Position Changes

[ESPY]

getting back to Mendoza, the kid obviously hasn't seen the field or landed a position for a reason. if he can compete and bring something to the table he earns a position and plays, otherwise he ends up on specials or as a backup that doesn't play at all...simple as that, it takes more than speed to play the game.

for the sake of agreement, i will reuse my thoughts from yesterday...

Why does everyone "feel for Mendoza" in this situation? He must've been a favorite when he got on campus a couple years ago or something. My take - there's a reason a player doesn't get PT & is forced to try different positions - he just doesn't cut it. I mean how many other guys have had to change positions, get thrown to the back of the line, and NOT received any of the Mendoza feelings? I don't care who it is, I want the best out on the field. End of story.

[Enhance]

and Mike Smith is now working out at center.

This could work out pretty well for us. Mike Smith is smart. Doesn’t seem to miss too many assignments. He will do fine at center. But I doubt that Yoshi starts at LT this year if Smith moves. He will back up Marcel Jones. That would be my guess.

 

Will Mike Smith even play? Mike Caputo is a guy that had impressed the coaches enough that they wanted to move Hickman, the best O-lineman, to Guard to make way for him to start as well. Smith getting moved to center may as well have been a dismissal from the team, because he will most likely disappear now. Who knows, maybe he'll take to center like a fish to water.

 

 

Caputo is undersized for a B12 linemen, and Mike Smith being undersized for an LT is why they're moving him to center. So unless Smith totally flounders at center, I think Caputo will be the backup

Some of Nebraska best centers have been his size.

Caputo, Mike OL 6-1 275 Jr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard North)

 

Graham, Aaron C 6-4 285 Sr. Denton, Texas (Denton)

Taylor, Aaron C 6-1 305 Jr. Wichita Falls, Texas (Rider)

Raiola, Dominic C 6-2 300 Jr. Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis School)

 

players are also bigger now than they were 10 years ago, Caputo is small for a modern D1 center no matter how you slice it.

That's funny since he the same size as these guys

 

Dan Koppen C 30 6-2 296 8 Boston College

69 Ryan Wendell C 24 6-2 285 1 Fresno State

Nick Mangold C 26 6-4 305 5 Ohio State

56 Michael Parenton C 24 6-2 287 1 Tulane

43 Tanner Purdum C 25 6-3 217 1 Baker

Ben Hamilton C 32 6-4 290 10 Minnesota

Jeff Saturday C 34 6-2 295 12 North Carolina

 

I guess the these guys couldn't play in D-1 class because of their size so they better stick to their day jobs in the NFL. this is just looking at 4 pro team (Patriots, Colts, Jets and Bills)

 

I

I rather see Nebraska with a line around 6-3 to 6-4 300-315 and be able to move rather then these 6-7, 6-8 340 350 guys they get now.

that doesnt exactly mean much though, maybe i should have clarified...it is undersized for our offense then. on top of that only one of them is close to the same size.

 

shorter linemen are fine if you are utilizing a rushing offense but we arent, we have a multiple offense with nearly equal rush and pass. For our offense we need taller linemen, however most linemen dont weigh 340-350..most are 300-310 which is right where they should be.

Ah, yes multiple offense (meaning good at somethings great at nothing)Why, exactly do you need taller linemen for screen passes and 10 yard outs?

 

The arguement you have with Caputo then is that he would not make the offensive line aesthetically pleasing to the eye?

It has a lot to do with leverage and wing span. Bigger linemen are better in pass pro (for example, a 6'6" 315 tackle is going to be better than a tackle who is 3 inches shorter and 20 pounds less, in most situations). On the other hand, run heavy offenses can get away with guys floating around the 6'1" to 6'3" mark and the 280 pound mark because they have a lower center of gravity and can get up underneath opposing defenders.

 

That said, Caputo's situation isn't a big deal. Being a center is very versatile. He may not be the "ideal" size you could want for our offense, but he's still a good size that isn't really going to affect anything imho. Caputo looked a lot better than Hickman at some points last year (mainly due to Hickman's injuries), so I'm not worried about it at all.

[Overland Park Husker]

Smith at Center was predicated upon how quickly the coaches figured Yoshi could become the starting LT correct? So is it ok to assume that Hardrick is looking like everything he is supposed to be then?

This is what Pelini had to say about position changes along the offensive line and Yoshi:

 

"Mike Smith is going to play a number of different positions on the offensive line, not just tackle. We're going to look at him at center, and maybe possibly some guard. But he'll still be out there at tackle some. "

 

"We call him Yoshi. He's very raw right now. He's a talented young man, he's big and he's got good size, but he's got a long way to go as far as getting up to speed in conditioning, getting in position where we can get him developed. He's got a lot of learning to do. That's not necessarily why we're moving Mike Smith around, we've got some other young guys. We're just trying to get everybody an opportunity. We believe hopefully in the future Yoshi will be in there and get a chance to show what he can do. "

 

I think the coaches are trying to get depth at all of the positions and get the best 5 guys on the field.

