PS game #2 positives & Negatives

[BonifayRam]

Quote me; " Dill is a pickle, and Hooey, well...the Last name says it all!" These are cuts #'s 1 and 2.

Then who is your reserve ORT?

 

[DaveFan'51]

Then who is your reserve ORT?

We still have Person, Van Dyk and Morrell to look at, and then we also could see what is available after final cuts!

 

[CoachO]

We still have Person, Van Dyk and Morrell to look at, and then we also could see what is available after final cuts!

Van Dyk is not ready, not even close. Morrell has taken every rep at RG since he got here. ....and Person is going to be the guy who fills in everywhere else.

 

[RamFan503]

That's not shocking for a rookie 3rd round RB. It took SJack many years to get better in pass pro.

True. I am a big SJ fan still to this day and watched him in college. But one of his biggest knocks early on was his blitz pick-ups. Of course, he was taking over for Marshall who we all know was VERY good at it and seemed to relish in taking out the blitzer by being football smart. SJ got much better and I'm sure Mason will as well. I don't recall if Marshall was always good at it as I never really paid much attention to him when he was with Indy.

 

[CoachO]

True. I am a big SJ fan still to this day and watched him in college. But one of his biggest knocks early on was his blitz pick-ups. Of course, he was taking over for Marshall who we all know was VERY good at it and seemed to relish in taking out the blitzer by being football smart. SJ got much better and I'm sure Mason will as well. I don't recall if Marshall was always good at it as I never really paid much attention to him when he was with Indy.

The difference is Steven Jackson nor Marshall Faulk were 5'8 and 200 lbs. He just doesn't appear to be anywhere near big enough to be consistent in this area.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Van Dyk is not ready, not even close. Morrell has taken every rep at RG since he got here. ....and Person is going to be the guy who fills in everywhere else.

My response was strickly about who we had to back-up RT, If need be. Do you not think that Dill and Hooey will be cut?

 

[RamFan503]

The difference is Steven Jackson nor Marshall Faulk were 5'8 and 200 lbs. He just doesn't appear to be anywhere near big enough to be consistent in this area.

But Marshall finished his career at 211. I believe he was lighter early on but really am only assuming. Mason is listed at 5'9" and 207 whereas Marshall finished his career at 5'10" and 211. I don't see why Mason can't get it down. I can't honestly recall a good RB coming out of college that was also very good at blitz pick ups.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Rams need a swing tackle and a 3rd down back.
Idk where that tackle is, but if rookie Marion Grice gets cut in San Diego i'm all over that. I've watched him in preseason playing behind Ryan Matthews, Danny Woodhead, Donald Brown and Branden Oliver(its a numbers game there)...and Grice can pick up the blitz, catch the ball out of the backfield and has shown good vision between the tackles. He'll likely get put on the PS but if not he brings everything to our RB group that we don't have.

 

[VegasRam]

I agree with you there. Things might be different if he was a really good STer or if he didnt get off to such a slow start in camp.

I thought Reid returned kicks. Doesn't look to me like anyone's locked that up, 'cept maybe Veltung. (Real shame about Pead).

 

[ReddingRam]

That's not shocking for a rookie 3rd round RB. It took SJack many years to get better in pass pro.

This is true. SJ was not very good at it his first 2 yrs. Neither was Stacy right off the bat last yr. But .... Mason looked uninterested in sticking his nose in there. He was like a bull fighter last night. Ole`!!

 

[TheDYVKX]

I thought Reid returned kicks. Doesn't look to me like anyone's locked that up, 'cept maybe Veltung. (Real shame about Pead).

He does return kicks and punts, and he's pretty good at it judging from his college days, but they haven't really used him as a returner. Makes me wonder why. He has to contribute in another way on special teams if he isn't in line to be the top returner on this roster. Otherwise he has no chance.

 

[CoachO]

My response was strickly about who we had to back-up RT, If need be. Do you not think that Dill and Hooey will be cut?

I am not ready to say Hooey gets cut. Everyone is basing his performance in last nights game MAINLY on his struggles at LT,,, Watch the earlier snaps at RT, and tell me he doesn't look a whole lot better. People are all freaking out about the 5th OT on the roster? my suggestion is to take a step back and chill out a bit.

