Picking a Right Tackle

TJ

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I really doubt Arians would have ridden Humphries as hard as he did, blasting him in the media if their plan from Day 1 was to de facto red shirt the kid.

Nah, that's just coaching. If a player needs correction, regardless of where he is on the depth chart, Arians is going to give it to him in his own unique way. It's only magnified because he's a first-round draft pick and Arians doesn't want him to get too comfortable in camp. I could see Arians lighting up the water boy if it meant motivating him to keep his shirt tucked in.
 
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Stout

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If we're wasting 1st-round picks on redshirt players, wasting the entire first year of a 1st-rounder's contract, our entire front office and our head coach should be fired. Now, BASK aren't utterly idiotic, so I don't believe this was their plan in drafting DJ. I think he was just more raw and less motivated than they'd believed. I HOPE they have worked out his rawness/technique issues, and that he's become motivated. I'd hate to waste a SECOND year with him.
 

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Nah, that's just coaching. If a player needs correction, regardless of where he is on the depth chart, Arians is going to give it to him in his own unique way. It's only magnified because he's a first-round draft pick and Arians doesn't want him to get too comfortable in camp. I could see Arians lighting up the water boy if it meant motivating him to keep his shirt tucked in.

agree to disagree.
 

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Of course it's just coaching. That's BA.

I remember BA saying pretty much one comment on him all season I don't see how that's him riding him all year long. Big difference matter fact he's said much more positive things about DJ all year than negative but that's not what people choose to remember.


No he was not drafted to start IDK what you guys were watching even all the "experts" on draft night said this kid was a project with tons of upside
 

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Of course it's just coaching. That's BA.

I remember BA saying pretty much one comment on him all season I don't see how that's him riding him all year long. Big difference matter fact he's said much more positive things about DJ all year than negative but that's not what people choose to remember.


No he was not drafted to start IDK what you guys were watching even all the "experts" on draft night said this kid was a project with tons of upside

this is the second time you've projected an argument on to people that doesn't exist on the thread. First you said "Fans complaining about DJ not beating out Massie but Massie is actually a very good RT and will def get paid by someone." But NO ONE is complaining that DJ didn't beat out Massie. And no one even said he was drafted to start. People are questioning the kid because he couldn't beat out a guy who had never played RT (Watford) and even worse pond-scum level talent (Sowell) to even be DEEP depth all season.

the idea that it's troubling that the kid couldn't even be on the active roster, beating out an absolute horror show like Sowell doesn't make people crazy, like you keep implying.
 

TJ

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If we're wasting 1st-round picks on redshirt players, wasting the entire first year of a 1st-rounder's contract, our entire front office and our head coach should be fired.


Your own team's starting quarterback disagrees with you.
 

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Sowell was active because he plays on a number of STs, not because he was ahead of DJ on the depth chart.
 

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Sowell was active because he plays on a number of STs, not because he was ahead of DJ on the depth chart.

Yeah .
But u should notice also even if sowell was not available on game day humphries would have been inactive as well
i guess in arians mind (in a desperate case) he would able to prefer larsen at tackle instead of humphries
 
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Stout

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Your own team's starting quarterback disagrees with you.

And you know that QB is a position unto itself. Nice try. Go back to the drawing board. DJ had an embarrassing rookie season. I can only hope he develops into something going forward.
 

Cbus cardsfan

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Arians said this year that he doesn't expect anything from rookies until after Thanksgiving anyway.

The fact that Sowell was active over Humphries is completely irrelevant. Sowell knows the system/communication better, has played in NFL games at both T positions and was the better option this past year to fill in an emergency/injury situation on game day. The last thing the Cards probably wanted was a blown assignment that got CP killed. That was more likely to happen with a 21 year old, raw rookie being thrown into the fire than a seasoned vet. At least, that's how most coaches would look at it.
 

TJ

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And you know that QB is a position unto itself. Nice try. Go back to the drawing board. DJ had an embarrassing rookie season. I can only hope he develops into something going forward.


Not really. You want to be able to transition your rookies slowly into the lineup. Offensive linemen and QBs are the same in that they don't rotate like linebackers, defensive linemen, etc.

We could go back to the days in which we're forcing Michael Stone to start right off the bat, if you'd like.
 

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Sowell was active because he plays on a number of STs, not because he was ahead of DJ on the depth chart.

Sowell played 90 snaps on special teams over 18 games. If Humphries can't be trusted to be a tight end on extra points and field goals, why invest a first-round pick in him?

Arians said this year that he doesn't expect anything from rookies until after Thanksgiving anyway.

The fact that Sowell was active over Humphries is completely irrelevant.
Sowell knows the system/communication better, has played in NFL games at both T positions and was the better option this past year to fill in an emergency/injury situation on game day. The last thing the Cards probably wanted was a blown assignment that got CP killed. That was more likely to happen with a 21 year old, raw rookie being thrown into the fire than a seasoned vet. At least, that's how most coaches would look at it.

