Big Blue Huddle

Farnsworth added on a minors deal and the buzz is that they still want a relatively cheap 'insurance' closer.

Looks like Alderson is staying true to form trying to patchwork the bullpen together with enough vets to mentor the promising young arms and have multiple options to plug holes hoping at least one or two prove viable. There are worse plans providing the young guys continue to improve and we have at least average production at closer.

If they can get a Rodney/Gregg/Madson and another Farnsworth type they should be at least adequate and that gives me hope we may be at least an 81 win team.

I wonder if Matt Clark can pressure Ike/Duda into some production? Now I'm just getting ridiculously optimistic 

The bullpen worries me as does Parnell's fitness. I think Alderson et al have done a solid job reloading the pitching pipeline but we are unbalanced in the minors. Until the team has a better line of hitting prospects in we'll be scratching around free agency for temporary fixes and hoping the likes of Granderson don't fall off a cliff with age and that Chris Young miraculously revives. We still feel like a 75-85 win club to me but with some hope for the future as there is at least some method rather than front office madness.

I doubt that Todge. Goff knows the system inside out and has a whole season starting at the NFL level to a more or less acceptable standard The coaching staff obviously respect him and that counts for far more than any of our doubts. With the impact of the labour dispute making it harder for rookies Jones is more likely to end up on the Practice Squad because he can't get ahead of Dillard and Blackburn than he is to be starting . His first order of business should simply be to make the team, doing whatever it takes to make that happen and that might well mean auditioning at SAM.

I can see the after the catch ranking. When you watch the tape he just makes people miss, even when he is stood still. I know some of the competition wasn't elite but the numbers he put up shows that he has talent. Can he be durable? He has been but the pros are bigger and tougher on average. If he can stay on the field he'll be fun to watch.

That's why they play the game. Talk is cheap. All we can really want at this stage is to be able to see something in them that gives some cause for guarded optimism. The thing about Sash, and our other R6 picks, is they all seem to be high effort, committed and professional guys. Of course they all have either athletic or experience limitations but the odds are that one or more of them will find a way to really help the team. We don't have to buy into all the post draft waffle and hype to agree that we have to give all these guys a chance before either condemning or annointing them.

I like Cofield a lot but if you made me pick between him and Keith Hamilton in his prime than I know who I'd choose 

Having said that, it is a big stretch for a rookie and/or a second year guy with almost no rookie playing time to step in and improve a D if it loses an above average NFL performer like Cofield. Not impossible, but I'd judge not probable (unless the rookie is named Suh!).

I hope someone shows Osi and Prince this! (yes, as a Brit I know Osi was born on London, UK...but we all know how proud he is of his roots). I like to see defenders playing with a chip on their shoulder   

Quote from: troyfan on April 30, 2011, 08:14:41 PM
Problem is, if he contributes at all it will be on specials and 4.6 or whatever is only OK for that.

I think it can be too easy to be negative sometimes with a kid like this. He's raw so special teams is where he'll start but if you look at the film he is pretty good in coverage (athleticsm like his really helps there as well) and he has a great motor and willingness to hit. Given decent coaching and appropriate opportunities to develop he could shape up as a very good WLB two years out. At least he isn't a DE-LB tweener or four year mediocre big school starter which makes a refreshing change for us! My biggest fear is that I think our LB coaching is below average so he may not get what he needs to develop.

Of course ot is far too simplistic to try and extrapolate from the benchmark with Leodis McKelvin but I'd certainly settle for something similar to the impact he made in his rookie season on kick returns. However, the same comparison gives some reason for worry as McKelvin has had some injuries and become less effective on returns, although increased playing time at CB last year was probably a factor as well.

It is all about fit with a scheme and coachability. If I precis all the stuff said and written by the 'analysts' his biggest flaws seem to be:
1. too aggressive (bites on double pumps etc.)
2. not a ball hawk

His biggest strengths are:
1. likes contact
2. fast to close

If I'm interpreting the various talking heads correctly it seems if we ask him to play press, cover man and provide run support in short zones he'll look good. If we make him play off the man and read in deep zones h'll look lost unless our coaches can improve his weaknesses.

The concern is we seem to be back in off/deep zone mode under Fewell rather than press (Spags). Both Webster and Prince (and Rolle at safety) are generally considered to be better in press/cover. Do we need to revisit our style a little to get the most from the considerable talent we now have back there?

Hi All,

I live in Britain - in London (and have done since my teens) but originally from NYC
I've been a Giant since the second I was born (43 years)
I'm a partner in an international consulting firm
I'm also a mad keen soccer fan and Everton fan (Mum was originally from Liverpool UK)