Wednesday, April 30, 2008
the draft is done. minicamps start in a few days. before the long season of blurbs about the play of the day from a future practice squad member, who should you be paying attention too? well, in my own semi-informed way, i will try to semi-inform you with my vast store of random knowledge.
pre-camp 53
offense.
qb
1. Matt Hasselbeck- hopefully the upgraded line and running game keep him upright and send him back to the pro-bowl
2. Seneca Wallace- a legitimate #3 qb frees him up to see time at wr and possibly punt returns. holmgren has already said he is opening the playbook wide open, having fun with all the stuff he never could do due to the disciplined nature of his playcalling. expect to see seneca take an outlet on the wing from hasselbeck, then launch it down field on multiple occasions.
3. Charlie Frye- he's not great, but probably the best 3rd qb's in the league. best case scenario, he never sees the field anyways.
rb
4. Julius Jones- small, speed back, painfully similar to mo morris. why do we need him? he's not shaun alexander. he'll get the most carries in the running back by commitee.
5. Mo Morris- he knows the system, he's cheap, and he's gotten better every year for the past 3 years. there is a good chance he sees more touches than when he was the change of pace back behind alexander, splitting time with jones as the primary back.
6. T.J. Duckett- giant back who had his best years splitting time with warrick dunn in atlanta. he'll be the giant bruiser on 3rd down and goal line situations.
7. Leonard Weaver- took over as starting fullback when mack strong hurt his neck. isn't a prototypical blocking fullback, his strengths are running the ball and catching outlets. i can see him turning into a T.J. Duckett type rb/fb hybrid down the line now that we have...
8. Owen Schmitt- this man is crazy. imagine blake norrish on 6 mountain dews, only 250+ lbs and in full body armor and a mohawk. bent 11 facemasks in his college career, pretty much the definition of smashmouth. this is the guy that every fan was hoping their team would take a late round flyer on in the draft. with the loss of kevin bentley and niko koutavides, expect him to be the primary terrorist on special teams while he learns the offense.
wr
9. Bobby Engram- with deion branch most likely starting the year on the PUP list after knee surgery, engram slides out of the slot into the cushy starting flanker spot. he never was fast, so loss of speed with age isn't really a concern. all has to do is catch the ball and fall down, which will make him a step above darrell jackson, who often fell down without making the catch.
10. Nate Burleson- it is due to injuries, sure, but nate is finally off special team duties and back into the starting split end spot. expect him to play the dj hackett role, large target and primary down the field threat. he needs to stop cutting his routes short and improvising before he has the ball, or else he will be back to return duties, which ironically may be where he helps the team most.
11. Ben Obomanu- we have been stockpiling talented young receivers even though we had no place for them on the team. well, now we do, and Obomanu may be the best of them. has seen limited action in the past 2 seasons, and now gets his shot at the big time. he will see a lot of action as the third receiver.
12. Courtney Taylor- another talented receiver. deceptive separation, great routes and good hands. he'll be in the mix in four receiver sets.
13. Logan Payne- you could tell it pained holmgren to leave him off the squad last year. catches everything thrown his way, runs precise routes, gets open when he needs too. heir apparent to bobby engram as matt's safety blanket.
14. Jordan Kent- i would love to see him on the team. he is a project, but he is big (6'4") fast (4.4) and crazy athletic. he just doesn't have the football experience yet, being a former basketball player. we managed to keep him last year, but if he keeps improving at his freakish pace, that won't last long if we don't keep him on the roster.
ol
15. Walter Jones- even with sore shoulders, he is still the best in the game. a veteran next to him will help.
16. Mike Wahle- has been a pro bowl guard recently, but has been hampered by injuries the past few seasons, so he was cut. his signing was the best move of the offseason for us, as reportedly he is completely healed.
17. Chris Spencer- still has issues spotting defensive alignments, but definitely improved last year. he is young, big, and athletic, and will only improve with experience.
18. Rob Sims- disappointing last season after coming out of nowhere as a rookie the season before. he is big, active, and loves run-blocking. a move to the strong side on the right might help, but the extra experience will help more. still a bright spot, in my mind, i expect big things from him.
19. Sean Locklear- i keep wanting to count this guy out, but he keeps surprising me. small, but incredibly proficient at keeping blockers in front of him. has quietly turned into one of the better rt's in the league. signed to a decently inexpensive long-term deal this offseason, and he deserves it.
