I'll admit that I haven't thought about him in a long time, but if you'd have asked me 24 hours ago, I probably would have told you, "Yeah, he died like 15 years ago." I had no idea he was still alive.
I don't mean it maliciously as in I'm trying to hurt anyone's feelings. Naturally, there are going to be people on this board who have trouble with alcohol.
The point is that if Denard Robinson has a problematic relationship with alcohol...it's up to him to get help. The same goes for Greg Scruggs. Or anyone else with that issue. And if they're going to put other people at risk, then some of those other people - such as the police - need to take actions to protect the people who are just trying to get to work or come home from the grocery store.
Those people are responsible for seeking out the help they need to overcome their problem. Even if they make dumb decisions when drunk, they're sober enough during part of the day to make a decision to get help.
Yeah, I think NIL is a big factor. It seemed like the Aaron Chiles recruitment really shifted when he visited Florida and was offered a bunch that Michigan couldn't match.
I haven't heard one way or another about the BBQ, but it's lasted from Rodriguez to Hoke to Harbaugh. Overall, I think it's been a very positive event and it has a good reputation (aside from occasional gripes about the food). I hope it continues.
Michigan had a great class early on for the 2024 cycle, and then they didn't close with a lot of the guys expected to join. Even Sam Webb was basically guaranteeing it was going to be a top-5 class, and it wasn't close.
I get what you're saying about doubt, but before I go out to work in the garden, I don't always spend a ton of timing finding the best-fitting gloves to pull weeds. Sometimes I just want to get it done and will squeeze my hands into any reasonable sized glove to get the job done.
I'm not saying the position is unnecessary. I'm saying you can find those guys in the mid-level 4-star and 3-star realm, not necessarily the 5-star or top-150 area. And in fact, you're not going to find 5-star receivers who are going to be okay with about 40 catches in a year.
Michigan is likely going to have to settle for the small-ish speedster or the somewhat stiff bigger receiver - the guys with obvious flaws - because the guys who can do everything are going to go to Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, etc.
I have not heard that Michigan is going to open up the offense, but since the new offensive coordinator is a quarterback guy...maybe there's some hope.
This might not be that popular of a take, but I don't think wide receivers are that important for Michigan's offense the way it's been played the past several years. You can find diamonds in the rough who can get the job done. Sure, it was nice to have Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones, but you can find some big targets and there are lots of speedsters who can take the top off the defense.
If you run the ball as well as Michigan does, the wide receivers are somewhat extraneous.
I'm not saying it's not useful. I'm just saying that if we're going by things that are actually done on the field, then vertical jump and broad jump should go bye-bye for offensive linemen. I've literally never seen an offensive lineman jump vertically during a play. I have, however, seen lots of linemen have to run 40+ yards.
Such as...vertical jump? Broad jump? When's the last time you saw an offensive lineman have to jump in any capacity?
The 40 is actually one of the more realistic tests. No, linemen don't run 40 yards in a straight line very often...but they do on occasion if there's a big run, if they get out on a screen pass, if they're chasing down a blocked kick or an interception.
There are zero plays where an offensive lineman needs to jump - not on offense, not on defense, and not on special teams.
So sure, let's do away with some Combine drills for linemen...but not the 40.
"This team will never draft me" ignores the surprise moves that get made every year with teams moving up, guys falling in the draft, etc. I think it also potentially causes problems down the road for if/when a team might want to acquire you in some way.
If you're standoffish at the draft and then something happens in 3 to 5 years where you're asking for a trade, you're being shopped, etc., and a GM could potentially trade for you...but you were a problem at the draft, then perhaps that carries over.
It's similar to college recruiting now. You don't want to burn bridges with a recruit in the 2023 class (*cough* Dante Moore *cough*) because he could be back on the market in 2024. That's a little more rare in the NFL with the guaranteed contracts and such, but you never know.
There was a time when Lewan was projected as a defensive end and was only playing defense, so we were potentially a late high school position switch away from not being able to see a 1st round offensive tackle.
Well, he's definitely going to get drafted. It's not if, but when.
As for wear and tear, you're not drafting a running back to play until he's 34. You're drafting him to play for a few years, and then you'll replace him. Corum might break down by the time he's 29. That's fine. The team can move on to the next hot item on the RB market by then.
It's too early to know what the Combine numbers will say, so we'll see how that shakes out. Kyren Williams ran a slow 40 time, and now he's all the rage for the Rams, and I've seen some "experts" saying he could be the #1 running back for fantasy in 2024.
I'm not sure if he DID change it, but I'm curious what the longevity of quarterbacks' careers will be going forward. Are other guys going to try to stick it out into their mid-40s or later like Brady did? I think Brady's diet/training/nutrition may have revolutionized in some ways how guys prepare their bodies for longevity.
