Recently, reporting and analysis of the Browns has been unusually insightful, thoughtful, and intelligent. I can only conclude that they're reading this blog.
Even Terry Pluto has backed off his persistant calls for/predictions of a vedderrunn wide reciever...to come in and teach the young guys how to run correct routes and catch the ball...all that complex stuff...
Robiskie predictably looks much better with a season and offseason under his belt. Some will predictably hop up and down and point out that it's just shorts and shells. That's true, but it's not meaningless. Some exceptional cover guys are still trying to smother him, and he's able to beat them. Man coverage in shells or in games is similar.
Only recently has Massequoi finally at long last been getting credit for his late-season emergance; his high YPC average, etc. He's now at last being referred to as "at least" a solid number two...except, I assume, by Adam Caplan.
And Robiskie: He's been type-cast as a possession guy. Verily, that's what he'll do best. He's not explosive, but has great coordination, balance, and size to out-reach and out-position defenders consistantly. He also has really good flat-out speed for his size, and if he gets behind some corners or safeties, they won't catch him. Explosiveness, or "sudden"-ness, of you will, is different from flat-out straight-line speed. Robiskie was a track-star.
His frame could also easily carry 225 lbs., and he might be there already.
Carlton Mitchell is indeed raw and will need a lot of work and practice. But in a limited role, he could play in spots this season. This is how the best coaches bring kids along. They give him a specific few plays to focus on, and use them in specific situations. He could be the fourth in a four-wide, or even the third in a do-or-die situation.
Chansi Stuckey came here in the middle of last season. He's historicly a pretty damn good slot reciever, and there's no reason for him not to be that in 2010, with familiarity with the playbook. He's also not really that small, and can play outside in a pinch.
Steptoe is valuable as a returner. He nearly matched Cribbs, in fact. He is also an interesting slot-guy. who--actually like all the recievers, could experience a renaissance with accurate quarterbacks and more west coast elements added to the offense. He's hard to cover in a tight space.
Early reports on Cribbs at WR are good. We keep hoping, but this season it's different--with more accurate QB's and more timing routes. The fact is, I'm not sure that Cribbs couldn't have caught 35 or so last season with a little more help. When a ball sails ten feet over a guy or lands 15 feet in front of him, how can you say it was his fault?
One thing about Cribbs: I don't want him anywhere near a personel department. T.O. is a geezer on the fade, and even if he behaved himself, I doubt he could teach anybody anything.
We tend to get stuck on labels, which is why "TE" Evan Moore is ignored. Moore was a wide reciever coming out of college, not unlike Joe Jurevicious, and can run all those patterns. They call him a tight end because he's put in that position sometimes, but he's really a big, reliable reciever.
Understand that to a quarterback, a reciever is a reviever. Moore is one of these. With Moore on the field with Masseqoui and probably Robiskie, it's like a 3-wide. Moore is actually the best reciever among the tight ends. He hasn't been a very good in-line blocker so far, but niether will K2 ever be.
He'll be on the depth chart as the second or third tight end mainly because Watson and everybody else are better blockers, but once again that's a label. Evan Moore is probably the second tight end in a two-tight end set, and will often be, labels aside, the second third reciever option anytime he's on the field.
Watson gets hurt, but is a true tight end who can both block and catch, so he'll be number one there. Whoever is the third tight end will be this type, although Moore and Watson can also play H-Back.
Taken together, unless you think Massequoi's 18-plus YPC average was a fluke, the coaches can find a solid group of pass-catchers from among this crew. Bigger with Moore, faster with Stuckey--mix and match them week-to-week...two or three big targets. Ask any quarterback how this sounds.
A predictable P.D. comment of the day said that you have to pass to succeed in today's NFL. The statistics on that are irrefutable. It's obvious, which is why any dumbass can sound like he's smart by pointing it out.
But the NFL isn't static. Defenses adapt to stop offenses. What's been working in the past won't (not might not--won't) work in the future. Somebody does something new and goes to the Superbowl. People copy them and have success. Now the defenses have to adjust the types of players they have and the schemes they run. It takes several seasons for this ebb-and-flow to happen.
The ultimate winners are the contrarians who go against that flow. They'll be the first to beat the snot out of those defenses. They will attack weakness instead of strength.
Prior to Hardesty, I thought that Cribbs would play some tailback. But now they're downright overloaded at running back (AND fullback).