20. Ray Willis- takes over the backup tackle position from the rotting corpse of tom ashworth. could have been more of a factor last year in the guard shuffle if he hadn't injured himself. which is ok, in my opinion, because he is a beast and is more suited to the tackle position. will push locklear for the starting spot this season, and in my opinion is the heir apparent to jones at left tackle years down the road.
21. Chris Grey- makes the team again because he is our only other center after spencer, but hopefully in a backup role. if he decides to retire, we have his replacement on the practice squad already in steve vallos.
22. Mansfield Wrotto- makes the team because he has a cool name. actually, makes the team because he is a project with huge huge upside at the guard position.
te
23. John Carlson- we made the right pick. dustin keller was undersized, fred davis was kind of a space cadet, and neither of them could block. Carlson is big, a great blocker, with decent enough speed and hands to rumble up the seam.
24. Jeb Putzier- signed in the offseason to be the backup to our new draft pick. he is a great receiver who hasn't shown consistency. could be a solid contributer if he puts it together.
25. Will Heller- has quietly kept the te position together the past two seasons, despite his shortcomings. he has decent hands, but will never be feared as a receiving threat. will slip into the role we signed him to play, primary blocking te in the mold of ryan hannam from our superbowl team
defense
dt
26. Rocky Bernard- throwing recent legal troubles aside, since he hasn't been released yet, expect big things from rocky in his free agency year. was stouter against the run last season after putting on about 10 lbs in the last offseason, but did lose some of his disruptive presence. which is ok, since he was still disruptive.
27. Brendan Mebane- meet the new chuck darby. came in as a rookie last season after injuries to tubbs and darby, and completely cemented the d-line. he was incredible. short, but with massive push. next time you are watching a game, look at his legs. freaking huge.
28. Craig Terrill- the unsung hero of our d-line in the last few years. great rotational tackle, can get penetration and collapse on running backs. he is just solid
29. Red Bryant- this years 4th round pick is big, which is what our line needed the most. i don't know much beyond that, but since there is no way we can count on marcus tubbs, we need someone large to rotate with mebane.
30. Larry Triplett- uw product just signed today. the best of the free agent tackles left out there. insurance against tubbs' inevitable PUP status.
de
31. Patrick Kerney- we paid big money to get him last season, and he rose to the occasion. he is someone you love to have on your team. fanatical workout machine, great technique, smart, great motor, everything you want. he is in great shape, despite being 30. also, look at those guns. he could store a roll of quarters in the gap between his bicep and tricep.
32. Lawrence Jackson- our first round draft pick. some people questioned it, but i don't know why. he was a 4 year starter at usc, and was an impact player on some great defenses. should allow us to create a more rotational system at de like we have at tackle.
33. Darryl Tapp- slides back into the nickel pass rush slot he saw at the end of his rookie season, but will also see more time in a rotation with jackson. had an impressive, if inconsistent season last year. he is a great pass rusher, but doesn't have the size to play every down against the run. he may see it as a demotion, but having jackson will improve his performance and make the team better.
34. Baraka Atkins- this guy cracks me up. he is definitely a project, but he's got some skills. the question about him coming out of the draft last year was his drive. well, he showed the willingness to play in limited action last season, but he was overmatched. he has a knack for beating blockers, but he didn't quite know what to do after that. several times last season he could be seen running around confused in the backfield waving his arms in the air instead of sacking the qb. it is worth it just for the humor of it. a strong preseason could get him more reps in the rotation.
lb
35. Lofa Tatupu- what more do we need to say about this guy? a football genius. smart, tough, with a knack for sniffing out the ball. he is so good and so prepared, at times he will call out the opposing play before the snap just based on the formation. our defense begins and ends with him.
36. Julian Peterson- the freak of nature. 2.5 percent body fat, with huge strength and wheels. he does it all. our best coverage lb, but is mayhem on a stick in the backfield. i remember one play last year when he slid past the quarterback on his back and grabbed the ball out of the qb's hands on the way past. he is in such great shape, i don't expect a huge decline in the next few seasons.
37. Leroy Hill- the other linebacker. it is his free agency year, and he is looking for big money. you better believe the hawks are trying to lock him up long term before he gets there. it is unsure if he will accept a slightly below market deal for the team like lofa and trufant, or goes for the dollars after the season is over. his loss would be tough to swallow, he is a tackle machine.
38. DD Lewis- after losing our top two backups, we get an old face back. he was a starter with this defense until tatupu and hill shocked the world with their awesomeness. expect him to be one of the main performers on special teams.
