Darboh Out for the Season
It wasn’t just a booboo:
Sophomore WR Amara Darboh will miss the 2013 season with a foot injury that will require surgery. #Team134Camp
— Michigan Football (@umichfootball) August 21, 2013
So much for Michigan’s best shot at a dragon target, a thing Borges missed since Hemingway graduated and which is probably not replaceable with anyone on the current roster. Michigan still has Gallon and Chesson and Dileo, and supposedly Joe Reynolds can produce, but Darboh was the guy on everyone’s list for non-Kalis breakout offensive player. It sucks.
Silver lining: more targets for Dileo and tight ends. Gold lining: your 2016 receivers could be senior Darboh and Chesson, junior Drake Harris and sophomore George Campbell.
August 21st, 2013 at 9:54 AM ^
Blows Goats
August 21st, 2013 at 9:57 AM ^
for the great pic
August 21st, 2013 at 9:54 AM ^
all the things.
August 21st, 2013 at 9:55 AM ^
knew it was gonna strike someone. too bad for him and for UM. perhaps this means even more touches for funchess...
August 21st, 2013 at 9:55 AM ^
dog cannot take my pain away. It is like the cute little kid chasing the butterfly that Blue Cross Blue Sheild puts on the front of the folder of information that tells you that all trips to any doctor now cost $250. I see through that dog.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:38 AM ^
That dog is like pain's greatest enemy. Not only can he take yours away by curling up on your chest, but he took the surgery and all the horrible drug side effects like a boss. Also he wanted me to let you guys and Darboh know not to try chewing on the cast, else they put you in the cone of shame.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:45 AM ^
for the Up reference.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:53 AM ^
Squirrel!
August 21st, 2013 at 1:16 PM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 10:46 AM ^
More dogs!
(I wish I could +1 you right now)
August 21st, 2013 at 9:56 AM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 9:56 AM ^
Bryan Mac get hurt too?
August 21st, 2013 at 10:26 AM ^
/Sad puppy
August 21st, 2013 at 9:57 AM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 10:16 AM ^
I agree. This is especially depressing to me because Darboh had a high fun factor going into the season. We know little about him and yet it seemed like he could be fun to watch.
Shit happens I guess, and this makes that 2016 offense just a little more ridiculous with respect to its potential talent and experience. A sampling of the guys who could be around that year (and yes, I know that some of them won't work out as well as hoped).
QB: Shane Morris (Sr./RS Jr.)
RB: Derrick Green (Sr./RS Jr.), Deveon Smith (Sr./RS Jr.), Damien Harris (So./RS Fr.)
WR: Drake Harris (Jr./RS So.), George Campbell (So./RS Fr.), Amara Darboh (RS Sr.), Jehu Chesson (RS Sr.), and maybe a little Jabrill Peppers (Jr./RS So.)
TE: Jake Butt (Sr./RS Jr.), Ian Bunting (Jr./RS So.)
OL: Kyle Kalis (RS Sr.), Ben Braden (RS Sr.), Kyle Bosch (Sr./RS Jr.), Erik Magnuson (RS Sr.), Patrick Kugler (Sr./RS Jr.), David Dawson (Sr./RS Jr.), Mason Cole (Jr./RS So.), LTT (Sr./RS Jr.), JBB (Jr./RS So.)
We could be in an interesting, nice spot. A lot of really talented young guys will be playing this season and next, so by 2015/2016 these guys will have way more playing time and starting experience under their belts than you usually see.
The defense shouldn't be so bad either.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:50 AM ^
Your whole depth chart leaves out Dukes, Jones, and York whom we brought in this year. I wish people would STOP making "Dream Team" rosters. The same thing is happening with Green. Why bring in 3 WR's in 2013 if we have NO plans for them in 2016?
Come on.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:57 AM ^
Your whole comment left off Canteen and Ways whom we're bringing in next year. I wish people would STOP making posts that aren't absolutely thorough in describing our roster.
Come on.
(I even said it's a sampling of our roster. Easy there, He-Man.)
August 21st, 2013 at 11:06 AM ^
Not everyone we recruit will start or see major minutes. George Campbell was our number 1 target in the class of 2015, Drake Harris is arguably the top recruit from Michigan in 2014, Darboh was slotted to start this year, Chesson has been making waves in practice. I'm not writing the 2013 guys off, but the most promising item in each of their profiles is a Michigan offer.
