08-23-2023, 06:49 PM
Rogers and Anderson:
* As others have noted the size difference between these two is eye-popping. Come to think of it, one of the themes of Jackson's practice report on TOS was how some of the OL are really not very big (including the incoming transfers). Perhaps something to address over time through recruiting and S&C.
* It's a subjective thing that's hard to describe, and certainly I'm influenced by his recruiting profile and initial positive buzz his first year on campus, but Anderson looks like a guy you'd expect to play in the NFL, which I realize is an odd thing to say for a guy who has done nothing good in college.
* It's big news to hear Rogers introduce himself as playing center. That had been one of the biggest lineup uncertainties on the roster. Rogers is the third most experienced player on the entire roster (Yurosek far and away most experienced, followed by Humphreys and then Roogers, Phillips and Sinclair the next tier, Wyrick and Filkins the next tier after that), but practically all of the experience was at right guard. It makes sense that we'd have the anchor of our line be at center but to hear it definitively from the horse's mouth (with no hemming and hawing, just "I play center") is quite notable. Cross off one question on what our lineup looks like. I still have questions about how he'll play at center given that it's a new position. With Anderson, it's interesting that he said "left and right tackle." There was less uncertainty regarding his position because he's obviously a tackle, but in his case the introduction tells us that he's practicing at both and it's uncertain which tackle spot he'll slide into.
* It's a seemingly small thing but Rogers introducing himself as a senior while Anderson introduced himself as a redshirt freshman is a perfect microcosm of the deeply damaging Shaw culture of viewing players based on academic years and, I hope, with Anderson's self-description a ray of hope that our younger players will start thinking of themselves as football players again. In a serious football culture Rogers would have introduced himself as a junior and would be viewing this year as only his penultimate one. I have no idea whether Rogers intends for this to be his last year at Stanford, but I would have been a lot more confident if he introduced himself based on his football eligibility year. Introducing himself this way makes him sound like the parade of Stanford players before him the last several years who view Stanford as a four year way station on the path to a degree and further personal advancement afterward. I know some think I overdo this lamentation but it really is sad to me. You can't compete in major college football without fifth year players like Rogers and we developed a culture that made what should be standard operating procedure a rarity. This is not the way it has to be. Taylor said this spring that we don't have any seniors but I'm not sure players who played under Shaw have gotten that memo yet. [Don't want to read too much into body language of somebody I don't know at all but did notice Rogers looked down/had a bit of a reaction when Anderson said the "redshirt" part, so maybe there's a bit of recognition by Rogers that academic year does not equal football year and he could have introduced himself differently. Crossing all fingers and toes that this is not Rogers' last year at Stanford.]
* Very good to get the player perspective on the two-headed OL coaching monster. It's no surprise they'd talk about it as a good thing and that the comments would mirror what Netter and Talamaivao say, but it's good to hear nonetheless. The idea that multiple perspectives would be helpful is intuitive on some level and there's a logic that multiple coaches would be a boon for that room (in the way I argue is the case for DB too). The big worry would be avoiding incompatibility or mixed signals. To that end, it was great to hear Rogers talk about what Netter and Talamaivao do in their free time is talking about what technique to coach. It's very nice to hear from Rogers that "everything matches up." We're going to have to see this in action but I'm cautiously optimistic that it's an innovative approach, enabled by a coach who doesn't need a QB coach as much as most coaches would, that will pay dividends, especially in the crucial developmental time for the OL in our 2022-2024 classes.
* Rogers said the main points of emphasis are communication and working together. It's always good to get some insight into coaching points of emphasis. I don't think I have any frame to opine whether these points of emphasis are any more or less encouraging to hear about than any other. Certainly communication is a big part of what an OL has to do. One thing that is a challenge is that the real synergies one hopes for come when the OL is working as a unit....and we're seemingly far from knowing who the OL unit will be, or even if we'll have a cohesive, stable OL this year. I suppose you can practice general communications tactics regardless of who is next to you, but it seems like real cohesion requires some stability.
* Anderson talked about speed of play. Interestingly, he also alluded to playing fast and often solving a lot of the mistakes that will inevitably happen. This is something I harped on for years in frustration with Shawfense, that playing with tempo can give the offense initiative, keep defenses on their toes (maybe less solid footing a more apt metaphor?), and when you've got talent/initiative/etc. give more bites at the apple to overcome mistakes. Sounds like Anderson is being indoctrinated into some of the advantages of tempo and views getting to the ball quickly as a point of emphasis.
* It was fun to see Rogers light up when talking about for how both him and Anderson the mentality is one by one (one play at a time/getting the next play right). It kind of feels like somebody for whom that simple mantra has helped unlock a new level of focus and he's excited about that. Similarly fun to see Rogers' comments and Anderson's affirming body language about the energy and juice inside the program. Really does seem like a sea change and the players being excited about putting in the work.
* It was also illuminating to see Anderson expound on that, at first talking about how playing one play at a time and not worrying about the play that just happened is a big thing for Taylor, then acknowledging that Shaw wasn't different in that regard, but then implying that it lands differently with the players because with Taylor he's been "really diligent with bringing enthusiasm into everything we do." It sure sounds like Anderson thinks it's easier to be focused and mindful when you are having fun and playing with energy. Not a surprise to hear this but perhaps a glimpse at the dynamic we hope is happening across the roster.
