EastStreet
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Posts posted by EastStreet
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With the SoS being stronger, and much more talented opposing QBs, our guys could either have a huge year, or get "exposed". Regardless, I absolutely think some of our DBs will collect some fantanstic stats, but I also expect some pains vs the better QBs.
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10 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:
According to Kevin Bowen’s new article it looks like Rogers is still the odds on favorite to take that 5th spot. He is still getting the most time with the first team. It looks like it is between Rogers, pascal, and Johnson.
Early, but I agree. Especially if they have designs for Parris to also play outside. Rogers brings many things. Returner, slot, back up Z, and experience in the system / chemistry with Luck. Not flashy, but dependable.
9 hours ago, Archer said:Not quite sure Cain is quite a lock, but he’s taken an early lead on #4.
Reading articles and tweets, a lot are saying he's been the star WR at camp (I'm sure they meant besides TY's limited time). If things keep trending that way, I would not be shocked if he ends up be WR2, especially as the season goes along.
10 hours ago, throwing BBZ said:Pascal had very modest success last season as a receiver. He was getting playing time because of his blocking. Someone that blocks pretty well but is a better receiver should be able to take his spot. Play on.
Agreed. It's early, but his ceiling simply isn't as high as others. His floor is higher than some though. Ballard has been complimentary on him, sure, but that was last season when we had one of the least talented WR corp in the league. Much easier to shine when overall talent is low.
We've also heard from Ballard/Reich (this year) that Rogers is "having his best camp ever", Cain is "really fun to watch", Campbell is succeeding all over the field and will also play on the outside, and Funchess is looking like a new man.
We're not going to keep more than 3 Xs. IMO, Funch and Cain are locks. He's (Pascal) competing with Fountain likely. Parris may also factor into things, as they seem to see him as both an inside and outside guy. So you might see 2 Xs + 2 Slot/Z + Parris who does both. I'd love to see them keep 6 early until Cain's situation is clear. Regardless, we'll definitely have one on the PS.
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7 minutes ago, CurBeatElite said:
I tend to agree. Let's just hope we stay healthy. I think our OL is going to be the biggest thing for Luck's sake -- it was nice having Reggie and TY early in his career, though we didn't have a good enough line (or RBs) to develop much of a run game back then. Until I see Campbell, Cain, and Funchess actually perform, I have a hard time saying our WR's are better than Luck's first 2 years with Reggie and TY... but, it's still an exciting group.
Let's hope we stay healthy and the WRs pan out. There was a point in time where we had similar speed with DHB, Moncrief and TY and they were bragging about an 'Indy 500' package with all their speed.... unfortunately, DHB couldn't catch and Moncrief wasn't very good at route running. Hypothetically, though, if we've got Hines, Cain, Campbell, and TY all on the field at the same time, we'd have the fastest offense in football (just about KC). If we can spread the field with that speed and have our size guys (Doyle, Funchess, Ebron) work the middle of the field, we should be very tough to stop consistently.
If everyone can catch, and I think they all can, we should be a QBs wet dream, and a D's nightmare. I remember Manning making it look so easy during his hey day. I think Luck could possibly start doing the same as the guys mature. I just hope play calling / game plans utilizes the entire field, and is not predictable. Spread it out early and throw on 1st down, and our RBs will benefit the rest of the game. Send TY, Cain, Campbell, and Hines straight down the field early and the underneath stuff will be easy pickings after. Keep'em guessing.
When a D uses 5 or 6 DBs, go jumbo with Ebron, Funch, Cain, and Doyle or run it down their throats. When they go 4 DBs kill them speed over the top and in the middle. Can't wait to see Reich's O grow in year 2.
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7 minutes ago, Stephen said:
This will be the best offense Luck has had since he was drafted
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15 minutes ago, CurBeatElite said:
I know part of last year (the beginning anyway) was designed to keep Luck throwing short as he was still testing out his shoulder. It seemed to open up some as the season went on.... but you're right, we have a lot more toys for the coaches to utilize this year. I think Reich was a creative play caller in Philly and given what he had, I think he did well last year, too. It took several weeks for our OL to get solidified, which helped balance our O (along with the return of a healthy Mack). We also dealt with injuries to our skill players all year (e.g., Mack was nicked up early, Doyle was out and we kind of bounced around TE's behind Ebron -- I think TE's are a big part of Reich's philosophy, so hopefully they stay healthy, our WR corps after TY was shaky at best, etc.). I have also read that they've been running a lot of stretch plays with Mudd being back in Indy helping with the OL, which may add another wrinkle to our attack (and I've read Campbell has been being used all over the field... he and Hines on the field together at the same time could be very dangerous). I'm hoping with the speed we've got (three 4.3 guys in Hines, Campbell and TY along with a 4.4 guy in Cain if healthy), this will be the year where we figure out how to execute screen passes to help open up the long ball.
with our RBs and TEs, and IF our top 4 WRs pan out, we'll be able to threaten every inch of the field and create match up problems regardless of down and distance. as far as the long ball is concerned, having TY, Cain, and Campbell on the field at the same time running verts blows the top off any D, and nullifies just about any type of zone.
