the game wore on? The guy who the Internets said could do all and piss fire was a let down for those folks. To me, he was fine. There are 2 things fans need to do to temper their bullshit. First, he isn't a nose guard. He's a defensive tackle. He is more comfortable in the 3-4 as an end, which is where he has practiced with the 1s. When you move him in at NG, he isn't comfortable with the technique or the placement that comes with that. Second, he has only played here for 2 weeks roughly. He won't know the plays or the techniques to play in this scheme yet. Cody would have looked like shit too if he came in the spring, for a different reason partially, but it isn't fair to Williams to say he should be all world just because you saw a picture with tats and a big bicep. Williams as is, has to get his hands faster and keep the linemen from getting in on him. I look for him to work on his technique a lot in the summer and with his size, he will play very well as an end and a part time NG, but he won't be the next Cody.
Linebackers
The one position that is so deep it is sick is LB. I was really surprised by a few in how they were progressing and one that just came in and looks like a guy who has played 2 or three years. The good thing about the depth is that it gives them several looks and tricks to throw to the offense that can confuse them.
Trey Depriest- I told folks I really liked him after signing day. You saw it Saturday. He is a HS senior who plays like a 2nd or 3rd year player. The best thing about him is that he gets the role. He moves to the ball and is very good in space. He keeps blockers from tying him down when he is moving to the ball. He has really good instincts and will only improve. I don't see him redshirting unless they just really can't find a place for him. I think he's a ST starter and probably a 2nd/3rd Mike.
Jerrell Harris- Fans want him to be so much more, but he still is that same guy he was 4 years ago. He flies around and when he lucks into a play, he makes a play with a big hit. I get why fans have made him a unicorn. However, he stays in the coaches' doghouse because he doesn't stay in position. Where Trey DePriest is young but yet seemed to stay in position all day, Harris got too far inside a few times and allowed the play to get around him. I don't think fans see that because he's not at the finish of the play. Harris is starting at Sam which is kinda the lifetime achievement award for a guy. He will get some snaps, but there are a lot of guys ahead of him when they go to passing defense, so I don't think folks will get a lot of Harris watching.
Donta Hightower- He's back. He moves like the Donta of old. He runs at close to if not the same speed as before. Last year was a challenge that he struggled through because it was obvious that he had not recovered yet and was trying to do things his body couldn't. That won't be a problem now. With that year in his character, he seems to have grown as a leader on the defense. They will use him at Mike in base set situations, and at a rush end when they go nickel and dime. He should excel in that role because before the injury, he was thought as the best Jack they had. Donta will have a big fall if he stays healthy and continues to push those around him to improve.
Adrian Hubbard- I liked what I saw of AH Saturday. He is quick and he is bulking up nicely. He dominated Tyler Love a few times and displayed his ability to drive a bigger player back into the QB. His motor runs well and he really has the upside that should translate into big plays in the future. He is the number 2 Jack with Watkins out. I don't know how much PT he can get with Watkins back, but I think they will work on getting him a little seasoning for next year. I think he can open the role up to be a true hybrid linebacker who can play with his hand down or standing and playing in space. It will be fun to watch at least.
Nico Johnson- Nico looked healthy and he and CJ have made a big leap in their communication. What is so impressive about Nico is that he always finds the ball regardless of who he has to engage to get the ball. He is the starting Will and will play on about every down now because he is just that good.
CJ Mosley- CJ has started to make that next step. He reminds folks of Rolando McClain and rightfully so. He is very smart and a future tandem of he and DePriest is a nice thought for folks to salivate on. Mosley is the Mike in nickel and Dime situations and can play Will when needed. I like how well he reads the play and how he seems to make the call to the others who depend on him. His chemistry with Nico is real good and as much nickel as they play, he should thrive with that teamwork. I think if folks liked him last year, they will love him this year because he has a full year under his belt now.
Chris Jordan- Jordan has consistently held the 2nd string ILB role and will continue to. He is a good sub and serves an important role. He probably is a little small to start, but when they need to get some subs in to rest the starters, he is more than capable of holding his own.
Tana Patrick- Tana is now a Jack and deep on the chart. I didn't really see him much Saturday and I think that kinda says all in itself.
Courtney Upshaw- He continues to work on his role and I think he knows he really needs to put a full resume out there to the NFL Draft. When he is healthy, he is one of the best in the nation at rushing the QB. He has a lot of intangibles that you can't coach. His motor runs non-stop and he likes to hit and disrupt the offense. He just has to give it 14 games. He needs to work on keeping double teams from getting on him at times because that is where his nicks and bumps come from. Saturday, I didn't see him getting doubled, which was designed probably, and I don't know that they wanted him to go full bore at a new LT, so what you see on TV isn't going to say much. I did like that I saw him more in space and in coverage a little more. I did like that he is moving to the play better than he did last year. This fall is big for him and the bigger he plays, the better Bama will do.
Defensive Backs
I think DB will be a strong suit for Bama and they should be using the same philosophy they did in 2009 once Barron gets healthy. They have a real depth at safety now, but corner could stand to be a little deeper. With the scrimmage being so pass oriented, it gave folks a good look at a lot of guys and how they handled the beating drum. Overall, I was pleased with their play. There wasn't a bad breakdown or an exposed weakness. That's about all you can ask for exiting the spring.
