What's Your Confidence Level For Glen Coffee?
by James Brady on Jul 5, 2010 11:07 AM PDT
in San Francisco 49ers News
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PrintSo, since I've first started putting these posts together, the focal point has been the starters. What's your confidence level in Alex Smith? How about Frank Gore? Things of that nature. Spirits are high for 49ers fans, and the voting seemed to mediate around "Very High" and "High", and I truly believe that is for good reason. I like to think we're a smart bunch here, but we are, when it comes down to it, proudly biased.
I'm not going to shift the focus from the starters for a short while. How about a backup? How about a player whose backup position isn't even secure? How about HB Glen Coffee? Coffee is locked in a battle with sixth round pick Anthony Dixon for the primary backup role for Frank Gore. The loser of the battle isn't guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster, either. The team may feel like they can only take three, with special teams ace Michael Robinson being too valuable to let go.
So what then, are your thoughts? Coffee this past season is someone who is really hard to pinpoint. Was his poor performance (226 yards on 83 carries for a 2.7 average yards per carry with one touchdown) his fault, or the fault of circumstance? His first game where he gained significant playing time, he was going up against the Vikings. Yeeeah... His other two starts were against the underrated defense of the Rams and then the Falcons. At the time, his quarterback was Shaun Hill. Also at the time, everybody knew that the 49ers were going to try and run it, Frank Gore or no Frank Gore.
So he was behind one of the league's worst offensive lines with a quarterback who received zero respect from opposing defenses handing off to him in a system which proclaimed it was going to be a running system from day one. Can you really put so much on Glen Coffee?
Very High: Obviously we're not looking at 1000 yards here, not with Frank Gore in front of him. But we can assume all of the things from the lower tiers as in beating Anthony Dixon for the primary role and getting some looks earlier in games. Coffee takes carries away from Gore not necessarily to keep Gore fresh, but because Coffee is running hot. He'll take some touchdowns from Gore as well, on his way to a pretty good yardage total among some of the better backups.
High: He'll get some more carries from Gore to change things up and he'll play well. Even with the same amount of carries as last year (83), Coffee will get a much better average yards per carry than the 2.7 he was stuck with last year. He will have a couple good highlights, which is more than what you'd expect of your backup.
Medium: Coffee may or may not beat Anthony Dixon for the primary backup role, but does pull a better average than 2.7 per carry. When he does see the field, he is good enough to stay, is respected in the same vein that a DeShaun Foster is if he is the primary backup, and considered a decent number three option if he doesn't.
Low: Doesn't win the primary backup role and looks just as lost out there as he did in his rookie season. He'll have one good highlight, maybe two, in one solid performance but will ultimately be very inconsistent.
Very Low: Michael Robinson looks like a beast amongst boys out of the backfield in comparison.
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What we have in Coffee yet and so for me the vote is ‘medium.’ For all the reasons you listed (Hill at QB, predictable offensive scheme, terrible o-line), the verdict is still out on Mr. Coffee. All the haters need to give him some time before they dismiss him as a bust. There’s absolutely no way the Niners should cut a 3rd round pick who’s yet to have a meaningful opportunity to prove himself. Maybe he does well, maybe he falters, but either way it’s TOO EARLY to judge and label him as anything. He’s a ?
"The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before." ~Steve Young #8
Medium
Keep expectations low, so whatever he does it’s a bonus.
"Even the Swedes are getting mad."-Randy Hahn
"It's very cozy in the sin bin."-Randy Hahn
Coffee will be our #2
and thats a Tony Bruno stone cold lock guarantee. Coffee added 15 pounds of muscle and feels faster and more explosive. We know he can run(tore it up pre-season) and he is tough as well which coach sing likes. Struggled during the regular season but didnt get a chance really to do much. Gore would have struggled as well against the vikings.
Medium
Gore was in the same pickle Smith was in when he was drafted. No OL. On top of that he had Hill as his QB who could not stretch the field with his arm. So defenses simply stacked the box on that weak OL and made it hell to run taking there chances with Hill. I hope we can keep Coffee and Dixon. If our OL can come along quickly and mesh I think we will have 3 quality RBs.
Beat Em To The Punch - Bill Walsh
Because right now he's our #2
he’s had only one year under his belt and I’m holding out some hope that he will make notable improvements this year, I put him at medium. I do have to say though that there is going to be good competition for the backup spot. But best case, if and when Frank is out for his one or two weeks per season, I hope Coffee and Dixon will platoon in the backfield and be a good compliment for each other.
41 days to go. . .
Very Low
I don’t think he’s got what it takes. He doesn’t have the ability to shed blockers when he’s in the open and he’s not strong enough to knock them over.
Logic merely enables one to be wrong with authority
High
Might not be the strongest or fastest, but has the field vision to be elusive. Definitely a solid pass blocker. Only thing I don’t like is he doesn’t catch much.
Coach Boone: And who's team is this, Gary? Is this your team? Or is this your daddy's team?
Bertier: Yours.
Coach Boone: Now get on the bus. Put on your jacket first and then get on the bus.
He was actually quite good catching last year
one of his strong points.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
"I'm just like you, but 10 times better"
by SportsChicken on Jul 5, 2010 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Only catch I remember was the gentle, easy pass in the flat that he dropped with nobody around.
Then again it’s easier to remember the bad points.
And then God created Saturn... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it.
Twitter me and what not.
I remember he scored a TD on a reception last year
Got me 10 points in fantasy that day.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
"I'm just like you, but 10 times better"
by SportsChicken on Jul 6, 2010 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Pretty low.
Dixon I feel has the far superior upside, although I still wish we had kept Blount somehow cause both Dixon and Blount could actually run over people.
Dixon runs over people?
A big part of his game in college was making people miss.
He’s big but he can run and change directions very well.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
"I'm just like you, but 10 times better"
by SportsChicken on Jul 5, 2010 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I Voted medium because I am not sure he has the #2 Nailed down/
Coffee was a productive RB in college at a big time SEC school. He should have a better year this year because of the changes made to the offensive line. Coffee, like Smith, was effected by the poor offensive line play. Coffee kept expecting a hole where the play was supposed to develop. Gore has become adept at reading the offensive line and running to daylight even if it isn’t at the spot that the play called for a hole to be made. I am hoping that Coffee learns this from Gore and the OL improves to the point where they can create holes for the running backs. Dixon looks to be a very strong challenger to Coffee, and if Dixon has a very productive PreSeason, Coffee might end up third on the depth chart.
So hopefully Coffee has been working out all off season and he is ready for camp to come. You cant tell anything about a player in Preseason OTA’s. I know that Gore will be ready. I am hoping for Coffee to have watched Gore and to have improved his overall health and stamina, as well as his ability to read and use his blockers. Dixon could very well take carries away from Coffee, and if the rookie can have a great PreSeason, could very well leapfrog Coffee on the depth chart. It appears that the only thing holding Dixon back is his ability to pass block and take on blitzing defenders.
Another year, another chance to hope for the team !!
Very Low
I never thought he was the least bit special at Alabama either. The year after he leaves a sophomore, (who I think is ALSO a little bit overrated), comes in and wins the Heisman behind a line that LOST Andre Smith.
So yah… Very low.
Gimme 1 round!
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