PDA

View Full Version : Wherein I Do Confess My Sins And Repent My On Heresy On Derrick Bolles!



Cugel
04-30-2017, 07:24 PM
I Confess! I was NOT a fan of the Bolles pick, at all. I wanted the Broncos to do something else. But, I was wrong. And I admit it.

I heard Bolles' interview on 104.3 The Fan, and to tell the truth I was blown away by him. I was NOT at all in favor of waiting at #20 and winding up with an OL, rather than trading up to #18 and drafting OJ Howard, or if you stay at #20, taking Reuben Foster.

And either of those guys might wind up having much better careers than Bolles. But, after hearing his interview, it clearly won't be for lack of effort. This is a totally no nonsense guy who really gets it.

What do I mean by "gets it?" Just this. Young people who lack maturity never take advantage of their opportunities properly. They lack perspective. Sometimes age brings that perspective and you may want to slap your younger self upside the head a few times and say "dummy! WTF are you doing? You need to get it together son! And stop hanging out with that dumb-ass go nowhere crew of yours too! "

Well, this guy is about 1000 miles beyond that. He says that he's excited because Von Miller welcomed him to the team and now he gets to be friends with Von Miller and learn things from him. He's excited to get together with him. When asked what is his biggest weakness, he doesn't try and B.S. he says bluntly "my pass protection. I need to work on my pass-protection."

Well, of course he does. But he's clear-eyed about his short comings. He knows where he needs to improve and says that he intends to be the first in the building in the morning and the last to leave at night. And that he told John Elway he loved him for picking him and that he would work as hard as he could to prove to Elway that they made the right decision in taking a chance on him. Because, he said, they had other choices they could have made on other players. But, they took the chance on him.

And they told him last week before the draft "see you on Thursday" - meaning the first day of the Draft - thus Elway specifically told Bolles that they would draft him, in the week prior to the draft.

Elway was targeting Bolles all along. I'm starting to see what impressed him about this kid. Is he a finished product? No.

Is he really any better today or will he be really significantly better by September 1 than Ty Sambrailo, who is finally healthy and an off season to work on his technique and may very likely be significantly better than he was last year (horrible)? Is he really better than Sambrailo? Maybe not.

But, will he develop into a good NFL tackle? Well that will depend on 3 things.

1. Natural athletic talent. He pretty much has that. He needs to get bigger and stronger than 297 and he will get in the weight room and get to work with the Strength and Conditioning Coaching staff and add maybe 15 pounds of muscle by then. Other than that, he's quick and agile and naturally strong enough. And he plays with an attitude. So, Natural Athletic Talent Check!

2. Technique. While everybody granted that Bolles has natural athletic ability, his technique, especially in pass-protection has been faulty (as he admitted). The question is: "how quickly will he learn?"

So, granted that he's not a polished product, or such an athletic freak like Ryan Clady that you can just step on the field right away and by his second year he was among the top 3 LTs in football.

But, what is his ceiling likely to be? And acknowledging that you're not drafting him at #12 like Clady was.

#3 Attitude. That success will depend on how well he learns and how hard he works. This guy is a no nonsense family guy who gets up early and goes to bed early and focuses on his work and family. Period. Nothing else. He's not out trying to check out the night-life. He's at home reading the play book.

And it's going to stay like that throughout his career. You can tell that too from the natural way he spoke about everything - without pretense at all.

So, it all comes down to the 3rd and final element. Luck. Especially luck with injury. He has to stay healthy. Ty Sambrailo might well be an established franchise LT for the Broncos instead of watching Bolles fly by him on the depth chart. But, for injury.

But, injury setbacks aside, I see this guy as having exactly what he needs most to succeed. The right attitude. He'll work hard enough to succeed if that is possible.

Athletic Talent + Hard Work + Reasonable Intelligence & Learning Ability +Luck With Injury = Success.

So, now I'm getting it, why Elway was so impressed with this kid that they told him a week before the draft "see you next Thursday" meaning - "We're drafting you!"

chazoe60
04-30-2017, 07:26 PM
Tldr

Cugel
04-30-2017, 07:27 PM
Oh, I forgot to mention that I called him "Derrick Bolles," because I was disdainful of the pick back when I heard various draft experts who didn't like Bolles. So, I have to say I was wrong about that too.

Simple Jaded
04-30-2017, 07:46 PM
Who the **** is Derrick Bolles?

Hawgdriver
04-30-2017, 08:29 PM
I think Derrick will have a great NFL career.

Poet
04-30-2017, 08:32 PM
Cugel, I respect this thread.

UnderArmour
04-30-2017, 08:40 PM
Tldr

If it's too long to read, don't post in the thread. Your signature is larger than your actual post...


