Wheres DJ Hord been?

[Timugen]

Why, because you're on the other side? Zing!

No, because an argument could be made from either side that the other isn't "rational."

ZING!!!

 

[GoshenGipper]

No, because an argument could be made from either side that the other isn't "rational."

ZING!!!

Yeah, that wasn't a very good comeback. Good try though.

 

[Timugen]

Yeah, that wasn't a very good comeback. Good try though.

Umm...yeah. I wasn't shooting for a "comeback;" more like the truth, which it was.

 

[KamaraPolice]

Who was the other highly touted receiver who broke his wrist in august, jackson something. What's going on with him, is he redshirting, still injured, or just not working his way into the rotation?

 

[johnnd05]

John,
It is not knee jerk. I have watched the films and based on what I see, Hord looks every bit as good as most of our starting players. Further, even the writers who were watching the practices stated how well he was catching the ball. In the open fall practice he made a couple of great catches and these were in game type situations. If you look at the very passes throw his way this fall, he made good catches. I only remember the long overthrown ball early in the year that was a miss. I think we all have the right to question Charlie's ability to develop youth on the team at this point. Yes, he did get Brady and some of our experienced receivers to step their game up, BUT these players all had played atleast two season prior to CW getting ahold of them. Name me one young player that has shown development in the last two seasons. Carlson is about the only one. OL, they have all regressed. WR, no one got a chance to play except Shark and McKnight. RB, Darius got 98% of the carries, great way to develop youth there. FB, Asaph continues to under perform, but hey he can bench press a house. CW still has an NFL mentality and he better learn quickly that this is a totally different world.

So Hord has played about in ten minutes of live game action - and has TWO catches, for seven yards - so far and you're going to tell me that you've seen enough to confirm that Weis is wrong not to get him the ball more, and that he's "every bit as good" as the guys who've passed him on the depth chart? Sorry, but I'm not buying it.

No doubt DJ has got some ability. No doubt Weis has made, and will continue to make, some mistakes in evaluating and developing his players' talents, and it's POSSIBLE that Hord has been a victim of this. No doubt Weis made a HUGE mistake, both in terms of developing his players and giving himself a chance to evaluate them in game-like situations, with the no-contact practices. And no doubt that not putting the youngsters in more often last year - though remember that both Hord and Aldridge, who did actually play quite a bit, were injured - might have helped in both of these departments (development and evaluation) as well. But I'm sorry - you have NOT seen enough of D.J. Hord to say that he's "every bit as good" as Kamara, Parris, Grimes, West, and Tate. No way.

P.S. He hasn't caught ANY "very long passes thrown his way this fall" - his longest (longER?) reception went for five yards.

 

[KamaraPolice]

It's Richard Jackson.

 

[johnnd05]

Who was the other highly touted receiver who broke his wrist in august, jackson something. What's going on with him, is he redshirting, still injured, or just not working his way into the rotation?

Richard Jackson. I think he took a medical redshirt. But from what I recall he's been practicing with the team at least some.

 

[KamaraPolice]

Hord caught 1 pass for 5 yards against Penn State and 1 for 2 yards versus UCLA.

 

[KamaraPolice]

Richard Jackson. I think he took a medical redshirt. But from what I recall he's been practicing with the team at least some.

Cool, thanks. He may be a surprise receiver in the next 3 years, I just read a lot of "he's tall, fast and surprisingly strong."

 

[jonesman]

John,
I did not say he caught any long passes. He was overthrown on the particular play. The film I am referring to is the fall open practices. The media day scrimmage in the stadium where he made some very good catches. Maybe I am being a bit emotional on this subject, but I am losing a great amount of confidence in Chuck's ability to properly evaluate players. Remember, most of his career was spent in the NFL where 90% of the line up is set. He had little to do with developing players and deciding who is the best QB, WR, RB or OL. Further, we all have the right to question his development ability after what we have witnessed this year. I completely understand the talent issues of this team and their youth. All that said, there is not much anyone can point to that convinces me CW has made developmental improvements on the offensive side of the ball. Finally, other than Kamara, there is not one receiver on the O who has proven they deserve to be on the field every down without being challenged. Parris has struggled these last few games now that he is getting some true attention by the defense. I am surely not impressed by West and his drops. Grimes is still struggling after the injury. If I am CW, I am getting every kid possible on the field to find those that shine on game day. We continue to march guys like Asaph out there at FB and noone can tell me you are really excited about what he does.

 

[johnnd05]

John,
I did not say he caught any long passes. He was overthrown on the particular play. The film I am referring to is the fall open practices. The media day scrimmage in the stadium where he made some very good catches. Maybe I am being a bit emotional on this subject, but I am losing a great amount of confidence in Chuck's ability to properly evaluate players. Remember, most of his career was spent in the NFL where 90% of the line up is set. He had little to do with developing players and deciding who is the best QB, WR, RB or OL. Further, we all have the right to question his development ability after what we have witnessed this year. I completely understand the talent issues of this team and their youth. All that said, there is not much anyone can point to that convinces me CW has made developmental improvements on the offensive side of the ball. Finally, other than Kamara, there is not one receiver on the O who has proven they deserve to be on the field every down without being challenged. Parris has struggled these last few games now that he is getting some true attention by the defense. I am surely not impressed by West and his drops. Grimes is still struggling after the injury. If I am CW, I am getting every kid possible on the field to find those that shine on game day. We continue to march guys like Asaph out there at FB and noone can tell me you are really excited about what he does.

I don't want to keep dragging this argument out, but wrt Hord, don't forget that (1) there's more to catching and route-running than what you do in practice, and (2) there's more to being a good wide receiver than catching and running routes - especially in this offense, where downfield blocking is so important.

On the more general question of whether players have developed, I agree that there have been some disappointments, but there are many clearly positive cases as well: Laws, Kuntz, Bruton, and Carlson are all upperclassmen who've become top-notch players under Weis, and Allen, Aldridge, Kamara, Parris, Tate (who played only one year at WR in HS), Walls, Neal, and Brian Smith are among the younger players who've made huge strides this year. Like I said, no doubt there have been disappointments (Grimes, West, Young, Hord, Schwapp), but there have been lots of pluses as well.

Given the massive lack of depth on this team, the "busts" are going to stand out especially vividly, because there's nobody to pick up the slack for them, and as a result of this the guys who do well are going to have trouble really dominating because of the lack of talent around them. I'm not saying Weis gets a pass - AT ALL. It's ust that this whole issue is a lot more nuanced than you're making it out to be.

 

[GoshenGipper]

Richard Jackson. I think he took a medical redshirt. But from what I recall he's been practicing with the team at least some.

I know he's sitting out the whole season, so I assume it's a medical redshirt situation as well. Although from what I've heard he's healed up just fine and he's been playing well in practice and pick-up games around campus.

 

[kmoose]

John,
. Name me one young player that has shown development in the last two seasons. Carlson is about the only one.

Darren Walls
David Bruton
Robbie Parris
If DJ Hord is catching as well as you say he is, then DJ Hord should be on this list as well

 

[johnnd05]

Darren Walls
David Bruton
Robbie Parris
If DJ Hord is catching as well as you say he is, then DJ Hord should be on this list as well

Exactly, and see my list from a couple posts earlier. In my mind if there's anyone who's been a huge disappointment for which Weis deserves some criticism, it's George West.