Mazi looked slow off the snap

[ghst187]

I noticed that when Michigan played TCU. I didn't consider Mazi a 1st round talent.

Me too, last one off the snap nearly every time.
Hopefully he can get better at it but not sure it’s something you get go from bad to great at.

 

[glimmerman]

If he continues to be "passive", he won't draw double/triple team much longer.
It's his first [preseason] game, so we can cut him some lack, but I hope he's more aggressive the next game.
At this point we can live with some mistakes, but he needs to learn to fight off blocks and be aggressive.

Let’s see how he does this weekend. He needs reps and confidence.

 

[glimmerman]

Yeah, you make it 10-on-9 football, with the possibility of him developing into a guy who can push the pocket even with double teams, as I think the OP alluded to.

I just want to stop the run this year.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Part of Landry's flex defense involved D-linemen recognizing certain keys and acting accordingly. It sometimes appeared as though the DT's were hesitant. However, unlike the DE's, they had to proceed with a level of caution, ensuring that they didn't overrun a running play.

Perhaps this is also true for the position that Mazi plays. It is just speculation on my part, but I don't think he can just pin his ears back and go for it.

Agreed, this is what I wrote in a another Mazi thread -

To be fair, I don't think he's that kinda player. Gotta take into consideration what Quinns system asks from a NT.

Take Marinelli - he liked smaller quick guys to shoot gaps - one gap responsibilities - thats why is you notice he always had NT/DTs that had high sack numbers for that position, Henry Melton, Warren Sapp, Ratliff and Hatcher.

Look at Sapp - great sack numbers when he was with TB, he signs with Oakland and his numbers aren't the same - they asked him about that, he said that its a different system - he had 2 gap responsibilities - by the 3rd year in Oak must have changed the system cause his sack number jumped up to 10.

Now Quinn seems to like the Big Guy - hence Hankins and Mazi. If Marinelli was still here he probably doesn't get either player.

 

[BoyzBlaster]

I noticed that when Michigan played TCU. I didn't consider Mazi a 1st round talent.

Especially the 2nd half. Seemed like he ran out of gas.

 

[BoyzBlaster]

Yup.

0.5 sacks in 30 college games.

Wow so if you say 1 season = 10 games that's 1 sack every.......6 years.

 

[Denim Chicken]

What I saw from Mazi is a player who is already eating double teams and collapsing the pocket when singled.

This is going to pay dividends for this defense and would be immediately apparent if we had a better 3T. As is stands, he's going to keep the LB and safteys clean--which is especially important for now easily LVE tends to gets washed out.

Agree, though, he does seem to have a slow first step

If he improves some in passrush its just gravy for me.

Against Cam Robinson



Taking on double teams and shedding



collapsing the pocket and clogging the middle (need to set the edge DE)

 

[Havic]

This, think in terms of Tony S. (RIP) of the Ravens, which allowed for Ray Lewis to run around and make plays.

I forgot he passed. Wow. Yup agreed

 

[Flamma]

Keep in mind that DTs typically aren't great right out of the gate. It can take a year or two for him to become the player they thought they drafted. And this is just 1 preseason game.

 

[jazzcat22]

He has to be more then just some big body that holds his ground and takes on double teams to be worthy of a first round pick. He needs to be a disrupter. Needs to make tackles for losses, collapse the pocket, get that push up the middle.

I guarantee you that Clay and Quinn saw him as more then that. They probably saw the potential upside as a disrupter and penetrator.

Mazi said himself, he was never asked to do that , pass rush, nor learn those things at Michigan. But he wants to learn and will learn whatever they ask him to do.

So I am not surprised at this. He needs time to adjust as we all know that. So he not only has the mindset as a rookie ands NFL adjustments. He also is learning to be more of a disruptor than in college. He then will learn the penetrator and pass rush techniques. Hankins has been working with him on that as well.

However you know all of this already.

We will see how he does this next game.

