Great stuff by Manish once again. Hopefully this doesnt effect Vlads starting job at LG but i think Callahan will improve him even more which is SCARY.
I'm not shocked they do this. This is a great teaching tool. Makes them play like Jets. From what we've heard, this kid takes defenders and sends them airborne 10 yards deep. His run blocking should be wonderful. His pass blocking will improve, we have Bill Callahan. I really like this kid.
What is so scary about it? He's a raw rookie from a small school. What's scary is how raw he is in pass protection.
I'm hoping that Matt Slauson wins the job and Vlad Ducasse takes sort of a redshirt year. It'd be awesome if our front office found a potential starter like Slauson in the sixth round. What I love about this pick is his versatility. Vlad the Impaler can play both guard spots and he might be able to move outside to right tackle in a few years.
Did you not like this pick, WSW? Alan Faneca was arguably the worst pass blocking guard in the NFL last season. Ducasse is an incredibly raw player with elite talent. Time, talent, and great coaching are on his side. In a few years, Ducasse could be a top tier run blocking guard. We're going to run the football and that's not going to change. His strength is as a run blocker - he fits perfectly into what we're trying to do here.
No, it's not that I don't like the pick, I just think the "scary" comment was out of left field. This guy probably won't be NFL ready this year, and that's the only scary thing. Talk about Faneca's pass blocking all you want, he was still a very good pulling guard in the run game. I think we'll take a hit in that department, and from what I'm told about Ducasse he probably isn't going to be an improvement in the pass game in his rookie year.
You think that if Ducasse doesnt win the job, he becomes the favorite to replace Woody in the future?
Ducasse is very athletic though. A lot of people don't realize how quick he really is. He's got the ability to become a dominant run blocking guard in the NFL. I think pulling and getting the second level will be the strongest part of his game early in his career.
From everything we've been hearing, I think Ducasse was brought in to be the Jets' left guard for the next decade. However, if Slauson wins the job and overachieves (which is highly unlikely), then the coaching staff might think about developing Ducasse as tackle. Ducasse is definitely versatile enough to play most positions on the offensive line, but right now, he fits best inside because of his run blocking ability.
Vlads got superb talent and is obviously all ready a great run blocker, Im stating it would be "Scary" because if Callahan can coach this kid up and make him into even an average pass blocker he can be a fantastic LG, IMO he could become even more then average if he follows his coaches teachings.
I'll drink the Vlad kool-aid when he gets on the field and plays well. I think Callahan can mold him, but I'm skeptical that it will happen this season.
Why does he have to contribute right away? Just because he was a relatively high pick doesn't mean his has to be an instant starter. He's got the ability to be an important player in the future. He's clearly a developmental prospect with incredibly high upside. I think sitting him out a season would be a very smart move for this organization. Remember, this is a kid that started playing football when he was a junior in high school. He's a very raw player. With that said, he was still one of the best players in the FCS in 2009 and he was consistently dominant at that level for two years.
Matt Slauson vs. Vladimir Ducasse If Ducasse beats out Slauson, a player that's been with this coach for years and in this pro offense for more than a year, then it should be very clear to us that the kid's ready to play. I hope that Slauson wins the job, because I think a year of studying and watching from the sidelines will be a great learning experience for Ducasse. I understand that you're upset that we cut Alan Faneca, but it was a move that had to be done. He's not the same player anymore and this organization needs money to lock up young, key players that will be here in the future - Revis, Mangold, Ferguson, and Harris.
I understand your reasoning but why not? Obviously this all depends on training camp and pre-season but IMO Slauson wont be as effective at starting LG as Ducasse could be this season. The Nucleus of this OLine doesnt need to have players switching in and out as the season goes on.They should grow a bond and form as one steady unit over the season to be honest. I get that he's young and being thrown out there so quickly could be fatal but the amount of struggles and experience he wont have to go throw next year might be well worth it in the long run. Who knows maybe he could surprise us all. I remember many didnt want Mangold starting his rookie season and look what experience has done for him now.
It's just awesome that whoever we plug into LG gets the opportunity to play in between the best center in the NFL and a top tier LT. That will speed up their learning curve tremendously.
Nick Mangold played for a major college program and was the best center in the country for at least two years at Ohio State. Don't compare him to Ducasse. This team wants to win now. It's not about the long run this year - we're not a bad team. If Ducasse can't beat out Slauson, then it's clear that he's not ready to play yet. Sitting him a year would be the smart move if he's not ready to play at the next level right away. Slauson may give the team a better shot at winning, then he'll be on the field.
I'm mostly upset that we likely downgraded at LG when this team has a chance to be a legit contender. I completely understand the business decision behind releasing Faneca - it's one that could have been made after the season though. Hopefully I'm wrong and whoever steps in does it very well, but I see LG as having growing pains this season.