I see some similarities between the games of Aaron Rodgers and Pat Mahomes. Rodgers was a good runner when he was younger, and his numbers were pretty similar. Mahomes has averaged 5.2 yards/carry in his career, and Rodgers is at 4.8, which obviously includes the days of his dwindling athleticism and less of a willingness to take off and run.
Eventually, Mahomes will become a little more of a pocket passer, and while he'll still probably be pretty spry - more so than Tom Brady, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman, and other pocket statues of the past - he's going to have to make more things happen with his accuracy and his brain.
Not that Mahomes's legs should be taken away from him - that's part of what makes him great - but one of the amazing things about Brady was that he did all those things while never being a plus athlete. He never ran well, and yet, he was still a great player until his mid-40s.
If Mahomes loses his wheels somehow - just from age or accumulated injuries - will he be able to process things quickly enough and throw the ball accurately enough to still move a team up and down the field? Andy Reid's earlier protege Donovan McNabb didn't fare very well once he couldn't run around very much.
I think Alex Graham had a good visit, but it's tough to expect much movement when there's no defensive coordinator on board. I feel like Michigan probably won't land a commitment until that's taken care of and he can meet the new guy.
2026 tight end Lincoln Watkins also had a good visit, and I think Michigan is in a good spot with him.
I *think* Michigan is also in a good spot for Rowan Byrne. I feel like the promotion of Moore was a good thing for that recruitment, as well as the promotion of Grant Newsome to OL coach.
Well...I have to think the hit rate on players from Cass Tech would have been higher if Jim Harbaugh had been the coach at the time. Unfortunately, Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke didn't do a great job of developing their talent.
I also tend to think that having too many good players on one team can be problematic, and it can cause you to think too highly of some guys. If the #1 receiver gets all kinds of attention, bracket coverage, etc., the #2 guy might go off and make all kinds of plays with all the space he has...but he might be a D2 player disguising himself as an FBS guy.
Cass Tech used to collect so much talent that it seemed like everyone was a future star, and while there were a few true stars mixed in there, they weren't as frequent as lots of people thought.
Agreed. The guys who are extremely physically gifted at an early age seem like they've often hit their ceiling, matured earlier than others, etc. Similar to how John Beilein felt about recruiting basketball players who were young for their class, the guys with big muscles and beards as high school sophomores or juniors...well...that might just be about the best they get to be.
If Ryan Day hires an alpha dude as his OC and then doesn't let him...you know...be an OC, there are going to be some problems on that coaching staff. I don't think that dynamic would sit well with Bill O'Brien.
I'm not saying Clinkscale isn't qualified, but there's more to being a defensive coordinator than "knowing the system." You have to be able to teach it to the coaches and the players, organize things for the entire defensive staff, have a vision for what types of players to recruit and how they fit, etc. Good position coaches aren't always good coordinators.
I think Campbell is a college guy, especially at this point. He was working at ODU a few years ago and at DII Alderson Broaddus before that. Maybe sometime down the road he might dip his toes into the NFL, but I don't think that time is now.
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I'll admit that I haven't thought about him in a long time, but if you'd have asked me 24 hours ago, I probably would have told you, "Yeah, he died like 15 years ago." I had no idea he was still alive.
I don't mean it maliciously as in I'm trying to hurt anyone's feelings. Naturally, there are going to be people on this board who have trouble with alcohol.
The point is that if Denard Robinson has a problematic relationship with alcohol...it's up to him to get help. The same goes for Greg Scruggs. Or anyone else with that issue. And if they're going to put other people at risk, then some of those other people - such as the police - need to take actions to protect the people who are just trying to get to work or come home from the grocery store.
Those people are responsible for seeking out the help they need to overcome their problem. Even if they make dumb decisions when drunk, they're sober enough during part of the day to make a decision to get help.
Do you have proof she wasn't right about the alligator thing? I've never seen one with a toothbrush.
Greg Scruggs got a coaching job at Michigan with a DUI on his record.
Jim Harbaugh had a DUI back in the day, too.
One DUI doesn't end a career.
I just want to note that the NFL Draft is next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. As in April 25-27.
Yeah, I think NIL is a big factor. It seemed like the Aaron Chiles recruitment really shifted when he visited Florida and was offered a bunch that Michigan couldn't match.
I haven't heard one way or another about the BBQ, but it's lasted from Rodriguez to Hoke to Harbaugh. Overall, I think it's been a very positive event and it has a good reputation (aside from occasional gripes about the food). I hope it continues.
THIS!!!
