macaoidh

I'm just not going to criticize Johnson on Hurd.

The kid has real stuff. It's legitimate top-end stuff. And he'll show it, and you'll say "OK, it's finally here."

And then he gives up two home runs in the 9th when you've got the game more or less won.

Guys like that are the definition of a coach-killer. You keep going back there because you can't help but think "if he just locks in, he's invaluable." But bad things keep happening.

But I'll tell you who's a comp for Hurd, not in how he pitches but in the results he gave.

Trey Hodges.

All season in 2000, Hodges was a lot like Hurd. He showed just enough promise that Skip stuck with him even though his ERA was sky-high, and then finally it clicked in the postseason.

Maybe that's Hurd, and maybe he keeps getting better and this rough two weeks starts to fade away.

Or maybe in a couple weeks Hurd gives up a bomb that sends Troy State or somebody to a super regional out of Alex Box, and we're all going to want Johnson's head.

But since the rest of our arms aren't any better, I can't fault Johnson for chasing the dream with Hurd.

Agreed, but it sure looks like he has the biggest strike zone in the SEC lately.

We sure needed that.

Let's hope that's the shot that breaks up the black cloud hanging over this team the last couple of weeks.

It's like there's a mental thing in that locker room.

Somebody went and drank Jobu's rum. That's the only explanation for the weird shite going on with this team.

I just get a little bit of a Grant Delpit vibe from the idea of letting Zy play free safety.

But we need three other guys to be good corners to make that work, because Zy is legit at corner.

He is, but he'll have to make a big step up if he's going to be much help.

Chestnut and Alexander both look like much better playmakers who would need to get on the field before Ryan.

The other guy is Kylin Jackson, if he doesn't show up big enough to move down to linebacker. I would expect he's a pure strong safety, though.

I keep saying we've got to find a way to put him at the nickel so he's closer to the ball.

He makes plays and gets turnovers. You waste him playing him at free safety. We need somebody else playing the back end.

I don't know it that's Chestnut, or if Zy Alexander goes back there, or if Toviano can do it or even if it's Burns, though I like his size for strong safety. But I don't think we're playing our best defense if we can't put Brooks at the nickel.

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Yeah, I’ve looked at almost all of his highlights. His best attribute may be blocking assignments, but don’t see anything special. People better temper expectations here. I mean he’s not bad, this is more likely a depth play, though…

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He's a perfectly functional back who's got some size, a little bit of speed, he's a very good pass blocker and he's pretty good catching the ball out of the backfield.

Give him holes and he'll get yardage.

Which is a description you can apply to most or all of the guys we currently have.

Rotation with Cain and Williams, and we'll be OK there. Probably not great.

He needs to run most of them off after the season.

Counting on Morgan to get a base hit there.

Which given the game he's had there's an argument for.

Still wouldn't have done it.