Anyways, what scares me about Bolles is the "lack of strength" flag. We took Sambraillo two years ago and it was almost the same description: extremely athletic, but needs to hit weight room. We took a DE awhile back named Jarvis Moss that had the same knock: athletic, but needs to hit the weight room. I feel like I have yet to hear a success story of a player with this flag on them, at least not for us.

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
04-30-2017, 09:15 PM
I accept your heart felt apology paired with an offer to buy a beer for me the next time I'm in Denver.

chazoe60
04-30-2017, 09:30 PM
if it's too long to read, don't post in the thread. Your signature is larger than your actual post...


Anyways, what scares me about bolles is the "lack of strength" flag. We took sambraillo two years ago and it was almost the same description: Extremely athletic, but needs to hit weight room. We took a de awhile back named jarvis moss that had the same knock: Athletic, but needs to hit the weight room. I feel like i have yet to hear a success story of a player with this flag on them, at least not for us.

tldr

Timmy!
04-30-2017, 09:34 PM
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9fbufwsqn1qc882co2_250.gif

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
04-30-2017, 09:38 PM
If it's too long to read, don't post in the thread. Your signature is larger than your actual post...


Anyways, what scares me about Bolles is the "lack of strength" flag. We took Sambraillo two years ago and it was almost the same description: extremely athletic, but needs to hit weight room. We took a DE awhile back named Jarvis Moss that had the same knock: athletic, but needs to hit the weight room. I feel like I have yet to hear a success story of a player with this flag on them, at least not for us.
That was the flag with Clady when he was drafted

Poet
04-30-2017, 09:51 PM
A lot of guys have to put on weight after entering the league. Moss nor Samp had the edge that Bolles does.

Hawgdriver
04-30-2017, 10:38 PM
A lot of guys have to put on weight after entering the league. Moss nor Samp had the edge that Bolles does.

I'd love to read a long, in-depth article about Jarvis Moss. The story about that dude and why he didn't make it.

Poet
04-30-2017, 10:46 PM
I'd love to read a long, in-depth article about Jarvis Moss. The story about that dude and why he didn't make it.

I thought he was just really soft and hated football? I wasn't a Broncos fan then, so I have only a very scant and passing knowledge about him and his career. Regardless, I am very confident in Bolles, and I think he can be a top five LT in the league. We will look back on this draft and smile as Elway managed to find a solution to every single last issue the team had.

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
04-30-2017, 10:53 PM
I'd love to read a long, in-depth article about Jarvis Moss. The story about that dude and why he didn't make it.

He didn't live up to his draft status because Shanny over drafted him. He had a big bowl game against a flat footed lineman and wound up with 3 sacks, which was something like half his season total. Shanny drafted him off a 40 time and one productive game.

Jsteve01
04-30-2017, 11:03 PM
I'd love to read a long, in-depth article about Jarvis Moss. The story about that dude and why he didn't make it.

He didn't live up to his draft status because Shanny over drafted him. He had a big bowl game against a flat footed lineman and wound up with 3 sacks, which was something like half his season total. Shanny drafted him off a 40 time and one productive game. and he was completely miscast as a 4-3 defensive end at the NFL level. He should have been an outside linebacker from day one.

Simple Jaded
05-01-2017, 02:14 AM
"Jarvis reminds me of Charles Haley"-- Shanatan

Why didn't Moss make it? I can that tune in two notes; No...Hate.

Cugel
05-01-2017, 09:53 AM
"Jarvis reminds me of Charles Haley"-- Shanatan

Why didn't Moss make it? I can that tune in two notes; No...Hate.

Why didn't he make it? He was a wee little man whose cleats had casters on the bottoms for easy rolling action, right back into the secondary.

Cugel
05-01-2017, 10:03 AM
If it's too long to read, don't post in the thread. Your signature is larger than your actual post...

Anyways, what scares me about Bolles is the "lack of strength" flag. We took Sambraillo two years ago and it was almost the same description: extremely athletic, but needs to hit weight room. We took a DE awhile back named Jarvis Moss that had the same knock: athletic, but needs to hit the weight room. I feel like I have yet to hear a success story of a player with this flag on them, at least not for us.

Oh, I think it's obvious he's a developmental player, but they chose him for two reasons:

1. He's probably the most athletic of the Ts in this class, which means they can develop him. He has the talent to ultimately succeed.

2. His work ethic is better than some other players which means he's coachable and will work hard to succeed.

That, plus a little luck about staying healthy are the three things you need to succeed in the NFL.

His strength is suspect, but he's only 297 lbs. so he can improve that by getting in the weight & conditioning program.

