Will Campbell Watch

[condon84]

If Campbell has a bad game Sunday, look for the media and posters to push for him to be a G during the off-season.

One of the main pathways of us losing on Sunday involves Campbell playing bad. He is the major reason why Drake has had terrible plays.

 

[Toofy]

I feel he will do great against bonitto. Bonitto is fast and requires a nimble olinemen to neutralize that speed and Campbellia the exact medicine that the doctor ordered and will do great. Just my gut feel. Bonitto will be completely neutralized and Campbell will have a monster pro bowl level performance.

He struggles against stronger bullrushes with players who are 260 + because he has to stress more on his injured right knee . With bonitto, his feet can be light and he can move and just keep pushing him around . If we just have rham or Westover to chip in left side on 50% of plays , that should be more than sufficient. The rest of their pass rush would not find much gap. Expect Maye to have a clean pocket. Just make sure he doesn't do too much throws with big airtime hang as their cornerbacks are real good. Expect hunter Henry to have a killer day and have the highest receptions. We should feast on their linebackers who are so and so.

 

[Thelonious]

According the the all-22 types, Campbell's problems are somewhat more with bull rushes, with losing battles of strength, than with speed rushes. I know he has had problems with both, hence the "somewhat."

Against the speed guys, better technique, quicker recognition skills ,better teamwork with his guard and with the chip-blockers, can compensate for his presumed speed deficiency, but speed is pretty much, I think, a fixed quantity. You can work at it, but you are not going make any dramatic change in that attribute. Strength, which is, we are told, a somewhat greater issue, is very much something you can improve, by hard work in the weight room and in other aspects of training. This seems to me a hopeful thing. No LT is going to be perfect, and if he can improve his performance against strength moves and gain incrementally in other areas, that seems to me a pretty hopeful scenario.

All that said, I assume they will base how they handle Campbell on an empirical basis going forward, and if Campbell proves not to be capable of playing LT at a high enough level, I don't see it as an apocalyptic failure if he ends up as a guard, likely a really good one. Nearly all teams struggle with manning their O-lines. There just aren't all that many 300-pound stellar athletes in the world, and that is what it takes. The NFL is an athletic freak show and a good freak is hard to find.

I think he'll be fine at LT, and if they decide he isn't, that's probably going to be fine as well.

FWIW, I suspect his injury is playing a part in his difficulties as well. It's just hard to trust a knee once it has let you down, and connective tissue takes forever to heal, when it does heal, so I am sure that plays a role.

 

[irishfanatic]

Well... Gonzo doesn't have an INT. I wouldn't extend him, he sucks.

Paging FCB

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Perhaps it was hoped that after a couple of weeks back, Campbell would be playing at a higher level than Lowe.

Ultimately the coaches decide who plays based on the big picture so I have to trust that Vrabel and company know what they are doing. The main point is that I am not sure that Lowe would be doing better than Campbell against those D lines.

 

[TommyD4207]

Ultimately the coaches decide who plays based on the big picture so I have to trust that Vrabel and company know what they are doing. The main point is that I am not sure that Lowe would be doing better than Campbell against those D lines.

This.
I dunno if I wanna watch Verdarian Lowe on the ground missing 100 cut blocks on Nic Bonitto.

 

[Salsalife]

Will, your a rookie and your doing a much better job and we need you for the final push. Im very satisfied with your year at LT as a rookie.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Campbell is 22 years old, started right away his rookie year, has faced the best DEs in the game and they are in the AFCCG. He will improve. I think Wilson's future is at center, what he played at Georgia. Definitely draft another tackle and guard next year.

Regardless of how far they go I think Will Campbell's offseason is going to last about a week, then he's going to work harder at getting bigger, stronger, quicker, and better at his position than he's ever worked in his life. I think all of their rookies are going to work hard in their offseason programs, but nobody will work harder than Campbell. The jump he makes in play next season is going to be massive.

 

[TomPatriot]

Regardless of how far they go I think Will Campbell's offseason is going to last about a week, then he's going to work harder at getting bigger, stronger, quicker, and better at his position than he's ever worked in his life. I think all of their rookies are going to work hard in their offseason programs, but nobody will work harder than Campbell. The jump he makes in play next season is going to be massive.

I have been imaging a Tristan Wirfs-like jump. I didn’t like him inYear One and he came back in Year Two smarter, stronger and better.

 

[Salsalife]

Hopefully he can repair his MCL.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I have been imaging a Tristan Wirfs-like jump. I didn’t like him inYear One and he came back in Year Two smarter, stronger and better.

I agree, although I think Campbell has played well for a rookie LT. But I think he takes getting beaten personally and it pisses him him off in much the same way that Brady got pissed when he made a mistake or came up short on a play. Campbell was furious with himself after the Texans game, when Vrabel tried to congratulate him in the tunnel he wanted nothing to do with it. I think character played heavily into all of the free agent signings and draft picks they made, and that's why they are where they are at today, and I think those character strengths will be what turns a good rookie into a really good player going forward, and it's what made their free agent signings the leaders they were this year. The scary thing for the rest of the league is that this is only step one in Vrabel's plan for this team, and they are going to be exponentially better next year and the years after this.

 

[Water Boy]

He's an average LT. He would be a dominant Guard. If we can get a legit left tackle, move Campbell at G and shift Wilson at C, we'll have a dominant left side.

He would be as good as Mankins was for us and can still be our anchor at OL.

I'm sure this will be the talk of the off-season. Wilson definitely needs to move to center. I don't see him as the left guard of the future. Less clear with Campbell (not saying he's not the future at LT) but I wouldn't mind at least seeing what he looks like at guard. If he is infact Mankins or Thuney-like, it would be an interesting decision.

