Of course you can't say that with Ducasse, he's only had 1 yr in the league. DBrick struggled his first season and worked hard to improve his game so that by his third year he was a good LT. Ducasse, like alot of others before him is taking some time to adjust in the NFL. There are NFL HOF OL who weren't good enough to start on the OL until their 3rd seasons. It takes some guys some time to get good, consistent improvement and hard work are the keys. Ducasse looked pretty solid as RG against the Gals. Hopefully he keeps making progress, and doesn't listen to the knuckleheads out there who refuse to understand that he was always considered a project and who also refuse to admit that he played a nice game.
I don't think he is as far away from being able to start as people think. He is still making mental errors which for this year I will blame on lack of film study during the lockout. I think it is obvious that he has the desire to play at the pro level. All reports from player led workouts during the lockout were that he was working his ass off. I think he is already there physically now if he works his ass off understanding the mental part of the game this year I would say he can start next year. I would even go as far as to say I expect him to start next year. If he isn't starting next year I will be right there with the people who think he will never make it. He has the physical tools, the drive to succeed and now just needs to get the mental side down. If he can't do that with a full year to focus on it I will be very, very concerned. I also expect that he will be able to be depended on as a backup this year. Maybe not week one, but by week 6 I would expect that he be on the active roster every week. I will become more concerned about him if going into next year if the staff does not trust him in an emergency this year.
I don't know, I do not see many similarities between Brick and Ducasse/Gholston. Brick developed slow to be sure, but he started right off the bat. I am sorry, if a fan can not see the disparity in talent between Brick and the other 2, they should have their head examined. All it took was for Brick to grow into the position. I think when he started he was probably down to 270-280, a glorified TE. Like Brick, I don't think VD has work ethic or desire issues that plagued Gholston. I never liked Gholston, just never complained about him. It was readily apparent he was a giant black hole of suck. He had no desire to play football. I have seen that in hockey, with teammates that were easily skilled enough to play in the NHL, but for what ever reason never had the desire or requisite toughness. It really is a shame, especially considering how few have that opportunity. At this point we can all agree that VD needs a lot of work to become a serviceable player. I don't think shitting all over him is really much fun nor serves any purpose whatsoever. So I will be happy to give him another year. I am going to hope for the best but not certain it will happen.
That's one thing people seem to forget, or never realized in the first place. Brick was still growing into his body, and it was said from day one he wouldn't be Jonathan Ogden right away. Brick had a typical rookie LT season for a guy who was undersized. Once he got into an NFL weight training program that next offseason, there was plenty of improvement from year 1 to year 2. Year 3, he makes the pro bowl. I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone can go fuck themselves? I really forgot the point I was trying to make half way through this post.
It should have been obvious to you, not only in regard to my post but because that is the way this message board and all others like it work, that I was making a point in regard to ones that preceded mine. I think it was clear from my second paragraph that I was addressing the observation that Ducasse played better in teh second game, and I identified two factors which help explain that, two factors which a previous analysis had left out. In that connection I was also making the point that his better play at Guard, next to the best player on the line, does not in itself inspire confidence that the team should be comfortable with Ducasse as the first backup for eitehr Tackle position. That is the point.
So here's the question - do you feel comfortable with Ducasse as the first backup for both Tackle positions on Opening Day?
Short answer .... no. Especially the tackles. If he has another performance like the Texans one during regular season, it could very well get Sanchez killed, and then who steps up? You can't live life on coulda woulda shoulda, but is it really worth taking the risk?
Today the answer is no. In a few weeks it might be different. Like I said I think physically he can play the position today. If he is comfortable enough with the assignments to be trusted in a few weeks I won't have a problem with it. We'll know where he is at by the decision the coaches make on what to do with him week one.
I was on Gholston's side all along. Right to the end. And I honestly didn't even truly turn on him until the other day when he made his stupid "Rex didn't give me a chance" comment. As for Brick, I advised patience for him all along as well. I've also aways supported Bryan Thomas. Guys I've been against? Clowney. Woodhead. Nugent. In that circle, the only one you could say I was "wrong" about was Woodhead, but he never would have succeeded on the Jets. Good ballplayer, just not the right fit. All I'm saying is, people have crazy overreactions around here about players, in both directions. As for your take on Ducasse, I'm actually with you. I'm not certain he's ever going to work out, and he doesn't look like his ceiling is more than average, but in the end, I'm going to give guys like Rex and Callahan the opportunity to work with this guy. That said, I wish they'd spend some of the money still left and get a vet in here. ----------- Something people need to keep in mind too, the Jets likely expected Woody to return, and no one expected Turner to go down for a long peroid. Ducasse wasn't expected to be a primary backup on the line this year, nevermind a possible starter. Sure, you can say that's shortsighted, but come on. You can't fill every position based on maybes. We drafted DLinemen, which everyone wanted. Many people clamored about McKnight not being good enough, and we drafted Powell. Everyone wanted receivers, so we brought back Holmes and pulled in Burress and Mason. We even kept our secondary largely intact. Tanny makes miracles, but he can't see the future. Ducasse should be a garbage-time player this year. That would give him the opportunity to develop without risk. Unfortunately, the cards didn't fall that way. Now we have to hope. I'd say Packers fans would tell us to stop crying after their year last year.
