03-16-2022, 02:36 PM
(03-16-2022, 02:14 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I call BS on you calling BS.
1) Karras' C grades were about 2 points better than Hopkins' in 2019 and 2020. That is not much of an upgrade. No BS, those are facts.
Karras: 64.5 and 65.3
Hopkins: 62.4 and 63.8.
https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/trey-hopkins/9276?season=2020
https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/ted-karras/10855
2) Karras' 72.8 last year was almost entirely at guard. The idea floated by some that he just made a leap and is a better player now, regardless of position is possible, but dubious. The fact is, in his two years at C, he was better than Hopkins by a smidge. The C improvement here is speculative, not proven.
3) Saying Hopkins "regressed" last year is BS. It is either based in intellectual dishonesty or did you forget the knee injury? The guy came back early from a knee injury and was clearly hobbled for the first half of the season. He got better as the season went on. He graded at 57.0 in the post-season. Better than his regular season grade despite playing vs some of the best DTs in the league (Donald, Jones, etc).
Look, is Hopkins a world beater? No, he is not. Would I love an upgrade? Yes, I would. But the evidence we have on Karras at C is that he is a smidge better than a healthy Hopkins. Will the jump Karras showed last year translate to C? Who knows? That is why I am not that excited about the signing if he is the C.
Especially if he is the C, and Carman (who graded way worse than Spain) is the LG. Will Carman improve? Who knows? Michael Jordan didn't. Price didn't. With the urgency to improve the line evident (again) and a ton of resources, we have, so far, imroved one spot. And gotten worse at another if Carman is the LG and Karras the C.
More work to do. Lots. And opportunity is knocking, will we answer?
Why is it dubious? Players do not progress? You think a switch back to Center would automatically cause a regression? Why assume a negative outcome? Obviously the Bengals aren't assuming the worst, as Karras is penciled in at Center according to Hobson.
Are you really going to use a 57.0 postseason grade as your evidence that we should roll with Hopkins? That's a bad grade.
If you're using this as evidence that Hopkins is recovering from an injury, then I guess you're also assuming that this recovery will continue and Hopkins will be the guy he was at his peak?
If so, why are you assuming the best for Hopkins, but the worst for Karras?
I'm not doing any assuming. Hopkins was bad last year. Bad in reg season. Bad in the playoffs. Karras was not bad last time he played Center. He's also progressed as a player.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
