Commanders Post at The Warpath - View Single Post

freddyg12 · 01-23-2009, 10:09 AM

The kid is young & as the article noted, having only spent 1 yr. at Mich. St. basically makes him even younger in development than some of the guys that were at a big program for 3-4 years, e.g. Kelly. These guys have to grow up in the public eye, and that's not easy. Like ARE said, it takes time to sink in that it's a job now, not just a game you play for fun.

I don't want to make excuses for him, as it sounds like from JLC that DT has some attitude issues, but Zorn was also a rookie head coach. Zorn's approach was funny; in the first half of the season you couldn't compliment his adaptability enough & his running the ball. In the 2nd half, at times he seemed to be very stubborn & took an approach that 'this is our offense and we'll run it no matter what.' The Pitt game stands out to me, I couldn't believe he kept calling empty backfield plays when JC was getting mauled.

My point is that Zorn might've been too rigid in his standards for these rookies, which also likely affected JC's confidence, or lack thereof, in them. Zorn will adjust his coaching methods & expectations of players next year. I look for him to have more confidence in DT, and like someone said earlier, maybe find ways to get him the ball rather than just demanding that he first prove he can run all the routes just the JZ wants him to.

In a way, thomas & Kelly are vital to this team's future. If both of them can't become decent starters it will affect drafts & free agents for a few years.

01-23-2009, 10:09 AM	#24
freddyg12 Playmaker Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 4,540	Re: Thomas Eager to Prove His Worth The kid is young & as the article noted, having only spent 1 yr. at Mich. St. basically makes him even younger in development than some of the guys that were at a big program for 3-4 years, e.g. Kelly. These guys have to grow up in the public eye, and that's not easy. Like ARE said, it takes time to sink in that it's a job now, not just a game you play for fun. I don't want to make excuses for him, as it sounds like from JLC that DT has some attitude issues, but Zorn was also a rookie head coach. Zorn's approach was funny; in the first half of the season you couldn't compliment his adaptability enough & his running the ball. In the 2nd half, at times he seemed to be very stubborn & took an approach that 'this is our offense and we'll run it no matter what.' The Pitt game stands out to me, I couldn't believe he kept calling empty backfield plays when JC was getting mauled. My point is that Zorn might've been too rigid in his standards for these rookies, which also likely affected JC's confidence, or lack thereof, in them. Zorn will adjust his coaching methods & expectations of players next year. I look for him to have more confidence in DT, and like someone said earlier, maybe find ways to get him the ball rather than just demanding that he first prove he can run all the routes just the JZ wants him to. In a way, thomas & Kelly are vital to this team's future. If both of them can't become decent starters it will affect drafts & free agents for a few years.