I pushed this back a little due to the Partygate thread wave, but now practice starts and we can all think about actual football. So with that said..
LAST YEAR RECAP
The amusing thing about fans is that while McElroy played really well in 10 out of 14 games, they like to talk about those 4. Last season's QB recap can be summed up in 3 games: Virginia Tech, Auburn, and Florida. They can because those 3 are the 3 games that needed the QB to win the game for them, and he did. For all the complaints, for all the "AJ will start ifs" and all the bullshit that comes from fans across the Internets, not once in 2009 did McElroy endanger the team's chances of winning. Even in his worst games, he didn't quit or go into his shell the way that Jarrett Lee has or Tim Tebow did after he got rocked. The 3 games referenced are great indications of why McElroy doesn't lose often. Remember back to VT, the team was rattled, they were getting beat up by the Tech Defense early, but McElroy didn't quit, he slowly dug his way out of the trenches and then started to control the game and finished with a flurry after missing his first 7 out of 8. Against Auburn, nothing had gone well....NOTHING. However, the team had held on and was in a position to win the game in the end. They needed Greg to be Greg, and he commanded the pocket and the huddle and it was almost a throwback to Barker's days where you almost knew they were going to win just because he had the ball. I think the biggest boost to why the staff is locked in on McElroy is displayed in this game.
In the goal line, the call was to grind out and play for a field goal, but Saban chose to use Greg's abilities and play for the lock down win. Remember, a FG there doesn't ice it, but a TD makes things hard for Auburn to recover in less than a minute. Saban trusted McElroy to win the game, and he did. Against Florida, he owned Florida and played through pain in the end to crush them. Those are the games that make 2009 what it was for the quarterbacks.
THIS OFFSEASON
Who is back?
Greg McElroy. Can he hit all the throws? No, or at least he wasn't last we saw him. Does that matter? No. I really tire of that argument as to why someone should or shouldn't start. Has a Nick Saban team ever won anything throwing the ball around? Not really, he likes control and time consumption, not WAC stat lines. McElroy is the guy in the huddle who gets the guys to where they need to be mentally. You can see that time and time again as the team struggled, he amped them up, when they needed to get poised, he calmed them. When things went bad for him and he wasn't at his best, he didn't dwell or point about it, he accepted it and worked through it. I do think that we will see more of his abilities this fall though because he's now faced 14 rough games....well maybe 11 tough ones. He's now had the entire summer to get the kinks worked out, and if he can get a 2nd WR to play consistent, watch out. Regardless, as long as he controls the huddle, keeps the offense moving in the right direction, and scoring points, he's going to be remembered fondly in time. He had plenty of reasons to quit, but his patience paid off in the end.
AJ McCarron- AJ is a 4 star QB that comes from a HS that is rich in college profile players. He has a good arm, not a cannon, and is accurate when his mechanics are on. He has a tendency to not set and throw and forgets his fundamentals at times. When he's got his stuff together, he's a very capable pocket QB. He likes to sit in the pocket and check down, not real wild about getting out in space and creating or doing a waggle. His throwing motion is good, and he whips the ball around the way you are taught, and the ball comes out fast so he avoids sacks. The ball rarely drops below the pad and it comes out at the point of release not too early or late. His footwork is improving and he sets up better now than he did in HS. The thing that AJ has to learn or earn is how to lead and how to deal with adversity. He has had his visits to the dog house since arriving and needs to continue to prove those days are over. Relax team AJ fans, he didn't shoot fireworks or anything bad, he just let the staff down a bit when they tested him. AJ will play some this year, how much will depend on what kinda lead they build and other situations, but I don't see anything indicating that he's going to start or push to start this year. He'll get broken in some and play with the 1s and 2s to get some film for the staff to work with, and then next spring it is his to lose.
Who is gone?
Star Jackson. I wasn't surprised that he went in a new direction. He never could get over the fact that his arm wasn't what they wanted him to use.
Thomas Darrah. Somewhere, the fans of Darrah are in their jorts ready to seek revenge. I just hope they are loose fitting and not nut huggers.
Who is new?
Phillip Sims- He has all the ability to be great, there is no questioning that. I don't know that he'll play any this year, but it won't be because he's not ready or not good enough. He has the big arm, good mechanics, and doesn't fear getting hit. His main issue is that his throwing motion is slower than old people screwing. I think this fall he needs to show that he can handle being the scout QB, and show the staff that he's got the mental game down. That always wins with Saban over physical attributes.
THE QUARTERBACKS
The Good…
A proven QB
For all the doubts about him and complaints, he is one of the most experienced QBs in the SEC and already one of the winningest. McElroy will only grow from his experiences and with that and his abilities, I can see good things for the offense this year.
A better schedule for QBs
Sounds like a bad grunge band name, but it is true. There are not as many buzz saw defenses to face like what they saw last year. Penn State is going to be tough, but they are not fast like what Bama sees all fall in the conference. Florida and USCar will be the best 2 they see this fall, but he's already experienced all they have to offer.
The quality of depth is improving each fall
This is a cut and paste from last year but still valid: I think as long as I live, I will remember the Croyle/Pennington/Guillon/Avalos fiasco season where the defense won all 6 games for them and the offense resembled a 9-10 year old rec team. Saban realized early on he didn't have much to work with, and really he is still pretty thin if he is using walkons above 3rd string at times. This fall, however, he has McElroy who has the potential to be very good, McCarron who has the potential to be a long term answer for the team, and Phillip Sims has that potential as well. It seems like 100 years ago that things were that bad, and who knows we may all be snowed over on the talent of these guys, but I doubt that.
The Bad...
The Team AJ v. Team Greg thing...
It really isn't down to fighting yet, but there is always the group that loves the backup QB. I did when Wilson was the QB because he shakes like a tree when he gets hit, and wanted to see McElroy play in 08, but for the most part I usually accept that there is a reason why the depth chart is what it is. Not to jump off subject much, but what would we be talking bout if he had gone to McElroy in 08? Do we talk about our repeat champions or not? Interesting random thought to ponder. When this battle on message boards and coffee tables rages, it will be about experience vs. potential. That's really all AJ can show fans is potential, but he has nothing real to go on yet. That will change this fall, but every time AJ plays, you can bet that there will be about 50 dumb animals who say "see that is who we need out there, he can hit all the throws". Again with the throws thing.....anyways, it will be there and it can be divisive if not handled well by fans and others. My hope is some will just let things be and enjoy what we are seeing and not trying to tinker so much now that Bama is on top.
The Ugly…
The worst case scenario
The traditional ugly for me at QB. The thing here is that we don't know much beyond McElroy. We think, but we don't know. It is one thing to look good in 7 on 7s (total snow job as far as talent evaluation goes) and it is hard to know when watching practices or scrimmages because there are so many situational drills that you can't tell much by them, but it is another thing to look great vs. live opponents. If McElroy gets hurt, and AJ isn't all that we all think he can be, things can get real bad real fast even if the defenses aren't as mean this year. They're still mean enough for a green QB.
DEPTH CHART
Starter- McElroy. even if he loses a game, it is his job for the year.
2nd String- AJ McCarron. He now gets the tough task of waiting and dealing with the wait.
3rd String- Ogilvie. Only because I think Sims will redshirt if at all possible. Look for Morgan to run the clock out vs. San Jose and GA State.
July 26, 2010
July 19, 2010
Random Thoughts- The Devil in Optimism
Since summer 2 a days are on the way, well everywhere but Athens (weak), it is time to dust off the GBU preseason guide and start looking down the chart and talking through the good, the bad, and the potential ugly of the 2010 team.
This is really a delicate time for the Crimson Tide in a sense that while they have a lot of reasons to be optimistic and you want your team to believe it can be a champion, there are pitfalls ahead if you get too positive and only focus on the strengths of the team. It would be easy for the Tide to rest on its laurels and do what most teams have done not named USCal and Nebraska over the last 2 decades, but we know that Saban is a little different than that and the quest to repeat is something I think he really, REALLY wants to do.
Saban will earn his payday and then some this fall because now instead of pushing the team to be a champion, they have to play the role of a champion and defend it. They have the talent across the board, they have experienced leaders, they have depth at most areas, they have great coaches, so one would think this is a sure bet, right? Guarding and managing optimism and confidence will be a tough act for a coach that hasn't had to do that much in the last 3 years. If you think back, his first year was about showing them the way, the second was continuing to show the way and build up from that, last year was about finishing what they built, and now it is about what they have built and continuing to build from that. Confusing ain't it? Some will say "Saban has a plan.", others will say "There is nothing wrong with being confident and optimistic.", and they are right to a point. However, there is a reason nobody since USCal (technically) and Nebraska have repeated in the modern era as national champs. LSU's championship teams with Saban and Myles fell flat and did not even attempt to repeat in the end. Florida has come the closest with their 08 and 09 seasons, but they found tough opposition all through 2009 that caught up with them when Bama waited for the revenge they sought.
That's where Bama is now. They all want to be the one that takes Bama down. Every team Bama plays this fall will be circling the game and talking about it in summer drills and fall practices. They will be talking about it in the weight rooms. They will mention it in film over and over. Teams like USCar and UF will be dying for a second chance. Teams like Auburn and Tennessee will be wanting to show the world that they figured out the trick of beating Saban. The devil in optimism is that while Bama has all the pieces to win again, there are several teams looking for ways to take the pieces apart and run through them.
There are 5 things ahead that you will hear and will make you think perfection is ahead, but moderate what you read and hear with what it really means. There are pitfalls in the 5 areas.
This is really a delicate time for the Crimson Tide in a sense that while they have a lot of reasons to be optimistic and you want your team to believe it can be a champion, there are pitfalls ahead if you get too positive and only focus on the strengths of the team. It would be easy for the Tide to rest on its laurels and do what most teams have done not named USCal and Nebraska over the last 2 decades, but we know that Saban is a little different than that and the quest to repeat is something I think he really, REALLY wants to do.
Saban will earn his payday and then some this fall because now instead of pushing the team to be a champion, they have to play the role of a champion and defend it. They have the talent across the board, they have experienced leaders, they have depth at most areas, they have great coaches, so one would think this is a sure bet, right? Guarding and managing optimism and confidence will be a tough act for a coach that hasn't had to do that much in the last 3 years. If you think back, his first year was about showing them the way, the second was continuing to show the way and build up from that, last year was about finishing what they built, and now it is about what they have built and continuing to build from that. Confusing ain't it? Some will say "Saban has a plan.", others will say "There is nothing wrong with being confident and optimistic.", and they are right to a point. However, there is a reason nobody since USCal (technically) and Nebraska have repeated in the modern era as national champs. LSU's championship teams with Saban and Myles fell flat and did not even attempt to repeat in the end. Florida has come the closest with their 08 and 09 seasons, but they found tough opposition all through 2009 that caught up with them when Bama waited for the revenge they sought.
That's where Bama is now. They all want to be the one that takes Bama down. Every team Bama plays this fall will be circling the game and talking about it in summer drills and fall practices. They will be talking about it in the weight rooms. They will mention it in film over and over. Teams like USCar and UF will be dying for a second chance. Teams like Auburn and Tennessee will be wanting to show the world that they figured out the trick of beating Saban. The devil in optimism is that while Bama has all the pieces to win again, there are several teams looking for ways to take the pieces apart and run through them.
There are 5 things ahead that you will hear and will make you think perfection is ahead, but moderate what you read and hear with what it really means. There are pitfalls in the 5 areas.
1. 7 on 7 drills. 7 on 7 drills are a great way to get deceived when it gets down to it. If you have heard that everyone looks awesome in 7 on 7 s, it is because it is easier to look sharp in that setting. Remember, Star Jackson, Brandon Avalos, Nick Fanuzzi, and others have looked good to the naked eye in that setting. I know from listening to Saban's caravan tour that he values leadership and more intangible items than he does who can jump high, run the fastest, or throw the farthest. 7 on 7s are good for seeing potential, but never ever take them and try to make more than it is.
2. Summer practices open to public. It seems like every year this becomes a real session of who can bullshit the highest when someone gets to view a scrimmage or practice and go online and tell all about it. The thing that I come away with when you ask them about what they saw is pretty much what they wanted to see. The problem comes in when you cannot tell the factual part from the perception. Case in point- how many times did you hear that certain players were studs, beasts, etc. and then they never break the 2 deep? We are all guilty of having pet players or whatever you wanna call it. One poster on a site of bowel movement nature had a thing for Hannaran and he was gonna be special, I couldn't tell you what he looked like much less. Probably the best example is last year's scrimmages. There were some who said McElroy was throwing behind the WRs and they thought Star looked better, others hailed him as greatness. Then you heard later in the year that at any moment, Coach Saban was going to pull McElroy for AJ because he was getting snaps in practice. Folks, if you played any sports at all you know that in some cases, the coaches will let the 2nd string guys fill in during practice to get them ready for emergency needs. Starters pretty well know the playbook (at least in Saban times they do, pre-Saban/post-Stallings not so much at times) and it is good to work through fresh legs and rest tired ones. Does that relay in the posting or emails? No, but it does make for great thread counts and e-fights. I can't think of one game where I thought he was going to lose his job because they were never really behind or struggling to stay in the game for that matter, but again, someone said somewhere.....