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39 minutes ago, CurBeatElite said:
Yes, playing on a bum ankle is tough and I give TY a lot of credit for doing it towards the end of the season and into the playoffs. That said, I don't think KC would've taken him out of the game like that if he was at full speed.
Also, at that point, TY was getting some help from Inman as a fellow WR, but it was really easy for D's to focus almost solely on taking TY out of the game. Assuming Funchess, Campbell and Cain all work out like we hope, teams aren't going to have as easy a time focusing their game plan on cutting one player out of the equation (especially with Ebron and a healthy Jack Doyle in the mix).
Our biggest problem last year IMO was simply not having a true, well rounded X with speed. Without that, we simply couldn't keep Ds honest. And I don't think play calling helped in several cases. Not that it (play calling) was all bad, it simply want's creative enough at times to keep the chains moving when TY was doubled and / or hobbled. I expected much more creativity vs KC, yet what we got was a lot of same over reliance on TY, too many short passes, etc.. It was way too predictable. We have a lot more tools in the bag this year, so if play calling isn't creative, that's purely on the coaches.
29 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:With DF and EE on the field together with guys like TY, Cain or Campbell this offense is going to be no joke. It’s going to be fun.
With both legit speed and size options opposite TY, and in the slot, it's going to be real fun. we're all going to be so tired of winning!
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15 minutes ago, CurBeatElite said:
I thought it was very obvious against KC when TY was playing with a bum ankle that his production goes way down when his speed isn't full tilt. The nice thing with him, though, is he is a very good route runner with dependable hands, so the transition to a slot guy shouldn't be too difficult, especially with the chemistry he and Andrew already have developed.
Sounds like (from camp reports and Reich's interview) they are already getting pretty clever with how they're using Campbell. Also sounds like Reich thinks he is a lot more developed as a route runner than anyone gave him credit for leaving college.
I think everyone's production goes down with a bum ankle :-). He was doubled most of the game too. A healthy TY, even a bit slower would kill it in the slot.
On Parris, yup yup, and yup. Excited about his potential. I just hope they don't try to do too much too fast. I'd prefer he focus on one or at most two things. Having him play slot, floating outside to X and or Z, taking handoffs, doing returns.... that's a lot. Not saying he can't do it all, but I would rather him be really good at one or two things, than good but perhaps slower to learn on all of them.
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12 minutes ago, Four2itus said:
So fans know who the 4 locks are and that no one has grabbed the fifth spot?
I'd bet that quite a few WR's in that locker room would like to know.
if there were a vegas line, i'd bet those 4 would be very big favorites.
i'll take your wager :-) if you're voting against.
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it's early. there will definitely be a 5th. right now, odds are it's Rogers as the coaches continue to talk about Campbell being able to play outside too. if they truly see Parris as a guy who can play any spot, look for them to take 2 Xs (Funch/Cain), and two Z/Slot (TY/Rogers) with Parris floating all over the place.
and it could be 6 this year, or at least to start the season, or until they see how Cain's year goes. and keep in mind they can put Fountain or Dulin on the PS to continue development.
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37 minutes ago, BleedBlu8792 said:
I'll say I think it gets better for them now that Day is running the team and they will now employ more of an NFL playbook as opposed to Urban's run heavy/pass option offense. OSU has never had a problem getting 4/5 star WR's, and Day has already had a few commitments for next year and beyond, but I look for his incoming QB's to be much better than what Urban and Tressel brought in.
And yes Parris' best football is still ahead of him and I'm glad it's with the Colts.
they get a lot of high star kids for sure. i agree on Day being a good thing for the WRs.
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57 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:
I think I read he had done that in Carolina with the kids. From what we have heard Funchess route running is very good and shouldn’t be a problem. There is a couple IG stories of him catching passes on Kevin Bowen’s Instagram. One of Parris and Cain too I believe. DF is showing some leadership too.
Not really worried about his route running to be honest. It's just he struggles catching the ball in certain routes, while he does very well historically in others. The commentary on him is he can body the ball (if thrown into his core), and is simply awkward catching it in some routes.
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13 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:
This is a interesting observation. Maybe how we keep Geathers healthier. Plus allows us to keep only 4 LB.
