Following up on Markus from Aurora, how important is a Super Bowl win to coaches? Would most coaches trade a coordinator career and a ring for a head coaching gig with no rings?
I’d say no. Most coaches want to reach the top of their profession and challenge themselves with a head job. They believe they can win or they wouldn’t strive for it. Not all succeed, of course, but they want that opportunity to prove themselves.
I don’t know how to phrase this into a great comment/question, but Kristian Welch will certainly cause some tough decisions in that linebacking group. He’s one of the most opportunistic preseason players we’ve seen in recent years. There’s a reason he wasn’t able to be retained on the practice squad last year.
I always say tough decisions are much better than the alternative.
I am excited to see what becomes of our new and returning receiver corps, but what excites me the most is our defense. I am interested to see how Hafley uses all the LB talent on this team, combined with an athletic, penetrating D-line. I’ve always heard that QBs hate pressure in the middle most. With all the large, fast, athletic LBs we have, I anticipate more middle blitzing. Thoughts?
Hafley’s blitz percentage was relatively low last year compared to the rest of the league, and I’m sure he’d like to keep it that way if he can. That’ll be up to the standard four-man rush getting the job done more often than not. Blitz-wise, I suspect he’ll continue to utilize simulated pressures to keep seven in coverage, which was effective last year. Then the change-up is actually sending that extra guy when and where he’s least expected.
Kyle from St. Charles, MO
I’m here for all the Frosty love. Not speaking about speculative progression or how his career ultimately plays out, but strictly from Edgerrin Cooper‘s rookie season highlights is there a linebacker comparison you’d give him from the film he put out there in year one? Here’s to hoping he can stay healthy this season because he’s such a fun player to watch and huge asset to this defense.
It’s reminiscent of when Nick Barnett came on the scene as a first-round pick in 2003. Unlike Cooper, Barnett was a full-time starter right away, but he had a similar widespread impact from an off-ball linebacker spot. Barnett finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, posting three INTs, six passes defensed, two sacks, and racking up a bunch of tackles. The biggest difference other than playing time was Cooper got into the offensive backfield a lot more – 13 TFLs to four.
This is more an observation than a question in response to the question/response posted by Bob from Emmaus, PA. The players that wind up on the 53, be it a surprise or not, are the ones that work hardest despite draft position or undrafted player. I always go back to the saying, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Do you hard-working writers agree?
For the most part, though, talent is generally given greater latitude to show the hard work before moving on.
Ray from West Des Moines, IA
I frequently hear players comment about spending time in the “film room” and studying “tape” in order to better understand the game and the challenges they face, but it’s been a long time since film and videotape have been used for recording. I am curious how players and coaches have incorporated advancements in live-action recording into their analysis. Can they now analyze the game whenever they want? Are the recordings used during practices? How extensive is the content available for study?
Players and coaches watch their own practice film all the time. It’s a regular part of meetings. As far as game film, everything is digitized and sorted in all kinds of ways. So, for example, when a game against the Lions is coming up, Xavier McKinney can ask the video department after practice for all of Detroit’s third-and-medium and/or third-and-long snaps from the season, and they’ll be downloaded to his tablet by the time he’s out of the shower. There is no live-action review during games, though, by rule. The tablets on the sideline have still shots only, not video. Replays shown on the stadium video boards and on the TV broadcast are all that’s available to anyone.
Jeff from Foothill Ranch, CA
Mike, I’m an Angels fan in So Cal and took my 3-week-old and 3-year-old daughters to the game today – memories make us rich! One thing about the Angels, they sign players that “can play anywhere on the diamond, and both corner outfield spots,” etc. I get the same vibe about our secondary. At what point are players not good enough to be the guy in a specific spot? When is one type preferred over the other? Or just do what you can with what you have?
I don’t know if it’s about preferences or being good enough, etc. Versatility helps the unit when injuries strike (because it’s when, not if), and while knowing they can count on a guy in multiple spots, the coaches are always figuring out what he does best to create the optimal combinations for personnel/situational/matchup packages. If everyone stays relatively healthy, this Green Bay secondary will have a number of different combos it can turn to, and it should be fun seeing a DB coach by trade like Hafley utilize them all.