3. That damn depth chart. You can fall into the Saban trap and have to chew your leg off to get out if you put deep stock in an early depth chart. I always get a kick out of depth chart analysis. I've learned it is about as good as the paper it is printed on until opening day kickoff. Even then, you trust it with your own peril because Saban isn't afraid to switch around til he likes what he sees. Remember, Barrett Jones came out of nowhere to be the starter, as did Drew Davis, Javier Arenas, and Kareem Jackson became a starter half way through his first year. Dont'a Hightower was a surprise when he beat Prince Hall out in 2008 (well at the time it was). Brandon Fanney surprised several by winning the Jack job after Knight was hurt. The list goes on, but you get the idea. When the depth chart comes out, don't put it in stone just yet.
4. When Coach Saban mentions players.... Another pitfall for endless misplaced optimism comes every press conference that Saban does. It is no wonder he gets pissed and chews reporters for asking questions at times, when he knows the answers will have fans off in a delusional theory fest over every word he lets out. Saban does 2 things in the press conferences that I've picked up on. First, he tries to give as many "shout outs" as he can. It helps their confidence and it helps recruiting to know that you can be mentioned on TV everyday. Second, he takes the time given to put inside messages to players not making the cut. We don't ever know the who, but you can usually pick up on it when he says it. I listen closely to his conferences but I don't try to analyze them very much because Monday could be a bad day, Tuesday a great one, and so on.
5. This year is the year because a player had X stars in high school... My favorite thing in the world is how popular culture has made stars in again. We got them for doing good in kindergarten and now we can see them if you can play ball. If you read my blog often, you know I don't like the star ratings because it is too much gospel for some and they can't understand why a Von Ewing, Albert Means, etc. didn't cut it. I prefer to actually see them play before I get wild about a player. The Team AJ bunch lynches to this a lot because he was a 4 star QB from Mobile. In case you missed it, he had 4 stars....no snaps....no starts... but 4 stars. I know as I type this, Team AJ will stand in their jorts and howl at me. In a couple of days, you'll see I like AJ as much as anyone, but I'm not delusional yet. Tyler Love comes to mind in the stars = starts someday soon thought. Love for the life of him is big enough to play, but isn't going to unless someone gets hurt. There is a lot more to it than just how you look in a jersey or in video against the rug rats of your class level, but how you can project to grow. Sometimes, players are as far as they can go when you are seeing them recruited. Sometimes, a player has a lot of untapped potential that we can't see on film (Arenas comes to mind). So just blurting out "he is a 4 star/5 star and the starter was a 3 star" doesn't really mean much when it gets down to it.
In the end, optimism is a good thing, it makes things go forward, but too much or misplaced optimism can have the exact opposite effect. There are a lot of things to be excited about. You'll see that in each posting as we talk about each roster position. However, if you think this team will easily roll through, or even go undefeated right now, your optimism is probably too high just yet. I know from listening to Saban speak and reading the pre-season mags, he is trying to temper the enthusiasm and keep things more like they were than what they are.
That's kinda the focus this pre-season, where can fans really be optimistic and where might they temper it a bit. In the past, we've always talked about who it would take to be champions, so that's a nice change to go to. It took the GBU/Random Thoughts blog 9 years to get to that point and it wandered through some really bad days, but the fun part is ahead. After this season, the 10 year "special" comes up where I've saved some of the best thoughts and comments over 10 years for a rainy day. Lots of humor in them, although at the time, I don't think some got the "if you don't laugh at it you will cry" style that I use at times. Hopefully it will be after discussion of the repeat, but even if that doesn't occur, I think we'll all be happier with the results now than 10 years ago. I know I will be.
June 11, 2010
Random Thoughts
Lots of football talk for a summer day!
USC gets their knees taken out.... or did they?
Here's kinda the long and short of USC's punishment: they got a beating on paper, but how bad will it really hit them? The 2 year bowl ban hurts, but it just gave Kiffen a 2 year window to lob lolly around and it not matter. The 3 years of reduced scholarships could hurt, but when you look at a lot of teams you start to see that most get about 15 guys they can use out of each class. The other 10 either don't qualify, don't cut it once on campus, or go pro early. If USC continues to have that issue, then it hurts deep and true, but if they get 15 Cali men like they always do, it won't hurt them nearly as much. Now, I can answer the question that most Bama boards will rip into when they read that: "but but but Bama got hurt when they got hit, it will hurt them, you are stupid"....yes, but Bama recruiting was being done by a pair of pussies. As much as it hurts to say, Fran and Shula couldn't recruit near the level that Kiffen/Big O do (and yes they cheat, but nobody has ever busted them). Also, California, like Texas and Florida, can supply you with 15 starters each year. So, time will tell, but I think the fans getting a hard on for the punishment haven't thought it over in any depth. I do wonder how this case and Ohio State are different? Or some of the things Notre Dame has been accused of?
Speaking of, why all the joy over it? When it was our fans suffering, we'd be crying if anyone cheered. I can't recall USC ever singing the praises, hell they couldn't they were rebuilding with Carroll at the time. I'm sure a person somewhere will say a fan of USC's said something somewhere.... Gotta love the Internets, it all gets deleted over time so you can say it and it is almost true..... I think, personally, that the best response from a fan base on the matter is no response. It wasn't fun for us as fans, nor was it fun for the programs, so acting like we get pleasure from others pain is a little dangerous. Besides, they get the right to appeal and it might be dropped down still. I know some fans want to say "it was the probation" that made Fran and Shula fail, and I won't deny it played a part, but it was also them and their lack of discipline, focus, or ability to understand what it took to build a winner. If either were coach now at Bama, do you really think it doesn't makes a difference? If you want to know what level they were, how many were left when Saban won a national title? Not many.
Big 12 minus 9 equals 3 teams that just got raped...
And they were playing "Body is a Wonderland" in the background. I understand why Nebraska told the 12 to suck it. Rewind to the last 10 seconds of this past year's Big 12 championship game, and you get a good example of how the politics are there. Nebraska lost a lot of its ground as the Big 12 "matured" and that didn't sit well with them. I think they will like the Big 10 plus 2 anyways as they can fit in with a group of schools that have tradition similar to theirs. Colorado doesn't have the tradition, but they were always like Arkansas is to the SEC, that other school kinda furthest from. They beat the rush to the Pac 10, or whatever they name it next year. Will they prosper there? Probably not, but they see the future of college football.
The "super conferences" are where the game is going. Dead will be the NCAA, and BCS, and in its place will be 4 conferences maybe a few more that have the power to make things happen. There has long been a growing frustration over the lack of control that Universities have had. That has finally been answered by consolidation. 8 voices cannot find plurality, but 4 can. If you get the Big 10, SEC, Pac whatever, and ACC all on the same wavelength, you have enough heavy hitters to push the BCS and NCAA out of the way. The WAC and CUSA may be extinct if they can't land some weight soon. Is that good or bad? Time will tell, but my gut shot says it will end the constant problem that the BCS creates and force the NCAA to be equal to all for once, or at least more equal than they have been in the past.
I do worry about Kansas. Here is one of the nation's best basketball programs and they are about homeless. Their football program was improving with Manchild, who is now gone over nothing, and they too now are destitute. Baylor may not survive this and be a shell of its former self if it cannot get in with any conference that has the same stature that the Big 12 and old SWC had. I really am not wild about OU coming to the SEC for 2 reasons: 1, they are pretty damn far out there, and 2, they bring baggage of scandals and cheating with them that a conference like the SEC has enough issues with. Texas hasn't got the interest in the SEC because they can't dominate its structure and rules like they are used to. Again, see the last 10 seconds of the Nebraska game. I also can't stand to see Stoops lobby mediocre teams to play games that they really don't deserve.
So what is the SEC to do? Get two or 4 mid tiers? Va Tech, Miami, FSU, and Clemmmpson aren't really SEC improvements when you get down to it. There is no Bowden to make FSU appealing, and Beamer isn't going to be there much longer at Tech. Miami isn't the U any more, and the Tigers are always this year's pretenders. They would make SEC baseball better though, but the SEC isn't about baseball exactly is it? Texas aTm is kinda like Auburn, they are only relevant because they pester big brother (Texa$). Sure Beebs is there and all, but what do they do for Bama and the conference as a whole? Not much. OU would somewhat but again having to listen to another whiny coach is more than the fan bases can handle. Texa$ would but they don't come here unless they can control it because they are Texa$....supposedly that means something to somebody. If they do expand, the West is the shaken side for it. It also will more than likely push Bama and Auburn to the East and leave them playing Florida and Georgia every year. Of course, the alternative is to play the new additions from the West plus LSU. Choose your poison I suppose, but you can make things too competitive and hurt the total brand the way the SEC did for a while.
In the end, the SEC is almost as well off to stay as is and resist the urge to add schools that do not improve the best conference in America. The SEC has been bigger than most conferences for a while, and you can be too big....Pac Man 400 ya hearin me?.....and change too much. If the right combo comes along and it can improve the SEC brand, I say do it, but the names I keep reading (the 4 ACCs, aTm, OU) don't really make me jump up and cheer.
Cheating and Trophies...
Ivan Maisel writes a good article about cheating and being caught after the fact. It isn't like Niekro slinging the sand paper out as the game is going, or instant replay catching a missed call, or a player testing positive for PEDs during the season. The problem with taking back trophies like the BCS title and Heisman is that it unwinds an accomplishment and opens the door to a host of losers to say it belongs to them. You can bet that Auburn and Oklahoma will start chirping about their claim, but you can't replay the game with those players except on XBox and PS2 (sadly, this took so long that both systems are now antiques to the 360 and PS3). You can't give it to one because OU got its ass handed to them by USC by more than just Reggie Bush (who still says he and his family did nothing) and Auburn didn't exactly play anyone to give them that honor...again, VA Tech doesn't help the conference. So does vacating the title help matters? Maybe. But you play the game to have champions, we all like a winner and a finish not a draw or an ending that has no meaning. So, it really is a tough thing to say one way or another. Same for the Heisman, who deserves it if Reggie doesn't? It isn't like Reggie didn't play hard and really play well to not get that honor. It isn't like what Reggie did is worse than what OJ has done in life or Billy Cannon for that matter.
The mess is deep and true, that much is for sure. I do know this, the powers that be need to look at Bud Selig for a litmus test of how to handle the imperfection at hand. The Tigers' Armando Galaraga had a perfect game taken from him, but Selig had the wisdom (for once) to see that if you start tinkering with history and try to "fix" it, you only create situations where it could be worse than what you have.
USC gets their knees taken out.... or did they?
Here's kinda the long and short of USC's punishment: they got a beating on paper, but how bad will it really hit them? The 2 year bowl ban hurts, but it just gave Kiffen a 2 year window to lob lolly around and it not matter. The 3 years of reduced scholarships could hurt, but when you look at a lot of teams you start to see that most get about 15 guys they can use out of each class. The other 10 either don't qualify, don't cut it once on campus, or go pro early. If USC continues to have that issue, then it hurts deep and true, but if they get 15 Cali men like they always do, it won't hurt them nearly as much. Now, I can answer the question that most Bama boards will rip into when they read that: "but but but Bama got hurt when they got hit, it will hurt them, you are stupid"....yes, but Bama recruiting was being done by a pair of pussies. As much as it hurts to say, Fran and Shula couldn't recruit near the level that Kiffen/Big O do (and yes they cheat, but nobody has ever busted them). Also, California, like Texas and Florida, can supply you with 15 starters each year. So, time will tell, but I think the fans getting a hard on for the punishment haven't thought it over in any depth. I do wonder how this case and Ohio State are different? Or some of the things Notre Dame has been accused of?
Speaking of, why all the joy over it? When it was our fans suffering, we'd be crying if anyone cheered. I can't recall USC ever singing the praises, hell they couldn't they were rebuilding with Carroll at the time. I'm sure a person somewhere will say a fan of USC's said something somewhere.... Gotta love the Internets, it all gets deleted over time so you can say it and it is almost true..... I think, personally, that the best response from a fan base on the matter is no response. It wasn't fun for us as fans, nor was it fun for the programs, so acting like we get pleasure from others pain is a little dangerous. Besides, they get the right to appeal and it might be dropped down still. I know some fans want to say "it was the probation" that made Fran and Shula fail, and I won't deny it played a part, but it was also them and their lack of discipline, focus, or ability to understand what it took to build a winner. If either were coach now at Bama, do you really think it doesn't makes a difference? If you want to know what level they were, how many were left when Saban won a national title? Not many.