The Browns won the last four last season with a cave-man, predictable, physical running game. They overpowered those defenses.
The new offense will use power running and short, safe passes to protect the quarterback and control the clock. This will be the foundation, and deeper passes will come along later, for true balance.
The majority of the copycat league right now uses a lot of three and four-WR sets and an I-back. No fullbacks--not many two-TE sets. The Browns are the opposite. They won't have as many active wide recievers, but will have more active backs and tight ends. Two backs, two tight ends, and sometimes even both.
What's sweet here is that they can run the wildcat, and use Wallace at reciever. They can use Harrison in the slot. Hillis can play H-back.
Note on the wildcat: You are allowed to PASS, okay? That's one legit Daboll fault.
Those who predict that Hillis is going to replace Vickers are full of it. Hillis has thus far never blocked as well as Vickers, and is not the first option as a lead-blocker. More likely is a sort of situational platooning.
Every running back and fullback will catch passes in this offense. While it could certainly use a real burner at wide reciever, it was never an urgent need. The talent is good, the depth adequate.
Delhome is scary, but this whole setup is really really QB-friendly, and so far he's been pinpoint accurate (which--please comprehend this--is THE most important thing). The people we have should do.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Idjut Analysts, Self-Correction
When I examined Hardesty, I unfortunatley relied on several draft analysts, and never dug up his stats. These idiots said he needed to prove he could catch, and I idioticly repeated this.
In his final season he caught 25 balls and had a wide reciever-like yards-per-catch average. Apparantly, the analysts also think you should catch as many passes as a wide reciever, too, before they'll admit that you can catch the damn ball.
Even as they report from mini-camp, I read about his "surprising" ability to catch the ball.
Ok an in re Colt McCoy, we all know that you have to have a strong arm to throw through the swirling winds and snow and stuff up here in the frozen north. You need guys with real strong arms, like Bill "the Rocket" Nelson, Brian "the Cannon" Sipe, Frank Ryan, Fran Tarkenton, and guys like that with real guns.
Yeah. Right.
In his final season he caught 25 balls and had a wide reciever-like yards-per-catch average. Apparantly, the analysts also think you should catch as many passes as a wide reciever, too, before they'll admit that you can catch the damn ball.
Even as they report from mini-camp, I read about his "surprising" ability to catch the ball.
Ok an in re Colt McCoy, we all know that you have to have a strong arm to throw through the swirling winds and snow and stuff up here in the frozen north. You need guys with real strong arms, like Bill "the Rocket" Nelson, Brian "the Cannon" Sipe, Frank Ryan, Fran Tarkenton, and guys like that with real guns.
Yeah. Right.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Hardesty a Reach. NOT.
1: Pre-draft profiles on this guy are hideously inaccurate. I mean, even more than they usually are. He does not lack the speed to get outside, and please get this: Pass-blocking is not rocket science for a big back!!!
He is not a one-dimensional tackle-breaking human hammer. He can be patient and wait for holes, and has a rare "sudden" burst of accelleration when he sees a hole.
He'd rather run around somebody than try to run him over.
He was rarely asked to catch any passes in college, which doesn't mean he couldn't. The scouts who worked with him knew in advance that he had a real talent for it, and...catching flare-outs and dink-passes is not rocket science.
2: The real pros generally had him much higher on their draft boards than guys like me did.
3: His injuries were not structural; his cartilege mostly intact, his joints solid.
4: I don't believe his latest injury was fully healed his last season, when he averaged 4.9 YPC vs. top competition.
The best running back in this draft was Matthews. Somebody else was the best scat-back, but Ryan Matthews was the best guy who could hammer a defense, break tackles, and protect the pocket.
Hardesty is remarkably similar to Matthews. Matthews was able to demonstrate excellent recieving skills and had even better stats. His injury history, while far from perfect, was better than Hardesty's. Hardesty "runs upright" more.
A note on that last part: This is an overused term. While it's true that some guys just can't figure out when to duck, many backs "run upright" only until they see contact coming, and then lean into the would-be tackler to multiply the force of the impact. Most analysts seem to suck at physics. Run upright for best vision, speed, and change-of-direction, then lean to accellerate or hit.
I know nothing of the "inside sources" who said that the Heckert and the Browns had strong indications that no fewer that four teams intended to grab Hardesty sooner, neccessitating the move, but I bet it's true.
