FuzzyLumpkins
The Boognish
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I've heard Spagnola and Broaddus say it. I've seen it written by the DMN, FWST, and the blogosphere. I don't buy any of it.
First, the coaches deceive. Garrett has no issue misleading nor outright lying to the press. He will talk philosophy and history openly but when it comes to things like injuries, depth charts, scheme, gameplan, and opponent he is coy, dissembling and lies as a matter of course. I think of it as CIA Garrett. "We don't like to rank/compare," "it's too early to tell," "we haven't talked about/made those decisions yet," " we don't like to get into specifics," and "we think he is day to day" are all staples when those types of questions are asked. He has stuffed the injury report and he refuses to be pigeonholed by their narratives and interpretations. "I wouldn't say that," is another Garrettism.
Marinelli and Garrett also go to great lengths to create a competitive environment to keep these guys keen and attentive. That message is consistent with the press as consistency is part of the message itself. The motivational ploy of pitting man against man is done all manner of ways but a common theme is to set a role model of the guy who obeys orders unquestioningly regardless of outcome and use them as the foil for young recruits. In the press, Garrett and Marinelli like to talk up Hayden and bash Coleman and Russell. I have a feeling the last thing that they want to do is tell anyone of them they have made the team much less announce it to the press.
A few of the press core seem to get it. Ed Werder dances around questions. Clarence Hill plows on with his narrative anyway. Rowan Kavner used to get offended by it years ago.
One thing is clear to me though. They do not tell any of the media what their actual depth chart and roster strategy is. I have no idea why they think McClain is a lock. At least Hayden is the foil and Marinelli likes to gush about him.
McClain's contract is prohibitive neither way. He has $200k of dead money and a $1m contract that expires in 2016. No lock there.
On the field, McClain spends all his time with Brown and Mauer. He had that high ankle sprain last year, missed all of camp, and ended the season on IR with mediocre and out of control play in between. He struggled to change direction and get off blocks. He went to the OTAs this season and got hurt in the first week of camp again with another lower leg/high ankle injury. You don't put out HAH! tape with the trainers.
OTOH, you have Coleman and Bishop who are continuing to stack good practice after good practice.
I don't believe any of them are a lock to make the team but I do believe that they won't tell anyone they've made the team until cuts particularly with the young players. Thing is outside of groupthink I can see no justification to say that McClain has outperformed the young guys in either year much less in the now.
Personally I think Coleman is doing a hell of a job showing that he is going to be a handful for C to single block. My man Ken Bishop is strong at the poa and has developed a swim move and active hands to redirect and get off blocks following up a solid 2014. Hardy, Mincey, and both Crawfords are going to be terrors swimming over single blocks inside on passing downs. I don't think we need much more than that particularly if Russell sticks around.
First, the coaches deceive. Garrett has no issue misleading nor outright lying to the press. He will talk philosophy and history openly but when it comes to things like injuries, depth charts, scheme, gameplan, and opponent he is coy, dissembling and lies as a matter of course. I think of it as CIA Garrett. "We don't like to rank/compare," "it's too early to tell," "we haven't talked about/made those decisions yet," " we don't like to get into specifics," and "we think he is day to day" are all staples when those types of questions are asked. He has stuffed the injury report and he refuses to be pigeonholed by their narratives and interpretations. "I wouldn't say that," is another Garrettism.
Marinelli and Garrett also go to great lengths to create a competitive environment to keep these guys keen and attentive. That message is consistent with the press as consistency is part of the message itself. The motivational ploy of pitting man against man is done all manner of ways but a common theme is to set a role model of the guy who obeys orders unquestioningly regardless of outcome and use them as the foil for young recruits. In the press, Garrett and Marinelli like to talk up Hayden and bash Coleman and Russell. I have a feeling the last thing that they want to do is tell anyone of them they have made the team much less announce it to the press.
A few of the press core seem to get it. Ed Werder dances around questions. Clarence Hill plows on with his narrative anyway. Rowan Kavner used to get offended by it years ago.
One thing is clear to me though. They do not tell any of the media what their actual depth chart and roster strategy is. I have no idea why they think McClain is a lock. At least Hayden is the foil and Marinelli likes to gush about him.
McClain's contract is prohibitive neither way. He has $200k of dead money and a $1m contract that expires in 2016. No lock there.
On the field, McClain spends all his time with Brown and Mauer. He had that high ankle sprain last year, missed all of camp, and ended the season on IR with mediocre and out of control play in between. He struggled to change direction and get off blocks. He went to the OTAs this season and got hurt in the first week of camp again with another lower leg/high ankle injury. You don't put out HAH! tape with the trainers.
OTOH, you have Coleman and Bishop who are continuing to stack good practice after good practice.
I don't believe any of them are a lock to make the team but I do believe that they won't tell anyone they've made the team until cuts particularly with the young players. Thing is outside of groupthink I can see no justification to say that McClain has outperformed the young guys in either year much less in the now.
Personally I think Coleman is doing a hell of a job showing that he is going to be a handful for C to single block. My man Ken Bishop is strong at the poa and has developed a swim move and active hands to redirect and get off blocks following up a solid 2014. Hardy, Mincey, and both Crawfords are going to be terrors swimming over single blocks inside on passing downs. I don't think we need much more than that particularly if Russell sticks around.
