After "humbling" second season, Ikem Ekwonu ready to take advantage of a new offense

[CRA]

1 hour ago, ForJimmy said:

The CJ Stroud throwing session thing? Where did you find this?

I’ve seen him throwing with Diggs and his WRs that one day where they were invited to play with that Madden video streamer.  I also see where the first thing Stroud said he would do is take some time off. I keep seeing this being posted so I’m assuming I’m missing something? 
 

"First, I'm going to relax," Stroud said. "Take some time off. I've been going hard since I was like 12 years old. AAU tournaments, baseball, football, 7-on-7, high school, a ton of sports being played. It's been a blessing. It's been a ball. I'm 22 years old, and this is my first time ever having freedom away from school, away from college. So I'm excited. But at the same time, just like I'm ready to relax, I'm ready to get back to work, too. But I have to take some time to myself. It's just the right thing to do."

Quarterback Case Keenum, who just completed his 12th NFL season, said a mental "recharge" and unwinding a bit is of the utmost importance. Especially in regards to the gauntlet Stroud just completed over the last 18 months or so.

CJ Stroud literally eats and breaths sports 24/7.   

every player rightfully takes time off.  Luke Kuechly took time off. 

I mean, CJ literally said he was going to take some time off right after his playoff loss.  Sure.   That doesn’t equate to unplugging from all football for 5 months.   We know he hasn’t been alone.  We know he has been with his teammates.  The Texans themselves have commented on workouts with his teammates. 

not sure why we are trying to pretend like Bryce is the norm.   He doesn’t have to be.   He clearly isn’t in many aspects.  

[ForJimmy]

3 minutes ago, CRA said:

CJ Stroud literally eats and breaths sports 24/7.   

every player rightfully takes time off.  Luke Kuechly took time off. 

I mean, CJ literally said he was going to take some time off right after his playoff loss.  Sure.   That doesn’t equate to unplugging from all football for 5 months.   We know he hasn’t been alone.  We know he has been with his teammates.  The Texans themselves have commented on workouts with his teammates. 

not sure why we are trying to pretend like Bryce is the norm.   He doesn’t have to be.   He clearly isn’t in many aspects.  

You went a long way without answering the question. Again I’m indifferent about Young and Stroud is one of my favorites. I just think a lot seems to be getting assumed here. 
For example Young got on social with his WRs last year and it was just PR. Stroud does a throwing session for a Madden streamer and he is putting in the work. I try to keep comparisons straightforward and fair, and Stroud has plenty to hold over Young’s head without trying to assume too much. 

[frankw]

1 minute ago, ForJimmy said:

You went a long way without answering the question. Again I’m indifferent about Young and Stroud is one of my favorites. I just think a lot seems to be getting assumed here. 
For example Young got on social with his WRs last year and it was just PR. Stroud does a throwing session for a Madden streamer and he is putting in the work. I try to keep comparisons straightforward and fair, and Stroud has plenty to hold over Young’s head without trying to assume too much. 

It's important to differentiate the desire for people to simply want to see the supposed franchise QB putting in not just minimum work but extra and honestly even extra on top of that considering he is a physical outlier amongst his peers in contrast to people saying he's doing nothing whatsoever. Nobody here should be rejoicing because our #1 pick is doing the bare minimum expected of him. Sam Darnold did the bare minimum.

With Stroud we can get into the weeds on his coaching staff and the talent level around him. Although I would firstly point out almost no one here had them pegged as a team that would have a winning record let alone make the playoffs and win a game convincingly. But with Stroud the proof was in the pudding. We can talk about their OC and the work he did which was obviously tremendous but at the end of the day CJ Stroud made the receivers around him better. We needed to see that from Bryce and we still do regardless of circumstances because that's what a first overall pick is supposed to do. Last season when Bryce Young missed Mingo on that pretty much wide open deep pass behind the defense after eviscerating him throughout the season what was the excuse? Lack of continuity? They didn't practice enough together? Did anyone bring up that throwing session Bryce had back in May as a retort? Coaching aside that shouldn't be a thing. I certainly hope it isn't a thing this season because assuredly there should be zero excuse for it. Let's hope to see much different results this time.

[kungfoodude]

2 hours ago, jayboogieman said:

The complete lack of an actual 1st or 2nd string center is going to bite them in the backside early and often. Depending on a guy that's never played center other than some practice snaps and maybe a few series in preseason games is just asking for trouble. There's a reason no other coach has played Corbett at center during a game in college or the NFL and that's because he's not good enough despite being "too smart" to play guard or tackle.