And by the way, they traded fifth-round picks, for cryin out loud!
Anyway, I hadn't really studied Hardesty before the draft, and felt that Harrison, at long last, would be getting a fair shot, that Hillis would likewise get his chance to be Brandon Jacobs, and that James Davis would be part of it. I was stunned by this pick.
But then, this will be a run-first offense, using a fullback, and two-back formations. The shortage at wide reciever, the already-good and now significantly-upgraded defense, and how the last HALF of Mangini's inaugural season went all point to that.
With a two-back, one TE, 2-WR base offense, you need more backs.
I really like James Davis, who's a lot like Earnest Byner. I also love Peyton Hillis, who is like Jerome Bettis. I love Harrison, who is...I'm not sure. Gregg Pruitt darted more; was more sudden--Harrison sort of flows...but I love the guy. And Vickers--wow, has he ever blossomed into a premier lead-blocker! You almost want to watch him smash through people more than you want to watch Harrison!
As much as Chris Jennings showed flashes, the stats don't lie. Hardesty is a definite upgrade over him, and in his own way, he belongs with the other guys.
More explosive and sudden than Hillis, harder to take down than Harrison, more big-play potential than Davis (who's also 20 lbs. lighter).
Just as Ryan now has limitless options with the additions of Haden, Brown, Ward, (and don't forget Asanti), the offense has more options with Hardesty.
A 2-back set need not be a fullback who never runs and a running back who always runs. All sorts of combinations are possible. One injury hardly dents the depth here, and the offense can count on a strong running game. With these five guys, provided Harrison remains healthy, they can adapt to any defense. The smaller quicker ones, or the bigger tougher ones. The attacking ones or the conventional ones. They can hammer or stab.
Hardesty is no fullback, but does have the size to lead-block, and to take on 3-4 linebackers in pass-protection. James Davis is the little big man, but not the same. In Vickers you have THE blocker, who can also catch short passes. In Hillis you have the FB/RB hybrid who can do it all. In Hardesty you have a big back who can make big plays and do some blocking too. Then Davis is strong for his size, and excellent reciever--but in this backfield more a depth-guy. And then Harrison--the home run waiting to happen.
They're building a team, right? Well, the offensive backfield is built for awhile. That's why they took Hardesty.
I've heard a lot of Illuminati/Freemasonic/Rothchildian crap about Colt McCoy--give me a break. Gil Brandt said this kid in a west coast offense would make people forget Joe Montana, and all these talking heads think they know better.
Everybody is comparing this guy to everybody. Well, I'll tell you the accurate ones: Jeff Garcia and yes: Joe Montana. These are the two guys McCoy most resembles, and he has a stronger arm than Montana.
Yeah, they let him slide and slide. From what I've read, Heckert wasn't even going to take him in the third. It doesn't matter: he's here now, because Holmgren wanted him.
He doesn't project to be a drop-back pocket passing mad bomber, no. Remember when they Browns had Garcia and refused to adapt to him? Booo! He sucked, huh? But put him in a west coast and he's lethal. That's McCoy. Stand by.
He is not a one-dimensional tackle-breaking human hammer. He can be patient and wait for holes, and has a rare "sudden" burst of accelleration when he sees a hole.
He'd rather run around somebody than try to run him over.
He was rarely asked to catch any passes in college, which doesn't mean he couldn't. The scouts who worked with him knew in advance that he had a real talent for it, and...catching flare-outs and dink-passes is not rocket science.
2: The real pros generally had him much higher on their draft boards than guys like me did.
3: His injuries were not structural; his cartilege mostly intact, his joints solid.
4: I don't believe his latest injury was fully healed his last season, when he averaged 4.9 YPC vs. top competition.
The best running back in this draft was Matthews. Somebody else was the best scat-back, but Ryan Matthews was the best guy who could hammer a defense, break tackles, and protect the pocket.
Hardesty is remarkably similar to Matthews. Matthews was able to demonstrate excellent recieving skills and had even better stats. His injury history, while far from perfect, was better than Hardesty's. Hardesty "runs upright" more.
A note on that last part: This is an overused term. While it's true that some guys just can't figure out when to duck, many backs "run upright" only until they see contact coming, and then lean into the would-be tackler to multiply the force of the impact. Most analysts seem to suck at physics. Run upright for best vision, speed, and change-of-direction, then lean to accellerate or hit.
