its time

[artp]

Isn't this the year to demand something from: DT W Bryant, DT M Bell, LB L Fisher, LB L Woods, CB D Starks, DB M Stone? Here are 6 players that IMO Coach Mac's future depends on. All of these are blue chip players who have yet to get it done in Cardinal Red. Personally, I have understood all the excuses, but isn't it time for each of these players to s**t or get off the pot?

 

[Shane]

Originally posted by artp
Isn't this the year to demand something from: DT W Bryant, DT M Bell, LB L Fisher, LB L Woods, CB D Starks, DB M Stone? Here are 6 players that IMO Coach Mac's future depends on. All of these are blue chip players who have yet to get it done in Cardinal Red. Personally, I have understood all the excuses, but isn't it time for each of these players to s**t or get off the pot?

Forget Stone and he was known to be very raw nowhere near a blue chipper. Neither was Woods he was an UDFA for goodness sake so whatever we get out of him is a bonus!

But as far as Fisher and Bryant are concerned I completely agree they need to perform this season and at a VERY HIGH LEVEL!

Starks isnt great and never will be but he is solid!

 

[artp]

If you use the criteria that a 1 - 3 draft pick is a blue chip draft pick, then Stone qualifies. I used the others (Wood, Bell) because they have been touted by the coaching staff since their first weeks in camp. If the coaching staff thinks these guys are so great, then lets see it.

 

[kerouac9]

Q

Players who need to make The Leap this season, or Mac loses all credibility as a talent evaluator:

DE Kyle Vanden Bosch
S Adrian Wilson
RG Leonard Davis (He's just not dominating yet)

Players who need to just improve (Most rookies take 3 years to fully adjust to Pro game):

DT Wendell Bryant
DE Dennis Jognson
LB Levar Fisher (apparently, Darling is projected to the Strongside, which leaves Raynoch and Levar fighting for the weakside job, and Levar probably ends up on special teams)
CB Michael Stone (anyone remember that he was a #2 pick? God, why? Reynoldo Hill is better than him, and he was a seventh rounder in the same draft)

Defense has been Mac's job for, what, five years? We've invested high (1-3 round) draft picks there for three years. It's time to start looking like it, or lock Mac out of the War Room in 2004 and let him watch the festivities on ESPN at the draft party.

 

[Shane]

Re: Q

Originally posted by kerouac9
Players who need to make The Leap this season, or Mac loses all credibility as a talent evaluator:

DE Kyle Vanden Bosch
S Adrian Wilson
RG Leonard Davis (He's just not dominating yet)

Players who need to just improve (Most rookies take 3 years to fully adjust to Pro game):

DT Wendell Bryant
DE Dennis Jognson
LB Levar Fisher (apparently, Darling is projected to the Strongside, which leaves Raynoch and Levar fighting for the weakside job, and Levar probably ends up on special teams)
CB Michael Stone (anyone remember that he was a #2 pick? God, why? Reynoldo Hill is better than him, and he was a seventh rounder in the same draft)

Defense has been Mac's job for, what, five years? We've invested high (1-3 round) draft picks there for three years. It's time to start looking like it, or lock Mac out of the War Room in 2004 and let him watch the festivities on ESPN at the draft party.

Actually Fisher was lining up on the strong side and was penciled in as the starter as of right now. At least thats what the article at azcardinals.com said on fisher right after the mini-camp.

So unless Darling unseats him which I honestly doubt we will see what this kid is about real soon he excites me I just hope he can stay healthy!

 

[az643dp]

Re: Q

Originally posted by kerouac9
Players who need to make The Leap this season, or Mac loses all credibility as a talent evaluator:

RG Leonard Davis (He's just not dominating yet)

Players who need to just improve (Most rookies take 3 years to fully adjust to Pro game):

DT Wendell Bryant

Leonard Davis is dominating. Ask anyone he has played against. Dick Vermeil and Michael Strahan both said that he was one of the most dominating performers of any offensive lineman. That being said, if he gets any better and stays healthy, he could be legendary. Many people say that they should switch him to Tackle but I feel that as long as we have LJ and AC, playing him at Guard makes the line the best it can be plain and simple.

