Magox Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 That's not the point. The point being you should captain your club like a warship on the main, keeping your own evaluations of your capabilities to yourself, and let your foes and observers speculate as much as they like, based on whatever they like. It's a philosophy. I think you're reading too much into it.
26CornerBlitz Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 Shannon Sharpe was never much of a blocker, but his presence on the field was still a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. If he's anything close to that, I'll take it...."Good" blocker or not.
VOR Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 I fail to see how Nelson not being a great blocker hurts the offense so much, considering he's a receiving threat? As it stands, teams will be loathe to put 8 in the box, with Evans, TO, and Reed at the WR positions. Now the insert Nelson at TE and teams will need to cover him with a LB or S, probably set a little further from the LOS than he would against a slower TE. On a run to the other side, there is no issue. On a run to his side, Nelson gets in the defender's way and allows the OL and RB to do their jobs. Or the defense says "it's the rookie TE who can't block, it's obviously a pass," they play nickel but the Bills run and have win matchup that way.
billsfan89 Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 Well of course they are going to say that. No team is ever going to say well he sucks and we will be lucky if he is an average blocker. I think that nelson with given time to add some muscle to his frame and work at blocking could become a good blocker at best very good. but as for this year i think if he turns into a respectable blocker by the second half of the season than i will be happy So yeah a team is going to have a good maybe even inflated view of their own talent. Now if another team or scout from another team said that than thats a headline
Dan III Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 That's not the point. The point being you should captain your club like a warship on the main, keeping your own evaluations of your capabilities to yourself, and let your foes and observers speculate as much as they like, based on whatever they like. It's a philosophy. "Never tell anyone outside the family what you are thinking..."
Steely Dan Posted May 4, 2009 Author Posted May 4, 2009 Excuse me, but where in all of those quotes are the words "great blocker"? I'm sorry, it doesn't literally say that. I guess I embellished it a bit because I'm a fan. I guess it should have said "good" blocker.
Thurman#1 Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 Blocking can be taught. Being 6'5" and 243#, running a 4.52, and having great hands, cannot. Blocking can't be taught. Unless the guy REALLY wants it. Nelson really does seem to want it. 90% of the guys who can't block can't because they're physically incapable or mentally not tough enough. Nelson has a possibility of being both physically and mentally tough enough. Gotta love it. Let's hope it happens for him.
Thurman#1 Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 Serious question (I don't know the answer): How are Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates regarded as blockers? Gonzalez is good. Not sure about Gates.
Steely Dan Posted May 4, 2009 Author Posted May 4, 2009 Blocking can't be taught. Unless the guy REALLY wants it. Nelson really does seem to want it. 90% of the guys who can't block can't because they're physically incapable or mentally not tough enough. Nelson has a possibility of being both physically and mentally tough enough. Gotta love it. Let's hope it happens for him. I think that's true of every position.
stuckincincy Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 "Never tell anyone outside the family what you are thinking..."
Magox Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 NEWS FLASH: BREAKING NEWS NELSON IS NOT A DOMINATING BLOCKER Oh god. Now that the Pats and the rest of the NFL knows this, what are we to do?
John from Riverside Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 NEWS FLASH: BREAKING NEWS NELSON IS NOT A DOMINATING BLOCKER Oh god. Now that the Pats and the rest of the NFL knows this, what are we to do? I guess he will have to keep busting teams down the seam for big catches......
offde-fence Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 I think this TE, like all the other players coming out of college, has no secrets about his abilities. Every team in the NFL will know, according to their scouts, what a players strengths and weaknesses are. That said, I agree that our coaches should use a little more discretion in discussing players and schemes and such (No Huddle being advertised). Sure, most teams will know enough already, but we're not good enough yet to telegraph our plans, so I'd like to see a secretive approach more. And for this players blocking skills - we didn't draft him for blocking. Whatever he can add to that the better, but we wanted him because he's fast and can catch the ball. We're looking for our own Gonz, or Gates.
