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Freddie Burden cleared
- Thread starter CuseJacket
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Great new. Good luck and best wishes to Freddie... be careful and stay un-injured!
collegeballfan
Helluva Engineer
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So it will be Burden, O'Reilly and Muns battling for the starting Center position?
techman78
Jolly Good Fellow
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Great news! After all the bad news this time last week things are looking better. Ready for NSD and then spring practice.
IronJacket7
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Great news! Congrats Freddie!
Yaller Jacket
Ramblin' Wreck
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This is great news! Does anyone know what kind of shape Burden and Autry are in for spring practice?
Eric
Retired Co-Founder
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Correct.
Eric
Retired Co-Founder
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They have continued working out everyday so they should be in good shape...I am sure Spring practice will get them back into football condition.
If Joe, Burden etc are all back for spring...and go through spring healthy, then their time off will not impact them. Typically OL can come back quicker than a WR tearing an ACL...so for me, I hope and think if all healthy on the OL and can make it through spring that way, then our OL although replacing 3 Seniors...will not be worse. Although we do need a Center to step up quick.
First really, it can't be too much worse can it (I guess it always can but we were really not good this year), and second staying healthy = continuity and so next year the OL may not be as big a ? as we think.
For me the biggest issue is WDE. if we lose any assistant coaches (should know after signing day). S will be fine. CB will be young but just as talented as a unit with what left (more athleticism)....and young CB is not that big a deal if they are talented (reference FSU).
In general the further from the ball the younger you can be and be ok...
But WDE, SDE are a real issue...And LB has been a bit underwhelming...
I also hope we can work to get more balance on our offense, tweak a scheme or two...we will see...
First really, it can't be too much worse can it (I guess it always can but we were really not good this year), and second staying healthy = continuity and so next year the OL may not be as big a ? as we think.
For me the biggest issue is WDE. if we lose any assistant coaches (should know after signing day). S will be fine. CB will be young but just as talented as a unit with what left (more athleticism)....and young CB is not that big a deal if they are talented (reference FSU).
In general the further from the ball the younger you can be and be ok...
But WDE, SDE are a real issue...And LB has been a bit underwhelming...
I also hope we can work to get more balance on our offense, tweak a scheme or two...we will see...
AE 87
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While I appreciate that our OL did not perform as well as we'd like this year, I think it's hyperbole to suggest that they were so bad "it can't be too much worse." We were an option team last year with a QB that couldn't make option reads, and we still did fairly well offensively even with several expected starters and 2deep hurt at times.
ramblinvak
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Is Burden currently being penciled in as our starting Center next year or is this something that will work itself out as the year progresses?
The reality is the ol did not play well at all, in fact considering everything it may have been the worst performance over a year of pj's tenure. And what i mean by considering everything is time in system, experience, etc etc. the 2008 OL did just as good.
So is it hyperbole? Some. But truth to it too. I cant see our line getting much worse next year IF and i said IF above they stay healthy through spring and fall camp.
Of course we havent seen that happen since 2008 and 2009 either.
Cant answer but i can say its the most important spot and i hope to god we can pencil anyone in that spot and stick with them since that would be a sign they are playing good. Its the one spot on OL we need an answer quick on. If not could be trouble.
Dustman
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I have high hopes for Burden. Didn't he receive scout team honors before he got injured? I would guess O'Reilly is ahead of him right now because he backed up Finch this year.
AE 87
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Fair enough. I guess I just disagree. Again, I'm not saying our OL was great, but I think that we had more problems with perimeter blocking from A-Backs and WRs this year and last than we did in 2008 and 2009.
I can't remember if any of our opponents in 2008 and 2009 lined up on D like they all do now. I think Iowa in the 2009 OB was the first one or the first one to do it well. I'm pretty sure that CU in 2008 and 2009 used the same sort of D that Syracuse used this year, I think it's called a Double Eagle or Bear front, something like that. Compare what GT did against that front this year to our performance in those previous years. The Iowa, now ACC, D vs GT is not a blueprint but it does stress the OL more than other fronts and requires the QB to be able to make quick option reads and pick up stunts better.
Again, we averaged 30 pts/game against BCS AQ opponents and probably average 2+ fewer drives/game than most. When you consider that we're doing that without being able to run much option, I've got to think that we've got a better than average OL. Yeah, it's not yet top 15 but, and it's not great in pass protection on downs where we have to pass, but that's not what it was designed for. On regular downs, our pass protection was often better than before, imo.