Let's Battle - Part Two
By Adam Knoll | January 28, 2010 at 12:04 PM EST | No Comments
As we turn the corner and look more toward spring (which coincidentally, will start the same day our pre-season schedule starts), it’s time to re-visit our battles and see how they are doing. It’s hard to say any of them are decided, it’s far too early. However, battles have evolved, some are more clear, and others have become muddier. We will look at the battles from November, and take a look at what is going on.
The Battle:
Slot Receiver (Nov): Kyle Ritter, D’Angelo Richardson, Dan Lowes; (Jan) – Ritter, Richardson
This battle can be described as the closest to being ‘closed’ as Kyle Ritter has blown everyone away. Richardson and Lowes are both good players, and will see time at WR. Yet this position is clearly Ritter’s to lose. This development leads to an interesting sub-battle though.
The Battle:
4th Receiver (Nov): None; (Jan) – Richardson, LaMont Foster, Dan Lowes
The 4th receiver can be just as influential as a starter because if an injury hits, well, who do you turn to? This battle has a few interesting subplots as we head into February for a few reasons: Richardson is looking to make a transition to tailback, Foster was just added to the roster a few weeks ago and Lowes is struggling to shake off criticism he faced from last season. Richardson would look to have the inside track, he runs great routes and is athletic. Foster has size, and is an older, wiser player. Lowes has work to do as far as shape and route running are concerned, however, no one has ever questioned his motor.
The Battle:
2nd TE (Nov): Andrew Menard, Nick Weiss, Cody Sisk; (Jan) - Andrew Menard, Cody Sisk
It’s not that Nick Weiss can’t play TE, but let’s face it, with playing LB and HB…he isn’t a major player here. No, instead we turn to two rooks and see where we are. Both Menard and Sisk grade out really well among the leadership on the team. Menards is fiercely combatant, big, long and eager to learn. Sisk is a mauler who can also run a route; nobody, and I do mean nobody, wants to hand fight Cody Sisk. This battle could simply come down to which scheme we choose to go with on that game day. Both are premier blockers, yet do we want a tough as nails road grater in there or a guy who is more streamlined for a passing attack? Time will tell, yet neither have any worries about playing time.
The Battle:
3rd Half Back (Nov): None; (Jan) – Trion Brown, D’Angelo Richardson, Chris Smith
Our explosive back is Ronnie Orr, our power back is Nick Weiss. Simple, clean, looks good on paper. What about the three stellar athletes we have behind that? Brown and Richardson are taking their first turns as backs this season; both have speed and elusiveness uncommon to a lot of backs. Smith has a bit more weight to him, and his ability to pick up the system quickly has helped him. We will need a clearly defined 3rd back come season time, yet all 5 backs could be used in a single game.
The Battle:
Full Back (Nov): None; (Jan) – Chris Bella, William Peebles, Aaron Knoll, Mattsplitt
Full Back is a huge question mark, not because the talent isn’t there but because of outside factors. Aaron Knoll looks to be the prospective starter, yet his commitment to the Armed Forces makes his availability uncertain. Will he be here come start of the season? What about Mid-way? An alternative is Chris Bella, who is a monster, but will play I’d say 99.9% of snaps at LB, meaning we would have to spell him often on offense. This leaves us right now with two others, Peebles and Splitt. Peebles is a bowling ball who is quick and explosive. He may be the right fit here. Splitt on the other hand doesn’t even look like a Full Back, more like an undersized HB, yet he played Offensive line back in his bigger days, and knows the fundamentals on run blocking. This appears to be another battle worth watching.
The Battle:
Outside Linebacker (Nov): Steve Borrowski, Nic Purtee, Matt Splitt, Cody Sisk; (Jan) – All of em’
The only thing that has changed in this debate is whether Borrowski is still on the squad or not. Having missed a lot of things over the winter he looks disinterested, and may not come out to the March Tryouts. However, this looks to be a boon to rookie Matt Splitt, who would then most likely take over the 2nd OLB spot seeing as Sisk is a DE by trade.
The Battle:
Nose Tackle (Nov): None; (Jan) – Shane Willis, Frank Kiczula
Up until two weeks ago, this spot was empty. Now a new guy and a vet have put their hat in the ring. Willis will probably get every opportunity here seeing as Kiczula is an offensive guy mostly, however, having more than one beastly DT is never bad.
The Battle:
Defensive Backfield (Nov): None; (Jan) – Trion Brown, Richard Linkowski, D’Angelo Richardson, Nic Purtee, Dan Mikal, Brandon Gnaidekb, Chris Smith, Kyle Ritter
8 guys, 4 spots, debate. It would be safe to say that Brown, Linkowski, Richardson and Purtee have the inside track, but ah!, this is where 8 man football becomes great. Brown is mostly a defensive guy, so he’s fine. Linkowski has a strong likelihood of being the #2 receiver, so he won’t be available all of the snaps. Richardson can play WR and HB, but he’s mostly a defensive guy. Purtee looks to be the starting OLB. So the 4 you would think would be the starters, as many as 3 might not be. This drops the competition to Mikal, Gnaidekb, Smith and Ritter. Smith, Mikal and Gnaidekb have more of an inside track that Ritter does, not because of talent but because of other responsibilities. Smith seems to be a fit for corner, while Mikal and Gnaidekb need some PT to prove what they are. It’ll be an interesting spring.
