Anyone else have full confidence in Marcus Cannon?

[SammyBlueCat]

Hard to tell w/ Cannon and Fleming vs charmin-soft colts team. The real test is next week vs Jets and Dolphins

To be fair, the Colt run defense has improved.

 

[RobertWeathers]

To be fair, the Colt run defense has improved.

Based on what?

 

[venecol]

Answer: Yes.

With only a few games, the sample size is infinitesimal, if we had one more game the sample size would still be infinitesimal. In other words we don't know ****.

 

[RobertWeathers]

According to Reiss he had a walking boot on today so you doubters out there may not need to worry.

 

[WinstonSmith]

I'm not fully confident but I think he's proven to be a reliable backup and rotation guy.

Plus I'm starting to believe that DeGuglielmo, channeling the coaching ghost of Scarnecchia, can even turn Griff Whalen into a stud center.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Based on what?

Their rookies at DT. Henry Anderson, in particular, has been a day-one upgrade for them. David Parry has been pretty decent as well.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Their rookies at DT. Henry Anderson, in particular, has been a day-one upgrade for them. David Parry has been pretty decent as well.

If you look at their games, except for HOU the lead RB for each team has run for more than 4+ ypc.

HOU's Foster didn't but hes hurt still and they threw for 362.
In other words and based on the eyeball test from Sunday, IMO their run D still sucks.

 

[supafly]

Ok so you meant LG. Yea he was a disaster there. Much better at T

Well, there have been some of us who haven't liked him on the left side, period, and thought that he was much better suited on the right, where he appeared to be more comfortable.

I suppose that it was a combination of the disaster at LG, as well as some limited preseason reps and/or ratational work at LT which led us to believe that (right or wrong).

As you mentioned, he didn't look out of place during his limited sample size at LT this season, so we'll obviously hope that continues. Either way, it looks like he'll have an opportunity at the tackle position moving forward with the Solder injury.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Well, there have been some of us who haven't liked him on the left side, period, and thought that he was much better suited on the right, where he appeared to be more comfortable.

I suppose that it was a combination of the disaster at LG, as well as some limited preseason reps and/or ratational work at LT which led us to believe that (right or wrong).

As you mentioned, he didn't look out of place during his limited sample size at LT this season, so we'll obviously hope that continues. Either way, it looks like he'll have an opportunity at the tackle position moving forward with the Solder injury.

I hear you.

I read somewhere (Reiss' Sunday notes?)that the coaching staff really mucked with Cannon's head in TC of 2014 by moving him to G. He lost total confidence and they needed most of 2014 and the summer to rebuild him.

Personally, I think Cannon is good. We'll find out now that the heat is on.

 

[zydecochris]

The Pats have done well working the line at multiple positions. Cannon was paid for a reason, and obviously would have been well regarded in the draft but for his illness. It is never ideal to lose your first choice at LT, but this is exactly why the Pats paid the guy. Most teams won't have a spare top-level LT stored away for a rainy day. Cannon played LT at TCU.

Stork is eligible to practice this week and can return in 2 weeks. He has played center, guard and tackle in college. That may provide some options (I know Andrews played center at Georgia and don't know how much he has done otherwise on the line). Here's hoping Stork comes back to boost the line. It needs the reinforcements.

Agreed that Cannon is seen by the Patriots as someone that can play either tackle positions, because he has filled in at left tackle before. As to whether or not it is better to have him or Vollmer (a pro bowl level right tackle) on the left I'll leave it to the experts to answer.

It is interesting that this article you cited that Stork played some tackle as a redshirt soph, I hadn't previously seen any indication he had played any tackle apart from Spring Camp, interesting. I wonder if he is seen as an emergency RT?

On a different, but related subject, did anyone notice how Fleming did in the Colts game?

 

[zydecochris]

I hear you.

I read somewhere (Reiss' Sunday notes?)that the coaching staff really mucked with Cannon's head in TC of 2014 by moving him to G. He lost total confidence and they needed most of 2014 and the summer to rebuild him.

Personally, I think Cannon is good. We'll find out now that the heat is on.

You know, that WAS really weird and atypical. I always give BB praise for putting players in the position to succeed, but that move to guard in games with no training camp experience at the position was a bit of a unusual goof up.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If you look at their games, except for HOU the lead RB for each team has run for more than 4+ ypc.