TPS Posted May 5, 2009 Posted May 5, 2009 I'm sorry, it doesn't literally say that. I guess I embellished it a bit because I'm a fan. I guess it should have said "good" blocker. Sorry Fagen, but I saw that headline, and it threw me. Great to me means an A; good a B. I really like this kid, and given his work ethic, I hope he develops into a "good" blocker. Give me a guy with his offensive skills AND a good blocker; damn we've needed that at TE for a long time. We've had too many "great" blockers at TE over the past 10 years....
atlbillsfan1975 Posted May 5, 2009 Posted May 5, 2009 Most of the elite TE in the game are not 'great' blockers. Whitten, Gates, Gonzales....etc. They need to be a competent blocker. Blocking is half footwork and half desire. Nelson has good feet i bet. He just needs to put it to use in blocking sets. Also not too many TE are left on an isalnd with a DE for more then a couple seocnds a most. Most DE would school pretty much any good recieving TE over a game. Thats why the TE is left as a second blocker a lot of times. Helping the tackle double team. Now Nelson would be great comming off the line on goal line, chipping a DE and then fading into the center of the endzone. He could probably out jump most safeties. Pair him with Owens and Evans on 3 and goal from the 5. I like the Bills chances a lot more this year then last. Maybe we can stop leading the league in FGs from under 20 yds. That is probably not accurate but just seems that way.
ChasBB Posted May 5, 2009 Posted May 5, 2009 See, it's stuff like this that once again renews my hope and gets me excited for the coming year(s)...I should know better by now. Thanks for nothing, Steely! Yeah, no matter how hard we get punched in the gut by this team, every year brings new hope! We are gluttons for punishment. But maybe, just maybe, this will be the year of the return to significance -- a playoff team.
Trader Posted May 7, 2009 Posted May 7, 2009 I hear what your saying VOR, but you can't just assume he will become a decent blocker. Blocking itself, is a skill set that is not always just rewarded on effort. Some players are naturally better at blocking. Just like some are naturally more gifted at catching. I often read posts that overlook the importance of blocking at the TE, WR, and RB positions. It's easy to say grab this guy and just school him up on blocking. You never hear, grab this guy and school him up on recieving. Not much different, IMO. That's not to say that Nelson won't ever become a good blocking TE. Players strengthen their abilities all the time and he seems to recognize the fact he will need to block in this offense. If blocking was such a simple skill to teach, why does the league put such a premium on o-linemen? If you watch tape of Nelson you will see that he can block and that he has more than enough athletic ability to block. He is just not completely coached up and he is not quite heavy or strong enough to be an exceptional or consistnat blocker. There is tape on him putting Ray Maluga on the ground at the Senior Bowl practice thoug. There are many great players who did not Block. Jim Brown being one of them. If Brown wanted to block he would have been the best in the game. Being a good blocker for most of these guys is about effort. I believe that two years from now Nelson will be talked about as a complete Tight End.
PushthePile Posted May 7, 2009 Posted May 7, 2009 If you watch tape of Nelson you will see that he can block and that he has more than enough athletic ability to block. He is just not completely coached up and he is not quite heavy or strong enough to be an exceptional or consistnat blocker. There is tape on him putting Ray Maluga on the ground at the Senior Bowl practice thoug. There are many great players who did not Block. Jim Brown being one of them. If Brown wanted to block he would have been the best in the game. Being a good blocker for most of these guys is about effort. I believe that two years from now Nelson will be talked about as a complete Tight End. I admit to not knowing a whole lot about Nelson. I hope you are right about what you see on film. This team hasn't had a duel threat TE in a long time. He is going to be a major factor in Trent's ability to be effective.
SWVABillsFan Posted May 7, 2009 Posted May 7, 2009 Agreed, even though he's raw as a blocker, ya gotta love his attitude and willingness to improve. Got to agree. When Heath Miller came out of college his knock was blocking, he has worked on it and whalla complete top notch NFL TE.
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