FuzzyLumpkins
The Boognish
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Defense
Tyrone Crawford - He looks like a tremendous athlete in the way that he moves. Quick sudden and powerful. People talk about Romo and his back constantly but Crawford is coming back from his achilles injury which can rob a player of his burst. Early returns as to Crawford's physical recovery are very good. Marinelli had all his guys stacking the OL with their arms and using various moves to work inside and outside. Certain guys are farther along than others. Crawford is still feeling his way out in this regard but he is clearly practicing his technique on every snap. Baltimore had their tackles cheat upfield and forced our ends to work back inside. Flacco got rid of the ball quickly but Crawford's presence was felt.
Nick Hayden - played better by simply not getting washed out. He is like Nwaneri but for the defense in that he goes backwards a lot. He actually was able to sit down a time or two this game but it's single blocking and it's just not good enough for what he is going to be up against. Cutback lanes are plentiful and his inability to control where he goes gives the LBers fits trying to find run fits. He still lacks the quickness and burst to make line twists work. I don't hate the man. He clearly tries and does show some pretty good awareness. He is just not physically up to the challenge of NFL interior line play.
Davon Coleman - Dallas Cowboys player development has done well with this guy. Who know that he had such long arms? BTB had some stills showing him off the ball and wow does he come off the ball but now he is stacking as he does it, you can see him walk his inside hand over and swim to the outside. He is hard to hit when he hits you first because you have to turn into the gap and you cannot get a good punch on him. Baltimore's OG couldn't get their hands on him. Better guards will adjust and let's see if he can counter back inside. Now ride his butt some more. I really enjoy watching players get better.
Jeremy Mincey - strong and knows how to use leverage. With the Ravens tackles cheating upfield, he swam inside several times and created havoc. multiple productive pass rushing snaps. Shed a TE at the point of attack for no gain. Tackles couldn't move him and he did a good job squeezing the edge and not allowing wide lanes on runs. Solid all around day for Mincey.
George Selvie - Has a very very developed sense of leverage and he uses it to set up blockers. He makes guys look silly from time to time. Does a good job fighting off blocks while running to the football and anchors a nice narrow edge when asked.
Zach Minter - Awful body. Needs to get in shape as there is no excuse for that in an NFL athlete. Was Jekyll and Hyde affair for Minter vs Baltimore. Was decleated and generally pushed around by the 2's inside at the 1. Got matched up against a LG at the 3 who couldn't turn well nor use his hands and Minter dominated him for a drive. Great effort and intensity.
Ken Bishop - It was a long day for Ken. He was put mostly at the 3 and he didn't know how to attack the outside shoulder. Would try to rip through without setting up his hands and failed a lot. As Ken would try and push through to the B gap, OG would hold him out and C would get behind him and hook him up field. It's dirty line tactics that Shanahan and his disciples are known for teaching. He struggled trying to go back across the face of a blocker because he didn't use his hands. Looked a lot like Coleman @SDG at times. Did much better against the 3's when he could again just physically overpower guys and get snaps at the 1. It's fun watching his effort as he tries to will himself through double teams but he needs to start using the techniques the coaches are clearly teaching others and expand his game. It's on both of them that it happens but hopefully getting leghumped by Gronkowski because he didn't know what to do got his attention. Baltimore's backup center is disturbing.
Martez Wilson - Have to appreciate a guy willing to try out new things. Wilson has to appreciate when those new things work. He started using his hands to try to fend off the tackles hands and it yielded a sack. Sure the rush was wide and the QB was outside the pocket running from the interior rush but it was a step. He has started using technique to positive results so let's see if he can grow from this. He still looks helpless against tackles in the run. Those big runs in the middle of the game were in large part because Wilson and Ojomo got parked next to our LB on the second level.
Boatright and Bush: Of the two I prefer Boatright. They are both set a nice edge but Boatright is the better athlete.
Caesar Rayford - They really haven't given him many opportunities. I guess the 1 was a measure of last resort but I cannot help but feel he is miscast there. Team player. I respect that.
I keep waiting for Ojomo to get churned.
Kyle Wilber - I haven't seen the guy that I saw against the Giants last year who manhandled would be blockers. I think he is struggling a bit mentally with his run fits and when a blocker gets on him it's discombobulating for him. His inability to get off those blocks has caused a lot of problems in run defense. He is normally a very heady player. In pass coverage, he gets back and screens off the area of the zone behind him and looks for routes. He has a sense of what offenses are trying to do. He is a big guy and has pretty good range but quick receivers can get separation. Still refining his pass rush but show good but not great quickness and is using his hands. Against Baltimore, he beat a man outside against tackles that were cheating to not allow it. I have seen him comeback inside as well. He has come a long way in the last year. Would like to see more pass rush opportunities blitzing as a LB.
