Truth Takes: 2019 O-Line and WR/TE

[Swamp Donkey]

Forsythe has feet of stone, no pun intended. If he is a SEC LT , I’m the pope.....won’t work, can’t play, I don’t care how big he is.

John Hevesy - Football Coach - Florida Gators

twitter and email is on his homepage. Fix it, bra.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Look at the spring game on YouTube. #17 beats him on every single play like he was not even there.

In the fall, we won't be playing guys who have seen the same play about 10,000 times already, know our audilbles, line calls, and everything else... and get to run with their ears pinned back bc they KNOW it isn't a draw play etc.

 

[GatorTruth133]

Look at the spring game on YouTube. #17 beats him on every single play like he was not even there.

Not doubting that, but go check any post I've made here (and maybe a few years back at the Gas) that Zach Carter is a man amongst boys. I think he will become a huge factor. Just happened to be behind guys like Zuniga and Polite. Look for him to do big things this year. Also, I'd say that the summer conditioning I referred to comes after the spring you referred to ;). I think if he becomes an issue we either slide the blocking to have the RB assist him against the speedier guys or we give another guy a shot.

In the fall, we won't be playing guys who have seen the same play about 10,000 times already. And we will also run the ball some.

Also this. We definitely favored putting tons of yards through the air in the Spring to show off the QB's aerial improvement.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Yes and no. Both tackles were inconsistent throughout the season last year, but did get better (except for that being benched against SC thing). Both could be step back yes, but I think that the interior run game should help with pulling guards and what not along with the power of Pierce and Perine being able to push piles.

Taylor was a decent run blocker, pretty sad against an SEC pass rusher with any speed. I don't really ever want to say the name Martez Ivey. In a way, I doubt his effort and heart. But perhaps he was just playing out of position. He was functional at guard. Probably, if our roster were right, both Taylor and Ivey would have been at guard.

It isn't really much of a drop off at OT.

 

[Gator Fever]

I’ve seen you try to make this point in a number of threads, but in watching our OL last year, I don’t recall our tackles peeling and getting to the second level much at all. The guards, especially Heggie, I recall on some occasions. I thought I might be wrong so I googled some analysis of our OL run blocking scheme, including a Read and React article with a lot of clips from the Michigan game. It’s not there either. Maybe I recall wrong and totally missed this part of our scheme.

Overall, though, I understand the doubts about the OL, but this one seems contrived.

Taylor was real good at picking up people on the 2nd level when it presented itself and Ivey wasn't bad either from the games I watched. What stood out also was how good Jordan was at pulling in 2018 at least in the games I watched. TE Lewis was also a good blocker for being 235 lb.

Hopefully I am wrong but I think there will be a slight downgrade in run blocking for sure.

 

[Gator Fever]

Look at the spring game on YouTube. #17 beats him on every single play like he was not even there.

I only saw 17 beat him bad maybe 2 times I think but he messed up on a couple of other plays also. Forsythe is a strange fellow as he has pretty good feet when he first backs up in pass protection but lets people spin off him many times when he has good position. He also doesn't seem to want to maul defenders in the run game despite his very large size.

We will know what we have early with these new linemen as Miami will test them at least in the first half.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Taylor was real good at picking up people on the 2nd level

For the combo blocks, it could be either of the OL working their way to the 2nd level, depending on what the defensive lineman did. Taylor was a good run blocker. He wasn't the most talented but he was smart and worked HARD. We'd be lucky to have 10 more Taylors.

We will see.

All the linemen we put on the field will have 2 years of Hevesy and Savage. I think that will make a bigger difference than anything.

 

[GatorTruth133]

Look at the spring game on YouTube. #17 beats him on every single play like he was not even there.

Ok, just watched every orange team snap and the above quote is wildly inaccurate. There were very few times when Carter "beat" Forsythe. A few times, yes, a DE or Carter got 5 yards into the backfield...because the playcall was an inside handoff and this takes the DE out of the play. Forsythe held his own really well on those TD passes...including when he made a pocket for Franks to step up and extend the play as seen below. It's at 46:55, I put for the embed to start at that time, but just in case. Or 7:43 to watch him on the first TD pass. Not to say he didn't make mistakes at times, but all linemen do. But "every single play" (though the plays mentioned aren't Carter, but we can find those if you want) is a far, far stretch of what happened.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I pity the fool who has to cover Grimes because he made most who tried in the 2nd half of last year look silly....if teams double him Jefferson and Toney will have more than solid years.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

One question and I don't know if Truth touched on this will be how well the backs help out the oline on passing downs.....Does Mullen dare to spread out and go empty on 3rd and long? Guess it will depend on if the D mans up or shows zone. Franks did alright toward the end of the year when going against man by beating the D with his legs but most of those 3rd downs seemed to be 3rd and less than 6....

