sho nuff said:
I think some of you are overestimating how good Rob Sims is.
He was basically let go by a team who had a bad Oline and is losing more out there in Seattle.
I think he is depth, but about average (if that) for a staring guard.
Hi Sho,He graded out as a top10 Guard last year and only committed 2 penalties, allowed 1 sack , and only 1 direct QB hit form his position on almost 900 snaps on offense, he missed 2 games. his pass blocking is a little better than his run blocking but he also can pull and set up the screen quite well. Forsett and Julius Jones combined for about 80 receptions last year, that doesn't happen without some down the field screen blocking.
He is entering his 5th year. In 2008 he didn't play much, perhaps due to injury. In 2007 he took about half the snaps and graded about average but that was only his 2nd season in the league. This is the type of player you want for your team as an NFL fan. Guy did really well in year 4, last year of his contract. Seattle said no, and Detroit gets a guy that now has plenty of playing time under his belt and is just entering his prime in the NFL. He could take a step back but he follows a trend for a lot of NFL players. Guy played OL for Ohio State and they know how to run in the Big 10.
He was drafted in the 4th round, that's about right for a projected OG in the NFL but he also played OT in college so this guy has some quickness to him which is why i said he's a good screen blocker. Here is his write up coming out of college if you are interested.
"Sims is an exceptional pass protector with nimble feet to mirror the pass rusher's moves. The four-year starter made a successful move from the demanding left tackle position to left guard prior to his senior year and demonstrated excellent tenacity and the ability to maul his opponents.
The son of former Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mickey Sims (1977-79), Sims was a first-team All-Ohio selection at offensive tackle during his senior year at Nordonia High School. He started at guard as a sophomore and junior before moving to tackle his last season. He also earned three letters in basketball and two in track, finishing fourth in the state in the shot put as a senior.
Sims worked his way up the depth chart at Ohio State as a true freshman in 2002. He replaced an injured Ivan Douglas at left tackle for four games and dominated the action vs. All-American Jimmy Kennedy in the Penn State game. He started the first 12 games of the 2003 season at left tackle, allowing senior Bryce Bishop to start in his final game as a Buckeye in the Fiesta Bowl. Sims started 11 games at left tackle in 2004, missing the Michigan State game with a groin pull. He shifted to left guard as a senior, earning All-Big Ten Conference first-team honors for his stellar play. Even though he was relatively new at the guard position, he allowed only two stops for losses and no sacks through 12 games. He finished his career starting 40 of 47 games he appeared in for the Buckeyes."
And then it goes on to say...
"Sims is a developing talent who made very good progress in 2005, his "coming out" party at guard. He lacks the stamina, conditioning and lateral agility to mirror defenders when lined up at tackle. He struggled quite a bit to seal off the edge when lining up there and did not have the speed to neutralize speedy pass rushers. With his move to guard, he was able to not be exposed to outside pressure and used his bulk with effectiveness to get a strong push off the ball.
Sims has good size and body thickness to play guard. He could add bulk, but in the past, that led to stamina issues, as he looked slow getting out of his stance. He is a decent athlete who has good balance with above average upper body power and hand punch to shock and jolt. He is a good competitor who works to finish and has the instincts, awareness and reactions to pick up stunts and twists when working in-line.
In the running game, he is a good technician. When he keeps his pad level down, he comes off the ball with some quickness to position and play with good leverage and hand usage, but will sometimes short arm, resulting in a lack of pop. He is not a second level blocker because of poor timed speed, but is generally good to angle block and wall out while staying after his blocks.
Sims shows the ability to pull with enough athletic agility in the short area. He has only marginal feet and balance when having to adjust in space to pick up his blocks. In the passing game, he has good set quickness and the ability to slide in a small area. He is effective to lock on and mirror vs. slower defensive tackles, but when he gets too high in his stance, he has only adequate anchor ability and will give up ground. Overall, he is a good competitor who has good awareness and decent size for an interior blocker. He needs to be more consistent with his hand placement and keep his head up when asked to play in the second level, but is technically sound in pass protection. His initial quickness in the short pass set needs to improve, but he has the natural playing strength when he wants to utilize it. If he can improve his conditioning and continue to play with the consistency he showed in 2005, he will be a solid performer at guard."
Not trying to say the guy will be Steve Hutchinson but he's a vast imrpovement over what Detroit has had previously. And he is slated to start next to Jeff Backus at LT, this should create a solid left side of the line which helps Stafford and Calvin as well as Best to run wide as he is a speed guy and will likely not be running up the middle all the time plus he will set up screens on that side of the field too. Hope this helps.
thoughts on this. Borbely, I'm looking in your direction.
thoughts on this. Borbely, I'm looking in your direction.Seems like if that line can't substantially improve their pass-blocking Calvin and Stafford might be in for another rough year.
Do you have any concerns about Best in blitz pickup and blocking in general? Seems like that since this unit is going to have to make strides to get to average (and that's based on everything that's been said, and they were one of the worst units in the league last year in both run and pass blocking) they really need a back that can block. I haven't read much about Best being a good blocker. Is there a chance we might see less of Best in 2010 than we expect because of this? How does Kevin Smith do at pass protection?
