IMO is severely impacting the ability of personnel people to properly evaluate players.
We all know the difficulties associated with evaluating spread offense qb's, but as a result evaluating offensive lineman has become problematic as well.
Case in point Greg Robinson:
I don't think his failures have anything to do with desire, from all indications he is a hard worker.
He even took it upon himself to seek outside help and according to LeCharles Bentley, GRob put in the work.
GRob was just maddenly inconsistent demonstrating numerous mental errors.
Because he had very little experience and coming from a "spread offense" it's much more difficult to project how an offensive lineman will adjust to the pro game because most of them have never gotten into a three-point stance to blow an opponent off the ball or been asked to maintain a block for more than a few seconds.
Some college offenses that run the spread may throw the ball 50-60 times, so its difficult to evaluate every technique that they’re going to be taught in the pros.
So you kind of project them to your environment. You project traits, you project size, strength and movement. Is he an instinctive player? Can he react quickly? If he checks all those boxes, then you feel reasonably confident that he can come in and learn the techniques that you’re running.
It’s much easier when you evaluate a guy coming from a run/power offense where you can see him do the things you’re going to ask him to do in your system. It becomes more difficult when you have to project a player coming from a totally divergent system.
With GRob and others coming from the spread, I don't think they're used to the physicality of the NFL game from a three-point stance, and how complex the pass protections are. The physical ability with GRob is there, its the mental from a technical aspect that trips him up as evidenced by his inconsistency.
With Jeff Fisher his profile was an athletic guy, a guy that has strength and power and agile movement, GRob checked those boxes so they made an educated guess based on those traits. Mental aptitude has never been high on Fisher's priority list.
Maybe GRob becomes a serviceable player in the NFL, maybe he doesn't but Greg Robinson is systematic of what NFL teams are dealing with in today's game.
Best,
Laram
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2017 09:04AM by laram.
