Last Guy on the Bench
-
Posts
799 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Gallery
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Last Guy on the Bench
-
-
That was awesome. You can read Cowher's lips right before that. He yells (spits), "THAT WAS A GREAT F*CKING PLAY!" and then one of the toughest, meanest players in the NFL kisses him on the cheek. It was one of the great football moments I've ever seen. I'm actually starting to like this Steelers team, much to my own chagrin.
-
I love listening to Belichick's pregame press conferences every year. They're hilarious.
feed://www.buffalobills.com/podcast/index.xml
He makes it sound like the Pats barely have a chance against us.
What's interesting though is not his exaggeration of the Bills' apparently unsurpassed talent. It's the specificity with which he talks about the Bills' roster. He always knows everyone's name, including backups; can list every great play they've ever made, particularly against New England, etc. This is a guy who knows his sh*t. I'll bet he can give you a full-blown scouting profile of every player on every team in the league.
I'm never more optimistic than I am when Belichick describes our team . . . right before he kicks our ass on Sunday.
-
Um . . . not sure about the rest of your argument, but EVERY starting center in the history of the NFL had 0 previous starts at center the first time he started at center. You can't have experience before you have experience.
Now whether it's better to ride the pine for 1, 2, 3 years, etc. before making your first start is another question altogether. I imagine you are right that, in general, center is one of the harder positions to step right into.
-
Great read. Thanks.
As for tackle depth, have a look at Butler at RT in the second half and let us know what you think. I watched him pretty closely on a number of plays. I thought the combo of Butler and Preston looked pretty good, but I'm an OL ignoramus, so I don't put much stock in my own opinion.
Also, I'm glad you like Fowler and Reyes, but the one play where I really noticed them was that third and short (I think it was in the 2nd quarter, but I'm not sure) when they both pulled around to the right, had two linebacker types in their sights making the play look like it was going to work great, and then both got completely blown up. One of them, I forget which one, pretty much just fell down when he tried to pick up the moving LB. That worried me. Anyway . . .
-
Thanks, everyone. To me, this just reinforces the idea that his best position might be LT. Maybe even this year? I would assume that the technique things people are pointing out can and will improve, given that he is so inexperienced as an offensive lineman.
He is fun to watch, at any rate, because he moves so well for such a huge guy.
-
I definitely don't know a whole lot about techincal offensive line play. I'm one of the guys who usually just follows the ball.
However, because of that, I do occasionally force myself to concentrate on things like the OL for several plays, just to try and learn something and see the game from a different angle.
When I did that last year, it always seemed to me that Jason Peters' pass blocking was excellent, but that he didn't do much in the run game. He looked awkward, didn't seem to move his guy, would often end up in a bit of a mess around the ball carrier.
Does anyone who watches the line more frequently or with more knowledge have an opinion on this? I know the generally accepted info nugget is that Peters is a better pass blocker than run blocker, but is his run blocking really as big a liability as it looked like to my uneducated eyes? (Mike Williams, on the other hand, always looked pretty sweet run blocking to me.)
Can anyone break him down in more detail? (Specific strengths and weaknesses, places he is likely to improve vs. things he will probably always struggle with, etc.)
Thanks.
-
I doubt we'll be very active this year. Counting draft picks and NFLE we have like 84 guys on the roster already, surprisingly.
-
Marv's comments on the run of great safeties in the last several Super Bowls echoed something I've been thinking about a lot about the last few weeks.
I don't really understand why safety is so often seen as just an afterthought. I think Polamalu really upgraded Pitt's defense. I think Sanders took Indy's D to another level. One of the biggest dfferences between the Pats in 2002 (out of the playoffs) and the Pats in 2003/4 (Super Bowls) was Rodney Harrison taking over for a fading Milloy. And when Harrison got hurt last year, the Pats D was never the same, despite all of the other great, experienced players they have. I thnk about Reed and Brown and Lynch (a few of years ago).
Seems like most of the great defenses have extremely smart and active safeties who hit the snot out of people. They DON't all have great DEs or CBs, though they do tend to be stout in the middle of the D line.
I think the Whitner pick could be brilliant. We'll see.
-
One interesting thing about both picks to me: their write-ups on NFL.com in the draft profiles section are very good. And if you read through those profiles in general, they tend to be MUCH more conservative (even negative) than the vast majority of the draft mags. That's why I like them. They seem realistic and don't claim everyone is going to be a pro-bowler.
They liked both Whitner and McCargo a lot, however, and said that they were likely to be drafted much lower than they should be for various reasons (e.g., size). I guess the Bills saw things the way they did and moved accordingly.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2006/whitner_donte
-
I agree as well. Our LBs could hit the wall really quickly, if Spikes can't come back and Fletch shows some age.
I don't think we'll reach for one, but if there is good value (Hawk in the 1st or someone like D'Qwell Jackson in the 2nd), I could see us grabbing one. Certainly the 3rd round would not surprise me.
I love 2nd and 3rd round linebackers. Seems llike you can get some great players in those rounds, particularly when you pick a guy whose measurables are slightly lower than you'd like. I think LB might be the position where speed/size are least important (they're always pretty important of course).
Suppose one guy has a .3 second advantage in the 40, but another guy reads and reacts to plays a half second quicker. You do the math. LB is the position where football instincts - the ability to read and diagnose a play almost unconsciously - matter the most. Instincts = playing speed.
-
I read a quote from Joseph saying that Reuben Brown was the player he'd looked up to the most in terms of offensive lineman. Hmmm, must be a closet Bills fan.
As a sleeper side note, I betcha Marv and Dick are also looking at that perenial All-Ivy leaguer Kevin Boothe and Anthony Smith.
