Who Wants a Lead Blocker?

[Caulibflower]

Originally Posted by CDCB14

This video makes me wonder even more how fullback's aren't out for the season with concussions after week 2... they run full speed into other men who are 250 pounds 30+ times a game. How are Vontae Leach, Tony Richardson, etc. already not vegetables laying in a hospital bed?

I'm serious though... how can these guys do that every game for 5+ years and other guys get concussions and other head injuries after one hit? I know a lot of them a unlucky and some can be really bad... but I still don't get how fullbacks survive..

I wonder that, too. Could be they're just the baddest MoFos who play. Like in that video, there's two kick returns where Diehl just SMACKS into a coverage guy, they both fall down... And Diehl's the one who gets back up looking for someone else to hit. He's done his job, because he put a guy in the turf. And that's pretty much all his job is. A linebacker's actually got to come off a block and still has to tackle his guy, and linemen are typically bigger than the guys they're blocking. Guys like Diehl just have to be strong enough and tough enough to play a position where they're literally just trying to hit someone so hard that they're knocked away from the guy they're trying to tackle.

[tjsunstein]

Pretty flawless as far as run blocking.

[Caddy]

Erik Lorig sucks. I want this guy to replace him.

[eaglesalltheway]

Originally Posted by tjsunstein

Pretty flawless as far as run blocking.

Except not though. Very good yes, but he ends up on the ground too often to beanything close to "flawless".

[YAYareaRB]

Originally Posted by eaglesalltheway

Except not though. Very good yes, but he ends up on the ground too often to beanything close to "flawless".

the good thing about him ending up on the ground is hes taking someone to the ground with him tho.

[eaglesalltheway]

Originally Posted by YAYareaRB

the good thing about him ending up on the ground is hes taking someone to the ground with him tho.

Not in ALL those clips he has a few where he just gets a glancing shot and ends up at the defenders feet a few times. I'm not trying to say he's not a good blocker. But most everybody on here is acting like this guy hasn't missed a block, where, even in that video, he misses his defender and they make a tackle.

But then there are the plays like around the 2:20 mark, IIRC, where he blows up the LB, stammers him. Doesn't take him to the ground, but jostles him enough that the LB is adjusting his helmet while "persuing" (after the hit he took, I can't say I blame him for trying to collect himself) the RB. That to me, was one of the more impressive plays, the one where he knocked the FSU's helmet off was not all that great, he hit the guy high and he was still able to persue it from behind. The best play in that whole clip is the one where he takes on the OLB and just flat drives him back and drops him on his back, and falls with him. THAT is when it is ok for a blocking FB to be on the ground. But plays like the one special teams instance, he ended up on the ground, slowed his guy down, but he was still on his feet and could've made a play.

[Caulibflower]

What I was thinking as I watched it is that he is a "downhill blocker." He blocks with a lean. And when he hits his target, that's a really good thing - he's got all that force going the way he wants it to, and when he gets square into a guy's pads, he can just lay them over backwards. But when he doesn't hit square, he sometimes loses his balance because he runs with his weight out in front of him. With a "downhill runner," you like that because it means a running back will take a shot and keep moving forward because he's got good lean, and keeps his power moving downfield. So I kinda think that's part of Diehl's game. He's going to get coached up in the NFL, is going to become more accurate with his blocks, but that's kind of it; it's an accuracy and balance thing. And he does block well in space, so it's not so much a concern as just saying, "Diehl will sometimes lose his balance if he misses a block, because he's always trying to put his full force into it." If he's anticipated a huge impact and it doesn't happen...haha...or if he doesn't hit as square as a he means to, it's kind of just a matter of then having to redirect all that force, and sometimes you just can't.

[WCH]

Originally Posted by phlysac

Reminds me of Quinn Johnson.

That was my reaction, also.

[coordinator0]

Right now he's a Raven. I'm not sure why with Leach on the team but I hope they keep him.

[Matthew Jones]

Originally Posted by coordinator0

Right now he's a Raven. I'm not sure why with Leach on the team but I hope they keep him.

Sweet Diehl, you've got a Diehl, just signed my first professional Diehl, etc.

[Caulibflower]

Originally Posted by coordinator0

Right now he's a Raven. I'm not sure why with Leach on the team but I hope they keep him.

Classic Ozzy. He's a keeper. They'll love him in Baltimore.

[Unbiased]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/r...,4035340.story

[Caulibflower]

That's too bad. If there's a position where that's a critical consideration, though, it's lead-blocking fullback. He's smashing heads with defenders 20 times a game. And once those concussions start, they tend to keep happening. Can't knock a guy for taking care of himself. It is just a game, after all.

[JoeJoeBrown]

Originally Posted by Caulibflower

That's too bad. If there's a position where that's a critical consideration, though, it's lead-blocking fullback. He's smashing heads with defenders 20 times a game. And once those concussions start, they tend to keep happening. Can't knock a guy for taking care of himself. It is just a game, after all.

Yep. I can't knock anyone for quitting football due to health concerns.

BTW, keep your eyes on Zach Boren for OSU this year. He's a senior FB that loves to block and will be used as a runner and pass catcher as well.

If he meets OSU fan's expectations, he's likely a 4th or 5th round sort of guy.