Monday, March 02, 2009

Mailbag question: Tate tearing it up and also enrolling early


Guys,

What do you guys think of the Tate rumors of him "tearing it up" in the work-outs.

Also, how much of an advantage does it give him that he is able to be in school now, along with attending spring ball ,compared to Denard Robinson?

Do you guys favor Tate as the quarterback over Robinson? Where does Sheridan fall in the quarterback situation now, because a few weeks ago he was left for dead by a lot of people?

I did not agree with all your guys points about Threet (staying or leaving), but I respect your opinions, at least you tried to explain it was a tough situation.

Greg

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Thanks for the question and comments.

We are fine with people not agreeing with us. This deal would not be fun if everybody always agreed with everything we had to say. We like a friendly, vigorous debate with fans of different opinions. Isn't that one of the things that makes sports so fun? This is why this blog was created.

As for your question, enrolling early and being part of the off-season preparation: the unofficial workouts, strength and conditioning program, and spring practice, is a huge advantage for Tate, especially you knew how much of a “stick” he is right now. People need to remember, physically, he's still a high school senior and needs to grow a bit more.

Just the coaching alone is worth a ton. Throw in working with split ends, slot receivers, tight ends and the running backs in 7-on-7 drills and getting the Coach Barwis spa treatment in the weight room, and you can see that Tate will have an almost insurmountable lead for the starting position over Robinson this fall.

As for Tate tearing it up in workouts, that is nice to hear, but not earthshaking news. First, because at this same time last year we heard that Threet was tearing it up in these same type of workouts. Secondly, after the quarterback performance we saw during last season, almost anything would seem like a gigantic improvement.

Sure, it helps to work in these types of drills, but until we see how Tate handles reading a "live" defense, experiences a "live" defensive rush, being knocked down by a not-too-friendly 300-pound defensive lineman, we are going to carefully guard our optimism.

One last thing, playing in front of 110,000 fans on Saturday afternoon is not something a freshmen quarterback has ever experienced, so that'll be the eventual "Final Exam."

We have great respect for Nick Sheridan his dedication and commitment to Michigan football. We expect him to be a great help as a mentor for Tate, Robinson, and the younger players.

As for the QB depth chart, our guess is:

1) Tate

2) Denard

3) Nick

Thanks for stopping by http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/
If you have any questions please e-mail erocwolverine@gmail.com

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

4 comments:

GregGoBlue said...

In the vein of a live situation, do you guys think that Tate will last very long?

His physical situation leaves much to be desired, and I cringe when I think that a guy my size is getting crushed by guys three times my size on a regular basis. I believe he will be submitted to big hits many times a game (a la McGuffie), especially if and when he keeps it on the spread option.

I'm thinking injuries, injuries, injuries. Do you think Rod will alter his gameplan to minimize the amount of punishment Tate will take early on?

GBMWolverine said...

Coach Rod needs to take that into account for sure. Tate is not a very big kid ... and yes he could add weight / muscle to his entire frame.

That is one thing I worry about with him running the ball on a regular basis.

I saw last spring the quarterbacks getting hammered and one practice both Sheridan and Threet were both "nicked" up.

(IMO) I am hoping we see less of the quarterback actually running the ball unless he needs too. Would like to see the running backs carry more of the the load and also get more involved with the passing game, but a lot of that will be up to what Tate can handle.

We will know a lot more once we are able to see spring practices.

Unknown said...

Tate isn't the first QB that pundits have voiced concern about his height and weight. I always thought it was the responsibility fo the OL to protect the QB. Mobile QB's are also instructed to slide and avoid the hard hits. I think it is prudent to wait until Tate has played at least one game before deciding he is not QB for Michigan. It will take awhile to dispell the idea that a Michigan QB has to be tall, slow, and goes into a fetal position when rushed.

GBMWolverine said...

Bill,

Tate could be a very good quarterback for Michigan and hopefully everything works out. If you see the kid in person right now he is a "stick" ... very thin. He needs to add weight / strength and a lot of time at the training table and with Barwis.

I do not believe anybody said anything about him not being a good quarterback?

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