Better Know a Cub: Mike Olt

In Commentary And Analysis by myles77 Comments

Mike Olt is a strong man. He's a patient man. He's a man with a good glove. And he is a man almost wholly written off in some parts. He's a man with undeniable warts and undeniable talents; this is a quality he shares with everyone in baseball not named Mike Trout. Most importantly to me, he's a man who will likely be tabbed Opening Day as the starting 3B for the Chicago Cubs. How scared should you be?

Not very. I think there's a great chance that Mike Olt provides actual, no-fooling value right away.

Pedigree

Mike Olt was born August 27, 1988 in New Haven, CT. I've been to New Haven (Yale is there, and I took a visit with a friend during our college search. Didn't get in.), and it's not a place you'd expect greatness to emerge outside of the actual campus of Yale (outer New Haven is representative of Outer Heaven, or lets go with Cabrini Green for those who aren't Metal Gear fans), but greatness did in fact emerge. Mike Olt attended UConn for three years, and he more-or-less mashed as soon as he attended. The Huskies went from a 27-28 team Olt's freshman year to 48-16, 2nd in the Big East, and 28th in the country his junior year. This was good enough for Olt to be drafted in the 1st round (48th overall by the Texas Rangers); Olt was the first Husky to be drafted in the first round since Charles Nagy in 1988 (two UConn alum were drafted in the first round in 2011; George Springer and Matt Barnes). 

Olt was immediately sent to A- to finish the season and he was great there (.400 wOBA). In 2011, he started the season in Rookie ball (this makes sense. Rookie seasons are essentially over at the conclusion of a college season, and Olt played relatively deep into the CWS anyways. Combine that with the fact that he's a 3-yr college player, and you'd feel comfortable putting him in A- for a half-season, but maybe not comfortable enough to keep him there if you have another option), but shortly earned a promotion to A+ after 15 plate appearances and continued his dominance of the minors. He earned a trip to the AFL that season; in 127 PA, he absolutely eviscerated the league with a .485 wOBA. He hit a HR every 10 PA.

All of this success masked a minor problem; Olt's strikeout rate. Olt had always carried a nice walk rate, but his strikeout rate hovered around 21% in college (23.9, 26.0, 17.8), and had predictably grown in the majors. In 2011, his strikeout rate had climbed to 25.6%. In fact, Mike Olt and Bert Jerkson had nearly identical 2011 campaigns (14.7% and 25.6% for Olt, 15.4% and 27.0% for Jackson), and Brett Jackson's campaign was in AA-AAA. Olt would have to fix this in 2012 to take the next step to universal top-prospect.

He didn't. He repeated his 24.0% mark in AA (he had 24.0% in A+ the year before), and was absolutely lost at the plate in a call-up, owning a .206 wOBA at the major league level in his 40 PA taste. Still, failing at the majors is a common occurrence even among the best prospects. As a 23-year old only in his 2nd full professional year, setbacks are the norm. 

The problems really started in the Dominican Winter League. Olt was hit by a pitch, in the head. He suffered a concussion, and his vision started getting funky. Eventually, it'd be diagnosed as a derangement of the tear ducts. The derangement eventually failed in keeping his eyes free from allergies, and with that, Olt's vision deteriorated. Olt would free-fall in 2013, going from 1.7 strikeouts per walk in 2012 to 2.4 strikeouts per walk in 2013. This apparently career-altering injury allowed the Rangers to include him as a reclamation project in a Matt Garza deal. Olt went to Des Moines and was frankly terrible.

Or was he? The line is putrid: .168/.276/.275. The wOBA (.262) would be the lowest by 60 points and any non-MLB stop in his career. However, his strikeouts went down to 24.3%. His K per BB fell from 2.5 in Texas to 1.9. His BABIP was .207; that's indicative of poor contact but also some poor luck. His ISO was much, much lower than it was in previous seasons (.107 for Des Moines). Olt was bad in Des Moines, but not as bad as his initial line looks.

In 2014, the expectation was that Olt was bound for AAA if not another organization. 3B is deeper in Chicago than any other organization, with Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Christian Villanueva, and Jeimer Candelario all having at least a reasonable shot at ending up there. 2 of those players are Top 15 prospects in baseball. Couple that with the fact that the Cubs were coming off competent campaigns from the incumbent timeshare at 3B in Luis Valbuena and Donnie Baseball, and things looked grim.