39. Lance Laury- the fact that the team let both Bentley and Koutavides walk shows how high the team is on laury. he made his presence felt on special teams, but i haven't seen him enough as a linebacker to judge him there. the team definitely trusts his abilities, which is good enough for me.
40. Will Herring- undersized, but great motor and football presence. will be a force again on special teams, but hopefully he doesn't see the field on defense.
db
41. Marcus Trufant- last season, he put everything together and got paid. still, signed a below market contract to stay with the team long term. i love this guy more and more every season. greatly benefited from improved safety play.
42. Kelly Jennings- i have no explanation for how this guy is so good. he is short and skinny, but gets the job done. excellent coverage skills, earned the starting nod across from trufant.
43. Jordan Babineaux- has been one of my favorite players on the team the past few seasons. a nose for the ball. decent coverage skills, big body compared to the other cb's, and can play both cb and safety. will see the field a lot in special teams and nickel situations. he is a huge asset to this team.
44. Josh Wilson- raw technique, undersized, but man can this guy fly. won't be counted on as an every down coverage back, will see time in the nickel and dime packages, and is the most likely candidate to take over for nate burleson as the team's primary return man.
45. Deon Grant- great field vision, athletic, great technique. he quietly showed us why we payed him big bucks to solidify the center of the field. he wasn't flashy, but he clamped down on big plays, and was a huge reason we were so improved against the pass last season.
46. Brian Russell- not the greatest athlete, but a solid safety none the less. he and grant had an instant, almost unnerving rapport. definitely a leader on the field and in the clubhouse. expect the hawks to turn him loose on slot receivers this year. i want to see some big hits!
47. CJ Wallace- showed enough special team moxie to make the team out of training camp last season, until he hurt himself. i expect him to be in the mix on special teams again this season while the team figures out what they have.
48. Jamar Adams- probably the best undrafted free agent to come out of this class, and he's ours. another big, smart safety to add to the team. he should develop into a solid contributer in the future learning alongside grant and russell. great great pickup, in my opinion.
49. Omare Lowe- kind of an in between guy, not enough speed and agility to play corner, but not enough size to play safety. good coverage skills though, so he should make the team.
50. Mike Green- the team still hasn't seen results after getting him from the bears a few seasons ago. this spot could go in any direction. Mike Green has a very outside shot of making the team, but he does have a lot of upside. he was a solid safety with the bears, and the team's patience might pay off.
special teams
51. Fudge Plackemeier- should benefit the most from our new stud long snapper. has developed an uncanny ability to pin the opponent inside the 20, and expect his huge leg to return with the reduced snap time and increased accuracy and consistancy of our new guy. last season was kind of a disappointment, but it is hard to blame him, he had zero time back there, and was fishing errant balls.
52. Tyler Schmitt- the best long snapper by a wide wide margin this year. has been snapping since he was 5 years old. claims to have never had a bad snap. very accurate, and very very quick to the punter/holder. will quietly have the biggest impact of all the rookies, as long snapper was such a huge black hole last season.
53. Brandon Coutu- big leg. i hate olindo mare, which is ok since when he was signed ruskell said he would be in a competition with whoever they brought in as a rookie and wasn't guaranteed the job. probably the biggest position battle in camp will be at kicker.
so, there we go. that turned out pretty well. somehow i ended up with 10 defensive backs, but only 6 linebackers. the linebackers are pretty depleted, and the special teams might suffer because of it. we have added special team contributers from other directions, however, so unless injuries bite the unit, i can see it working.
i can see the team carrying one less db, and adding someone like rb justin forsett if he shows something as a return man. also, they could carry another defensive lineman, probably jason babin at end, or howard green at tackle. babin was inactive for us all last season, and i don't see him making the team. green was a solid contributer as a wide bodied tackle at the end of last season, but the drafting of bryant and signing of triplett may come at his expense. best case scenario is marcus tubbs' miraculous recovery, but i don't think we can count on him for much, if anything this year. or ever, for that matter, which sucks because he was probably our best tackle before injuries hit both his legs. if mike green doesn't make the team at safety, kevin hobbs would probably be the next most likely candidate in the secondary.
there is also a possiblity the team pulls a stupid and carries two kickers, using mare as a kickoff specialist. it wouldn't be terrible i guess, but it would still be stupid. the team also might try to stash coutu on the practice squad, although i think another team would snag him. pretty quick.