Justin Durant - To watch Durant play is to watch a man run. He is in tremendous physical condition covers a lot of ground play after play after play after play. He can cover the deep middle. Will pick up crossing routes behind him off playaction well. He is always the first to find his run fit and decisiveness has gotten him out in front of would be blocks. Good physicality taking on FB and TE but can have issues with OG blocks.
Bruce Carter - On the 3rd and 2 play, he didn't fight a cutoff block on the weakside until after McClain blew up the FB in the hole and the back cut towards Carter. Carter cannot shed before the first down. Will watch him run with a guy stride for stride across the field and then stop and let him go when he turns upfield. But then you will watch him meet a pulling guard in the hole on the goalline and just stone him. He is attentive executing his zone. I get why the coaches are frustrated with him. They talk about consistency and he doesn't have it. As opposed to Durant's athletic relentlessness it stands out.
Rolando McClain - He has the physical tools and is making progress but he is not ready and they are running out of time now that they have decided to start him. He is slow at times on run fits and gets out of position especially vs quick hitting zone plays. It's funny how LB are slower finding run fits when the tackles are Ojomo and Rayford. He let himself get cut off inside a couple times and was chasing down the field. Nice effort on short yardage to meet the FB in the hole and blow up the play. Too bad no one else could get off a block and help. The coaches worked him a lot on that middle zone and as the game wore on he was getting better and better depth on it. then he made a play on the ball. That was encouraging. But these all seem like baby steps when the season is three weeks away. Hopefully football can keep his attention for at least 6 months.
Devonte Holloman - I noticed him a lot when the Ravens were making big returns. He wasn't running very well. He was not running well in his zones out in space where his playmaking typically comes from. Then he got hurt. I don't have a good feeling about this trajectory.
Cam Lawrence - Lawrence is another player that has come along way in the past year. Played him on the strongside where he showed competence in his assignments. Gone is the guy that stands there watching routes. He is very active. Made a few tackles but would like to see some playmaking ability before I think of him as more than a fringe player.
Anthony Hitchens - Pretty bad. He did not respond well at all to Wilson getting washed out and got carried out on the wave. They adjusted the formation to bring the strongside to him and he got caught on the second level. Doesn't shed blocks. He is slow reacting to routes. Head seems to be swimming. His special teams is not special either as he was front and center on those returns. Sink or swim.
Orie Lemon - made a nice read closed quickly then whiffed the tackle. not a good night. he does seem to be running better than what I remember from him. Lost some weight.
Will Smith - He made a nice open field tackle on a quick throw in the flat. After seeing years of guys too slow to make that play in Bradie James and Keith Brooking, it was nice to see a guy that can run. With Holloman's future in peril Smith has a chance to step up. Rangy tackle in a limited opportunity is not a bad start.
BW Webb - Webb has developed himself into a pretty good cover man. He can run stride for stride on go routes. I have seen him execute tandem and three deep zones that look polished and made Flacco throw the ball away. He will make plays on the ball and stick on breaks. He is very good in off man coverage. His press is mediocre but he can carry guys upfield if he is supposed to press on cover 3. He doesn't over-commit. He has a rapport with Church and Scandrick playing as the nickleback in zone coverages on the strongside. He is a marshmallow who at best tries to steer ball carriers and often runs from contact. I get his usefulness but he is one of the softest players i have ever seen. Makes Alan Ball look like Ngata.
Barry Church - He is a vital cog in the defense and has been flying under the radar. they play him all over the field: deep middle, deep half, intermediate, down on the nickel. He was back sticking his nose in there as the 8th man in the box. It's little surprise that Church back on the field saw zone coverage and defensive cohesiveness improve for a unit that struggled in those regards without him.
JJ Wilcox - He overran a play turning a 10 yard gain into a possible TD and later helped Webb knock the ball loose from Steve Smith. Going to have to take the good with the bad as our young safety gains experience. thing is that how fast he can improve may well dictate how much this defense can improve and i am impatient.
Orlando Scandrick - He can press and play off. He looks for the ball and makes plays on it. He can take on blocks and tackle on the perimeter. He has turned into a complete player. Suspension will hurt.
