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Spring practice observations at the midpoint

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D$ has the rare ability to get me hyped every season and every season we fall flat on our faces.
 
i think the offensive line will be fine

since he came back kehoe has gotten true freshmen to play well, between flowers years back and linder, mcdermott and darling last year he has a track record of putting true freshmen out there who can at least hold their own and keep the line in place. like i think people underestimate that we lost our top two RTs at basically the same time last season and nothing bad really happened.

unlike d money i don't think we'll end up missing some guys who ended up at fau and wake forest (kirkland not withstanding)
 
i'm a big fan of james coley's -- i think this board is way too harsh on him -- but my major concern is how much playmaking we're losing on offense. having duke was such an insane, rare luxury that i would be scared of what the offense would be like if it lost just him, but losing your best big play receiver *and* your best possession receiver along with it is just so much to replace. i think coley is far and away a better coordinator than d'onofrio but man does it seem like he has way less talent to work with this year. aside from brad, the offense is banking essentially on a whole handful of unknowns: is gus good enough? can yearby increase his workload? can rashawn be a number 1 receiver? can stacey harness his talent? can stan replace clive? etc. some of those guys will pan out, but it's a lot of uncertainty... as much as we've had on offense in golden's tenure, imo. (last year's quarterback situation was a mess but at least we knew we had duke.)

and like some others have said, the number 1 question above all for me is whether this staff can convert defensive talent into playmaking, especially on the defensive line. if we can't consistently rush the passer and make plays behind the line of scrimmage with this group there's literally no hope. there's no reason at this point for the line not to be able to stop the run reasonably well and really get after the passer, and if that happens i think the issues in the back seven (inexperience at LB, depth issues in the secondary) will be much less pressing.

in any event, all told i'm more bullish on next season than most people here. the schedule this year is much more forgiving, and simple regression leads me to believe we have a pretty decent shot at winning 8 games. but i wouldn't bet much on that.
 
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Maybe D could report on the **** in his toilet next. Why do any of you buy off on any of this stuff. This team is crap and the guy running the show is worse.
 
It's most certainly the Spring when the OP has nothing but positive things to say. This isn't a slam on you, but that's just how I took it. One would think after reading that, we have hardly a question mark anywhere on this team.
 
Dobard had a terrible season last year run blocking, truly terrible. Despite being undersized, Herndon was much better. Dobard needs to improve greatly as a blocker to be as good as Walford was last year.

If any true Freshman starts on the OL, I would bet on Bar Milo.
 
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INCaneFan said:
It's most certainly the Spring when the OP has nothing but positive things to say. This isn't a slam on you, but that's just how I took it. One would think after reading that, we have hardly a question mark anywhere on this team.
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Agreed. After reading that review I'd say 10 wins is this teams floor.
 
Looks very pro issuing I would have to see them turn the defensive players loose


We could have used a juco linebacker
 
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rayray said:
i'm a big fan of james coley's -- i think this board is way too harsh on him -- but my major concern is how much playmaking we're losing on offense. having duke was such an insane, rare luxury that i would be scared of what the offense would be like if it lost just him, but losing your best big play receiver *and* your best possession receiver along with it is just so much to replace. i think coley is far and away a better coordinator than d'onofrio but man does it seem like he has way less talent to work with this year. aside from brad, the offense is banking essentially on a whole handful of unknowns: is gus good enough? can yearby increase his workload? can rashawn be a number 1 receiver? can stacey harness his talent? can stan replace clive? etc. some of those guys will pan out, but it's a lot of uncertainty... as much as we've had on offense in golden's tenure, imo. (last year's quarterback situation was a mess but at least we knew we had duke.)

and like some others have said, the number 1 question above all for me is whether this staff can convert defensive talent into playmaking, especially on the defensive line. if we can't consistently rush the passer and make plays behind the line of scrimmage with this group there's literally no hope. there's no reason at this point for the line not to be able to stop the run reasonably well and really get after the passer, and if that happens i think the issues in the back seven (inexperience at LB, depth issues in the secondary) will be much less pressing.

in any event, all told i'm more bullish on next season than most people here. the schedule this year is much more forgiving, and simple regression leads me to believe we have a pretty decent shot at winning 8 games. but i wouldn't bet much on that.
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No way do we finish with more than 7 or 8 wins. No depth at LB, CB, RB, WR and questionable special teams. Injuries will take their toll and we are done.
 
DMoney said:
Below are my position-by-position thoughts from the first half of spring practice. Big picture, any success this season hinges on two things: keeping Brad Kaaya healthy and putting this talented DL in a position to disrupt and make plays.

QB- Brad Kaaya has picked up where he left off and then some. Simply put, I've never seen a Miami QB with his type of accuracy and ball placement. He also has Dorsey-type anticipation, but with more arm strength. I expect the team to win more games than last year, and Kaaya is the reason. Malik Rosier has improved but is still too erratic with his accuracy. Vinny Testaverde, Jr. has some pure passing ability, especially for a walk-on. If he really drills down on the mental side he may have a future as a quality back-up.