the wide receiver position is totally up in the air with branch still iffy. expect obomanu, taylor, and payne to fight tooth and nail in camp for that third receiver spot. i expect they will all see the field at receiver in some capacity this year. people are saying we are screwed at wr, but i don't buy it. i like all three of these guys, and if we can keep kent, i think he will develop into a monster, with his speed, size and athleticism. i am wondering if the team has thought about him as a return man. seneca wallace could also be a factor in limited action, both as a receiver and punt returner.
in the end, almost every unit has improved, with the sole decline being at linebacker, but that is only because of the loss of depth. i expect improved performance from the o-line, d-line, rb, te, and special teams with wr, db, and qb a wash with room for improvement. this is why ruskell is so great. he hasn't done anything spectacular this offseason, yet our already solid team is looking to get even better.
and now you are looking at what i am looking at. hopefully i remember to do another post at the end of training camp before the season, and again when the roster is finalized to see how close i was.
pre-camp 53
offense.
qb
1. Matt Hasselbeck- hopefully the upgraded line and running game keep him upright and send him back to the pro-bowl
2. Seneca Wallace- a legitimate #3 qb frees him up to see time at wr and possibly punt returns. holmgren has already said he is opening the playbook wide open, having fun with all the stuff he never could do due to the disciplined nature of his playcalling. expect to see seneca take an outlet on the wing from hasselbeck, then launch it down field on multiple occasions.
3. Charlie Frye- he's not great, but probably the best 3rd qb's in the league. best case scenario, he never sees the field anyways.
rb
4. Julius Jones- small, speed back, painfully similar to mo morris. why do we need him? he's not shaun alexander. he'll get the most carries in the running back by commitee.
5. Mo Morris- he knows the system, he's cheap, and he's gotten better every year for the past 3 years. there is a good chance he sees more touches than when he was the change of pace back behind alexander, splitting time with jones as the primary back.
6. T.J. Duckett- giant back who had his best years splitting time with warrick dunn in atlanta. he'll be the giant bruiser on 3rd down and goal line situations.
7. Leonard Weaver- took over as starting fullback when mack strong hurt his neck. isn't a prototypical blocking fullback, his strengths are running the ball and catching outlets. i can see him turning into a T.J. Duckett type rb/fb hybrid down the line now that we have...
8. Owen Schmitt- this man is crazy. imagine blake norrish on 6 mountain dews, only 250+ lbs and in full body armor and a mohawk. bent 11 facemasks in his college career, pretty much the definition of smashmouth. this is the guy that every fan was hoping their team would take a late round flyer on in the draft. with the loss of kevin bentley and niko koutavides, expect him to be the primary terrorist on special teams while he learns the offense.
wr
9. Bobby Engram- with deion branch most likely starting the year on the PUP list after knee surgery, engram slides out of the slot into the cushy starting flanker spot. he never was fast, so loss of speed with age isn't really a concern. all has to do is catch the ball and fall down, which will make him a step above darrell jackson, who often fell down without making the catch.
10. Nate Burleson- it is due to injuries, sure, but nate is finally off special team duties and back into the starting split end spot. expect him to play the dj hackett role, large target and primary down the field threat. he needs to stop cutting his routes short and improvising before he has the ball, or else he will be back to return duties, which ironically may be where he helps the team most.
11. Ben Obomanu- we have been stockpiling talented young receivers even though we had no place for them on the team. well, now we do, and Obomanu may be the best of them. has seen limited action in the past 2 seasons, and now gets his shot at the big time. he will see a lot of action as the third receiver.
12. Courtney Taylor- another talented receiver. deceptive separation, great routes and good hands. he'll be in the mix in four receiver sets.
13. Logan Payne- you could tell it pained holmgren to leave him off the squad last year. catches everything thrown his way, runs precise routes, gets open when he needs too. heir apparent to bobby engram as matt's safety blanket.
14. Jordan Kent- i would love to see him on the team. he is a project, but he is big (6'4") fast (4.4) and crazy athletic. he just doesn't have the football experience yet, being a former basketball player. we managed to keep him last year, but if he keeps improving at his freakish pace, that won't last long if we don't keep him on the roster.
ol
15. Walter Jones- even with sore shoulders, he is still the best in the game. a veteran next to him will help.
16. Mike Wahle- has been a pro bowl guard recently, but has been hampered by injuries the past few seasons, so he was cut. his signing was the best move of the offseason for us, as reportedly he is completely healed.