Long, Barksdale, Saffold, Robinson, and Person will all be used before Sean Hooey ever sees the field. But at RT, he isn't the liability that many seem to see him as.

 

[DaveFan'51]

OK Coach, I guess I'm just.....Venting!!

 

[BonifayRam]

I am not ready to say Hooey gets cut. Everyone is basing his performance in last nights game MAINLY on his struggles at LT,,, Watch the earlier snaps at RT, and tell me he doesn't look a whole lot better. People are all freaking out about the 5th OT on the roster? my suggestion is to take a step back and chill out a bit.

Long, Barksdale, Saffold, Robinson, and Person will all be used before Sean Hooey ever sees the field. But at RT, he isn't the liability that many seem to see him as.

If things go as advertised next week on August 23rd @ First Energy Stadium in Cleveland @ 7 pm CT this Ram OL will get a major upgrade in high morale type spirit area of this OL. Finally starting OLT Jake Long is tentatively slated to start for a brief amount of time. This would cut & push the previous games OLT's Robinson's, Person's & Hooey's playing time @ OLT down some. At least for Hooey that will help him out a bunch.

On top of that hopeful event another interesting element next week is the possible Rodger Saffold getting some first pre season action @ some OL post though I am interested where Saffold will see action. He could see some @ OLT or OLG or ORG or even ORT post who knows where Boudreau may want to see him at? I would prefer to see him back @ ORG then things would settle on down a small bit on this OL. Saffold has seen very little of pre season the last three years...as we all know. But having these two OLT vets available could keep Hooey totally away from the OLT post & to concentrate full on the ORT post. I have not seen Joe Barksdale play any OLT post since playing the Patriots in Wembley Stadium (London, England) 2012 in a big big loss 45 to 7score.

As far as Hooey getting cut ....goes back to may main question @ ORT. If you remove Hooey & the other lessors out of the picture as many have suggested...then the question comes back up who would replace RIGHT OT Barksdale who is not already a regular starter? Thus thats why I still see Hooey a contender for that #10 OL spot. Guess we will just have to wait to see how this all settle in.

 

[CoachO]

He does return kicks and punts, and he's pretty good at it judging from his college days, but they haven't really used him as a returner. Makes me wonder why. He has to contribute in another way on special teams if he isn't in line to be the top returner on this roster. Otherwise he has no chance.

Have you ever stopped to consider the very real possibility that he just isn't the same player as he was 3 YEARS ago, mixing TWO knee surgeries into the equation in the process?

Everyone loves to turn back the clock and remember those highlights, but he has a long road ahead of him to be that player again. If he ever regains it.

 

[TheDYVKX]

Have you ever stopped to consider the very real possibility that he just isn't the same player as he was 3 YEARS ago, mixing TWO knee surgeries into the equation in the process?

Everyone loves to turn back the clock and remember those highlights, but he has a long road ahead of him to be that player again. If he ever regains it.

Yeah, it's possible. But apparently he was the same old player he used to be back then at his Pro Day, and he showed some glimpses from this last game. I get your point, but I think he can be that same player from what I've seen.

 

[CoachO]

Yeah, it's possible. But apparently he was the same old player he used to be back then at his Pro Day, and he showed some glimpses from this last game. I get your point, but I think he can be that same player from what I've seen.

same player? or similar athletically, in a controlled workout?

 

[TheDYVKX]

same player? or similar athletically, in a controlled workout?

Athletically. If you can get back to that athletic level, the rest is just experience and readjusting, and you can regain all those skills. Which is the situation almost all rookies are in anyway. At least in my opinion.

 

[CoachO]

Athletically. If you can get back to that athletic level, the rest is just experience and readjusting, and you can regain all those skills. Which is the situation almost all rookies are in anyway. At least in my opinion.

you could be right,, we shall see over the next 3 weeks,,, i just think the deck is stacked against him

 

[jjab360]

The difference is Steven Jackson nor Marshall Faulk were 5'8 and 200 lbs. He just doesn't appear to be anywhere near big enough to be consistent in this area.

Mason weighed in at 5'9, 207 lbs at the combine and looks considerably bigger now than he did back then. Faulk wasn't much bigger than that anyway, and there's countless examples of RBs who have been successful pass blockers at that size. If he doesn't excel in this area it's not because he isn't big enough.