Originally Posted by BryanBusby:
That's more of a case for having a quality scouting department and OL coaching.
Can't coach the ability to be cock-strong and have fast feet.
Think of the Smith vs. Mahomes dichotomy, though to a far less extreme degree. Reid is no smarter than he's ever been, but he could do things with Mahomes he could never do with Smith because Mahomes simply has physical gifts that Smith could never dream of. Those tools open up every trick in Andy's book.
Bradbury's combination of functional strength and agility is on par with the best in the NFL right now, if not surpassing them. That dude has a ton of tools man.
And with that, the kind of blocking we can do on the interior is just different when we're not trying to paper over poor functional strength or heavy feet (the case with Reiter). Yes, coaching can cover for weaknesses, but a lack of weaknesses can open up a lot of additional coaching.
Some may just have the philosophy of no IOL in the first round, which, I understand. I wouldn't necessarily be against that philosophy myself in the past but I've come around to it a bit just with the amount guards and centers are getting and how important blocking up in there has become. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Can't coach the ability to be cock-strong and have fast feet.
Think of the Smith vs. Mahomes dichotomy, though to a far less extreme degree. Reid is no smarter than he's ever been, but he could do things with Mahomes he could never do with Smith because Mahomes simply has physical gifts that Smith could never dream of. Those tools open up every trick in Andy's book.
Bradbury's combination of functional strength and agility is on par with the best in the NFL right now, if not surpassing them. That dude has a ton of tools man.
And with that, the kind of blocking we can do on the interior is just different when we're not trying to paper over poor functional strength or heavy feet (the case with Reiter). Yes, coaching can cover for weaknesses, but a lack of weaknesses can open up a lot of additional coaching.
It goes both ways.
It doesn't really compare. Interior OL just doesn't hold value like other positions because the athletic requirements, even with a trend of interior pressure, aren't as strenuous. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BryanBusby:
It doesn't really compare. Interior OL just doesn't hold value like other positions because the athletic requirements, even with a trend of interior pressure, aren't as strenuous.
It's different when you run as much out of the shotgun as we do, though.
I think that kind of athleticism really allows you to do some things in your run game blocking on the edges that you can't do with a 'normal' center.
That's why I say that a guy with more tools can allow Reid to do more things. And if you have to respect the possibility of that C pulling out and wiping you out on the edge, you have to be a little more cognizant of that in both run support AND when rushing the passer.
It isn't just a question of what it takes to play the position competently (i.e. Alex Smith). It's a question of what you can do with a guy who has truly standout tools at said position. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
You still arguing your Center pick at 29 everywhere DJ? :P
Erik McCoy is more athletic. Why didn't you take him? Inquiring minds want to know why it is you were hell bent on Bradbury. haha
Edit: Shall I instead say "every bit as athletic?" I hate to say "more" in the general sense.
I don't think McCoy is even 'as' athletic. Perhaps in straight line speed (hard to tell) but I think Bradbury has much better feet and lateral agility. [Reply]
Ah, I don't care what lineman run at the underwear Olympics. On the field, McCoy is every bit the athlete that Bradbury is. He's projected to be available at the end of round 2. I really don't think there's a fundamental difference between the two players, yet one is being argued to be a great pick in round 1 while the thought of getting the other at the end of 2 is dismissed.
And here's why I bring it up. It is being argued that Bradbury is a much better player available than the cluster of DBs that were available at the end of 1 and part of that reasoning is that he stands out. He simply doesn't. I'd lump Bradbury in with a group of McCoy, Jenkins, McGovern, Dieter, Jordan, and Piersbacher all as good centers and all should perform well in the NFL. Some of those guys may end up playing guard, especially McGovern, Dieter, and Jordan, but they all are capable of playing center and it's more team dependent. I think that lump of talent is no more distinguishable than the safety talent.
We can argue semantics about individual players, but I can't accept an argument that Bradbury is undoubtedly better than any of those others. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
Ah, I don't care what lineman run at the underwear Olympics. On the field, McCoy is every bit the athlete that Bradbury is. He's projected to be available at the end of round 2. I really don't think there's a fundamental difference between the two players, yet one is being argued to be a great pick in round 1 while the thought of getting the other at the end of 2 is dismissed.
And here's why I bring it up. It is being argued that Bradbury is a much better player available than the cluster of DBs that were available at the end of 1 and part of that reasoning is that he stands out. He simply doesn't. I'd lump Bradbury in with a group of McCoy, Jenkins, McGovern, Dieter, Jordan, and Piersbacher all as good centers and all should perform well in the NFL. Some of those guys may end up playing guard, especially McGovern, Dieter, and Jordan, but they all are capable of playing center and it's more team dependent. I think that lump of talent is no more distinguishable than the safety talent.
We can argue semantics about individual players, but I can't accept an argument that Bradbury is undoubtedly better than any of those others.
Be wrong all you want.
Bradbury will go 20 spots before McCoy.
Bradbury is a first round talent, McCoy a mid-late 2nd. [Reply]