Good Game, Bad Game

[Fin Thirteen]

Please feel free to comment or add players..

Good Game
Garrison Smith (my MVP, might have made the roster/PS)
Anthony Johnson
Chris McCain
Walt Aikens
Jamar Taylor
Jelani Jenkins (after a poor start)

Nate Garner
Tony Hills
Kyle Miller
Damien Williams
Seth Lobato

Bad Game
Michael Thomas
Will Davis
Jonathan Freeny
Jordan Kovacs

Matt Moore
Jason Fox
Dallas Thomas
Marcus Thigpen
David Arkin
Kevin Cone
Caleb Sturgis

Roster thoughts:
Daniel Thomas, Marcus Thigpen didn't do enough to avoid being cut, imo. Thomas, with his experience, coaching and draft pedigree, should have chewed through these Rams scrubs, but he just came out with a passing grade. Darkwa for me is a little like Thomas - too many runs for no gain and the occasional nice breakout. He's headed to the PS. Damien Williams is a lock for this roster - great running, always makes yards, good vision and great blitz pickup.

RBs: Moreno, Miller, Williams (IR Gillislee, PS Darkwa)

Nate Garner once again reminded why he is a great player to have. He's probably the most aware and best second level blocker on the roster. He's just not dominant at the LOS. He sticks for sure. Dallas Thomas will probably be kept but maybe shouldn't be. Jason Fox looks like a casualty and I thought Arkin was pretty average. Tony Hills impressed me in spots, he might have done something to merit a look. Whether he deserves it or not, Brenner might make it.

Kevin Cone didn't do enough to stick. He's gone. Hazel had some nice moments, but some average ones too. He's going to the PS. Kyle Miller impressed me more than Sims in this game, but Sims seems to have the inside track with the coaches. I think it was Hoskins who made a terrific block to spring Hazel for his TD, otherwise quite quiet. Landry started on fire and couldn't capitalise (not helped by Moore's errant throwing).

The D-line is so stacked it's scary. If I'm Hickey right now, I'm really contemplating trading Odrick. Not because I don't value him but because other teams will value him. I would like to keep him, but business-wise a trade now could be a good move and he's a FA after this season, iirc. Anthony Johnson, Kamal Johnson and Garrison Smith all look like pro players to me. Dion Jordan played pretty well, but I question his work ethic through the full game. He seems to slack off, doesn't really fight with his hands to shed and redirect.

LB is still a bit of a mess. Jelani Jenkins started poorly and worked his way into the game. McCain showed some nice pass rush tools again and made a few tackles, but he gets outmuscled at times and he was beaten in coverage early on. Overall though, he's a keeper. I just don't see much in the LB corps to hang much hope on, the tackling throughout the team was great in the first two drives, it tailed off a lot and we let some decent gains through with slipped tackles.

Not at all convinced by our depth safeties - none of Jones (other than in ST), Kovacs or Thomas impressed. Aikens looks intriguing (to paraphrase Omar), but he should do for a third rounder, tbh.

Jamar Taylor was quietly very sound, I thought. Will Davis gives up a hell of a lot of plays for the few that he wins on. It's definitely a concern for me. Zero turnovers in preseason doesn't bode very well for the ballhawking aspect of this team, so maybe we should focus on locking down and in that respect I prefer Taylor. Kovacs is gone, Michael Thomas is on the bubble, imo. Kevin Fogg is gone.

 

[Fin Thirteen]

Just watching the condensed version again and DeAundre Reed had a nice game. He has some instincts, very sure tackler, but the DE position is pretty stacked. Could a move to LB be a consideration I wonder? No idea if he's PS eligible...

 

[finfan54]

While I agree some that Jordan has not used his hands and redirected throughout preseason, I thought he looked much better last night and that was playing alot of snaps.

 

[datruth55]

Just watching the condensed version again and DeAundre Reed had a nice game. He has some instincts, very sure tackler, but the DE position is pretty stacked. Could a move to LB be a consideration I wonder? No idea if he's PS eligible...

I was tracking it on NFL.com gamecast and it seemed like every tackle had his name on it in the 3rd and 4th quarter. I had to look him up cause I had never heard him mentioned before.

I'm concerned about the depth at CB. We only have 4 on the roster and I would prefer a minimum of 5. Hopefully we can find someone off of some other teams cuts.

