TarHeels ~ 6030/310
The Gutters are riddled with the Corpses of Teams that were built around so-called "skill" Players ~ teams that delighted their Fantasy FootBall Fans every Year, all the way until January...when The Only Games That Really Matter are played.
It is then, of course, that the Capacity ~ or lack thereof ~ to Move The Chains and protect the QuarterBack against PlayOff Caliber Defenses rears its ugly head. And another Team built for Fantasy FootBall bites the dust.
These are the Aspects of their Games that I place greatest emphasis on, when evaluating Offensive Centers:
Power. Above all: Core Power. Upper body Strength is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body strength in the world still fails if you can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables a Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing Game. And those Players who invest the time and effort to develop superior Core Power are far likelier to enjoy sustained good Health and stay on the Field.
Agility. Lateral Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering out there.
Combat Skills. Mechanics. Launch Velocity, Paw Power, and Technique.
Intangibles. Diagnostic Capacity, Processing Speed, and Motor. How effectively he masters Spatial Diagnostics & Angles, how rapidly he recognizes and implements Blocking Schemes based on changing Defensive Tactics, and of course: Drive. How badly he wants it. These are of course difficult things to assess, but it's crucial to at least try to.
Agility. Mediocre. Impressive Launch Velocity and adequate Fluidity, but horrible Acceleration and Range.
Combat Skills. Competitive. Adequate Paw Power and excellent Hand Velocity, but marginal Mechanics.
Intangibles. Outstanding. Bodine seems to me to display a consistently acute understanding of the Tactical LandScape, and he plays with a relentless, ravenous Motor. This is his only Strength, in my view, but it might be enough.
And that's how I see Russell Bodine. I perceive him as being short on Talent, specifically the Essentials of Core Power and Agility, but I'm willing to bet that he'll carve out a Career based on Technique and Tenacity ~ especially Tenacity.
He strikes me as a guy who's best as a Top Reserve but who will at times find his way into the Starting Lineup. And if things break right for'm, he might even remain there for many Years. Many with marginal Talent have done just that.
Thanks, as always, to the extraordinary Work by the men of Draft BreakDown!!
Perceived Market Value 4th/5th Round | Yankee Grade 4th/5th Round |