RB- Gus Edwards is running with a lot of confidence. Defenders are bouncing off of him and he is showing some unique footwork and explosion for a 235-pound back. If the season started tomorrow, he'd be the guy and we'd be in good shape. Joe Yearby is right behind him, and is very strong in the passing game. He will always make the first guy miss in space. Trayone Gray missed a couple practices due to academics and (while improved) still has issues with ball security. He shows major flashes as a running back, though, and is also good in the receiving game. He needs a strong finish and good summer, because he has the pure speed we need in the backfield.

WR- Rashawn Scott and Stacy Coley are separating themselves as the top guys. Braxton Berrios and Malcolm Lewis bring consistency in the slot. Herb Waters is a guy who I'd like to see come back strong after spring break. One way to get him going is giving him the end-arounds and screens that Coley has gotten the past two years. Darrell Langham needs to do a better job separating and Tyre Brady needs to improve his hands. If Lawrence Cager comes to camp ready to play he has a chance to break in as the #6 guy.

TE- This group has young talent. Standish Dobard had a strong scrimmage and is very powerful as a blocker and after the catch. He's missed a few practices, which has allowed Chris Herndon to shine as one of Kaaya's favorite targets. He is steady at H-back. David Njoku still needs a year to get stronger and more physical but he has the most upside as a pass-catcher in the group. He makes contested catches and runs like a deer. Jerome Washington is definitely a physical specimen. Huge, long-armed and very explosive for his size. He's not a natural pass-catcher but has improved with each practice. Maybe he's Richard Gordon, but I'd like to see him get a few snaps on defense for evaluation purposes.

OL- This group will need contributions from true freshmen. Nick Linder, Kc McDermott, Trevor Darling and Danny Isidora are locks to start, but beyond that is anyone's guess. Kehoe likes to rotate guys, but I don't think he will have the opportunity this year. We really could've used Denver Kirkland, Reginald Bain and A'lique Terry.

DL- Most talented group we've had in a while. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Chad Thomas look like you'd expect them to look- explosive, powerful and unstoppable 1-on-1. Mike Wyche has been the story of the spring. He really could've used spring last year, and now he looks like a different player than we saw during the season. He's slimmed down and become more explosive and occasionally dominant. Calvin Heurtelou will need to come back from injury strong if he wants to keep his starting job. Anthony Moten is also making strides and is the quickest interior DL we've had off the snap in a while. These guys are often going against sub-par OL, but you're starting to see why they were highly recruited players. We need to put them in a position to utilize their athletic gifts.

LB- Perryman's physical presence is missed here. This is a fast group that is capable in coverage but lacks thump outside of Juwan Young. Jermaine Grace is the best LB in the group and has been a steady playmaker. Marques Gayot plays very similar to Grace. The move to WLB was a good one for him. Charles Perry still needs to gain some weight before contributing, although his speed is evident. I've never loved Tyriq McCord at SAM (too stiff), but he has been solid throughout spring and continues to make big plays as he has done throughout his career.

S- Thin position. Deon Bush is the top guy after a bounce-back junior season. Jamal Carter is still too inconsistent with his tackling and recognition. Dallas Crawford has size and speed issues but can make plays, including a diving interception yesterday. I love Jaquan Johnson. His physical tools were a question as a recruit, but he looks extremely quick and explosive in short areas. I think he starts next to Bush.

CB- Strong at the top. Artie Burns has been arguably the best defensive player in camp and looks primed for a leap. Corn Elder is probably the best pure cover guy. Tracy Howard has missed the last couple practices but is a good, reliable cover man. Antonio Crawford's departure really hurts depth here. However, Ryan Mayes (a guy I've been critical of) is off to a great start. His length is an asset, and he moves like a corner. He returned a fumble for a TD yesterday and is playing with confidence. Nonetheless, this is a position where you will see a true freshman or two contribute.
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accidentally down voted.
Great write up! This is what I miss about this site, it has become so negative. Well anyway thanks again for giving me a great read and encouragement heading into summer which can be crucial development for our younger players.
 
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bigsonnyu said:
Jimmy Johnson would have turned Jamal Carter into a Jessie Armstead type player! But I understand the need at Safety...

Just hoping J. Carter doesn't end up like Ray Ray Armstrong...

Most definitely talented, but can be tricked in the secondary by a crafty QB. Get this guy Ed Reed's phone # please!!!
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Can't teach recognition to the same guy over and over. Hopefully the light bulb comes on for this dude.
 
Really worried about the RB situation and the way the coaches will utilize gray. I just do not see the big leap gus can make and him being the feature back if he is by the start of the season is a scary thought. I know the players on the team rave about his skills and they are around him everyday to witness his talent but I just do not see a running back in him, just my honest opinion though, he does not play like he is 230 plus. I thought the staff would run some wildcat with gray but I haven't heard anything about a wildcat formation featuring gray. This staff did exactly what gray hs coach told them not to do and that is play him at rb. The issue with gray is golden did not have a plan when he recruited gray and now its showing.
 
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