re: *** OFFICIAL WE TALKIN' BOUT PRACTICE! ***

Anyone see anything good from the kicking game other than Scott?

I will agree as well. I guess as UA fans we have such high expectations and expect AA performances from each one. Even in recruiting we overlook players that are on the team or just arrived that we were once excited about because of what will hopefully join the team the following year.

So we all may be a little over zealous at times. I blame it all on Saban.

Shepherd was arguably the most consistent lineman in '13, not that that's a huge honor. Amid injuries and new starters, it just didn't click like what Bama fans are use to. He put in solid work last season. He struggled at times, but the line itself struggled consistently. Still find it funny that the RG/RT had more chemistry than the LT/LG. Arie was better when he was moving away from Cyrus on pulls to the right.

Go watch the Auburn game, Dee Ford was almost exclusively lined up wide left. Save for a hurry on a rip move, Shepherd kept Ford away. Now Vogler didn't have a prayer on his few reps with Ford.

quote:

---

we want to see a grizzly bear with a helmet and jersey lined up at RT.

---

I pictured it in my head and lol'd but idk man. Theres too much talent behind him to just accept a solid player. Yeah he aint bad if he started for Alabama last year, but since when has being content with not being a better football team ever been Saban's MO? He said in the press conference that they werent set at OL and hes going to play the 5 best OL and they will move around until those 5 are on the field. Those 5 IMO and the opinions of many is that CRob, G.Hill, Kelly, Jackson, and either Brown or Taylor are the 5 best.

Other than having pure preference, there really hasn't been a given reason to take a guy like Shepherd off the field. Surprised to see someone being a solid starter in his 1st year starting twisted to a negative. He's done nothing to warrant losing his job, he'd have to be outplayed for it. And as of now, that hasn't happened. Hill is a talented player, so is Jackson. But it takes more than that to be applicable to a starting role.

They've told Drew Richmond that they see Hill more as a Guard than a Tackle, and referenced RT would be wide open for him in '15. Tells me they don't expect a returner starter there.

quote:

---

CRob, G.Hill, Kelly, Jackson, and either Brown or Taylor

---

I highly doubt we see anything close to that, fielding them would mean Kelly would be the lone returning starter. Having completely new sides isn't exactly a recipe for success, no matter how much talent they claim to have. Veteran presence will also be a part of Arie and Austin returning to the lineup. Taking experience out isn't gonna help the progression of the new guys.

I'm pretty baffled Taylor and Brown get passes as the best 5 as well. Shepherd starts a season and performs well, yet 3-4 guys are better who haven't done half that?

Some guys are just lightening rods for the fanbase, I guess I get that. There has to be a frickup to blame, even if they did nothing wrong...

Ok I know you do not think that garbage arse OL last season is what Alabama is capable of. Are you just wearing crimson shades right now and think nothing needs to be tweaked? We need to revamp the OL because if they didnt click after a an off season and whole season (oklahome game) then they never will and its more than chemistry. I for one dont want to see how it shakes out to see if theyve improved because we should be competing for championships every year with the best players we fricking recruited. Like are you Austin Shepard's brother or something? I dont think he is a bad football player. He is just average. Other players are better than him and get more push and are bigger stronger quicker and are going to be NFL linemen. No knock on Austin, but these guys are the better players. Taylor maybe not, but he is out there with the 1's now right behind Brown and he never got his shot, so lets see. Shepard and Kounadjio have had a year to impress everyone. AK had several bone headed penalties, I saw him get swim moved several times by DL that werent elite. Its just uncomfortable to even watch, when you know you have people with more upside on your team already. I dont buy into experience and seniority here because they had plenty of it by Oklahoma. A similar situation would be John Fulton. Senior, paid his dues, was not terrible but not great. Bam Cyrus Jones and Maurice Smith play over him.

How are you so sure the other guys are better?

quote:

---

251_Dreaux

---

Hey we will see how it works out douche. What are you going to say if the OL completely changes. State your case if you got the nerve to speak up.

Chill out man, it's just football.

quote:

---

Ok I know you do not think that garbage arse OL last season is what Alabama is capable of.

---

Thought I was pretty clear above that it wasn't the best it could be.

quote:

---

Are you just wearing crimson shades right now and think nothing needs to be tweaked? We need to revamp the OL because if they didnt click after a an off season and whole season (oklahome game)

---

Tweaked is not what you're asking for, you're asking for an overhaul. That's not gonna fix any problem, that's gonna cause more.

The line clicked in certain spots, the runblocking was fine collectively. The passblocking is where it needed to be fixed. There was some problems "clicking" because they there were injuries that pulled out the starters and they were left playing with their backups for spans. That's gonna wreck cohesion as much as anything.

I saw Arie screw up, I'm not gonna pretend he didn't have a bad series or even game. But there was also times where he was in the zone with his pulls.

One of the biggest problems in Bama's passblocking in late 2013 is now current whiffing blocks on my TV screen for the Bills.

quote:

---

I for one dont want to see how it shakes out to see if theyve improved because we should be competing for championships every year with the best players we fricking recruited. Like are you Austin Shepard's brother or something? I dont think he is a bad football player. He is just average. Other players are better than him and get more push and are bigger stronger quicker and are going to be NFL linemen. No knock on Austin, but these guys are the better players.

---

That's subjective, that's your opinion. You can bring in all the straw men you want, but at the end of the day, you're still not giving me facts.

Saying "this guy is bigger and stronger" and "that guy has more NFL potential" doesn't get them on the football field. Save the brief flipflop they did, Arie and Austin have been in those spots since last Spring. These players have had their opportunities to unseat them, yet here we sit them them STILL running with the 1st team in practice.

It's not like these guys specifically contributed to Bama's losses. Those losses were clusterfricks that led back to the coaching staff as well.

Not that it was worth anything, but Shepherd had good games against both Auburn and Oklahoma. Right side was run side, and held his passrushers off the QB.

quote:

---

A similar situation would be John Fulton. Senior, paid his dues, was not terrible but not great. Bam Cyrus Jones and Maurice Smith play over him.

---

Actually plays to my point. Fulton played bad, he got benched. If Arie and Austin were as bad, why weren't they pulled as well. Were they Chance Warmack and DJ Fluker? No, but who is?

You can claim I'm a homer for them, but you damn sure have an unreasonable bias against them.

Now we can be civil about this and just agree to agree to disagree on the matter and just let it play out in practice. I'm not rooting for a single player over another, I too want this best players on the field. But unless Saban gives out a list of them at his next PC, who are we to know who those guys are? If Grant Hill is better than Shepherd, he'll be on the field. If _____ is better than Kouandjio, then he'll be on the field.

No one on this board knows for sure...