Big 12 minus 9 equals 3 teams that just got raped...
And they were playing "Body is a Wonderland" in the background. I understand why Nebraska told the 12 to suck it. Rewind to the last 10 seconds of this past year's Big 12 championship game, and you get a good example of how the politics are there. Nebraska lost a lot of its ground as the Big 12 "matured" and that didn't sit well with them. I think they will like the Big 10 plus 2 anyways as they can fit in with a group of schools that have tradition similar to theirs. Colorado doesn't have the tradition, but they were always like Arkansas is to the SEC, that other school kinda furthest from. They beat the rush to the Pac 10, or whatever they name it next year. Will they prosper there? Probably not, but they see the future of college football.
The "super conferences" are where the game is going. Dead will be the NCAA, and BCS, and in its place will be 4 conferences maybe a few more that have the power to make things happen. There has long been a growing frustration over the lack of control that Universities have had. That has finally been answered by consolidation. 8 voices cannot find plurality, but 4 can. If you get the Big 10, SEC, Pac whatever, and ACC all on the same wavelength, you have enough heavy hitters to push the BCS and NCAA out of the way. The WAC and CUSA may be extinct if they can't land some weight soon. Is that good or bad? Time will tell, but my gut shot says it will end the constant problem that the BCS creates and force the NCAA to be equal to all for once, or at least more equal than they have been in the past.
I do worry about Kansas. Here is one of the nation's best basketball programs and they are about homeless. Their football program was improving with Manchild, who is now gone over nothing, and they too now are destitute. Baylor may not survive this and be a shell of its former self if it cannot get in with any conference that has the same stature that the Big 12 and old SWC had. I really am not wild about OU coming to the SEC for 2 reasons: 1, they are pretty damn far out there, and 2, they bring baggage of scandals and cheating with them that a conference like the SEC has enough issues with. Texas hasn't got the interest in the SEC because they can't dominate its structure and rules like they are used to. Again, see the last 10 seconds of the Nebraska game. I also can't stand to see Stoops lobby mediocre teams to play games that they really don't deserve.
So what is the SEC to do? Get two or 4 mid tiers? Va Tech, Miami, FSU, and Clemmmpson aren't really SEC improvements when you get down to it. There is no Bowden to make FSU appealing, and Beamer isn't going to be there much longer at Tech. Miami isn't the U any more, and the Tigers are always this year's pretenders. They would make SEC baseball better though, but the SEC isn't about baseball exactly is it? Texas aTm is kinda like Auburn, they are only relevant because they pester big brother (Texa$). Sure Beebs is there and all, but what do they do for Bama and the conference as a whole? Not much. OU would somewhat but again having to listen to another whiny coach is more than the fan bases can handle. Texa$ would but they don't come here unless they can control it because they are Texa$....supposedly that means something to somebody. If they do expand, the West is the shaken side for it. It also will more than likely push Bama and Auburn to the East and leave them playing Florida and Georgia every year. Of course, the alternative is to play the new additions from the West plus LSU. Choose your poison I suppose, but you can make things too competitive and hurt the total brand the way the SEC did for a while.
In the end, the SEC is almost as well off to stay as is and resist the urge to add schools that do not improve the best conference in America. The SEC has been bigger than most conferences for a while, and you can be too big....Pac Man 400 ya hearin me?.....and change too much. If the right combo comes along and it can improve the SEC brand, I say do it, but the names I keep reading (the 4 ACCs, aTm, OU) don't really make me jump up and cheer.
Cheating and Trophies...
Ivan Maisel writes a good article about cheating and being caught after the fact. It isn't like Niekro slinging the sand paper out as the game is going, or instant replay catching a missed call, or a player testing positive for PEDs during the season. The problem with taking back trophies like the BCS title and Heisman is that it unwinds an accomplishment and opens the door to a host of losers to say it belongs to them. You can bet that Auburn and Oklahoma will start chirping about their claim, but you can't replay the game with those players except on XBox and PS2 (sadly, this took so long that both systems are now antiques to the 360 and PS3). You can't give it to one because OU got its ass handed to them by USC by more than just Reggie Bush (who still says he and his family did nothing) and Auburn didn't exactly play anyone to give them that honor...again, VA Tech doesn't help the conference. So does vacating the title help matters? Maybe. But you play the game to have champions, we all like a winner and a finish not a draw or an ending that has no meaning. So, it really is a tough thing to say one way or another. Same for the Heisman, who deserves it if Reggie doesn't? It isn't like Reggie didn't play hard and really play well to not get that honor. It isn't like what Reggie did is worse than what OJ has done in life or Billy Cannon for that matter.
The mess is deep and true, that much is for sure. I do know this, the powers that be need to look at Bud Selig for a litmus test of how to handle the imperfection at hand. The Tigers' Armando Galaraga had a perfect game taken from him, but Selig had the wisdom (for once) to see that if you start tinkering with history and try to "fix" it, you only create situations where it could be worse than what you have.
April 18, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- A Day
Overall, if you are a coach or a team captain, you are a pretty happy camper this morning because A Day is over, the competition was good, the quality of depth is there for the most part, and nobody was hurt. Last year I went down the depth chart, and it seemed to work well, so we'll do that again....
Quarterbacks
Overall, I thought all 4 QBs played well overall. A few mistakes made by all, but you want that in the spring so there is something to chew on them during film and summer drills. I think the depth chart is pretty firm if all stays as is. McElroy is the starter, McCarron will get the mop up and maybe some early snaps against some teams. Jackson, assuming he stays, will be the 3rd by default because Sims will redshirt.
Star Jackson- I thought his first showing of A Day 10 was not his best. He didn't really look like he was thrilled with things, but then a few passes went his way and he started to look confident. I think he's coming along, but he just lacks the intangibles that McElroy and McCarron have to get up the depth chart.
AJ McCarron- I think the folklore and desire to have a gunslinger has moved from Darrah to AJ. At least they will get their wish eventually. There is no question that when the time comes, he'll be ready. He's confident, has the arm and the size to be anything he wants to be. He just needs time and a little more coaching about handling situations. By that, I mean he needs to work on his awareness at times. Saban grilled him for not thinking through a couple of plays (he misread the D once, threw over the middle of the field to throw the ball away, and threw into triple coverage a couple of times), and he made a poor decision on the grounding call, and he was 3 yards beyond the line when he flipped the pass to TR, but as the game went on, the better he played. As to the debate over AJ and Greg, it is pure Internet bullshit. He's gonna start, but not this year unless Greg gets hurt. Losing a game or two will not result in any player being benched for that. I think that as far as when AJ finishes vs. where Greg finishes, AJ will be far beyond him possibly if he continues to grow.
Greg McElroy- McElroy is a nice compliment for AJ to learn from. Greg's biggest asset to the team is that he is an extension of the staff in the huddle. The term game manager gets mangled by folks, but the last two titles Bama won were QB'd by game managers. Must work somehow despite the moniker being such with fans and their desire to see ESPN stat lines. Greg doesn't have a cannon arm, but he doesn't make many bad throws ( the INT was bad, but from TV land it was hard to tell what happened), and he makes the plays when he has to make them. The Auburn and Florida game seem to be distant memories for a bunch out there. The bottom line is that this offense has a foundation with 2 Heisman running backs and an experienced QB that keeps the offense in check and doesn't lose games. I really think once it gets to fall game time, his play probably will grow as experience and more snaps with the 1s will help him. I think with the pressure not on him to win games, and letting the 2
Phillip Sims- I will say this, if you want to know what kinda guts he has, his first completion was with Barron in his grill. His mechanics are solid, and like Travis said, he needs to speed up the wheelhouse. I don't see anything in Sims game that gives me gas yet. He didn't complete many, thanks to Julio, but he has good zip on the ball, and didn't blink or show uncertainty with the first string on him.
Running Backs
The interesting thing here is that there is a lot of quality depth here. Ingram has no worries as the 1st RB, Richardson also is locked in at 2, the question starts at 3. Upchurch's role is up for grabs and Lacy and Goode look to be in a good race to be that guy. Lacy probably is ahead but it isn't as much as I would have guessed before Saturday.
Demetrius Goode- I thought he had a better day than he did a year ago. He's not letting the 3rd string role go without a fight and I like that. His TD run was a really good sign that he's ready to show up and be a player again. I don't know if he can beat Lacy out, but I will say that I was really surprised to see him playing with confidence after last year's timid showings.
Jeramie Griffin- I think he's fighting through the rehab and knee fears, but he made a good catch for a big man and looked like he wanted to play. I think he'll get some snaps in the fall, but the number per game will probably be higher early in the year than later.
Ben Howell- It is always nice to see a walkon earn a little PT, and he did late.
Mark Ingram- There just isn't a lot he can't do. I think that he has a great chance to win the Heisman again, but this year I think he will be more balanced. I think a 1200 yard rushing, 500-600 receiving year may be ahead.
Eddie Lacy- The guy has the potential to do a lot in his time on campus. He just needs to be patient and pay the dues. Lacy shows a lot of vision for a guy his age and that's impressive because young RBs like to burst then look not look then burst. He needs to work on his running style some, he gets too high and that's usually how knee injuries occur.
Trent Richardson- TR has all the tools to be a Heisman winner as well. I don't know if he will get enough snaps and situations to do such, but there is nothing in his game that says he can't. His hands are improving and his blocking was better. If he can continue to block or work to improve it, that will be a big thing for this offense. The OL issues being what they are, if he can knock a rush end off the route, that frees up more options for McElroy to go to.
Wide Receivers
I think the discussion about coaching with the WRs has merit. If you missed it, a fella had the balls to say Cignetti needed to go. While I don't think he needs to be fired, I do think the coaching has not improved the talent they have. There is this bland retort about how a few looked good this spring during A Day. My reply is remember how McCoy always did too? The issue is this, drops are mental, but when one guy has it, it is one guy. When the whole crew has the drops, and Jones/Hanks/Maze all have gone through spells, it is more than the guys, it is about coaching and breaking errors. The Texas game still lingers as a bench mark of where this unit is and where it has to go to meet the potential that they have.
Earl Alexander- I didn't notice him playing, probably hurt himself trying to put his name on his EA jersey. I really think it is time for fans to move on here. He just can't stay healthy long enough to be much of a ball player.
Kenny Bell- I was happy to see him moving and working hard to get up the chart. I think he's got the speed to be a nice 4 guy in the spread. The area that he needs to work on is his upper body strength. He needs to be able to create separation and that sometimes needs to come from a push that he just can't do. Fulton pushed him around at times. Outside of that, he has good hands, and his routes seemed to be
Michael Bowman- Out with an injury. Bowman will play again this fall, but he better start moving faster and catching better than he has. Norwood and Bell and Gibson all could fill his role.
Brandon Gibson- Gibson had a better spring than any he had before. He may be the 4 going into the fall. I think he could be a good slot guy to compliment Jones or Maze outside, but with Gibson it always seems to be a case where that next step always seems to be short.
Darius Hanks- Here we are again with Hanks. Hanks every spring looks really good, and he did this year. He made all the catches he needed to and looked to be on his routes better. He is the 3 for the team but the issue for him is consistency and stepping up on a weekly basis. I like Hanks in the slot and I think when he's in sync, he's probably an underrated weapon for this team, but he just needs to continue to show the ability he displayed Saturday.
Julio Jones- The debate will rage all summer about Julio's hands. The debate about sending Julio deep will rage with it. Julio physically is a first round pick. When he has the ball in his hands, he's a first round WR. The issue is that he can't focus and gets laid back too much. The issue comes around because when the scrimmages are closed, he's all world, but you throw some lights and x thousand fans in the stadium, he gets distracted. Some of it is that he's trying to make a play before he has the ball, and that's ok but it is an error that young WR make. Other times, it is him just not following the ball in and taking his eye off the ball. I think once he gets his mind on catching the ball every time it gets in his hands, he can take every game over.
Marquis Maze- I thought he had a good game and looks like he wants to push for more looks. With Julio suffering through drops still, Maze will get those looks. He too needs to not try to make plays before he gets the ball, but he's going to get more looks by default. McElroy seems to have more confidence with Maze than Jones right now too.