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingr...evinboothe.html
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingr...thonysmith.html
Forget Texas and Florida let's get some NYS players in here!
I think I remember reading that Joseph is actually a big Bills fan, now that you mention it. I also like Boothe and Smith. As far as I'm concerned, Joseph could be our 2nd round pick and they could be our two thirds, and I'd be happy with almost any of the top names for Round 1.
-
Maybe so, but I thought his impressions of conversational style and temperament were a nice addition to all the other info out there. These certainly aren't scouting reports. But I've read a dozen of those on most of these players. It was nice hearing from someone who actually talked to them. Rounds out the picture a bit.
I'm not saying anyone should draft a particular player because Pat Kirwan liked talking to him on the phone. It was just some different info.
-
I'm praying that Joseph will be there at our second pick. Seems like the kind of guard just destined to be solid for 10-12 years. I feel like we could pop him in at LG and forget about it.
-
I thought Denney was signed for extension last year but he wasn't according to several reports that he is a free agent so unless Bills pony up a fair amount of change Denney will not be starting. I think Bills will have Kelsay start, hope 2nd year was a sophmore slump, look for depth and hope for the best. Bills have other needs at the time.
I believe that was Kelsay's 3rd year, not his 2nd. He was drafted in the 2nd round, after Willis, in 2003. So let's hope it was a Junior slump.
-
How about "Eli Pole"?
-
"Sherman makes poor mid-game adjustments, is not a good motivator, is a predictable play-caller, and may not be suited for developing young players"
That's just what the Bills DO NOT need. They need a real SOB in here, a Military General type to motivate this team. Rip them to shreds and then build them up. A do not-take-crap from anyone especially players type of coach. Shermy ain't the guy.
I think you're wrong about what the Bills need (not a fan of the Military General type) - but even if you're right I can almost guarantee that Marv Levy is not going to be attracted to "a real SOB." I wouldn't hold out much hope for that if I were you.
-
I confess I don't know much about the guy, so I've been looking for info. Here's an older one (2003) that talks about his history, family, and general take on the world:
-
Yeah, he's so innacurate and inconsistent that he was third in the country in passing efficiency (QB rating) and completed 65% of his passes.
I don't get these comparisons with Vick (who BTW I think is way above average as a pro in terms of his overall impact on his team's ability to win - though he's being mismanaged right now).
Vick has a stronger arm, is much smaller, is quicker, etc. - he plays a different game. Young has much greater accuracy than Vick, he's got the ability to glide around and keep seeing what's going on around him and downfield, he's ridiculous under pressure and in big games. I can't really think of a QB he reminds me of. Just the way he moves alone - that rangy shiftiness that is deceptively fast - is unlike any QB I've seen.
None of this means he'll definitely be a good pro, but I think many of you are way underestimating his chances.
-
Um...but he can't throw. So what is he going to do in the NFL? Be a running QB?
At least Vick and McNabb could throw the football when they came out. Of course, Vick can't throw it very well, but he is still head and shoulders above Young.
Young is a player without a position in the pro game.
Bush is a 2 down player who isn't big enough to last in the NFL. He's Warrick Dunn plus one
Leinert doesn't have the zip in his arm to be anything more than a so-so pro.
Looked like he could throw to me. Just throws weird. Didn't he lead the nation in passing efficiency?
Anyway, guess we'll see in a few years.
-
I disagree. What impressed me most was his ability to stay calm and take in the way each play was unfolding. He made a LOT of good decisions last night (and of course a few bad ones, but not many). With a head like that plus a "comeback" temperament, I'd be surprised if he didn't figure out a way to adapt himself to the pro game. His style of play might change somewhat, of course, and he won't be racking up 500 yard games, but I bet he's gonna be a fine and interesting player to watch for a long time. Keep him out of the AFC East.
-
I couldn't be more impressed with Young. His physical gifts are obvious, but it was his mental approach that really stood out. He is one cool and collected MFer. I would be stunned if he didn't turn out to be a highly successful pro, just based on his attitude and his calm in the pocket. The one thing I'd worry about is not his throwing motion (seems to work) but the fact that he runs that O out of the shotgun.
BTW, I think Pete Carroll was absolutely right to go for it on fourth down. You just had the feeling that if they gave the ball back to Young he was gonna score, whether he had to go 50 yards or 80. USC's best chance at the end was to pick up that 4th with White - game over. I think Carroll's call was ballsy and correct. It just didn't work out. It wasn't arrogance; it was an entirely appropriate fear of Young.
What a game.
-
Not really. Watch someone like Freeney for a while. There are tons of plays where he doesn't seem to be much of a factor (though, in reality, he is a factor because the offense has to focus on him) and then WHAM, he makes a big play.
I'm not saying Schobel is as good as Freeney. (I don't think he is.) But I agree with Kelly. He's much closer to being a topnotch DE this year than previously. There aren't too many guys in the league I would trade him for - maybe 6 or 7.
-
I don't think anybody has "screwed up" by not choosing him as their head coach. The guy simply isn't head coach material. He's struggling enough with his own specialty, defense. The guy was canned by Herm and the Jets and the Vikings defense wasn't a threat until the end of the season.
I think he and Herm just had different philosophies, so they never really put together a coherent defense. It's taken him a little time with the Vikes, but he's got that D playing really well now.
Of course there's no way to know if he'll be a good HC. (By the same token it's pretty silly to be so sure that he "simply isn't head coach material.") But players like him, he makes good in-game adjustments, and he develops young players very well. I think he's got a great shot to be an excellent HC. We'll see.
-
I'd be happy for him. San Fran screwed up when they chose Erickson over him, even though they really liked TC. (For that matter, we screwed up too.)
Staban's a douche
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
Jarts! Outstanding.