MHS831

Let's take a look at the genius behind the concept of a smokescreen here: 1. Trevor---LOCKED IN 2. Wilson---LOCKED IN Jets were not trading out unless it was for a team willing to pay for Wilson. 3. OH, we better do some head bobbing and weaving here---maybe a juke step. That is like trying to bluff with 4 aces. If they played Jones to fool people, I hope Jones scalds their asses when they play. So maybe they wanted teams to invest time into bringing in Lance etc. after they supposedly took Jones. Who? The Falcons? The Bengals and Dolphins were set at QB---Philly? Detroit? Denver? I do not understand the strategy.

The thing I cant find info on---do they revert back to a power scheme in goal line or fourth and 1? Splits are so tight, this may be obvious. Do they simple rule block (head up, inside, LB...)

I will tell you what I seem to observe in Rhule--he is very smart about people--not just motivation--he knows how to communicate with someone in a manner that makes them feel significant and important--He is often tired, and very patient. I would say the opposite of Bill Blechick, he is not condescending. We all want respect, we all want to be valued. When you are respected and valued, you perform at a higher level. Whether this is from being the son of a preacher or his education psychology courses, he gets it. To Rhule, the term "fit" means more than skill set/system. It means as a person, how well will you fit into the culture. Your attitude, work ethic, dispositions, and ability to collaborate. It is not about finding the best players but it is about getting the most out of the players he has. Rhule is very smart---so much smarter than Rivera or Fox--we are seeing a psychologist at work--a master motivator. I do not know if he knows less about football than his assistants, but he knows enough to let them do their jobs. I see the chemistry between Rhule and Dave Moore, the G from Grambling. The Senior Bowl experience may have won that prize. It is also how he got to know a few more players we drafted--and a few we didn't. Rhule is a people person, and it will pay off.

camp fodder. Or would that be, "camp mudder?"

I read that too--could not find it. Of course, the facts get very clouded and distorted.

Our LT and QB have been called first round busts. Sam and Cam. However, if we can help them reach their potentials, it will send us up the board very quickly.

The book on Pride is that he is a good athlete who must keep the game in front of him--explains the cushion for a man with his skill set. I think he is a free safety, and I would not be surprised to see him given a look there.

Some of y'all are making good points and sharing valid concerns etc. that is making me more curious about it. I will say this---Pat Meyer has his work cut out for him, but from what he did last year with that group, I have faith.

I can tell you that I will be so focused on preseason this year, I might get nervous before the games.

And what I do not know is this--were Denver and Washington running outside zone schemes or wide schemes? I imagine there is a combination of both---but I am not that familiar with other teams.

I struggled with the same concerns about our newest guards. However, I am less concerned about Moore than Brown. We shall see, but I LOVE Moore and hope he can get there. And you have to run the ball in A gap too, so maybe their strengths will offset. I wish I knew more about this Blitz. I am just trying to piece it together and look at it all as they might be-- FWIW I think I can change your mind about Moore:

That is absolutely right. Forgot about that.

I am on a leave of absence that started right before the draft. I am doing this on meds. When I go back to work and stop popping pills, I will revert back to the old, one-dimensional stuff. I think people like Linville and Mr Scot do it so regularly, they go underappreciated. And your contributions have been solid. The only person who is bad for the huddle is Fua (see my pic for explanation).

