Christine Michael Re-Signed

[Jville]

All of you Christine Michael subjects have had three years of practice at making excuses, allowances and pointing at potential. You guys have had enough practice.

This year ........ I'd want to hear excuses that are original, richer, earth shattering and epic.

Points out earlier post above to JVille

:34853_doh: I missed that episode. I sometimes close my eyes and cover my ears when they let Michael lose on the field.

 

[Greenhell]

The living embodiment of the "100" emoji.

Nice!

And here I thought gold jewelry was out of style. Boy was I wrong. That's bawse status right there.

 

[RynoHawk]

to be honest...he posted this photo on his twitter the day he signed with the COWBOYS....kinda ruins the moment ...sorry fella's.

 

[Hawks46]

The living embodiment of the "100" emoji.

Nice!

I didn't know I needed that outfit until just now.

That dude's a pimp. Lynch taught him well.

I also like that he runs like he stole something.

 

[bjornanderson21]

I'd like to know the details, but i assume we got him pretty cheap.

There is no need to spend any decent money on a FA RB, and the hawks should NOT draft one early.

A late round or UDFA to round out the competition.

Rawls
Michael
Rookie

With Lynch not doing anything last year, this is one unit that might actually be better than last year while costing millions less.

 

[vin.couve12]

The OL play will have a drastic affect on this. Run blocking in the first half of the season was absolutely heinous. Rawls came in at the right time and got quite a few huge holes on long runs. Some comments about Lynch in this thread are pretty funny....as if having defenders in your face at the handoff vs big running lanes was somehow his fault.

If Rawls gets Lynch's run blocking next year try not to be too disconnected from cause and effect.

Or CMike for that matter, if Rawls gets hurt for the 3rd consecutive year in a row.

 

[Osprey12]

Does his contract include any incentives on paying him extra each time he switches the ball to his sideline hand?

 

[WmHBonney]

Good. I was hoping that we would keep him.

 

[pmedic920]

Texas license plate.

He's an Aggie bro.

 

[HawkGA]

I approve this signing.

 

[kearly]

I'll admit my bias, I've always liked Michael. But I think I am being bias free when I say that this was a solid move for Seattle. Had they not signed Michael back they might have had to draft two RBs, or sign a FA RB from another team which would have cost them a comp pick and provided a lesser known commodity.

This move won't prevent Seattle from drafting a RB, it basically just helps solidify the position and create competition.

...

Purely from a fan / entertainment perspective, I am pretty excited for this draft. It feels like there are a lot of spots open for rookies to get playing time right now. Preseason games in 2016 will be anything but boring, there's going to be a ton of stuff to evaluate, especially in the running game.

 

[chris98251]

If Michael can grow this year and continue to show he is a team instead of a me player then yes this will help a lot, I think he learned the price bouncing all over last year. The team will hold him to this new standard as well, will be interested to see how much is guaranteed, if we tendered he was due to make 1.67 million, we didn't so I imagine were going to be in the 600k range maybe with incentives.

 

[Tical21]

I have been one of the loudest Michael supporters on this site for quite a while, and I hate this move. There was one run last year that soured me so much on him that I just can't get past it. I don't even remember which game it was.

He got the ball I think out of the shotgun, lined up on the left of Russell. We were lined up in trips right, and the defense was in zone, so instead of covering one of the receivers on the right, the CB was hanging out on the short side of the field unblocked. We ran one of the read-option looking plays where Marshawn used to squeeze it back and hit the angle to the left sidelines. It was blocked absolutely perfectly, and Michael had a full head of steam, getting through the line untouched. As soon as he got the ball I stood up. We had numbers. An unblocked cornerback in the seam was the only thing between Michael and a 60-yard TD. This is the play RB's salivate over. Get me 1-on-1 with a DB and I'll take care of the rest. Shrug that guy off like he's nothing and you're gone. 90% of the backs in the league get a big play out of this, every time. Some get caught by a safety 20 yards down field, but anybody with speed makes a house call. The CB flails at Michael up high like around his shoulder pads with a weak arm tackle. Michael goes down like a soccer player. I mean right to the ground like he got shot. He didn't fall forward, he didn't try to break the tackle, nothing. Just goes right to the ground. Gets up and jogs back to the huddle, happy with his five yard run. I must have watched it a dozen times before I could go to the next play. It might have been the softest run I have ever seen in the NFL, and it was even TD time. I just can't get past it.

 

[vin.couve12]

Meh. That was basically every run for Rawls in the preseason. Seen Beast do it too. Happened to me a few times as well. It happens...lapses that is. Happens to the best too.

Ceiling matters. One play out of a really nice late season few games matters too.

 

[Blitzer88]

So who is gonna block for him?

 

[vin.couve12]

So who is gonna block for him?

Hopefully Cottom FB/H-Back/3rd gameday TE.

Offensive line will likely be a battle between:

LT: Draft pick and a player already on the roster (possibly Gilliam or Sowell, who I admittedly dont know much about).
LG: Britt or Sokoli...or vice versa depending on hope and expectations.
C: Likely Lewis, but could be Nowak or a draft pick
RG: Probably Glow and anyone who can challenge.
RT: Webb, Gilliam, or some rather big surprise challenger

As usual, there is at least some chance of a UDFA or late rounder challenging somewhere. It's what happens.

