Rookie Report 2, Entering the Down Time
By Adam Knoll | November 18, 2009 at 01:59 AM EST | No Comments
As the Phoenix ends their fall outdoor schedule, it’s important to note that we had 15 rookies come out, and a strong 10 still remain. Some are clear starting material; others are going to round out the rotations at some positions very well. What is important to note is, none of the players we have seen have been overwhelmed or are clearly just below all others in skill and talent. The guys we have out there can hang with us well enough on their own, so come March, we may not need to add very many.
As in the first report, this will not be a final grading, and positions still need to be won. Nothing is even close to being set in stone. We will start with the ones who showed up first, descending to our newest members.
Cody Sisk:
To get a pretty good idea of his talent, it might be better to ask, what can’t he do? The answer is: not much. Defensively, he will make a stout Outside linebacker as well as a pass rushing force on the line. Offensively there is real talent at TE and is debatable that he is the best athlete at any of the aforementioned positions. Grade: A+
D’Angelo Richardson:
Athleticism is freakish, attitude is solid, humility is stunning, and hands are…a work in progress. However, just he’s sheer ability on defense overshadows everything that could be wrong with his offensive game. Offensively, he may be the best route runner on the team; he is long, strong and as fast as a deer. A strong offseason of work on his hands will make him a dual threat on both sides of the ball. Grade: A
Dan Mikal:
Came out, worked hard, showed willingness to learn, and teach what he knew to newer guys. There is a strong work ethic and want to know all that he can. However, he is a raw prospect at the QB position. He is able to fit a ball into a tight spot, and is surprisingly accurate, but his technique will take work, and he must look off defenders better. Defensively, he has worked in at corner a bit, but little is known about that so far. Grade: B
William Peebles:
One practice, that’s all we have seen of him, yet what I CAN tell you is he is in constant contact with the team and showed enough promise on that one day to warrant a spot on the roster. Fast, strong and stout, Peebles will make a nice addition to the FB and LB positions. Grade: C+ (for the lack of practicing)
Chris Smith:
To be honest, after his first day of practice, the air was not abuzz about this guy. However, after his second, there was. He is smart; he has a type of football IQ that just fits the system. He has good hands and has a surprising burst out of the backfield. He will be an addition to the HB rotation. On D, his cornerback play has gotten better and better, especially throughout the individual drills. Grade: B
Matt Splitt:
Splitt has experience as an offensive lineman; problem is he no longer has the body of one. Down under 200 pounds, Splitt is trying his hand at some FB and outside line backing. Surprisingly, his best fit may actually be at WR and TE, yet he has performed well everywhere we have put him. He is one of those players that will probably see time at many positions throughout a game. Grade: B
Andrew Menard:
“Greg Olsen” says one team leader; “Incredibly long arms” says another. I will say, he hand fought TJ Dotson on 2 of his 3 days and came out about even, considering Dotson’s experience. On defense, we already know he will be a pain in any teams ass on the line, on O, he can play most positions, but will be a beast at TE, especially when teams up with Dotson. Grade: A
Kyle Ritter:
Lets say this about his hands, when he drops a ball, people are stunned. His routes are not pretty, his breaks and burst from the line of scrimmage need work, he’s not the most comfortable going over the middle and his playing experience is lacking. However, he controls his body well, absolutely steals the ball from defenders, is learning the system quickly, has a fantastic attitude and catches everything. He may be a starter. Grade: A+
Nick Del Frate:
Looks just like Chris Bella, and probably hits like him too. He was limited in his only practice due to a pulled hamstring, yet his playing experience speaks for itself, and we did get to see him in individuals. He will be a nice asset. Grade: B
Steve Borowski:
May be THE smartest football player of the new players, and would probably rank in the top 3 in the entire team. His Outside line backing is wonderful; he has great fundamentals and already knows most of the schemes due to his coaching career. Need to see him on the field a bit more, but as with everybody, life gets in the way. Grade: B-
Ready for Battle?
