Anthony Lynn Answers Questions After Practice Today

[Rugger05]

I have large hands. Can't relate to your situation.

Lucky you

[Steve]

Problem I see with Lamp at OT, was watching him vs. Alabama tape the other day He held his own against Jon Allen coming off the edge, there was a few things he could have cleaned up (kick slide and arm punch) but overall kept his QB clean from Allen. The problem with that is Allen is an interior defender, very rarely with he be facing that type of competition in the NFL

Once Nick Saban had Tim Williams on that side, it was clear that Lamp is best suited to play guard. Williams gets his hands on Lamp and Lamp can't counter back to shorter arms, again the kick slide was worrisome especially knowing he'd be facing guys like Von Miller and Khalil Mack etc. Although he recovered nicely on most snaps against Williams by keeping his QB clean there were many of plays where the QB pressure was there, leaving his QB panicked.

Now on run plays Lamp got very small and drove his head into Jon Allen's chest, basically having him locked up and was able to drive him anywhere he wanted to take him, this type of trait would suit him better going against interior defenders and battling bull rushers at the next level, he can become a damn good Guard with an Evan Mathis type career

Alabama started out with Allen vs Lamp, mostly because I think they wanted to neutralize Lamp. In the 2nd quarter, Alabama started to use their edge rushers against him, and he totally neutralized them too. There were a lot of plays with Williams rushing against Lamp, and Lamp stopped Willaims cold on almost all of them. I saw a play that I think you were talking about, with Willaims used his hands on Lamp. All of the other ones, plus all the plays against Anderson, Lamp won pretty cleanly. Williams and Anderson were not a good test of Lamp's skills. That was why Mayock was saying Lamp had the most dominant game of the last 5 season by an OL vs Alabama (0:55 seconds in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX5znQ3L9-A).

If you have something else that you think might prove he is only a gaurd, fine. But Lamp wasn't even really tested by Alabama this year. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1vBFZRXa0k)

There are also plenty of guys with huge, long arms who you should disallow using the same logic. If in a single game, the long arm guy gets pushed around by a DL or LB, then the long arm guy can't use them right? The problem with that logic is that almost all college OL have hand placement issues, so every college OL needs to do a better job at the next level of using their hands and locking out. The arm thing is mostly overrated. It is a big plus for a guy who has long arms, but most NFL players and no college players use their arms well enough for it to be a factor.

Lamp's arm length could get him in a little bit of problems. He does also need a better kick step against elite speed. But he takes away most edge rushers with a smooth, but not quick, not very long quick step. I think that is just something he could do better, but doesn't, because Lamp was just not tested very much this year. Only time will tell if he can and will be able to play OT. But a lot of guys the draft guru's have been saying "This player will have to move inside..." have been starting at OT the last few years.

[Steve]

Bolts looked at 3 Center prospects that will be UDFA-late picks. With Slauson, Pulley, and Tuerk, I wonder if Tuerk my be dukeing it out in preseason for backup roster spot.

I think they will let Tuerk and Pulley compete for the starting job and if one wins it, the winner starts. The loser only stays if he competes well enough to be in the mix. Slausson starts at C if neither does enough, and he could also be the backup C.

I think Tuerk is just about a lock to make the roster. His position flexibility, plus I think he could be used as a goalline TE or FB too, make him a hard guy to cut.

[bolts4lyfe]

My reasoning suggesting he would be better at guard was he's a better wrestler that dancer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1vBFZRXa0k&t=4s

:15 secs in you'll see Forrest going up against Allen, now Allen being a DT at the next level it is a bad match up coming off the edge but even though Forrest was keeping him off, Allen won with better hand placement, and I'm not counting that sack against Forrest, that was the Qb's fault. But I would be terrified seeing that against Von Miller (for example)

At :55 secs you'll see Forrest as where I project him as a guard, when he squares up 1 on 1 at close range he'll out muscle anyone, he does a damn good job keeping Allen from pushing him around

again at 1:11 through 1:16 you'll see him close in one snap to kick sliding in the next and see the two comparisons in which I am talking about (again against a guy who isn't projected to play edge rusher at the next level) he wins both times but that kick slide is sloppy, outcome at the end of the day though being a win for Forrest and he won the block protection.