I know nothing of the "inside sources" who said that the Heckert and the Browns had strong indications that no fewer that four teams intended to grab Hardesty sooner, neccessitating the move, but I bet it's true.
And by the way, they traded fifth-round picks, for cryin out loud!
Anyway, I hadn't really studied Hardesty before the draft, and felt that Harrison, at long last, would be getting a fair shot, that Hillis would likewise get his chance to be Brandon Jacobs, and that James Davis would be part of it. I was stunned by this pick.
But then, this will be a run-first offense, using a fullback, and two-back formations. The shortage at wide reciever, the already-good and now significantly-upgraded defense, and how the last HALF of Mangini's inaugural season went all point to that.
With a two-back, one TE, 2-WR base offense, you need more backs.
I really like James Davis, who's a lot like Earnest Byner. I also love Peyton Hillis, who is like Jerome Bettis. I love Harrison, who is...I'm not sure. Gregg Pruitt darted more; was more sudden--Harrison sort of flows...but I love the guy. And Vickers--wow, has he ever blossomed into a premier lead-blocker! You almost want to watch him smash through people more than you want to watch Harrison!
As much as Chris Jennings showed flashes, the stats don't lie. Hardesty is a definite upgrade over him, and in his own way, he belongs with the other guys.
More explosive and sudden than Hillis, harder to take down than Harrison, more big-play potential than Davis (who's also 20 lbs. lighter).
Just as Ryan now has limitless options with the additions of Haden, Brown, Ward, (and don't forget Asanti), the offense has more options with Hardesty.
A 2-back set need not be a fullback who never runs and a running back who always runs. All sorts of combinations are possible. One injury hardly dents the depth here, and the offense can count on a strong running game. With these five guys, provided Harrison remains healthy, they can adapt to any defense. The smaller quicker ones, or the bigger tougher ones. The attacking ones or the conventional ones. They can hammer or stab.
Hardesty is no fullback, but does have the size to lead-block, and to take on 3-4 linebackers in pass-protection. James Davis is the little big man, but not the same. In Vickers you have THE blocker, who can also catch short passes. In Hillis you have the FB/RB hybrid who can do it all. In Hardesty you have a big back who can make big plays and do some blocking too. Then Davis is strong for his size, and excellent reciever--but in this backfield more a depth-guy. And then Harrison--the home run waiting to happen.
They're building a team, right? Well, the offensive backfield is built for awhile. That's why they took Hardesty.
I've heard a lot of Illuminati/Freemasonic/Rothchildian crap about Colt McCoy--give me a break. Gil Brandt said this kid in a west coast offense would make people forget Joe Montana, and all these talking heads think they know better.
Everybody is comparing this guy to everybody. Well, I'll tell you the accurate ones: Jeff Garcia and yes: Joe Montana. These are the two guys McCoy most resembles, and he has a stronger arm than Montana.
Yeah, they let him slide and slide. From what I've read, Heckert wasn't even going to take him in the third. It doesn't matter: he's here now, because Holmgren wanted him.
He doesn't project to be a drop-back pocket passing mad bomber, no. Remember when they Browns had Garcia and refused to adapt to him? Booo! He sucked, huh? But put him in a west coast and he's lethal. That's McCoy. Stand by.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Browns: Opinions
If I were an NFL GM, I'd have as sophisticated an intelligence-gathering aparatus as possible. As I tell everybody, Bill Belichick should have had me spy on his opponents--I wouldn't get caught.
But in this case, I mean moles everywhere, and yes: skilled analysts. I need to know what the other guys are going to do in the draft, all the way through. (Note to the idiocrats out there: You can never be sure of anything).
I was stunned when the Browns selected TJ Ward in the second round, when there were several players which consensus had rated higher both overall and in the position; especially given his injury history. Of course, I didn't join the herd making noise about it. I wanted to understand why they did what they did--with both him, and Hardesty in the third.
Well--of late, the safeties are rated differently than they were in the past. Cover two is common in the league, and in this scheme both safeties must cover wide recievers well. They need to be a sort of strong/free safety cross, and more free than strong.
In reality, were the safeties still split into strong and free sub-categories, Ward would have been the top strong safety if the massively more hyped Taylor Mays wasn't. The team doctors said he was fine, and should remain fine--and they were believed. Want to argue with them? Go get a medical degree--otherwise shut up.