Kevin Norwood- Norwood had a good game and a good spring. The staff really likes him, and he's got the ability to be a really good option for McElroy and/or McCarron down the road. The depth chart is loaded against him in part with 4 players that are JRs or SRs, but I don't see anything in his game that says he can't play at this level. He has good hands, squares up to give the QB a target, runs the routes well, and blocks well. He may not get a lot of chances this fall, but next spring he probably is a starter.
Tight Ends
The TEs didn't get a lot of opportunities to show off in the game, but as a whole, I can't see anything that gives me a reason to worry.
Preston Dial- Dial is going to be the H Back again and should get a lot of PT. The A Day game wasn't a great example because the staff threw more than they normally would, but Dial will be asked to do what he did last year and should do fine.
Mike Marrow- I didn't notice Marrow both times I watched the game, but H Back is a better place for him than HB. I think with time he could contribute, but with the staff recruiting more TE's, he could be a memory.
Brad Smelley- Smelley cat....smelley cat...what....are....they....feeding you....It was good to see him getting involved in the offense again and his blocking was a little more consistent than before, but he isn't where Dial or Williams are. I think he will get PT and be used in situations where they want him running routes from behind the line.
Chris Underwood- I think this summer is make or break for Underwood. He's never moved the chart, and the recruiting of new TE's pretty well means that if he continues to flounder, this summer is probably the last chance for him.
Michael Williams- Needs to work on his pass catching and be an option in the passing attack because he's a real load to bring down. Blocking wise, he's their best option as he has lineman size with athleticism. I hope that the coaches can work with him and help him get that option together for him because if he can be a dual threat, he will be a good one.
Offensive Line
I'm ok with the DL being ahead of the OL, but I really didn't like how the edge rush seemed to be open all game long. I think 4 of the 5 spots are locked in with Carpenter, Warmack, Vlachos, and Jones having won their jobs. I think RT needs some more competition. Fluker is a good run blocker, but isn't ready to play in situations where Bama needs to throw a lot. The one thing I saw all the linemen do a lot that bothered me was that they got too high off the snap. If you watch the game again, notice how many times you see the tackles and guards get bent back by the rush. If they get lower and drive up, they bend the defenders back, but the way they did things, they were inviting a breakdown at times because they couldn't get position on defender and keep their feet.
John Michael Boswell- JMB is probably the most versatile lineman in the group, but the downside to that is that he isn't the best at either spot he plays. I think if the staff really wants to open up the RT competition, he's a dark horse, but as is, he will play as the first reserve again. I thought he played well on the 2s Saturday but isn't as physical as Warmack.
James Carpenter- He is the best left tackle the team has, but any talk of him being all SEC is a bit much. Upshaw made him a puppet several times during the game, but when Bama ran, he was able to move CU where he wanted. I think he has the capacity to improve, but he won't be a legend or anything like that. He will be a good serviceable tackle that probably would be a better guard.
DJ Fluker- Where to begin? He is in better shape than he was during the season last year. He is a force as a run blocking tackle. He is just a freshman and has a lot of upside to a guy his size. However, he's never going to be a left tackle so long as he stays at this weight and endurance level. He got gassed late and let Alex Watkins blow past him. I think McCullough probably would be a better pass blocking option if the team wants to be a pass happy offense, but since Ingram and Richardson will get the bulk of the offensive plays, Fluker will start because he's good at plowing a run lane.
Aaron Joiner- I noticed him, which means either he did something good or bad. It wasn't good, but he earned a chance to play in a spring game, and will return to the squad.
Barrett Jones- I thought Jones played well and should continue to grow and improve from a good season last year. He was spared the wrath of Dareus for the most part, but when he got Marcel, he did a better job with him than the others did.
Tyler Love- The body yells D1 player, but the fire inside that body yells underachiever. I think the fact that they moved McCullough to LT for the game and Love to RT to make it a better game kinda says a lot. Love may be able to turn that corner that folks have been waiting for, but I question if he can. His brother's motor is a lot better but his brother doesn't have the body that Tyler has.
Alfred McCullough- McCullough did well at LT and I think he is athletic enough to play either tackle this fall. He moves better than the other tackles, but lacks height to maul ends and large linebackers, like Upshaw, in the run game. If Alfred is 2 inches taller, he's starting now if not last year. As is, he's probably next year's LT if he doesn't win the RT job this year.
Brian Motley- Motley has kinda floundered around and is the 3rd string center. He will graduate after this year and that is a positive.
Taylor Pharr- Probably the biggest surprise is that he was the starting punter until injury. If the incoming help doesn't help, he may still be the punter. Prepare for the ribbing from your UT and AU fans if so, but hopefully he can hit a good punt, what I saw Saturday made me think my 33 year old ass could play.
David Ross- He got to start because of Vlachos sitting out for the spring. He didn't really do ok with Chapman, and the snaps were on target, but he doesn't run block nearly as well as Vlachos. He could give a good run for a guard position next spring if one comes open to competition, otherwise, he will platoon the guards and center spots. I do think if Vlachos were to have a season ending injury, Jones may slide over like Caldwell did years ago because he's just bigger and can handle those kinda guys better than Ross can.
Anthony Steen- Steen is a project. He is strong and mauls folks when he gets on them, but is not close to ready when it comes to pass protection. He looks unsure at times about his assignments when he is zone blocking or if a switch/stunt is on. Part of that is being young. I think another year to learn will help him and next year he can compete for a job that comes open.
William Vlachos- Sometimes not playing helps improve your situation. I think getting more time for Ross is fine, but you could tell a difference with Vlachos out. Vlachos will help make Warmack and Fluker/McCullough a better player just like he helped make Jones better.
Chance Warmack- Chance continues to make the guard job a virtual one man race. Warmack is good at finishing off his block and going to the second level. I was real pleased to see him take on Davis and Chapman among others and control them as well as he did most of the game.
Kellen Williams- Williams made a key block to spring Ingram on his 60 yard run. He probably is going to be buried on the chart with Boswell, Warmack, Jones, and Steen ahead of him and all of them being fairly young. What little he played, however, he did a nice job of looking for guys to engage.
Defensive Line
Hunter Bush- Returned kicks and did about as well as the rest of the special teams guys.
John Fulton- If there is a person that gives me a lot of hope for the future, it is Fulton. He is fast and physical. I think he could be a guy that the staff has to find a way to get involved because he's well ahead of his true freshman label. Saban probably will spend a lot of time with him in the summer and help get him ready much like he did with KJ.
Robby Green- If there was ever a time when a suspension really hurt, this is it. Green's fine as a player, but the suspension and lack of talent behind him makes this issue hurt that much more. If he were able to be reinstated, that changes a lot of the issues in the secondary, but without him, they have that many more issues to contend with.
Phelon Jones- He played ok, but I didn't get a sense that he's a long term answer for anything. I can see the upside to him, but I can see why LSU didn't worry about letting him go to Bama. Kirkpatrick and Scott are both younger and better than he is. He probably can play Star, but I don't see him as a starter.
Dre Kirkpatrick- Real physical guy that could play safety or corner. He is a much better tackler than Scott, but not as good at covering the deep route as Scott. I think he's gonna be fine and may be another great corner by the time he is done.
Robert Lester- If you wanted to know what you have in Lester, reference the 60 yard Ingram run. In that play you see him realize he's gonna get chewed up because he's taken the wrong angle. Instead of stopping Ingram, he tries to work around Hanks and get in position. That was a double mistake because Hanks just owns him down the sideline and once he gets past him, Ingram takes a whack at him and gets an extra 5 yards. He had 8 tackles, but I couldn't name one that was meaningful. I know by me not just loving all over him, that will induce a quasi-support for him, but folks, he's not much of a player at this level.
Will Lowery- I thought he played well when he was in. He didn't get abused by anyone during the game, kept everything in play, and is sending a message to Woodson to get with it or enjoy the view.
DeMarcus Miliner- While I am high on Fulton, Miliner is a guy that needs more time and work. He needs a lot of time with the coaches and needs to get more aware of the situations. Best example, the last play TD to Gibson. There is no reason in the world to let a guy slip past you into the open on a hail mary play. There is no other place the QB will put the ball other than the end zone so why are you letting him get past you? Gibson really worked him over all game, but he does tackle well. He may be a candidate for safety.
Wes Neighbors- I get the legacy thing, but man oh man he really isn't much of a player right now. He let several guys get past him in coverage including the above mentioned Gibson TD, and just looked unsure of what he was supposed to do. He looks like another special teams guy.
BJ Scott- Real impressed with his growth and use of the redshirt to get back to the breakout Scott again. Did a great job on Julio in coverage, but needs to work on tackling. I really think if the staff didn't waste a year with the WR crap, he's an all SEC lockdown guy this fall. As is, he's going to be having that fabled breakout game this fall, just at defense.
Rod Woodson- I see the potential in him, but he really is just a raw athlete when you get down to it. I think he almost would be better served playing at Sam because his instincts are more in line with a linebacker than that of a cover safety. I think his spot on the depth chart during A Day has a little insider intention to wake him up, but he's still going to backup Barron and Lester.
Kendall Kelly- Not bad for a guy going on 2 weeks on the job. He suckered AJ into throwing at him once and broke it up, and he laid some good wood on a few guys in the flat when the QBs left them hanging. I really expected him to look lost, but he's playing the position better than I could have expected. He needs to get some mop up PT to see himself doing it and learning more, and down the road he could be a good one.
Specialists.....eeek
Cade Foster- Better biceps than kicking game right now. He brings back memories of the Wild Thing because he can drill one 10 yards into the endzone on one kick and short it 15 the next. I get the feeling that a platoon is coming here until Cade can control his leg inside 40 on FGs and kickoffs.
Jeremy Shelley- Pretty consistant at A Day. He doesn't have a big leg, but he's going to be steady when kicking 35 yard FGs and extra points. That will be welcomed.
Any Punter used- In a phrase....oh shit.... never in my lifetime can I remember a time where the most welcomed newcomer is a punter because they flat out don't have one on campus today. There was a point where I thought i might have to lose 10 lbs and give it a whirl. I'm pretty sure I could get a net of 25 yards.
Quarterbacks
Overall, I thought all 4 QBs played well overall. A few mistakes made by all, but you want that in the spring so there is something to chew on them during film and summer drills. I think the depth chart is pretty firm if all stays as is. McElroy is the starter, McCarron will get the mop up and maybe some early snaps against some teams. Jackson, assuming he stays, will be the 3rd by default because Sims will redshirt.
Star Jackson- I thought his first showing of A Day 10 was not his best. He didn't really look like he was thrilled with things, but then a few passes went his way and he started to look confident. I think he's coming along, but he just lacks the intangibles that McElroy and McCarron have to get up the depth chart.
AJ McCarron- I think the folklore and desire to have a gunslinger has moved from Darrah to AJ. At least they will get their wish eventually. There is no question that when the time comes, he'll be ready. He's confident, has the arm and the size to be anything he wants to be. He just needs time and a little more coaching about handling situations. By that, I mean he needs to work on his awareness at times. Saban grilled him for not thinking through a couple of plays (he misread the D once, threw over the middle of the field to throw the ball away, and threw into triple coverage a couple of times), and he made a poor decision on the grounding call, and he was 3 yards beyond the line when he flipped the pass to TR, but as the game went on, the better he played. As to the debate over AJ and Greg, it is pure Internet bullshit. He's gonna start, but not this year unless Greg gets hurt. Losing a game or two will not result in any player being benched for that. I think that as far as when AJ finishes vs. where Greg finishes, AJ will be far beyond him possibly if he continues to grow.
Greg McElroy- McElroy is a nice compliment for AJ to learn from. Greg's biggest asset to the team is that he is an extension of the staff in the huddle. The term game manager gets mangled by folks, but the last two titles Bama won were QB'd by game managers. Must work somehow despite the moniker being such with fans and their desire to see ESPN stat lines. Greg doesn't have a cannon arm, but he doesn't make many bad throws ( the INT was bad, but from TV land it was hard to tell what happened), and he makes the plays when he has to make them. The Auburn and Florida game seem to be distant memories for a bunch out there. The bottom line is that this offense has a foundation with 2 Heisman running backs and an experienced QB that keeps the offense in check and doesn't lose games. I really think once it gets to fall game time, his play probably will grow as experience and more snaps with the 1s will help him. I think with the pressure not on him to win games, and letting the 2
Phillip Sims- I will say this, if you want to know what kinda guts he has, his first completion was with Barron in his grill. His mechanics are solid, and like Travis said, he needs to speed up the wheelhouse. I don't see anything in Sims game that gives me gas yet. He didn't complete many, thanks to Julio, but he has good zip on the ball, and didn't blink or show uncertainty with the first string on him.
