@art_stapleton: Andre Williams told me this today about Ereck Flowers' growth as a player right now: "The way he plays the outside zone game is special."
@art_stapleton: Andre Williams on Ereck Flowers: "He is at a level above where I've seen other tackles play that kind of scheme. He just captures people."
iF THIS kid, in spite of all the Legitimate misgivings, is really that rare player who can step in and immediately dominate at a difficult and important position...we are golden.
I really believe that, give us a dominate left tackle and we can beat anyone.
Mauler doesn't mean he can't play zone schemes. Mauler means he is a fantastic run blocker period. Most offenses incorporate both zone and man schemes and some are more heavy in one. Zone blocking actually fits his body build, since you have to be long and extremely quick in order to get the reach blocks that are often necessary.
We'll see how good his pass blocking is, but he is still very young and had the mindset to really improve on this aspect.
He's starting above average already!
Look, if Flowers holds his own as a rookie LT I'd be shocked but oh so very happy too! I mean, an OL that can get through camp together, gel together, and run block like animals together will propel Eli to numbers his brother only has:
Flowers-Pugh-Richburg-Schwarz-Newhouse (veteran Newhouse likely holds the fort though I still would not be shocked if Schwartz takes RT and Jerry takes RG).
The Giants could use back-to-back rookie wonders and health for 2015-206 and beyond!
Osi is exactly correct. I was hesitant about the guy because of issues of technique. The man has the most hideous looking kick slide I have ever seen!
I am also skeptical about the quality of our OL couching.... However if they can correct his technique issues, his feet are special. Watch his YouTube games. The guy glides out to the second level like he is floating on some sort of magic carpet, and even better, he has deadly aim! He is a big guy, but I have seen guys try to juke him, and run around him. He is too disciplined, just doesn't work. If they fix his very obviously broken michanics, he has a lot of qualities that are special.
Is this serious?
What stands out the most to me is that he was "rumored" to be ranked 4th on the Giants big board ( the top five being: 1. Cooper, 2. Scherff, 3. Williams, 4. Flowers, 5. Waynes). The Giants clearly thought more of Scherff and Flowers than what you can read from the Kipers, Boylharts, and Mayocks of the world). Flowers's upside must be through the roof if they had him ranked that high despite his poor technique (and pedestrian forty time). Either that or it was just wishful thinking from a team in desperate need along the OL in a draft that lacked elite prospects at the position.
Rather than Willie Roaf or Tyron Smith, I would compare him to Jumbo Elliot (who was projected to be a prototype right tackle but instead made a pretty good career for himself as a left tackle). One of the things that the Giants excelled at with Jumbo was running to the left. I expect to see the same with Flowers manning the post.
We'll see.
We'll see.
So while I can take solace in the fact that the Giants multi-million dollar scouting department with all its resources and access is in a better position to evaluate OL prospects than Kiper, Mayock, and Boylhart, I can't say the same about you (or anyone else on BBI that spends a few hours watching youtube video).