http://www.mlive.com/sports/flint/index.ssf/2010/07/jake_long_ranked_29th-best_nfl.html If anyone could find the actual list feel free to add it to this thread. It just caught my attention that Pete Prisco is the one doing the list.
the 26-50 list: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/...an-even-harder-task?tag=pageRow;pageContainer the 1-25 list: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/...peyton-brady-around?tag=pageRow;pageContainer
This list seems dated...Andre Johnson#7, Charles Woodson#16, Champ Bailey#19. I think the youngins are ready to stage a coup.
The funniest part is that he says he has improved as a run blocker, as if it was a negative when he came out of Michigan. At least thats what I got from his choice of words. His pass pro has improved, or at least it did aside from the Falcons game, but he has always been a bell cow in the run game - bar none. It seems Prisco has it the other way around.
Well, when Belicheck moved Wilfork out to RDE to cover Big Jake, iirc Wilfork got the better of that matchup, something Jake will have to work on.
The only problem with those three you've listed is Bailey at #19. Charles Woodson is still one of the best CBs in the NFL, more or less tied with Nnamdi Asomugha.
I know Clady is very good in Pass protection but there are better out there over the last two years including Jake. I just don't get it.... [TABLE="head; width=90%"]{colsp=2}|{colsp=4}2008|{colsp=4}2009|{colsp=5}Total Player|TEAM|Snaps|SK|HIT|PR|Snaps|SK|HIT|PR|Snaps|SK|HIT|PR|Snaps/SK Orlando Pace|CHI|854|1|5|17|675|1|6|36|1529|2|11|53|764.50 Michael Roos|TEN|1003|1|1|12|1039|4|6|23|2042|5|7|35|408.40 Jake Long|MIA|1001|2|9|15|1147|4|5|7|2148|6|14|22|358.00 Jared Gaither|BLT|1095|2|1|17|703|4|2|6|1798|6|3|23|299.67 Ryan Clady|DEN|1079|0|7|37|1096|8|6|20|2175|8|13|57|271.88 Joe Thomas|CLV|990|6|8|10|1016|3|5|7|2006|9|13|17|222.89 D'Brickashaw Ferguson|NYJ|1055|5|3|15|1082|6|3|9|2137|11|6|24|194.27[/TABLE]
Well, I can't say I've seen Woodson(age 33) even play, but as much as I love Andre Johnson, to rank him higher than Fitzgerald and say that he's in his prime (he's 29) seems absurd...Then again it is just a list.
Some thoughts: Why is Clady so high? He's not better than Jake Long. Champ Bailey is a good player but not at the level he once was IMO. Julius Peppers at 31? I know he's talented but he's so lazy. If he created the list, how is Favre a shock to him? We both know that these guys don't watch enough games, if any, to know that lol. IMO anyone could argue that Woodson is the NFL's best cornerback. There isn't a thing he can't do. Also, I don't think its that crazy to put Johnson over Fitzgerald. Andre Johnson is pretty damn good IMO.
Woodson is a monster. Trust me, I be a doctor (arr). Andre Johnson has put up better stats than L. Fitz. Until Larry can outperform Andre, I can't rank him higher. Larry played with Boldin and other solid WR's. This is the year Larry truly proves whether or not he is the top guy. Andre Johnson's beastiality (I can't think of an adjective for beast) makes Kevin Walter, Owen Daniels, and the rest of them look like Number 1 WR's.
A list is just a list, a kiss is just a kiss, neither are worth more than the other. Hey, anything we can find to argue about this time of year right?
Andre Johnson has every right to be at 7 after back to back years over 1550 yards and 10 td. Clady at 13 and Long at 29 is flat out idiotic when you consider Jake is by far the better player. The only LT in the same class as Jake is Joe Thomas. That's it. Clady can't run block anywhere close to as well as jake and commits too many penalties and allows too many sacks. I'm not ever sure he's better then Da Brickhouse in ny.
