Notes from Diaz after 8th spring practice

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Peter Ariz

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**Joseph Jackson recorded 8.5 sacks in his first season and Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz knows how naturally gifted he is, but said that the “little things” will be the catalyst towards his next step.

Diaz explained that it’s difficult to measure the effectiveness of defensive linemen, “because if you sack the quarterback once a game, you’ll be an All-American because you’ll have double-digit sacks, but you might give up 150 yards of offense by not being where you’re supposed to be in the run game.”

“That’s where you’re trying to find that level of consistency where he is blessed with skills and he can make a play and he’s shown that and should have confidence in it, but now can he be a down-to-down guy who knows all of the nuances of the defensive line position,” he added.

**Mark Richt said on Tuesday that he plans to have the QBs go “live” in the first scrimmage on Saturday, meaning the defense will be able to hit them. Diaz explained it’s something that not only help Richt when assessing his QBs, but also his defensive players.

“What happens in practice verbally is you touch the quarterback and you say ‘he’s down’ and they’ll feel good about themselves, but in a game he’s not ‘down’. Those quarterbacks, when they know they don’t have the force field around them, they behave differently. So I think it’s a good reality check for everybody. Not to mention it adds the element of the quarterback run game, so it forces guys to stay disciplined in their assignments,” Diaz said.

**Diaz was asked about LB Darrion Owens’ progress after he did not look like himself last season fresh off of a bad knee injury.

“We like the way he performed in our offseason program. We felt like he was sort of one of the top three linebackers in terms of effort and technique in our mat drill program. I think with him it’s his confidence. He’s moving around better and he’s a big, strong, physical guy. Now he’s got to trust himself to go and play like that. We’re trying to teach him to be a bully and to be a big, strong guy – I’ll be curious to see how he plays on Saturday,” Diaz said.

**LB Jamie Gordinier is beginning to be integrated back into team activities after a knee injury of his own that he suffered last fall camp. Prior to that injury, he was getting starter snaps in the rotation and Diaz likes his versatility.

“It’s like what we always do, we’ll throw everybody ack out there and give everybody a shot. He’s got position flexibility – he can play the Mike and the Will position. He’s a smart guy so he understands the position,” Diaz said.

**Without even being asked about him, Diaz brought up incoming freshman DeAndre Wilder, who is expected to arrive in May.

“We know Wilder brings a skill set that not a lot of guys in that room have, so now the battle for Mike and Will, and sort of the ‘batting order’ will really be determined in August camp.”
 
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“What happens in practice verbally is you touch the quarterback and you say ‘he’s down’ and they’ll feel good about themselves, but in a game he’s not ‘down’. Those quarterbacks, when they know they don’t have the force field around them, they behave differently. So I think it’s a good reality check for everybody. Not to mention it adds the element of the quarterback run game, so it forces guys to stay disciplined in their assignments,” Diaz said.
If you look back at my Fall practice notes from 2016, every statement has a qualifier about the protective QB jersey. When I watched some action with D$, it was a consistent concern because Kaaya looked incredible looking defenders off, making reads and otherwise flashing outstanding accuracy.

So much of QBing is climbing, shuffling and sliding within the pocket. A QB gets a clean pocket such a minority of the time. If our guys are in a pack anyway, might as well train them the way they're going to play. We're not at tremendous risk. I understand protecting QBs who've proven they can move in the pocket. Aaron Rodgers doesn't need to face a live defense in practice. Even if Kaaya had come back, it would have actually been very beneficial to him.
 
Glad to see the LB corp getting healthy. Gotta keep pushing the Sophomores every day, no one can get comfortable
 
sounds like we will have more actual running play options for the qb this year.
 
**Without even being asked about him, Diaz brought up incoming freshman DeAndre Wilder, who is expected to arrive in May.

“We know Wilder brings a skill set that not a lot of guys in that room have, so now the battle for Mike and Will, and sort of the ‘batting order’ will really be determined in August camp.”
In other words re: Wilder, blitzzzz!
 