HOU's Foster didn't but hes hurt still and they threw for 362.
In other words and based on the eyeball test from Sunday, IMO their run D still sucks.

There's a pretty wide gap between "improved" and "good", fortunately. The Colts' D is better, especially given Art Jones being lost before the season started, but it's still not very good.

 

[RobertWeathers]

You know, that WAS really weird and atypical. I always give BB praise for putting players in the position to succeed, but that move to guard in games with no training camp experience at the position was a bit of a unusual goof up.

I blame Googs....but not too harshly.

BB looks to his coaches to provide the recommendation on a player's ability to do X. While his physical traits lend themselves to the positional move, he just didn't execute.

They tried it, it didn't work out but he seems to have rebounded.

Moving on.

 

[Marinlik]

I feel like when people say that a player would fit much better at RT than LT what they are really saying is that they think the player is a better guard. The whole thing about RTs being a position that's less athletic and more about run blocking feels really old. You really want premier pass pro from both your tackle positions, as they will both meet premier pass rushers. Yes the left side is the blind side. But when I'm facing guys like Justin Houston, JJ Watt, Cam Wake, and Von Miller on the right side, I want an RT that's just as athletic and good at pass protecting as my LT.

 

[zydecochris]

I hear you.

I read somewhere (Reiss' Sunday notes?)that the coaching staff really mucked with Cannon's head in TC of 2014 by moving him to G. He lost total confidence and they needed most of 2014 and the summer to rebuild him.

Personally, I think Cannon is good. We'll find out now that the heat is on.

I have high hopes for Cannon. I would argue that he has already experienced having the heat on him, the cancer diagnosis had to shake him up (one day you are a 1-2 round draft pick who will live forever, the next you find out making the club is the least of your worries). Plus, he played fine in 2013 when Vollmer went on IR.

Interesting that both our left tackles (assuming he takes the left tackle position) are cancer survivors. Tough dudes. IMHO we are lucky to have both of them.

 

[RayClay]

I think cannon could start at right tackle for many teams. Left tackle? I'm a little worried. Maybe they bring up Causell for insurance. Started every game he played at Left tackle in the SEC.

 

[RayClay]

I feel like when people say that a player would fit much better at RT than LT what they are really saying is that they think the player is a better guard. The whole thing about RTs being a position that's less athletic and more about run blocking feels really old. You really want premier pass pro from both your tackle positions, as they will both meet premier pass rushers. Yes the left side is the blind side. But when I'm facing guys like Justin Houston, JJ Watt, Cam Wake, and Von Miller on the right side, I want an RT that's just as athletic and good at pass protecting as my LT.

We're fortunate to have that in vollmer. i don't think that's common. Blind side makes a hell of a lot of difference and more speed rushers.

 

[RayClay]

Might be a moot point regarding cannon's ability at left tackle, if he's bothered even slightly by the toe. Need to be nimble at LT.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I have high hopes for Cannon. I would argue that he has already experienced having the heat on him, the cancer diagnosis had to shake him up (one day you are a 1-2 round draft pick who will live forever, the next you find out making the club is the least of your worries). Plus, he played fine in 2013 when Vollmer went on IR.

Interesting that both our left tackles (assuming he takes the left tackle position) are cancer survivors. Tough dudes. IMHO we are lucky to have both of them.

Yes- He played damn well when Vollmer went down. There was some stat (PFF )that in 300 dropbacks he allowed 1 sack, very few hurries and was among the top 5 at the position in terms of % hurries allowed per snap.

Anyone who beats cancer has a big set of you-know-whats.

I think Cannon will do fine.

 

[supafly]

I feel like when people say that a player would fit much better at RT than LT what they are really saying is that they think the player is a better guard. The whole thing about RTs being a position that's less athletic and more about run blocking feels really old. You really want premier pass pro from both your tackle positions, as they will both meet premier pass rushers. Yes the left side is the blind side. But when I'm facing guys like Justin Houston, JJ Watt, Cam Wake, and Von Miller on the right side, I want an RT that's just as athletic and good at pass protecting as my LT.

The discussion that many of us had on the forum involving Cannon looking better on the right side was simply because he looked better on the right side

For me, it appeared as though Cannon had looked much more comfortable at RT, with a small possibility of chipping in at RG in case of emergency. He certainly did not play well on the left side prior to the DAL game, at either the tackle or guard spot.