That's bullcrap on many levels...
First you're wrongly assuming my expectations were high... when in fact my expectation were really low... My expectations for Spriggs have always been low, because he's a four year starter, that had looked like he had less than two full years of development, and he looked raw as hell despite being a 4 year starter... so my expectations have always been he'll struggle to learn and develop, despite having all the pure physical tools.
Second, Spriggs in his rookie training camp looked SO MUCH better than Spriggs did in his 2nd year training camp, it's fair to expect at minimum for a player to not regress in their 2nd year. So something did happen, as Spriggs got himself into a whole lot of bad habits his first offseason that he knew he wasn't going to be a starter at the start of the season (which would be the first time that's happened for him since high school).
Third, if you actually watched Spriggs this preseason, he played like complete crap, making highschool level mistakes with lots of HORRIBLE habits such as stopping his feet upon contact... which he didn't do as a rookie. I've never seen an OT play like such crap at the end of training camp actually make the roster... even Newhouse in his rookie training camp (worse first start to training camp ever) was clearly better by the end of training camp than how Spriggs finish this training camp.
I think Spriggs actually relaxed more than he meant to and some how got into some horrible OT habits... and couldn't get out of them... and the break might of helped him start fresh again.
Originally Posted by: beast
Your subject Spriggs’ expectations were unsupportable because:
1. they failed to consider that you’re working with a small sliver of the information of all of the information available NEEDED to form such an expectation;
2. [and now it’s seen] they were influenced by bat crap crazy stuff listed above like Spriggs purportedly going all diva because he wasn’t starting; and
3. [and now it’s seen] they failed to evolve from a legitimate analysis of his actual play.
#1 and #2 are self-explanatory. As to #3, in your words, you say you saw Spriggs play like “complete crap.” Conversely, my expectations were forged from the realization that I have a sliver of info and what I saw: a guy that played great, mediocre and bad depending on the play; a guy that sometimes played great and bad in the same play [EG Against Washington he was slow off the snap a little too high and got beat bad off the snap. He was being driven right into Callahan, but unbelievably and athletically regained his balance and anchored-very very impressive recovery].
Reasonable expectations for an underperforming young OLman, factor in the way mental uncertainty and lack of reps can interfere with physical performance, to wit:
Many OLman achieve more command of playbook in 2nd year; but still don’t have it down cold and they KNOW IT, so there’s some doubt. In huddle he gets play and snap count, as he approaches LOS, he’s thinking of and assuring himself of his assignment; then QB checks and he has to readjust all this thinking; then the D moves and he readjusts his thinking; Center calls out “blue” tweeking assignments and he rethinks his assignment; the G on his side sees something on his side and yells, “Sparrow” or if too loud he slaps T on thigh which adjusts their assignments on that side, his mind adjusts AGAIN. With all this stuff swirling in his mind, he asks himself, damn what the hell was the snap count? The ball snaps and his guy drops in coverage or loops inside or comes as expected but the CB is blitzing and he his thinking goes out the window and he must react in an instant to physically perform against some of the best athletes in the world. His slightest mental pause, his slightest mental doubt, leaves him at a severe physical disadvantage and he could look quite silly. He then has to learn from it, but also put all this out of his head for the next play.
He then reads or a friend or family member calls to ask about something they read about him. He then has to put out of his mind the embarrassment and that arrogant idiots have libeled him.
With more time he processes the playbook better. With more practice and game reps these mental gyrations described above gradually morph into involuntary reaction. As the mental gymnastics give way to reaction; the focus turns to knocking the crap out of his opponent and its easier to remember the snap count. BTW, forgetting snap count happens a lot. Whenever you see a OLman slow to react off the snap it’s usually because he forgot the snap count, so his first move doesn’t come until he sees the DLman move.
Legitimate expectations are formed first from the fact that the fan doesn’t know jack shit. They see 15 PS snaps over 4 games and can only guess at what the player’s assignment was or how the guy next to him screwed up, which made him look bad. Using these snaps, which can’t be fully evaluated, which is 1/1,000,000 of the info needed, to form strong unwavering opinions about a player’s upside is the zenith of foolishness and arrogance. Understanding the natural process will dampen the need for “he’s a bust” opinionated idiotic opinions, which will reduce the need for lame explanations as to why they guy suddenly got better.