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Texans Training Camp 2016

JamTex said:
The thing is, he CAN bock. He's good at holding off a linebacker to allow the running back to get around him. He's also devastating against a safety. He can chip the defensive end with help from the tackle. All he has to do is get in the tackling lane of a defender with the speed that will be going around his blocks. He'll be OK. His pass catching is the main thing. Being an outlet for Brock. That's where he'll be invaluable.
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:ok:


I meant in the NFL.
 
JamTex said:
And he's doing that all in camp. He'll be better then good enough. He may be better then Daniels ever was.
They kid is fearless.
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I guess if you're there watching, I'll have to take your word. I haven't seen anyone say anything about his blocking... hence the "if"

Trust me, I hope he's the next all-pro TE, best thing since sliced bread.

But they told us Fido could block. They said he excelled at it. I've yet to see it.
 
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Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney missed his third consecutive day of practice Tuesday morning, a development that was downplayed by coach Bill O'Brien.

Clowney has a history of knee problems and underwent microfracture knee surgery and surgery on his meniscus as a rookie. The former top overall pick worked on the side Tuesday along with other injured players.

"Just giving him a couple of days off," said Texans coach Bill O'Brien while declining to specify what's preventing Clowney from practicing. "I wouldn't make too much of it."
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http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-Jadeveon-Clowney-misses-third-straight-9131180.php
Billy says don't sweat the the small stuff.
 
JamTex said:
Anderson is an undrafted free agent. The kid runs amazing routes. He's able to juke and dispense of defenders. He's quick on his breaks. He catches contested balls. Be blocks very well. I'm more then impressed with this kid. He should definitely start. He's better then anything we've seen since Daniels. He might even be better then him. He's no Gronk, but he's a very serious weapon.
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I would hesitate to characterize Anderson as having good blocking skills.

The problem with the 3 TEs we have with their present skill sets is that when each is in, the types of plays to be called are going to be quite predictable.............Griffin has decent reception skills, with questionable blocking skills.............Anderson has exceptional reception skills and, because of his size, has little blocking skills.............and Fido has very questionable reception skills and, despite very good blocking skills in college, has yet to have shown this aspect of his game in the NFL. To make the Texans TE position effective, we need a 1 TE who is an exceptional blocker, 1 TE who is an exceptional receiver...............and at least 1 TE who can both receive AND block well. We certainly have yet to find the latter..........the most important piece of the puzzle.
 
JamTex said:
Anderson is an undrafted free agent. The kid runs amazing routes. He's able to juke and dispense of defenders. He's quick on his breaks. He catches contested balls. Be blocks very well. I'm more then impressed with this kid. He should definitely start. He's better then anything we've seen since Daniels. He might even be better then him. He's no Gronk, but he's a very serious weapon.
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I think he is very much in the Daniel type mold. I can see him becoming a dangerous weapon for this offense.
 
Number19 said:
You haven't missed anything. It's just I see things a bit differently. My take is that there are two ILB positions and it looks like we have three solid thumpers in Cushing, McKinney and Bullough. Plus McKinney is showing some cover skills as he begins to play more instinctively. I like what I've read about Peters being a converted safety and having the size to play ILB. If he can develope and be a solid cover man, then he fills that need. And then we have Cliette, if he can stay healthy. To me, this represents solid depth at the position.
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ok thanks, same evaluation I have just not as hopeful; again, I hope you are correct.
 
From the observations on HT.com

5. But, it’s about Anderson’s hands. He made a back shoulder catch for a first down earlier in one-on-ones that he made look easy. Now, in the run game, he got bounced around a little bit at the line of scrimmage, but his receiving skills more than make up for his lack of dominant blocking skills.
 
Repeating myself but if our TEs cannot improve about 100%, I'd rather bench them and put in WRs. I'm leery of Fiedo after first two seasons; if he cannot block, bring in an Olineman.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
So our starting TE as of now is Fido?...........the player who has consistently shown neither solid reception nor blocking skills. Hopefully before the season begins, something will change..........his skills or his status.
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What stats? Fido did nothing last year to speak of. He's a blocker. That's about it, and he's always jumping off sides and holding. His stats are almost negative if you include all the penalties. I'd so much rather see Anderson. OB is too high on Fido simply becuse he was one of OB's first draft choices in his first season as head coach.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
So our starting TE as of now is Fido?...........the player who has consistently shown neither solid reception nor blocking skills. Hopefully before the season begins, something will change..........his skills or his status.
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Fiedo has been used in a "heavy" Oline package to add protection. IMO he failed miserably. Even in a traditional TE role he seems completely inadequate. Yes he did have some receptions but those it seemed he was as surprised as I was. I had lots of hopes for him..we'll see but he should have 'developed' by now.
 