17. Chris Spencer- still has issues spotting defensive alignments, but definitely improved last year. he is young, big, and athletic, and will only improve with experience.
18. Rob Sims- disappointing last season after coming out of nowhere as a rookie the season before. he is big, active, and loves run-blocking. a move to the strong side on the right might help, but the extra experience will help more. still a bright spot, in my mind, i expect big things from him.
19. Sean Locklear- i keep wanting to count this guy out, but he keeps surprising me. small, but incredibly proficient at keeping blockers in front of him. has quietly turned into one of the better rt's in the league. signed to a decently inexpensive long-term deal this offseason, and he deserves it.
20. Ray Willis- takes over the backup tackle position from the rotting corpse of tom ashworth. could have been more of a factor last year in the guard shuffle if he hadn't injured himself. which is ok, in my opinion, because he is a beast and is more suited to the tackle position. will push locklear for the starting spot this season, and in my opinion is the heir apparent to jones at left tackle years down the road.
21. Chris Grey- makes the team again because he is our only other center after spencer, but hopefully in a backup role. if he decides to retire, we have his replacement on the practice squad already in steve vallos.
22. Mansfield Wrotto- makes the team because he has a cool name. actually, makes the team because he is a project with huge huge upside at the guard position.
te
23. John Carlson- we made the right pick. dustin keller was undersized, fred davis was kind of a space cadet, and neither of them could block. Carlson is big, a great blocker, with decent enough speed and hands to rumble up the seam.
24. Jeb Putzier- signed in the offseason to be the backup to our new draft pick. he is a great receiver who hasn't shown consistency. could be a solid contributer if he puts it together.
25. Will Heller- has quietly kept the te position together the past two seasons, despite his shortcomings. he has decent hands, but will never be feared as a receiving threat. will slip into the role we signed him to play, primary blocking te in the mold of ryan hannam from our superbowl team
defense
dt
26. Rocky Bernard- throwing recent legal troubles aside, since he hasn't been released yet, expect big things from rocky in his free agency year. was stouter against the run last season after putting on about 10 lbs in the last offseason, but did lose some of his disruptive presence. which is ok, since he was still disruptive.
27. Brendan Mebane- meet the new chuck darby. came in as a rookie last season after injuries to tubbs and darby, and completely cemented the d-line. he was incredible. short, but with massive push. next time you are watching a game, look at his legs. freaking huge.
28. Craig Terrill- the unsung hero of our d-line in the last few years. great rotational tackle, can get penetration and collapse on running backs. he is just solid
29. Red Bryant- this years 4th round pick is big, which is what our line needed the most. i don't know much beyond that, but since there is no way we can count on marcus tubbs, we need someone large to rotate with mebane.
30. Larry Triplett- uw product just signed today. the best of the free agent tackles left out there. insurance against tubbs' inevitable PUP status.
de
31. Patrick Kerney- we paid big money to get him last season, and he rose to the occasion. he is someone you love to have on your team. fanatical workout machine, great technique, smart, great motor, everything you want. he is in great shape, despite being 30. also, look at those guns. he could store a roll of quarters in the gap between his bicep and tricep.
32. Lawrence Jackson- our first round draft pick. some people questioned it, but i don't know why. he was a 4 year starter at usc, and was an impact player on some great defenses. should allow us to create a more rotational system at de like we have at tackle.
33. Darryl Tapp- slides back into the nickel pass rush slot he saw at the end of his rookie season, but will also see more time in a rotation with jackson. had an impressive, if inconsistent season last year. he is a great pass rusher, but doesn't have the size to play every down against the run. he may see it as a demotion, but having jackson will improve his performance and make the team better.
34. Baraka Atkins- this guy cracks me up. he is definitely a project, but he's got some skills. the question about him coming out of the draft last year was his drive. well, he showed the willingness to play in limited action last season, but he was overmatched. he has a knack for beating blockers, but he didn't quite know what to do after that. several times last season he could be seen running around confused in the backfield waving his arms in the air instead of sacking the qb. it is worth it just for the humor of it. a strong preseason could get him more reps in the rotation.
lb
35. Lofa Tatupu- what more do we need to say about this guy? a football genius. smart, tough, with a knack for sniffing out the ball. he is so good and so prepared, at times he will call out the opposing play before the snap just based on the formation. our defense begins and ends with him.
