Mark Bruener rolls his hips like Shakira
Jun 6, 2007 Big dudes doing the little things, Fred Weary is dirty, Mark Bruener, Preview
It is not every day1 that a Texans player is held out as the archetype for his position. At one point, long before he wore Battle Red, I suppose Tony Boselli was the prototypical left tackle. But that was many years and many steroid-related injuries ago. So, when I found this little nugget within a breakdown of NFL TE scouting, I just had to pass it along.
Run Blocking: Run blocking is where tight ends earn their paychecks. Most people look at the red-zone touchdowns as the role of a tight end, but the majority of NFL offenses still teach run blocking over route running. The tight end is the catalyst for most off-tackle and outside runs. Depending on the play called and the blocking scheme, the tight end can be one of the most important people on the field. Run blocking is an unquestioned skill that every tight end must possess or learn immediately. Being an effective run blocker is what keeps most rookies off the field.
Scouting Points: Just as there were a few techniques to look at with pass blocking, there are some with run blocking. I won’t get into steps as much here, but some things to look for follow. The tight end needs to be the first man off the line of scrimmage on every play. He must anticipate the snap count and fire off into his man. Once he has made contact, the blocker must get inside leverage (on the chest plate in most cases) and drive his man in the direction the play calls for. This is where lower-body strength comes into play. The tight end must be strong enough to use his butt and legs to drive the defender. The blocker will take short, choppy steps in an effort to move the defender. This is where the term “rolling your hips” comes from. The blocker should be rolling through his defender by using his legs to drive block.
Pro Standard: Mark Bruener, Houston Texans
I don’t know this Matt Miller fella from Adam, so I am completely unaware as to his credentials when it comes to scouting anything. Regardless, I always enjoy seeing a Texan held out as an example of anything good. I mean, Fred Weary might be the most giving swinger at the club, but that’s not exactly the type of stuff that translates to the football field; being a very good run blocker obviously does.
1 This is what the kids call “an understatement.”
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June 8th, 2007 at 3:08 am
our tight ends have been really dissapointing over the years. i remember being exited for bruener. even though owen daniels had flashes of goodness, it was nothing consistent. what ever happened to billy miller?
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June 8th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Re: Billy Miller. I was actually wondering that same thing the other day. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that he was supposed to be the poor man’s Todd Heap.