Mark Barron- The black jersey was on but playing him was a good thing to do for him. Because he couldn't tackle, it made him be more of a coach and made him focus on reading and doing some things that he probably hasn't done as much. It may be a blessing in disguise to him that this injury happened because if he can progress in what he sees and bark that to the others, that will only improve the secondary. That was missing at times last year because they were all young. This year is his year though. He's the veteran, the leader, and it will be interesting to see if he takes a more vocal role now.
John Fulton- If they wanna play zone all day, Fulton is probably not going to win over the staff over because he's not that mentality. He is a lockdown guy who wants to go on Revis Island and rename it Fulton Stadium. That's what he is. He is probably their best man cover corner, that includes Dre, because he is always in position. The issue is that Bama plays a lot of zone and they need him to play in space and actually let his guy slip past him. That is hard sometimes. If Kirkpatrick goes pro, I don't see anyone who will take Fulton out of that role next year though.
Phelon Jones- Phelon is a bit of a frustrating thing. There are plays where he is all over the play. Then the next play he is out of position. They want him to step up and be a Star corner or the Money at times, but I don't think he's won the trust of the staff to be that. Jones as is is probably running as the 5th corner.
Dre Kirkpatrick- Dre is the lead corner and he is the best of the 3 starters at the whole role of zone and man situations. Dre's strengths are that the can close the gap when he makes a mistake and he doesn't let it get to him. He is a good tackler for a corner. He reads the play fairly well and doesn't get juked out all that bad. His area for growth is that he still lets his guy get to the outside where he doesn't have safety help and that crept up again in the 1st quarter when Gibson got around him. Yes it was a great throw, but if he drives Gibson out of that route, it is either a pick or an incomplete pass. This fall he is a lock as a starter because they don't have a guy who can give them what he does.
Robert Lester- Lester is starting as one of the 3 safeties they rotate. Lester is at his best playing center field and reacting to the play coming at him. He does a good job of playing that role and supports the corners well in that role. He isn't as comfortable in a man situation where he has to guard a guy heads up. Lester will really thrive if they can use their dime coverage more because it will keep him from playing man at all. He can sit in cover 2 and shadow and support in that role. Barron and Lowery/Williams/Perry can do those other situations. Lester does need to get better at tackling and avoid the arm tackles. I saw that a few times in the first half and it allowed way too much YAC. Lester does see the plays better now and I look for him to have a good year as long as he can be the center fielder.
Will Lowery- The lore has kinda wore off. With Perry and Williams starting to come into their own, Lowery's role probably lessens. He hustles, he tackles well, he is able to see the play as well as anyone out there, but he is a physical mismatch. He will get plenty of reps when they go dime, but I don't think you will see him as much in the nickel or base situations. His contribution to last season was good and it helped give the staff time to groom some others, but I don't see him getting a lot of reps this year.
DeQuan Menzie- Menzie was the starter at corner in last year's season opener. His injury and recovery bumped him down a bit. He is healthy, and he looks really good. He will get a lot of PT because he can cover, and tackle well. I won't be surprised if he isn't the 2nd corner and slides to Star when they go into other sets as Arenas did. I would like to see him get a little more aggressive on the blitz, but if he can be a trusty lockdown to compliment Dre, that will be just as important in the big picture. It is a shame he got hurt because he is just is an amazing athlete.
DeMarcus Millner- I get in the fan doghouse every time I talk about Millner because I'm not as sold on him as some. He apparently runs a 2.4 in the 40 and has made Chuck Norris wear his PJs. All kidding aside, I think he's out of position as the island corner. I think he's probably better suited as a Star or Money kind of player. He tackles well, and moves well, but isn't the best at recovering when he gets behind the play. He does play zone better than Fulton, and that keeps him ahead of Fulton. If they have some issues at FS, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried him out there as long as they could find 3 corners to cover up front. I hope to see him continue to grow into the role and not make as many mistakes as he did last year. I think with Menzie being 100% will help that as much as anything.
Nick Perry- It is hard to read Perry when he is in a black jersey, but I like that he still had 2 tackles regardless. He wants to be in the play and he was in the play for the most part. I think folks will get a better view of Perry in the fall when he is playing ST and reserve safety.
Vinnie Sunseri- What isn't to like about him? He is a hitter and he is very smart. He is too small for LB and maybe a step slow for safety, but he hides that by his understanding of how to play the game right. You'd think he was a coach's son or something.....I think you see him on ST and probably being the star of the unit this fall, and might slip into a few situational sets as a safety. Regardless, they will have to find a way to get a guy like him on the field.
Ranzell Watkins- Don't know where they found him but Buckeye to that guy. I liked how he played. If there was one guy out there that really took that moment serious and wanted to show it, it was Ranzell. The reality is that he's not going to play unless they are clearing the bench. However, for a one shining moment, Thomas Darrah Spring Award was definately his because he played really really well.
Jarrick Williams- I wasn't a big Williams fan last year, but I liked his progression and I like how he wanted to be in the play despite his black jersey status. Jarrick has impressed the staff too. He just needs to get healthy and stay there. It was hard to tell much other than he wants to play and wants to get in the play because he couldn't tackle and they intentionally didn't attack him on deep routes. However, this fall I think he pushes to be one of the 3 starting safeties.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)