Wendell Bryant does not get any slack from me this year. He will have had a full ofsseason and a full training camp. If you are non-QB drafted in the 1st round you best be making a huge impact by your second year. Anything else would be a huge disappointment in my opinion.

 

[Redheart]

I would add...

Freddy Jones to that list.

I was disapointed in his play last year.

Before anybody throws out the snake-card, he is gone, so it just him and Blake now.

 

[Shane]

Re: I would add...

Originally posted by Redheart
Freddy Jones to that list.

I was disapointed in his play last year.

Before anybody throws out the snake-card, he is gone, so it just him and Blake now.

Hard to be dissapointed in a guy who was rarely thrown the ball. Numerous times I saw the guy wide open and Jake just flat out missed him!

 

[Metal Militia]

Re: Re: I would add...

Originally posted by Shane H
Hard to be dissapointed in a guy who was rarely thrown the ball. Numerous times I saw the guy wide open and Jake just flat out missed him!

I hear that. There were numerous times where Freddie looked like he was doing jumping jacks in the back of the endzone trying to get Jake's attention.

 

[Skkorpion]

Welcome, metal militia.

 

[SECTION 11]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
Welcome, metal militia.

Welcome, Skkorpion.

You should post here more often.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

not only that, but i think freddie was a big reason our run game improved so much. his blocking was excellent last year.

 

[Redheart]

So...

we agree.

Without question, Freddy has to step up and put up some numbers. His (yours?) excuse is gone.

His blocking? I don't recall any distinction one way or another. What I do recall is he started all 16 games and had only one touchdown. I do recall Steve Bush's blocking being excellent.


Please, hold the "Jake" excuse / rational. We need big numbers from this guy if he is all that you say he is. The point of this thread was to name players for who it was "time" to step up.

Wasn't it?

 

[kerouac9]

Yeah, but how can he step up if he doesn't get the chance?

I really like F. Jones, and hope he gets some tosses his way. I think he'll make the most of any opportunity he gets, like with that TE screen against the Panthers.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Yes

Yes it is time. But the players know that. Everyone of those guys you mentioned is fighting for a starting job next year.

 

[Redheart]

Originally posted by kerouac9
Yeah, but how can he step up if he doesn't get the chance?

Freddy's got 44 chances last year. More than he did with SD the year before. His average (yards per catch) and touchdown total was the lowest of his career.

YEAR TEAM.............* GS Rec Yds Avg Lg TD 40+
1997 San Diego Chargers 13 8 41 505 12.3 62 2 2
1998 San Diego Chargers 16 16 57 602 10.6 28 3 0
1999 San Diego Chargers 16 16 56 670 12.0 36 2 0
2000 San Diego Chargers 16 16 71 766 10.8 44 5 1
2001 San Diego Chargers 14 9 35 388 11.1 34 4 0
2002 Arizona Cardinals 16 16 44 358 8.1 24 1 0

I had very high hope for him his first year, but he and Jake never did seem to get on the same page. Did Jake hurt his numbers? Without a doubt, I felt there was bad blood there. I also thought Freddy hurt his numbers.

Well, Jake is gone. Long live Blake. And...Freddy...it is time to step up to some numbers like you had in 2001.

 

[General Chaos]

I don't blame Freddie Jones for his performance last year. It seemed to me that all of his routes that were called were 3 yard curls. He is supposed to be one of the better vertical threats at TE. So hopefully Sully understands that. Also on those little curls Jake threw the ball at his feet half the time, killing any momentum Jones would of had.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Freddie

I will tell you what. For Freddie Jones to "step it up" he doesn't have to catch more passes. He has to catch passes when it counts. He has to make more redzone TD catches. More 3rd down catches for a 1st down.
But he has had Jake at the helm since he has been here so now with an actuall QB like Blake we should see something.