Rookie Report #3 - Popping up out of the Snow
By Adam Knoll | January 26, 2010 at 01:59 AM EST | No Comments
With a special winter practice going down last Saturday, I believe it’s high past time we had a rookie report. Just to recap, any team functions (practices) are liable to be pulled from, and even though our practice was indeed snow-filled, there are many things one can glean from any type of activity.
It is important to note, that as the pre-season draws closer, that the players who have been in the system longer will be judged harder. This will be, without a doubt, the roughest set of grades given out yet. The first two reports were given based more on talent and willingness than actual achievements. Two months later, things have changed. During this report, you will see a scale based on the 4.0 scale used in most universities. Also, along with that, cards were filled out with a comments section so a coach/Owner could bring up a certain thing they see, like or dislike. Beneath each player there are good and bad comments taken from each card; there were 6 cards taken and all cards were anonymous.
Some rookies have been on the team for four months already, it’s time to judge them fairly, whether they have made it to the Meetings, Films, Workouts or not. As a player you have to take it upon yourself to get better, and while athleticism and talent are nice, missing out on ‘chalk’ time can be irreplaceable. However, the same is true in reverse, you can do all the studying you want, if you’re not doing field work, or listening to points a coach is trying to get across, your play will suffer come practice time. There is still time left, no grade is final, and anyone can get better (or worse). If your grade is not what you would like, take it as constructive, and let’s get to work.
Without further ado, Rookie Report #3 (Best grade out to worst)
Kyle Ritter: 3rd Report Card – 3.86(A+), Overall – 3.93(A+)
The Good:
Great Hands (3)
Good Routes (3)
Perfect Slot
Has the ability to be a #1 receiver
Great Knowledge (2)
Makes Amazing Catches
The Bad:
Needs to work on finding the soft spot of a zone
Ritter has worked to get better since day one and has entrenched himself into a major role on the offense. He is selfless, works hard and has never once worried about a spot or his place on the squad. His ethic is taking a spot for him.
Andrew Menard: 3rd Report Card – 3.25(B+), Overall – 3.66(A)
The Good:
Great Athlete
Very Smart (2)
Blocks Well
Great Hands
Physical on D
Good Size
A Gem
The Bad:
….
A lot of the same things that can be said about Ritter can be said about Menard. He has a physicality to him that makes him a threat in the trenches as well as out in the open field. He craves physical play, yet his most striking ability is his length. He is a beast of a TE.
Cody Sisk: 3rd Report Card – 3.0(B), Overall – 3.65(A)
The Good:
Gets better every practice
Natural Talent (2)
A Beast
Physical Blocker
Physical on D
Hard Hitting
The Bad:
Dropped way too many balls
Looking at Sisk, nobody has to look far to see what he is good at. He likes to hit you, as hard as he can. Sure, he’s nice in the passing game, finds the zone well, uses his body to ward off defenders, yet receiving isn’t what he was put on this earth to do. He is here to hit, block and knock people over on both sides of the ball. He will get his chance.
D’Angelo Richardson: 3rd Report Card – 2.14(C), Overall – 3.28(B)
The Good:
Good Physical Talents
Natural Speed
Great Athlete (2)
Good Receiver
Good Football Player
The Bad:
Got beat too much at CB
Plays way off
Needs to step up
Must run Catching drills till hands fall off
Richardson is the spitting image of what the phoenix are looking for in a new player. He is hungry, athletic, humble and just excited for the chance to show what he can do. However, he’s young, and doesn’t trust his natural gifts yet. He has the capability to be a great player in this league; he just has to harness what he has inside.
Dan Mikal: 3rd Report Card – 0.75(D-), Overall – 2.15(C)
The Good:
Knows the system well (3)
Works Hard
An Athlete
The Bad:
Stares at receivers
Inaccurate
No feel for play calling
Not authoritive
Needs Practice
Not a Quarterback
Mikal has the work ethic and the desire to be a good quarterback. His problems are not mental; they can only be fixed with practice time and coaching. He stands only behind a few players in his knowledge for this system, yet his flaws are apparent. Sometimes too wrapped up in the possibilities the scheme can offer, he needs to be more patient with the basics, and try to be sound fundamentally first.
Jeff Thorpe: 3rd Report Card – 2.25(C), Overall – 2.25(C)
The Good:
Has Speed
Good Jumping Ability
The Bad:
Tried to talk too much
Needs to learn the system
Only Ok
Needs skill work and coaching
Not yet on the roster, the last rookie is Thorpe who was a late addition to the practice. He covered well, yet only played defense as the teams were uneven. He is a bit of a talker, which is grating, however there is potential there. Solid option for depth.
Other Rookies not at Practice:
Matt Splitt: Overall – 3.0(B)
Nick Del Frate: Overall – 3.0(B)
Chris Smith: Overall – 3.0(B)
Steve Borrowski: Overall – 2.7(B-)
William Peebles: Overall – 2.65(B-)
Brandon Gnaidek: Overall – 2.0(C)
Not Seen Yet:
Shane Willis
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