New offseason training for Tua

[djphinfan]

I think we can all agree, Tua needs to learn "when" and "how" to run. It is an aspect of his game that if he improves can make the offense that more dangerous.

every time this is mentioned which is very true what you say folks will convolute the topic with “ we don’t need Tua running and getting hurt”

That sentence from from some folks imo shows not a good understanding of the complexities of the position, and how what it is we’re talking about can be accomplished.

 

[Crump]

The O and the L have to be absolutely perma-broken by now on your keyboard, Danny. You've used them that often.....

doubling down with him always having to reply about being O-L-d too

 

[Ray R]

damn i should've posted on april 1st a thread to say he's training this offseason with John Daly....sheeesh i missed out.

It'll be good for him. he does get a little careless with his feet positioning at times. To me i think it would be worth it for him to bring his QB coach too. Hell maybe pay for him to be there a little extra longer. Sometimes we make adjustments in some aspect of our life and its for the good, then without realizing it, we slowly regress to back the way it was. If he has an extra set of trained eyes on him all the time, maybe he can yell Tua, that big toe is slowly starting to drift....or whatever

So did John! - LOL

 

[Ray R]

This is on point. Tua strives to be heroic and will sometimes stand tall in the pocket to get a pass off only to get killed in the process. Slipping out of the pocket and rolling out would add that whole other dimension if he can stretch plays.

Truth!!!

 

[Danny]

The O and the L have to be absolutely perma-broken by now on your keyboard, Danny. You've used them that often.....

that actually made me laugh out loud

 

[Mello Yello]

every time this is mentioned which is very true what you say folks will convolute the topic with “ we don’t need Tua running and getting hurt”

That sentence from the majority shows no understanding of the complexities of the position and how what it is we’re talking about can be accomplished

It also demonstrates a complete lack of awareness of when and how he's gotten hurt!

The guy has never been injured running beyond the LoS. It's holding the ball too long when pressure's bearing down on him in the pocket and being chased to the sideline by DL he under-estimates that's gotten him injured.

The limitation on his running is that he's just slow. He's never going to be a downfield threat running the ball but I'm with you 100% that he shouldn't be scared to do it and that it would greatly help the offense is he offered it up once in awhile even if it just gained us 5-yards.

Moreover, this offense seems to rely on the idea that 1 or 2 guys can be schemed open through play design. It's not like Tua can't read a play backside per se, but the offense often doesn't organize it as well. It's just as much about cluttered routes and lackluster 3rd/4th options as it is Tua. If that's the way the offense operates, I'd love to see Tua take off a bit more when the primaries aren't there.

 

[AgentXof12]

It also demonstrates a complete lack of awareness of when and how he's gotten hurt!

The guy has never been injured running beyond the LoS. It's holding the ball too long when pressure's bearing down on him in the pocket and being chased to the sideline by DL he under-estimates that's gotten him injured.

The limitation on his running is that he's just slow. He's never going to be a downfield threat running the ball but I'm with you 100% that he shouldn't be scared to do it and that it would greatly help the offense is he offered it up once in awhile even if it just gained us 5-yards.

Moreover, this offense seems to rely on the idea that 1 or 2 guys can be schemed open through play design. It's not like Tua can't read a play backside per se, but the offense often doesn't organize it as well. It's just as much about cluttered routes and lackluster 3rd/4th options as it is Tua. If that's the way the offense operates, I'd love to see Tua take off a bit more when the primaries aren't there.

He can stand to take off a bit more, and when he leaves the pocket he should be willing to dump the ball off to a nearby receiver who should hopefully, by this point, be wide open. A lot of yards are gained on dump offs to somebody at the los when plays are breaking down.

 

[djphinfan]

It also demonstrates a complete lack of awareness of when and how he's gotten hurt!

The guy has never been injured running beyond the LoS. It's holding the ball too long when pressure's bearing down on him in the pocket and being chased to the sideline by DL he under-estimates that's gotten him injured.

The limitation on his running is that he's just slow. He's never going to be a downfield threat running the ball but I'm with you 100% that he shouldn't be scared to do it and that it would greatly help the offense is he offered it up once in awhile even if it just gained us 5-yards.

Moreover, this offense seems to rely on the idea that 1 or 2 guys can be schemed open through play design. It's not like Tua can't read a play backside per se, but the offense often doesn't organize it as well. It's just as much about cluttered routes and lackluster 3rd/4th options as it is Tua. If that's the way the offense operates, I'd love to see Tua take off a bit more when the primaries aren't there.

Well said and accurate imo.

To me it’s elementary at the position when you have weapons that lighten the box count and get linebackers that have to turn their backs to the Qb.

A Qb has to have the awareness to cut the defense when this happens, I’ve said it a million times, consciously he has to abort the play call and cut them, until they respect the space they are leaving.

Once that is accomplished you have gained a major edge against the defense, if you allow them to leave that space unattended you have given them the edge in defending you.

 

[Mello Yello]

He can stand to take off a bit more, and when he leaves the pocket he should be willing to dump the ball off to a nearby receiver who should hopefully, by this point, be wide open. A lot of yards are gained on dump offs to somebody at the los when plays are breaking down.

The obvious hope is that De'Von Achane becomes more involved in the pass game beginning with exactly what you're describing.

 

[Mello Yello]

Well said and accurate imo.

To me it’s elementary at the position when you have weapons that lighten the box count and get linebackers that have to turn their backs to the Qb.

A Qb has to have the awareness to cut the defense when this happens, I’ve said it a million times, consciously he has to abort the play call and cut them, until they respect the space they are leaving.

Once that is accomplished you have gained a major edge against the defense, if you allow them to leave that space unattended you have given them the edge in defending you.