I guess I should clarify, since it wasn't really obvious on re-reading what I wrote. I'm uncertain Ducasse will be "great" but like I said, I see him topping out as average, which isn't "bad." I stuck with Gholston more on hope than anything else, admittedly. More hope in Rex than Vern. I don't need hope for Ducasse. I firmly believe he'll be serviceable. I just don't have overwhelming hope that he'll be above-average or better. When I said "work out" I meant in terms of the team's vision for him, namely a good starter. At least, that's what I assume the plan was when they drafted him. I hope that makes more sense now.
I think perhaps the best way for doubters to view VD is in terms of the distance he has to travel before fulfilling his pro potential. Linemen like D'Brick and Nick did not have too far to travel before reaching a level of proficiency near or at elite levels. Vlad, on the other hand, a a result of his limited experience/knowledge, has a longer road to travel. While I appreciate the impatient nature of many fans, Ducasse will undoubtedly be a top guard or tackle before all is said and done. With his size, strength and agility, he's like a mega horsepower race car except he's only just started learning to drive pretty recently and one does not go from a learner's permit to driving for a formula 1 race team over night. People hate to wait but it took Wayne Hunter 8 years to get the starting RT gig which everyone feels he most definitely deserves. VD has had more to learn than most but his upside is tremendous. And, to those making idiotic comparisons to Gholston, Vlad unlike the departed Ghost, IS improving every day and will continue to do so.
This is why people go bezerk and scream MEGA-BUST! You went the complete opposite direction. You say he'll "undoubtedly be a top guard or tackle" when there is absolutely no reason to believe that at all. What has he shown so far to make someone say that? Sure, you can point to a lack of experience as the reason he's not there now, but there's no way to legitimately predict he'll ever gain enough experience before his body grows too old for the game. I completely side with those who say "Chill out and give him time to grow" but anyone who is already convinced that he's a future star should relax quite a bit too. I'm not saying don't be hopeful that he becomes a star. I don't think there's anyone who doesn't hope he'll be a Pro-Bowler some day. At the same time, I'm sure every Jets fan would've liked to have seen Gholston become a Pro-Bowler too, no matter how much they grew to hate him. Everyone wants players on this team to succeed. It's reasonable to have doubts it will happen. All we can do is have hope that it clicks for the player, and that the coaches are smart enough to know when it never will (see: Gholston, Vernon).
That's just my opinion. I could easily be wrong just as easily as those who project him as a bust or "average" player. I base my opinion on the fact that his size, strength and particularly his rare athleticism are well above average. And while some tremendous athletes at different positions have turned out to be NFL busts, all things being equal, I believe the prospects for success favor the better athlete more often than not. The fact that most scouts ranked him as one of the best OG prospects coming into last year's draft counts for something as well, particularly in light of or despite his obvious rawness and lack of experience. Now if he was a lazy kid with a two-cent brain, I would have serious concerns as to whether he could continue to move forward on a steady path of development but he has proven himself to be a hard worker with an excellent work ethic and a good student. In the end, your forecast may be the right one but the Jets' current CS & FO looked at this raw project of a player and picked him where they did because they believed him to be a superior prospect and not an "average" one. They might be proven wrong eventually too. At this very early stage in the game, I just feel that there are more compelling reasons to believe he will become a superior lineman as opposed to an average, below average or bust lineman.
Vlad has had positive moments however that doesn't prevent the morons from incessently shitting on him regardless of the fact that he played well. the local loon patrol wants to cut him for a false start in practice. :rofl:
All I'm saying is, people have crazy overreactions around here about players, in both directions. You are 1000% right. He was brought in as a project with a 3-4 year window that said, I wish they'd spend some of the money still left and get a vet in here. They still might do that Tanny makes miracles, but he can't see the future. He has done a spectacular job under tough circumstances. It's time for Jet fans to stop whinning
They may well bring in an OL - there will be plenty available shortly. Hopefully Vlad cranks it up and continues to develop his game week to week. He looked pretty good in the last game.