You hear a lot about fit, and recently, the effervescent Black and Blue Bubba posted a podcast by Brett Kollman and EJ Snyder, where they made some pretty good analyses that helped me understand some of the personnel moves (draft picks, free agent signings) we made. First of all, we are running the "Wide Zone" blocking scheme, which is is form of zone blocking nor to be confused with "outside zone" scheme, as opposed to man or inside zone. First, it is important to understand fit. Why we went after players we did in free agency and in the draft. The difference between an outside zone scheme and a wide zone scheme is detailed, and the differences are rather subtle. Basically, in the inside zone, the lane the OL creates is designed to be inside the playside Guard's hip--the outside zone goes outside the guard's hip. An outside zone attacks an area of the defense, while the wide zone stretches the defense and relies on the back reading the blocks and making the earliest and most effective cut or burst through the hole. I used this link with embedded videos because it is from Oklahoma State, famous for the wide zone blocking attack. It also explains a draft pick we made (and it was NOT because Rhule's wife called) and is probably why we liked Chuba Hubbard: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/film-study-oklahoma-states-wide-zone-rpo/ In this Jets article, (run the wide zone scheme, but they did not have the personnel to do it) they list 6 linemen in this draft that fit that scheme. We signed Pat Elflien from the Jets, by far their best IOL in the wide scheme and a perfect fit, based on what I have seen of him as a Jet (G) and Viking (C). But the article focused on drafting players, and one of the top 6 wide zone OL mentioned was Brady Christensen, OT, BYU: https://jetswire.usatoday.com/lists/2021-nfl-draft-offensive-linemen-new-york-jets-wide-zone-blocking-scheme/ So why draft Tommy Tremble in the third round? Yes, he will run some stuff from an hback set, but it is wrong to limit him that way. The strong side wide zone is the easy answer to why we drafted an athletic beast of a blocker in the open field: (Watch the strong side wide zone scheme description on this video by Alex Gibbs--very informative. Note that the most important block on the OL is arguably the TEs) And then there is this: So what characteristics does the wide zone blocking OL need to be successful? 1. Communication/Intelligence. They work as a unit, and they must know where their teammates will be. Trust the system. The must react on the fly and take good angles, predicting where the defender will be. 2. They need to be mobile and have good feet, balance and coordination. Often they will have to block DBs and LBs in the open field. I provide a video that shows Cam Erving as a guard, and although the chiefs do not run the Wide zone very much (inside zone, man 25% of the time, outside zone 75%) note in the video how well Erving moves and pursues blocks in the open field. In fact, David Moore is a GREAT fit for this system, and I seriously think he will make the team and start within a year. He is short, which is less of a disadvantage for an IOL in this system but he has 34" arms, he can move, and he is a bit nasty. He can pull, has light feet, a huge anchor if needed, and he does a great job of rolling his hips into the block in the open field. Finally, there has been some criticism of the reason we drafted Deonte Brown as a G if we are running the zone scheme. However, I think that is based on his size, not his tape. He shows that he can be a lot of things, not simply a man blocker. If a G can pull and see the need to slip off his block to pick up a bigger threat, then he has the intelligence. Brown is not going to lead a sweep or anything, but he is going to be able to reach and get to the second level. I think he needs to lose 15 more lbs, but he can have a role in this offense because he can take smart angles and he has the strength to turn folks on reach and scoop blocks, etc. I feel much more understanding of the Elflien and Erving signings now. I get the Brady and Tremble picks--we should be awesome at strong side running to the left--we could not really run left last year. I am excited about Paradis as a fit more than before. And I think we have the RBs and QB to do this. I think the focus on stopping the run will open things up for our secondary. Darnold will not be forced to throw all the time and he will have a great screen game (Think about Christensen, Tremble, and Elflien leading CMC on a screen). I get it. I think I understand now why we did what we did. Did we need Sewell? Not as much as we probably needed a Slater or Christensen. I will say that we will not be as strong in pass protection, but if you have a good screen game and stretch the field all day, and there are 4 WRs who can spank your butt on any given play---you are less likely to blitz. Stunts are not as effective either. I am getting pumped.

I would like to point out 1 other point that made me feel this guy could be the steal of the draft--and he was not drafted. They started mentioning David Moore (G) in about the third round. Called him a "Tree stump." They kept mentioning his name. If DJ would take off his Bears ears and stop talking 80% of the time, this could be a damn good draft show. DJ probably needs to put the cup down until a bit later. Seriously, I really did not know this existed, and I spent about 2 hours yesterday watching the panther sections. Appreciate it.

I was not aware, but I was not saying that he cannot play RG--the point I probably did not make was that he can play in the wide zone scheme--they were treating him as if he is a power run blocking RG only, and it did not fit the scheme. My point was that he can pull--he did it a lot--as a LG, which is usually the most agile, mobile G. Thanks for the link and the thread.

Based only on what they said about Nixon, I see Nixon as a situational DT only. It was as if they said he cannot recognize the run and gets blown out. He needs to be shooting gaps---and frankly, DTs do not make that many tackles anyway--they simply clog lanes--so I will be anxious to see how he develops.