I'd also like to add just how bad Jimmy is at blocking. If we're going to continue to telegraph our running game with ridiculously easy formations and patterns of usage to recognize, we should put Willson in. He's every bit as big and is stronger and tougher. Does a much better job...

 

[PlinytheCenter]

It's nice to have Christine back. Now, offensive line. Offensive Line. Offensive Line. etc....ad nauseum

 

[rigelian]

I have been one of the loudest Michael supporters on this site for quite a while, and I hate this move. There was one run last year that soured me so much on him that I just can't get past it. I don't even remember which game it was.

He got the ball I think out of the shotgun, lined up on the left of Russell. We were lined up in trips right, and the defense was in zone, so instead of covering one of the receivers on the right, the CB was hanging out on the short side of the field unblocked. We ran one of the read-option looking plays where Marshawn used to squeeze it back and hit the angle to the left sidelines. It was blocked absolutely perfectly, and Michael had a full head of steam, getting through the line untouched. As soon as he got the ball I stood up. We had numbers. An unblocked cornerback in the seam was the only thing between Michael and a 60-yard TD. This is the play RB's salivate over. Get me 1-on-1 with a DB and I'll take care of the rest. Shrug that guy off like he's nothing and you're gone. 90% of the backs in the league get a big play out of this, every time. Some get caught by a safety 20 yards down field, but anybody with speed makes a house call. The CB flails at Michael up high like around his shoulder pads with a weak arm tackle. Michael goes down like a soccer player. I mean right to the ground like he got shot. He didn't fall forward, he didn't try to break the tackle, nothing. Just goes right to the ground. Gets up and jogs back to the huddle, happy with his five yard run. I must have watched it a dozen times before I could go to the next play. It might have been the softest run I have ever seen in the NFL, and it was even TD time. I just can't get past it.

I think this was the run where he decided to go down because the tackler got his hand on the football. I thought it was odd how easily he went down at the time, but when it was explained later it made sense. I think it was in the Vikings playoff game.

 

[jammerhawk]

I'm happy with this re-signing and glad the team did not tender him as a RFA b/c he still is only a backup level player. For him perhaps the reality of coming close to almost being out of the league will cause him to finally get over the hump to a place where he can reliably display his exceptional athletic talent. He still is learning his craft which sucks after the time he's spent playing football.

This is a positive re-signing by the team.

 

[Tical21]

Meh. That was basically every run for Rawls in the preseason. Seen Beast do it too. Happened to me a few times as well. It happens...lapses that is. Happens to the best too.

Ceiling matters. One play out of a really nice late season few games matters too.

I should preface a little more why I was so disappointed in the run. There are two styles of RB's in terms of vision. There is a guy like Marshawn, who is really looking at the DL and LB's, and making his moves in preparation to do whatever it takes to get by them. He sets up his blocks around the LB's, steps up into a hole, and then darts out of it depending on what the LB does. These guys sometimes hesitate as soon as they get the ball, to find the weakness in the front-seven. He's going to put a bunch of effort in at the first level, and deal with the DB's if and when he gets there.

Then you have guys like Shaun Alexander. His whole deal was setting up the DB's. He was looking past the front-seven. He's usually going to run where the play was designed, and have his eye on the safety. Setting him up, all game long. So when he gets that seam, when the front-7 is blocked well, he's going to beat that DB, and make a big play. You would see Shaun Alexander plod through holes when there wasn't anything there, like he was kind of giving up on the play. Then all of a sudden, he would smell a big hole, and know that if he shot through it, he'd be one-on-one with a DB. On these plays, you would see him hit the hole like he had a rocket up him.

Christine Michael tries to get through the hole quickly. Even if it isn't there, he's usually going in the same hole, and not going to fight too much if it isn't blocked well and there are some LB's there waiting for him. Therefore, I thought he must be looking past the LB's, to the DB's. I thought "let's wait to see what happens when he finally gets a one-on-one with a DB. He's going to blow past the guy, or through the guy, and we're going to see his ability." Finally, it happened. He got a one-on-one with a DB, and it wasn't even a safety. It was a corner. A corner standing between him and a 60YD TD with no help. At first touch, Michael goes right down. Now, I'm pretty darn sure he isn't this second type of runner. Yes, only from one run. I thought he had been waiting for that exact play for weeks. I was darn wrong. Most RB's that knew it was the only guy between them and a TD would have been so pissed. You would have seen them pound the ground, or give us the "almost" face, be frustrated that they were so close to a TD and couldn't make it happen. Not Michael. He was completely oblivious.

So now, he's not a physical runner that is patient and waits for a hole to develop and uses his body and acceleration to make 4 yards out of nothing, and nor is he a vision runner that is going to explode and go to the house when given the opportunity. So what is he? What is the use? Is he a get you a few yards if it isn't blocked well, and get you a few more yards if it is blocked well? There's just nothing there with the guy.