It didn't play out that way. Olt claimed his vision problems were behind him, leaving only a lingering shoulder issue that's affected him since his 2009 UConn days. The spring training line looks promising in some areas (.275/.321/.608, 5 HR) and not promising in others (15 Ks, 4 BBs, 55 PAs). Murphy was sent to Texas, and Valbuena sent to 2B (his more natural position anyway). We're at the point where Olt isn't just an option at 3B, but the expected starter there.

Offense

Year Age Team League PA BA OBP SLG wOBA HR BB SO BABIP BB% K% K/BB
2008 19 UConn Big East 251 0.318 0.386 0.577   13 25 60 0.377 10.0% 23.9% 2.4
2009 20 UConn Big East 173 0.301 0.396 0.527   8 21 45 0.387 12.1% 26.0% 2.1
2010 21 UConn Big East 304 0.318 0.404 0.659   23 34 54 0.326 11.2% 17.8% 1.6
2010 21 Rangers A- 310 0.293 0.39 0.468 0.4 9 40 77 0.378 12.9% 24.8% 1.9
2011 22 Rangers R 15 0.214 0.267 0.429 0.306 1 1 5 0.250 6.7% 33.3% 5.0
2011 22 Saguaros R 127 0.349 0.433 0.764 0.485 13 15 36 0.400 11.8% 28.3% 2.4
2011 22 Rangers A+ 292 0.267 0.387 0.504 0.399 14 48 70 0.314 16.4% 24.0% 1.5
2012 23 Rangers AA 420 0.288 0.398 0.579 0.426 28 61 101 0.327 14.5% 24.0% 1.7
2012 23 Rangers MLB 40 0.152 0.25 0.182 0.206 0 5 13 0.227 12.5% 32.5% 2.6
2013 24 Rangers AA 12 0.333 0.333 0.75 0.466 1 0 6 0.600 0.0% 50.0%  
2013 24 Cubs AAA 152 0.168 0.276 0.275 0.262 3 20 37 0.207 13.2% 24.3% 1.9
2013 24 Rangers AAA 268 0.213 0.317 0.422 0.328 11 35 89 0.288 13.1% 33.2% 2.5
                               
2008 19 UConn College 251 0.318 0.386 0.577   13 25 60 0.377 10.0% 23.9% 2.4
2009 20 UConn College 173 0.301 0.396 0.527   8 21 45 0.387 12.1% 26.0% 2.1
2010 21 UConn College 614 0.305 0.397 0.563 0.400 32 74 131 0.352 12.1% 21.3% 1.8
2011 22 Rangers R-A+ 434 0.289 0.396 0.577 0.421 28 64 111 0.337 14.7% 25.6% 1.7
2012 23 Rangers AA-MLB 460 0.276 0.385 0.544 0.407 28 66 114 0.318 14.3% 24.8% 1.7
2013 24 2 Orgs AA-AAA 432 0.201 0.303 0.379 0.309 15 55 132 0.268 12.7% 30.6% 2.4
2014 25 Cubs ST 55 0.275 0.321 0.608   5 4 15 0.290 7.3% 27.3% 3.8

Olt's carrying card has always been his power; he has a lot of it. His debut season saw him hit 23 HR in college and 9 in the pros for good measure. Until 2013, Olt's lowest SLG was the .527 he had in 2009 at UConn, a year in which he was sidelined for a sore right shoulder (I believe). Olt is also the rare specimen who improves his walk rate at each level; 10% as a freshman, 12.1% in 09 and 10, 14.7% in 2011, and finally 14.3% in 2012. Given these numbers, it's an easy walk to believe that Olt's going to rebound to something like those rates in 2014. 

Olt's K rates have consistently been in the 21 to 26 percent rate, and those are livable. The 2013 number (30.6%) is definitely not. Olt will have to shore that up to have a future at the major league level; honestly, he'd have to shore up the 21 to 26% rate he had through AA because the pitching doesn't get easier.

Olt's power is going to allow him to dictate how he is pitched, and he'll be able to draw his share of walks as a result. That being said, Olt is particularly vulnerable to some pitches; some scouts believe his swing leaves him vulnerable to top-shelf velocity and that he still chases the outside junk. 