1:47 he completely destroy Allen for the run play, love his technique

1:55 is where the concern comes in, now it's Tim Williams turn, a faster rusher against Forrest's kick slides you'll see how this could get ugly fast, Forrest's first slide, his left leg should of been out farther to cut Williams from getting around him, Williams had his arm on Forrest the whole time, again Forrest recovers nicely but against a veteran savvy rusher the outcome could have been crucial (referring to 2:15 how quickly a change of direction can affect the outcome) how quick a speed rusher can knock him off and get by him, there was no sack to be had but the pressure was there.
(3:07) again that kick slide is worrisome, Forrest's greatest asset aside from his wrestling technique, is his recovery, he recovers very nicely but again very worrisome at the next level.

Again, I am not a scout or have full call for O linemen but I just saw his wrestling guys at the L.O.S. to be highly impressive vs. him trying to beat speed rushers on the edge, I can see a lot more terrible outcomes going up against speed rushers than I could seeing him square up at a close range. I love the prospects of Lamp and Feeney and am extremely excited that we got both, so please don't mistake this as a negative against him

[Steve]

You are picking isolated incidents and generalizing about his overall performance. For the most part, over many plays, he had no problem at all with Allen or Williams. Williams repeatedly tried speed rushes getting upfield hard, and Lamp easily rode him around the pocket.

I don't disagree that Lamp is a better wrestler vs dancer, but that doesn't mean he can't do both.

The Alabama game proves he is capable of both (plus the rest of the WKY games I could find), although I would have preferred if he had more reps vs Anderson, since he was Alabama's best pass rusher (by far). Lamp controlled him pretty easily, but it was only a few plays. Williams was a good test in terms of pure speed, but overall his rushes are very vanillia. Williams has a very long way to go to become a complete pass rusher. I would have liked to see a good to great speed guy who can counter back at Lamp off a hard outside rush. Lamp does very well off that at the college level, but I wonder how much of that is because he has never faced a rusher who does it well enough to test him. Anderson is a much better comparison to an NFL style OLB, because he not only has a speed move (although not as fast or as quick as Williams), but can counter back off that speed. He also uses his hands well, as does Allen. Lamp did an excellent job of stopping everyone he faced, with those exceptions you pointed out (and other isolated ones in other games too).

No matter how good a player is, there are always moments all top prospect face where their technique gets tested some. That is why rookies are so inconsistent. He is going to have to keep working on it, and it will continue to get better. I see Lamp as (potentially) a Chad Clifton type of OT. Maybe not the kind of player who may not get a accolades among anouncers, but plays at a high level for a long time and is very efficient. No one ever accused Clifton of being a dancing bear type of OT, but he kept Farve upright and throwing at a record pace, made 2 pro bowls at a time that there were several good/great LT in the NFC and GB hasn't had a consistent running game since he retired because of injury.

Keep in mind that an OT blocks down a lot in power schemes when they are covered up with a TE on outside and off tackle runs. At Wisconsin, the power off tackle play (50 power in Marty's terminology) needs a OT who can block down and seal the edge. Lamp would be ideal at driving the off tackle running game, which was Gordon's best play, one we have not been able to consistently block well in the last 2 seasons.

[Grinners]

I have been saddled with a short appendage and it didn't hinder me too much back in the day. Many things go into being a complete person then having a short appendage :banghead::banghead::banghead:

Rugger05 is Rugger03 or 03.5 more appropriate?
Grin.....................

[Rugger05]

Rugger05 is Rugger03 or 03.5 more appropriate?
Grin.....................

Maybe Rugger01.5