But I digress: Ward is not even only a strong safety, simply because he was used as one by his college coach. In reality, the guy can cover, too.
A reach? Maybe. But the fact is that they must have known that Ward wouldn't last until the third. They consider themselves and their peers better judges of talent than Mel Kiper, and they've got a grapevine.
The important thing now is what kind of difference Ward will make, and if he helps enough, then it's a good pick, period (assuming they were right about not being able to get him later--and I do assume it.)
It appears right now that, regardless of what the base coverage scheme is officially called, Rob/Eric want to run some under/over coverages with a center-fielder, ala Rockins/Wright.
That makes sense, since with the addition of Joe Haden, they now have two outside corners who bump-and-run, depriving a quarterback of his primary and probably secondary recievers for five seconds or so. Minnifield and Dixon were the reason why Felix Wright was able to play off the line in the middle as a last line of defense (or a human missile vs. the run).
There's a trade-off with man-coverage, and that's that the cornerbacks have to turn and run with the recievers. They can't stand back to watch the backfield for the first second to read pass or run, since they have to jam the reciever and then not lose him. As a result, when it is a run, they're usually caught running downfield, don't know it's a run til they hear team-mates shouting it, and then have to reverse direction, find the ball, etc.
That makes sense too, since Wright is knocked for his run-support, but not for his coverage. By the way, Sherlock--he was USED in man-coverage a lot, so..........
The cover two emerged partly as an answer to 3 and 4-WR sets. It works best in zone and with zone corners. But things evolve, and finally with Rob Ryan and yes--Eric Mangini, I believe we have coaches who are for once ahead of the curve. And Ryan--wow--I mean he'll just invent new stuff each week to adapt to the coming opponent.
Six linebackers? Five man fronts? And there aren't enough labels to describe the positions he has guys play. Kaluka--that undersized USC afterthought linebacker? Some coaches wanted to make him a safety. Ryan used him like one. Who cares what he's called?
Same goes for corners and safeties. And he's probably on cloud nine now, because he can now do anything in coverage. After a lot of homework, I'm now willing to bet that Ryan was the loudest voice asking for Ward.
There is little doubt that the majority of the cornerback coverage will be bump-and-run, but Haden is also exceptional in zone. Ward can play strong safety in a conventional set, or (I'm telling you) be half of a 2-deep pair, out of which set he can really fly at ballcarriers and recievers and blast them.
Brown (at his age) and Adams are similar players; Felix Wright. They don't have as much sand in their pants as you'd like in a twin safety, but can play free safety just fine; just like Felix Wright, who was more just a brain than physicly talented, and a human missile (I loved him.)
Brown will be labelled a cornerback, but that means nothing. He's a bigger corner who can still man-cover smaller guys, reads well out of a zone, and is tough on the run. Adams will still be a safety, but can man-cover skyscrapers and tight ends, and is also tough on the run.
Elam is an aging journeyman, better in the box than deep. I believe he'll be a depth guy, behind Ward more than the other guys.
We shouldn't forget Asante, who does have some skills and could really show up as more than a special teamer. Much like Ward. (They wanted a type).
Brown or Adams deep, press/man on the corners, and the most appropriate combination of Maiava, Elam, Brown/Adams, Jackson (if he's here--he's really ticked off), McDonald(?) intermediate in a predominant nickel inside zone. Hazardous. Very hazardous with the penetrations into the offensice backfield.
As a side-note to this, it looks more and more likely that Rogers will return, and be more sensibly used at every line position. I like that fine. He's wasted at nose tackle while Ruben is pretty good and plays it correctly. From the outside, I bet you that Ryan will let him go ahead and attack all he wants, because he'll cause more problems to the offense than he will to this defense.
Of course it helps if you can have a guy off the line looking for holes to fill, and quick/fast ILB's and safeties.
Anyway, who knows from "reach"? But right now Ward looks like a starter and an upgrade--that'll work.
I'll get to Hardesty next.
But in this case, I mean moles everywhere, and yes: skilled analysts. I need to know what the other guys are going to do in the draft, all the way through. (Note to the idiocrats out there: You can never be sure of anything).
I was stunned when the Browns selected TJ Ward in the second round, when there were several players which consensus had rated higher both overall and in the position; especially given his injury history. Of course, I didn't join the herd making noise about it. I wanted to understand why they did what they did--with both him, and Hardesty in the third.