Sowell is hot garbage in any league. The fact that your first-round pick couldn't clearly differentiate himself from the Bradley Sowell's of the NFL walking in the door — or after 21 weeks! — is a big red flag. Sowell couldn't even get the nod over a guy who'd never played OT in Watford.

You're going to have to spin harder than that to justify Humphries not being able to play 3rd string.
 

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Not really. You want to be able to transition your rookies slowly into the lineup. Offensive linemen and QBs are the same in that they don't rotate like linebackers, defensive linemen, etc.

We could go back to the days in which we're forcing Michael Stone to start right off the bat, if you'd like.

John Brown played 56% of the snaps his first game — Week 1 of his rookie year. Jonathan Cooper was expected to start his rookie season — I believe that there was an Arians quote out there that "he better start, we invested a first-round pick in him."

Again, no one is that concerned that he didn't START. People are changing the subject because there's no good argument around the fact that he couldn't show that he was better than Earl Watford or Bradley Sowell through 22 weeks.
 

TJ

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John Brown played 56% of the snaps his first game — Week 1 of his rookie year. Jonathan Cooper was expected to start his rookie season — I believe that there was an Arians quote out there that "he better start, we invested a first-round pick in him."

Again, no one is that concerned that he didn't START. People are changing the subject because there's no good argument around the fact that he couldn't show that he was better than Earl Watford or Bradley Sowell through 22 weeks.

Not many WRs play 100% of the snaps to begin with, so transitioning WRs like JB into the league is much easier. When you're starting a tackle, you're committed to playing him 100% of the snaps in a game, barring injury.

Not sure anyone is really crying that DJ should have started, because he should not have started. The reason why people aren't subscribing to the Sowell/Watford argument is because the feeling on draft day was that Humphries was picked for the following season because he was so raw based on lack of college experience and was going to need further coaching before being football ready; and if he never played a down in 2015, it would not have been a big deal. Even if you're right and that coaches felt he was not better than Sowell/Watford, I'm fine with him just focusing on technique and the speed of the game in practice during his first season. DJ should not have declared early to begin with, so he could have benefited from being humbled and coached up his first year.
 

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Not many WRs play 100% of the snaps to begin with, so transitioning WRs like JB into the league is much easier. When you're starting a tackle, you're committed to playing him 100% of the snaps in a game, barring injury.

Not sure anyone is really crying that DJ should have started, because he should not have started. The reason why people aren't subscribing to the Sowell/Watford argument is because the feeling on draft day was that Humphries was picked for the following season because he was so raw based on lack of college experience and was going to need further coaching before being football ready; and if he never played a down in 2015, it would not have been a big deal. Even if you're right and that coaches felt he was not better than Sowell/Watford, I'm fine with him just focusing on technique and the speed of the game in practice during his first season. DJ should not have declared early to begin with, so he could have benefited from being humbled and coached up his first year.

No you're not. The Patriots rotated offensive linemen frequently this season — even before injuries set in.

Tons of people are "subscribing" to the Sowell/Watford "argument", because there's no disputing it. That's what happened.

But I think you're misunderstanding how much coaching up goes on in the NFL for guys at the bottom of the depth chart. The sad fact is that there is almost none. All focus of the coaches during the week is on the guys who can contribute to winning. It's why it's hard to develop a #2 or #3 QB from September through January — coaches generally don't think about the long term.

So Humphries was basically sitting in meetings, lifting weights and watching guys who were playing get coached. That's the fact of the NFL.
 

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Please do not abuse the report post option just because you don't like someone. There is an ignore feature for a reason.
 

TJ

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No you're not. The Patriots rotated offensive linemen frequently this season — even before injuries set in.

Tons of people are "subscribing" to the Sowell/Watford "argument", because there's no disputing it. That's what happened.

But I think you're misunderstanding how much coaching up goes on in the NFL for guys at the bottom of the depth chart. The sad fact is that there is almost none. All focus of the coaches during the week is on the guys who can contribute to winning. It's why it's hard to develop a #2 or #3 QB from September through January — coaches generally don't think about the long term.

So Humphries was basically sitting in meetings, lifting weights and watching guys who were playing get coached. That's the fact of the NFL.

Very very few teams rotate linemen like that, and the Patriots had a ton of injuries last season, and their replacements were awful, so I could see why they would shuffle.

And no, I'm not misunderstanding how coaching and player development works, because I've been on those sidelines as a player, consultant, and a coach, and can tell you exactly how it works. The reason I know you don't 100% understand what's going on is that on top of the meetings, weights, etc, players are involved in a number of individual drills, studying the playbook, learning calls on the line, their practice film is being broken down, and feedback is constantly being provided to the players. You're partially correct in that the development of a player slows down from Sept to Jan, but there's still so much that goes on behind the scenes that everyday is a learning opportunity for everyone on the depth chart. In Humphries case, he has a season of this under his belt along with understanding how players at the professional level prepare for games. He did not get many of these opportunities at Florida because he only played two full seasons and the offensive coaching staff at UF was a joke when he was there.

