I wonder what it is that continues to set back Rettig. Last year I had the impression that Rettig's lack of leadership and inability to take charge of the team was a major problem with his development. Ash has also emphasized the need for a quarterback to win the locker room in addition to performing on the field. Perhaps it remains a problem with Rettig...
Camp Depth Chart-Laviano/Allen Co-Starters
- Thread starter Knight Shift
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Last year Flood set him back. This year, I believe it is the offense. He seems much more suited to the pro set.
Yep, that friggin' slacker only averaged 5.2 ypc last year: in 2014 he was at 6.4. Obviously in 2015 he was just resting on his laurels.
If Laviano is our best QB were are not going to be very good.
Maybe with a better game-plan and a coach that can bring out the best in him while hiding his faults , Chris might be able to do a good job as starter.
Nova didn't play like a winner , until he had a OC that could bring out the most of his talent while not putting him in a position where he was mistake prone like before.
Coaching has a lot to do with whether a QB plays well or looks like he can't.
I'm guessing that "consistent" means more than just ypc. I'd imagine that the RB is going to be more involved in blocking assignments in this offense, as there's no FB and usually only one TE. There's also the receiving element of the RB game in this offense - where consistency running routes and showing good hands may have more weight than prior years. Conditioning could be still another element.
It could also be a motivation tactic.
We'll know more in a few weeks.
That bad, huh? I pretty much never read NJ.com comments. Too depressing.
Like I said fans who know little blame the QB or the HC. You are blaming the FHC for the backup QB? LOL.
It could be work ethic (ie the other two outworked him in the Spring and Summer) but it could also be something else that I will not point out because it's not my style. No doubt about it he can carry the rock and get the tough yards. He will get his touches IMO.
I'm going with optimism. If we brought in another seasoned QB and we are still starting Laviano, it's for a reason. And we know Ash won't stick to one QB anyway.
Both Teel and Nova proved the haters wrong after a few off years. There is no reason to rip apart the kid because of our prior coaching staff (who I believed recognized under the radar talent but just wasn't able to develop it).
You go Chris!!!
Both Teel and Nova proved the haters wrong after a few off years. There is no reason to rip apart the kid because of our prior coaching staff (who I believed recognized under the radar talent but just wasn't able to develop it).
You go Chris!!!
And I would say you're being willfully ignorant of his past performance. Last year's performance was subpar. It sounds like he grew up a lot in the offseason. That's good to read. But, the tools remain the same. In any event, I'm not rooting against him. In fact, I hope CL does well. If he does well than my team does well.
The OL's performance and WR's performance was subpar, which impacts the QB. The tools do not necessarily remain the same. Coach Friedgen greatly sharpened Nova's tools, and he had a very good senior year. Laviano has bulked up and spent a lot of time in the weight room. Nate Sudfeld of Indiana is a good example of a QB who improved his toolset and arm strength over his college career. It does not happen often. But perhaps with improved conditioning, coaching and play by the rest of the offense, Laviano will have a good (hopefully great) year.
Not saying it is you, but just sick of the Debbie Downers and stone throwers. CL has said himself he did a lot of growing up. The coaches have been highly complimentary, and Chris Ash does not seem like the type to blow sunshine up someone's butt. So that says something. We'll see how it all translates on the field.
Good sarcasm is never wasted.Man, that was just a waste of good sarcasm.
KS-
In retrospect I appreciate that my initial comment probably was too negative. It should've been more measured. I absolutely agree that CL can (and should) get better. I agree we have a much better coaching staff. That should make a big difference.
But, I must admit that even though it's early I thought that Allen would've taken the job by now (otherwise why would he come here). Granted, he's co-first team but the comments out of camp certainly make it seem that it's CL's job.
In retrospect I appreciate that my initial comment probably was too negative. It should've been more measured. I absolutely agree that CL can (and should) get better. I agree we have a much better coaching staff. That should make a big difference.
But, I must admit that even though it's early I thought that Allen would've taken the job by now (otherwise why would he come here). Granted, he's co-first team but the comments out of camp certainly make it seem that it's CL's job.
Well, Allen hadn't taken any actual snaps before the going-into-camp depth chart was made up. Just being listed as co-first-team right now off of summer workouts means they are impressed by his off-the-field abilities... now he needs to step up and show his on-the-field abilities.
Will be interesting to see where the competition goes, and how quickly Ash settles on a starter.
Denman has not played at the level he needs to the past 2 years...Heeman actually passed him by the end of last season...Denman 's feet have caused the issue...Heeman can be really , really good.
Couple things about that:
(1) Ash has said several times that Allen was brought in to push the other QBs in the room. I don't believe that means he Ash thought Allen was necessarily better than all the other QBs in the room, although he many turn out to be just that. Increased competition and depth is why he came here.
