If You Could Add One Rodriguez/Hoke Player to This Team
Who would it be? Who would most improve this team? Brandon Graham was great, but we are loaded at that position. I don't think Denard, b/c not clear how he fits. I'd go for either Jake Ryan (big upgrade over big question marks) or Taylor Lewan, who is perhaps not as big an upgrade over who will play there, but certainly better and gives O-line better depth.
Discuss.
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:09 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:41 PM ^
OSU - 10 att - 128 yards - 1 TD
I'm S. Carolina (as a RB) - 23 att - 100 yards
He played some RB against Iowa as well but he was very limited with what he knew how to do because he had never played the position until then. Harbaugh didn't ask Peppers to be a full time RB immediately, he gave him a package just like Borges did with Denard. When he could increase the package because of bowl practices he did. Before then he played them on the field at the same time. Your complaint isn't correct.
In fact it's the opposite of correct. If anything he was creative to a fault. Complain about QB development, scouting, balancing identity and installation, getting good assistants, etc. But the guy had top 25 offenses at at least 4 different schools, all with major schematic differences. UCLA was a traditional WCO. Auburn was a hybrid WCO/Spread/Wing that managed to find a way to utilize two of the best RBs in college football simultaneously. SDSU was a shotgun based, 11 personnel Air Coryell offense and One blocking scheme. Michigan was mostly a man blocking based spread with Denard followed by a WCO/Pistol hybrid with DG. Creativity was one of his strengths. He had other weaknesses that are legit that people could point out.
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:47 PM ^
OSU - 10 attempts. You have to be shitting be if you think it made any sense at all to use him that sparingly. Even if Denard has just a rudimentary understanding of the playbook at a different position, you put him out there. Why? Because the opponent must account for him as the best athlete on the field. Even if he doesn't touch the ball on many plays, he is 100% worth being out there as decoy.
If by "creative" you mean completely failing to identify and develop the most basic fundamentals for a style of offense--rather just trying any damn flavor of the week instead--I guess you're technically right.
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:48 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 9:00 PM ^
I think Peppers being in his first year with this offense, it being only half way through the season and the fact he primarily plays on the other side of the ball is worlds different from a senior quarterback who knows the playbook backwards and forward in his last game ever (and in the second season with the same coordinator).
If your argument boils down to "I know college football and you don't" I am not sure what I can say to rebut that. I just think it was obvious Borges didn't make enough of attempt to use the athleticism of his best players. Which, given the lack of player development, was really all Michigan had to work with on O.
(My second paragraph is a response to your last paragraph, which was unrelated to the rest of your post.)
August 23rd, 2016 at 9:11 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 9:17 PM ^
So do you think it was mostly about not wanting him to be re-injured? That is an argument I had not considered.
August 23rd, 2016 at 9:29 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:11 PM ^
Come on SC. How many times did Borges put Peppers on offense for a play? Exactly. NEVER! He wouldn't utilize the talent he had.
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:21 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 9:32 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 7:32 PM ^
We got a taste of what he could do with his sophomore year, one of the great seasons of all time (statistically)
plus, we are talking DENARD,
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:03 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^
Denard would be a tailback in a Harbaughfence. He would be an explosive playmaker on a team badly in need of them. Imagine he and Chesson as a dynamic 1 2 punch. Drob would help the team much more than Jake, Taylor or any other RR player, as the offence is much weaker and Denard helps paper over OL weaknesses(Taylor is great but not a skill position). He has that rare ability to create something out of nothing a la Barry Sanders.
IMHO the lack of explosive offensive players is what could keep this team out of the playoffs. Imagine switching Deveon with Ty Wheat Sr, Biakabutuka or even Hart. That is the missing ingredient.
August 23rd, 2016 at 10:23 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 10:44 PM ^
Wait wait wait.... Denard doesn't offer much of an upgrade as a playmaker over Peppers?
I LOVE Jabrill; and he's a great tackler and an exciting returner. But Denard was the 2nd most electric player in Michigan history and scored 91 touchdowns.
I think the Peppers hype is getting a little carried away. He's got all the potential in the world but he hasn't done much yet in big games.
August 24th, 2016 at 12:02 AM ^
As much as we all love Peppers, I think Denards first season starting vs. almost anyone in college football was very impressive.
August 24th, 2016 at 8:18 AM ^
Go back and watch Denard highlights. They are un-effing-believable. Utilized properly, Denard would make ANY college football team better.
August 23rd, 2016 at 11:11 PM ^
It's what he does. Either Denard, who without any good coaching holds 8 of the top 10 offensive performances in Michigan Football history or Devin who holds one of the remaining 2 would have been death from above with just one year under Harbaugh.
August 24th, 2016 at 2:34 PM ^
If Chris Evans is any threat to see the field, how could Denard NOT make this team far better? I mean, you line up Denard in the backfield, Peppers in the slot and Chesson wide. Chesson goes in motion, Peppers in the flat, and Denard going the opposite way from Chesson. What the hell do you do as a defense? Who do you spy? Fuggetaboutit.
1) Denard
2) Lewan
3) Ryan
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:06 PM ^
Jake Ryan would make our only defensive weakness a strength and our entire defense an absolute beast
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:10 PM ^
He said "you could add one". This isn't OSU... we actually have rules around here.
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:05 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:21 PM ^
Ditto. QB will work itself out under Harbaugh, just need a legit LT to protect their blindside.
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:32 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:55 PM ^
I think it really would have focused his aggression and matured him a little.
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^
That's what I was thinking. It's a really important position where we are vulnerable. You could say there is a good deal of uncertainty at QB, for sure, but I think we will ultimately be fine there. LT could be more of crapshoot.
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:06 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:13 PM ^
I thought of this, too. It sounds like Cole will be good at center, but this would add a lot of depth to the line. If just a best-five situation, though, Lewan is probably the clearer upgrade at left tackle.
This is kind of tough to call, because the weakness in the current team are in areas that weren't strengths during the Hoke and RR era. Guard, for example, or LB. Ryan is the default pick at LB, but his ideal position has been usurped by the Peppers HSP role. He was fine in the middle, but not dominant the way he was on the edge. Still the best addition, though.
August 23rd, 2016 at 7:19 PM ^
Kovacs would be another "deserves a mention" player
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:13 PM ^
Adding Lewan instead makes more sense (assuming Cole is really good at center, which it seems is quite likely). Cole is not an elite tackle.
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:21 PM ^
But Cole will end up winning the Rimington anyways! =)
August 23rd, 2016 at 9:28 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:06 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:08 PM ^
Pre-PTSD Gardner or Jake Ryan. If Devin could have been coached by Harbaugh from 2011 on he'd be making millions right now, it's really a shame.
I love Denard but he wouldn't play QB in this offense, isn't the in the Harbaugh mold of a bruising RB, and we already have plenty of skill at the recieving positions.
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^
I miss my boy Denard. Favorite Michigan player of all time
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:25 PM ^
Me too. He was the most beloved Michigan player since Charles Woodson and a beacon of light during the RR/Hoke years.
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^
Denard. Put him anywhere.
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:12 PM ^
Left Tackle.
August 23rd, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 7:10 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 7:32 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 8:15 PM ^
But how much of an upgrade is he over Darboh or Chesson, if at all? I guess a slight upgrade over Darboh?
August 24th, 2016 at 12:34 AM ^
With Harbaugh, Funch = Megatron