Tight Ends Coach Kevin M. Gilbride
August 5, 2016
Re: Larry Donnell
A: Learn to play fast again, which is good. In the spring at times, it didn't look like he was playing as fast. But really now, this training camp, after the first couple of days, he kind of found his rhythm again.
More on Donnell
A: Not really. I know he's excited but he's always excited about the upcoming season. What I really liked is the fact that he's made a conscious effort to develop in the run game.
Q: How does someone separate themselves from the depth? By playing both the Y and U tight-end position. Is it fair to say it’s as simple as that?
A: You can't. It's not fair to do. What we like to do, what we try to do is; and I'm talking about when we're in season, is we like to get the guys who are the best at that particular job. Whether that be an in-line blocker, a lead blocker from the backfield, split out as the No.1 receiver, whatever the case may be. What we try to do is put that person in the position that we like them in. Now what I'll say is this, within our offense, schematically we have ways to make sure that whether you're the Y or the U, you can be in any of those positions by formation.
Q: Just because you started out there doesn't mean that you're not going to end up the other one on the play.
A: That or based on our formation calls, we can have them aligned in those areas.
Q: Will Tye, what does he bring specifically?
A: He's explosive. He's certainly explosive with the football in his hands. Then he is stout at the point of attack in the run game. What he needs to do, and he needs to do it right now, is he needs to play with pad level. Doesn't matter how big you are, unless you play with your pads under the defender’s pads, you're not going to get the movement that we need to get.
Q: Is this as competitive a situation as you've had?
A: It is. It certainly is. I mentioned to you earlier, each person in that room brings something different to the table. I feel like that all six of them are candidates for the 53-man roster. It's just a matter of who emerges. Who emerges and are they better than the other positions. Coach McAdoo had mentioned that the best players will play. It's not a certain number of tight-ends in the group, it's just a matter of who's the best football player.
Q: What does Larry Donnell have to do?
A: Well, he knows what he brings to the table as far as an athletic receiver and playmaker in the passing game. Overall with Larry, it can almost be summed up with ‘play stronger’. That’s stronger with the football in his hands, he's had issues with fumbling in the past; and then also play stronger in the run game. Which again, I'm proud that he's really taken effort to play stout in the run game. He's starting to improve in that area and it’s good to see.
Q: What does Matt Lacosse bring?
A: He brings a knowledge of the position, number one, and he's a big target. I would say overall as far as him going into his second season, he does everything pretty well. So when we talk about getting those tight ends, to get them in the position that we want them in, to execute their jobs, he can execute all of the jobs. But with that being said, there might be someone who's a better run blocker, a better threat down the field, but Matt executes everything well.
Yeah. Doesn't it suck that BBI assclowns have no say on the roster, or who starts?
If we keep 3, Donnell might be outside looking in since he isn't playing "strong enough" for Gilbride after being here for a few seasons...
FB/HBack: Johnson
FB: Nikita Whitlock
I mean, since all play different roles, would we keep our best roster or is this overload at TE / FB / HBack? If we put Lacosse and Adams on the PS we lose them, I'm 99% sure of that.
I've been saying since early in camp, could GM Jerry Reese trade TE Donnell and a draft pick for a real starting RT? And do that move as soon as next week? Maybe a team has two young tackles they really like an over-paid veteran RT with 2 or more years on his contract they'd like to trade?
It isn't that I want to trade Donnell because I think he's a top redzone TD threat, our best TE in the redzone when it comes to receiving, but we do need a solid RT to round out this offense. Lacosse can become TE #2 or Johnson.
Thoughts?
I doubt we'd keep both Johnson and Whitlock, though.
FB/HBack: Johnson
FB: Nikita Whitlock
I mean, since all play different roles, would we keep our best roster or is this overload at TE / FB / HBack? If we put Lacosse and Adams on the PS we lose them, I'm 99% sure of that.
I've been saying since early in camp, could GM Jerry Reese trade TE Donnell and a draft pick for a real starting RT? And do that move as soon as next week? Maybe a team has two young tackles they really like an over-paid veteran RT with 2 or more years on his contract they'd like to trade?
