Welcome Marion Grice, RB, Az ST.

[Panama]

Donald Brown? He just hasn't had the opportunity that Woodhead has with the offenses he has played for, but DB does average 9.2 yards per catch. Can Brown adjust his routes like Woodhead and be the remarkable safety valve that Danny is? Maybe not, but he can probably come close and with better speed. Good luck to Grice, but he's playing at a different level and pace now. Question is how quickly can he grasp Frank Reich's offense and learn how Rivers runs the offense. He'll need a lot of mental reps...

Brown is not a replacement for Woodhead's skillset, but for Mathews'.

[thelightningwill]

A Kevin Faulk type?


TG

A brother of a famous player? Roger Clinton?

A cheater? The eighth man out?

[thelightningwill]

Brown is not a replacement for Woodhead's skillset, but for Mathews'.

An oft-injured fumbler with bad blocking skills, good running skills, and wasted receiving skills?

[Maverick]

People realize we had one of the best rushing O lines last year right? Clary was really the only spot where we statistically underperformed. Fluker was close to average.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol

The way I see it, Beer, is that there is a flaw in your assumption about Clary based on the footballoutsiders.com analysis you attached here. Primarily because it doesn't distinguish whether our inside running weakness was due to the right or left guard, or even the center. Those positions are all lumped together in one aggregate 'score/ranking'. So, how can you single out Clary as the (only) problem?

[Steve]

How can you distinguish between one spot and another on rushing and then associate who was blocking well or not? The assumption being made is that the players at the point of attack are the only ones who are associated with success or failure. But in fact, any OL or TE who misses a block can allow the guy to come in and make the tackle.

Since we run a zone scheme, and the DESIGN of the play is to run where the defense isn't, doesn't that invalidate that assumption? That is the whole point of zone running, give the RB simple reads and have they cut off the blocks sooner, rather then waiting for holes to open up later. So, if we run inside zone, and the RB is cutting off of Clary, why would he run behind him if is getting beat when he has a built in read to cut elsewhere? Wouldn't the RB cut off that block and run to another one of the holes for that play? That is how the play is designed. If it is getting stopped, it would almost have to be by pursuit once the RB makes the cut. And that pursuit could come from anywhere.

[Maverick]

How can you distinguish between one spot and another on rushing and then associate who was blocking well or not? The assumption being made is that the players at the point of attack are the only ones who are associated with success or failure. But in fact, any OL or TE who misses a block can allow the guy to come in and make the tackle.

Since we run a zone scheme, and the DESIGN of the play is to run where the defense isn't, doesn't that invalidate that assumption? That is the whole point of zone running, give the RB simple reads and have they cut off the blocks sooner, rather then waiting for holes to open up later. So, if we run inside zone, and the RB is cutting off of Clary, why would he run behind him if is getting beat when he has a built in read to cut elsewhere? Wouldn't the RB cut off that block and run to another one of the holes for that play? That is how the play is designed. If it is getting stopped, it would almost have to be by pursuit once the RB makes the cut. And that pursuit could come from anywhere.

Steve, are you responding to ME or to Beerman? I couldn't tell, but it sounds like you are actually making my point.

If your response was meant to 'correct' ME, for the record---I understand what a zone blocking scheme is. My only issue was that Beerman seemed to be singling out Clary as our "only" underperformer, when the analysis he presented lumped the 2 guards & center together & gave that aggregate group (not individuals) a score.

[Beerman]

It doesn't lump them together. If you look at the numbers more closely, you will notice that there's an area over RG where we underperformed when running in that direction.

Clearly it's not a perfect analysis, but I think it's fair to say he's not a great run blocker. Goff echo'd my sentiments as well (poor run blocking, good pass blocking).

I won't belabor the point, clearly there are dissenting opinions on him.

[Steve]

The response was to Beer.

You know nothing of the sort. Is the penetration from another gap that is stopping the RG runs as opposed to the RG not being able to block? You are ASSUMING that is the case. As I pointed out, since the RB deliberately cuts off the blocks, if the RG is not doing his job, the run actually breaks somewhere else (either backside or bounces outside), so that is probably NOT the case (if you had to assume something).

Again, this is a case where statistics don't tell you a damn thing about how a player perfromed. It does tell you the where, that we cannot run over the right side, but not the WHY.

[Beerman]

My only response is that IMO it kinda evens out over the course of a season. For whatever reason we weren't that effective. It could very well be a collection of reasons, but the common denominator was Clary. He's a mediocre-average run blocking OG with above average pass blocking ability. Solid player, but not worth the all pro salary he's making.

I think he was making the same amount as Fluker, Rinehart, and Dunlap combined this year.

[blueman]

From what I remember, Clary and Fluker and Hardwick played both well and not well making holes/blocks on the right, also Matthews ran both well and not well. Overall, the run game was okay and got better, right side inclusive. I guess some inconsistency with a new scheme/players/positions is to be expected. Expecting more positives.

[Maverick]

He's a mediocre-average run blocking OG with above average pass blocking ability.

Agree on this part of your point.

As for his salary being too high....maybe....although I am not necessarily sure about that anymore, given what some (even average) OGs are getting these days.

[Beerman]

Agree on this part of your point.

As for his salary being too high....maybe....although I am not necessarily sure about that anymore, given what some (even average) OGs are getting these days.

I believe he has a higher APY than any other OG signed in free agency this year.