Running Backs
The interesting thing here is that there is a lot of quality depth here. Ingram has no worries as the 1st RB, Richardson also is locked in at 2, the question starts at 3. Upchurch's role is up for grabs and Lacy and Goode look to be in a good race to be that guy. Lacy probably is ahead but it isn't as much as I would have guessed before Saturday.
Demetrius Goode- I thought he had a better day than he did a year ago. He's not letting the 3rd string role go without a fight and I like that. His TD run was a really good sign that he's ready to show up and be a player again. I don't know if he can beat Lacy out, but I will say that I was really surprised to see him playing with confidence after last year's timid showings.
Jeramie Griffin- I think he's fighting through the rehab and knee fears, but he made a good catch for a big man and looked like he wanted to play. I think he'll get some snaps in the fall, but the number per game will probably be higher early in the year than later.
Ben Howell- It is always nice to see a walkon earn a little PT, and he did late.
Mark Ingram- There just isn't a lot he can't do. I think that he has a great chance to win the Heisman again, but this year I think he will be more balanced. I think a 1200 yard rushing, 500-600 receiving year may be ahead.
Eddie Lacy- The guy has the potential to do a lot in his time on campus. He just needs to be patient and pay the dues. Lacy shows a lot of vision for a guy his age and that's impressive because young RBs like to burst then look not look then burst. He needs to work on his running style some, he gets too high and that's usually how knee injuries occur.
Trent Richardson- TR has all the tools to be a Heisman winner as well. I don't know if he will get enough snaps and situations to do such, but there is nothing in his game that says he can't. His hands are improving and his blocking was better. If he can continue to block or work to improve it, that will be a big thing for this offense. The OL issues being what they are, if he can knock a rush end off the route, that frees up more options for McElroy to go to.
Wide Receivers
I think the discussion about coaching with the WRs has merit. If you missed it, a fella had the balls to say Cignetti needed to go. While I don't think he needs to be fired, I do think the coaching has not improved the talent they have. There is this bland retort about how a few looked good this spring during A Day. My reply is remember how McCoy always did too? The issue is this, drops are mental, but when one guy has it, it is one guy. When the whole crew has the drops, and Jones/Hanks/Maze all have gone through spells, it is more than the guys, it is about coaching and breaking errors. The Texas game still lingers as a bench mark of where this unit is and where it has to go to meet the potential that they have.
Earl Alexander- I didn't notice him playing, probably hurt himself trying to put his name on his EA jersey. I really think it is time for fans to move on here. He just can't stay healthy long enough to be much of a ball player.
Kenny Bell- I was happy to see him moving and working hard to get up the chart. I think he's got the speed to be a nice 4 guy in the spread. The area that he needs to work on is his upper body strength. He needs to be able to create separation and that sometimes needs to come from a push that he just can't do. Fulton pushed him around at times. Outside of that, he has good hands, and his routes seemed to be
Michael Bowman- Out with an injury. Bowman will play again this fall, but he better start moving faster and catching better than he has. Norwood and Bell and Gibson all could fill his role.
Brandon Gibson- Gibson had a better spring than any he had before. He may be the 4 going into the fall. I think he could be a good slot guy to compliment Jones or Maze outside, but with Gibson it always seems to be a case where that next step always seems to be short.
Darius Hanks- Here we are again with Hanks. Hanks every spring looks really good, and he did this year. He made all the catches he needed to and looked to be on his routes better. He is the 3 for the team but the issue for him is consistency and stepping up on a weekly basis. I like Hanks in the slot and I think when he's in sync, he's probably an underrated weapon for this team, but he just needs to continue to show the ability he displayed Saturday.
Julio Jones- The debate will rage all summer about Julio's hands. The debate about sending Julio deep will rage with it. Julio physically is a first round pick. When he has the ball in his hands, he's a first round WR. The issue is that he can't focus and gets laid back too much. The issue comes around because when the scrimmages are closed, he's all world, but you throw some lights and x thousand fans in the stadium, he gets distracted. Some of it is that he's trying to make a play before he has the ball, and that's ok but it is an error that young WR make. Other times, it is him just not following the ball in and taking his eye off the ball. I think once he gets his mind on catching the ball every time it gets in his hands, he can take every game over.
Marquis Maze- I thought he had a good game and looks like he wants to push for more looks. With Julio suffering through drops still, Maze will get those looks. He too needs to not try to make plays before he gets the ball, but he's going to get more looks by default. McElroy seems to have more confidence with Maze than Jones right now too.
Kevin Norwood- Norwood had a good game and a good spring. The staff really likes him, and he's got the ability to be a really good option for McElroy and/or McCarron down the road. The depth chart is loaded against him in part with 4 players that are JRs or SRs, but I don't see anything in his game that says he can't play at this level. He has good hands, squares up to give the QB a target, runs the routes well, and blocks well. He may not get a lot of chances this fall, but next spring he probably is a starter.
Tight Ends
The TEs didn't get a lot of opportunities to show off in the game, but as a whole, I can't see anything that gives me a reason to worry.
Preston Dial- Dial is going to be the H Back again and should get a lot of PT. The A Day game wasn't a great example because the staff threw more than they normally would, but Dial will be asked to do what he did last year and should do fine.
Mike Marrow- I didn't notice Marrow both times I watched the game, but H Back is a better place for him than HB. I think with time he could contribute, but with the staff recruiting more TE's, he could be a memory.
Brad Smelley- Smelley cat....smelley cat...what....are....they....feeding you....It was good to see him getting involved in the offense again and his blocking was a little more consistent than before, but he isn't where Dial or Williams are. I think he will get PT and be used in situations where they want him running routes from behind the line.
Chris Underwood- I think this summer is make or break for Underwood. He's never moved the chart, and the recruiting of new TE's pretty well means that if he continues to flounder, this summer is probably the last chance for him.
Michael Williams- Needs to work on his pass catching and be an option in the passing attack because he's a real load to bring down. Blocking wise, he's their best option as he has lineman size with athleticism. I hope that the coaches can work with him and help him get that option together for him because if he can be a dual threat, he will be a good one.
Offensive Line
I'm ok with the DL being ahead of the OL, but I really didn't like how the edge rush seemed to be open all game long. I think 4 of the 5 spots are locked in with Carpenter, Warmack, Vlachos, and Jones having won their jobs. I think RT needs some more competition. Fluker is a good run blocker, but isn't ready to play in situations where Bama needs to throw a lot. The one thing I saw all the linemen do a lot that bothered me was that they got too high off the snap. If you watch the game again, notice how many times you see the tackles and guards get bent back by the rush. If they get lower and drive up, they bend the defenders back, but the way they did things, they were inviting a breakdown at times because they couldn't get position on defender and keep their feet.
John Michael Boswell- JMB is probably the most versatile lineman in the group, but the downside to that is that he isn't the best at either spot he plays. I think if the staff really wants to open up the RT competition, he's a dark horse, but as is, he will play as the first reserve again. I thought he played well on the 2s Saturday but isn't as physical as Warmack.
James Carpenter- He is the best left tackle the team has, but any talk of him being all SEC is a bit much. Upshaw made him a puppet several times during the game, but when Bama ran, he was able to move CU where he wanted. I think he has the capacity to improve, but he won't be a legend or anything like that. He will be a good serviceable tackle that probably would be a better guard.
DJ Fluker- Where to begin? He is in better shape than he was during the season last year. He is a force as a run blocking tackle. He is just a freshman and has a lot of upside to a guy his size. However, he's never going to be a left tackle so long as he stays at this weight and endurance level. He got gassed late and let Alex Watkins blow past him. I think McCullough probably would be a better pass blocking option if the team wants to be a pass happy offense, but since Ingram and Richardson will get the bulk of the offensive plays, Fluker will start because he's good at plowing a run lane.
Aaron Joiner- I noticed him, which means either he did something good or bad. It wasn't good, but he earned a chance to play in a spring game, and will return to the squad.
Barrett Jones- I thought Jones played well and should continue to grow and improve from a good season last year. He was spared the wrath of Dareus for the most part, but when he got Marcel, he did a better job with him than the others did.
Tyler Love- The body yells D1 player, but the fire inside that body yells underachiever. I think the fact that they moved McCullough to LT for the game and Love to RT to make it a better game kinda says a lot. Love may be able to turn that corner that folks have been waiting for, but I question if he can. His brother's motor is a lot better but his brother doesn't have the body that Tyler has.
Alfred McCullough- McCullough did well at LT and I think he is athletic enough to play either tackle this fall. He moves better than the other tackles, but lacks height to maul ends and large linebackers, like Upshaw, in the run game. If Alfred is 2 inches taller, he's starting now if not last year. As is, he's probably next year's LT if he doesn't win the RT job this year.
Brian Motley- Motley has kinda floundered around and is the 3rd string center. He will graduate after this year and that is a positive.
Taylor Pharr- Probably the biggest surprise is that he was the starting punter until injury. If the incoming help doesn't help, he may still be the punter. Prepare for the ribbing from your UT and AU fans if so, but hopefully he can hit a good punt, what I saw Saturday made me think my 33 year old ass could play.
David Ross- He got to start because of Vlachos sitting out for the spring. He didn't really do ok with Chapman, and the snaps were on target, but he doesn't run block nearly as well as Vlachos. He could give a good run for a guard position next spring if one comes open to competition, otherwise, he will platoon the guards and center spots. I do think if Vlachos were to have a season ending injury, Jones may slide over like Caldwell did years ago because he's just bigger and can handle those kinda guys better than Ross can.
Anthony Steen- Steen is a project. He is strong and mauls folks when he gets on them, but is not close to ready when it comes to pass protection. He looks unsure at times about his assignments when he is zone blocking or if a switch/stunt is on. Part of that is being young. I think another year to learn will help him and next year he can compete for a job that comes open.
William Vlachos- Sometimes not playing helps improve your situation. I think getting more time for Ross is fine, but you could tell a difference with Vlachos out. Vlachos will help make Warmack and Fluker/McCullough a better player just like he helped make Jones better.
Chance Warmack- Chance continues to make the guard job a virtual one man race. Warmack is good at finishing off his block and going to the second level. I was real pleased to see him take on Davis and Chapman among others and control them as well as he did most of the game.
Kellen Williams- Williams made a key block to spring Ingram on his 60 yard run. He probably is going to be buried on the chart with Boswell, Warmack, Jones, and Steen ahead of him and all of them being fairly young. What little he played, however, he did a nice job of looking for guys to engage.
Defensive Line
Overall, the DL was a lot farther than I expected. I knew Dareus/Chapman/Davis would start, but I worried more about the 2s and 3s. After Saturday's showing, I can't really say that they worry me. The depth chart here is pretty tight and the drop off on talent and quality is not as bad as it was 3 years ago. The truth is that a lot of backups like Moore, Lewis, Murphy, etc. would start at most of the other schools. I think they probably run a lot of bodies out there this fall to build depth, keep legs fresh, and wear out opposing OLs.
Undra Billingsley- Undra played on the 2nd string and did ok. He disrupted a little bit, but he lacks the lower body power to just collapse the interior of an OL. That's part of the reason why they have moved him back and forth at TE/DE. He has the desire to contribute but is kinda a tweener at the 2 positions he can play. I think as is, he can give the DL some rest minutes and be a value in that regard, but I can't see a scenario where he starts.
Chris Bonds- I didn't really see him playing, but I gather that the staff wants another year of S&C for him and get him up to about 280.
Josh Chapman- If fans were worried about losing Cody, I think A Day should have silenced that. Chapman is a guy that I can see the defense using in a couple of different ways. He is a lot more active than Cody in pass rushing situations so I would imagine he won't be coming off the field on 3rd downs or 2nd and longs as much. I also can see them trying to bulk up the front by putting him at end with Murphy at NG some. Chapman seems to be athletic enough to do both. Really, with the secondary being as young and inexperienced as it is, they need him and some others to really push the issue and disrupt more than they did last year.
Marcel Dareus- Dareus is a man amongst boys right now. You better get a good look at him because he'll be inking with the NFL by this time next year. The coaching staff deserves a lot of praise for MD. When he came in, he was raw and knew how to be physical but had no understanding of how to use his body other than just maul a guy. Now, he uses his hands and body to create separation and is now a more complete player.
Luther Davis- I had hope for Davis and it may be just a practice thing to him, but he kinda just goes through the motions. If he can be the Davis of the NC game on Saturdays, he'll be an All SEC type guy. If he goes through the ups and downs that he has for 3 years, he may get beat out over time. Davis will start the season as the number 1 and I think that he's given himself enough of a gap to keep that job, but I can see him being rotated out a lot in nickel and dime situations like Deaderick was.
Nick Gentry- Gentry continues to fight and put a blue collar style to the front 3. He won't start, but like Undra, he can give the guys a quality breather and not have a huge drop in production.