What they actually call him is not relevant.


The goal with Anderson should be to get him to a level where he's consistently beating LB's or even better, to a level where a team wouldn't dare put a lb on him.

He's likely not going to be used as an in line TE much, but more as a flex TE or a move TE.

As long as he can beat LBs regularly then he has a spot. If he can beat safeties too then you have to keep him on the field.

If he's commanding match ups from corners and safeties then he has a role because he should be able to block corners and safeties since they're generally the smallest guys on the field.


If you want, don't think of him as a small TE. Think of him as a big receiver.
 
xtruroyaltyx said:
What they actually call him is not relevant.


The goal with Anderson should be to get him to a level where he's consistently beating LB's or even better, to a level where a team wouldn't dare put a lb on him.

He's likely not going to be used as an in line TE much, but more as a flex TE or a move TE.

As long as he can beat LBs regularly then he has a spot. If he can beat safeties too then you have to keep him on the field.

If he's commanding match ups from corners and safeties then he has a role because he should be able to block corners and safeties since they're generally the smallest guys on the field.


If you want, don't think of him as a small TE. Think of him as a big receiver.
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I see Anderson as best case scenario Jordan Reed.

Worst case scenario James Casey.

I'm really excited about what he can add to this team. I think he'll excel on 3rd downs when we need someone to get open to move the chains.
 
TheRealJoker said:
To be fair Fiedo is getting good reviews in camp thus far. I am eager to see the TEs in preseason
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Let's put it this way. If he had a 5th year option, do you think the Texans would pick it up? No. Do you think they'll extend him a contract at the end of next year? Doubtful. He hasn't shown or proven anything.
I was high on the kid when he got drafted hoping he could be the Texans version of Gronk, but he let me down. He didn't improve last year even with all of the pass catching drills and route running drills he went through in the off season. He actually seemed to get worse from year 1 to year 2. Will he have a break out year this year? Even though all of the reports are high on him, he's got to prove it in real games. I doubt very seriously we'll actually see that. He might be a little improved, but how hard would it be for even the worst tight end (Fido) to improve over his numbers last year?
His constant off sides and holding calls have to stop. As high as I was on this kid when he was drafted, I'm completely skeptical about him. Show me.
 
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TheRealJoker said:
To be fair Fiedo is getting good reviews in camp thus far. I am eager to see the TEs in preseason
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To be fair, the Texans don't seem to have a functional Griffin to compare him to. As I have posted before, I've been concerned about Griffin's ability to come back......at least anytime soon. Conservative vs surgical treatment of Achilles tendon injuries have always been somewhat controversial. However, in elite athletes, there is a general consensus that surgery leads to lesser recurrent injury/rupture and more complete functional return. Griffin chose to avoid surgery. I believe that this will ultimately work against him.
 
TheRealJoker said:
I see Anderson as best case scenario Jordan Reed.

Worst case scenario James Casey.

I'm really excited about what he can add to this team. I think he'll excel on 3rd downs when we need someone to get open to move the chains.
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He seems to be a much better route runner than Casey.

Reed I think is a good comparison.

I think Casey is a tweener who leans more toward blocking whereas reed and Anderson lean more toward receiving.
 
JamTex said:
What stats? Fido did nothing last year to speak of. He's a blocker. That's about it, and he's always jumping off sides and holding. His stats are almost negative if you include all the penalties. I'd so much rather see Anderson. OB is too high on Fido simply becuse he was one of OB's first draft choices in his first season as head coach.
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He was known as an blocker in college. He has failed miserably as a blocker with the Texans...........so much so that when the Texans needed a blocker, an extra OLineman (or Watt) were put in deference to a TE.
 
JamTex said:
And really. You don't need to be a jerk. We're all Texans fans here.
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Sorry you think I'm a jerk just because I didn't read your entire post. I just lost interest after seeing the post that had no relevance to reality
 
JB said:
Sorry you think I'm a jerk just because I didn't read your entire post. I just lost interest after seeing the post that had no relevance to reality
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Your comment was just a little rough. It's all good though. No worries. I did make the correction because of your comment though. I've been a fan since this teams inception and my recollection gets blurred some times. That's all. It's old age brother.
 