It isn't that I want to trade Donnell because I think he's a top redzone TD threat, our best TE in the redzone when it comes to receiving, but we do need a solid RT to round out this offense. Lacosse can become TE #2 or Johnson.
Thoughts?
Hell will freeze over before those 6 players will comprise almost 25% of the total offensive players on the 53 man roster, figuring 3 ST guys and 25 D, 25 O.
You have 19 roster slots left for offend. Minus 2 QB = 17 minus 4 (min.) RBs = 13 minus 6 WR = 7 left for OL and the Giants have never kept less than 8, and usually keep 9.
You must field, by rule, 5 OL on any offensive play.
You don't need to field, by rule, even 1 TE.
Really should measure the potential "ceiling" of that 4th TE against the ceilings of all the other positional players on squad.
Would not want to over-rate the value of the 4th TE just because he is not that much worse than the #1 TE.
just sayin'...
I'm not a big fan of Donnell, either. Yes, he had a big year in 2014, but with 65 catches and only six TDs (three of them coming in the Redskins game), he didn't seem to be as much of a red zone threat as you'd think. He's still a below-average blocker, he gives you next to nothing in YAC, and he's had ball security issues.
I'm not a big fan of Donnell, either. Yes, he had a big year in 2014, but with 65 catches and only six TDs (three of them coming in the Redskins game), he didn't seem to be as much of a red zone threat as you'd think. He's still a below-average blocker, he gives you next to nothing in YAC, and he's had ball security issues.
I get believing in the promise of young unproven players, But if you are paying attention to what Reese is doing / has done this year so far as the roster is concerned, you have to see this is virtually no chance in hell that LaCosse or Adams will be considered more valuable to the 2016 GIANTS than Larry Donnell.
What I get out of Sully's comments are:
1) Giants don't have a "complete" TE on the roster like a Bavaro type.
2) However they feel they have some complementary guys, who if used in the right way, can be above average doing all the things the Giants want their TEs to do.
3) Seem pretty clear that, so far as being a "modern passing game TE" goes, the best of the bunch is Donnell. He has issues, but being a modern, long, tall, over the middle and up the seam TE receiving threat goes he is their guy. Plus so far as understanding the offense goes (crucial for the MacAdoo TEs) he is better than any of the others. This last part is so often overlooked by the hoi polloi here on BBI it isn't funny.
4) Not from these comments, but rather elsewhere, I also get the sense that Johnson is hands down the best blocker.
5) They LaCosse's overall game, but he's not a better pure receiver than Donnell nor a better blocker than Johnson.
Let's see LaCosse and/or Adams do something in a game before projecting them over anyone, please.
Someone's gonna get "a knee" and end up on IR, I just bet...
If LaCosse hadn't gotten hurt early on last year, Will Tye doesn't make the team, and no one would be talking about him or Larry Donnell this year.
Still I think you are ignoring the qualifier "pretty."
Doing all things well is good. Doing all things " pretty well" is less good.
Patricia Traina @Patricia_Traina
Another bobble for Donnell. Retained possession but also didn't have anyone on him.
Quote:
Patricia Traina @Patricia_Traina
Another bobble for Donnell. Retained possession but also didn't have anyone on him.
But later in practice when he catches 2 in a row in traffic from Eli vs the 1s you don't mention it, right?
You're perfectly free not to like Donnell like many here don't. But I expect you to be smarter than to project LaCosse ahead of him, at this point.
Let's see how the exhibition auditions play out.
Tough crowd. He definitely bobbles more often than he should given his big soft mitts. But he makes grabs on many passes that no other TE on the roster can even reach, IMO. Unless LaCosse is that guy, but I'd like to see it, ya know?
Getting around sunset here, heading out for a walk... catch ya later, when some more post practice wrap ups are up.
One last quip. On Giants.com Donnell was one writer's pick for "player of the week" in camp through yesterday.
No one even mentioned LaCosse.
Maybe I am missing something... Do you have the Trademark on a line of sports apparel with an icon of a platypus called "LaCosse" or something?
Q: Will Tye had some nice targets in the green zone today. What can you say about his performance?
A: He made a nice play in the back of the end zone, corner route. I would like to see Will play with a lower pad level and play faster.