IntuitiveGriz said:BWahlberg said:OL: Middle of the pack. We've got two of the more experienced tackles in the Big Sky, that's good. And then we've got three inexperienced interior linemen. That suggests it'll not be so good. Time will tell.
CB: Middle of the pack. No "lock down" corner that will shut down a team's #1 WR but three above average corners (IMO) in Harris, Dennard, and Nelson.
I'm confidently giving OL a bottom third ranking, at this point. Sweet Jesus I hope they improve from now until conference play, if not before. Otherwise the Griz are S C R E W E D. We have 2 returning starters, and 1 of them ran around last season, conservatively half the time to 3/4 of the time, as if he was the QB who had already handed off the ball and was running away from the play giving off the body language of "Please don't hurt/touch me". He constantly ran around and purposely didn't touch/block a soul. Picture this, he was like that lead blocker (fullback) we've all seen at every level of football that runs through the line of scrimmage, only to completely not make his block because he acts like he doesn't see him, and then has his defender make the tackle, all while he then turns around and stands around the pile wondering why the ball carrier never got anywhere. He stood around the pile (without a defender of course) more than the flippin officials. It's because Princess took the play(S) off! Damn I'm getting fired up thinking about it. :lol:
Harris is a talented kid. But he played scared/soft last year. He was lined up soft, and then he bailed deep a lot on routes that the WR broke off to middle depth leaving him open for an easy pitch and catch. And I say he was scared/played soft coverage with confidence because well I saw it with my own eyes, that and the fact that on the Grizzly Sports Report program interview with Harris he mentioned how the DC would come into the room after the 2012 burn season and joke to the DBs about getting burned...and Harris replied something to the effect that I'm going to show you I'm not going to get burned. Hence his fear and soft coverage preventing the deep ball, but giving up short and intermediate routes routinely in 2013. Can't blame Harris too much, the Griz DL didn't get to the QB.
Can't argue much there based on last year but I'll say this, Harris isn't playing soft/scared this year.