Former Patriot David Andrews Believes Lomu Will Push Campbell For Starting Role

[Huckleberry1]

His wingspan measure is an outlier, but the question is whether that has anything to do with being an effective OT, especially given his other plus athleticism & size measures. I haven't seen or heard any evidence of that, just ipso facto conjecture.

Can't think of any plays where he got beat and I thought "Geez that wouldn't have happened if his left-hand to right-hand length, with arms fully extended to the sides, were a few inches longer".

That said, whatever the coaches decide I'm fine with.

Joe Thomas has weighed in on this numerous times and said that arm length measurements include the length of a players had, and what State is referring to is literally the length of a fingernail, it's ********. What matters is how quick and powerful they can get their hands into a defenders chest, as well as their leverage. I have absolutely no problem at all with them putting Lomu at left tackle if he plays better there than Campbell, but I do have a problem with agenda driven assholes who pretend they are draft experts, especially when their track record is ****. E.g.. claiming that Spencer Rattler is a star who the Patriots should have drafted instead of Maye. Anyone that stupid should just keep their mouth shut.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Caleb Lomu has LT written all over him.
Just like Will Campbell has LG.
It’s a length issue.
Both are nearly identical in height. And although Lomu’s arms are a tad over an inch longer, his wingspan is a little over five inches longer, 82 3/4” v. 77 3/8”. That’s helpful in pass protection.

Don’t forget that Campbell’s wingspan ranks dead last for OTs since records were first kept in 2011.

There go my hopes for Lomu.

 

[patfanken]

I was a guy who always felt that Matt Light would have excelled at LG, however for the Pats he was MORE valuable as a solid LT than an exceptional LG. That's the thing. All this talk about moving Campbell is simply stupid for THIS year at least. Lomu is coming into the league with a defined role to fill. He is NOT a finished product. He lacks functional strength and experience to excel immediately as an LT or even a RT in his rookie year. He DOES have a chance to excel as the swing T since he has the POTENTIAL to become an outstanding OT in a year or two.

I keep pointing out that rookies make mistakes and have big hurdles to overcome in their first year. Why waste a full year of experience that Campbell accrued only to see similar mistakes be made by the LAST OT taken in the first round, not the first. It would be detrimental for the team to put Lomu at LT this year and move Will to LG (a position he has never played) It Makes NO sense. What do you do with ATV. It is not your best use of your existing talent. You want to revisit NEXT season, be my guest, but for THIS season. Will Campbell should be our LT.

The correct strategy is to give Campbell a full season to see if he has improved his game and gained from his experiences of last season. Rookies do NOT end up being the same players they were as rookies. There IS value in the snaps they took over their first years, and they often improve, sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. Don't throw that away on the false whim that Lomu is a better LT than Will Campbell without ever putting on pads as a Patriot.