Coaching Clinic

Submitted by Black Socks on

For those of us who were unable to attend, how was the clinic?  Give us some info...Hoke, Mattison, Fred Jackson hyperbole, etc.

umhero

April 11th, 2011 at 8:42 AM ^

 

"The way Borges – who is a high-energy and very knowledgeable guy who just LOVES to coach – likes to approach mechanics is this:

Focus on getting your feet and body into proper position – worry less about the arm slot.  People throw with different arm angles naturally, and even the NFL has become less of a stickler on these things – as we have seen Philip Rivers go in the top 5 and Tim Tebow go in the first round.  A QB's feet are more important than his arm.

Borges also works on numerous different kinds of drops – three different kinds of three-step drops, two kinds of five-step, and two kinds of seven-step, plus two kinds of three-step out of the shotgun… and each drop is matched to a kind of route or coverage.

In the team drills, Roy Roundtree dropped two balls today, and Martavious Odoms had a Devin Gardner bullet hit him right in the 9, bounce up in the air, and get picked off by Marell Evans for the day's lone interception.

In the WR/DB one-on-one's, the receivers were beating the DB's pretty soundly, save for Courtney Avery, who to me is really starting to look like a player.  He has done the work in the weight room and has clearly worked on his technique, as well.  Right now, given our issues at safety, I would not be surprised if Woolfolk, Floyd, Carvin Johnson and Kovacs are battling for 3 spots, with the possibility of Woolfolk playing safety if he starts.  I know I would feel a lot better about a healthy Woolfolk at FS than anyone else on our roster right now, if it gets our best players on the field.  But I don't see, right now, how Avery isn't one of our four best DB's.

Jerald Robinson had a beautiful one-handed catch with Jordan Kovacs in tight coverage, while Greg Brown was just getting abused (and receiving a lot of very positive – but intensive – coaching up from Curt Mallory)."

This is just a very small clip from a very long review of practice.  If you can get past the poor grammer and typos the information is great for a fan craving insight.  Mgoblog is obviously my first stop everyday, but lately I've been visiting GBMW a lot to read their practice coverage.  They also host a chat on Mondays at 8 where they answer questions which is pretty good.

http://gbmwolverine.com/forum/

readyourguard

April 11th, 2011 at 6:24 AM ^

Sweet.  A blog you must register for yet still don't get to read/participate.  What next?  Cars you must fill up with $4/gallons of gas that you aren't permitted to drive?

yoopergoblue

April 11th, 2011 at 7:45 AM ^

they have to manually approve you after you have registered.  I was approved the next morning after I registered.  There is one really good, although long, write-up about this weekend's practices.  It sounds like the defense is starting to pick it up a bit.  Big Will sounds like he is gaining some confidence.

jg2112

April 11th, 2011 at 9:36 AM ^

GBMW has taken a lot of deserved grief over the years. However, they have an editor now, and frankly their eyewitness accounts of practice have been outstanding.

There also is a poster over there who provided comprehensive information about the entire coaches' clinic and practices from last Thursday-Saturday. it's the longest post I've ever read on a message board (took about 10 minutes), but it's outstanding and "non-partisan."

I would recommend registering. The information is worthwhile if you're a Michigan football fan.

RedGreene

April 11th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^

We was at the practice.

We was not drinking the koolaid and some of the players looked good and some not so good and others as well did to or not.

Some of the players was excited about practice again after being not so excited with the previous staff and others was excited to.

Even though we at GBMVTRCVTWolverine was at the practices last year and we thought it was pretty good, this year it felt different than when RR and staff was there. Listen we don't drink the koolaid so if you want all of the information we give you to be roses and lollipops, you can go to other sites where they have an agenda unlike we have not to have.

Devin Gardner isn't giving up easy he still has a fight in him and even though Denard is the number one quarterback don't expect the job to be just given to him either. We was there and seen what we seen so maybe you like it and maybe you don't but if you was there you would know we was there.

 

mhayes09

April 11th, 2011 at 2:06 PM ^

Clinic was awesome.  There is a big difference between this defensive staff and last year's defensive staff.  Spent some time with coaches on both sides of the ball.  Through the first two days of practice, thursday and friday, the D looked overmatched and undertalented, but on saturday they showed up big time.  At the clinic last year I don't believe the 1st D ever stopped the 1st O.  During saturday's scrimmage, the 1st D started with two big interceptions(great plays by Cam Gordon and Carvin Johnson).  They also stopped the offense on the next two possessions.  I was really impressed. 

Players who were standouts during practice and scrimmage:

Defense:  Gordon, Johnson, Martin, Roh

Offense:  Roundtree and the rest of the WR group, no one back was great over the others, and the OLine had a lot of trouble protecting the QB

chewieblue

April 11th, 2011 at 3:22 PM ^

Was fortunate enough to attend a spring practice a couple weeks ago and there is a LOT of good going on in there and a few things that are a little discouraging.  By discouraging I mean  to say there is a glaring lack of game-changing talent at some key spots (RB comes to mind... good lord).  I really believe that aside from the whole defense-gate, the failing of the last regime was in talent evaluation.  We have some guys competing for jobs that probably would have done well to be invited walk-ons had the current staff been in place.  

That said, this staff is positive with the kids, while remaining persistent and demanding.  It's my hope that this staff will combine the eye for talent and commitment to fundamentals and physical play that the Mo/Lloyd years showed, with the necessary adaptations to strength training that those staffs had grown a bit lax on (as well as the flexibility in scheming that the current college game calls for).

Couldn't be more excited for the future.