Well--of late, the safeties are rated differently than they were in the past. Cover two is common in the league, and in this scheme both safeties must cover wide recievers well. They need to be a sort of strong/free safety cross, and more free than strong.
In reality, were the safeties still split into strong and free sub-categories, Ward would have been the top strong safety if the massively more hyped Taylor Mays wasn't. The team doctors said he was fine, and should remain fine--and they were believed. Want to argue with them? Go get a medical degree--otherwise shut up.
But I digress: Ward is not even only a strong safety, simply because he was used as one by his college coach. In reality, the guy can cover, too.
A reach? Maybe. But the fact is that they must have known that Ward wouldn't last until the third. They consider themselves and their peers better judges of talent than Mel Kiper, and they've got a grapevine.
The important thing now is what kind of difference Ward will make, and if he helps enough, then it's a good pick, period (assuming they were right about not being able to get him later--and I do assume it.)
It appears right now that, regardless of what the base coverage scheme is officially called, Rob/Eric want to run some under/over coverages with a center-fielder, ala Rockins/Wright.
That makes sense, since with the addition of Joe Haden, they now have two outside corners who bump-and-run, depriving a quarterback of his primary and probably secondary recievers for five seconds or so. Minnifield and Dixon were the reason why Felix Wright was able to play off the line in the middle as a last line of defense (or a human missile vs. the run).
There's a trade-off with man-coverage, and that's that the cornerbacks have to turn and run with the recievers. They can't stand back to watch the backfield for the first second to read pass or run, since they have to jam the reciever and then not lose him. As a result, when it is a run, they're usually caught running downfield, don't know it's a run til they hear team-mates shouting it, and then have to reverse direction, find the ball, etc.
That makes sense too, since Wright is knocked for his run-support, but not for his coverage. By the way, Sherlock--he was USED in man-coverage a lot, so..........
The cover two emerged partly as an answer to 3 and 4-WR sets. It works best in zone and with zone corners. But things evolve, and finally with Rob Ryan and yes--Eric Mangini, I believe we have coaches who are for once ahead of the curve. And Ryan--wow--I mean he'll just invent new stuff each week to adapt to the coming opponent.
Six linebackers? Five man fronts? And there aren't enough labels to describe the positions he has guys play. Kaluka--that undersized USC afterthought linebacker? Some coaches wanted to make him a safety. Ryan used him like one. Who cares what he's called?
Same goes for corners and safeties. And he's probably on cloud nine now, because he can now do anything in coverage. After a lot of homework, I'm now willing to bet that Ryan was the loudest voice asking for Ward.
There is little doubt that the majority of the cornerback coverage will be bump-and-run, but Haden is also exceptional in zone. Ward can play strong safety in a conventional set, or (I'm telling you) be half of a 2-deep pair, out of which set he can really fly at ballcarriers and recievers and blast them.
Brown (at his age) and Adams are similar players; Felix Wright. They don't have as much sand in their pants as you'd like in a twin safety, but can play free safety just fine; just like Felix Wright, who was more just a brain than physicly talented, and a human missile (I loved him.)
Brown will be labelled a cornerback, but that means nothing. He's a bigger corner who can still man-cover smaller guys, reads well out of a zone, and is tough on the run. Adams will still be a safety, but can man-cover skyscrapers and tight ends, and is also tough on the run.
Elam is an aging journeyman, better in the box than deep. I believe he'll be a depth guy, behind Ward more than the other guys.
We shouldn't forget Asante, who does have some skills and could really show up as more than a special teamer. Much like Ward. (They wanted a type).
Brown or Adams deep, press/man on the corners, and the most appropriate combination of Maiava, Elam, Brown/Adams, Jackson (if he's here--he's really ticked off), McDonald(?) intermediate in a predominant nickel inside zone. Hazardous. Very hazardous with the penetrations into the offensice backfield.
As a side-note to this, it looks more and more likely that Rogers will return, and be more sensibly used at every line position. I like that fine. He's wasted at nose tackle while Ruben is pretty good and plays it correctly. From the outside, I bet you that Ryan will let him go ahead and attack all he wants, because he'll cause more problems to the offense than he will to this defense.
Of course it helps if you can have a guy off the line looking for holes to fill, and quick/fast ILB's and safeties.
Anyway, who knows from "reach"? But right now Ward looks like a starter and an upgrade--that'll work.
I'll get to Hardesty next.
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