JamTex said:
Your comment was just a little rough. It's all good though. No worries. I did make the correction because of your comment though. I've been a fan since this teams inception and my recollection gets blurred some times. That's all. It's old age brother.
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Again, didn't mean it to be rough. We all make mistakes, some admit it, some don't. It's all good.
 
JB said:
Again, didn't mean it to be rough. We all make mistakes, some admit it, some don't. It's all good.
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Cool. Now on with this discussion. Man am I looking forward to this first game. Preseason or not, I'm excited. And really, I would rather see Anderson in as starter rather then Fido or even Griffin.
 
I wouldn't say Anderson is a good blocker, he's serviceable though. I doubt he'll be asked to block the bigger LBs or lineman except for an occasional sharp crack inside and as long as he makes a big enough initial hit I'm sure it could spring the new speedy HBs we got. Great receiving skills as mentioned on here though, has a great ability to get open vs. LBs and finding holes in a defense.
 
If Fedora was as useless as he's being painted here on the board I have no doubt he'd have been cut by now.

As much as people hate on them OB and Smith aren't incompetent.

They must see things that aren't being appreciated/seen here on the board.

Hopefully the improvement mentioned in the camp reports is legit and we get what we were hoping for when he got drafted.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
So our starting TE as of now is Fido?...........the player who has consistently shown neither solid reception nor blocking skills. Hopefully before the season begins, something will change..........his skills or his status.
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It's only Preseason Doc


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
kiwitexansfan said:
If Fedora was as useless as he's being painted here on the board I have no doubt he'd have been cut by now.

As much as people hate on them OB and Smith aren't incompetent.

They must see things that aren't being appreciated/seen here on the board.

Hopefully the improvement mentioned in the camp reports is legit and we get what we were hoping for when he got drafted.
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I truly hope you're right, but I'm not holding my breath. He has to show me.
 
So far untold, B-Mack has packed on 17 pounds of muscle over what he is officially listed.


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Expectations high for Texans linebacker Benardrick McKinney
Expectations high for physical linebacker as he grows into role
By Aaron Wilson

August 9, 2016 Updated: August 9, 2016 9:46pm

If Benardrick McKinney makes the impact many feel is possible in his second NFL season, he'll become even more of a crowd favorite.
Sporting blond-colored twists to decorate his growing dreadlocks, imposing Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney's personal style embodies the popular coaches' mantra of playing the game as if his hair was on fire.


Shadowing fast running backs out of the backfield and receivers on the perimeter of the defense, McKinney has provided mobility and a nasty streak to one of the top defenses in the league.


Standing nearly 6-5 and having bulked up to 263 pounds while listed officially at 246 pounds on the roster, McKinney cuts an intimidating figure at the line of scrimmage.

"B-Mack is a special player," Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler said. "He's physically imposing, too. When you line up across from him on the field, you know where No 55 is at. He's extremely talented, very athletic."

"He can stop the run game. He can plug holes. He can shed blocks, but he can also cover backs out in space. So, that makes him an extremely special football player."

Heading into his second NFL season, the former Mississippi State consensus All-American has displayed a relentless nature since the start of training camp. He's bullied running backs that have crossed his path.

McKinney squared up and took aim at Texans running back Lamar Miller at the start of camp, delivering a punishing shoulder tackle to stop him shy of the end zone. During a physical drill where the defense excelled, McKinney was among the leaders as he reacted instinctively to the football.

"You get to see who wants to be out there," McKinney said. "I love hitting anyone. I love flying around and having fun. As a defense, we all love hitting. We love flying to the ball.

We have juice, we're going to always have juice. We're just trying to make our way to the top and be a dominant defense."



Room for improvement

A year into his NFL career, a lot of growth is expected from McKinney.

The Texans want to utilize McKinney more this year as a pass rusher on blitzes. He's been learning the nuances of pass coverage to the point where he's expected to be part of game plans in nickel packages.

With 4.65 speed in the 40-yard dash and a 401/2 inch vertical leap, McKinney is one of the most athletic players on the defense.


"I'm stronger and I'm definitely bigger," McKinney said. "I feel like I'm faster and have more knowledge about the game. I can control my body a little bit more. I feel good. I got a little taller. I'm still getting better. God has blessed me."


Although McKinney didn't take up yoga like some of his teammates did this offseason, he has made a conscious effort to improve his flexibility to be able to chase down offensive players.


"I worked my butt off," McKinney said. "I got a lot looser, so I wouldn't be tight and could guard tight ends and running backs."

