I can totally see Brady and Wilfork going into Belichick's office and laying their jerseys down on his desk for Ebner.
Nate Ebner: the Pats special teams just got better at rugby.
- Thread starter dbn
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What does being a good runner at rugby sevens have to do with seeking out contact? The hard part of rugby players adapting to American football as running backs is that in rugby there are no blockers out front.
Yeah there are no forwards in 7's. It's a lightweight game.
Tackling in the two sports is different in structure but not harder either way. Good players do good things in either sport.
He looks pretty ok against very average opposition and in many cases he's more committed to the tackle than his defensive positioning and gets away with it because the teams he's facing are not good.
As for the first bit, exactly right - 7s is all about avoiding contact.
As for the second, I dunno, you still look for the holes. That there's a hole because there's a lineman blocking the guy rather than because someone's out of position or involved in the previous tackle doesn't seem to me to matter that much. I can't think of a position, other than PK, where adaptation would likely be easier. Mentally, football running back is a pretty easy position - you just take the ball and run as far as you can. It's the physical challenge which is the hard bit.
Not that I have any knowledge of playing either sport, but I think punt/kick returning would be a much more direct transition than playing running back for Ebner. As for the bolded, just think of the difference between BJGE and Maroney. Maroney was faster and quicker, but it always seemed like he would lose trust in his blockers and make a juke at the line of scrimmage, when if he had just kept running downhill a hole would've opened up a microsecond later. It was his mental ability and field vision that kept him from being a great back, not his lack of athleticism. I can see that aspect of the position being more difficult to learn, finding gaps at full sprint in the open field is very different from finding and hitting gaps between piles of 300lb linemen.
Not saying I don't think Ebner is capable of it, I have no clue, seeing the athletic freak he is, I really would like to see it. He is still very raw, so they are going to need to decide how they want to divide his development time between safety, gunner, KR/PR, and potentially RB. It will be very interesting to see how Belichick uses him.
Fair point on kicks, though I wasn't really thinking of them as 'positions' per se. With Ebner having played fullback in Rugby, that's one of that position's main skills. With regard to Maroney, well both Rugby and Football backs are taught to run North-South- Rugby players more, if anything, because cutting toward the sideline will just reduce the space for the next man along the line should you choose to pass to him. And how to break tackles, etc, is broadly similar.
Compare that with what I had to learn when I took up playing Linebacker coming from Rugby- reading whether it's going to be a pass or a run is a completely new skill. Covering a receiver in the flat is a completely new skill. Shedding blocks is a completely new skill. Likewise forward passing itself, receivers running crisp patterns, big guys who've played Lock learning to block, etc. I'm not saying there's no mental aspect, but I don't think Ebner will have nearly as much difficulty with that as matching up with NFL-level athletes physically.
Holy shit.
His nickname at Ohio was Leonidas.
http://www.nesn.com/2012/05/nate-ebner-earns-leonidas-nickname-dubbed-ohio-states-most-valuable-player-for-strong-work-ethic.html
His nickname at Ohio was Leonidas.
http://www.nesn.com/2012/05/nate-ebner-earns-leonidas-nickname-dubbed-ohio-states-most-valuable-player-for-strong-work-ethic.html
The photoshop of his face on Leonidas awaits.
Personally, I'm waiting to see him in preseason where legends like this are born. I still remember Gronk dragging that poor guy 5 or 10 yards into the end zone two years ago.
What's even funnier is the guy Gronk dragged into the end zone was James Laurinaitis.........also from OSU
Belichick alluded to 'good contacts' on OSU staff when discussing Ebner. You just get the sense the call went out that this guy was going to be a great guy to have around on special teams, and the kind of energy guy a team needs. Hope that proves true.
I wonder if they could/would use him in an occasional FB role. I don't know if he'd have the ability, but he seems to have the personality to go hunting for LBs to block.
Hah.
Yeah, this kid is an incredible talent, and may have a bright future down the line, but apart from special teams this kid has played 3 snaps of competitive football... in his entire life. Even Antonio Gates -- one of the most apt comparisons -- had played football in high school (and didn't do much his rookie season, although in the context of not having played in college 23 catches is pretty impressive).
I smell wildcat. He can't be worse than Tebow...can he?
I kid.
But, it will be interesting to see if he has some ability to learn the playbooks and the patterns of football. Wideout prob. not. A small FB who could catch a ball in the flat and then try to find some daylight?
Pats already have a couple of FBs on the roster in Larsen and Fiammeta. Not sure if having Ebner play FB is in the playbook.
I don't think he'll supplant Brady at QB, but he should, by week 4-6 or so, be starting at FB, NT, K, KR, and/or offensive coordinator.
There is a difference between Ebner and Redd--hoping Ebner will be a good ST guy is a reasonable expectation for a 6th round pick. Hoping Redd would be a legit pass rusher is an insane expectation for an undrafted guy, even if his height/weight/speed were good.
Ebner played a lot more than that on ST, but as to playing D, you're right that he has virtually no experience.
Today from Gaspard:
"Nate Ebner was considered an afterthought when he was drafted in THE sixth round. Even he was suprised to be picked, given that most of his play had been done on the rugby field. But the Patriots apparently like what they see because he is all over the special teams units, and he's in the mix at backup safety. He also took over for the injured Tavon Wilson at the "money" position in sub packages. It will be a suprise if Ebner doesn't make the team."
"Nate Ebner was considered an afterthought when he was drafted in THE sixth round. Even he was suprised to be picked, given that most of his play had been done on the rugby field. But the Patriots apparently like what they see because he is all over the special teams units, and he's in the mix at backup safety. He also took over for the injured Tavon Wilson at the "money" position in sub packages. It will be a suprise if Ebner doesn't make the team."
He also had had something like five interceptions in four days of practice (there are about four picks a day in practice)--he's showing a really good sense for the ball which is surprising given that he's coming from rugby.
I think the big question is - who makes more career probowls: Ebner or Demps? 
Seriously, though, he looked good. He's noticeably big and fast. He's clearly got all of the physical skills if he can learn the game.
Seriously, though, he looked good. He's noticeably big and fast. He's clearly got all of the physical skills if he can learn the game.
Ebner. He should make 7-8 probowls, and Demps is at a disadvantage as he will have to take time off from football to train for Rio in 2016.I think the big question is - who makes more career probowls: Ebner or Demps?
Globe piece on Ebner today:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/11/02/for-patriots-safety-nate-ebner-rugby-was-unhelmeted-gateway-nfl/cH3TbFnIkG6B3rp5xL1GpK/story.html
Anyone have a take on his performance lately? The above is mostly his background, and I know he got burned a ton and/or was out of position a bunch during those early bad games. But it does quote BB saying Ebner's a guy who learns.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/11/02/for-patriots-safety-nate-ebner-rugby-was-unhelmeted-gateway-nfl/cH3TbFnIkG6B3rp5xL1GpK/story.html
Anyone have a take on his performance lately? The above is mostly his background, and I know he got burned a ton and/or was out of position a bunch during those early bad games. But it does quote BB saying Ebner's a guy who learns.
That was a nice job getting down on that clean. There were four Broncos around him, so if he misses the first time, Denver probably recovers.
Not just that, strength in holding on in the pile, given the numbers.
Not just that, strength in holding on in the pile, given the numbers.
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/29/2015-super-bowl-new-england-patriots-nate-ebner
Interesting article from
SI about Ebner.
Interesting article from
SI about Ebner.
Another great read.Hoya81 said:
Didn't imagine I'd start my morning on the day before the Super Bowl with two Nate Ebner articles, yet here we are.
Read them both, if you haven't already.