They made me feel really better about the first four picks. I think they love Horn, Terrace, (so do I) and Christensen at LT---they helped me see how he is a perfect fit there-I hope they are right. Tremble: They underestimated him, in my opinion, but value his blocking. No mention of special teams. I did not like the Chuba pick either. I am not as pumped about Nixon as before, but there is a difference between playing every down and being situational. Shi Smith just made our WR corps potentially the best in the NFL. "Darnold has no excuses." I did not like the Taylor CB pick when it happened, but I do now. They love him, along with DJ. Enough for me. They made good points and were spot on. I disagree about D.Brown, however. He was a LG at Bama and pulled and was able to move. As a RG, he should be fine.

I love this guy, and EJ was tolerable, but he needs to be less "Da Bears" and more focused on all teams. He talked too much as well, but I think he was squeezing the bottle a bit.

Gonna hold you to that. TY When I saw who replied, I knew this would be a good thread--some very good counterpoints being made.

he is a better fit--so I could see it.

It is possible that they go with 9 on the roster because they like versatility. I really like David Moore and think he was a steal as an UDFA--so I forced him on the roster. Did not think he'd last on the PS.

I probably did not stress this point enough. We run that wide zone blocking scheme and he might be a perfect fit for that--I just need to learn more about it---I think he would be a great G, but a good LT is greater than a great G, especially when you have a veteran or 2 at LG ready to play.

