BA - Classic line about DJ Humphries - Knee Deep

[BullheadCardFan]

It's the effort he doesn't bring consistently.

Looks like he is just going through the motions at times. He needs to bring it every play

 

[MadCardDisease]

It's the effort he doesn't bring consistently.

Looks like he is just going through the motions at times. He needs to bring it every play

Key word there "Consistancy". The kid is so up and down. One play he will flash and the next he will break down. The dude needs some major seasoning before he is ready. Best case scenario is that he rides the bench for the entire season. He clearly isn't ready for action at this point.

 

[Shane]

Hard to believe this was our #1 draft pick

 

[Buckybird]

Hard to believe this was our #1 draft pick

Well he flashed more than last years 2nd rounder

 

[Harry]

There an old story about a guy driving a donkey cart when suddenly the donkey sits down. He finally gets the donkey to start moving and says, "That's one." The same process repeats except the man says, "That's two." When it happens a third time the man takes a bat and hits the donkey on the head. A passenger says,"Do you think that will get him moving faster?" The driver retorts, "That was just to get his attention." Sometimes you've just got to get their attention.

 

[football karma]

Things that concern me: I keep hearing things like "needs to be more competitive". My limited experience is that people are either competitive or they aren't. It isn't a developed trait.

Things that keep me calm: Tom Cable, Seattle's O Line coach was quoted saying the spread offense is the worst thing that has happened for college offensive linemen. Zero development is happening in college.

So I hope that it's hard for DJ to be competitive when his head is swimming

 

[cardncubfan]

How many 1st rd OTs hit the ground running & are exceptional their first year?

 

[Zeno]

How many 1st rd OTs hit the ground running & are exceptional their first year?

Quite a few. Most first round OL are expected to come in and contribute almost immediately. Growing pains are expected but I doubt many first round OTs who end up with successful careers were outplayed by players like Sowell in their first training camp.

 

[Bert]

I will take BA's bluntness and honesty over Whisenhunts evasive cliches any day of the week and 7 times on Sunday, and I know for a fact that athletes respect and appreciate that as well.

People offended on behalf of DJ is pretty funny when they have no clue if the kid is actually offended or hurt, because he looks to me like he is motivated... BA stop being such a meanie! Where is my participation ribbon???

I'm also not giving up on DJ after 3 preseason games, not everyone is Joe Thomas. It's not like he was a top 5 pick.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Yeah, but it's not too much to ask for a first round pick to look better than a UDFA either.

 

[Bert]

Yeah, but it's not too much to ask for a first round pick to look better than a UDFA either.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[jeeperaz]

Interesting read....

link - Why the quality of OLine play in the NFL is getting worse.


"Colleges are sending more mentally, technically and physically unprepared players to the NFL," Bentley said. “Pro coaches are then expected to fix issues that have been reinforced over the last four or five years of a kid's career."

 

[English on tour]

Am I the only one who feels that such nicknames, if necessary, should be kept in house? I find it embarrassing and demeaning---the kid is 20 years old---you drafted him, so does this mean you did a lousy job of assessing his character and work ethic?

I am sorry BA, but maybe it is time to start doing a better job of assimilating high draft pick rookies into your complex offense (Cooper, Niklas, Humphries). And maybe if you have character and/or work ethic concerns about a high draft pick, you'd better go with a player you won't have to make a public disgrace of before he has even played in one pre-season game.

I see your point, but BA seems to have a lot of respect from the players. Therefore, I choose to trust his judgement as to which players he would be open about a knickname like this (ie get the right reaction out of the player) and those he may well just keep 'in house' for fear of a negative impact.

Same way some players get the knee up their ass and some get a arm round their shoulder when they **** up.

Just my take on it.

 

[splitsecond]

I won't call him a bust after 3 pre-season games.

He's looked bad, but most early OT draft picks have looked bad in their 1st year. It's a ridiculously tough position to play... especially for an immature college kid who got by most weeks on his size & strength instead of technique.

He got moved to backup LT because Sowell got moved to RT... hopefully after tonight, Sowell will be the backup LT again with Watford & DJ competing for the starting RT spot again (at least through week 3 until Massie is back).

I agree that this SHOULD be how it goes, but Wolf and Pasch were very adamant that he was done at RT after the switch. Makes no sense.

 

[Mitch]

I see your point, but BA seems to have a lot of respect from the players. Therefore, I choose to trust his judgement as to which players he would be open about a knickname like this (ie get the right reaction out of the player) and those he may well just keep 'in house' for fear of a negative impact.

Same way some players get the knee up their ass and some get a arm round their shoulder when they **** up.

Just my take on it.

Do you think this strategy for motivating Humphries is working? Question for all to answer.

 

[kerouac9]

Do you think this strategy for motivating Humphries is working? Question for all to answer.

1) It's too soon to tell.

2) Do you think this was the first tactic Uncle Bruce tried?

 

[Bert]

Do you think this strategy for motivating Humphries is working? Question for all to answer.

Yes, I think it's working because BA said he has seen improvement and I have heard from multiple sources on KTAR that Humphries had a lousy attitude about practice, and that he doesn't love to practice. That was the early word on him for atleast the first two weeks of camp, but it is improving according to BA.


