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So I find this very interesting. If you look at Wassink throughout last season, you saw flashes of brilliance in the passing game, but nothing looked tight. When Wassink was playing well, his receivers were literally dropping the ball. Getting timing down for the deep passes seemed a particular struggle, with no go-to guy.

If you look at the statistics, Wassink did an outstanding job overall. Pro Football Focus just did a feature on the returning top 5 deep-ball quarterbacks in the group of 5 conferences, by passer rating. Wassink is #5, behind QBs at UCF, Houston, Boise, and Air Force.

I would never have guessed that. It just goes to show you how statistics and the eye-test can be far apart.

It leads me to believe Wassink has a high ceiling, if he was good from a standpoint of efficiency and was looking a little uncomfortable out there yet throwing the ball. I suppose that's easier to see in practice and why Flacco was so convinced he was never going to see the field.

The last few games, before Wassink got injured, he was really becoming effective throwing the deep ball. He had a few on the money that were dropped, but he also completed several, a few to Eskridge and several to Watson. Wassink to Watson was becoming pretty effective and then they both got injured.

Cut the number of drops in half, and Wassink's stats would have been really good. He was already at 64% completion, 14 TD, 4 INT. That's not bad at all for a first year starter.

The receivers should be markedly improved and I think our passing game is really going to cut loose.

Deep ball is great, but you gotta have touch on those short passes in the flats, which Lester did not call enough of last season.

(05-02-2018 02:16 PM)GullLake Wrote:  Deep ball is great, but you gotta have touch on those short passes in the flats, which Lester did not call enough of last season.

Lester didn't call the offense last season, but he will this season.

(05-02-2018 02:16 PM)GullLake Wrote:  Deep ball is great, but you gotta have touch on those short passes in the flats, which Lester did not call enough of last season.

Why call a pass into the flat when those deep balls were there? Because they dropped them? No! Because that play was there!

Is then the argument THAT is the reason to go short because long doesn’t have the hands?

We have custom-built short pass guys that could be utilized like Braverman and White. I’d like to see it mixed in at least.

Wassink was brilliant catching the ball too. 4 months to go!!

(05-02-2018 05:30 PM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  We have custom-built short pass guys that could be utilized like Braverman and White. I’d like to see it mixed in at least.

Wassink was brilliant catching the ball too. 4 months to go!!

I thought that was the long term plan for Broersma... but not yet. That kid is Braverman lite... he could kill it in that role.

Broersma is 3 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Braverman. Not really a shifty slot guy.

(05-02-2018 04:40 PM)gobaseline Wrote:  

(05-02-2018 02:16 PM)GullLake Wrote:  Deep ball is great, but you gotta have touch on those short passes in the flats, which Lester did not call enough of last season.

Why call a pass into the flat when those deep balls were there? Because they dropped them? No! Because that play was there!

Is then the argument THAT is the reason to go short because long doesn’t have the hands?

Gotta have both.

Not an "either or" situation has you have presented it.

Unfortunately, last season WMU had "neither nor," and a 6-6 record was the result.

I feel like last year we kept attempting bombs to Eskrige, and we couldn't get it over the defense. I say whip some out to him behind Broersema or something, Jordan White style.

Nobody is talking about Drake Harris, UM transfer. If this kid is healthy he will be a MAC star. Bussell the freshman from Knoxville could get serious playing time. He is P5 talent. WMU WR's seem to come into their own after a season or two. Watson should be improved. Ricci played hurt, Arnett will be all MAC by his senior season. Sanders like wise. Hall was getting some PR in spring camp as few could guard him. His issue is weight. Came in 6'3 155# which is why several schools passed on him. Lester says he's up to 175# and they are packing more on him.