The center situation is so insane. I cannot understand it at all.

[kungfoodude]

I am much less worried about Ikey than BY, I can tell you that.

[strato]

12 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

I am much less worried about Ikey than BY, I can tell you that.

I thought they were equally impotent. I witnessed horrible fails on a regular basis from both of them.

The center thing, that stuff never works. Of course, this is the team that mortgaged the future for weak armed and not super athletic 5'10” 184 unproven quarterback. 

Edited May 30 by strato

[jayboogieman]

16 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

The center situation is so insane. I cannot understand it at all.

Hubris. They just "know" they know better than everyone else.

[mrcompletely11]

2 hours ago, jayboogieman said:

The complete lack of an actual 1st or 2nd string center is going to bite them in the backside early and often. Depending on a guy that's never played center other than some practice snaps and maybe a few series in preseason games is just asking for trouble. There's a reason no other coach has played Corbett at center during a game in college or the NFL and that's because he's not good enough despite being "too smart" to play guard or tackle.

Chill bro we got brooks and his torn acl instead of a top center

[jayboogieman]

Just now, mrcompletely11 said:

Chill bro we got brooks and his torn acl instead of a top center

You just had to remind me, didn't you?

[mrcompletely11]

9 minutes ago, jayboogieman said:

You just had to remind me, didn't you?

Ill never understand the logic of trading up for a hurt rb in what's going to be a down year.   Why waste a year of his rookie contract?

[strato]

That was essentially a convoluted trade down for a RB, plus we got the 2nd rounder for 2025 which we were short on. Let’s at least see if he is any good this year..

The reason for the RB is Bryce Young’s evaluation. They are bending over backwards to prop him up.

[jayboogieman]

11 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

Ill never understand the logic of trading up for a hurt rb in what's going to be a down year.   Why waste a year of his rookie contract?

Taking a RB before the 4th round is a waste of a pick. Ignoring the hole at Center when they could have drafted one of the top ones in the draft was something that should have gotten them fired.

[strato]

5 minutes ago, jayboogieman said:

Taking a RB before the 4th round is a waste of a pick. Ignoring the hole at Center when they could have drafted one of the top ones in the draft was something that should have gotten them fired.

Maybe they will get fired. I’m not that upset over it though. One mid second rounder is small stuff when we don’t even know for sure if the guy they took will suck. It’s not like they used the pick on an historically undersized running back. Which is the stuff that tends to piss me off.

It doesn’t matter for the point of me being right, but I said before the draft they would pass on one in the 2nd (it’s the Panthers way). They had their plan and we just don’t know how it will play out.

[ForJimmy]

58 minutes ago, frankw said:

It's important to differentiate the desire for people to simply want to see the supposed franchise QB putting in not just minimum work but extra and honestly even extra on top of that considering he is a physical outlier amongst his peers in contrast to people saying he's doing nothing whatsoever. Nobody here should be rejoicing because our #1 pick is doing the bare minimum expected of him. Sam Darnold did the bare minimum.

With Stroud we can get into the weeds on his coaching staff and the talent level around him. Although I would firstly point out almost no one here had them pegged as a team that would have a winning record let alone make the playoffs and win a game convincingly. But with Stroud the proof was in the pudding. We can talk about their OC and the work he did which was obviously tremendous but at the end of the day CJ Stroud made the receivers around him better. We needed to see that from Bryce and we still do regardless of circumstances because that's what a first overall pick is supposed to do. Last season when Bryce Young missed Mingo on that pretty much wide open deep pass behind the defense after eviscerating him throughout the season what was the excuse? Lack of continuity? They didn't practice enough together? Did anyone bring up that throwing session Bryce had back in May as a retort? Coaching aside that shouldn't be a thing. I certainly hope it isn't a thing this season because assuredly there should be zero excuse for it. Let's hope to see much different results this time.

I’m just asking for the throwing sessions that Stroud specially held all offseason for his WRs. I knew about the Madden thing. It’s turning into a run around and repeat of old topics. Yes Stroud is better than Young and yes Young is very small. Thanks for the input. Now is there any actual record of this original topic or are we trying to spin it back to something else to avoid answering the question? I don’t care if he did or didn’t but it’s getting mentioned like it’s a fact. I honestly don’t know if CJ even needed to, but I was curious to see the articles on it.