If you were to take Olt's minor league line before 2012 and find a comparable major leaguer, you'd have a really hard time. He had the walks and strikeouts of Chase Headley, but the production of Josh Donaldson. That's somewhere in the vicinity of 3.5 to 7.7 WAR (helpful, I know). Unfortunately, that's a poor approximation of what he'd translate to in the majors. Olt's 24.3% mark in those seasons already puts him at 18th in 2013, just ahead of Yoenis Cespedes. A better comparable might be Mark Trumbo; Trumbo walked 8% of the time in 2013 and struck out 27% of the time. Those seem in line with what we might expect from Olt. Funnily enough, Trumbo and Olt share similar ISOs throughout the minors. Even this is a pale comparator, though; Trumbo had lower walk rates and strikeout rates than Olt in the Majors. LOWER than Olt's! Still, if Olt can recreate Trumbo's .250/.300/.470 line, maybe with a little higher OBP and a little lower SLG, that wouldn't shock me. Attached to a plus glove at 3rd, it'd also be quite valuable.

Defense

Olt is a plus defender at 3B. He's the prototypical size (6' 2", 210) for the position, and he's mechanically sound there. While slow, Olt is agile, with a good first step and the arm is a factor at 3rd for him. Earlier this spring training, he made a nice charge and throw to nail Mike Trout on a dribbler to left. Villanueva is a better defender than Olt (probably the best defender in the Cubs system), but Olt is definitely stout enough to be a plus there and not a minus.

Summary

Olt went from untouchable in a Dempster trade in 2012 to a reclamation project in a Garza trade in 2013. As much as one would like to think this was solely the work of a deranged tear duct, it wasn't. Olt has some swing-and-miss issues he'll have to address to improve. Luckily, even maintaining his pre-2013 rates would result in a useful player; improving among them could put Olt in the upper-tier of third basemen in short order. The leash will be short, given the myriad replacements at 3B hungry and waiting for their chance at the hot corner. Hopefully, Olt plays well enough to cement his place there for the foreseeable future.

 

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Comments

  1. Like You Care

    Since both teams need defense most, I’ll start on that side. These are the guys I think are undervalued based on what I’ve seen so far.

    If you’ve heard a name or just want my take on a player, let me know and I’ll take a look.

    DBs

    Antone Exum, Virginia Tech: Played CB and S in college, but I think he has the potential to be one of the best safeties in this class. Physical, athletic and good technique, but he struggles in man coverage. Keep everything in front of him, and he’s your best S option outside the top 40 picks, imo. Could probably get him in the 4th.

    Kenny Ladler, Vandy: Big-hitting FS is a very boring prospect. Doesn’t do anything really well, but doesn’t have any major downfalls. If he can clean up his technique, I think he’s a quality starter for CHI next year and you can get him in the 4th or 5th.

    Tre Boston, UNC: Raw and talented enough to play CB or S in the NFL. Physically ready for the jump, but his instincts haven’t caught up yet. If he can get on with a good DB coach, I think he’s a great value in the 5th or 6th.

    Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma: Top-50 talent (in most drafts) that will fall because of ACL injury and the amazing depth at CB this year. Won’t play until 2015, so he’ll probably be there in the 6th.

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  2. Mucker

    @ Like You Care:
    It depends. If I’m already on the field, then I’ll be on the FG block. That’s usually how we do it. Unless it’s a key situation where getting a block is critical and in that case he’ll put out all the tall athletic guys.

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  4. Like You Care

    @ Mucker:

    Just the fact that people are attempting 44-yard field goals says something about the competition. Just messing around a few weeks ago, I kicked about a 45-yard field goal. It looked awful and it was about my 13th try, though. It probably would have taken me 20 more to do it again.

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  7. Mercurial Outfielder

    Also, I refuse to cheer for Jared Allen, even if he is a Bear. He’s a dirty player. Always has been, always will be. Feel the same way about Plank. Kills me that Bears fans lionize a guy who made a career out of handing out TBI with cheap shots.

    I’m curious to see how the Bears locker room handles Allen. Not only is he a loud, brash asshole, but his cheapshotting Jay the past couple years will be fresh in the minds of the OL, and especially Jay himself. I think there’s a lot of tab picking up in Allen’s future.

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  10. Author
    Myles

    Mercurial Outfielder wrote:

    Also, I refuse to cheer for Jared Allen, even if he is a Bear. He’s a dirty player. Always has been, always will be. Feel the same way about Plank. Kills me that Bears fans lionize a guy who made a career out of handing out TBI with cheap shots.
    I’m curious to see how the Bears locker room handles Allen. Not only is he an loud, brash asshole, but his cheapshotting Jay the past couple years will be fresh in the minds of the OL, and especially Jay himself. I think there’s a lot of tab picking up in Allen’s future.