[holvy83]

if he still warrants a scholarship, then i say let them see what he does at another position, I would hate to think he is taking an opportunity from someone else which I am sure is not the case.

 

edit- i was referring to Mendoza...

[shyndy]

honestly more focus should be put on the person having strength and explosiveness than size. does nothing if our linemen are all over 300 just because they eat a gallon of ice cream and a large pizza every nighht

[T_O_Bull]

Haven't seen anything posted about this, but Mendoza has been moved to corner and Mike Smith is now working out at center. They said coaches feel Smith is big enough to play tackle. I believe they said he was around 290. I feel for Mendoza. Seems like the kid just can't find his niche.

 

If its me just put me some place where I can play. I want my degree and a National Championship Ring.

T_O_B

[In the Deed the Glory]

and Mike Smith is now working out at center.

This could work out pretty well for us. Mike Smith is smart. Doesn’t seem to miss too many assignments. He will do fine at center. But I doubt that Yoshi starts at LT this year if Smith moves. He will back up Marcel Jones. That would be my guess.

 

Will Mike Smith even play? Mike Caputo is a guy that had impressed the coaches enough that they wanted to move Hickman, the best O-lineman, to Guard to make way for him to start as well. Smith getting moved to center may as well have been a dismissal from the team, because he will most likely disappear now. Who knows, maybe he'll take to center like a fish to water.

 

 

Caputo is undersized for a B12 linemen, and Mike Smith being undersized for an LT is why they're moving him to center. So unless Smith totally flounders at center, I think Caputo will be the backup

Some of Nebraska best centers have been his size.

Caputo, Mike OL 6-1 275 Jr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard North)

 

Graham, Aaron C 6-4 285 Sr. Denton, Texas (Denton)

Taylor, Aaron C 6-1 305 Jr. Wichita Falls, Texas (Rider)

Raiola, Dominic C 6-2 300 Jr. Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis School)

 

players are also bigger now than they were 10 years ago, Caputo is small for a modern D1 center no matter how you slice it.

That's funny since he the same size as these guys

 

Dan Koppen C 30 6-2 296 8 Boston College

69 Ryan Wendell C 24 6-2 285 1 Fresno State

Nick Mangold C 26 6-4 305 5 Ohio State

56 Michael Parenton C 24 6-2 287 1 Tulane

43 Tanner Purdum C 25 6-3 217 1 Baker

Ben Hamilton C 32 6-4 290 10 Minnesota

Jeff Saturday C 34 6-2 295 12 North Carolina

 

I guess the these guys couldn't play in D-1 class because of their size so they better stick to their day jobs in the NFL. this is just looking at 4 pro team (Patriots, Colts, Jets and Bills)

 

I

I rather see Nebraska with a line around 6-3 to 6-4 300-315 and be able to move rather then these 6-7, 6-8 340 350 guys they get now.

 

This list is ridiculous. Three of these guys are rookies that are long snappers. If you didn't notice that with a 217 lb Center in the NFL I guess this whole conversation is moot. All of the others are at least 290 pounds and 6'2" to 6'4". I have seen Caputo, he is not 6'1". No one is saying he isn't talented, by the way. They are just saying he isn't of typical size for today's spread offense. Mainly because of the extra large splits required of the lineman in these offenses, the center has to be longer than ever before. I don't see any of the lineman you have listed, including these NFL guys or the old Nebraska guys, running a College-style spread offense with extra wide splits.

 

Geez, I don't know why you took this whole thing so damn personal anyway. Caputo is a small Division 1 Center for a spread offense. There is no denying that one.

 

edit: I am struggling with how 6'1" 275 lbs is the same size as 6'4" 305 lbs. 3 inches and 30 lbs is a hell of a difference. For instance, I am 6'2" 235 lbs and Pierre Allen is 6'5" and 265 lbs. Are we the same size?

[zoogs]

I don't think anyone took it personal, but the list is rather suspect. Koppen, for instance, is considered undersized, something Pats beat writer Mike Reiss has touched on a couple times. And really, I don't think we have these 6'7-6'8 340-350 guys you talk about. Murtha was a monster and he was 6'7, 306.

 

That's not to say Caputo can't get the job done, but he is undersized. Of this move though, I think it's more likely that Mike "false start" Smith is being relegated.

[Enhance]

I really don't understand why there is a care level about this anyways. If he gets the job done, then his size and height do not matter in the least bit. From what I saw last year, he is very capable of doing so. Besides, considering we will still be lining up under center quite a bit this year, we need someone who is versatile. Yes, he is built more for a run-heavy offense, but I think he'll do just fine.