This is why I tell you that it's not as much about not supplanting Sowell and/or Watford, but rather, an individualized effort to develop Humphries. He would have been set up for failure had he played.
 

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Very very few teams rotate linemen like that, and the Patriots had a ton of injuries last season, and their replacements were awful, so I could see why they would shuffle.

And no, I'm not misunderstanding how coaching and player development works, because I've been on those sidelines as a player, consultant, and a coach, and can tell you exactly how it works. The reason I know you don't 100% understand what's going on is that on top of the meetings, weights, etc, players are involved in a number of individual drills, studying the playbook, learning calls on the line, their practice film is being broken down, and feedback is constantly being provided to the players. You're partially correct in that the development of a player slows down from Sept to Jan, but there's still so much that goes on behind the scenes that everyday is a learning opportunity for everyone on the depth chart. In Humphries case, he has a season of this under his belt along with understanding how players at the professional level prepare for games. He did not get many of these opportunities at Florida because he only played two full seasons and the offensive coaching staff at UF was a joke when he was there.

This is why I tell you that it's not as much about not supplanting Sowell and/or Watford, but rather, an individualized effort to develop Humphries. He would have been set up for failure had he played.

So... Basically you listed a bunch of things that are sitting in on meetings (practice film is being broken down, feedback is constantly being provided to the players, learning calls on the line) and watching other guys play.

Everything else is hoping that the guy who got the nickname "Knee Deep" in training camp decides to improve his work and study habits.
 

Stout

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Not really. You want to be able to transition your rookies slowly into the lineup. Offensive linemen and QBs are the same in that they don't rotate like linebackers, defensive linemen, etc.

We could go back to the days in which we're forcing Michael Stone to start right off the bat, if you'd like.

Not in the modern NFL, not with 1st round picks. In the old days, I used to rail against people wanting to thrust our 1st rounders right into the mix, because I felt they needed time to adjust, get coached up, gel, and all that jazz. Well, over the years, rookies have come in and made immediate impacts, and with the salary cap being where it is and teams losing key free agents, the days of slowly developing your top-end picks are mostly over. It's a simple fact of the modern NFL.

Sowell played 90 snaps on special teams over 18 games. If Humphries can't be trusted to be a tight end on extra points and field goals, why invest a first-round pick in him?



Sowell is hot garbage in any league. The fact that your first-round pick couldn't clearly differentiate himself from the Bradley Sowell's of the NFL walking in the door — or after 21 weeks! — is a big red flag. Sowell couldn't even get the nod over a guy who'd never played OT in Watford.

You're going to have to spin harder than that to justify Humphries not being able to play 3rd string.

Bingo. We don't always agree, but on this topic, it seems we agree 100 percent.

John Brown played 56% of the snaps his first game — Week 1 of his rookie year. Jonathan Cooper was expected to start his rookie season — I believe that there was an Arians quote out there that "he better start, we invested a first-round pick in him."

Again, no one is that concerned that he didn't START. People are changing the subject because there's no good argument around the fact that he couldn't show that he was better than Earl Watford or Bradley Sowell through 22 weeks.

And another bingo. Or "+1", whichever works better :)

Tons of people are "subscribing" to the Sowell/Watford "argument", because there's no disputing it. That's what happened.

But I think you're misunderstanding how much coaching up goes on in the NFL for guys at the bottom of the depth chart. The sad fact is that there is almost none. All focus of the coaches during the week is on the guys who can contribute to winning. It's why it's hard to develop a #2 or #3 QB from September through January — coaches generally don't think about the long term.

So Humphries was basically sitting in meetings, lifting weights and watching guys who were playing get coached. That's the fact of the NFL.

Right. When you're not getting a helmet on game day, you're not getting a ton of reps. I used to play football, way back in the day. As a younger player who wasn't starting, or at least in the rotation, I did a lot of scout team work, and dummy work in drills, and things of this nature. Yes, I got some good drill work in, but little individual training. And this was in a no-pressure environment with a coach who had zero chance of being fired for football reasons. Now ratchet that need to win up about a million times. If you're not going to be a contributor, or at least a backup, on game day, you're not getting a ton of individual attention.

Please do not abuse the report post option just because you don't like someone. There is an ignore feature for a reason.

Wow, there was a post reported on this thread? I'm enjoying the lively debate. Haven't seen anything out of line thus far--unless I'm guilty of something lol
 
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Holy smokes, he said exactly what I had indicated in this thread numerous times!! "Redshirt year", "He would have failed had we thrown him out there." Amongst other things.

:self:

:thumbup: Was just going to post the same thing TJ. Arians said exactly what you were saying. Almost verbatim.
 
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