Welp, so far it looks like we finally got one right. I just finished reading an article by Barry Jackson stating that through the first quarter of the season, James is ranked by PFF as their #20 overall best offensive tackle. He's their 10th best run blocking tackle, plus he's only given up 1 sack through 4 games. That's a pretty damn impressive first time 1st round pick for Hickey. So far, it looks like he's nailed it. Also Gil Brandt, nfl.com's senior analyst, wrote a piece that lists James one of the players from the 2014 draft who has outperformed their draft position.
Barry Jackson's article:
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article2431814.html
Gil Brandt's article:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...14-nfl-draft-doover-blake-bortles-is-new-no-1
It wasn't a sexy pick, but is there really any more doubt that it was the right pick? He's only going to get better.
Why is our run game better? Maybe because we added two top 20 offensive tackles this offseason. Branden Albert is rated the #2 overall offensive tackle by PFF.
Also, a lot of credit should go to our new o-line coaches. I had my doubts during the offseason, but they have worked wonders.
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Can we finally say that the days of wasting major resources and getting no return are finally gone?
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I've said it before, you don't need 5 great lineman to have a great line, but if you have multiple weak links at 2-3 positions, then you have nothing at all. last year we had 4 weak links. If Pouncey can come back (and he's fully healthy) he's going to look better than he ever has IMO, because he isn't surrounded by complete turds anymore. ON the flip side, his contract demands will go up, but IMO that's a good problem to have.
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I think James is a pretty good starter at this point, but I think there's really a quite good chance that he might be a dominant pass protector, and potentially our future LT.
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I would say more of a top 40 guy based on the production and metrics.
It's a little unfortunate that PFF"s ratings as opposed to their analytics have grown to become widely accepted as canonical reference material.
I wonder what the people who accept their ratings without question would think about the fact that they have Russell Wilson as the 28th best quarterback in football this year, behind such icons as Mike Glennon, Drew Stanton, Kirk Cousins and Austin Davis. Ya know, despite Wilson's 109 passer rating.
And when I questioned them on it on twitter, their Steve Pallazola or whoever was very belligerant and arrogant about it. He insisted the rating is correct and that Russell Wilson is not having a good year. Ya know, despite the film that suggests otherwise.djphinfan, ToddPhin, Da 'Fins and 1 other person like this. -
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That would be a bit annoying, don't you think? -
phinswolverinesrockets likes this.
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Da 'Fins likes this. -
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"there is a looooot of room for improvement" thats basically the line philbin uses on every player after giving endorsements, kind of annoying by now
Da 'Fins likes this. -
Seriously, our boy has looked good. Against Mario Williams, chandler jones, tamba Hali, and Khalil Mack/justin tuck no less. -
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There are 59 tackles that have taken at least 100 pass pro snaps. Of them, Ja'Wuan James ranks #39 in pass pro efficiency (pressures allowed per snap).
Now obviously that doesn't account for run blocking. But therein lies the conundrum. There isn't an objective metric for it. And this year more than any other I have come to really question the PFF subjective ratings. It's not just the very STRANGE results that you see that don't seem to match the film, it's also the very WIDE swings in their ratings from week to week once their review staff begin re-grading players that were already graded. You see guys going from like a +3 during a game to like a 0.4 or something like that. That's a wide swing for a single game and it suggests that there's a LOT more error in their subjective grading than they'd like you to think.
That said if you wanted to do sort of a 50/50 based on the objective pass pro analytics (accounting for penalties) and the subjective PFF run block rating, then Ja'Wuan James would be more like Top 30 than Top 40.phinswolverinesrockets likes this. -
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Here's the thing...unless those reviewers are literally re-grading every single player and every single snap, then a very large amount of the work is being done by people who were as untrained as CaribPhin. -
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Regardless of where we feel the need to rank James, the fact is the play from the right tackle position has been much improved over last year. He has done a solid, if not great, job manning that spot for us this year. Funny thing is I thought every one said that he was weak in Run blocking after he was drafted. Doesn't look like it.
As far as Jonathan Martin and the Niners. He is what we thought he was. 3 sacks already. I wonder how many pressures? -
Amongst guys that have at least 50 total snaps this season I have Ja'Wuan James ranked from a half-analytics (pass pro), half subjective ratings (run blocking) standpoint as the 34th best out of 73.
But you guys may love to hear that Branden Albert currently ranks #1. :)
And Jonathan Martin ranks 58th of 73...but what did you really expect? LOL. -
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Was a five year deal. We've gotten through 5% of the contract and he was worth every penny during that span. -
77FinFan likes this.
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By the way I wouldn't hesitate to give Joe Philbin his due on Branden Albert.
When Dennis Hickey was hired the very first thing Philbin and he did with one another as a new couple so to speak was sit down and watch film of Branden Albert. And Hickey was hired in large part because of the promise that he would get along and come to agreement with Philbin on things like this. It was basically Joe Philbin handing Dennis Hickey some film and saying, "First item on the docket, I want you to see the same thing I see on Branden Albert and I'd like you to make this happen."
And no that's not all speculation. It was literally the first thing they did together after Hickey was hired. Joe Philbin was a bit obsessive on the point of Branden Albert because he had wanted him the year before and Jeff Ireland balked at Kansas City's asking price in part because he wanted to see Jonathan Martin continue to be given a chance, then Martin became a core issue over which Philbin and Ireland fought.MAFishFan, 77FinFan, Sceeto and 1 other person like this. -
Sent from my HTC One using TapatalkEop05 likes this. -
Da 'Fins Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member
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I have to give credit where it's due. Ja'Wuan James has been better than advertised.
Through his first 4 games he's playing at levels that Joe Thomas, Jake Long, and Ryan Clady played at as rookies.
Guys like Lane Johnson, Joe Staley, Anthony Davis, and Erick Fisher struggled in the first half of their rookie year. Luke Joeckel is struggling in his 2nd year. He's outplaying Greg Robinson, Taylor Lewan, Jake Matthews, and Zack Martin who were all drafted ahead of him (2 of which are playing Guard).
To be this solid this early in your career is impressive, especially when you aren't a top 5/10 pick. I couldn't be happierFinatik likes this. -
The way I read Brandt's comments, he basically said James always was a 1st round talent, and those who said the phins reached were just plain wrong from the get-go. Whether that's just hindsight on his part I don't know.
Glad to see he is doing well. With Landry starting to come on in a stocked WR group, the first couple picks are looking really good. -
vt_dolfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member
Or you could just forget about the PFF Rankings and focus on Gil Brandts article that James has outperformed his draft position, which works very well for me.
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