Vance Joseph said he would NOT be disappointed if Bolles didn't start week 1. Lots of people will be looking at Reuben Foster's career, but Elway won't be one of them. They decided on targeting their guy and were even prepared to go up 2 spots to #18 if a team behind them showed signs of wanting Bolles.

Well, if he succeeds in becoming a starting LT for years to come then it's worth it. If not, then it's not. But, I am convinced he will succeed because he will work every day as hard as he can towards that success. And he believes in himself too. He has confidence, but realistic humility about how much he has to improve. He's already reaching out to other players on the team.

It won't be long before he outperforms Ty Sambrailo at this rate. Will he struggle at times? Yes. Will he try and improve off of that struggle? Yes. As for the rest, we'll have to see. But, I find some of the criticisms of Bolles unconvincing. Is he a polished T ready to jump in? No. He's got some work in the weight room, and some work on his techniques to do.

But, he would never have been available at #20 if he were a prospect like Ryan Clady. If he didn't have question marks he'd have gone in the top 10.

Did you know that this is the first year in NFL history that no T was taken in the top 15 picks? Never happened before. That's how much other teams questioned the Ts in this draft class.

Well, the Broncos are banking on Bolles' character making him successful. After listening to him I see why they believe in him.

Rick
05-01-2017, 11:19 AM
Bolles is fairly solid looking already for 297, isn't a scrawny 297. if he could get to close to 310 I think he would be fine and I think that is doable.

Cugel
05-01-2017, 11:49 AM
Bolles is fairly solid looking already for 297, isn't a scrawny 297. if he could get to close to 310 I think he would be fine and I think that is doable.

I'd say no question it's doable. He doesn't really compare with Jarvis Moss who never had the skills or size or especially strength.

Bolles really is athletic enough to be a good T in this league, but he's not going to step in and be a star on day 1. He needs development. And that is going to be a buzz saw of criticism.

Lots of commentators are saying already that he's a "failure" if he doesn't start day 1 - because he was a 20th pick of the draft, and supposedly Elway can't afford to have yet another top draft pick riding the bench.

While it's not ideal, I doubt Elway cares what fans or the media think. He failed to draft a T when Sambrailo flamed out. He tried to re-sign Okung, but mis read the market. He wanted Okung to take a pay cut, but instead he got MORE money offers from other teams. He failed to sign a FA T. He tried and failed to make a trade for Joe Thomas.

He tried every way he could to find a Veteran T and failed, so all that was left was the draft. So, they are all in on Bolles and are hoping the guy pans out. Given his character, a little luck with injuries, and some time to develop, I'd say they have a good chance of success.

Then the question becomes "what do we think of Elway if Reuben Foster becomes an All-Pro and Bolles is merely average." But, that question won't be answered for the next couple of years.

Simple Jaded
05-01-2017, 12:52 PM
Why didn't he make it? He was a wee little man whose cleats had casters on the bottoms for easy rolling action, right back into the secondary.

That, and, he didn't hate what he was firin at.

DT88TheGreat
05-01-2017, 01:35 PM
I'd say no question it's doable. He doesn't really compare with Jarvis Moss who never had the skills or size or especially strength.

Bolles really is athletic enough to be a good T in this league, but he's not going to step in and be a star on day 1. He needs development. And that is going to be a buzz saw of criticism.

Lots of commentators are saying already that he's a "failure" if he doesn't start day 1 - because he was a 20th pick of the draft, and supposedly Elway can't afford to have yet another top draft pick riding the bench.

While it's not ideal, I doubt Elway cares what fans or the media think. He failed to draft a T when Sambrailo flamed out. He tried to re-sign Okung, but mis read the market. He wanted Okung to take a pay cut, but instead he got MORE money offers from other teams. He failed to sign a FA T. He tried and failed to make a trade for Joe Thomas.

He tried every way he could to find a Veteran T and failed, so all that was left was the draft. So, they are all in on Bolles and are hoping the guy pans out. Given his character, a little luck with injuries, and some time to develop, I'd say they have a good chance of success.

Then the question becomes "what do we think of Elway if Reuben Foster becomes an All-Pro and Bolles is merely average." But, that question won't be answered for the next couple of years.

You really dont know what you are talking about, elway, vance, McCoy and our OL coach said bolles is starting at LT day 1. So where are you grtting your information from? Since the guys that matter have already said bes our LT day one.

OrangeHoof
05-02-2017, 09:52 AM
The Broncos won Super Bowls with Gary Zimmerman at LT under 300 pounds. Bolles is the kid that was a "handful" as a kid. He got his life in order, got married and started a family. The Mormons also require their men to spend a two-year mission, most do it in their 20s, which is another reason he is so old compared to his draft contemporaries. Mission life is not like club med and most men drop a significant amount of weight because they are leading a somewhat spartan regimen for those two years.

