Can Godchaux Save This Draft From Being Blemish On The 2017 Season?
Can Godchaux Save This Draft From Being Blemish On The 2017 Season?
With McMillian injured, at present only Godchaux appears to be starter material from the 2017 Draft
2018 may be different, but for now, only Godchaux looks ready
I had barely taken a second sip from my rum and coke before Raekwon McMillan was injured.
Stunned, my eyes snapped open and shut with disbelief that this hideous series of disasters was still an on-going car wreck. All I could think was when will it end?
It has too end, doesn’t it?
After emptying my glass in one gulp and refilling it, I hoped real, real hard that something good would show up to help ease the loss ofMcMillian…
Several nice surprises did show up thankfully, but the one I’ll focus on here is #56 Davon Godchaux. The game started ugly for Godchaux. His first two plays had him kissing the ground in each, once due to a double team and once by a cut block. But, on his fourth play he began to shine and shine bright.
Above, Godchaux has driven Alex Mack back a yard behind the Line Of Scrimmage and is the primary reason for the stop by allowing a lane for Kiko Alonso to make the tackle. Mack is a top 3 Center who’s bigger than Godchaux, but Godchaux used burst, leverage, and get-up-after-it to win this snap.
And he wasn’t done for the night.
It doesn’t take a Price per head site to tell you that the key to any player’s success, especially young ones, is the ability to learn… and learn fast.
Godchaux was cut to the ground on his second snap… this time he was ready. On this one, he fights off the cut and is quick enough to get down the line and be the first in on the play.
Not only was he stout against the run, but he was also able to generate pass rush through explosion off the ball, ability to bend, and strength.
These last two snapshots are a side-by-side comparison with Godchaux and Jordan Phillips on the field at the same time.
Will Godchaux end up being the only 2017 draftee to start this season?
Above, Phillps is cut blocked, and though he isn’t taken to the ground, he is late to the play. Conversely, Godchaux has driven the Guard back deep into the backfield, disrupting the lane, delaying the back, and forcing a short gain.
Below, Phillps is in a stalemate, while Godchaux has beaten his man and is mirroring the back down the LOS and ends up a primary factor why the play results in a loss.
At least from this Preseason Game, it’s clear that Godchaux has earned his place above Phillips, and this isn’t just a motivational tactic for Phillips. It’s not that Phillips played poorly, but given that this is his third season, he should be performing better.
Can Miami find players to step up in the face of all these injuries?
If Godchaux performance can hover around this level throughout the season, Miami will have found a late round steal. The real question is, can he be consistent? And as we witnessed with McMillian, can he stay healthy?
Given the season-ending injury to Mcmillian, the raw and uneven play from Charles Harris and Cordrea Tankersley, Isaac Asiata at the bottom of the roster, Isaiah Ford injured and likely done for the year, and Vincent Taylor playing well, but not good enough to start, Godchaux appears to be the only player drafted that has a chance to start.
This makes the 2016 Draftees progression so crucial.
Miami just can’t compete having most of the last two drafts lingering in the middle or the back of the depth charts.
Thankfully, Godchaux does offer a great deal of hope, but will he be enough. The loss of McMillian is a disaster. There’s no other way to slice it. Thankfully there were other bright spots last night… but that’s a story for another article. Go Fins!!!
Terrible injury losses. But I think Cutler will be about even with Tannehill (lacking the upside of the younger Tannehill being irrelevant for this year), we have great WR, TE is more questionable but still seems improved, RB look good enough to succeed even with player injuries, my key concern is how good the OL will be. If the OL is improved the running game will improve and open up what should be an excellent passing game. The dings in the defense are really sad – especially losing McMillan – but I think they will be improved. Add on to that most of the team skill players are returnees and now know the system better. That counts for a lot. Barring other huge player injuries I think we will definitely make the playoffs and be an improved team from last year even with the injuries so far.
…had to break out my ear plugs …someone needs to lose their caps key, eh
…I thought the offense looked decent with Fales at qb …we may keep him and put Doughty on the ps again …but waiting to see what Cutler looks like with the 1st team in the next game
…think mj has it about right re the ’17 draft …zero to one starter …and that possible being a low round find only because Phillips is not getting it done
…no question that injuries have had a major impact …but they alone don’t begin to tell just how bad this draft appears out of the box
…Harris isn’t looking like a starter at DE simply because he sucks, so far, at stopping the run …Wake has never been strong at it but he is good enough to play 3 downs …Harris simply hasn’t shown anything but a pass rush …and you are not a starter if you can’t play every down …so our #1 pick won’t start this year …maybe next, but you don’t draft #1s to set on the bench …fail
…McMIllan was likely going to start at MLB only because Misi failed his physical …so his injury Thursday night didn’t make any difference to how we evaluate his draft pick …had Misi been able to play, the #2 pick would not have earned a start either …most of us expect a #2 pick at a critical position to start as a rookie …thus even with the season ending injury, I still rank the #2 pick a fail
…#3 was a fail from the get go …they needed OL help and it was there to be had …instead T-bum took a CB who will warm the bench most of the year …and our OL is worse off now than before the draft …thanks T-bum …fail!