 

[maheo30]

We have a significant upgrade at the guard spots over last season. Bleich and Heggie are nfl talents. Forsythe’s reach at 6’6 or 6’7 is going to pose problems. Ivey was a “guard playing tackle” according to nfl scouts. He went undrafted, invited to Seattle’s rookie camp, they saw him, and let him go. To my knowledge, he’s not been invited elsewhere. Same with Tyler Jordan and the falcons. Johnson is still on the Steelers roster and will get a shot to make the team. I doubt he will. The Steelers are good at that spot.

Last season, Buchanan was arguably our second best o-lineman. This season, I think he’s our weakest link among the starting 5. We can survive an injury at guard or center. The true worry is at tackle. We have no one that can step in if Delance or Forsythe get hurt. With Forsythe able to play both spots, we just need one guy to take a backup spot. Who that is I have no idea. Based on spring, the staff seems to be pushing Tarquin at RT. But he needs to gain the necessary strength to be able to compete. Gouraige is another guy they are looking at but he was a huge disappointment this spring.

 

[TLB]

Good write up overall. Thank you for doing these.

As a strategy, with so much depth, I'd send at least one guy deep every play. Heck, I'd send the same outside position (different receiver) deep every play. Either you'll gas the DB, hit a big play, run a DB out of a play, lull them to sleep and then hit a big play, or all of the above. If you have depth and are as conditioned as you say you are, see if the other team is and take advantage if they aren't.

This. We have the S&C and the depth, I'd be running the defense to death with decoy routes until they fall asleep or wear out.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

Early in his career Ivey was SEC lineman of the week (playing guard, I think). Just re-watched the UGA game. Announcers bragged on our RBs running behind him
Can't get drafted or stick on a roster? smh

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Same with Tyler Jordan and the falcons...

Tyler Jordan played so well as a true freshman I truly thought we had a diamond in the rough. did not only did he not progress at all he regressed from where he was as a true freshman. that says so much about our past staff.

Last season, Buchanan was arguably our second best o-lineman..

this is true and yet makes me want to hurl. Buchanan is awful.

Great post overall. Very accurate IMO.

I wonder sometimes why people pretend we had a great line last year. better than years gone past, yes but still below average-ish. I expect below average or average this year too.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Early in his career Ivey was SEC lineman of the week (playing guard, I think). Just re-watched the UGA game. Announcers bragged on our RBs running behind him
Can't get drafted or stick on a roster? smh

He is so bad and so confused in pass protection. People just line up on his nose and run right by him while he glances left to see if a backer is blitzing. Or he just whiffs completely sometimes.

Was a mauler in run blocking though.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I expect below average or average this year too.

I have seen what looks worse on paper than what we have this year play better than average...not great but better than average. Simpler system means less checks, more mauling...It's not glamorous but it wears out all but the best defenses in the 2nd half which is really all we did last year...Having a QB who is a threat to run almost as often as he passes can make mediocre look better than average. I think we'll be functional this year.

 

[maheo30]

Can't get drafted or stick on a roster? smh

Stick on a roster implies he can get on one like Fred Johnson did. Ivey is on Tyler Jordan’s level. He can’t even get an invite to fill a preseason roster. I think the o-line’s play is a testament to the coaching staff. They really were working with horse crap.

. this is true and yet makes me want to hurl. Buchanan is awful.

I don’t think he is awful. He can survive against most teams we play. The problem is when we play UGly or the kitties and he has to go against quality DTs. Then, he gets exposed because of his lack of talent. His backup, Griffin McDowell, has the same problem. Shark humper killed us.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

He is so bad and so confused in pass protection. People just line up on his nose and run right by him while he glances left to see if a backer is blitzing. Or he just whiffs completely sometimes.

Was a mauler in run blocking though.

In the NFL, you better be good in pass pro, or it's good-bye.

 

[maheo30]

Umm... o_O

 

[Gator Fever]

Stick on a roster implies he can get on one like Fred Johnson did. Ivey is on Tyler Jordan’s level. He can’t even get an invite to fill a preseason roster. I think the o-line’s play is a testament to the coaching staff. They really were working with horse crap.




I don’t think he is awful. He can survive against most teams we play. The problem is when we play UGly or the kitties and he has to go against quality DTs. Then, he gets exposed because of his lack of talent. His backup, Griffin McDowell, has the same problem. Shark humper killed us.

Yep when he goes against a real big DT he gets pushed back pretty good at times but still is decent technical wise but that can sometimes blow up a running play. Against GA It was allowing the LBs etc. more time to make a play against us on some downs.

The Miami game might be interesting if that UCLA transfer (the one we went after also) ends up playing a lot at DT for them. In his highlight tape from 2017 he was really good at getting by the center and guards with a swipe move and by doing stunts as he has real good side to side speed. He seemed to use his smaller height to his advantage with that stuff so maybe Buchanan can deal with it better. He was doing it against Texas A&M also some besides the Pac 12 teams so he must be decent.