    3 DUIs. Fuck Jared Allen.

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  11. Like You Care

    @ Mercurial Outfielder:

    I wanted to get a better idea of the front CHI was going to employ most this season before I went over the DL and LBs. Trestman said something along the lines of “We’ll play the scheme that best fits our players.”

    Will it be like last year or more like this?

    [img]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n80/artoftroy/4-3%20Under%20Diagrams/Slide2.jpg[/img]

    His quote suggests it’ll change to the above, imo.

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  14. Mucker

    @ Like You Care:
    Our kicker is pretty automatic inside 40 yards. He can go 45 but he’s not as accurate. But we have a big leg kicker too. He’s only 18 and he can go over 50. He usually kicks the ball into the endzone on kickoffs.

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  16. Author
    Myles

    dmick89, Sweatpants Guru wrote:

    I think it’s more than feasible to think that Olt can hit something like .220/.330/.450, but I wouldn’t expect much better than that.

    I’d take that in a heartbeat. That is literally Luis Valbuena in 2013 plus 75 points of slugging.

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  17. dmick89, Sweatpants Guru

    @ Myles:
    Olt is going to strikeout 25% of the time or better. I’ll be very surprised if his batting average is .240 or higher. He can still be productive, but he, and probably Baez too, is going to hit for a very low batting average.

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  19. dmick89, Sweatpants Guru

    Of course, I think the difference in expectations for Olt between Myles and myself couldn’t be a lot larger. I think he’ll be a decent player and I get the impression Myles is expecting a lot more. I hope he’s right, but a decent spring does little to convince me that even his eye sight is fine. Even if it is, he’s still a guy who is going to strikeout with the best of them.

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  22. Aisle424

    @ dmick89, Sweatpants Guru:
    I think the strikeout issue is the larger issue. Spring stats might not mean much, but the fact that he has regularly hit the ball hard all Spring indicates that he is at least seeing well.

    I’m expecting he’ll strikeout a lot and hit more than a few HRs. Depending on the timing of the HRs will dictate whether fans like him or not. (A couple of walk-offs and he’ll be “clutch.” A few Ks with runners at 3rd and less than 2 outs and fans will want him traded.)

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  27. Just plain BVS

    @ dmick89, Sweatpants Guru:
    Regarding the unionized NW football players, I don’t know what is realistic to expect, but I certainly think a guaranteed scholarship for a degree (unless they flunk out) and guaranteed health care for sports and MRSA related injuries/illnesses is fair. I don’t know how many credits athletes usually take, but you can’t graduate with 12 credits/term in most places, so the scholarship should probably go to 5 or 6 years. Also more than $2000/player for expenses, and some number of free tickets for family. After all, the field hockey players can have their parents watch their games for free, why not football? (Oh, right…)

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  31. Just plain BVS

    @ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:
    LMAO too. But what does that say about us? The team we support, that we root for, that we spend our precious free time on, has a best case scenario slightly above utter annihilation and we just laugh?

    Maybe we should just drink Myles’s Hope Monster flavored Kool Aid instead.

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  33. dmick89, Sweatpants Guru

    Aisle424 wrote:

    I’m expecting he’ll strikeout a lot and hit more than a few HRs. Depending on the timing of the HRs will dictate whether fans like him or not. (A couple of walk-offs and he’ll be “clutch.” A few Ks with runners at 3rd and less than 2 outs and fans will want him traded.)

    That’s about what I’m thinking. I think his ISO will be well above .200 and if you’d asked me at the end of last season I’d have laughed at that. I just think he’s a low average guy, but he will take some walks. Baez is another low average guy and his lack of walks may be a big deal. Olt can fall back on his patience to some extent, but it’s not like the guy is going to have a batting average of .260 or .270 or anything.

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  40. J

    I feel like Olt is a guy the team would love to move for young pitching. He’s on the team for that reason and to not clog up the position at AAA. There are some teams out there (Yankees, Angels, shockingly few others) that have a stopgap guy out there. Ironically, Texas needs a guy if Beltre declines soon. Most other teams have a youngster they want to try out, or a solid vet. It’s one of the better positions across the board in MLB it seems. RF/LF talent is kind of crappy. David DeJesus and Marlon Byrd still have starting jobs. Wait, no need to look that far when you have the Cubs shit platter outfield staring you in the face.