…then there is Asiata who looks like he might find his jock strap before the season is over …maybe …but if he does, he will be setting on it most of the time …no one is talking about him starting even after Larsen went down …fail
…enough said …this draft may look a lot better a couple years out but I think mj pretty much nailed it for this year
…otoh, we do look like we have a strong, possibly top 5 receiver set with real depth …no thanks to this draft of course …now we wait to see if Cutler can meld with them to turn it into points
…but dear God gerty, the injury bug has been horrific so far and there are 19 games to go …at this rate we might actually see T-bum playing OL before we’re done 😄
I’m doing another study on the OL. Actually, I did like a few things: Brendal and Davis. Funny I saw Steen miss just about every block and look the worst of the interior and now he is starting at LG. I put picks up to show I’m not crazy, but what do I know. Also, you need to remember that Tunsil and James were both out… sadly, James is now nursing a sore shoulder. Ohh you hear, Owusu injured his knee and Westerkamp and Carroo are sitting with hamstring issues… man this is nuts!!! I think it’s crucial that the 2016 Draft shines very brightly this season to cover over any 17’s delayed returns or fails.
Man… now I’m really sad. Urbik is on his second day missed with a bad back. Okay, with Lippett, Drake, and Urbik down… I’m growing incredibly worried. It can all turn around as thankfully on two are season enders… but come one!
Terrible injury losses. But I think Cutler will be about even with Tannehill (lacking the upside of the younger Tannehill being irrelevant for this year), we have great WR, TE is more questionable but still seems improved, RB look good enough to succeed even with player injuries, my key concern is how good the OL will be. If the OL is improved the running game will improve and open up what should be an excellent passing game. The dings in the defense are really sad – especially losing McMillan – but I think they will be improved. Add on to that most of the team skill players are returnees and now know the system better. That counts for a lot. Barring other huge player injuries I think we will definitely make the playoffs and be an improved team from last year even with the injuries so far.
…had to break out my ear plugs …someone needs to lose their caps key, eh
…I thought the offense looked decent with Fales at qb …we may keep him and put Doughty on the ps again …but waiting to see what Cutler looks like with the 1st team in the next game
…think mj has it about right re the ’17 draft …zero to one starter …and that possible being a low round find only because Phillips is not getting it done
…no question that injuries have had a major impact …but they alone don’t begin to tell just how bad this draft appears out of the box
…Harris isn’t looking like a starter at DE simply because he sucks, so far, at stopping the run …Wake has never been strong at it but he is good enough to play 3 downs …Harris simply hasn’t shown anything but a pass rush …and you are not a starter if you can’t play every down …so our #1 pick won’t start this year …maybe next, but you don’t draft #1s to set on the bench …fail
…McMIllan was likely going to start at MLB only because Misi failed his physical …so his injury Thursday night didn’t make any difference to how we evaluate his draft pick …had Misi been able to play, the #2 pick would not have earned a start either …most of us expect a #2 pick at a critical position to start as a rookie …thus even with the season ending injury, I still rank the #2 pick a fail
…#3 was a fail from the get go …they needed OL help and it was there to be had …instead T-bum took a CB who will warm the bench most of the year …and our OL is worse off now than before the draft …thanks T-bum …fail!
…then there is Asiata who looks like he might find his jock strap before the season is over …maybe …but if he does, he will be setting on it most of the time …no one is talking about him starting even after Larsen went down …fail
…enough said …this draft may look a lot better a couple years out but I think mj pretty much nailed it for this year
…otoh, we do look like we have a strong, possibly top 5 receiver set with real depth …no thanks to this draft of course …now we wait to see if Cutler can meld with them to turn it into points
…but dear God gerty, the injury bug has been horrific so far and there are 19 games to go …at this rate we might actually see T-bum playing OL before we’re done 😄
I’m doing another study on the OL. Actually, I did like a few things: Brendal and Davis. Funny I saw Steen miss just about every block and look the worst of the interior and now he is starting at LG. I put picks up to show I’m not crazy, but what do I know. Also, you need to remember that Tunsil and James were both out… sadly, James is now nursing a sore shoulder. Ohh you hear, Owusu injured his knee and Westerkamp and Carroo are sitting with hamstring issues… man this is nuts!!! I think it’s crucial that the 2016 Draft shines very brightly this season to cover over any 17’s delayed returns or fails.
Man… now I’m really sad. Urbik is on his second day missed with a bad back. Okay, with Lippett, Drake, and Urbik down… I’m growing incredibly worried. It can all turn around as thankfully on two are season enders… but come one!