Former Panther OL Michael Wahle on Ikey

[d-dave]

I'll say what kills me watching him is he is so freaky athletic.  He could be a top 3 NFL LT if he wanted it.  He's got such good feet and long arms.  I'm a moron, and I can see that!

So it's time for this expensive, experienced coaching staff to get him squared away.  Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing Bryce grab his facemask or Frankie Luvu challenging him on the sidelines.  

[Tbe]

29 minutes ago, WUnderhill said:

It kind of seems like maybe he wasn’t working in the off-season. The teams get so little practice time with these guys now they have to be diligent working on their own. Wahle is saying his footwork is bad. That’s a repetition thing. I’m not a fan of Campen with the way this OL is performing, but I highly doubt he isn’t teaching proper footwork. It’s up to a young guy to take what he’s taught and drill the repetition on his own if he wants to be great. Of course this is all speculation on my part and I could be way off.

Yeah, Wahle said he didn’t think Ikey was working on his technique outside of practice. Prob got a little overconfident after last year.

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

Yep. But that's a part of the switch from power run to WCO style. It's a lot easier to describe than actually do. Our line coach used to call it big boy ballet. Driving forward for run is easy. Being light on your feet is damn hard going backwards and sideways. He wanted us taking dance classes just to work on our footwork and balance. Add hand fighting and leverage into the mix and it's a lot to ask. Ickey was the best run blocking mauler in the draft. Cross was the most pass pro ready. Ickey was the pick for Rhule's run heavy scheme. That's why firing him 5 games into the season made no sense. It should have been done before the draft so a new coach could have a scheme ready drafting a key position like LT. I think it boils down to just an overall lack of any type of identity. 

That's the story of our fandom

Funny thing about dance classes: I've heard of pro teams using them. I think the Cowboys did back when they had Herschel Walker.

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, Tbe said:

Yeah, Wahle said he didn’t think Ikey was working on his technique outside of practice. Prob got a little overconfident after last year.

And likely didn't foresee (or understand) the scheme changes to come...

[SmokinwithWilly]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

That's the story of our fandom

Funny thing about dance classes: I've heard of pro teams using them. I think the Cowboys did back when they had Herschel Walker.

It actually helps. When you're well over 300 pounds, you lose your balance a lot easier than you would think. You learn to feel the balance shifts and compensate without thinking about it so much. 

[Tbe]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

And likely didn't foresee (or understand) the scheme changes to come...

Wahle said the scheme excuse was being overstated. He didn’t think that was the issue.

[Mr. Scot]

9 minutes ago, Tbe said:

Wahle said the scheme excuse was being overstated. He didn’t think that was the issue.

I wouldn't say it's the only issue with Ekwonu, but it's in the mix.

[Jay Roosevelt]

I still think Ickey can be a great LT, but he needs to start showing more progress and consistency for sure.

[WUnderhill]

40 minutes ago, Tbe said:

Yeah, Wahle said he didn’t think Ikey was working on his technique outside of practice. Prob got a little overconfident after last year.

Oh he said that? All I saw is what was linked in OP.

[Tbe]

1 hour ago, WUnderhill said:

Oh he said that? All I saw is what was linked in OP.

He said that in his radio interview.

[Mr. Scot]

8 minutes ago, Tbe said:

He said that in his radio interview.

Don't they usually post those online?

[parker]

It could be that with the change in scheme, he is still learning the nuances and having to think more than react.  In some plays, it looks like he doesn't know where he has to be and is playing catchup.

[Martin]

10 hours ago, Jay Roosevelt said:

I still think Ickey can be a great LT, but he needs to start showing more progress and consistency for sure.

Agree. It was also his first offseason coming off a strong finish to his first year. I think he got a bit overconfident, he doesn’t strike me as a guy that will not work hard. I think he’ll get after it this offseason.

[WhoKnows]

13 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Is technique a problem with anybody other than Ekwonu though?

Seeing as how Bozeman, Moton and Corbett have been in the league for years as starters, I’d think the only guys who would need technique work are LG and LT and those are our trouble spots. As of right now, it does seem a problem with the non-vets.