Here’s leoram...
So much of the OL game is mental and this is where both Noteboom’s frustrating experience and subsequent injury time to observe can be transformative. Before I explain the progression, let’s consider that last year both he and Allen were groomed for LG and C, but only Boom kept his job so it’s not like the coaches are blindly returning these guys to their positions out of stubbornness. Also, Boom’s athleticism is superior to both Corbett and Edwards so his potential has a higher ceiling.
Mental reps and pre-imaging are essential tools for unlocking potential in athletes. A pitcher in baseball has to synch up his rocker step, leg kick, hip rotation, stride, release point, and follow through. He has to imagine and then feel each part of it before he practices them on the mound. For linemen, there are so many factors to process that it makes most player’s heads spin and that’s where Boom was last year. It starts with assignment recognition and the ability to quickly adjust if the defense so predicates. Then there’s the snap count that needs to become a natural and subliminal reaction. A proper stance, get off, strike, stick, and follow through need to be semi-automatic somewhat like what I described for a pitcher. Then there’s the ability to counter like a wrestler when a DLineman executes his move. IF AND ONLY IF, six games of poor execution were absorbed in his mind as training for the necessary mental reps to allow him to play more instinctively, we may see a much improved player this year. What’s more, if this didn’t occur...do any of us really think McVay and Kromer would fail to recognize it?
I need to see him in game action a couple times to evaluate his real progress but I agree with the coaching staff that giving up his potential this early would be a terrible waste at this juncture. Joe’s success now is the best long term option for the team going forward. But if he’s not up to it, wouldn’t you prefer to know now or relive the Greg Robinson nightmare of years past? This staff is unafraid to make such difficult decisions...see Gurley, Cooks, Peters, Talib, Matthews, et al.