* As others have noted the size difference between these two is eye-popping. Come to think of it, one of the themes of Jackson's practice report on TOS was how some of the OL are really not very big (including the incoming transfers). Perhaps something to address over time through recruiting and S&C.
* It's a subjective thing that's hard to describe, and certainly I'm influenced by his recruiting profile and initial positive buzz his first year on campus, but Anderson looks like a guy you'd expect to play in the NFL, which I realize is an odd thing to say for a guy who has done nothing good in college.
* It's big news to hear Rogers introduce himself as playing center. That had been one of the biggest lineup uncertainties on the roster. Rogers is the third most experienced player on the entire roster (Yurosek far and away most experienced, followed by Humphreys and then Roogers, Phillips and Sinclair the next tier, Wyrick and Filkins the next tier after that), but practically all of the experience was at right guard. It makes sense that we'd have the anchor of our line be at center but to hear it definitively from the horse's mouth (with no hemming and hawing, just "I play center") is quite notable. Cross off one question on what our lineup looks like. I still have questions about how he'll play at center given that it's a new position. With Anderson, it's interesting that he said "left and right tackle." There was less uncertainty regarding his position because he's obviously a tackle, but in his case the introduction tells us that he's practicing at both and it's uncertain which tackle spot he'll slide into.
* It's a seemingly small thing but Rogers introducing himself as a senior while Anderson introduced himself as a redshirt freshman is a perfect microcosm of the deeply damaging Shaw culture of viewing players based on academic years and, I hope, with Anderson's self-description a ray of hope that our younger players will start thinking of themselves as football players again. In a serious football culture Rogers would have introduced himself as a junior and would be viewing this year as only his penultimate one. I have no idea whether Rogers intends for this to be his last year at Stanford, but I would have been a lot more confident if he introduced himself based on his football eligibility year. Introducing himself this way makes him sound like the parade of Stanford players before him the last several years who view Stanford as a four year way station on the path to a degree and further personal advancement afterward. I know some think I overdo this lamentation but it really is sad to me. You can't compete in major college football without fifth year players like Rogers and we developed a culture that made what should be standard operating procedure a rarity. This is not the way it has to be. Taylor said this spring that we don't have any seniors but I'm not sure players who played under Shaw have gotten that memo yet. [Don't want to read too much into body language of somebody I don't know at all but did notice Rogers looked down/had a bit of a reaction when Anderson said the "redshirt" part, so maybe there's a bit of recognition by Rogers that academic year does not equal football year and he could have introduced himself differently. Crossing all fingers and toes that this is not Rogers' last year at Stanford.]
* Very good to get the player perspective on the two-headed OL coaching monster. It's no surprise they'd talk about it as a good thing and that the comments would mirror what Netter and Talamaivao say, but it's good to hear nonetheless. The idea that multiple perspectives would be helpful is intuitive on some level and there's a logic that multiple coaches would be a boon for that room (in the way I argue is the case for DB too). The big worry would be avoiding incompatibility or mixed signals. To that end, it was great to hear Rogers talk about what Netter and Talamaivao do in their free time is talking about what technique to coach. It's very nice to hear from Rogers that "everything matches up." We're going to have to see this in action but I'm cautiously optimistic that it's an innovative approach, enabled by a coach who doesn't need a QB coach as much as most coaches would, that will pay dividends, especially in the crucial developmental time for the OL in our 2022-2024 classes.
* Rogers said the main points of emphasis are communication and working together. It's always good to get some insight into coaching points of emphasis. I don't think I have any frame to opine whether these points of emphasis are any more or less encouraging to hear about than any other. Certainly communication is a big part of what an OL has to do. One thing that is a challenge is that the real synergies one hopes for come when the OL is working as a unit....and we're seemingly far from knowing who the OL unit will be, or even if we'll have a cohesive, stable OL this year. I suppose you can practice general communications tactics regardless of who is next to you, but it seems like real cohesion requires some stability.
* Anderson talked about speed of play. Interestingly, he also alluded to playing fast and often solving a lot of the mistakes that will inevitably happen. This is something I harped on for years in frustration with Shawfense, that playing with tempo can give the offense initiative, keep defenses on their toes (maybe less solid footing a more apt metaphor?), and when you've got talent/initiative/etc. give more bites at the apple to overcome mistakes. Sounds like Anderson is being indoctrinated into some of the advantages of tempo and views getting to the ball quickly as a point of emphasis.
* It was fun to see Rogers light up when talking about for how both him and Anderson the mentality is one by one (one play at a time/getting the next play right). It kind of feels like somebody for whom that simple mantra has helped unlock a new level of focus and he's excited about that. Similarly fun to see Rogers' comments and Anderson's affirming body language about the energy and juice inside the program. Really does seem like a sea change and the players being excited about putting in the work.
* It was also illuminating to see Anderson expound on that, at first talking about how playing one play at a time and not worrying about the play that just happened is a big thing for Taylor, then acknowledging that Shaw wasn't different in that regard, but then implying that it lands differently with the players because with Taylor he's been "really diligent with bringing enthusiasm into everything we do." It sure sounds like Anderson thinks it's easier to be focused and mindful when you are having fun and playing with energy. Not a surprise to hear this but perhaps a glimpse at the dynamic we hope is happening across the roster.