Where McKinney has upgraded his game particularly is by becoming a more instinctive player who flows freely to the football now.

"Definitely a much improved player," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's gotten better from where he was at this point last year, not thinking as much now. He's really out there reacting, understanding the defense. We require our linebackers to have a lot of knowledge, great communication skills. He has that. We're looking for him to have a really good year."



Humble beginning

Drafted in the second round last year and signed to a four-year, $5.345 million contract that included a $2.147 million signing bonus, McKinney wasn't always so heralded.

Growing up in Tunica, Miss., a casino town of roughly 1,000 residents with a few stoplights and a single McDonald's, McKinney was the oldest child of Nona McKinney, a casino group sales employee, and Willie Washington, a chef and former high school quarterback.

"Benardrick was a quiet, well-mannered child," Nona McKinney said. "If he set his mind to something, he was going to do it. He was a little tough on himself in high school. If he made a mistake, it all fell on him. He was the quarterback and the leader. Growing up, people were drawn to him."

Although McKinney was a star quarterback at Rosa Fort High School while doubling as a linebacker and punter who was also the center on the basketball team, his lone Division I scholarship offer was from Mississippi State.

Years later, his mother is still shaking her head that Ole Miss overlooked him.

"I'm sure they're sorry they didn't offer him a scholarship," Nona McKinney said. "Ole Miss would have been closer to home. I'm sure they're disappointed they let him get away."

And the Texans are overjoyed at the growth they're witnessing from McKinney.



Hit the ground running

After starting 11 of 14 games last season and recording 68 tackles, seven for losses and one sack as a rookie, much more is anticipated from McKinney this year.

"He does a lot of different things for us," O'Brien said. "He helps us obviously as a starting inside linebacker. He can play on third down, can cover people, blitz and he's very good on special teams. An important part of the team."

During a key win over the Indianapolis Colts last December that propelled the Texans to the AFC South division title, McKinney had seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for losses. He also helped stonewall veteran running back Frank Gore, holding him to just 44 yards.

"He did a nice job for us," said Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel, a former All-Pro linebacker with the New England Patriots. "He's working hard, learning, getting better. We do expect a lot from B-Mack."



No slowing down

At Mississippi State, McKinney became the program's first All-America linebacker since 1999. He finished his career with 244 tackles, 19½ for losses, 71/2 sacks and six fumble recoveries.

The Texans traded up to the Cleveland Browns' spot to draft him 43rd overall, exchanging second-round picks and also sending fourth- and sixth-round picks to Cleveland while receiving a seventh-rounder.

"It doesn't surprise me," said SiriusXM NFL analyst Gil Brandt, a former Dallas Cowboys general manager who visited the Texans camp Tuesday. "I thought he'd be a first-round pick. People were a little concerned, not about his ability, but about whether he can play all three downs. He's probably not the fastest linebacker, but he's got great recognition."

As the protégé of Texans veteran middle linebacker Brian Cushing, McKinney operates as a fast thumper in the middle of the defense. Whereas a year ago, he was primarily a run-stopping presence, McKinney is expected to expand his game this fall.

"Yeah, I'm going to be able to do it all," McKinney said. "I'm going to follow Cush's lead, fly around and make a lot of plays for the defense and help us win some games. I'm going to try to make some big hits."
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Texans Training Camp: Day Nine Rundown

Patrick Starr
7:02 PM


The Houston Texans held day nine of training camp at the Methodist Training Center. Randy Moss showed up, the offense was not very good and more.

A closer look at Houston Texans day nine of training camp before a day off.

It has been well documented over the day that former NFL wide receiver Randy Moss showed up to Texans practice. He took time out to talk to players and give pointers to players like DeAndre Hopkins and Jaelen Strong. He also talked to the defensive backs between reps, which is always a positive, providing a new perspective on the game. Moss also spoke to the team the night before and spent time with the receivers over the past two day. Players tried to keep their cool with one of the greatest to come through visiting the team.

On to football.

There is a good chance the offense will not want to watch the film they put up early in practice. Brock Osweiler was off to a bad start at practice with some ugly incompletions that were not even close. Things loosened up when Osweiler’s first completed pass of the day went to a streaking Will Fuller in stride. The slow start also trickled to Tom Savage, who struggled some to complete passes. Savage also took a lap due to a fumbled snap with Tony Bergstrom. Osweiler did have his moments and found success when he hit DeAndre Hopkins and Stephen Anderson in the passing game. These two have been his most reliable targets early in camp and having a tight end who can help out in the middle of the field is an added plus.