 

[n1997y]

Regardless of how far they go I think Will Campbell's offseason is going to last about a week, then he's going to work harder at getting bigger, stronger, quicker, and better at his position than he's ever worked in his life. I think all of their rookies are going to work hard in their offseason programs, but nobody will work harder than Campbell. The jump he makes in play next season is going to be massive.

I just hope he’s smart enough about it and doesn’t overtrain before his MCL is fully healed.

 

[patfanken]

Will Campbell just turned 22 less than three ****ing weeks ago. He's not even fully grown yet.

Garrett Bolles is pretty much the consensus best OT in the league, or at least among the top 3. Are you aware that his reputation early in career was for having the most hold calls in the league his first THREE years? Are you aware that he was so well thought of that Denver REFUSED to pick up his 5th year option at the start of the year, and didn't sign him until late in the year after he improved that season into an All Pro LT.

Bolles started out a LOT like Campbell did. Sub 5 forty athletic and a little light in the pants. NEWSFLASH! a lot of these guys get better as their careers go along. Over the next few years, Campbell will add weight as well as more strength to his attributes. Christ, some of you guys look at a guy after his first series of downs and believe that is all he is, and all he can ever be a hero or a bum. Nothing more to see here.

Will Campbell can be beaten by a good bull rush, and not just ANY bull rush, because he faced a lot of them when he was considered one of the best rookie OTs before his injury. But the best of them from the last 2 games. It has been pointed out (FINALLY) that Bonito is a speed rush specialist, not a power guy. His strengths match much better vs Campbell that Anderson's or say, Garrett's did. Given Josh's scheming and Will's mind determination, I think we'll be fine at LT. Not great, but OK. Dever's rush WILL have their moments for sure.

Nah, I choose to worry about things like the effects of the altitude as the game goes along and other things I have NO control of while I watch thing game. Keep the TO margin LESS than =2 and have at least ONE fourth quarter TD and we win this game by more than 1 TD

 

[bakes781]

I'm sure this will be the talk of the off-season. Wilson definitely needs to move to center. I don't see him as the left guard of the future. Less clear with Campbell (not saying he's not the future at LT) but I wouldn't mind at least seeing what he looks like at guard. If he is infact Mankins or Thuney-like, it would be an interesting decision.

Agreed. I would expect them to add a flexible option for competition at the very least.

 

[bakes781]

Denver drafted Dalton Risner in the 2nd round 2 years after Bolles. I'm not saying we need to do the same but a late day 3 flier on a guy like Trey Zuhn couldn't hurt.

 

[p8ryts]

Will Campbell just turned 22 less than three ****ing weeks ago. He's not even fully grown yet.

Garrett Bolles is pretty much the consensus best OT in the league, or at least among the top 3. Are you aware that his reputation early in career was for having the most hold calls in the league his first THREE years? Are you aware that he was so well thought of that Denver REFUSED to pick up his 5th year option at the start of the year, and didn't sign him until late in the year after he improved that season into an All Pro LT.

Bolles started out a LOT like Campbell did. Sub 5 forty athletic and a little light in the pants. NEWSFLASH! a lot of these guys get better as their careers go along. Over the next few years, Campbell will add weight as well as more strength to his attributes. Christ, some of you guys look at a guy after his first series of downs and believe that is all he is, and all he can ever be a hero or a bum. Nothing more to see here.

Will Campbell can be beaten by a good bull rush, and not just ANY bull rush, because he faced a lot of them when he was considered one of the best rookie OTs before his injury. But the best of them from the last 2 games. It has been pointed out (FINALLY) that Bonito is a speed rush specialist, not a power guy. His strengths match much better vs Campbell that Anderson's or say, Garrett's did. Given Josh's scheming and Will's mind determination, I think we'll be fine at LT. Not great, but OK. Dever's rush WILL have their moments for sure.

Nah, I choose to worry about things like the effects of the altitude as the game goes along and other things I have NO control of while I watch thing game. Keep the TO margin LESS than =2 and have at least ONE fourth quarter TD and we win this game by more than 1 TD

Yes, I remember Bolles holding reputation. I was surprised he improved because he was one of the worst.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

This game will be about Pats turnovers. That’s the whole game. Keep stats clean, go to SF.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

Campbell is 22 years old, started right away his rookie year, has faced the best DEs in the game and they are in the AFCCG. He will improve. I think Wilson's future is at center, what he played at Georgia. Definitely draft another tackle and guard next year.

yep, struggled with Myles Garrett (two-time DPOY), Khalil Mack (former DPOY who can still dial it up) and Will Anderson (will be runner-up DPOY and will probably win one at some point). In Will we trust.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

yep, struggled with Myles Garrett (two-time DPOY), Khalil Mack (former DPOY who can still dial it up) and Will Anderson (will be runner-up DPOY and will probably win one at some point). In Will we trust.

I'm not trying to trash Campbell or act like he can't play LT. So please don't take it like that.

But people who keep writing off Campbell and the team's struggles in these 3 games as "well those guys are good and beat everyone" need to also apply proper context. Will Anderson had 3 sacks last week. He had a career high 12 in the regular season. 3 sacks in a game is a 51 sack pace. Myles Garret set an NFL record with 23 sacks, but the 5 he had in the game vs. us is an 85 sack pace. The guy we and Campbell really struggled with against LAC was Odafe Oweh who had 3 sacks himself.

It's one thing to struggle with the best players. That's normal. The level to which Campbell specifically and our overall team has is well beyond normal. I get that the best players are going to do some damage against you, that's what makes them the best players. But the level of performance that Campbell and our overall team have allowed against these guys is well beyond what is acceptable even adjusted for that. If every time you face one of the better pass rushers you're spotting them 3+ sacks then that's not someone who will last at LT. We can't just write off THIS level of performance as the other guy being good.