11 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:D
Don’t be so sure about that. We use extra DB. Hardly ever do we use more then two LB at once.
to add to your point, we only had a 3rd LB on the field 09.35% of the time. So almost 91% the time, we only used 2 LBs. Could things change, sure, but I doubt we use a true 3rd LB more than 20% of the time.
on special teams, we used on average 2.48 LBs, and 3.25 DBs per ST play.
at SS, we carried only 2 in all but a few weeks were we carried 3.
and Odum was typically listed as as the #2 FS
it's going to be interesting at S. we only carried 4-5 total Ss depending on the week. tough road for some. KWillis definitely has an uphill journey.
11 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:There's ILB's and OLB's. We'll carry around 8 total. LBers are very important.
IIRC, we carried 6 last year all through the year, and had one LB on the PS. Honestly I don't see that changing a lot this year. If anything, there's several things that could push us to use a true 3rd LB even less. We'll be playing 9 of the 11 best passing offenses this year, which will mean more nickel and dime. If they are true to their word and push a DE to SAM on occasion, even less.
My money is on 5-6. Okereke is a good Swiss Army knife. He can back up Walker, but is probably better suited for WILL or SAM. That provides a lot of flexibility if he can be the 9.35% SAM, and primary backup for Leonard and Walker. I think Leonard, Walker, and Okereke are locks, and then 2-3 more.
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48 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:
I do remember one big play they said DF was wide open down the field for a catch. Someone who went might have more but it’s hard to know from tweets.
41 minutes ago, CR91 said:Rock fell down on the route. I think thats the play he got hurt
thanks guys. super pumped for what I know DF brings (RZ monster), and cautiously optimistic about the rest of his game.
sounds like he's having fun though. and that may be enough to energize him and get his head/performance back to 100% (if that was indeed the problem). him being a threat over every inch of the field would be tremendous. love it that he's tossing it with the kids. did he do that before in Carolina?
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@CR91 and @Chloe6124
again, thank you both for all the updates. much better than chasing the stuff down!
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General thoughts.
Campbell - all the good stuff we're hearing is truly exciting. Hearing that his route running is much more advanced than predicted is incredible news. Happy to hear he rebounded nicely on returns today too. If he ends up as a returner, he easily could hit the 1000 all purpose yard mark as a rook.
Cain - sounds like he's continuing to impress. Glad to hear he had a nice TD from Luck today.
Funch - I think we all new he would be boss in RZ situations, but can anyone who was camp comment on his routes (what routes do they have him running) and performance between the 20s. Thinking about Funch, Cain, Ebron, and Doyle in RZ packages almost makes me faint.
Rock - sounds like he's adjusting to the NFL as fast as he adjusted to D1 when he transferred. Love what we're hearing.
Banogu - saying prayers every night they focus him all on DE. With Sheard's potential issue, I think he's our best avenue. And it sounds so far that he's impressing.
Dulin - starting to see more an more good stuff about Dulin. He certainly has the athleticism. If he can put it together at this level, he might be a keeper, or at minimum a developmental practice squad guy like Fountain was last year.
Luck - all the worry warts need to relax. They were very clear they would take it slow with him. I guarantee he's on a very defined pitch count and plan. Unless he starts looking hobbled, nothing to worry about.
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While I'm not afraid of the Jags O, Foles will definitely make the WRs and TEs look better. If Lee comes back 100%, I'd be more concerned than now. I'm surprised to be honest they didn't look for more help in FA.
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Regression is always a fair topic with any team. While I personally think the chances are low for regression, I always try to take an impartial look at things. Why do teams regress? And what do we have that offsets or takes us the other way?
Age - there's no rules around age. All guys have bodies with different expiration dates
-Vinateri is 46
-Hunt is 32
-Sheard is 30 (and just got dinged up)
-Houston is 30 (how much more is in the tank)
-Castanzo is 30 (coming off injury challenges in 18)
-Hilton is 29 (the good news is even when TY loses a step, he'll still be fast)
-Doyle is 29 (coming off injury challenges in 18)
-Autry is 29
Rooks/younger players, or new team additions who came out of nowhere last year won't surprise teams this year. How will teams game plan this year vs the following?
-Maniac
-Hines
-Mack
-Ebron
New coaches / new schemes won't surprise teams this year
-How will teams, especially in the AFCS adjust to Eberflus's D and Reich's O?
Over confidence / maturity issues / behavioral issues
-I don't see any issues here luckily with our core, so let's hope everyone keeps their heads on straight.
Injury / recovery
-AC, Doyle, Luck, Sheard, Cain, TY (played through a lot) multiple DBs
Schedule strength changes
-We're going to face much, much better Os and especially passing Os this year. Will our D look as good as last year? Will our young guys continue to develop. Will the addition of Houston give our DL a mean new look?
