While We’re Waiting… Tribe Pitching Staff, New Kick-Off Rules and Buckeye Offense

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“There are some growing concerns with right-handed closer Chris Perez. He has now blown two straight saves, one on July 19th in Minnesota and another on Friday night in Texas. The three week stretch between closing opportunities shows just how much of a struggle it has been for the Indians to win games consistently of late. Both blown saves were crushing losses for a team starving for victories any way they can get them.

Before anyone suggests a kneejerk reaction has occurred, the concerns with Perez are not just surfacing now after two blown saves. These are concerns many people have brought up since earlier in the year and lots of baseball people have been monitoring all season. Perez, 26, may be 22-for-25 (88%) in save opportunities, but you have to look much deeper below the surface where lots of warning signs are firing. Almost all of the indicators and rates for him have gone in the wrong direction compared to last year.” [Tony/Indians Prospect Insider]

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“My brain refuses to process anything other than Braxton Miller playing well enough to earn either the starting job or at least significant playing time in the event the coaches think it’s a good idea to play two QB’s for an extended period which obviously it’s not. I guess even if Miller were to falter, the offense still projects to be a run heavy outfit with safer passes such as screens to backs, shorter looks to the tight ends and bubbles / quick hitters to the WR’s as the preferred tosses of choice.

Thinking of Miller’s skill set and inexperience, I was curious to see how the offensive balance stacked up in 2008, when a similarly inexperienced dual threat QB took the reins basically in the 3rd game before making his first start the following week. Of course, Miller is ahead of Pryor’s passing curve at this stage with TP being superior physically. Additionally, I was interested in seeing how prominent the RB’s were in the passing game knowing we have at least six (Boom, Berry, Hall, Smith, Boren, Homan) that can be focal points or safety valves when Miller looks to throw the football.” [Chris/Eleven Warriors]

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“Regardless, if there is going to be an aspect of the team that keeps them in the race (and stop me if you’ve heard this before), it will be the starting pitching as, with the addition of Ubaldo (1st start considered), the Indians have a top of the rotation that cannot be matched in the AL Central, with rotational depth that the Tigers cannot approach and top-heavy rotational strength that is better than what the White Sox have to offer. While we’re not quite “Justin and Ubaldo and pray for…snow”, the Indians have set themselves up to feed off of those two arms at the top of the rotation, with the hope that Tomlin, Carmona, Carrasco, and Huff can fill in adequately behind them and that the “Bullpen Mafia” (© Nino Colla, 2011) can recapture their earlier success and support a still-young, still-depleted lineup.” [Cousineau/The DiaTribe]

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“Besides, championship teams are built on the offensive and defensive lines. Look at what an improved offensive line – featuring young studs such as perennial Pro Bowler Joe Thomas and Alex Mack – was able to do for running back Peyton Hillis. With Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard in place, 2011 could be the defensive line’s opportunity to turn heads. A better defensive line improves the linebackers and takes pressure off of the secondary – it’s the most important cog in the defensive machine.

Plus, you have to consider what the Browns got in return from the Atlanta Falcons for the trade that would allow them to draft Jones. For the sixth overall pick, the Browns received five picks in return, including the Falcons’ number-one pick in 2012, giving the Browns two first-round selections next year.” [DiMatteo/Dawg Pound Daily]

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“The new rule that moves the kickoff to the 35-yard line from the 30 nearly ensures that even average-strength kickers will now routinely sail kickoffs so deep into the end zone that only the most audacious, or maybe capricious, returner would think to take them out. Last year, 16.4 percent of kickoffs resulted in touchbacks, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The N.F.L. estimates that number could rise to 30 percent, but special-teams coaches say at least 40 percent of kickoffs will end with the returner taking a knee in the end zone.” [Battista/New York Times]