My only fear is that it's too late in his evolution to do it. It's comparatively easy to get a QB to throw it away in order to protect himself. He did that in 2023. I imagine it's much harder to ask someone to start running when doing that is by definition an instinctive action.

To my eyes, Tua used to play a lot more recklessly. For instance, watch the 2018 highlights and note how much he's always moving. He also ran around in the pocket a lot more making him look like a Russell Wilson type.

2018 Highlights featuring an ever-moving Tua:



Every year since though, he's seemed to become a bit less mobile and a bit more stationary in the pocket (which probably helps accuracy). But he's less inclined to move instinctively like he used to when he first emerged on the national scene.

I wonder if there's still time left to try and find the perfect balance. We've seen a few jukes. Like you, I just wish he'd lose the weight. I don't see that really doing anything to "keep him healthy." More padding around the mid-section ain't keeping you on the field IMHO.

A lot of people probably don't want to admit it, but the best shape Tua was ever in was probably 2020 when he showed up. Yeah, there was some flexibility rehab I'm sure continued on and a bit of improvement in shear velocity with the arm in 2021 but in terms of mobility he was as good in 2020 as he's ever been since then.

A short Flores-era compilation of Tua running:

 

[djphinfan]

My only fear is that it's too late in his evolution to do it. It's comparatively easy to get a QB to throw it away in order to protect himself. He did that in 2023. I imagine it's much harder to ask someone to start running when doing that is by definition an instinctive action.

To my eyes, Tua used to play a lot more recklessly. For instance, watch the 2018 highlights and note how much he's always moving. He also ran around in the pocket a lot more making him look like a Russell Wilson type.



Every year since though, he's seemed to become a bit less mobile and a bit more stationary in the pocket (which probably helps accuracy). But he's less inclined to move instinctively like he used to when he first emerged on the national scene.

I wonder if there's still time left to try and find the perfect balance. We've seen a few jukes. Like you, I just wish he'd lose the weight. I don't see that really doing anything to "keep him healthy." More padding around the mid-section ain't keeping you on the field IMHO.

A lot of people probably don't want to admit it, but the best shape Tua was ever in was probably 2020 when he showed up. Yeah, there was some flexibility and a bit of improvement in shear velocity but in terms of mobility he was as good in 2020 as he's ever been since then.

Tua was excellent at pocket manipulation, but now he's in a hi level timing based offense so it goes against those timing principles.

But what I mentioned can still be in play and dictate to the defense an added threat..

So in this offense this year I would coach him as such, Tua when you drop if you see the linebackers turn and run, you run north south thru the gap, slide, spin the ball and walk back to the huddle, if they do it again on the next play, do it again.

Then the next step is Tua, when you drop if the first or 2nd read does not feel open to you, then find the
lane, step up in the pocket, find your outlet, or run for some yards and slide. The time it takes to do that will still be very fast, its not like its a delay in the progression.

 

[dan the fin]

My only fear is that it's too late in his evolution to do it. It's comparatively easy to get a QB to throw it away in order to protect himself. He did that in 2023. I imagine it's much harder to ask someone to start running when doing that is by definition an instinctive action.

To my eyes, Tua used to play a lot more recklessly. For instance, watch the 2018 highlights and note how much he's always moving. He also ran around in the pocket a lot more making him look like a Russell Wilson type.

2018 Highlights featuring an ever-moving Tua:



Every year since though, he's seemed to become a bit less mobile and a bit more stationary in the pocket (which probably helps accuracy). But he's less inclined to move instinctively like he used to when he first emerged on the national scene.

I wonder if there's still time left to try and find the perfect balance. We've seen a few jukes. Like you, I just wish he'd lose the weight. I don't see that really doing anything to "keep him healthy." More padding around the mid-section ain't keeping you on the field IMHO.

A lot of people probably don't want to admit it, but the best shape Tua was ever in was probably 2020 when he showed up. Yeah, there was some flexibility rehab I'm sure continued on and a bit of improvement in shear velocity with the arm in 2021 but in terms of mobility he was as good in 2020 as he's ever been since then.

A short Flores-era compilation of Tua running:

I do think they over did the bulk last year and some was bad weight. He doesn't need to be some fast runner, but last year he seem sluggish moving in the pocket compared to even the 22 season. Granted the interior OL went to crap when Williams was injured, but he was not moving and sliding up into the pocket near as much last season. Definitely think he needs to trim up this offseason, and it seems that Miami thinks the same they with what we have heard this offseason.

 

[powerball1373]

And this is the off-season of broadcasting Tua's off-season. I've seen it with countless other stars for my sports teams. I still think the world of Freddie Freeman, but he was in the best shape of his life before he signed with the Dodgers.

And if we didn't hear about what kind of training Tua was doing this off-season, what do you think the narrative would be?

Hint: "OMFG Tua needs to stop playing golf, jerking off Hootie's wagon wheels, and eating loco mocos!!! Wtf is he doing to get better?!?!?! Trade him for Big Penix Energy!!!"

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

 

[Ray R]

And if we didn't hear about what kind of training Tua was doing this off-season, what do you think the narrative would be?

Hint: "OMFG Tua needs to stop playing golf, jerking off Hootie's wagon wheels, and eating loco mocos!!! Wtf is he doing to get better?!?!?! Trade him for Big Penix Energy!!!"

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

I prefer "Damned if they post" and "Damned if they surrender to logic".

Damn "Lemmings"! - LOL

 

[AgentXof12]

And if we didn't hear about what kind of training Tua was doing this off-season, what do you think the narrative would be?

Hint: "OMFG Tua needs to stop playing golf, jerking off Hootie's wagon wheels, and eating loco mocos!!! Wtf is he doing to get better?!?!?! Trade him for Big Penix Energy!!!"

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

Sure. It's good to hear a couple of things about a player's off-season activities.