-Because we'll face much better Os, can our O rise to the occasion. We did a lot to upgrade a woeful WR crew, but will it all come together. How much will our RBs impact the game vs the great passing teams we face? Will some of the tougher Ds in the league that happen to be in the AFCS (who are also improving) adjust to our scheme?
Overall I think there's a lot more reasons for progression than regression, but there are plenty of areas that beg fair questions.
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4 hours ago, BleedBlu8792 said:
He did, but Victor, Hill, Dixon, Mclaurin were all in that 400-500 yard range with him. JT and that RPO scheme that Urban liked really hindered the WR's. Haskins should have been the starter in 17' but Urban was loyal to JT, and again, he fit Urban's style of offense that he wanted to run.
I think it was more that his play got to him mentally and he dug himself a hole he really couldn't get out of and it showed. The same thing happened to Austin Mack last year and he never seemed to recover either. He had a few bad drops in the TCU game and they yanked him and he never seemed to fully recover last year like Paris the year before.
thanks for insight.
you're hitting on a point discussed right after the draft (OSU's O not really being a great O, and very limited, to develop WRs in). several of the talking heads said basically that OSU WRs are basically a wild card due to the scheme and pigeon holing.
i think Parris will be just fine though. the others, IDK.
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7 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:
this is what i've mentioned a few times in other threads (working him outside).
in a ballard/reich interview, they talked about him getting work outside.
so long as he can catch the ball and run the routes, he has a crazy high ceiling.
if he can beat the press, he has enough size to play x. he absolutely has enough speed/agility to play Z.
my early, but long term prediction on Parris..... Year 1 he'll do a little of everything, but will spend most time in the slot. Year 2, increased outside work. Year 3 and beyond, he gradualy takes over Z as TY's speed fades. And hopefully TY moved inside to slot. I think he could extend his career by several years moving to slot. and he'd be a boss doing it. he's already running all over the field, so he shouldn't have any issue with moving over.
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11 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:
He graduated high school at 16. I believe he had a red shirt year his first year at OSU because he was so young. Remember he used to be a RB and converted to WR. Everything I have read on him maturity has always been his strong point. He did graduate OSU and played football while having a baby. He seems by all accounts to have a strong relationship and is basically living like a married couple with his girlfriend. Just seems like a very mature kid already handling a lot of responsibilities.
Perhaps having a child was part of the growing pains that my bud mentioned. And yup, I knew he RS'd his first year, but didn't know he graduated at 16.
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this gave me a good chuckle
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all name team.
blazing fast, but raw as hell.
he was a RB convert, so perhaps they're looking at him in returns too.
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6 minutes ago, BleedBlu8792 said:
Yes I completely mis-stated about him being a punt returner. Campbell had a dreadful game against Penn State in 2017 (fumble and multiple drops) and I thought he had a fumble in the return game as well, but he didn't. He was benched not even half way through the game and Urban had him in the dog house, it seemed like, the rest of the season. JT Barrett graduating and Kevin Wilson getting demoted for Ryan Day helped OSU tremendously last year. Haskins and Day's offensive scheme really helped Paris become the WR he is now.
Thanks for the clarification. I pinged my buddy also after replying earlier. He said Parris was top 10 in KR average nationally in 2016, and wish he would have stayed at KR lol. Also said in 2017 that Parris had a lot of "growing pains" around maturity. Not sure what exactly that meant, but I took it he might have been in the doghouse for more than just dropped passes :-). Regardless, IIRC, he still led all WRs in yards both 17 and 18, right?
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1 hour ago, jskinnz said:
All your points are reasonable except the bolded.
nah, you don't hype a guy that wasn't in a prime spot last year. the optics would be super bad if they hyped a guy's recovery, then cut him. and who else got a hype video series this year?
The 5th Spot...
in Colts Football
Posted
yup, discussion does not equate to disappointment lol. 10 more days till the fun starts. should be fun to see the young guys running around. i wonder how much we'll see of certain guys week 1. the coaches obviously understand what they have in TY, but beyond that, it will be interesting. i think they have a firm understanding of what they have in Rogers, so not sure we'll see him much game one.
Here's a blurb on PS squad eligibility. Fountain (1 season), Veasy (1 season), Pascal (2 seasons), Ishmael (1), Hogan (2), Hart (R), Dulin (R), Cain (1), Campbell (R) are all definitely eligible. I think Johnson technically could be one too.
Here's my guess.
Primary Z - TY
Primary X - Funch and Cain
Primary Slot - Rogers
Inside and Outside - Campbell
6th/PS - Fountain and/or Pascal