Under the Radar: Glimpses and flashes of the future

[MHS831]

Here are some "bottom of the roster" players that have been pleasantly surprising so far-without reiterating what has already been said:

LB: Jermaine Carter: The "other" rookie out of Maryland.  He has been quietly making plays and seems to be a very smart player.  I hated the pick, but we needed OLB depth if you think about it...with TD suspended and old, who do we have after Thompson?  Jacobs,  Mayo,  Norris, Smith---all seem better suited to play ILB.

LB: Jared Norris:  He has been playing fast and physical.  He has 9 tackles so far in 2 preseason games in limited action.  A solid special teamer too.  He is only 25, fwiw.

QB: Taylor Heinicke:  While he only stands 6-1 and weights 210, he is illusive and an accurate passer.  He has thrown for a combined (approx.) 200 yards this preseason.  I like his poise and he seems to take care of the ball without taking risks-pretty disciplined for a guy trying to make a roster as a young QB.

DE: Daeshon Hall:  While he is not making an impact on the stat sheet, he is developing nicely and playing fairly fast for a player with no experience.  The Corn interception was due to a forced pass caused by Hall.  He looks lean and fast for 265.  He reminds me of a young Mike Rucker, and is not that far behind where he was at this time in his career. 

TE Evan Baylis:  I watch TEs a lot, and every time I saw a good block by a player wearing an 80s jersey, it was 85. Not to be confused with Wesley Walls because he was blocking.  With Ian Thomas stepping up as a two-dimensional TE, maybe we could use a good blocking TE.

RB Elijah Hood: I did not think he would make this roster, but he might win the numbers game.  Artis-Payne is 28 already and has not shown that much as a RB or special teamster.  He is on the down side of his career without ever having an upside.  I think Barner has a shot, but he is 29 and is limited as a RB--more of a scat back.  Hood is a young (22) RB who has shown to be effective on the goal line in preseason.  At 230 lbs, he is intriguing.

CB/NB Corn Elder:  Elder is a gamer, and it shows in his tackling so far.  He is around the ball a lot, and when the light comes on, I think he will be a player.  The INT should carry him in terms of confidence.

Of course, I did not mention Van Roten, Samuels, Thomas, etc. because they have been getting some buzz--

 

 

 

 

 

[top dawg]

I don't know what to make of the lack of play, relatively, from Hood last night. They may be setting him up for the PS. I expect to see him a lot the last game. He's going to have to hold his own at least.

Damn! Didn't realize that Artis-Payne and Barber were so old. I guess relative mileage could make a difference, but they're getting up there. Personally, I'm tired of the Artis-Payne experiment.

[top dawg]

I don't know about Baylis, but Vander Laan has made a statement in limited time. Interestingly, he also used to play QB. He's a smart guy that seems to be getting ahead of the transition this year from QB.

[Fright]

I like the potential in Hall. I can see big things from him eventually.

[Rags]

honestly I'm so stoked about our D-Line rotation this year. We're really gonna be able to keep guys fresh.

Corn too, he's gonna spelling Cap'n a lot and that's gonna be wonderful for us.

[WarHeel]

I may be reading into this but that smile that Ron flashed after Hood bashed his way into the end zone has me intrigued. It’s rare to see that genre of emotion from Ron. 

[Mr. Scot]

I'd still give Gilbert the edge over Heineke.  He just seems to be the more accurate passer of the two.

[Pup McBarky]

34 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I'd still give Gilbert the edge over Heineke.  He just seems to be the more accurate passer of the two.

Me too. Gilbert was yippy with the ones at first, but he settled down pretty well. Heinicke never looked comfortable.

[KB_fan]

41 minutes ago, WarHeel said:

I may be reading into this but that smile that Ron flashed after Hood bashed his way into the end zone has me intrigued. It’s rare to see that genre of emotion from Ron. 

I noticed this too.  Ron actually seemed to be showing more emotion last night than I remember.  I saw him applauding a bunch of plays... and then the way his smile lit up during his presser talking about Armah!!!   I think Ron is feeling good about the team right now.  Owner transition is over and looks like we got a great one.  He's got a great relationship with Marty, and Marty seems to have nailed the offseason (if current trends continue)... got some great leaders among the players and guys who are giving their all.  

Could be a very special year.  Here's hoping!

[Ace_Aladdin]

55 minutes ago, top dawg said:

I don't know what to make of the lack of play, relatively, from Hood last night. They may be setting him up for the PS. I expect to see him a lot the last game. He's going to have to hold his own at least.

Damn! Didn't realize that Artis-Payne and Barber were so old. I guess relative mileage could make a difference, but they're getting up there. Personally, I'm tired of the Artis-Payne experiment.

 

[top dawg]

23 minutes ago, Ace_Aladdin said:

 

 

[MHS831]

2 hours ago, top dawg said:

I don't know what to make of the lack of play, relatively, from Hood last night. They may be setting him up for the PS. I expect to see him a lot the last game. He's going to have to hold his own at least.

Damn! Didn't realize that Artis-Payne and Barber were so old. I guess relative mileage could make a difference, but they're getting up there. Personally, I'm tired of the Artis-Payne experiment.

I think Hood will go to the PS, but I would not be surprised to see him make the roster...RBs start declining at 27 and Barner and CAP are over thei hill--CAP was 24 or 25 when we picked him.

[MHS831]

2 hours ago, top dawg said:

I don't know about Baylis, but Vander Laan has made a statement in limited time. Interestingly, he also used to play QB. He's a smart guy that seems to be getting ahead of the transition this year from QB.

I actually feel good about the TE position.

[MHS831]

2 hours ago, Fright said:

I like the potential in Hall. I can see big things from him eventually.

He is probably not going to step up until year 3--With a few exceptions,  that is the year CJ, Hardy, etc.  became good.   He needs some reps now though.