Terrence Mitchell - he went from holding every other play to making a play on the ball in the span of a week. Him looking for the ball and finding it is a big deal. I have been watching preseason football as i write this and I would say at least half the corners playing do not know how to look for the ball. His ball skills are awkward but knowing when to look for the ball chasing downfield takes a level of awareness that you either have or you don't have. He has that level of awareness already. Not bad. He is soft though. He's better than BW and will tackle receivers but he shies from contact on runs out of the line. It takes a level of courage to stick your nose in there and he hasn't gotten to that point. Claiborne was testing his mettle in this regard and keeps getting hurt.
Jakar Hamilton - Hamilton played with the two's I first noticed him playing the 8th man in the box and making a tackle. He seemed intent on getting his feet wet and instead of playing safety behind piles he was running into them and making contact. He can run and was active playing special teams on game days last year but he was as infective as the rest in the kicking game vs the Ravens. these next couple of games are important. He proved that he can help in the run game and not get hurt. I can understand that being important to a man's psyche. He has an opportunity here if he can start making some plays in coverage.
Jeff Heath - Didn't really notice him in the game until it was late and it was garbage time in terms of talent. I look for people to flash late in preseason games. He didn't. He was in the middle of the shot for the first big kick return. He needs to step up.
Tyler Patmon - I like this corner. He is more physical and fearless than the other young guys. Good tackler. He also made a play to keep up with an in route and knock the ball away. With Carr and Moore due back he is likely to be buried on the depth chart this week. Undersized.
Fuzzy 53
Romo Weeden Vaughn
Murray Dunbar Randle Williams
Witten Escobar Hanna
Smith Free Wetzel (Weems/PTBNL)
Fred Leary Martin Bernadeau Patrick
Bryant Williams Beasley Harris Street 24
Crawford Mincey Selvie Spencer Lawrence
Melton McClain Bishop Coleman (Brent/Okoye/Hayden/PTBNL)
Durant Wilber Carter McClain Hitchens Lawrence Smith
OScan Carr Claiborne Webb Mitchell Moore
Church Wilcox Dixon Hamilton Heath
Frenchie Bailey Jones
Notes: 55 slots listed. DLaw goes on IR designated for return which brings him back week 8 at which point roster would be reevaluated. Moore stays until Scandrick comes back at which point he is cut.
PS: Copeland Patmon Boyd Wilson Boatright Minter
Tyrone Crawford - He looks like a tremendous athlete in the way that he moves. Quick sudden and powerful. People talk about Romo and his back constantly but Crawford is coming back from his achilles injury which can rob a player of his burst. Early returns as to Crawford's physical recovery are very good. Marinelli had all his guys stacking the OL with their arms and using various moves to work inside and outside. Certain guys are farther along than others. Crawford is still feeling his way out in this regard but he is clearly practicing his technique on every snap. Baltimore had their tackles cheat upfield and forced our ends to work back inside. Flacco got rid of the ball quickly but Crawford's presence was felt.
Nick Hayden - played better by simply not getting washed out. He is like Nwaneri but for the defense in that he goes backwards a lot. He actually was able to sit down a time or two this game but it's single blocking and it's just not good enough for what he is going to be up against. Cutback lanes are plentiful and his inability to control where he goes gives the LBers fits trying to find run fits. He still lacks the quickness and burst to make line twists work. I don't hate the man. He clearly tries and does show some pretty good awareness. He is just not physically up to the challenge of NFL interior line play.
Davon Coleman - Dallas Cowboys player development has done well with this guy. Who know that he had such long arms? BTB had some stills showing him off the ball and wow does he come off the ball but now he is stacking as he does it, you can see him walk his inside hand over and swim to the outside. He is hard to hit when he hits you first because you have to turn into the gap and you cannot get a good punch on him. Baltimore's OG couldn't get their hands on him. Better guards will adjust and let's see if he can counter back inside. Now ride his butt some more. I really enjoy watching players get better.
Jeremy Mincey - strong and knows how to use leverage. With the Ravens tackles cheating upfield, he swam inside several times and created havoc. multiple productive pass rushing snaps. Shed a TE at the point of attack for no gain. Tackles couldn't move him and he did a good job squeezing the edge and not allowing wide lanes on runs. Solid all around day for Mincey.
George Selvie - Has a very very developed sense of leverage and he uses it to set up blockers. He makes guys look silly from time to time. Does a good job fighting off blocks while running to the football and anchors a nice narrow edge when asked.
