NFL News: Phil Taylor to return to practice on Wednesday
October 24, 2012Pinkston reports that Pinkston to be released from hospital today
October 24, 2012While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Breaking down the chances of each player making the Cavs’ final roster- “Group 2: The Contract Men. Two Lukes and a Boobie: guys whose chances of making the team hinge around their contract. Luke Walton: In the final year of a 6 year, $30 million dollar contract, costing the Cavs $6.1 Million this year, it seems highly unlikely that the Cavs will buy out or waive the elder Luke. Why? Because they don’t want to play a guy that much money to do nothing, and because he’s bad enough that once he’s off the Cavs, he’s probably out of the league. Which means he probably won’t take a buyout. While his preseason play hasn’t set the world on fire, it hasn’t been too bad. With a decent game against Orlando, he showed that he can at least play NBA basketball in a meaningless game for 11 minutes. The expiring contract could be a big chip at the trade deadline too. Look for him to stick at least till February, and fill the Anthony Parker memorial “stately veteran” role for the Cavs (but thankfully not actually play very much). Chances of making the Cavs: 90%.” [Smith/Cavs the Blog]
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“Thoughts: Do our safeties even exist? This has been a very disappointing season in 2012, and one that Cleveland will be looking to address next season in the draft or via free agency. T.J. Ward did have one pass breakup near the end zone when Andrew Luck targeted Reggie Wayne, but I’d like to see Ward come up with a pick there.” [Pokorny/Dawgs By Nature]
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Wait, what? “Despite kicking booming field goals and becoming one of the best high school kickers in the state of Texas, Phil Dawson found his greatest joy when he wasn’t kicking the football. It was playing on the offensive line.” [Wright/Cleveland.com]
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“Purdue’s aggressive game plan—aided by four Ohio State turnovers—sufficiently scuttled the Buckeye attack through most of the game. This was largely a product of three factors. The first was that Purdue was able to slow down the Ohio State run game enough to set the Buckeyes behind the chains. Though Purdue’s numbers advantage was certainly part of it, Purdue also at times successfully controlled the line of scrimmage. The most straightforward way to stop a spread-to-run team is to control the frontside run action. Though the quarterback read negates an opposing defender, read plays are not a true option in that it still requires successful playside blocking to succeed. If a team can stymie the front-side play then the additional defenders can account for the QB. Purdue was able to do so enough to render OSU’s run game inconsistent. Despite its recent lack of success, Purdue does have several talented interior defensive tackles who were at times able to give the Ohio State offensive line—in particular Marcus Hall—fits.” [Fulton/Eleven Warriors]
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Great piece on broadcasters’ rare use of advanced metrics- “The disconnect between the way advanced statistics are used in baseball front offices — the Philadelphia Phillies perhaps being the lone, stubborn exception — and the way they are used in media coverage of baseball is so vast that you’d almost think television is covering a different sport entirely. Inside the world of baseball, WAR and OPS+ and so on are simply the way general managers and team staff talk about their jobs, the way CPAs talk about spreadsheets and financial advisors discuss Roth IRAs, the way any profession talks about anything.” [Leitch/Sports on Earth]
7 Comments
I don’t think our “expiring” contracts are nearly as big chips as our cap space.
As much as I hate Grantland in general, they do have Zach Lowe now. He wrote a pretty good piece on the NBA and describes some teams that may be looking for an Atlanta style reboot come the deadline. Memphis (Gay, Randolph), OKC (Perkins) are two of the examples. With OKC, it’s possible we might be able to get Perkins for nothing so they can save their amnesty exception (if they truly fear going over the luxury line).
Almost time to see real NBA basketball.
Unfair I think by Chris Pokorny on TJ. He’s been pretty good this year. FS is a concern though. I don’t think Usama Young is particularly good (and his tackling is reckless) and the coaching staff couldn’t hook Hagg quick enough it would seem.
IMO Ward has not developed as expected and is a disappointment considering he was the #38th overall pick in the draft. He always hits hard so he’s effective in run support. And maybe he’s slightly better staying with a receiver than he was his rookie year. But he is not the intimidator in the secondary they said he would be.
He doesn’t affect the passing game with hits over the middle or anywhere in his assigned zone because his anticipation of where the QB will throw is virtually non-existent. His first move to the receiver is generally when the pass is halfway there. You’ll sometimes see him come up and mug a receiver standing in the flat but his IQ regarding receiver routes and offensive schemes seems really low and it’s just not improving. We have no idea how his hands are b/c he’s never in position to jump a route (like last week, where Luck stared amd threw into double coverage, he was right there but was a step late). Not sure if he’s allergic to the film room, doesn’t like to work on this part of the game or just has limited upside. No matter, he should be peaking as a NFL player but looks like he plateaued as an intimidator when he knocked out Jordan Shipley his rookie year.
I agree on the pass coverage aspect. The one thing you left out above is that he is injured an awful lot of the time. When he’s been “healthy” he has flown all over the field and racked tackles. then inevitably, he gets dinged up and his tackle numbers fly south.
The funniest thing about the Phil Dawson interview is that it took place at a barber shop.
He is dinged a lot. But when he’s healthy he flies to running backs, not to spots in coverage. My point is that a safety picked at #38 needs to have a more complete skill set. Three years in it looks like he should have been considered a project with potential nice upside, maybe a 4th rounder. I think his skill set is more suited to a light LB, like Craig Robertson. A player drafted there doesn’t need to be an all-pro but should be at least one of the league’s better players at his position and he’s so limited that don’t see how he ever can be.
Because he shaves his head?