After the draft, I think it was Verge who asked the best question that remained: "So what do we have as an offensive line? (paraphrased)." I think it is a great question. We still do not have answers for everyone left of right tackle, but we do have depth and competition. Essentially, we are average across the front after Moton, but that is based on where we were and probably are--but it does not mean that is what we will be. So I do this for myself and not for the Huddle, but I do not mind sharing. Agree or disagree--there are many ways this could go and I am pretty sure it won't go as predicted here. I tried to analyze each player as objectively and as positively as possible. These are the 10 OL I think could make the final roster: Cam Erving: Has some LT experience, experience at G as well. Just does not come off as a LT1. At his salary, he is a steal if he starts and is average, but I really was hoping that he would be solid depth. Erving is smart, gives a lot of effort, but due to inexperience at any position, he is a bit behind. Built to be the utility infielder, it is best for the Panthers if that is the role he plays here. At his age, he is in his prime, so you are seeing his peak performance; he is what he is. I would say that he will give 100% and he will learn quickly. Is 100% enough? Not over the long haul. Still the favorite to be starting week 1, in my opinion. Erving has said he is most comfortable at LT, and this may be his best chance to win a job there. Trent Scott: Scott was probably slightly below average last season, taking about a third of the LT snaps. That is admirable for a backup, and we know he should improve in 2021 because he was new to the system in 2020. So I might go as far to say that he could reach average. If Erving is average and Scott can be average, I feel better about LT than I did before the draft. Having 2 LTs that are slightly below average to average is something you can live with IF you upgraded in other places. Do not underestimate the value of Tremble here—and maybe a newer, better LG beside him will help. I would give Scott a C- based on last year, with the upside of a C for 2021. Bradley Christensen: Since nobody asked me, I have been watching Christensen’s videos and reading a few reviews from respected analysts and have come to this conclusion: He can play LT with a few weak spots or he could be a star Left Guard. BC can handle the speed rushers and the benders; he can pull and reach the second level with ease. He is great on screens. Where he could run into trouble: Bull Rushers. He will struggle to keep the bigger, power rushers from plowing through his numbers. He has short arms and a tiny anchor. So if we can use Tremble to chip and offset that Bull rusher on longer plays from the pocket, he could be a serviceable LT. But these flaws are minimized if he moves to G, and his athleticism is put more on display. I think Rhule wants him to play G, honestly, because he sees it too. Rookie, so grade is based on week 1 potential---LT: C-, LG: B- Dennis Daley: The forgotten man except in the “ice up” room, sometimes injuries happen in flurries. You get one, it alters your technique and you get another. A pulled groin can lead to a strained knee and that can lead to a hip pointer, for example. Then everyone calls you “injury prone,” the NFL’s kiss of death. But Daley was drafted in 2019 with Greg Little, and as a sixth rounder, had some impressive outings. Like in college, he was a bit inconsistent at LT, and was learning LG to start there in 2020 when the injury bug hit. So we really do not know what we have in Daley; he could be our best LT, and he could be a versatile reserve as opposed to the injured reserve. No grade, but we really (if you do not include Little) have 4 possible LTs on the roster, and all seem to be about on the same level at this time. Daley is a LT, LG, and possibly the RT backup. Pat Elflien: I have watched Jets tape of Elf at G, and I have watched Vikings tape of Elf at C, where he won the Remington award as college football’s top C after being moved from G to C for his senior year at Ohio State. Probably a better pass blocker than run blocker, and I like him at C more than G, which is good news, considering Paradis’ age. He does not blow anyone off the ball in the run game, but he usually makes his block. He is very quick, and the more we pull him, the better off we will be. He has never played on a good OL, so we shall see how effective he can be. I see Elflien as the starting LG who will convert to C when Christensen becomes the LG or Paradis is benched. However, he may have a good relationship with Darnold, and the C/QB relationship is important. (Yes, I think Brady C’s destiny is LG—and I hope LT works out). Based on what I have seen on film, and this does not jive with PFF, I give him a C+ at LG with an upside of a B- if he plays C. Matt Paradis: Better in 2020 than in 2019 (recovering from a broken fibula), Paradis restructured his contract so he is going to be here at least one more year (2021) and should be the starting Center week 1. He was probably the OL’s second best performer in 2021 for those who played full schedules, but Miller could argue that he was the second best and win half the votes. Paradis brings experience, and as his leg got stronger, so did he. At 33, this is his last year, and his leadership and experience at C are probably needed. He is more of a finesse, zone blocker and can get bull rushed into the QB. I would give him a C with a potential upside of B-. John Miller: Miller surprisingly exceeded expectations last year, but probably graded out at the bottom of the average range for RG. He committed 6 penalties in 14 games (too high) and allowed too many sacks and hits on the qb—but was solid in the run game. He should improve in his second year with OL coach Pat Meyer, but there is a sixth round rookie at RG now who also wants to eat. The competition will be fierce, and Miller is on a 1-year contract, so he knows they might be grooming D. Brown to take over. Miller will start there week 1, and he will fight to keep his job or build his resume. I give Miller a C- with the chance for a C+ with the extra motivation. Deonte Brown: Is interesting because he is an enigma. He is built like a road-grading people mover, but he played LG at Bama and he played like a LG, and that position is probably more aligned with his college tape. He is a smart blocker, almost a zone blocker at times, and rarely uses his 345 lbs to pave a path over the defender. I think that will change when and if he is moved to RG, but the upside is this—in pass protection, he does not get bull rushed and he is able to adjust and pick up stunts and blitzes better than most men his size. He is not there yet, but I think coach Meyer can make this guy into a star. I would have given him (at 347 lbs) a late third round grade, fwiw. I think at 335 and with some technique development, he will be our starting RG soon. David Moore: Normally I would not include an UDFA before the first practice in July, but since we are high on Moore, I think I will. Moore is a bit short, but he is hard to move. Rhule played him some at center at Senior Bowl practices, and frankly, the drills in this video are impressive. He is raw, but I think he could make the roster; I think if you put him on the PS, someone would pick him up. For now, he is a third C, a third LG, and a third RG, but that is subject to change. Here is a brief clip of Moore at the SR bowl—note the fact that he is not intimidated and how he stalemates the rush. He gets beat on one rush, but recovers fairly well to minimize possible damage. https://youtu.be/kh6ewsdqQMk So if you ask me, I would predict that the Week 1 lineup looks like this: LEFT TACKLE (C) LEFT GUARD (C+) CENTER (C-) RIGHT GUARD (C) RIGHT TACKLE (A) Cam Erving Pat Elflien Matt Paradis John Miller Taylor Moton Trent Scott Dennis Daley (Elflien) Deonte Brown (Scott) Brad Christensen (Christensen) David Moore But at some point during the season, I expect the OL to transform—it could look like this by then end: LEFT TACKLE (C) LEFT GUARD (B-) CENTER (B-) RIGHT GUARD (B-) RIGHT TACKLE (A) Cam Erving Brad Christensen Pat Elflien Deonte Brown Taylor Moton Trent Scott Dennis Daley Matt Paradis John Miller (Scott) (Daley) (Moore) David Moore (Moore) (Daley) Green--rookies Red--probably not going to be here next year

I looked up the house. This may not be the good sign we thought it was.