Michigan had a great class early on for the 2024 cycle, and then they didn't close with a lot of the guys expected to join. Even Sam Webb was basically guaranteeing it was going to be a top-5 class, and it wasn't close.
I'm not sure how much Hart's departure hurt Michigan.
I get what you're saying about doubt, but before I go out to work in the garden, I don't always spend a ton of timing finding the best-fitting gloves to pull weeds. Sometimes I just want to get it done and will squeeze my hands into any reasonable sized glove to get the job done.
Mary Ann. She had more personality.
Those are fair guesses.
If you were born in December 2019 or later, you've never seen Ohio State beat Michigan in football.
I'm not saying the position is unnecessary. I'm saying you can find those guys in the mid-level 4-star and 3-star realm, not necessarily the 5-star or top-150 area. And in fact, you're not going to find 5-star receivers who are going to be okay with about 40 catches in a year.
Michigan is likely going to have to settle for the small-ish speedster or the somewhat stiff bigger receiver - the guys with obvious flaws - because the guys who can do everything are going to go to Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, etc.
Sometimes I kind of want to live in a cave on a remote Pacific island. As long as there are no Ohio State fans there, I think I'd be good.
Last year lots of Michigan fans - and well respected analysts - saw Michigan in the top five and guaranteed Michigan would finish there.
It's never as bad or as good as you think.
Hopefully he absorbs some of that Brock Purdy energy.
Kyle Ford is one name that has popped up from UCLA. He's a former 5-star who hasn't really played like it.
TJ Sheffield from Purdue is another name that has been discussed.
As far as guys not in the portal yet...lots of new names could pop up.
I have not heard that Michigan is going to open up the offense, but since the new offensive coordinator is a quarterback guy...maybe there's some hope.
This might not be that popular of a take, but I don't think wide receivers are that important for Michigan's offense the way it's been played the past several years. You can find diamonds in the rough who can get the job done. Sure, it was nice to have Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones, but you can find some big targets and there are lots of speedsters who can take the top off the defense.
If you run the ball as well as Michigan does, the wide receivers are somewhat extraneous.
There are 149 days, but I wanted to give myself some leeway in case I go on vacation or otherwise can't post every single day from now until then.
Okay, but Zavier was like...really bad at shooting. And he ended up being pretty darn good for Beilein.
Maybe people are confusing Bobby with Dan?
Well, Michigan is recruiting kids named Caesar, Cortez, and Gideon, so they do have some experience under their belts.
Methuselah Jackson, Jr. is already committed to Notre Dame, though.
The one where he was up against Marshawn Lloyd? Yeah, I saw that. I think Corum is going to be a solid NFL back.
I'm not saying it's not useful. I'm just saying that if we're going by things that are actually done on the field, then vertical jump and broad jump should go bye-bye for offensive linemen. I've literally never seen an offensive lineman jump vertically during a play. I have, however, seen lots of linemen have to run 40+ yards.
Such as...vertical jump? Broad jump? When's the last time you saw an offensive lineman have to jump in any capacity?
The 40 is actually one of the more realistic tests. No, linemen don't run 40 yards in a straight line very often...but they do on occasion if there's a big run, if they get out on a screen pass, if they're chasing down a blocked kick or an interception.
There are zero plays where an offensive lineman needs to jump - not on offense, not on defense, and not on special teams.
So sure, let's do away with some Combine drills for linemen...but not the 40.
I believe McCarthy had the fastest shuttle time of any QB in the past five Combines, just to give it a little more context.
"This team will never draft me" ignores the surprise moves that get made every year with teams moving up, guys falling in the draft, etc. I think it also potentially causes problems down the road for if/when a team might want to acquire you in some way.
If you're standoffish at the draft and then something happens in 3 to 5 years where you're asking for a trade, you're being shopped, etc., and a GM could potentially trade for you...but you were a problem at the draft, then perhaps that carries over.
It's similar to college recruiting now. You don't want to burn bridges with a recruit in the 2023 class (*cough* Dante Moore *cough*) because he could be back on the market in 2024. That's a little more rare in the NFL with the guaranteed contracts and such, but you never know.
There was a time when Lewan was projected as a defensive end and was only playing defense, so we were potentially a late high school position switch away from not being able to see a 1st round offensive tackle.
The argument is that it's tough to repeat as the #1 guy. There have been lots of "obvious" #1 guys over the years, and it rarely works out that way.
Well, he's definitely going to get drafted. It's not if, but when.
As for wear and tear, you're not drafting a running back to play until he's 34. You're drafting him to play for a few years, and then you'll replace him. Corum might break down by the time he's 29. That's fine. The team can move on to the next hot item on the RB market by then.