I'll also add that Armando had an article about the 2013 class (Ireland's last thank goodness) failing to make any impact. Not a single starter from that draft class, except for Sturgis who is iffy outside of the 45 yardline, and none of them made any kind of impact during the preseason. As a matter of fact it wouldn't surprise me if 5 of the 9 drafted players were gone within the next 2 years.

---------- Post added at 10:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 AM ----------

While I agree some that Jordan has not used his hands and redirected throughout preseason, I thought he looked much better last night and that was playing alot of snaps.

He was playing 3rd stringers. He was the #3 overall pick. Let me put it to you this way...if Wake or Vernon had played last night against the same competition that Jordan played, how do you think they would have done?

 

[AL R]

You thought Seth had a good game? Basically agree with most of the rest. There going to be some hard cuts on that DL, such a shame we have strength there compared to the LB situation.

 

[spiketex]

We sure have some difficult decisions to make at DT. Anthony Johnson, Kamal Johnson and Garrison Smith all look like very good prospects for probably just one position, behind Starks, Odrick and Mitchell, with AJ on IR.
In any other season, we would be genuinely excited about any of them. Good scouting of the college ranks because whoever misses out is unlucky. Anthony possibly has the biggest upside but hard to not really like Garrison Smith and Kamal. Kacy Rodgers is doing a good job developing young talent. This isn't luck, he knows what he's doing.
I watch Hard Knocks and see the problems Bryan Cox has developing a highly drafted player in Hageman and smile.

 

[AL R]

Rodgers is an excellent coach, actually he is probably the best position coach we have. OC to be determined.

 

[datruth55]

Garrison Smith's name came up an awful lot in practice tweets but this is the first time he's really shown up in a game. I hope we can stash him on the practice squad.

 

[Fin Thirteen]

I'll also add that Armando had an article about the 2013 class (Ireland's last thank goodness) failing to make any impact. Not a single starter from that draft class, except for Sturgis who is iffy outside of the 45 yardline, and none of them made any kind of impact during the preseason. As a matter of fact it wouldn't surprise me if 5 of the 9 drafted players were gone within the next 2 years.?

It's definitely possible. I'm still not buying Sims, Dallas Thomas is still struggling, Davis still concerns me, Jelani Jenkins is going backwards (though he was better last night), Don Jones is a ST body and not much more, Gillislee has never impressed and Caleb Sturgis looks mentally and physically made of glass.

Actually, if there's a theme for that draft class, it's "fragile". Every single player is either physically or mentally soft (or both).

Only Jordan and Jamar Taylor really interest me going forward and neither of them seem to be highly motivated, combative players. I will say Taylor has quietly impressed me during preseason. I would have him comfortably ahead of Davis, if I was DC.

 

[Fin Thirteen]

You thought Seth had a good game? Basically agree with most of the rest. There going to be some hard cuts on that DL, such a shame we have strength there compared to the LB situation.

As someone pointed out, you'd expect your 3rd stringer to be a better player. But as a recent addition, from a nobody school with no expectations on him being a pro-ready player, I thought he was pretty OK. Let's put it this way, he wasn't any worse than Matt Moore, who some people think should be our starter. That's more a reflection on Moore though, who was pretty poor.

I'd much prefer our QB corps looked very different to how it does, but that's not Seth Lobato's fault!

 

[Fin Thirteen]

While I agree some that Jordan has not used his hands and redirected throughout preseason, I thought he looked much better last night and that was playing alot of snaps.

Unlike a lot of posters, I think Jordan is pretty special when he's trying. We just haven't seen him try very hard this offseason. That's a big warning sign for me. He should be busting his ass to get into the starting lineup, but he appears to be coasting. He switches it on every so oftern and you think to yourself "here we go". Then on the next play he's coasting, when Anthony Johnson, Garrison Smith, Chris McCain, De'Aundre Reed and/or Kamal Johnson are hustling right to the whistle.

I think his lack of hustle really manifests itself in the burst off the snap and his hand usage. Remember sports science when they clocked him as one of the fastest ever players from snap to QB? Even if he adds 20 lbs of muscle, he should still be among the league's fastest. Right now the fatties on the interior are getting out of the blocks quicker. That's mental, not physical, imo.

DOn't get me wrong. I think we have a huge talent to work with and he hasn't been bad. I am just suspicious of the lack of real impact he's putting on tape, in terms of "want to".