I don't think these were really out there a few months ago, or maybe they were unlisted back then but have recently gone back to normal.
Blocking 1 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98gyiCj_iG0
Blocking 2 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBvV8X5A3xY
2010 receptions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSh9kfd0jI
Just thought I'd share them, probably the most complete set of videos on Egnew I've seen.
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Two Tacos, ssmiami, dolfan32323 and 4 others like this.
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yeah CK, those blocking ones were out a while back, love that one play where he comes down the line and cracks coples bigtime which allows the back to run for 6..I'm gonna look at them again though, thanks for posting them for discussion.
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I think I've said my peace about Egnew before.
Athletically he's ridiculous. He's 6'5" and 250+ lbs, runs a 4.48 and has an 11'3" broad jump...pretty much all you need to know there. His ability to plant one foot in the ground and push off, explode forward is highly, highly impressive for such a big man. Very impressive how he's able to catch the football with linebackers or defensive backs draped all over him. He's also got some nice catches where he really gets nailed by safeties after the catch and holds on.
But as a blocker there's no way to see him as much more than pedestrian. Jeff Ireland talked about seeing him put his hand in the dirt as a blocker at the Senior Bowl and seeing a high effort guy that got him excited. Sorry, I don't see that. It's not on his football tape, anyway. He's willing but he doesn't have the mindset, the physicality.
Pretty much his crowning achievement was successfully trap-blocking Quinton Coples several times in the North Carolina game. I think that plan of attack was perfect for Quinton's mindset as a defensive run defender, because he's thinking more about staying disciplined with gaps and winning versus blockers than he is about going all-out after the ball and attacking on run plays. In the plays, Coples is actually manhandling Egnew, and the reason he doesn't get the ball is only really his mentality, which is one of the things people criticized about Quinton and why he fell to the Jets' pick at #16 instead of going in the 8 to 10 area where he probably should have gone. But that doesn't make Egnew a good blocker it just shows what Coples has to work on, and I think there's a difference.
Michael Egnew pretty much is exactly what we think and that's a pedestrian blocker who could be superb in the passing game. The only thing I would criticize about him in the passing game is the same thing that pissed me off so thoroughly at the Combine when he was running drills...tempo. There are times when you get the feeling he's just not running his hardest. He just needs to be a little more consistent that way. Otherwise I'd absolutely love to see him run an NFL route tree for a tight end or even that of a wide receiver. I love to see him run those little jerk routes and arrow routes and stuff because he plants that foot so easily and actually gets moving after the plant which is very nice.
I mean when I watch Jermichael Finley make big plays, there's very little I see Finley do that I don't see Egnew able to do just as well. That's the bottom line. This is one reason I imagined Joe Philbin specifically asked Jeff Ireland for Michael Egnew, and I think Ireland went for the idea even though deep down he had to lie to himself about what Egnew shows with his hand on the ground as a blocker. Ireland can't get out of that Bill Parcells mentality that he wants a tight end that is huge and can get on the line and block. Otherwise he you're an H-Back or what they call a move-TE and I don't think that's what he wants to draft in the 3rd round, I think he looks for those guys later (like Charles Clay).
Watching interviews with Egnew I like his intelligence level as well. Seems confident. Not sure how much of an impact he'll have this year just because I know Philbin will want to give a healthy chance to contribute to both Anthony Fasano and Charles Clay before Michael Egnew, and that could leave Egnew with few opportunities. Down the line though, I think that's a great find for the team.eltos_lightfoot, dolfan7171, dolfan32323 and 2 others like this. -
I don't think his prospects as an in-line tight end are that bright. They might be made to make him into someone who isn't a tire fire blocking out of a 3-point stance, but most of what I've seen isn't very impressive. He doesn't seem leaps and bounds better blocking defensive backs in space, either.
I think we're looking at something along the lines of this:
http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/02/22/jermichael-finley-tight-end-or-wide-receiver/
I think it's possible Egnew skews more towards receiver than Finley does, given their other tight ends aren't very good at all and we've got two other guys that fill the other roles in the Packers offense(traditional TE and H-Back) very well.dolfan32323 and MrClean like this. -
But can he learn to be at least an adequate blocker? I know some pretty knowledgeable posters who think that blocking techniques can indeed be taught to the willing player.
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Techniques can be taught, but some things require a certain amount of strength. I can't see him containing any pass rushers.
They just barely missed out on Jimmy Graham... hopefully Egnew can make up for that. -
That too much of an all encompassing statement for me to agree with it. He probably won't ever be asked much to block a power DE, next to never block any interior DL. He has the athleticism to mirror an outside speed rusher, or a blitzing linebacker or DB if he wants to bad enough and works to perfect his craft in this regard.
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Pretty much, if a "blocker" just gets in the way of a defender or walls off for moment they can play just fine.
Heck in a pinch, cut block.Sceeto likes this. -
I think that's exactly why they drafted him. I mentioned about his blocking or lack thereof in that previous thread. We have guys like Fasano and Clay, etc, but, imo, Egnew was drafted for the abilities you described here:Yep. There's the nutshell. That's why they drafted him. It's like having a really big, tall WR and that can be a dangerous weapon. Sufficient blocking for what the specifics his position will require can usually be taught and learned, etc. As pads mentioned: "just get in the way". I totally agree. Of course he has to have somewhat of the right attitude to do so. I think he will. I'm really psyched to see how Philbin and Sherman will use him.
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I don't think "just get in the way" is really that appropriate a goal for a tight end. You want more than that, and at a certain point it damages the effectiveness if a player in the passing game. There's a legitimate danger that Egnew is not a good enough blocker to justify putting a linebacker on him, and a cornerback might be able to curtail him in the passing game.
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I think position blocking is just fine. I don't care whether he gets the pancake. All I care is that the defender is neutralized. In run blocking you sometimes have to be able to move a guy (create the hole), but TEs are often on quicker guys so that isn't an issue all the time. Those defenders tend to run themselves out of the play and all that matters is that your TE has good position. If you're playing against a run focused DE then position blocking alone may limit your run game's upside, but it should still net small games and no loses as long as your position blocking is good. And you should be able to take advantage in the passing game. IMO the game now favors having the good enough position blocker/mismatch receiving weapon over the balanced guy or the primarily blocking guy. The mismatch receiving weapon is just the far more important skill.
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