Zach Minter - Awful body. Needs to get in shape as there is no excuse for that in an NFL athlete. Was Jekyll and Hyde affair for Minter vs Baltimore. Was decleated and generally pushed around by the 2's inside at the 1. Got matched up against a LG at the 3 who couldn't turn well nor use his hands and Minter dominated him for a drive. Great effort and intensity.
Ken Bishop - It was a long day for Ken. He was put mostly at the 3 and he didn't know how to attack the outside shoulder. Would try to rip through without setting up his hands and failed a lot. As Ken would try and push through to the B gap, OG would hold him out and C would get behind him and hook him up field. It's dirty line tactics that Shanahan and his disciples are known for teaching. He struggled trying to go back across the face of a blocker because he didn't use his hands. Looked a lot like Coleman @SDG at times. Did much better against the 3's when he could again just physically overpower guys and get snaps at the 1. It's fun watching his effort as he tries to will himself through double teams but he needs to start using the techniques the coaches are clearly teaching others and expand his game. It's on both of them that it happens but hopefully getting leghumped by Gronkowski because he didn't know what to do got his attention. Baltimore's backup center is disturbing.
Martez Wilson - Have to appreciate a guy willing to try out new things. Wilson has to appreciate when those new things work. He started using his hands to try to fend off the tackles hands and it yielded a sack. Sure the rush was wide and the QB was outside the pocket running from the interior rush but it was a step. He has started using technique to positive results so let's see if he can grow from this. He still looks helpless against tackles in the run. Those big runs in the middle of the game were in large part because Wilson and Ojomo got parked next to our LB on the second level.
Boatright and Bush: Of the two I prefer Boatright. They are both set a nice edge but Boatright is the better athlete.
Caesar Rayford - They really haven't given him many opportunities. I guess the 1 was a measure of last resort but I cannot help but feel he is miscast there. Team player. I respect that.
I keep waiting for Ojomo to get churned.
Kyle Wilber - I haven't seen the guy that I saw against the Giants last year who manhandled would be blockers. I think he is struggling a bit mentally with his run fits and when a blocker gets on him it's discombobulating for him. His inability to get off those blocks has caused a lot of problems in run defense. He is normally a very heady player. In pass coverage, he gets back and screens off the area of the zone behind him and looks for routes. He has a sense of what offenses are trying to do. He is a big guy and has pretty good range but quick receivers can get separation. Still refining his pass rush but show good but not great quickness and is using his hands. Against Baltimore, he beat a man outside against tackles that were cheating to not allow it. I have seen him comeback inside as well. He has come a long way in the last year. Would like to see more pass rush opportunities blitzing as a LB.
Justin Durant - To watch Durant play is to watch a man run. He is in tremendous physical condition covers a lot of ground play after play after play after play. He can cover the deep middle. Will pick up crossing routes behind him off playaction well. He is always the first to find his run fit and decisiveness has gotten him out in front of would be blocks. Good physicality taking on FB and TE but can have issues with OG blocks.
Bruce Carter - On the 3rd and 2 play, he didn't fight a cutoff block on the weakside until after McClain blew up the FB in the hole and the back cut towards Carter. Carter cannot shed before the first down. Will watch him run with a guy stride for stride across the field and then stop and let him go when he turns upfield. But then you will watch him meet a pulling guard in the hole on the goalline and just stone him. He is attentive executing his zone. I get why the coaches are frustrated with him. They talk about consistency and he doesn't have it. As opposed to Durant's athletic relentlessness it stands out.
Rolando McClain - He has the physical tools and is making progress but he is not ready and they are running out of time now that they have decided to start him. He is slow at times on run fits and gets out of position especially vs quick hitting zone plays. It's funny how LB are slower finding run fits when the tackles are Ojomo and Rayford. He let himself get cut off inside a couple times and was chasing down the field. Nice effort on short yardage to meet the FB in the hole and blow up the play. Too bad no one else could get off a block and help. The coaches worked him a lot on that middle zone and as the game wore on he was getting better and better depth on it. then he made a play on the ball. That was encouraging. But these all seem like baby steps when the season is three weeks away. Hopefully football can keep his attention for at least 6 months.
Devonte Holloman - I noticed him a lot when the Ravens were making big returns. He wasn't running very well. He was not running well in his zones out in space where his playmaking typically comes from. Then he got hurt. I don't have a good feeling about this trajectory.
Cam Lawrence - Lawrence is another player that has come along way in the past year. Played him on the strongside where he showed competence in his assignments. Gone is the guy that stands there watching routes. He is very active. Made a few tackles but would like to see some playmaking ability before I think of him as more than a fringe player.