 

[stilltheguru]

What I saw from Mazi is a player who is already eating double teams and collapsing the pocket when singled.

This is going to pay dividends for this defense and would be immediately apparent if we had a better 3T. As is stands, he's going to keep the LB and safteys clean--which is especially important for now easily LVE tends to gets washed out.

Agree, though, he does seem to have a slow first step

If he improves some in passrush its just gravy for me.

Against Cam Robinson



Taking on double teams and shedding



collapsing the pocket and clogging the middle (need to set the edge DE)

I thought he was getting tossed around though

 

[Cowboys5217]

Draft a DT in the first round as a reach. Said DT does practically nothing in his first outing. Have people making excuses such as "he isn't that kind of DT", or "that's not what he's asked to do", as if a do nothing DT is desirable in the NFL.

Taking on double teams didn't translate into anything. We got gashed on the run. Their QBs were not disrupted with any regularity.

Mazi must show rapid improvement over this because DTs taken much later are showing more for other teams already.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Don't expect him to be Donald or Sapp, that's not why he was drafted.

This is ridiculous. If you are not going to get a playmaker on offense or defense with a 1st rounder then you go oline instead. If all you want is a guy to take on double teams then you could have had that in later rounds.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I’d tap the brakes with mazi. All DL but especially for interior DL it takes some time to adjust to the nfl speed. Often times when younger DL look slow off the ball it’s because they are struggling to read the blocks of the OL. It’s almost like the rookie RB that’s struggling with timing of hitting the hole.

I’d be curious to know if there has been a certain block he’s been getting beat on in practice that is making him hesitant.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Even a "run stuffer" has to get off the ball quickly to engage a double. A guy who is late off the snap and lets OL get momentum to him is going to lose. That's what's happened on the plays where Mazi has gotten pushed around.

He's a good enough athlete to be quick off the ball, but he has to do it consistently to be effective, whether he's trying to eat a double or be disruptiv.e

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

This is ridiculous. If you are not going to get a playmaker on offense or defense with a 1st rounder then you go oline instead. If all you want is a guy to take on double teams then you could have had that in later rounds.

I agree with this - DQ said he thinks there's a lot more there as a passrusher. Until Mazi shows that, which, physically, he can, it's not worth the pick.

 

[calicowboy54]

This was the big issue that I saw in his first preseason game. Once the ball was snapped he was one of the last to move on our line. At times it looked like he was just waiting for the double team so he could take them on. If he is going to have any success rushing the passer or collapsing the pocket they will need to teach him quicker technique or ques getting off the ball quicker. He is going to have to do more than just take on the double team and not give up ground. And its not like he was NOT giving up ground at times either. He definitely isn't quick enough to chase down QB's.

watch Hankins he's doing the same thing. i think this is by design when being a 2 GAP DT. if he was a 3T you just pick a gap and fire off.

 

[weaver21]

This is ridiculous. If you are not going to get a playmaker on offense or defense with a 1st rounder then you go oline instead. If all you want is a guy to take on double teams then you could have had that in later rounds.

Vince Wilfork was drafted 21st overall by the Patriots. You think they regretted that pick because Wilfork only had 16 career sacks? No cause that wasn't his job to rush the passer. His job was to clog the middle and attract double teams which he did better than anyone in NFL history. Mazi has literally played one game in his career and it was in the preseason. Give the kid some time to develop.

 

[stilltheguru]

Draft a DT in the first round as a reach. Said DT does practically nothing in his first outing. Have people making excuses such as "he isn't that kind of DT", or "that's not what he's asked to do", as if a do nothing DT is desirable in the NFL.

Taking on double teams didn't translate into anything. We got gashed on the run. Their QBs were not disrupted with any regularity.

Mazi must show rapid improvement over this because DTs taken much later are showing more for other teams already.

What dts taken later are showing more? You follow other teams training camps?

 

[stuckindc]

spears was a disappointment for a first round pick.

We could have had Ware and Rogers in that first round. Think about that for a minute