36. Julian Peterson- the freak of nature. 2.5 percent body fat, with huge strength and wheels. he does it all. our best coverage lb, but is mayhem on a stick in the backfield. i remember one play last year when he slid past the quarterback on his back and grabbed the ball out of the qb's hands on the way past. he is in such great shape, i don't expect a huge decline in the next few seasons.
37. Leroy Hill- the other linebacker. it is his free agency year, and he is looking for big money. you better believe the hawks are trying to lock him up long term before he gets there. it is unsure if he will accept a slightly below market deal for the team like lofa and trufant, or goes for the dollars after the season is over. his loss would be tough to swallow, he is a tackle machine.
38. DD Lewis- after losing our top two backups, we get an old face back. he was a starter with this defense until tatupu and hill shocked the world with their awesomeness. expect him to be one of the main performers on special teams.
39. Lance Laury- the fact that the team let both Bentley and Koutavides walk shows how high the team is on laury. he made his presence felt on special teams, but i haven't seen him enough as a linebacker to judge him there. the team definitely trusts his abilities, which is good enough for me.
40. Will Herring- undersized, but great motor and football presence. will be a force again on special teams, but hopefully he doesn't see the field on defense.
db
41. Marcus Trufant- last season, he put everything together and got paid. still, signed a below market contract to stay with the team long term. i love this guy more and more every season. greatly benefited from improved safety play.
42. Kelly Jennings- i have no explanation for how this guy is so good. he is short and skinny, but gets the job done. excellent coverage skills, earned the starting nod across from trufant.
43. Jordan Babineaux- has been one of my favorite players on the team the past few seasons. a nose for the ball. decent coverage skills, big body compared to the other cb's, and can play both cb and safety. will see the field a lot in special teams and nickel situations. he is a huge asset to this team.
44. Josh Wilson- raw technique, undersized, but man can this guy fly. won't be counted on as an every down coverage back, will see time in the nickel and dime packages, and is the most likely candidate to take over for nate burleson as the team's primary return man.
45. Deon Grant- great field vision, athletic, great technique. he quietly showed us why we payed him big bucks to solidify the center of the field. he wasn't flashy, but he clamped down on big plays, and was a huge reason we were so improved against the pass last season.
46. Brian Russell- not the greatest athlete, but a solid safety none the less. he and grant had an instant, almost unnerving rapport. definitely a leader on the field and in the clubhouse. expect the hawks to turn him loose on slot receivers this year. i want to see some big hits!
47. CJ Wallace- showed enough special team moxie to make the team out of training camp last season, until he hurt himself. i expect him to be in the mix on special teams again this season while the team figures out what they have.
48. Jamar Adams- probably the best undrafted free agent to come out of this class, and he's ours. another big, smart safety to add to the team. he should develop into a solid contributer in the future learning alongside grant and russell. great great pickup, in my opinion.
49. Omare Lowe- kind of an in between guy, not enough speed and agility to play corner, but not enough size to play safety. good coverage skills though, so he should make the team.
50. Mike Green- the team still hasn't seen results after getting him from the bears a few seasons ago. this spot could go in any direction. Mike Green has a very outside shot of making the team, but he does have a lot of upside. he was a solid safety with the bears, and the team's patience might pay off.
special teams
51. Fudge Plackemeier- should benefit the most from our new stud long snapper. has developed an uncanny ability to pin the opponent inside the 20, and expect his huge leg to return with the reduced snap time and increased accuracy and consistancy of our new guy. last season was kind of a disappointment, but it is hard to blame him, he had zero time back there, and was fishing errant balls.
52. Tyler Schmitt- the best long snapper by a wide wide margin this year. has been snapping since he was 5 years old. claims to have never had a bad snap. very accurate, and very very quick to the punter/holder. will quietly have the biggest impact of all the rookies, as long snapper was such a huge black hole last season.
53. Brandon Coutu- big leg. i hate olindo mare, which is ok since when he was signed ruskell said he would be in a competition with whoever they brought in as a rookie and wasn't guaranteed the job. probably the biggest position battle in camp will be at kicker.
so, there we go. that turned out pretty well. somehow i ended up with 10 defensive backs, but only 6 linebackers. the linebackers are pretty depleted, and the special teams might suffer because of it. we have added special team contributers from other directions, however, so unless injuries bite the unit, i can see it working.