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  41. J

    @ Just plain BVS:

    NU runs on a trimester/quarter system. (Summer is the 4th quarter that most students aren’t enrolled during.) Typically one trimester of one course is one credit. Most degrees take 45-48 credits, so 4 courses is an average course load, and 3 is still full-time enrollment. Given how redshirts and the like go, 45 credits over 4-5 years of eligibility is not that hard to manage. Toss in the summer session, and any AP credits the smarter athletes have, and it’s easy to see why NU always graduates among the highest rates in the country. Other than special combo degrees, it was exceedingly rare for undergrads to need more than 4 years, and anyone carrying APs had the chance to finish 1 or 2 terms early. Of course, it was much more fun to take 3 classes a trimester for the entirety of senior year.

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  44. Like You Care

    Edwin wrote:

    @ Like You Care:
    It’s the Cubs own fault for running that outdated cover 2 defense.

    [img]http://www.nerdgasmnoire.net/storage/post-images/tumblr_m0t65hRa2X1qcwm6n.gif?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1361990538172[/img]

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  49. Like You Care

    OK, that’s enough baseball.

    GB could use some OLB depth and another impact ILB, imo. Not really sure what CHI needs until I know what they plan to do up front next year, but I’ll assume they’re running the 4-3U.

    You all know about Mosley, Borland, Skov and Christian Jones. Here are a few you might not know:

    Jordan Tripp, Montana: Highly athletic, instinctive LB. Needs to hit the weights, but should be a very solid pro when he does. Inside LB in a 3-4. Any LB spot in a 4-3 over. Will or Mike in a 4-3 Under. Looks like a 3rd rounder at this point.

    Ronald Powell, Florida: 5-star recruit out of high school. Big-time athlete. Injured in 2012. Listed at OLB, but played a lot of DE in the games I watched. Like Tripp, I think he fits best inside in a 3-4, but I think he’s a perfect Sam in the scheme I think CHI would run. nfldraftscout.com lists him as a 5th rounder, and I think he’d be a steal there.

    Devon Kennard, USC: Like Powell, a 5-star recruit whose performance didn’t quite match the hype. A bit more physical than Powell, but not nearly as quick, imo. Looks like a 6th to me. draftbreakdown.com only had one game for Kennard: 2013 against OrSU. Oregon State’s QB can play.

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  50. Like You Care

    I’m going to organize the DL a little differently.

    Edge Rusher: For GB, this will be the OLBs. For CHI, it’ll be the LEO/Elephant (weakside pass rusher) and SAM LB.

    5T: GB uses two (over each OT), CHI uses one (over the strongside OT).

    3T-NT: GB uses a NT and a 3T on nickel downs. CHI will use a 3T and a 1T.

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  51. Mucker

    Ryno, we watched tape last night of our game and holy shit I am very slow to react to the snap. In the games, I feel like I’m firing off quickly but the tape tells another story. Any advice?

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  52. Like You Care

    @ Mucker:

    (dying laughing) It’s always a shock to your sense of self-awareness when you watch yourself on tape, isn’t it?

    There are three components to being quick off the snap, imo:

    1. Anticipation: Is the QB changing the snap count? Does the center have a tell?
    2. Reflex: How quickly are you reacting to the ball? Be ready to move as soon as the center starts to move it.
    3. Burst: All physical. Sprints and squats.

    Where do you need to improve?

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  53. Like You Care

    Edge Rushers

    Adrian Hubbard, Alabama: Holy shit, this kid can play. nfldraftscout has him as a 4th, but he flashes for sure. Alabama rides players into the ground. He can be neutralized when he lets OL into him. Ideal frame for the position, but needs to get stronger/quicker. If he does, look out. Against Georgia and LSU, he looked like a 1st rounder on some plays and a 5th on others.

    Aaron Lynch, South Florida: His 2011 tape looks like a no-question 1st rounder. 2013 looks more like a 6th-7th. Interviews will be key for him. If he plays up to his ability, some team will steal him in the 5th. Can play either edge for GB or CHI.

    Tyler Starr, South Dakota: This chick can play a bit. Looks like a SAM for GB and CHI. Diagnoses plays, sets the edge and gets into the backfield well. She looks like a 5th.

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  54. Mucker

    LMFAO….yes, it really is.

    Well, I would say that I probably need to work on 3, get better at 2 and I try to watch the ball so as not to jump offsides so I don’t really pay attention to the QB much.

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  55. Like You Care

    @ Mucker:

    It might sound weird, but one of the best ways to improve your reflexes is to run in the woods. Any type of cross country that requires you to quickly adjust your body to the elements.

    As far as burst, sprints, sprints, sprints. Maybe get one of those parachutes. You could also try moving your feet closer to the LOS in your stance. More strain on your knees, but it might help.

