Fall Camp Position Battles

[rtrn2glory]

if cwynar isn't ready to go, but from all indications i think he'll be ready, you've got lou, hafis, and even stockton if he returns healthy...i wouldn't put it past elston to work schwenke in a lil bit at the nose rotation at some point in the season as well.

good news is right now we have a ton of talent across the front and only 3 spots to fill, which means a lot of competition!!!

 

[Whiskeyjack]

How is Moore's pass protection skills? Why aren't more people thinking that he could pass up Carlo?

We have very little to go on regarding Moore. He won Scout Team POY for 2010, but we didn't hear anything about him during Spring practice.

I believe I mentioned something about moving Spond or Shembo to the middle beside Te'o and got reamed for it. I know the pass rushing skill is a plus for the outside, but if Councell or Niklas or Rabasa can perform just as well, why not? If Diaco thinks Carlo really is a liability, something has to be done.

We're thin at OLB, and in Diaco's scheme it's both more important and harder to play than ILB. I agree that Shembo could play anywhere, but his natural pass rushing ability will likely keep him at Dog unless/ until someone displaces him. Spond is similar in that he's reportedly excellent in coverage, which is important at the Dog. (Side Discussion: what would Diaco rather have at the Dog-- an elite pass rusher or an elite cover LB?)

We really don't know where Councell, Niklas, and Rabasa will end up. Councell has been touted as the prototypical Dog LB, so I bet he'll be the #3 behind Shembo and Spond this year.

Niklas is an athletic freak, so for the reasons listed above, he'll get his first look at OLB; it's an impact position in Diaco's system, so if it looks like a good fit for Niklas, he'll stay there. I personally think he ends up at DE.

Rabasa reminds me of Shembo, in that he can probably play any of the LB positions. Most seem to think he'll be the #3 Cat or somewhere in the mix at Will this year.

I have little doubt that Diaco called out Carlo publicly in order to motivate him. If he really didn't think that Carlo has the chops to be complete Will LB, he'd probably just slip quietly down the depth chart. I'm optimistic that Carlo will improve and hold down the Will this year.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

if cwynar isn't ready to go, but from all indications i think he'll be ready, you've got lou, hafis, and even stockton if he returns healthy...i wouldn't put it past elston to work schwenke in a lil bit at the nose rotation at some point in the season as well.

good news is right now we have a ton of talent across the front and only 3 spots to fill, which means a lot of competition!!!

The staff is apparently considering both Schwenke and Springmann at NT. It seems our depth there isn't quite as bad as it looks on paper.

 

[Rocket89]

Moore made a great play in the spring game that I loved. He flowed to the ball, shed off a lineman in perfect BLOCK DESTRUCTION mode, and zipped right to the ball carrier and drilled Cierre pretty good. I think it's pretty clear his athleticism is sky-high.

 

[rtrn2glory]

The staff is apparently considering both Schwenke and Springmann at NT. It seems our depth there isn't quite as bad as it looks on paper.

springmann would be a nice possibility, forgot about him. i see him red shirting though this year and moving possibly to the offensive line in the spring, which i think is his natural fit, but a big guy like him is really attractive in the middle, i like that idea!!

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

I'm not sure why, but I've thought since I've seen him that Ben Councell will start as Dog. Hey, thats just me talking though (hope he has gained some weight from Longo's plan), and I'm not an expert just a loyal fan.

Go Irish

Well, Councell is supposed to be faster than a mutha, but beating out Shembo and Spond will be very tough with little to no experience in the program. I do love Ben's potential in a year or so.

 

[Praytorian]

Ok I know it was said that I was smoking something when I mentioned that I hoped Councell would start.
Now seeing 2 others posting that he should be the third string Dog, makes me think more about it. Spond and Shembo one's good at rushing, the other at coverage. Ben should be (by all accounts/highschool tape) good at both. He just needs the experience.
If his 40 time was right (what a 4.39ish?) he should have the speed to get around the outside on the blitz or cover any TE. You have both in 1 and why take a chance on when you need one or the other?
Just my rant I guess.

Go Irish

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Ok I know it was said that I was smoking something when I mentioned that I hoped Councell would start.
Now seeing 2 others posting that he should be the third string Dog, makes me think more about it. Spond and Shembo one's good at rushing, the other at coverage. Ben should be (by all accounts/highschool tape) good at both. He just needs the experience.
If his 40 time was right (what a 4.39ish?) he should have the speed to get around the outside on the blitz or cover any TE. You have both in 1 and why take a chance on when you need one or the other?
Just my rant I guess.

Go Irish

Until he knows the system as well as Shembo and Spond, his speed won't help him much. Fast players don't play fast when they have to think about their positioning and second guess their reads.

He'll play on ST and might even see some reps during trash time, but there's very little chance he starts as a true freshman.

 

[Praytorian]

Ok I guess I'll take that. Better than smokin stuff besides camel 99s lol.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Spond and Shembo one's good at rushing, the other at coverage. . . . You have both in 1 and why take a chance on when you need one or the other?

I like where you are coming from, but IMO:
(1) The fact is we don't really know what we have in Councell. Generally, even if the kid is as good as advertised, freshman need time to calm down, bulk up, learn the system, and get used to the speed.
(2) I have my doubts that Councell is a clearly superior athlete to either of these guys. He is the prototype for the position in Diaco's system, and he may beat them out eventually, but both Spond and Shembo are freaks. If they were two inches taller there would be no discussion here.
(3) I think the big pleasant surprise from the Spring is that Shembo is good in coverage, and Spond can play the position, even if Shembo is a better rusher and Spond might be better in coverage.

I think we have good NT depth, but I like the tenacity of Sean. Besides Nix, do the other kids have that mindset?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I think we have good NT depth, but I like the tenacity of Sean. Besides Nix, do the other kids have that mindset?

Agree that Sean will likely be our most consistent NT in 2011. Hafis acquitted himself well in Ian's absence last season too; we're likely to only invite one of those two back for a 5Y in 2012, and Sean is definitely a strong favorite at this point. But who knows? Maybe Hafis goes into beast mode and Sean never quite comes back from his foot injury.

Stockton is a mystery. Came in as a consensus 4 DT, but has been plagued by injury. If we can get some production out of him this season, he could really help our NT depth in 2012; provided he stays healthy, that is.