i can see the team carrying one less db, and adding someone like rb justin forsett if he shows something as a return man. also, they could carry another defensive lineman, probably jason babin at end, or howard green at tackle. babin was inactive for us all last season, and i don't see him making the team. green was a solid contributer as a wide bodied tackle at the end of last season, but the drafting of bryant and signing of triplett may come at his expense. best case scenario is marcus tubbs' miraculous recovery, but i don't think we can count on him for much, if anything this year. or ever, for that matter, which sucks because he was probably our best tackle before injuries hit both his legs. if mike green doesn't make the team at safety, kevin hobbs would probably be the next most likely candidate in the secondary.
there is also a possiblity the team pulls a stupid and carries two kickers, using mare as a kickoff specialist. it wouldn't be terrible i guess, but it would still be stupid. the team also might try to stash coutu on the practice squad, although i think another team would snag him. pretty quick.
the wide receiver position is totally up in the air with branch still iffy. expect obomanu, taylor, and payne to fight tooth and nail in camp for that third receiver spot. i expect they will all see the field at receiver in some capacity this year. people are saying we are screwed at wr, but i don't buy it. i like all three of these guys, and if we can keep kent, i think he will develop into a monster, with his speed, size and athleticism. i am wondering if the team has thought about him as a return man. seneca wallace could also be a factor in limited action, both as a receiver and punt returner.
in the end, almost every unit has improved, with the sole decline being at linebacker, but that is only because of the loss of depth. i expect improved performance from the o-line, d-line, rb, te, and special teams with wr, db, and qb a wash with room for improvement. this is why ruskell is so great. he hasn't done anything spectacular this offseason, yet our already solid team is looking to get even better.
and now you are looking at what i am looking at. hopefully i remember to do another post at the end of training camp before the season, and again when the roster is finalized to see how close i was.
Friday, April 04, 2008
yaaaaaaah. i rank a zero in the thoughts department, and a three (make that four this week) in the doing things department. a reversal. i feel like a dead man. a functioning body dragging a big sack of grey mush around for the ride. my brain is there to throw my center of gravity off. it makes me top heavy and off balance. most of the time, it can't be bothered to send impulses to my neck to hold itself upright. it is fucking ridiculous, is what it is. my mind is on wholesale strike. my thoughts have completely disappeared. i could go digging for justification for my laziness. i could build all sorts of false positives to absolve me. i could say after such a time of intense of focus on the mental aspects of my being, i need to focus on the physical. i could say brains need time to recharge, a rest period before being thrust back into full operating mode. i don't believe either of those. they are pretty words on the page, and have the stink of reasonable all over them, but they are just a shell game without a pebble.
the mind atrophies. why is my mind atrophying? oh, i wish i had a straight answer. i will tell you, it has been a year now without smoking weed regularly as a personal source of mental fuel, and it has effected me more than i let on. i smoke probably once or twice a week still, but it is always with other people, and with me, the social aspect burns away most of the desobering aspects, even if i am with people i know very well. there is something about sitting around with nothing to do, smoking a bowl all to yourself at your own pace in your own home without any requirements on your time on the horizon. the most telling thing is, i listen to music maybe once or twice a week, and then i make it through an album, if that. i haven't gone to sleep listening to an album since i moved over a year ago, which is not so ironically when everything had to change. i have lost the inspiration in my life. i've lost the artistry in my thought processes. instead of facing this depressing fact and finding some sort of internal solution, i have retracted the expansive world i built for myself and hid it safely away somewhere where it can't be touched by my depression. i guess depression isn't really the right word. i don't like that word anyways. while the feeling may be real, i think it is misunderstood. it is the ultimate excuse. the cure depression is ultimately fairly simple. you stop thinking about it, stop wallowing in the negativity, and it turns into simple neutrality once your attention is thoroughly distracted. people don't appreciate neutral. adding that one simple idea in the middle can make a huge impact in controlling emotional swings. but we don't want grey. we don't want to go through steps, we want that immediate solution. oh well. yeah, i have been more depressed than usual i guess, that that isn't a new phenomenon. that is more on the scale of the last 6 months, not the last month. the last few months i have been pretty neutral, pretty normal. the overall result has been positive over that time frame. it is just not where i want to be, or feel like i should be.
i need to start digging in. i can safely excavate my world, i think is what i am saying. not that it was ever weak enough to be destroyed by such outside forces, but i obviously felt enough pressure to go into full on turtle mode without consciously seeing it happen. oof, now what do i do to fix it. gah, solutions to problems i hadn't really noticed. i'd like to just ignore it some more, but i'm here, and i'm working things through, so might as well stick with it a little more.