August 21st, 2013 at 11:20 AM ^
This board at times is like kids all giddy opening up their new Christmas presents, forgetting about the toys they got last Christmas or the Christmas before, then getting bored and pacing around for the next 364 day waiting for next Christmas.
August 21st, 2013 at 11:42 AM ^
Yes. It's awful. Horrible, really. Really, really horrible.
We have no idea who will be good in 2016. If the coaches assume that they should just start the guys with the best recruiting profiles, we have a problem. That's a little different from us speculating on a message board about how we might have a talented, experienced roster in a few years.
August 21st, 2013 at 9:57 AM ^
but i believe in the talent we have on the roster to step up and make some bigtime plays!!!
August 21st, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^
I honestly think that if there is a silver lining, it is that we will see Norfleet as the third or fourth receiver far more often. There has been some buzz about how quickly he has taken to the position and he offers a different element. I know Darboh is a primarily outside receiver and Norfleet has probably working on the inside, but when they get three receiver on the field they might opt to use Norfleet. Chesson is a guy who is going to be very good going deep, but the knock on him has been accuracy of routes, and that means the short to intermediate routes that Darboh was great at need to be replaced by someone. Dileo will get his share, but I think Norfleet might be the beneficiary of a thinner depth chart overall.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:00 AM ^
Silver lining: more targets for Dileo and tight ends.
The other day you had the article "Fifty Shades of Shea" (here). That article was written on the premise that Darboh/Chesson was available.
Given this news about Darboh, would you modify that article at all to highlight any particular player whose opportunities have likely increased?
August 21st, 2013 at 10:49 AM ^
Funchess. He's now the top downfield threat (other than Gallon, who is secretly Tacopants). Butt too since the guy ahead of him on the depth chart will be running downfield more often.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:56 AM ^
Chesson should be able to either attack the seam/post from the slot of play off the line and get some hitch-and-go or deep crossing routes. It's not the throw it up and watch the WR box out deep threat, but more the Super Mario blow past you or just be really fast so I can get to the far sideline type downfield threat.
(Though I agree that Funchess will be a downfield threat often in the seam/post, depending on the position of the deep safety, as well as more effective on wheel routes now that he will have a better understanding and a more knowledgeable QB to throw it to him on the quick outs from the TE spot).
August 21st, 2013 at 11:15 AM ^
Obviously this question is not for me, but I'll give it a shot.
Take a look at this:
This is the anti-Cover-2 "smash" from the "Fifty Shades of Shea" post. The formation was added for educational purposes, here's how I'd assign receivers without Darboh and assuming the worst-case scenario that Chesson is still too raw for prime time:
X-Gallon, SL-Norfleet, Y-Funchess, Z-Dileo.
Dileo as an outside receiver?? Hear me out on this one. Funchess is not an elite burner, but he's a velcro-palmed giant, a potential mismatch for both the SS covering the deep zone and the CB on that side. That's really what they had in mind with Darboh, anyway. So while he's not going to get to the pylon in a hurry, this puts the right side of the coverage in a conundrum. The defense could play the SLB on Funchess mano-a-mano, but that draws the SLB WAY off the LoS, opening up the running game to that side. They could stay in zone or double-team Funchess with the SS, but that frees up Dileo underneath with Funchess blocking downfield. Meanwhile, Gallon and Norfleet wreak havoc on the coverage to the left side. If you want to go two-TE then sub A.J. Williams for Norfleet and now the defense has to worry about the running game to the left. Considering we have two All-B1G caliber tackles, the running game could go in any direction (assuming the middle isn't shut down). The receivers won't get much separation, but looking at Gardner this summer, he doesn't need much of a window to zip it.
It's going to be a "short field" offense. It won't stretch the defense vertically or even horizontally so much as push the edges of the coverage zones with the running game such that the defense will need a very rangy back 7 to react to everything. The FS doesn't have much to do but again, these assignments don't bias the offense in any one direction so it'll be difficult to cheat to one side. The only real tweak is that the Y and Z receivers switch roles (Y gets the post, Z gets the flat) to do exactly what's drawn up above. Of course, by the first game Borges might have an entirely different idea, in which case never mind.
Thoughts?
August 21st, 2013 at 11:24 AM ^
I think he stays in the slot. Don't believe he is physical enough to be on the outside, FWIW.