Brandon Lewis- I liked what I saw from Lewis. He was disruptive and doesn't give up on the play. I think he can compete for a starting job this fall if he continues to improve. He has really good lower body power and drives blockers into the play a good bit. Since he's a JUCO, he probably will get a lot of opportunities to play and let some of the freshmen sit and learn/condition.
Brandon Moore- Another guy that looked good on the field. I was really impressed with how athletic he is for a 300 pound guy. A front of Square/Murphy/Moore is a lot of elbows and assholes to deal with. He uses his hands and doesn't let the lineman get his hands inside of his jersey. Like Lewis, I can see them using him a lot to keep the depth fresh.
Kerry Murphy- Murphy is just a lotta boy to handle. Much like Cody, he uses his freakish size to just wear down guys and poor Motley was just crumbling under him after a while. He'll get a lot of reps this year as they try to do different things, but for him to be an every down player, he's going to have to get faster off the ball than what he does. As is, he's a starter in waiting as a run stopping nose tackle.
Darrington Sentimore- DS did ok when he played. He is a rush end by trade and looks better off the open shoulder of a tackle than going inside. He has a good motor and plays to the whistle, but needs more S&C time to bulk up for this style defense. I can see him molding into a Greenwood or Washington type of end.
Damien Square- I really, really like this guy. Honestly, if he doesn't get hurt, he is probably at the same level Dareus is. He's that good and just a real power lineman who understands how to play in this defense. I can see why coaches were raving about him as he redshirted and last summer. I think he will see a lot of PT in the pass rush situations and could be a "starter" like Dareus was last year.
Linebackers
The depth here is getting better as well. I won't go as far as to say they have a 2 deep like the DL does that has little drop off, but it isn't far behind. They do have some things to work on as far as who plays where in the nickel and dime situations, and we may not have gotten a fair look as the rosters were split up, but I would say that experiment continues on through summer. Overall, they have a lot of good players that should get some mop up, breather snaps and about 6 starters for 4 spots. Always a good problem to have.
Jonathan Atchison- He plays well in space. That is the first thing I noticed about him is that he plays the Sam well in coverage. Reminds me a lot of Brooks Daniels in that regard. I question if he is 220-230, but he really could be an extra safety on the field in nickel situations in the future.
Drew Bullard- Got some PT for his efforts, and did ok what time he was in. The politics of football say that we don't see Drew until next spring's game though outside of maybe special teams.
DeMarcus Dubose- Dubose is a big guy out there and he clogs up traffic, but like Bullard the politics are what they are.
Jolston Fowler- Didn't play overly great early, but as the game wore on and he got the butterflies out of his system, he proved why he's in the right spot. Fowler as a running back is like Morrow/Griffin/Goode/etal. in that he's just a spot on the chart. Fowler's size and athleticism can allow him to be a great linebacker down the road though. I think with Patrick using his RS last year, Fowler probably uses his this year and learns the schemes, but I think he's where he needs to be.
Glenn Harbin- It may just be me, but it feels like he and Talbert have been at Bama for 50 years now. He's a big guy that can play with his hand down, but he isn't as athletic as the 3 guys in front of him.
Jerrell Harris- Physically, he looks the part, but he still gets too wrapped up in the hit and forgets to wrap up. He let Ingram and Lacy slip him a couple of times during the day. With that said, there is no way he isn't the starter because Atchison and Jordan are not as far long as he is in the understanding of the defense. He also will probably move inside when the Tide goes Nickel.
Dont'a Hightower- No worries here. Knee looks good, his understanding of the new role (Mike) looks good. He played end on the dime situations and didn't show any hesitation out there. I think the only thing he can't do is be Rolo, but before the injury I thought he would be better, if he stays through his Sr year, he may still be.
Nico Johnson- Not his best day. Got beat 2 times, and the 2nd one was the worst one. He's behind Jordan because he isn't strong in coverage. I think he can still be as good as folks, including me, think he can, but I think the value of Rolando McClain is evident when you watch him now. Now, Nico is having to think and see the field and not having a computer next to him spit it out. Bama will play so much cover package that he probably won't see much time this year outside of mop up until he can show he can play the pass.
Chris Jordan- I always smile when he plays linebacker. I'm that kinda stupid that said after signing day, like Fowler, that he'd be better off at linebacker, and he is. He's a good versatile guy that can play 3 spots and really plays well in space. He covered the running backs well when he drew those assignments and draped the TE's as well. I like what I saw of him and I can see why he's with the 1s right now.
Tana Patrick- I was a little surprised he wasn't bigger than he was. I had heard rumblings that he was bulking up quite a bit. As is, he looked good in his chances to play. He is a pure run stopping linebacker and is still learning how to be a pass defender, but I think in time he will be another solid linebacker for Saban.
Ed Stinson- I can see why there is so much buzz around Ed. He flat out abused the tackles at times. He isn't going to challenge Upshaw yet, but as he grows and matures, he will be as good as Upshaw. I really like how he can engage a guy who has 30 pounds on him and just bend him back.
Courtney Upshaw- Courtney continues to improve and getting more PT last year and having a guy like Anders working with him is starting to pay dividends. He's a 4-3 end like Mark Anderson but also a good stand up linebacker like you see on Sundays. I like that he's taken to the S&C program and getting the total power body that he has. He can drive with his legs and disrupt or use his upper body strength and create space to get to the quarterback. I think after the summer is over, Upshaw will be ready for his "breakout" year.
Alex Watkins- Just abused Fluker late in the game. Watkins just isn't big enough physically to play much though. I could see him in special teams though.
Chavis Williams- If only the light would stay on with this guy. His motor is fine and he can play Sam and Jack, but he just doesn't do all the intangibles to get the trust of the staff. He's going to get some mopup and reserve minutes probably, but nothing to write home about.
Defensive Backs
I worried about the experience and still do. It was hard to tell who was going to be where in the nickel and dime sets that they will use most of the year because they had Jones and others on the other side. I do know this, Robert Lester isnt' the answer at safety. I would like to see Miliner and Fulton try out there.
Hunter Bush- Returned kicks and did about as well as the rest of the special teams guys.
John Fulton- If there is a person that gives me a lot of hope for the future, it is Fulton. He is fast and physical. I think he could be a guy that the staff has to find a way to get involved because he's well ahead of his true freshman label. Saban probably will spend a lot of time with him in the summer and help get him ready much like he did with KJ.
Robby Green- If there was ever a time when a suspension really hurt, this is it. Green's fine as a player, but the suspension and lack of talent behind him makes this issue hurt that much more. If he were able to be reinstated, that changes a lot of the issues in the secondary, but without him, they have that many more issues to contend with.
Phelon Jones- He played ok, but I didn't get a sense that he's a long term answer for anything. I can see the upside to him, but I can see why LSU didn't worry about letting him go to Bama. Kirkpatrick and Scott are both younger and better than he is. He probably can play Star, but I don't see him as a starter.
Dre Kirkpatrick- Real physical guy that could play safety or corner. He is a much better tackler than Scott, but not as good at covering the deep route as Scott. I think he's gonna be fine and may be another great corner by the time he is done.
Robert Lester- If you wanted to know what you have in Lester, reference the 60 yard Ingram run. In that play you see him realize he's gonna get chewed up because he's taken the wrong angle. Instead of stopping Ingram, he tries to work around Hanks and get in position. That was a double mistake because Hanks just owns him down the sideline and once he gets past him, Ingram takes a whack at him and gets an extra 5 yards. He had 8 tackles, but I couldn't name one that was meaningful. I know by me not just loving all over him, that will induce a quasi-support for him, but folks, he's not much of a player at this level.
Will Lowery- I thought he played well when he was in. He didn't get abused by anyone during the game, kept everything in play, and is sending a message to Woodson to get with it or enjoy the view.
DeMarcus Miliner- While I am high on Fulton, Miliner is a guy that needs more time and work. He needs a lot of time with the coaches and needs to get more aware of the situations. Best example, the last play TD to Gibson. There is no reason in the world to let a guy slip past you into the open on a hail mary play. There is no other place the QB will put the ball other than the end zone so why are you letting him get past you? Gibson really worked him over all game, but he does tackle well. He may be a candidate for safety.
Wes Neighbors- I get the legacy thing, but man oh man he really isn't much of a player right now. He let several guys get past him in coverage including the above mentioned Gibson TD, and just looked unsure of what he was supposed to do. He looks like another special teams guy.
BJ Scott- Real impressed with his growth and use of the redshirt to get back to the breakout Scott again. Did a great job on Julio in coverage, but needs to work on tackling. I really think if the staff didn't waste a year with the WR crap, he's an all SEC lockdown guy this fall. As is, he's going to be having that fabled breakout game this fall, just at defense.
Rod Woodson- I see the potential in him, but he really is just a raw athlete when you get down to it. I think he almost would be better served playing at Sam because his instincts are more in line with a linebacker than that of a cover safety. I think his spot on the depth chart during A Day has a little insider intention to wake him up, but he's still going to backup Barron and Lester.
Kendall Kelly- Not bad for a guy going on 2 weeks on the job. He suckered AJ into throwing at him once and broke it up, and he laid some good wood on a few guys in the flat when the QBs left them hanging. I really expected him to look lost, but he's playing the position better than I could have expected. He needs to get some mop up PT to see himself doing it and learning more, and down the road he could be a good one.
Specialists.....eeek
Cade Foster- Better biceps than kicking game right now. He brings back memories of the Wild Thing because he can drill one 10 yards into the endzone on one kick and short it 15 the next. I get the feeling that a platoon is coming here until Cade can control his leg inside 40 on FGs and kickoffs.
Jeremy Shelley- Pretty consistant at A Day. He doesn't have a big leg, but he's going to be steady when kicking 35 yard FGs and extra points. That will be welcomed.
Any Punter used- In a phrase....oh shit.... never in my lifetime can I remember a time where the most welcomed newcomer is a punter because they flat out don't have one on campus today. There was a point where I thought i might have to lose 10 lbs and give it a whirl. I'm pretty sure I could get a net of 25 yards.
April 12, 2010
Pre-A-Day Random Thoughts....
If you haven't watched the Gruden Camp, I highly recommend it. Gruden is one of the great offensive minds of this generation and he puts the pressure down on this year's class of QBs to see what they are made of. On a side note, my gut says that this class of QBs will not be one of those great groups when their careers are over.
Drafting the Tide
It is now down to the crunch and the players have done all the hoops and hurdles for the scouts and GMs that would take them. McShay is high on Bama's class this year with 3 guys in the 1st round. But he is an idiot according to fans....
Personally, I think it is a stretch for 3. 2 might be if the trades start picking up this weekend. McClain is the sure bet as a first round pick. Where he goes, well that part is more a mystery because if the trades that are rumored happen do happen, he could go around the 11th pick or fall around the 17-20 range. With the Broncos parting ways with Marshall, Dez Bryant is hard to pass on. Personally, I think for McClain, the team and scheme is more important than the draft number. In a 4-3, he's going to be good, but he's made and thinks like a guy in a 3-4 and will be better off with a Pittsburgh or San Diego or Cowboys defense than someone like San Fran or Arizona that plays in the 4-3 and would ask McClain to move around more.
I know a lot of folks are putting Kareem in the 1st, but really Cody has more of a shot than he does because there are more teams who are going to be drafting for future needs in the later half than immediate need. Like Rolo, Cody will be attractive to 3-4 teams and they just happen to be at the bottom of the board. The trick here is that San Diego has a late 1st and an early 2nd round pick. Do they wait and get Cody for cheaper? If they are in a bind with their salary budget, probably. It also depends on which running backs are still on the board. LT's departure and Sproles being a buck fifty soaking wet will require them getting a quality counter punch to him.
Jackson has the skills, but is he a 1st round pick? The issue for him is kinda the same. He is a cover 2/tampa 2 guy. Some teams play man every down and won't look at him. The Vikes are liking him, but they like Robinson from FSU as well. That may be a coin flip or coach's preference there and then KJ falls on to round 2 and is a nice pickup for a Chiefs or Bucs team in the early second.
If that happens, Arenas's stock really kinda falls for a while because those teams are the teams that would have burned a 3rd on him. If those events happen, Mike Johnson is the next off the board in the late 3rd early 4th range. A team like Philadelphia may have an interest as they are starting to rebuild for the long run. Washington and the Dolphins as well as the Fins are parting ways with Smiley. Ironic. Arenas and a team like the Bengals who play a lot of nickel and other teams like the Bucs and Vikes who play a lot of multi sets will have an interest in him for corner, but if teams are looking return man, the Pats may be into him because Welker is out for a long while.
