Quote:
Originally Posted by HUbison
I'd rather they not, if I had my preference. The 4th quarter is a pretty important 15 minutes; and a NT that disappears from fatigue may not be in our best interest.
Is Branch out of shape? And if so, is that an indicator of his work ethic? I don't know, but it is and should be something to think about. By being in shape! He didn't look "sluggish" and "out-of-shape" because he didn't know what drills were coming. He looked "sluggish" and "out-of-shape", because he is probably......well, sluggish and out-of-shape.
And, I know, I know....show me a 320 lb. man who ISN'T out of shape. But it is a warning. Maybe he's "Shaun Rogers" out of shape, fine, I can live with that. But maybe he's "Jimmy Kennedy" out of shape.
Again, I'm not against getting him at 13. However, a lot of fans (present company excluded) are slobbering on him as if he's the answer. That is to say, give up as much as it takes, and move up as far as it takes to grab Branch. Just too much of a risk to do that, IMHO.
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I think it's best to have a rotation at DT. I know it's very difficult for a 3-4 NT to stay on the field for the entire game. In a 4-3 there is a little less 2-gapping, but your NT is probably going to still need a blow now and then. The nature of the position is one man against two. Two 300 lb men.
As far as Branch's interviews go, I wouldn't get too excited reading transcripts. What I heard was that he was a bit meek and some scouts/coaches didn't think he was forceful enough. Something to consider. Still think he'd be great to get at 13.