(05-06-2018 05:35 PM)BuickBronco Wrote:  Nobody is talking about Drake Harris, UM transfer. If this kid is healthy he will be a MAC star. Bussell the freshman from Knoxville could get serious playing time. He is P5 talent. WMU WR's seem to come into their own after a season or two. Watson should be improved. Ricci played hurt, Arnett will be all MAC by his senior season. Sanders like wise. Hall was getting some PR in spring camp as few could guard him. His issue is weight. Came in 6'3 155# which is why several schools passed on him. Lester says he's up to 175# and they are packing more on him.

I don't see a reason why this team can't compete as a top tier G5 team this year. Returning qb, receiving core, head coach, solid secondary with Sam Beal. If we can win 3 of 4 OOC games, and take care of business in conference this could be a T25 squad.

(05-06-2018 05:41 PM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(05-06-2018 05:35 PM)BuickBronco Wrote:  Nobody is talking about Drake Harris, UM transfer. If this kid is healthy he will be a MAC star. Bussell the freshman from Knoxville could get serious playing time. He is P5 talent. WMU WR's seem to come into their own after a season or two. Watson should be improved. Ricci played hurt, Arnett will be all MAC by his senior season. Sanders like wise. Hall was getting some PR in spring camp as few could guard him. His issue is weight. Came in 6'3 155# which is why several schools passed on him. Lester says he's up to 175# and they are packing more on him.

I don't see a reason why this team can't compete as a top tier G5 team this year. Returning qb, receiving core, head coach, solid secondary with Sam Beal. If we can win 3 of 4 OOC games, and take care of business in conference this could be a T25 squad.

Question marks up the middle on D. Lost the starting LBs.

(05-07-2018 08:42 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  

(05-06-2018 05:41 PM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(05-06-2018 05:35 PM)BuickBronco Wrote:  Nobody is talking about Drake Harris, UM transfer. If this kid is healthy he will be a MAC star. Bussell the freshman from Knoxville could get serious playing time. He is P5 talent. WMU WR's seem to come into their own after a season or two. Watson should be improved. Ricci played hurt, Arnett will be all MAC by his senior season. Sanders like wise. Hall was getting some PR in spring camp as few could guard him. His issue is weight. Came in 6'3 155# which is why several schools passed on him. Lester says he's up to 175# and they are packing more on him.

I don't see a reason why this team can't compete as a top tier G5 team this year. Returning qb, receiving core, head coach, solid secondary with Sam Beal. If we can win 3 of 4 OOC games, and take care of business in conference this could be a T25 squad.

Question marks up the middle on D. Lost the starting LBs.

Hopefully that kid from Syracuse pans out to be a monster.

(05-07-2018 01:46 PM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(05-07-2018 08:42 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  

(05-06-2018 05:41 PM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(05-06-2018 05:35 PM)BuickBronco Wrote:  Nobody is talking about Drake Harris, UM transfer. If this kid is healthy he will be a MAC star. Bussell the freshman from Knoxville could get serious playing time. He is P5 talent. WMU WR's seem to come into their own after a season or two. Watson should be improved. Ricci played hurt, Arnett will be all MAC by his senior season. Sanders like wise. Hall was getting some PR in spring camp as few could guard him. His issue is weight. Came in 6'3 155# which is why several schools passed on him. Lester says he's up to 175# and they are packing more on him.

I don't see a reason why this team can't compete as a top tier G5 team this year. Returning qb, receiving core, head coach, solid secondary with Sam Beal. If we can win 3 of 4 OOC games, and take care of business in conference this could be a T25 squad.

Question marks up the middle on D. Lost the starting LBs.

Hopefully that kid from Syracuse pans out to be a monster.

That's the word on the street!

As for WRs, can you have too many contributors so close together in experience? Once of the reasons our long-range passing game had issues last season was the chemis-tree. Do you have too many guys in the two deep to throw to do develop in during practice and critically in games? Or can you have a solid plug-and-play passing game? Or do you focus on the best talents and you have a lot of guys transfer for playing time?

A good problem to have at least!

http://www.bangordailynews.com/201/06/27...ball-toss/