Do you think that it's not working? Do you know that he is offended and humiliated by the nickname and NOT motivated? I'm not sure why you are asking us to provide proof to refute the story that you basically made up/speculated. Very uncharacteristic Mitch.

 

[Mitch]

1) It's too soon to tell.

2) Do you think this was the first tactic Uncle Bruce tried?

1) I hope you are right, but sometimes public ridicule can backfire and create quite a stigma for a young player.

2) That's a great question. The "knee deep" moniker may have actually come from Harold Goodwin and was subsequently seconded and reiterated by BA. I heard or read a suggestion to that effect and I can't remember where or when.

Humphries said he was surprised the moniker became public---and he did his best to shrug it off and to say the right things that he was going to let it motivate him---but, who knows how he is really taking it?

What we do know is that Humphries is struggling far worse than what one would expect from a first round pick---sure---other young tackles have struggled and now pro coaches are claiming that college coaches aren't teaching OL the way it should be taught---but still, Humphries does not look confident at all out there.

I maintain too---as I have for all the years the Cardinals have ignored the OLB position and continued to draft slow, bull rushing run stoppers instead of fast, quick edge stormers, is that it has stunted the growth of our tackles because the slower than average OLBs can't assimilate the kind of pass rush the tackles need in order to master their technique. So, they get in games against speed guys with quick spin, rip or swim moves and get exposed, often badly as Sowell, Veldheer and Humphries is versus Oakland.

It's an on-going cycle.

 

[Mitch]

Yes, I think it's working because BA said he has seen improvement and I have heard from multiple sources on KTAR that Humphries had a lousy attitude about practice, and that he doesn't love to practice. That was the early word on him for atleast the first two weeks of camp, but it is improving according to BA.


Do you think that it's not working? Do you know that he is offended and humiliated by the nickname and NOT motivated? I'm not sure why you are asking us to provide proof to refute the story that you basically made up/speculated. Very uncharacteristic Mitch.

What story did I make up, Bert?

Please---what I have said is, as a former coach who learned this the hard way, is that embarrassing a player is sometimes the worst thing you can do to try to motivate him.

I have no idea how Humphries is taking it. But, if the answer is in how he's playing in the PS games, it is not too well, is it? Or maybe he just plain stinks, his attitude has really been awful and he already could be a waste of a number one draft pick.

What concerns me is how astute our draft people are, because this is in large part on them. If they didn't find out that he hated practice or that his work ethic is poor, that is on them.

Quite frankly, regardless of what Humphries feels, I feel that having to call your 1st round draft pick "Knee Deep" is not only a public embarrassment to the player, but it is a public embarrassment to the organization.

You know what it is like to coach young athletes, especially in today's world. It is very tricky an you'd better know the player well before you resort to publicly embarrassing him.

 

[Bert]

1) I hope you are right, but sometimes public ridicule can backfire and create quite a stigma for a young player.

2) That's a great question. The "knee deep" moniker may have actually come from Harold Goodwin and was subsequently seconded and reiterated by BA. I heard or read a suggestion to that effect and I can't remember where or when.

Humphries said he was surprised the moniker became public---and he did his best to shrug it off and to say the right things that he was going to let it motivate him---but, who knows how he is really taking it?

What we do know is that Humphries is struggling far worse than what one would expect from a first round pick---sure---other young tackles have struggled and now pro coaches are claiming that college coaches aren't teaching OL the way it should be taught---but still, Humphries does not look confident at all out there.

I maintain too---as I have for all the years the Cardinals have ignored the OLB position and continued to draft slow, bull rushing run stoppers instead of fast, quick edge stormers, is that it has stunted the growth of our tackles because the slower than average OLBs can't assimilate the kind of pass rush the tackles need in order to master their technique. So, they get in games against speed guys with quick spin, rip or swim moves and get exposed, often badly as Sowell, Veldheer and Humphries is versus Oakland.

It's an on-going cycle.

BASK drafted this kid in the first round of the NFL draft. Their reputations and their jobs are on the line when it comes to how these picks pan out. You know they interviewed him and this kid talked a big game about how hard he is going to work, like they all do. (I am speculating on this point but I dont think that's far fetched to assume this kid said all the right things, like; I'm a hard worker)

Then camp starts and there were multiple reports about DJ giving lackluster EFFORT. We aren't talking about them riding him about mental errors or mistakes, this was an issue of his effort level in practice by all accounts.

So for this kid to come into camp and act like he doesn't like to practice, which is completely the case according to multiple sources, well then I'm sorry but he deserves the boot and he deserves the publicity as well. If this kid is the type of man who:

A) Doesn't like to work hard in practice
and
B) Doesn't want to be called out for it publicly because it hurts his feelings.

Well then he has no place in the NFL and I hope he got his degree and is prepared for a life outside of football. IMO Mitch you are only looking at DJ's side of this story like some kind of little league parent who doesn't want their kid criticized. I think the message from BA is clear, I dont care if you like it or not, get your act together.