Expectations are rising for Stephen Anderson and that is for good reason. The rookie tight end has taken advantage of his reps and worked himself into the conversation for a bigger role in the offense. It is no longer about if he makes the 53-man roster, it is about how many snaps is he taking from Ryan Griffin. Anderson has a good feel for the passing game and, if he can get into the teeth of the defense, he finds way to make the catch in open spaces. Anderson is gaining the trust of Osweiler, which is something not to overlook. The relationship has continued to grow as camp has carried on.

Christian Covington returned to the field and took his place back with the defense which was a welcome sight. Covington joins the group of Vince Wilfork, Devon Still, and Brandon Dunn as the odds on favorites to be on the roster when camp opens up. Covington continues to be the best dual threat option from the trenches at the moment, with his ability to play the run and heat up the passer when needed.

We have been looking for some pass rush to show up off the edges and, with Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus both being granted the day off, others got some much needed looks. One player who appears to be making some noise is Tony Washington, and it is for good reason. He has long arms and does an admirable job of keeping offensive linemen off of him in his rush. He also has some good bend around the corner. For a team looking for depth behind their first three outside linebackers, Washington is clearly putting his hat into ring.

Josh Lenz returned to the field today for the first time in over a week. He showed why he could be possibly one of the best route runners of the entire group. He knows how to set up defenders and break off routes in a hurry, doing exactly that today. He pushed a safety vertical and gave him another step to set him up, breaking his route to the sideline and creating a perfect target for Tom Savage. Lenz has some top end route running ability and, when he is on the field, he makes things happen.

The kicking battle is probably the most interesting one of camp and for good reason. The Texans have lacked a real presence for the position and they are trying to figure out if Nick Novak or rookie Ka'imi Fairbairn are the options. For the past few days, the kicking has been suspect, with misses by both kickers. Fairbairn, over the past two days, has appeared locked in and is making strides. Today, Novak missed a kick from 42-yards while Fairbairn hit his 42-yard kick right after Novak, adding to a 50+ yard kick through the uprights earlier in practice. The race for the starting kicker job keeps going back and forth, but at this exact moment, Fairbairn has the edge.
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kiwitexansfan said:
If Fedora was as useless as he's being painted here on the board I have no doubt he'd have been cut by now.

As much as people hate on them OB and Smith aren't incompetent.

They must see things that aren't being appreciated/seen here on the board.

Hopefully the improvement mentioned in the camp reports is legit and we get what we were hoping for when he got drafted.
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Fedora is actually a pretty good operating system.

If OB and smith are using that then I'm impressed and intrigued.

Then again they had the whole qb competition with hoyer and Mal so I dunno.
 
JamTex said:
The thing is, he CAN bock. He's good at holding off a linebacker to allow the running back to get around him. He's also devastating against a safety. He can chip the defensive end with help from the tackle. All he has to do is get in the tackling lane of a defender with the speed that will be going around his blocks. He'll be OK. His pass catching is the main thing. Being an outlet for Brock. That's where he'll be invaluable.
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These are good points. With the direction our offense is moving - more speed - the position may not call for a power blocker. But he is a converted WR and size wise that's what he is. Maybe an H-back. So I also agree the question does come down to whether he can block well enough in OB's offensive scheme.
 
xtruroyaltyx said:
What they actually call him is not relevant.


The goal with Anderson should be to get him to a level where he's consistently beating LB's or even better, to a level where a team wouldn't dare put a lb on him.

He's likely not going to be used as an in line TE much, but more as a flex TE or a move TE.

As long as he can beat LBs regularly then he has a spot. If he can beat safeties too then you have to keep him on the field.

If he's commanding match ups from corners and safeties then he has a role because he should be able to block corners and safeties since they're generally the smallest guys on the field.


If you want, don't think of him as a small TE. Think of him as a big receiver.
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For the most part, I agree. It's about how defenses play him. A big receiver is most likely the way they're going to look at it. So if we're in two wides, two TEs & Anderson is that other TE & they play him like a big WR... with a slot corner, I think they'll have the advantage.

If he can't block, I don't see why teams would play him with a LB or a safety, where we hope he will give us the advantage.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
If Fedora was as useless as he's being painted here on the board I have no doubt he'd have been cut by now.

As much as people hate on them OB and Smith aren't incompetent.

They must see things that aren't being appreciated/seen here on the board.

