One of the fun aspects of this normally boring time of year is making predictions on the final roster. One of the most interesting parts of this for me is looking at the undrafted rookies that could push to not only make the roster, but also get some playing time. RB Z. White has all the tools McDaniel loves in his scheme and I think he has an excellent chance to make the roster and perhaps even play on our active list.
I've coached football for 33 years, and all that time I've coached RB's along with whatever other responsibilities I had (OC, HC, etc). Here's what I see in White that I like so much:
- White has tremendous take off to the hole. His first few steps at the snap are cat like quick and he uses it to really push the point of attack. This really helps the OL blocking because he gets by everyone so quickly. Coaching RB's for so long has shown me that players with this trait typically do very well on all levels and this will server him well in Miami.
- White has good speed, but his start and stop speed is one of his best traits. He uses it over and over sometimes multiple times per play. He also uses dips, and fakes on an impressive level, but his start and stop darting (see his highlight) really are his calling card as a runner.
- White always falls forward and really contests his runs. He always wants more and looks to extend plays. I'd consider him an aggressive runner with the ball. Not a passive or easy to tackle type of guy. He runs bigger than he is, not smaller. I think this aspect of him will really impress our RB coach, OC and McDaniel. Don't be shocked if he quickly becomes an OL favorite, and for that matter a fan favorite.
- White is very good at protecting the football. He plays with it "high and tight" (a popular coaching technique for ball carriers) and will not turn over the football. He also has soft hands as a back out of the backfield and makes plays on short routes that will really help him in Miami.
- White is a playmaker. Doesn't matter what he is doing, he makes plays. He's a true gamer in the sport of football. Grier hit another homerun with this guy. Worse case scenario White goes on the practice squad and best case he actually starts for us. I understand some fans will say "no way" to him playing active but it's all about what he brings. There are some aspects of his game that will have to pan out for him to get on the field, such as pass blocking and the mental part of his game. We will see where he is with all that in the next few months.
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