It's too early to know what the Combine numbers will say, so we'll see how that shakes out. Kyren Williams ran a slow 40 time, and now he's all the rage for the Rams, and I've seen some "experts" saying he could be the #1 running back for fantasy in 2024.
Tupac and Elvis Presley work as janitors there just to keep a low profile.
Awww, poor guy.
I'm not sure if he DID change it, but I'm curious what the longevity of quarterbacks' careers will be going forward. Are other guys going to try to stick it out into their mid-40s or later like Brady did? I think Brady's diet/training/nutrition may have revolutionized in some ways how guys prepare their bodies for longevity.
I see some similarities between the games of Aaron Rodgers and Pat Mahomes. Rodgers was a good runner when he was younger, and his numbers were pretty similar. Mahomes has averaged 5.2 yards/carry in his career, and Rodgers is at 4.8, which obviously includes the days of his dwindling athleticism and less of a willingness to take off and run.
Eventually, Mahomes will become a little more of a pocket passer, and while he'll still probably be pretty spry - more so than Tom Brady, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman, and other pocket statues of the past - he's going to have to make more things happen with his accuracy and his brain.
Not that Mahomes's legs should be taken away from him - that's part of what makes him great - but one of the amazing things about Brady was that he did all those things while never being a plus athlete. He never ran well, and yet, he was still a great player until his mid-40s.
If Mahomes loses his wheels somehow - just from age or accumulated injuries - will he be able to process things quickly enough and throw the ball accurately enough to still move a team up and down the field? Andy Reid's earlier protege Donovan McNabb didn't fare very well once he couldn't run around very much.
I think Alex Graham had a good visit, but it's tough to expect much movement when there's no defensive coordinator on board. I feel like Michigan probably won't land a commitment until that's taken care of and he can meet the new guy.
2026 tight end Lincoln Watkins also had a good visit, and I think Michigan is in a good spot with him.
I *think* Michigan is also in a good spot for Rowan Byrne. I feel like the promotion of Moore was a good thing for that recruitment, as well as the promotion of Grant Newsome to OL coach.
Not that I know of.
He enrolled at Michigan...and his fallback school was Stanford...and he got his MBA from Harvard.
Pretty impressive dude.
Well...I have to think the hit rate on players from Cass Tech would have been higher if Jim Harbaugh had been the coach at the time. Unfortunately, Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke didn't do a great job of developing their talent.
I also tend to think that having too many good players on one team can be problematic, and it can cause you to think too highly of some guys. If the #1 receiver gets all kinds of attention, bracket coverage, etc., the #2 guy might go off and make all kinds of plays with all the space he has...but he might be a D2 player disguising himself as an FBS guy.
Cass Tech used to collect so much talent that it seemed like everyone was a future star, and while there were a few true stars mixed in there, they weren't as frequent as lots of people thought.
Amorion Walker, is that you?
Michigan also got Anthony Lalota from there a while ago. He eventually transferred to Rutgers and never really did anything.
Agreed. The guys who are extremely physically gifted at an early age seem like they've often hit their ceiling, matured earlier than others, etc. Similar to how John Beilein felt about recruiting basketball players who were young for their class, the guys with big muscles and beards as high school sophomores or juniors...well...that might just be about the best they get to be.
If Ryan Day hires an alpha dude as his OC and then doesn't let him...you know...be an OC, there are going to be some problems on that coaching staff. I don't think that dynamic would sit well with Bill O'Brien.
Nothing quite says "I don't care about this" than caring enough to hit REPLY and type in a comment about how much you don't care.
I'm not saying Clinkscale isn't qualified, but there's more to being a defensive coordinator than "knowing the system." You have to be able to teach it to the coaches and the players, organize things for the entire defensive staff, have a vision for what types of players to recruit and how they fit, etc. Good position coaches aren't always good coordinators.
I think Clinkscale could go.
I think Campbell is a college guy, especially at this point. He was working at ODU a few years ago and at DII Alderson Broaddus before that. Maybe sometime down the road he might dip his toes into the NFL, but I don't think that time is now.
Do we not think that Jim Harbaugh is a connection to the NFL? He hand-picked Sherrone Moore as his successor.
If anything, Michigan now has more connections to the NFL, because there's Jim Harbaugh on the left coast and John Harbaugh on the right coast.
There's been talk about Orr on more than this message board...
Sherrone Moore had his introductory press conference on Saturday.
It's Tuesday.
The San Diego Chargers fired Brandon Staley 14 games into their 17-game season, and they just hired a new head coach a week ago.
Michigan isn't moving slowly. It just feels that way because Michigan fans are anxious.