I thought the very same thing. Jake has his run blocking game down and always has. I understand he was very good with pass blocking too but his hips are his weakness along with his feet. He gets them under him but struggles against speed rushers at this level. If there is a weakness in Big Jake's game that is it IMO.
Good article, thanx for sharing. Jake is rapidly becoming my favorite Dolphin. He stays out of trouble, stays away from the media, never complains and you can always count on him to do an awesome job. I can think of no one better to be entrusted with protecting our QB's blind side. What a role model for this draft team. I wish we had 52 more players just like him. !
Lets be real here. The guy has only given up 6 sacks in 2 seasons and has played almost every snap. How much of a weakness in Pass defense does he really have?
It is an itsy bitsy weakness but I'm picky. He gets it done and he does get his feet under him but he struggles to get there. His hips are better now and I can't ask him but if I could he might say the same thing IMO. No negative stuff toward Jake at all really. He is an excellent player.
I certainly agree that his hips are tight, but to be honest I think his feet are better than he gets credit for. IMHO his biggest issue is his inability to open his hips freely. Long essentially has to turn his whole body to turn rather than just open up and step. His hips also affect his ability to regain his balance when he rushes in his kickslide. I still stick by that point IMO, even from the very first time I ever had anything to say about him, when I took a look at both he and Vernon Gholston before the draft. His feet are adequate, although his hips are not. His hands and his long arms keep him out of a good many jams, otherwise he wouldn't be nearly as unique a talent.
That maybe true, but I'd be willing to bet a good deal of money that Jake as good as he is gets put on his butt about once a game thanks to his issues with bullrushes. I **** you not, Jake gets beaten by a bullrush like that about once a game. It is what it is, it happened in college and it happens on this level as well. I'm not saying it's bad, but in comparison to his run blocking, this would be his non throwing arm so to speak.
I don't see any faults considering the loooonnnng struggle we had in finding a good left tackle. Any way you look at it Jake Long is one of the best Left Tackles in the NFL and above average in every department. He is a Dolphin and, I like it!
Jay Cutler was in Chicago last year. They protect Clady a lot man. Just watch the games, and I know you do, there's no way you can say he's not protected by that offense. Gets a lot of help from the left guard and the tight end. I agree. He also needs to continue to keep his arms off his hips, which isn't a huge issue but we saw him do that against John Abraham and get planted on his ***.
All things considered, that's a pretty good list. I didn't really have any "WTF" thoughts when looking at it. Clady isn't better than Joe Thomas or Long, but these things are all subjective, and not everyone is going to agree. I like what he said about Peyton Manning though. He's 34 and still getting better. How scary is that?
amazing how this giant of a man gets off the snap as quick and as consistent as he does, really allows him to center himself in pass pretection. 8 games into his rookie season, I knew he was making the probowl, and at that point. for me, became the Premiere Left tackle in the game..There just was'nt any other tackle that I would trade strait up for at the time, considering all variable's involved { talent, size, ethic, leadership, demeanor, youth, ceiling}
I played tackle in high school and these numbers don't lie. Its as close to a statistic you can get for lineman, particularly tackles. That being said, i've always said joe thomas is overrated and people look at me funny but i think it's the truth.
Heres some news, every lineman gets beat at least once a game. Its about keeping the mistakes at a minimum and what you to do recover on those plays that you do make the mistakes so you dont ruin the play for the whole offense.
I never said that stats determine the real story. Actually, if you look at my post right after the one you quoted you'll see that i argue something fairly similar to what you just said but under a different circumstance. Like i said, i have played football and i realize that no stat can truly determine how successful a football team was on the feild besides wins and losses. I just said it was as close as you can get for a lineman statistic involving pass protection.
Jake deserves every accolade that he gets. What a great draft pick he was. I stand in awe of him in every game.
That's not the point. Not every lineman gets put on his *** by a bullrush at about that rate. That was the point I was making. Yes every lineman does, but the manner in which they get beaten is important. Some players get pushed back by a bullrush yet stay on their feet. Jake unfortunately does have the habit of getting put on ground by such a move. It doesn't mean he does every time over the course of the game, but it does happen.
