Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Based on BA&SK's Combine interviews, here's a summary of their thoughts with some of my own interpretations (in parentheses):
QB:
* Glad to have Palmer back.
* If the "guy we want is there, I think we'll pull the trigger" (BA) (Watson? Kizer? Trubisky? Mahomes? Webb?)
* "5-6 really good arms" -- "hard to evaluate the heart and the head" (BA)
* "I don't like to groom a guy for a year" (BA)
RB:
* "I like Kerwynn---he always produces when we put him in there. I like the young guy Penny too---we need to add to the room, hopefully a guy who can contribute on STs." (BA)
* " I want Chris Johnson back -- that's up to Chris." (BA)
* "I'd like to find another David Johnson." (SK) i.e. a RB who can carry the ball, motion into pass routes and line up in the slot as receiver. (Christian McCaffrey? Dalvin Cook? Curtis Samuel? Wayne Gallman?)
WR:
* Happy to have Fitz back.
* Want John Brown and Jaron Brown back to full strength.
* J.J. had a "really good finish."
TE:
* Want Gresham and Fells back.
OL:
* Want A.Q. back---he "played really well."
* Want to work Boehm and Toner at guard and center.
DL:
* Happy to re-sign Josh Mauro.
* We kept 9 DL in preparation for losing CC to FA.
* We expect Rodney and Robert to step up.
* We like young DL Williams and Pierre.
LB:
* "I expect Deone Bucannon to have a breakout season." (SK)
CB:
* Want Coop back, but he's going to get big money. BA
* Remain high on Brandon Williams and Justin Bethel, who is healthy now -- "first time in 2 years Bethel will be in training camp." (BA)
S:
* Expect TJ to make big money---"hopefully he keeps the chip on his shoulder when he gets paid." BA
* Mathieu back to the box -- has been packing on muscle -- been working out every day.
K:
* Catanzaro "very talented" (BA), but will get pushed by competition in camp.
Notes:
* "Other than in live goal-line at practice, we never tackled." (BA) (No wonder -- unreal) "We will tackle this year in TC."
* "I just call the plays -- the assistants do most of the work." (Part of the problem -- BA needs to be more hands on in coordinating the offense or the offense might still struggle to get in full sync.)
* With regard to rookies BA said: "Our job is to adjust and not criticize when teaching younger players." (sounds like BA has done some soul searching on this -- he said that they knew what they had in D.J. Humphries, but he had never played in a huddle or in a RT stance or had to understand play calls and what to do -- "we knew he had the heart" he said -- which seems odd given BA's treatment of DJH as a rookie and the fact that BA&SK made a last ditch effort to re-sign RT Bobby Massie when he was negotiating with the Bears -- regardless, BA looks more excited and poised to develop his young players more positively and effectively.)
* Sounds extremely clear that they expect CC, TJ and MC to sign elsewhere. Sounds like offers have been sent to AQ and Chris Johnson.
QB:
* Glad to have Palmer back.
* If the "guy we want is there, I think we'll pull the trigger" (BA) (Watson? Kizer? Trubisky? Mahomes? Webb?)
* "5-6 really good arms" -- "hard to evaluate the heart and the head" (BA)
* "I don't like to groom a guy for a year" (BA)
RB:
* "I like Kerwynn---he always produces when we put him in there. I like the young guy Penny too---we need to add to the room, hopefully a guy who can contribute on STs." (BA)
* " I want Chris Johnson back -- that's up to Chris." (BA)
* "I'd like to find another David Johnson." (SK) i.e. a RB who can carry the ball, motion into pass routes and line up in the slot as receiver. (Christian McCaffrey? Dalvin Cook? Curtis Samuel? Wayne Gallman?)
WR:
* Happy to have Fitz back.
* Want John Brown and Jaron Brown back to full strength.
* J.J. had a "really good finish."
TE:
* Want Gresham and Fells back.
OL:
* Want A.Q. back---he "played really well."
* Want to work Boehm and Toner at guard and center.
DL:
* Happy to re-sign Josh Mauro.
* We kept 9 DL in preparation for losing CC to FA.
* We expect Rodney and Robert to step up.
* We like young DL Williams and Pierre.
LB:
* "I expect Deone Bucannon to have a breakout season." (SK)
CB:
* Want Coop back, but he's going to get big money. BA
* Remain high on Brandon Williams and Justin Bethel, who is healthy now -- "first time in 2 years Bethel will be in training camp." (BA)
S:
* Expect TJ to make big money---"hopefully he keeps the chip on his shoulder when he gets paid." BA
* Mathieu back to the box -- has been packing on muscle -- been working out every day.
K:
* Catanzaro "very talented" (BA), but will get pushed by competition in camp.
Notes:
* "Other than in live goal-line at practice, we never tackled." (BA) (No wonder -- unreal) "We will tackle this year in TC."
* "I just call the plays -- the assistants do most of the work." (Part of the problem -- BA needs to be more hands on in coordinating the offense or the offense might still struggle to get in full sync.)
* With regard to rookies BA said: "Our job is to adjust and not criticize when teaching younger players." (sounds like BA has done some soul searching on this -- he said that they knew what they had in D.J. Humphries, but he had never played in a huddle or in a RT stance or had to understand play calls and what to do -- "we knew he had the heart" he said -- which seems odd given BA's treatment of DJH as a rookie and the fact that BA&SK made a last ditch effort to re-sign RT Bobby Massie when he was negotiating with the Bears -- regardless, BA looks more excited and poised to develop his young players more positively and effectively.)
* Sounds extremely clear that they expect CC, TJ and MC to sign elsewhere. Sounds like offers have been sent to AQ and Chris Johnson.