Anthony Hitchens - Pretty bad. He did not respond well at all to Wilson getting washed out and got carried out on the wave. They adjusted the formation to bring the strongside to him and he got caught on the second level. Doesn't shed blocks. He is slow reacting to routes. Head seems to be swimming. His special teams is not special either as he was front and center on those returns. Sink or swim.
Orie Lemon - made a nice read closed quickly then whiffed the tackle. not a good night. he does seem to be running better than what I remember from him. Lost some weight.
Will Smith - He made a nice open field tackle on a quick throw in the flat. After seeing years of guys too slow to make that play in Bradie James and Keith Brooking, it was nice to see a guy that can run. With Holloman's future in peril Smith has a chance to step up. Rangy tackle in a limited opportunity is not a bad start.
BW Webb - Webb has developed himself into a pretty good cover man. He can run stride for stride on go routes. I have seen him execute tandem and three deep zones that look polished and made Flacco throw the ball away. He will make plays on the ball and stick on breaks. He is very good in off man coverage. His press is mediocre but he can carry guys upfield if he is supposed to press on cover 3. He doesn't over-commit. He has a rapport with Church and Scandrick playing as the nickleback in zone coverages on the strongside. He is a marshmallow who at best tries to steer ball carriers and often runs from contact. I get his usefulness but he is one of the softest players i have ever seen. Makes Alan Ball look like Ngata.
Barry Church - He is a vital cog in the defense and has been flying under the radar. they play him all over the field: deep middle, deep half, intermediate, down on the nickel. He was back sticking his nose in there as the 8th man in the box. It's little surprise that Church back on the field saw zone coverage and defensive cohesiveness improve for a unit that struggled in those regards without him.
JJ Wilcox - He overran a play turning a 10 yard gain into a possible TD and later helped Webb knock the ball loose from Steve Smith. Going to have to take the good with the bad as our young safety gains experience. thing is that how fast he can improve may well dictate how much this defense can improve and i am impatient.
Orlando Scandrick - He can press and play off. He looks for the ball and makes plays on it. He can take on blocks and tackle on the perimeter. He has turned into a complete player. Suspension will hurt.
Terrence Mitchell - he went from holding every other play to making a play on the ball in the span of a week. Him looking for the ball and finding it is a big deal. I have been watching preseason football as i write this and I would say at least half the corners playing do not know how to look for the ball. His ball skills are awkward but knowing when to look for the ball chasing downfield takes a level of awareness that you either have or you don't have. He has that level of awareness already. Not bad. He is soft though. He's better than BW and will tackle receivers but he shies from contact on runs out of the line. It takes a level of courage to stick your nose in there and he hasn't gotten to that point. Claiborne was testing his mettle in this regard and keeps getting hurt.
Jakar Hamilton - Hamilton played with the two's I first noticed him playing the 8th man in the box and making a tackle. He seemed intent on getting his feet wet and instead of playing safety behind piles he was running into them and making contact. He can run and was active playing special teams on game days last year but he was as infective as the rest in the kicking game vs the Ravens. these next couple of games are important. He proved that he can help in the run game and not get hurt. I can understand that being important to a man's psyche. He has an opportunity here if he can start making some plays in coverage.
Jeff Heath - Didn't really notice him in the game until it was late and it was garbage time in terms of talent. I look for people to flash late in preseason games. He didn't. He was in the middle of the shot for the first big kick return. He needs to step up.
Tyler Patmon - I like this corner. He is more physical and fearless than the other young guys. Good tackler. He also made a play to keep up with an in route and knock the ball away. With Carr and Moore due back he is likely to be buried on the depth chart this week. Undersized.
Fuzzy 53
Romo Weeden Vaughn
Murray Dunbar Randle Williams
Witten Escobar Hanna
Smith Free Wetzel (Weems/PTBNL)
Fred Leary Martin Bernadeau Patrick
Bryant Williams Beasley Harris Street 24
Crawford Mincey Selvie Spencer Lawrence
Melton McClain Bishop Coleman (Brent/Okoye/Hayden/PTBNL)
Durant Wilber Carter McClain Hitchens Lawrence Smith
OScan Carr Claiborne Webb Mitchell Moore
Church Wilcox Dixon Hamilton Heath
Frenchie Bailey Jones
Notes: 55 slots listed. DLaw goes on IR designated for return which brings him back week 8 at which point roster would be reevaluated. Moore stays until Scandrick comes back at which point he is cut.
PS: Copeland Patmon Boyd Wilson Boatright Minter