August 21st, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^
I put him on the side of the field opposite the actual slot, though, so instead of occasionally taking on a nickleback (which these days is often a part-time linebacker) his blocking assignment is a CB. If anything, at least as envisioned, his blocking assignment gets easier and it's going to be harder for him to get open because he's not shaking off his cover corner with pure speed OR winning any jump balls. The hope here is that by using Funchess as the deep threat and a running game featuring Funchess 2.0 (now with moar blocking?) and Schofield on the right side, the corner has to sag off Dileo to help w/ run defense and Gardner will punish him for it.
August 21st, 2013 at 12:03 PM ^
But I'm thinking more of the AL game / Roundtree getting shoved out of the play by more physical corners. I don't think they'll need to sag off when they can beat him one on one if he's blocking, and jam him at the line to hurt his routes.
August 21st, 2013 at 12:35 PM ^
I wouldn't take too much away from the Alabama game. If you're up against big physical corners playing man then Dileo's not doing much no matter where you put him, because it's not like the WLB or NB are gonna be any less physical. Dileo isn't a guy who beats his man and never was; he does his damage working underneath deep threats like Gallon or Funchess that punish man coverage. He can keep that job while being on the outside; Alabama's corners were just something else. What else are we gonna do, move Funchess to wideout? At least the Z receiver starts behind the LoS, making him harder to jam.
The sag BTW isn't to beat Dileo's block; it's to deal with the TE. If Funchess's blocking has improved (knock on wood), then on power right you've got Schofield, a TE and a pulling guard to deal with -- with the SLB overwhelmed the CB sags to get a head start around the traffic, but that leaves Dileo uncovered in the flat on play action. The key isn't Dileo's assignment per se but to give the CB too much to do.
If Funchess' blocking hasn't improved, then I fall back to Dileo in slot with Chesson working the right side with Funchess.
August 21st, 2013 at 1:13 PM ^
I'd keep Dileo at the slot. Typically you'd have the X (split end) be a bigger guy, e.g. Avant, because he will start on the line where corners can jam him and throw off the route timing. The Z (flanker) is more of a downfield threat, the Braylon if you will, whom you want to give a good release. That's gotta be Gallon, and at this stage in his career that's Chesson too. Obviously one of them will be playing some X, but Borges can also put the slot on the line (don't want to jam him because the guy covering him is in the run game) or the tight end.
So attempting ASCII here:
SL LT LG C RG RT TE
SE QB FL
HB
August 21st, 2013 at 10:02 AM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 7:17 PM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 7:21 PM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 10:04 AM ^
Dileo. Drew is like velcro... everything sticks.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:24 AM ^
I agree with this. He was a very good possession type of player, he seemed to do a great job of finding the open areas in zones and coming back to the QB when the play starts to break down. I thought he was very good, I do hope his possession totals go up this years.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^
Perhaps we'll see even more two TE (U-backs or whatever) this season.
Poop!
August 21st, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^
Hoke was pretty lucky with injuries his first year (until the Sugar Bowl). Last season kinda lived & died with Denard, but it looks like this is the year we're truly snakebit. It sucks but it happens. The upside for fans is that the team is young so expectations were higher for next year anyway, but Lewan, Schofield, Gallon and Dileo are gonna play like they've got chips on their shoulders. Also, isn't this the last hurrah for our core of special teams?
Man, come to think of it as much as we say this is a young team (and it is), our scoring is leaning heavily on seniors this season.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:09 AM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 10:40 AM ^
Not to completely disagree with you but last year was a weird grind, and the injury bug hit over the course of the season. Denard's nerve thing, Fitz's broken leg, Blake Countess. . . by the end of the season Borges had a patchwork team, but at the beginning of the Alabama game we were pretty healthy.
Looking at this year we've lost our SLB, #2 QB and #2 receiver and we're not even out of fall camp yet. The fortunate thing is that we have (er, had) depth this year, which makes it look not quite as bad as last year, but that depth has effectively been used up already. Ironically we're loaded (if young) at RB, one of the more injury-prone positions.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^
Just figures.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:08 AM ^
thank you for including the silver lining.. first positive thought I've had since seeing the news.. that crop of WR sounds nasty
August 21st, 2013 at 10:09 AM ^
Bronze Lining?
August 21st, 2013 at 10:16 AM ^
Borges just saved a bunch of money on his car insurance by switching to Geico.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^
Lead lining
August 21st, 2013 at 10:10 AM ^
I feel like I have been punched in the dong much too often this offseason; Lewan's decision was like the ice before the punch, maybe more of novacaine...
August 21st, 2013 at 10:14 AM ^
Comments