You don’t just go get a Frank Ragnow clone. Those are, let’s say, “Limited Edition”.
So, if one is going to have to choose between the normal tradeoffs, I’m fine trading “a little slow” for “big, strong mauler”. We’ve got elite-level mobility with Sewell, and the guards move pretty well, too.
I’d rather have the guy that can hold up to inside pressure as opposed to a more nimble Dominic Raiola type who struggles to hold his ground against power.
And really, how big of a negative is it to say a center “can only play in a phone booth”? Like, that’s his main job.
I think it was said somewhere that the Lions really don’t require their center to pull much if at all. If that is accurate then it doesn’t seem to be a criticism that matters. Now if the Lions stopped pulling their center last season because GG couldn’t do it while Ragnow did when he played then, yes, it matters.
He’s actually fairly skilled at getting to ILBs IMO. Beyond that you hit some range limitations. But it’s not like he’a a total non factor on the second level.
Absolutely. He’s actually pretty good. He squares them up and demolishes them. Unlike Glasgow who just whiffed over and over again and was on his ass as a result.
Ben pulled Frank from time to time, but it was pretty rare. He weaponized Penei far more frequently in that respect, and why wouldn’t he? Sewell is a unicorn on the move.
Mostly, our center starts off with a double-team/duo with one of the guards, then he passes the DL off and heads to the second level. Frank was great at it because he was so light on his feet and under control, but he wasn’t a mauler. He was more of a get-in-the-way blocker, which was completely fine. LBs/safeties would try to go around him and by then it would be too late, Gibbs or Monty would flash by on the opposite side. And because Frank rarely left his feet or got off balance, he could even climb from one guy to the next (at the third level, we’ll call it).
Mays will do more burying of guys and probably less work at the third level, but he will peel away from DL and make like hell on LBs/safeties like a savant.
He’s also good at swiveling his hips when he can’t generate power in space. He even gets out on rare occasion gets put on the ground bc he gets off balance doing it. But on most occasions he’s still getting enough for Rico Dowdle, etc. to be out the chute. So that will clearly work for Gibbs.
Right, I think his core power is a little better than what he brings from his base, at least when he’s not on the move. Not that the latter is lacking, really, but like you said sometimes a horse of a DT will get the better of him, but rather than lose the play outright Mays will torque, swivel, and reposition so it’s not a loss (though it might be by PFF’s grading).
Fano has some reps like that too, but I actually think his is for a different reason: the core strength gets him in trouble, but the insane balance lets him fight long enough to let the play succeed, generally.
Well last year he was a FA after the Vikings released him and given a 2-year, $12M deal with just shy of $4M guaranteed, but then remember the Pats were in a spot last year like the Raiders are this year to get up to the spending floor. They had to throw around money.
Honestly, and this is admittedly just my personal opinion, but I don’t think Bradbury holds a candle to Mays. Now he is a very different type of C, a 100% move guy who can’t hold up in a phone booth at all. I also admit that take is probably influenced by Vikings fans who hate him with a passion bordering on pathos. He was their Raiola, except even worse in a phone booth.
I’d be really, really surprised if he was Chicago’s full-time answer this year. The Pats fans I know didn’t like him and couldn’t wait to move on, though part of that is to let Jared Wilson shift inside.
Thanks man. I certainly remember Raiola getting pushed into the backfield, which was torture to watch. With this review, you wonder how Bradbury was ever a first rounder (IIRC).
Well his movement skills were really something else, and iirc Minnesota had just gone to the Shanny system and were trying to find guys who fit. I also remember them taking him that early was kind of shocking.
Basically his report came down to whether or not you believed he had enough mass/strength to hold up in that aspect of the game, and there were some differing viewpoints on it. Some smaller guys like Kelce or Brewer can, others can’t. Clearly Bradbury couldn’t.
we went from the 33rd ranked Center to the 24th ranked by pff in Mays.
Mays needs some help learning how to be better in the run, all said I like Mays, he’s not the splash move there but an able guy and people saying he is better than GG is a positive for him.
I guess time will tell but I trust Jansens assessment of the O-line. Dude only started as a freshmen at Michigan was the offensive captain of the 97 team. He only played 13 years in the NFL lives here ( I built his deck ) and is in tune with whats going on locally. But yeah, you have better sources who put in the same film study as Jansen.
Why are you so sure that Jon Jansen takes much time away from his family and millionaire lifestyle to crunch film from non Lions teams for the purpose of his janky radio gig?
Keyword to your whole post is “ media “. I’m sorry I’m not as excited as everyone else. Dude sucks at run blocking on a team that wants to run first. He literally signed for a 1/3rd of what the top centers are getting this FA period. F**k, some asshole in the “ media “ is suppose to make me feel better? Man, this is a serious WTF?