Hopefully the improvement mentioned in the camp reports is legit and we get what we were hoping for when he got drafted.
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The only thing I can see Smith & O'b going on is that he's had crappy QBs & RBs... maybe they're thinking with upgrades to both spots, we (the fans) will see what they see.
 
thunderkyss said:
For the most part, I agree. It's about how defenses play him. A big receiver is most likely the way they're going to look at it. So if we're in two wides, two TEs & Anderson is that other TE & they play him like a big WR... with a slot corner, I think they'll have the advantage.

If he can't block, I don't see why teams would play him with a LB or a safety, where we hope he will give us the advantage.
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That will be his determining factor.
 
Texans' special-teams ace Brian Peters eager to start preseason


Texans special-teams ace Brian Peters is eager to knock heads with another football team.

His wish will be granted Friday when the Texans practice against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., in advance of their Sunday preseason opener against them at Levi's Stadium.

"It's fun, it's very exciting," Peters said. "You get a little salty after hitting the same guys a few times. It's nice to see how you stack up against another team and another competition. You get other skill sets, other different size running backs and tight ends and guys that run routes differently so it's good to see how you stack up across the league."


Peters emerged as the Texans' special-teams ace last season, energizing struggling kick coverage units with a high-energy style and a penchant for busting through wedge blocks to deliver punishing tackles. The reserve linebacker recorded 17 special-teams tackles in a dozen games after being signed off of the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad to tie Johnson Bademosi and Cedric Peerman for the most special-teams tackles in the NFL.

Now, Peters is adjusting to playing for new special-teams coordinator Larry Izzo.

"Love him, man," Peters said. "He's a player's coach, man. All the guys are gravitating towards him so far and special teams group is definitely going to improve with him."

There's not much contact in practice compared to what goes in in a preseason game.

"It's still a skill and a technique thing," Peters said. "Obviously we're still adjusting to Izzo's new techniques and how he runs shop, but from that aspect you maintain your lane and leverage the ball and when you have a chance to make a play, you make a play. You can still do that anywhere from running 75 percent to 100 percent whether you're live or it's just thud, you can still be in the right position at all times."

A former Northwestern safety who intercepted 11 passes in college, Peters played for the Sasketchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League before being signed by the Vikings. He had 78 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions in his final season in Sasketchewan. He became the fifth player in CFL history to lead his team in defensive tackles and special teams tackles.

Peters is big and fast at 6-4, 235 pounds.

"I mean obviously in college I was a safety and I had to know from a coverage aspect what the linebackers were doing and that kind of thing," Peters said. "So far, it's been identifying runs and formations and my fits and all that kind of thing. I've progressed nicely through my time in Minnesota and down here and obviously every day you want to keep growing and growing and that's something I need to work on.

"I definitely think that's one of my strengths is my coverage. Obviously with a safety background, I'm used to covering receivers, tight ends and then now it's a size down to running backs and tight ends so that's where I'm comfortable and obviously you want to play to your strengths and then enhance your weaknesses and that's what I'm going to keep doing."
 
I see in the Chronicle this morning that Nick Martin has missed 3 consecutive practices. Greg Mantz is getting reps with the first team. Coaches say he is smart and has picked up the system fast and he doesn't make mental mistakes. The key for Mantz is to stay healthy this season. He's strong enough to take on the NT and has the quickness to help out the OG's.
 
thunderkyss said:
For the most part, I agree. It's about how defenses play him. A big receiver is most likely the way they're going to look at it. So if we're in two wides, two TEs & Anderson is that other TE & they play him like a big WR... with a slot corner, I think they'll have the advantage.

If he can't block, I don't see why teams would play him with a LB or a safety, where we hope he will give us the advantage.
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If he isn't consistently owning corners when he's blocking and winning blocking battles against most safeties then it could be harder to implement him into the game plan.

It's not just running game vs passing game though..the guy is still bigger than a lot of corners in the league. If he is able to beat corners in the passing game using his size/body positioning when the ball arrives then that's another issue teams will have. He's 6'2", was listed as 230lbs at the combine and had a 38" vert.

Jimmy graham isn't s good blocker but he causes matchup problems in pass coverage. Jordan Reed is another guy is similar to Anderson who puts up really good passing game numbers because of the match up issues in the passing game. Took shifty for most LBs, too big for most corners when the ball arrives.
 
We'd have an outstanding TE if all of ours were combined into one. They all blow individually. Especially since Griffin went down.

Every draft it seems our position of need is the one that lacks the most talent.
 
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