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Is the scrimmage open or closed and where is it?

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
for anyone that thought that richt has grown soft, i think the message is clear. he's a savage! hit stick and bust the quarterback's . . .
 
**Without even being asked about him, Diaz brought up incoming freshman DeAndre Wilder, who is expected to arrive in May.

“We know Wilder brings a skill set that not a lot of guys in that room have, so now the battle for Mike and Will, and sort of the ‘batting order’ will really be determined in August camp.”
In other words re: Wilder, blitzzzz!
And u know he doesn't care did they're a Tr Fr or Sr

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
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Not to mention it adds the element of the quarterback run game, so it forces guys to stay disciplined in their assignments,” Diaz said.

This speaks to the point many of us are trying to stress when commenting about the QB's running ability and how it impacts the RPO.

It's not about the QB doing a designed run from that play-call. It's about the defense having to honor the POSSIBILITY of a called QB run, and staying disciplined in their lanes.

When they stay disciplined, it has the ability to allow for more creases to occur in the inside run game if that conflict defended doesn't come down hard.

It's my opinion that Kaaya not offering us that run threat is why Walton had difficulty against the better defenses. Defenses played us single high, and defended us well with their talent. Or, worse, they played us 2-high and their DL destroyed our OL without fear of the QB ever sneaking out the back door.
 
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we also dont have a bonafide starter at this point. and we also know thanks to teddy bridgewater, that you can wreck a knee handing a ball off. i like what he is proposing for THIS spring. doubt i will like it next spring!
 
“What happens in practice verbally is you touch the quarterback and you say ‘he’s down’ and they’ll feel good about themselves, but in a game he’s not ‘down’. Those quarterbacks, when they know they don’t have the force field around them, they behave differently. So I think it’s a good reality check for everybody. Not to mention it adds the element of the quarterback run game, so it forces guys to stay disciplined in their assignments,” Diaz said.
If you look back at my Fall practice notes from 2016, every statement has a qualifier about the protective QB jersey. When I watched some action with D$, it was a consistent concern because Kaaya looked incredible looking defenders off, making reads and otherwise flashing outstanding accuracy.

So much of QBing is climbing, shuffling and sliding within the pocket. A QB gets a clean pocket such a minority of the time. If our guys are in a pack anyway, might as well train them the way they're going to play. We're not at tremendous risk. I understand protecting QBs who've proven they can move in the pocket. Aaron Rodgers doesn't need to face a live defense in practice. Even if Kaaya had come back, it would have actually been very beneficial to him.

I think it could also be beneficial to the O-line. They dont wanna be the reason that a possible QB starter got hurt. I think they would be much more focused during the scrimmage.
 
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Not to mention it adds the element of the quarterback run game, so it forces guys to stay disciplined in their assignments,” Diaz said.

This speaks to the point many of us are trying to stress when commenting about the QB's running ability and how it impacts the RPO.

It's not about the QB doing a designed run from that play-call. It's about the defense having to honor the POSSIBILITY of a called QB run, and staying disciplined in their lanes.

When they stay disciplined, it has the ability to allow for more creases to occur in the inside run game if that conflict defended doesn't come down hard.

It's my opinion that Kaaya not offering us that run threat is why Walton had difficulty against the better defenses. Defenses played us single high, and defended us well with their talent. Or, worse, they played us 2-high and their DL destroyed our OL without fear of the QB ever sneaking out the back door.

I think everything can just be attributed to absolute **** OL play.

The RPO shouldn't need the QB to be a running threat. But it definitely helps if the RPO has more of a Read Option-Pass Option feel to it.
But I wouldn't blame Walton not being able to run on kaaya. I blame it on the OL for not opening up holes.
I think Allison will be just fine running the RPO and he's not mobile in the way Rosier, Weldon, or Perry are. But he can also move better than Kaaya can.
 
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