(2) Everyone seems to be reading too much into the initial depth chart. I agree Ash and Mehringer's comments in the past couple days make Laviano look pretty good, along w/Allen, for the starter job. But it's a long training camp and I wouldn't write off Rettig or even Gio just yet.
RT has been an absolute disaster for a very long time. Forst, Alexander, and Denman.
Heeman looks like a guy that can do something other than say "ole", lol.
On Laviano getting better, he certainly does need to improve in a lot of areas. One coach from another B1G team indicated that he stared down receivers. We also know that he has not demonstrated a strong propensity for cleanly throwing deep. I wonder if Fridge was here last year and worked with Laviano the same way he worked with Nova in 2014 if CL would have had a better year.
We'll see if the staff this year can improve his skill set.
I would have been surprised if Allen took the job outright, and it would have sent a bad sign to the QBs who were competing for the starting spot before he was recruited/signed. It also would have been counter to everything Coach Ash has preached about EARNING the job.
I also don't think based on what Ash said yesterday it is CL's job. He said that everything CL did over the summer in being a better leader, bettering himself in the weight room, bettering his attitude has to be shown on the field too where it matters.
I'm not as negative as it seems some are about our QB situation. We may not have a QB that can win games all on his own. But I think we have QBs that, given a better playbook than last season along with adequate protection, can get the job done.
If we cannot protect the QB and only have one receiver who can reliably get separation (which was the case last season), then name your favorite pro-bowl QB; he would still struggle.
Everybody's focused on the QB. I'm more interested in the progress made on the O line and in among the WRs.
If we cannot protect the QB and only have one receiver who can reliably get separation (which was the case last season), then name your favorite pro-bowl QB; he would still struggle.
Everybody's focused on the QB. I'm more interested in the progress made on the O line and in among the WRs.
The difference between Nova's last year and his first three was night and day. Imagine if we had had Friedgen in 2013 as Flood initially wanted.
I hope so. Hard to believe we had a dedicated QB coach who did nothing to improve Nova. Of course, this is an issue that goes back years - we just never seem to be able to really develop our QB's.
The QBs coach who left to coach High School in Tennessee? He is now an offensive assistant at UT Chattanooga.
Same as I thought, his college resume is two caught
passes, did not make the cut at QB. Hard for me
to understand where Ash is coming from.
You know, when you appoint someone first team they have a better chance of "winning the locker room" and being a "leader". Some of that is important, but it gets so overblown mostly. A qb who makes some good passes and leads some scores will have the support of the team. Ash is going with the team favorite and his firestarter choices. Time will tell when the lights and hitting starts.
Help me understand so the guy who could not
make 3rd string qb, at LSU and made a wideout instead.
Should be our nbr 1 qb. I had enough of this
Schiano type or thinking.
I too find that pretty laughable. The next thing you will be told, if Laviano winds up starting, is that the new coaching staff is responsible for the improvement in his skills, allowing him to leapfrog Rettig... who is clearly the better QB - as was told to us on this board many many times. But shouldn't Rettig have benefited equally from the same improved coaching ?? What really speaks volumes is that the coaching staff had seen enough of Rettig to lump him in with the second string guys while anointing ZA as one of the top two QB's...a player that they had not even seen live in pads yet.
Laviano and Allen are buddies:
http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...ct_rutgers_zach_allen.html#incart_river_index
"We do everything together," Allen said. "He actually took me to the airport before camp started. We like each other. We know it's a competition and the best guy is going to win. There is no hard feelings. We're all in this together."
"Rutgers has to do what's best for the program and the team," Laviano said.
"At the same time, I have to compete with myself. I have to know my strengths and weaknesses and work on everything. As an individual, I try to work on the fear of the unknown and competing with the unknown opponent."
"On my visit here, we got to hang out," Allen said. "That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. I heard everything about him, but to get hang out with a guy and really get to know someone is a lot different. I really enjoyed my time with him."
"Zach's a good dude, he's a good player and I'm excited to compete with him for the rest of camp," Laviano said. "There's nothing personal between any of us."
http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...ct_rutgers_zach_allen.html#incart_river_index
"We do everything together," Allen said. "He actually took me to the airport before camp started. We like each other. We know it's a competition and the best guy is going to win. There is no hard feelings. We're all in this together."
"Rutgers has to do what's best for the program and the team," Laviano said.
"At the same time, I have to compete with myself. I have to know my strengths and weaknesses and work on everything. As an individual, I try to work on the fear of the unknown and competing with the unknown opponent."
"On my visit here, we got to hang out," Allen said. "That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. I heard everything about him, but to get hang out with a guy and really get to know someone is a lot different. I really enjoyed my time with him."
"Zach's a good dude, he's a good player and I'm excited to compete with him for the rest of camp," Laviano said. "There's nothing personal between any of us."