By Adam Knoll | November 08, 2009 at 12:49 PM EST | No Comments
To me, right now, there can be no such thing as a true positional battle yet because, well, we have just started. It’s impossible to say that this guy has a clear upper hand over this guy because of one play he made, or didnt. That’s hard to do. Not only that, but it’s unfair…How can you ask a bunch of people to come on out and join a team (in which they have never played in our scheme) and then try to judge them after…two or three practices? It’s a nuts idea, so, I’m not going to give upper-hands yet, I’m not going to talk about whose winning or losing; instead we are going to talk about the combatants of what’s turning out to be some really nice races.
The Battle:
Slot Receiver: I have explained a couple of times that I am looking for a certain type of guy, someone who encompasses a certain set of skills as my ideal slot receiver. The slot, to me, is just as important as an outside guy. The position is just as integral to the passing scheme we use and the rushing attack as well. There cannot be a guy who does only some of what we need at this spot, the player has to be full, or we are at lower capacity. He’s either the guy, or he’s not.
We have two guys who are entrenched in this fight, and it looks to be the single best battle on the offensive side so far. D’Angelo Richardson and Kyle Ritter have both impressed at the spot, yet for differing reasons. Richardson runs great routes, superb really, is unafraid of the middle and has the speed to make a defense open up. He just lacks elite hands. Ritter, has elite hands, his first two practices have been nothing short of impressive and he seems to get better during the practice in other areas of his game. However, he is raw as his routes need work and he’s not quite comfortable running into the linebackers fully.
If I could fuse the two together, that would be something…..
The position, who wins it, may come down to who develops the traits they are missing. As I said, the position demands a complete receiver, maybe not the flashiest or fastest player, more a dependable guy who can get defensive attention and catch the ball in tough spots. The dark horse for some PT here may be Dan Lowes, who has shown in the past that his effort trumps many players talent. His biggest problem is that while being good he’s never quite the best at anything. He’s consistent, and he will probably win a role as a top reserve if he stays as the player he is. For the most part, it will be interesting who becomes the most complete over the course of the winter and into the pre-season.
The Battle:
2nd TE: Many would look at this and say ‘the backup TE is a battle?’ Firstly, it’s not a battle for the backup tight end, our backup TE is our #3 guy. Secondly, the guys fighting for this spot are some of our best athletes and will be crucial toward shoring up our line on the outside.
Nick Weiss is the incumbent, yet with his needs on D as well as him being the backup HB, he may be too stretched to do much damage here. However he is a major asset at this position and may see good time here.
Andrew Menard has come out in his first two weeks and done two really impressive things; On his first day of practice he battled TJ Dotson 1on1 the entire practice (and didn’t get embarrassed), and on day two showed off his nice hands and freakishly long arms. He’s a worker who will probably disrupt the hell out of offensive lines on defense as well.
The third combatant is Cody Sisk, a major asset to both our O&D lines as well. Caught every single ball in traffic yesterday, yet dropped the one wide open ball he got (huh?). Sisk is a fighter as well, and to be honest, Menard and Sisk are mirror images of each other, it’s freakish.
The battle will boil down over the next few months, and I’d expect the guy who learns the system the fastest, as well as becomes malleable (learns a second position well) will probably win out.
The Battle:
Kicker: Ummm….. yeah, we need one…
The Battle:
Defensive End: The same three guys who are in the TE debate center here as well. Tj Dotson is a freak of nature, he’ll be in the front. Menard and Sisk will battle primarily with Nick Weiss and perhaps a few others to determine the rotation there as the Phoenix look to get strong and fast there. Perhaps a newcomer such as Nick Del Frate would work well as an interior lineman. We will have to see.
Whoever wins the spot will have to not only be a speed rusher but be able to fill a gap as well. It’s a large responsibility, and only the most capable will take a spot here.