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  58. Like You Care

    @ Mucker:

    I’ll check it out now.

    As far as mocks go, the Dallas Morning News’ Rick Gosselin’s is the best. He doesn’t publish it until the day of the draft (or maybe the day before), but his information is top notch.

    If you want to get a good idea where players will be slotted, check out the 49erswebzone.com forums. 99 percent of the posters there are morons, but there are three that are really good. Maddog’s rankings are up there with the best. He’s more accurate than the ESPN and NFLN guys.

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  60. Like You Care

    Thought Garrett Gilbert was underrated before today, but he could go as high as 3rd round now. Should have been combine invite.— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) March 28, 2014

    I don’t know about that, but he’s definitely draftable.

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  62. Like You Care

    @ WaLi:

    The pads thing is cool, imo.

    I have two problems with Manziel:

    1. He struggles when forced to stay in the pocket. He looked nervous against LSU because they basically kept their DEs outside of him and at least one LB spying him up the middle. I’m not sure if he’s uncomfortable in the pocket or uncomfortable when he can’t leave the pocket.
    2. His ego might be too big. He’s a very good player and has even more potential, but he needs coaching and I get the feeling he doesn’t respond well to that. I think the best situation would be on a team with a coach he respects enough to learn from.

    I rank the QBs like this:

    Round 1
    Bridgewater
    Manziel
    Bortles

    Round 2
    Carr
    Mettenberger
    Garoppolo

    Round 3
    Murray
    Fales

    Round 4
    Logan Thomas
    Tom Savage
    McCarron

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  63. akabari

    Ryno, what do you think about Peppers being used as an Elephant for GB? If most of his sacks in the last few years have been in open field where he doesn’t need to fight a block, should that help? And how does an OL properly align to try and slow down an elephant like him?

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  64. Like You Care

    5Ts:

    Taylor Hart, Oregon: This looks like a guy SF would draft and then roll out in a year. Athletic, one-gapping 5T holds his ground, but needs to get stronger. Stacks and sheds well and looks like he has some pass-rush ability. Day 2 talent that you can probably get in the 4th-5th.

    DeAndre Coleman, Cal: Most of the film on him was at 3T, but he really stands out at 5T. Freak athlete broke 4.8 in the 40 at 315 pounds, iirc. Good instincts, diagnoses plays well. Like Hart, he’s a Day 2 talent that probably goes in the 4th.

    Josh Mauro, Stanford: Not really athletic, but super physical. Strictly a 5T, imo. Looks like a guy PIT would draft and play for a decade. Probably more a fit for GB than CHI.

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  65. Like You Care

    akabari wrote:

    Ryno, what do you think about Peppers being used as an Elephant for GB? If most of his sacks in the last few years have been in open field where he doesn’t need to fight a block, should that help?

    Good questions. From what I’ve seen, GB uses multiple elephants. Matthews, Neal and Perry have all blitzed into nearly every gap from every LB position.

    You’re right about the benefit of playing in a 3-4. It’s designed to consume blockers with the down linemen and get the LBs in space to make plays. It will give him space, but I don’t think he’s that type of player anymore.

    akabari wrote:

    And how does an OL properly align to try and slow down an elephant like him?

    Perfect segue to why I don’t think it’s the right move. You’ve probably heard of a kick slide, but just in case:

    [img]http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1814667/iL0A5T6Jd5Guh.gif[/img]

    No. 75 for PHI shows exactly how an OT defends a 7T (rush OLB) against the pass. I don’t know that Peppers has the speed to be effective against today’s athletic OTs.

    I think he makes more sense at 5T for them, but I assume they know what they’re doing.

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  70. Like You Care

    I’ve already mentioned my sleeper interior DL.

    Princeton’s Caraun Reid, La. Tech’s Justin Ellis and Texas’ Chris Whaley.

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  72. Like You Care

    @ WaLi:

    60 throws against no rush to uncovered WRs should have absolutely no effect when you have dozens of game tape. It might make you go back and watch the tape, but that should be negligible.

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  76. Suburban kid

    @ dmick89, Sweatpants Guru:
    I don’t know if this has been linked here yet, but I found this ESPN article on/interview with Epstink & Co. from a few days ago to be somewhat diverting. He kind of shat on local beat reporters for being morons, and it appears the next new market inefficiency is “neuro-scouting,” because analytics are available to anyone with a credit card and a laptop.

    http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10622213/theo-epstein-plans-rebuild-chicago-cubs-blueprint-boston-espn-magazine

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