After that, Bama fans you may not see another guy til the late 6th or 7th if at all. Peek's 40 time was too slow to burn a pick on before the bottom of the draft. Marquis Johnson ran well but didn't separate himself from the drowning pool of players like him. Deaderick and Washington may be a late pickup for a team trying to fill scout team needs for a while, and Upchurch may get a last second pickup for the same cause, but none of them have done anything in workouts to get noticed and their game films aren't an ESPN highlight reel.
Regardless, from where the draft class was 2 years ago to now, it is a vast improvement...
A Day 10 things I'll watch for...
1. Secondary play
It will not be a situation where you will see the 5 starting d backs together because the "Star" may be on the other side, or playing another position. I will be watching to see how they handle situations where the blitz hasn't disrupted and how they handle playing on the island for a bit.
2. O Line v. D Line
Both sides have some holes to fill and it will be interesting to see who has the advantage. Depending on injuries heading into the game or the coaches' desire to play starters, we may not see much here as far as quality 1s on 1s after the 1st or 2nd quarter.
3. How many snaps for Sims and Jackson?
At first, I was surprised to see Sims paired with McElroy, but last year they did a similar pairing. McCarron and Jackson will pair up and it will be interesting to see how the snaps are divided. I guess it is needless to say, if AJ throws a touchdown, there will be a quadrant of fans who beckon for him to start because he's the only hope. All prodding aside, this game will give us a feel for how the coaches see the 2s and 3s there.
4. Special Teams... are there any?
Gotta feeling that my dislike for special teams play continues, but I like being wrong in these situations.
5. DJ Fluker- over/under weight guesses
Fluker is much like Cody and Smith. If he can control his weight, he will be all that fans and scouts hype him to be. If he cannot, he is nothing more than space filling. All rumors say he's down and in better shape, but this one kinda needs to be monitored in July too.....
6. After Julio, do any of the receivers look ready to be the 2nd option on a consistent basis?
It has been a constant issue for 2 years, and probably will for this year. The QBs have yet to find a solid backup option to Julio if he's covered. Maze has been it at times, but as history shows, for every Florida game, there is a Texas game. Hanks is the same way, after MSU his looks were almost non-existent. Bowman's out, so Norwood's big chance is now. Same for Dial and Williams at TE.
7. Can AJ show the complete game or is the game management still shaky?
I can't remember where I read it, but one poster mentioned listening to Gruden and McCoy chirp play calls out and the level of difficulty there was to it. It can be in a complex offense. This offense isn't super complex but it isn't vanilla. AJ has the physical game down. He has the arm. He has the height. He has the presence in the pocket. Saban has mentioned it, and it is what they are wanting him to grow and improve.....the dreaded phrase for some.....game management. If he is confident in the huddle and confident in leading the 10 guys with him, that hurdle is over. If there is a lot of confusion or missed assignments (blocks wrong way/wrong route ran), then that's where they are still working on him. Also, a lot of folks talk about him in the closed scrimmages, it is a different animal when there are x thousand watching over x hundred.
8. Can Dareus be stopped, and if not is it more him or the lineman across of him?
That's always a hard thing to watch and figure out. Of course he won't be able to light a QBs Christmas tree, but if he gets 5 real sacks and not 5 tags, we are watching either a great thing coming or a bad situation on the strong side. Gut says great thing for what it is worth.
9. When Bama goes nickel, who plays next to Donta?
Nico's been bruised up a lot in practice, and Jordan has shown flashes of ability to hold it down, but Harris has been the will in nickel primarily. This is important to know because last year the will had to do a lot of different things and flipping players around to get that matchup is a tip off that good offenses will catch. I think even if Nico was healthy, he'd go out on nickel and dime situations because Harris is faster.
10. Can Richardson and Ingram take the game over and put the QB talk to bed?
Nothing would make me happier than to see both of them ground it out and take the focus off the passing game, but this is spring and you chuck the shit out of it more than you ever would in the fall.
Drafting the Tide
It is now down to the crunch and the players have done all the hoops and hurdles for the scouts and GMs that would take them. McShay is high on Bama's class this year with 3 guys in the 1st round. But he is an idiot according to fans....
Personally, I think it is a stretch for 3. 2 might be if the trades start picking up this weekend. McClain is the sure bet as a first round pick. Where he goes, well that part is more a mystery because if the trades that are rumored happen do happen, he could go around the 11th pick or fall around the 17-20 range. With the Broncos parting ways with Marshall, Dez Bryant is hard to pass on. Personally, I think for McClain, the team and scheme is more important than the draft number. In a 4-3, he's going to be good, but he's made and thinks like a guy in a 3-4 and will be better off with a Pittsburgh or San Diego or Cowboys defense than someone like San Fran or Arizona that plays in the 4-3 and would ask McClain to move around more.
I know a lot of folks are putting Kareem in the 1st, but really Cody has more of a shot than he does because there are more teams who are going to be drafting for future needs in the later half than immediate need. Like Rolo, Cody will be attractive to 3-4 teams and they just happen to be at the bottom of the board. The trick here is that San Diego has a late 1st and an early 2nd round pick. Do they wait and get Cody for cheaper? If they are in a bind with their salary budget, probably. It also depends on which running backs are still on the board. LT's departure and Sproles being a buck fifty soaking wet will require them getting a quality counter punch to him.
Jackson has the skills, but is he a 1st round pick? The issue for him is kinda the same. He is a cover 2/tampa 2 guy. Some teams play man every down and won't look at him. The Vikes are liking him, but they like Robinson from FSU as well. That may be a coin flip or coach's preference there and then KJ falls on to round 2 and is a nice pickup for a Chiefs or Bucs team in the early second.
If that happens, Arenas's stock really kinda falls for a while because those teams are the teams that would have burned a 3rd on him. If those events happen, Mike Johnson is the next off the board in the late 3rd early 4th range. A team like Philadelphia may have an interest as they are starting to rebuild for the long run. Washington and the Dolphins as well as the Fins are parting ways with Smiley. Ironic. Arenas and a team like the Bengals who play a lot of nickel and other teams like the Bucs and Vikes who play a lot of multi sets will have an interest in him for corner, but if teams are looking return man, the Pats may be into him because Welker is out for a long while.
After that, Bama fans you may not see another guy til the late 6th or 7th if at all. Peek's 40 time was too slow to burn a pick on before the bottom of the draft. Marquis Johnson ran well but didn't separate himself from the drowning pool of players like him. Deaderick and Washington may be a late pickup for a team trying to fill scout team needs for a while, and Upchurch may get a last second pickup for the same cause, but none of them have done anything in workouts to get noticed and their game films aren't an ESPN highlight reel.
Regardless, from where the draft class was 2 years ago to now, it is a vast improvement...
A Day 10 things I'll watch for...
1. Secondary play
It will not be a situation where you will see the 5 starting d backs together because the "Star" may be on the other side, or playing another position. I will be watching to see how they handle situations where the blitz hasn't disrupted and how they handle playing on the island for a bit.
2. O Line v. D Line
Both sides have some holes to fill and it will be interesting to see who has the advantage. Depending on injuries heading into the game or the coaches' desire to play starters, we may not see much here as far as quality 1s on 1s after the 1st or 2nd quarter.
3. How many snaps for Sims and Jackson?
At first, I was surprised to see Sims paired with McElroy, but last year they did a similar pairing. McCarron and Jackson will pair up and it will be interesting to see how the snaps are divided. I guess it is needless to say, if AJ throws a touchdown, there will be a quadrant of fans who beckon for him to start because he's the only hope. All prodding aside, this game will give us a feel for how the coaches see the 2s and 3s there.
4. Special Teams... are there any?
Gotta feeling that my dislike for special teams play continues, but I like being wrong in these situations.
5. DJ Fluker- over/under weight guesses
Fluker is much like Cody and Smith. If he can control his weight, he will be all that fans and scouts hype him to be. If he cannot, he is nothing more than space filling. All rumors say he's down and in better shape, but this one kinda needs to be monitored in July too.....
6. After Julio, do any of the receivers look ready to be the 2nd option on a consistent basis?
It has been a constant issue for 2 years, and probably will for this year. The QBs have yet to find a solid backup option to Julio if he's covered. Maze has been it at times, but as history shows, for every Florida game, there is a Texas game. Hanks is the same way, after MSU his looks were almost non-existent. Bowman's out, so Norwood's big chance is now. Same for Dial and Williams at TE.
7. Can AJ show the complete game or is the game management still shaky?
I can't remember where I read it, but one poster mentioned listening to Gruden and McCoy chirp play calls out and the level of difficulty there was to it. It can be in a complex offense. This offense isn't super complex but it isn't vanilla. AJ has the physical game down. He has the arm. He has the height. He has the presence in the pocket. Saban has mentioned it, and it is what they are wanting him to grow and improve.....the dreaded phrase for some.....game management. If he is confident in the huddle and confident in leading the 10 guys with him, that hurdle is over. If there is a lot of confusion or missed assignments (blocks wrong way/wrong route ran), then that's where they are still working on him. Also, a lot of folks talk about him in the closed scrimmages, it is a different animal when there are x thousand watching over x hundred.
8. Can Dareus be stopped, and if not is it more him or the lineman across of him?
That's always a hard thing to watch and figure out. Of course he won't be able to light a QBs Christmas tree, but if he gets 5 real sacks and not 5 tags, we are watching either a great thing coming or a bad situation on the strong side. Gut says great thing for what it is worth.
9. When Bama goes nickel, who plays next to Donta?
Nico's been bruised up a lot in practice, and Jordan has shown flashes of ability to hold it down, but Harris has been the will in nickel primarily. This is important to know because last year the will had to do a lot of different things and flipping players around to get that matchup is a tip off that good offenses will catch. I think even if Nico was healthy, he'd go out on nickel and dime situations because Harris is faster.
10. Can Richardson and Ingram take the game over and put the QB talk to bed?
Nothing would make me happier than to see both of them ground it out and take the focus off the passing game, but this is spring and you chuck the shit out of it more than you ever would in the fall.
March 1, 2010
Random Thoughts- Spring Drills What to Watch For
With all the luster of the national championship still in full glow, spring practice will be about as much about turning the heads from January to the task at hand. A task that Saban and many not named Pete Carroll have done....repeat. This year is as big for Saban as any because if you remember his follow up season from his LSU title was less than stellar. That team finished 9-3 and got waxed by UGA and lost in a controversial game with Auburn, but the one that probably haunts him and motivates him is the Iowa game. They had the game wrapped up and let Iowa slip down field and hit a TD as the game was ending. So, as this spring comes upon us, he will be preaching about the let down, the bullseye on them, and breaking a trend.
For me, there are a lot of things to watch for. So, with that, just starting at QB and working down. The funny thing is that now my brother is doing these for another site. If you read both, we compare notes a good bit, but differ on somethings. Here are the things worth looking at without all the bull....
Quarterback: Who is the backup?
There are those who lack proper amounts of brain cells, live in a world where dumb is allowed and respected, or are just suffering from being http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMpsttlXye8&feature=related. In any case, those folks will spend hours telling you that AJ McCarron is going to start. These folks are the former Thomas Darrah is the only hope to win a title fan club. The truth is this folks. Greg McElroy will be the quarterback going into the regular season and the only scenario where he loses the job is if he goes down for the year with some type of injury. At the end of the day, he isn't flashy, he isn't going to win games by throwing 4 TDs and netting 350 yards every Saturday, and some fans hold that against him because he's not the ESPN SportsCenter model. What Greg is is a guy who is comfortable in his skin and gets his role on the team. He isn't trying to throw his arm out or show it off, and he isn't afraid of making mistakes, he just won't make them. He's the first QB in 15 years that I would really feel good about taking from Alabama at a college level. It isn't all about the huge arm and stat lines. There is something about a guy who can just win at this pace like he does. It is special and messing with prosperity is dangerous and I doubt Saban's jerking a guy who just won and did very little to put the defense in a bad position.
Now, who is the backup? That's where my interest starts to peak. McCarron was the backup technically and so was Star Jackson. This is a big spring for Star. Last spring, he had a chance to take the job from McElroy but never appeared ready for the showdown. McCarron comes in from his redshirt the fan favorite so to speak. He has the tools to be the big time QB down the road. He also has the makeup to be like McElroy. Manage the game and work through the fight and win with the supporting cast. Don't believe me? Watch the HS championship game vs. Briarwood and tell me who you see. Star has a big arm but lacks the understanding of what a QB has to do to be Saban's QB. I don't know what his future is if he finishes 3rd or 4th, but if he falls out of 2nd at the end of spring, that is the end of Star the QB. Sims also arrives on campus for spring. It will be fun to see him play in the A Day game, but with 3 guys with no redshirts to apply for, he's almost assured of redshirting and getting a year in the film room and weight room. The early exposure will serve him well though. In the end, I do think that Greg probably doesn't play much at A Day, AJ and Star will be asked to do most of the heavy lifting in the game as they fight for number 2. I look for AJ to come in and hang on to number 2. It will be worth watching no doubt.