sitting here listening to an album, i think music may be a simple, effortless beginning. i can go dig up my favorite albums again. nothing against the hip hop i've been listening too, since finding good hip hop has been another revelation in my musical enjoyment, but that doesn't even begin to describe my listening tastes. it is the latest flavor of the month, just part of a much much larger whole. another set of great albums that have their own little niche. i need to dig out other albums, because in the absence of weed these albums can serve the same purpose, a connection to different thought processes that i haven't been able to connect to. that can be my link, because right now i don't even know what they are or where to find them. it is like when you wake up from a dream, and even though you were just having it seconds before, you can't remember anything that happened. you still have the feeling, the structure of the thoughts, the shape of the words you would use to describe what you were just thinking and seeing right there in your mind, but it is all gibberish at this point. ahhh, this is instantly comforting, which can only be a good sign. not the instantaneous loss of thought, but using a mental soundtrack as sort of a counterstrike, an instantaneous link to thought, the creation of words and pictures within the structure that is already their, waiting patiently for something to utilize it.
so there we go. something, ANYTHING to try and strike a balance within the all encompassing nothing. something easy enough that i can actually accomplish without effort, and that is the main thing. i am not so keen on effort. i've never really been willing to embrace it, so we'll have to work with that in mind.
the mind atrophies. why is my mind atrophying? oh, i wish i had a straight answer. i will tell you, it has been a year now without smoking weed regularly as a personal source of mental fuel, and it has effected me more than i let on. i smoke probably once or twice a week still, but it is always with other people, and with me, the social aspect burns away most of the desobering aspects, even if i am with people i know very well. there is something about sitting around with nothing to do, smoking a bowl all to yourself at your own pace in your own home without any requirements on your time on the horizon. the most telling thing is, i listen to music maybe once or twice a week, and then i make it through an album, if that. i haven't gone to sleep listening to an album since i moved over a year ago, which is not so ironically when everything had to change. i have lost the inspiration in my life. i've lost the artistry in my thought processes. instead of facing this depressing fact and finding some sort of internal solution, i have retracted the expansive world i built for myself and hid it safely away somewhere where it can't be touched by my depression. i guess depression isn't really the right word. i don't like that word anyways. while the feeling may be real, i think it is misunderstood. it is the ultimate excuse. the cure depression is ultimately fairly simple. you stop thinking about it, stop wallowing in the negativity, and it turns into simple neutrality once your attention is thoroughly distracted. people don't appreciate neutral. adding that one simple idea in the middle can make a huge impact in controlling emotional swings. but we don't want grey. we don't want to go through steps, we want that immediate solution. oh well. yeah, i have been more depressed than usual i guess, that that isn't a new phenomenon. that is more on the scale of the last 6 months, not the last month. the last few months i have been pretty neutral, pretty normal. the overall result has been positive over that time frame. it is just not where i want to be, or feel like i should be.
i need to start digging in. i can safely excavate my world, i think is what i am saying. not that it was ever weak enough to be destroyed by such outside forces, but i obviously felt enough pressure to go into full on turtle mode without consciously seeing it happen. oof, now what do i do to fix it. gah, solutions to problems i hadn't really noticed. i'd like to just ignore it some more, but i'm here, and i'm working things through, so might as well stick with it a little more.
sitting here listening to an album, i think music may be a simple, effortless beginning. i can go dig up my favorite albums again. nothing against the hip hop i've been listening too, since finding good hip hop has been another revelation in my musical enjoyment, but that doesn't even begin to describe my listening tastes. it is the latest flavor of the month, just part of a much much larger whole. another set of great albums that have their own little niche. i need to dig out other albums, because in the absence of weed these albums can serve the same purpose, a connection to different thought processes that i haven't been able to connect to. that can be my link, because right now i don't even know what they are or where to find them. it is like when you wake up from a dream, and even though you were just having it seconds before, you can't remember anything that happened. you still have the feeling, the structure of the thoughts, the shape of the words you would use to describe what you were just thinking and seeing right there in your mind, but it is all gibberish at this point. ahhh, this is instantly comforting, which can only be a good sign. not the instantaneous loss of thought, but using a mental soundtrack as sort of a counterstrike, an instantaneous link to thought, the creation of words and pictures within the structure that is already their, waiting patiently for something to utilize it.
so there we go. something, ANYTHING to try and strike a balance within the all encompassing nothing. something easy enough that i can actually accomplish without effort, and that is the main thing. i am not so keen on effort. i've never really been willing to embrace it, so we'll have to work with that in mind.