I am not a Mormon but I have family who are and one can see how most young men come out different after their mission - leaner and more focused on what matters in life. In the case of Mr. Bolles, I think it was something he needed to experience.

LTC Pain
05-02-2017, 11:28 AM
I Confess! I was NOT a fan of the Bolles pick, at all. I wanted the Broncos to do something else. But, I was wrong. And I admit it.

I heard Bolles' interview on 104.3 The Fan, and to tell the truth I was blown away by him. I was NOT at all in favor of waiting at #20 and winding up with an OL, rather than trading up to #18 and drafting OJ Howard, or if you stay at #20, taking Reuben Foster.

And either of those guys might wind up having much better careers than Bolles. But, after hearing his interview, it clearly won't be for lack of effort. This is a totally no nonsense guy who really gets it.

What do I mean by "gets it?" Just this. Young people who lack maturity never take advantage of their opportunities properly. They lack perspective. Sometimes age brings that perspective and you may want to slap your younger self upside the head a few times and say "dummy! WTF are you doing? You need to get it together son! And stop hanging out with that dumb-ass go nowhere crew of yours too! "

Well, this guy is about 1000 miles beyond that. He says that he's excited because Von Miller welcomed him to the team and now he gets to be friends with Von Miller and learn things from him. He's excited to get together with him. When asked what is his biggest weakness, he doesn't try and B.S. he says bluntly "my pass protection. I need to work on my pass-protection."

Well, of course he does. But he's clear-eyed about his short comings. He knows where he needs to improve and says that he intends to be the first in the building in the morning and the last to leave at night. And that he told John Elway he loved him for picking him and that he would work as hard as he could to prove to Elway that they made the right decision in taking a chance on him. Because, he said, they had other choices they could have made on other players. But, they took the chance on him.

And they told him last week before the draft "see you on Thursday" - meaning the first day of the Draft - thus Elway specifically told Bolles that they would draft him, in the week prior to the draft.

Elway was targeting Bolles all along. I'm starting to see what impressed him about this kid. Is he a finished product? No.

Is he really any better today or will he be really significantly better by September 1 than Ty Sambrailo, who is finally healthy and an off season to work on his technique and may very likely be significantly better than he was last year (horrible)? Is he really better than Sambrailo? Maybe not.

But, will he develop into a good NFL tackle? Well that will depend on 3 things.

1. Natural athletic talent. He pretty much has that. He needs to get bigger and stronger than 297 and he will get in the weight room and get to work with the Strength and Conditioning Coaching staff and add maybe 15 pounds of muscle by then. Other than that, he's quick and agile and naturally strong enough. And he plays with an attitude. So, Natural Athletic Talent Check!

2. Technique. While everybody granted that Bolles has natural athletic ability, his technique, especially in pass-protection has been faulty (as he admitted). The question is: "how quickly will he learn?"

So, granted that he's not a polished product, or such an athletic freak like Ryan Clady that you can just step on the field right away and by his second year he was among the top 3 LTs in football.

But, what is his ceiling likely to be? And acknowledging that you're not drafting him at #12 like Clady was.

#3 Attitude. That success will depend on how well he learns and how hard he works. This guy is a no nonsense family guy who gets up early and goes to bed early and focuses on his work and family. Period. Nothing else. He's not out trying to check out the night-life. He's at home reading the play book.

And it's going to stay like that throughout his career. You can tell that too from the natural way he spoke about everything - without pretense at all.

So, it all comes down to the 3rd and final element. Luck. Especially luck with injury. He has to stay healthy. Ty Sambrailo might well be an established franchise LT for the Broncos instead of watching Bolles fly by him on the depth chart. But, for injury.

But, injury setbacks aside, I see this guy as having exactly what he needs most to succeed. The right attitude. He'll work hard enough to succeed if that is possible.

Athletic Talent + Hard Work + Reasonable Intelligence & Learning Ability +Luck With Injury = Success.

So, now I'm getting it, why Elway was so impressed with this kid that they told him a week before the draft "see you next Thursday" meaning - "We're drafting you!"

Lean forward and choke yourself Pyle :)

LawDog
05-02-2017, 02:45 PM
That, and, he didn't hate what he was firin at.

Goodnight Robicheaux

7DnBrnc53
05-02-2017, 04:13 PM
and he was completely miscast as a 4-3 defensive end at the NFL level. He should have been an outside linebacker from day one.

I think that Shanny drafted Moss because new DC Jim Bates wanted him. However, Moss was a project that should have been drafted in Round 2 (like Simon Fletcher).