Running Backs: Can the staff handle the number of touches that Ingram, Richardson, and Lacy will demand? Also, what do they do with Fowler and Griffin? Does the attrition fairy hover over the other running backs?
What a great problem to have. You have the incumbent Heisman winner, a guy that is probably better than him in the long run in Richardson, and a guy who has fans worked up in Lacy. I don't think they will have a lot of problems with the touches and for Ingram and Richardson, they probably won't notice a difference in the work load. Lacy's carries in games is more than likely kinda like what they tried to do with Grant and Upchurch at times is bring him in late in the halves and let fresh legs whip tired defenses. I would say at A Day, we see a lot of Lacy but not much of Ingram or Richardson because they're ready, we all know it.
Bigger question is what is the plan for Fowler and Griffin? I can't see them taking serious carries from the "big 3", can you? Griffin is coming off an injury and we'll have to see how he responds to the hitting and tackling. If he comes back strong, I could see him taking over for Huber or doing some things like Upchurch did. Same for Fowler. I don't see him really being a feature back or even a short yardage guy because Ingram and Richardson are just that good. Fowler is the mirror image of Marrow and Griffin really and neither of them are gonna get snaps, my fear is that he's gonna get lost in the shuffle as recruiting just continues to bring in top end backs year after year.
After that, is the attrition fairy hovering here? This summer is a tough time for a Goode or Griffin. I don't think Grant gets the boot, but if he transferred (as has been rumored for years now) they aren't missing him. The issue is like Fowler in part, there are just better players in front of them and they have a load of injury issues. This spring is huge for all backs not named Ingram and Richardson in the end. Lacy has to show up and show out and not assume he is in. Grant has to prove to the staff he can be durable. Goode has to remind the staff he's there. Griffin has to prove he can play somewhere. Fowler has the best spot, he can redshirt and do whatever to be whatever he's gonna be.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Can the coaching ever improve to a point where these guys are consistent and catching the ball well? Who will step up and be the true other option for Julio? Is Bowman about to outgrow his WR status? How big will Norwood be for this offense? Can they replace Peek and get Smelley to get his head right?
The biggest goat at times has been the lack of improvement and consistency at WR. Julio is Julio, but he doesn't look like a guy that is about to be a JR and dominate games. He's really been kinda plateaued a bit. Some like to give a quick crutch about this and blame the QB. I won't pretend that isn't a part of it. Nor will I say that it doesn't have something to do with injuries, but it also has to do with coaching and the lack thereof. Maze comes and goes and his routes at times are just junk. Hanks is the same, he does well at times but he gets off routes and breaks them or rounds them off and gets out of sequence. None of the three do much to separate themselves from a defender, and that is pure coaching, and the image of Julio just getting stoned at the snap by TX d backs is fresh there. There is so much potential in those three to not get more than they do makes me wish they would work on them more.
Maze is the most likely to breakout though and be that "other" option for Julio and get the defenses broke off of him some. Norwood is another name to watch for a lot. The staff flat out loves this guy. They did in recruiting him, they did on scout team. He's just a coach's player. I expect big things from him over the next 4 years and this year will hopefully be a good foundation. Bowman is rumored to be around 250 now. As impressive as that can be, he may be getting to a point where he moves to H Back like Smelley and become a threat out of the backfield. I know from first hand that he has no problem with blocking, he did a lot of it. He also could be more like a Tony Gonzalez type where he splits out from the backfield or line and lines up in the slot on a smaller corner in the red zone. That could be fun to watch. This is a big summer for 3 guys at WR. Alexander, Gibson, and Hanks all have a lot to show. EA and Gibby both have just never turned it up and made an impact. I don't expect that status to change. Hanks has impressed at times, but the most vulnerable spot is his and 2 guys really will push him. Kenny Bell has to show me he can play through the "pin shits" before I think much more of him than a return man.
At tight end, they have to replace Peek after a year of service. My boy Williams takes over there. I don't see it being a major drop off for the offense really. He doesn't catch as well as Peek and he may not get the plays to show or improve on that, but he's a pure blocker and improved as he got more PT. He and Dial make a strong bookend TE duo at TE and HB. Dial took over for Smelley as he just didn't have the stuff to block and couldn't catch a bus out of town right now. That's a big story line to me, can Smelley get it together and return to the form that had us all thinking he had a big future? Dial's blocking and the 2 headed workhorse may override anything he does.
Offensive Line: Who takes over for Johnson and Davis? What weight will DJ Fluker report at? Can DJ compete at RT?
There are so many options here, it may be impossible to guess. The two names that probably will get the first shot are Warmack and Boswell. Warmack is a fireplug and his early enrollment helped him. Boswell is a guy who can do about anything you ask of him short of snapping the ball. They are the two that probably get the first run at LG and RT. Steen is the Internet folklore champ with the lore of his weight lifting prowess and he did well in practice/squad work. He will get a run at LG. A name flying under the radar but you better watch is Alfred McCullough. He is a coaches favorite because he's moved from 3 different spots and just done more than expected each time. For a guy his size, he moves extremely well and that will serve him well at RT possibly. This spring is it for Tyler Love. He's gotta assert himself because the incoming talent may overrun him if he continues to lob lolly through. He's the backup left tackle but they will look at him at RT again too. A former poster on BOL, who now resides as a resident expert somewhere else hyped him up for you all, but the facts on the ground are that he's got all the stats you look for but he's about as mean as a hug.
The rest of this section is devoted to the next Andre Smith or Von Ewing/Dennis Alexander. It really is up to him. This spring isn't dire for him, but the pressure of being the big recruit is on him. The fans will root for him but at the same time they will put a lot of expectations on him. You can scan down last year and see my thoughts on that. He's raw folks, he has 2 years of practice/play time at tackle. He also is going to have the weight issue that Smith had/has. DJ has always been the biggest and naturally been able to do things, and like Andre, that can be a plus and a minus at times. My hope is that this spring we see him slimmer and ready to compete. The RT spot is there for him and with his experience level being what it is, that's the best thing for him at OL. He is too big to play guard and too slow to play LT. The problem is that his lack of understanding at RT may hurt him with guys like McCullough and Boswell out there. Can he make the 1st string this spring? I don't think it will settle out by spring. If last spring is a reminder, anything can change over a summer workout session.
Defensive Line: Will the tandem of Chapman and Murphy handle Cody's absence? Will Luther Davis's play finally eclipse his mouth? What kind of depth can they build? Now that Dareus doesn't have to share, will he dominate even more?
I like Chapman. I think he's a better all round NT than Cody because while Cody was a better run stopper/gap filler, he wasn't a force on the pass rush nor was he a threat if a team ran wide for a living. Chapman is strong and did a great job filling in for Cody in 08. He moves well for his size and can rush. I think he and Dareus side by side will be a nice thing because they really are a lot alike. Murphy is a lotta ball player to move around. He can be a really huge factor this year if he continues to get his conditioning and weight in line. Of course, by the time he graduates he will be able to file for social security, but with age comes patience. I think he plays a lot this year and will be a good change of pace from Chapman. I don't think either can replace Cody as far as the presence and protection he gave to the Mike and Will most of the year. I do think that they can do enough things that Cody didn't do and supply enough gap support to make the NT a position we won't worry much about.
I do wonder about Davis. He's been yapping since he committed to Bama and fans love him for his prodding of LSU. He hasn't walked his talk yet either. If the player that showed up for the NC game comes to play this spring, Davis will be all that we thought he can be. If he doesn't and continues to be a guy that comes and goes, Sentimore may be the starter in the summer. Sentimore is another player that the coaches are big on. Damien Square is another that the staff is high on and for a while last year, we all saw it. The injury issue will keep Square out of the competition for the most part this spring, but in the summer, I won't be surprised if he isn't a co starter at some point. He's just that good. The other name to watch is Brandon Lewis. Lewis is early enrolling from JUCO and has all the size and ability to play all 3 spots and has great hands and a fast first move for a guy his size.
Depth will be a key. There really isn't a ton of it with experience. Talbert is just going for diploma. Gentry has played in mop up and he too is just going for diploma. Ming is a guy I like but he hasn't sparked a lot of chatter in practice. My brother calls him the next Greenwood, and you know I am a homer for those guys who just give it all even when their skills don't say they can, but I think Ming can be a little better than that. Bonds and Orr are both wildcards. I don't know how much of a look we'll see this spring, but that is a key thing for me is not really who starts but how good are the guys behind the starters and how much of a gap is there between them.
I have waited for a long time to see Dareus unplugged. This is probably the only year we'll see this much of him, but I expect we will all enjoy the carnage he brings. Dareus's growth over last season was impressive and with him getting all the snaps he wants, the curve only goes higher.
Linebackers: Who replaces RoLo? Can Hightower bounce back to pre-injury form? Can Harris stay focused and meet his expectations? Will the Jack be by committee still or has the staff found their man finally?
Because Bama plays so much Nickel and Dime, I don't worry much about the Will as Johnson won't be on the field as much unless the DBs have more issues than I think they will or Harris can't handle that duty. However, the Mike debacle begins Friday. There is 0 experience at Mike as is. Plenty of experience at Will and that is where the conversation starts. Hightower is the expected starter at Mike, but that isn't so cut and dry. He's got the injury to get through and all reports are that he's fine, but that first pop, tweak, or hit will tell us where he is. If he can take on the Mike and do it at 80 percent of where Rolo was, the defense will be fine. It also will cure the biggest problem they have going into spring. The Sam is a battle between Harris the experienced backup now incumbent vs. Atchison the heralded backup redshirt that the coaches really like. This is the last spring for Watkins and Williams as far as them having a chance. Both have floundered and with depth continuing to build above them, attrition and graduation are ahead. Williams has the capacity to be a player, he just can't seem to take the next step.
At Jack, Upshaw is the semi-incumbent. He looked good later in the year and it looked like the light came on as to how he should play. That's all good and swell, but most feel that Stinson is the prototype for the Jack. There will be more competition in the summer, but for now it is up to them. I think both can be good if not great, but we could find ourselves missing what Anders gave the defense at times. This is the part where I mention Harbin and move on.
In the end, I think these questions still remain unanswered for a variety of reasons. I do think Harris can lock down his spot and Johnson and Hightower will hold theirs. Jack looks to me to be a platoon spot again. There is a lot of depth and a lot of new faces that fans will see for the first time like Patrick, Smith, and a guy like Jordan that hasn't been out there much. It will be fun to watch, but don't expect it to look as smooth as last year.
Secondary: How far are Kirkpatrick, Scott, etc from being ready? Will the suspension of Green make things tough? Can they find the safety to replace him and Woodall at the same time? Will the early enrolees change the conversation?
The suspension of Robbie Green is disappointing and really changes the way I look at this position. Bama is essentially replacing 5 starters in the 2 corners, star, money and strong safety because Barron more than likely is the new FS. Kirkpatrick is the favorite to lock down his spot in the spring, the other corner and the star are hazy. BJ has to show up this spring and show he can be the player he's been hyped to be. I think he's the Star now that Green is out. The other corner probably won't clean up by spring but Jones and the early enrolees Milner and Fulton will all fight out that island. Jones has the experience, but nobody really has said anything spectacular about him. My fear is that there is a reason LSU was willing to let him go to Bama and the staff has found it. I think regardless is that he gets first crack. Fulton is the guy that I think will win in the long run though. Fulton is just a hell of a corner and seems to play his best when he gets on the best wide outs. Milner may be a corner and he may transition to safety like Green did. Hard to tell. This spring is huge though for all. It is do or die for BJ Scott and we all know it. If he gets passed by 2 freshmen, that's it. If he wins the Star or corner job, he's going to be a major weapon to use.
At safety, it gets rough. I know fans like the thoughts of Woodson and Barron together and have wet dreams about the hittin going on. That's all fine, but I don't know if either are fast enough to play next to the other. I definitely don't think they will use that duo in the nickel or dime because of the speed requirements. Lester is probably the first option, but I really hope there is a better one to go with. Lester is a guy that when I watch him, just doesn't impress me. However, he's the only one with speed and he needs to step up and play big. Maybe with more snaps and focus on him, he'll break through. It really is just hard to say much about the safeties without knowing who is going to be there. I think if they are dissatisfied with the play there, you will see about every corner available take a run there.
In the end, I think Dre, BJ, Phelon Mark and Robert come out starters, but outside of 2, the competition will continue in the summer. To be honest it may change 3 times during the season.
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