The Battle:
Outside Middle Linebacker: Between Nick Weiss and Nic Purtee (WHAT is up with all the Nick’s on this team?), and newcomers Nick (!!!) Del Frate, Matt Splitt and William Peebles. Out of the three rooks, Del Frate and Peebles have the size, and Del Frate has the experience. Linebacker is one of the strongest positions on the team, and the rotation there may be heavy. Splitt seems better positioned on the outside, his size and speed are more suited out there.
Outside of Weiss and Purtee (who may himself be more suited for an outside LB spot), Del Frate has the pedigree to make an impact here. Peebles is more of a wait and see, he lives in Michigan and we don’t get to see him much.
The Battle:
Outside Linebacker: He we go again, with Purtee and Splitt, yet now we add in newcomer Steve Borowski and the ever moving Cody Sisk to the action (as well as perhaps a few others). Purtee almost is a shoe in to win one of the spots, as his open field tackling is second to none on the team. Again, the battle is for rotation, and perhaps another starter on the opposite side. Borowski is a smart, capable player who has good fundamentals. Sisk is a monster who can do a lot of things and people sometimes sleep on his speed a bit, he can fill a hole with no troubles. Splitt is learning the system, but has come a long way and has not done poorly at all. This will be another fun one to watch.
The Battle:
Saftey: Richardson, Purtee, Richard Linkowski and Trion Brown….take your pick, we are happy back there. Only question is who it’s going to be. Newcomer Kyle Ritter may work his way in, yet that position is stacked to say the least
The Day Before
By Adam Knoll | November 07, 2009 at 03:00 AM EST | No Comments
If there ever was a week to see what the new guys can do, it’ll be this week as we already know of four of our core that won’t make it or that will have to leave early. TJ Dotson (TE/DE, Family), Aaron Knoll (FB, Military) and Richard Linkowski (WR/CB, Flu) won’t make it at all and Nic Purtee (CB, Family) will be leaving early. This will create many opportunities for some rookies to throw their hat in the ring for an added boost on the depth chart.
Speaking of the depth chart, after this practice on Saturday, we will debut our depth chart so players can get an idea of where we are slotting them. Remember, it is very early; players can go up or down a ton during the winter and even the pre-season. This will be more of an idea of where you are position wise. I wouldn’t try to slot anyone based off of a few practices, it’s too small a sample size.
The End of October
By Adam Knoll | November 01, 2009 at 12:07 AM EDT | No Comments
I said on the very first blog that October was going to be one hell of a busy month, and it was. Starting with the Tryouts (10th and 11th), which were very successful. The next day (12th) we held our first fundraiser, which being on a Monday was outstanding. The Hideaway in Salem is going to be an awesome working partner for a long time.
We then became a team within the GFL mere days later (14th). The GFL has 14 teams in it, and rivalries are abounding everywhere. Looking around, about half the teams are practicing just like we are, which means the offseason doesnt exist anymore.
Two days after that (16th) the Phoenix took part in the luminous Toga Party saga. This one didnt erupt like its predicessor, but it was a good effort nonetheless. Then things slowed down for a minute, as the team took a breath. Having 5 major team functions in 7 days proved we werent about to go around slacking.
The next team function took place on the 24th as we met as a team for our first practice, and that was followed the next week (31st) with our second. It's been a fun month,an important one. However, I dont feel November is going to be as hectic.
I'd like to hold a few Board meetings, get the dialog flowing a bit. Perhaps stage another couple of fundraisers. There is an owners meeting in the middle of the month, which will go over general rules and guidlines. As for practices, the hard part will be when to decide to begin our indoor season. Every practice thus far has been pretty good weather wise, however, there will come a line between decent and frigid. i dont want guys weighing the options between practicing and developing frostbite, it's no use to anyone. So expect a decision on that soon enough.
The one thing that must be done during the winter is alot of 'book' work. From time to time groups of the team may be assembled to go over schemes and formations, and this will be crucial to understanding the ins and outs of what we do. The Winter will be more of a mental preperation, before spring comes and it all becomes physical.
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