Jamie Meder, as Nick Dudukovich writes, is indeed in competition with Danny Shelton for playing time, but not just him.
He can play right defensive end (really a tackle here) as well. I'm thrilled that Hue Jackson and company are ignoring where guys came from, and rewarding performance.
All coaches talk that talk, but don't walk the walk. Players see the favoritism, and become discouraged, frustrated, and resentful.
Meder has found ways to make plays ever since he's been here.
As I've written, he's not that big, or quick, or fast. But he's kind of short, and maxes out his leverage. He's also just plain strong as hell.
Danny Shelton is no bumb, but he's 6'5", and may not have solved his issue with playing too high.
I learned from LeCharles Bentley that a key ingredient for a player to stay low is ankle flexibility. That makes a lot of sense, and could be hurting Shelton. Just a theory.
Meder also has great instincts (a nose for the ball). After the way Eddie Lacy bullied his way through the first string front seven last Friday, you know that Ray Horton will be taking a hard look at Meder, at least on neutral and running downs.
And good for the kid! I love the underdogs.
I finally saw highlights of the Packer game. I know that Griffin took the blame (means nothing that's his job), and Hue says he shouldn't have thrown the ball on the interception.
However, RG3 did clearly expect Gary Barnidge to pull up and turn around, and this would have walled off the bad guy and probably be caught.
Hue used the words "too early", which probably meant in the game, or on downs. Probably, Hue wants his quarterback to be extra-careful until a point deficit or third down kicks the stakes up. They were in field goal range, too.
Tony Gross said on NFL Radio the other day that Josh Gordon hadn't had any reps yet, and was overweight, so getting him on the field might be a year long project.
Nah! At 25, he'll drop that weight quickly. He's a veteran receiver familiar with every route. He may not play against the Falcons, but he should see some snaps in the third pre-season game.
I want to see Gordon, Pryor, and Coleman all on the field at the same time. By now it might be starting to sink in: That is scary. That will scare Bill Belichick, let alone everybody else.
I agree with Terry Pluto that little was proven or disproven about the Browns running or passing games in Green Bay, as the starting backs only got one carry each, and RG3 had two series.
It could be that Hue Jackson simply wanted to work on the passing game first, and called passing plays for that reason alone.
I was pleased to hear Malcomb Johnson's name mentioned by Jim Donovan, as he sprang Duke loose for a big gain off a fine lead block.
That's encouraging for Malcomb, who was pretty bad as a rookie, and also offers clues to Hue Jackson's plans.
That is, he might prove me wrong and keep one true fullback (rather than an extra h-back) on the roster.
Macomb isn't really a prototype, though. He's a bit of an H-back himself, as he has played that and even tight end. He's a good receiver, and he's deceptively fast.
If Hue does use a true fullback, it could give Connor Hamlett a boost, as he's a true in-line tight end. (Not to dis Randall Telfer or JP Holtz, who also fit that mold, but Hamlett seems to have taken the lead in that race).
DeValve and Bibbs are more h-backs who can also split out. An offense running two backs has less use for H-backs.
Between DeValve and Malcomb Johnson, the guy who might be most threatened is EJ Bibbs.
Bibbs, however, could back up Malcomb, and be a general utility guy, and that could save him.
We're talking about some good players here, by the way. None of them has proven anything yet, but contrary to popular misconception, that doesn't erase their ability or potential.
DeValve has been dinged up, and has yet to see the field. Stand by: This guy can play (call that another prediction).
I hope Atlanta plays more of its starters this week.
That's all I got. Just tell Grossi wide receiver isn't rocket science.
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