I meant no disrespect to you Mitch, I was simply saying that you might be making a lot of assumptions as to whether or not his feelings are hurt or if this is the type of motivation he needs, unless you know him personally. And my point is regardless of how he feels about it, maybe he deserves it. He is not a child.

 

[Mitch]

BASK drafted this kid in the first round of the NFL draft. Their reputations and their jobs are on the line when it comes to how these picks pan out. You know they interviewed him and this kid talked a big game about how hard he is going to work, like they all do. (I am speculating on this point but I dont think that's far fetched to assume this kid said all the right things, like; I'm a hard worker)

Then camp starts and there were multiple reports about DJ giving lackluster EFFORT. We aren't talking about them riding him about mental errors or mistakes, this was an issue of his effort level in practice by all accounts.

So for this kid to come into camp and act like he doesn't like to practice, which is completely the case according to multiple sources, well then I'm sorry but he deserves the boot and he deserves the publicity as well. If this kid is the type of man who:

A) Doesn't like to work hard in practice
and
B) Doesn't want to be called out for it publicly because it hurts his feelings.

Well then he has no place in the NFL and I hope he got his degree and is prepared for a life outside of football. IMO Mitch you are only looking at DJ's side of this story like some kind of little league parent who doesn't want their kid criticized. I think the message from BA is clear, I dont care if you like it or not, get your act together.

Which is fine, Bert, if it works! Right?

 

[Russ Smith]

Do you think this strategy for motivating Humphries is working? Question for all to answer.

It's too early to know, the kid has only played in preseason games. I suspect it's something where Arians thinks if this kid is going to succeed for ME in the NFL, he'll respond to this. If he doesn't, he's not my kind of player anyways.

Yes we can rip the pick but if the pick was bad(way too early) at least Arians isn't going to compound it by coddling the kid and playing him when he's not ready to play. He's making it clear you need to work harder and step it up.

Palmer is too valuable to this team to risk his health because DJ Humphries is immature.

 

[Bert]

Which is fine, Bert, if it works! Right?

Right. But yes, you are correct that its concerning that we drafted someone in the first round who needs such tactics in order to get motivated to work hard in practice. No dobut.

 

[Mitch]

It's too early to know, the kid has only played in preseason games. I suspect it's something where Arians thinks if this kid is going to succeed for ME in the NFL, he'll respond to this. If he doesn't, he's not my kind of player anyways.

Yes we can rip the pick but if the pick was bad(way too early) at least Arians isn't going to compound it by coddling the kid and playing him when he's not ready to play. He's making it clear you need to work harder and step it up.

Palmer is too valuable to this team to risk his health because DJ Humphries is immature.

I would tend to agree with you except that it is under the assumption that every player should be able to react positively to getting a size twelve half way up his butt. Some don't, even when they are big, tough guys, or first round draft picks to boot. Some just take the money and go hide and tune the coaches out.

 

[82CardsGrad]

1) I hope you are right, but sometimes public ridicule can backfire and create quite a stigma for a young player.

2) That's a great question. The "knee deep" moniker may have actually come from Harold Goodwin and was subsequently seconded and reiterated by BA. I heard or read a suggestion to that effect and I can't remember where or when.

Humphries said he was surprised the moniker became public---and he did his best to shrug it off and to say the right things that he was going to let it motivate him---but, who knows how he is really taking it?

What we do know is that Humphries is struggling far worse than what one would expect from a first round pick---sure---other young tackles have struggled and now pro coaches are claiming that college coaches aren't teaching OL the way it should be taught---but still, Humphries does not look confident at all out there.

I maintain too---as I have for all the years the Cardinals have ignored the OLB position and continued to draft slow, bull rushing run stoppers instead of fast, quick edge stormers, is that it has stunted the growth of our tackles because the slower than average OLBs can't assimilate the kind of pass rush the tackles need in order to master their technique. So, they get in games against speed guys with quick spin, rip or swim moves and get exposed, often badly as Sowell, Veldheer and Humphries is versus Oakland.

It's an on-going cycle.

Mitch - Humphries knows by now what type of coach, and more importantly, what type of person BA is... If Arians was nothing but a dictator type who got his jollies by embarrassing his players, that would of course be problematic and I would say that BA would not be nearly as successful as he's been...
The reality is BA is anything but. He is hard on players in the sense that he expects a lot from them, but nothing more than what they are capable of producing. And when players do meet his expectations, he loves on them in a way that few other head coaches seem capable of doing. Players love BA... And in part, it's because he is consistent... He is a straight-shooter, pull no punches, in your face (with the good and the bad) type of person. Players always know exactly where they stand with him. They always know what he expects of them. As a result, he is viewed as trustworthy... which, in todays' NFL, seems to be quite rare. Add in BA's quirky yet relatable personality, and again - the players love the guy.

DJ knows all of this. Which means he knows what is expected of him. And he knows that if he gives the type of effort that should be expected from a 1st round professional, he will then reap the rewards and benefits that come from meeting BA's expectations.

There is zero harm/risk in what BA did here... The real risk is that we may have taken a kid in the first round, who doesn't possess heart & desire to match his promise...