Who will be our "best" player this year

By "best" player I mean who will have the most impact for the team this year.

For Lewan you've got an All American tackle protecting Gardner who can't technically be called a first year starting QB but this will be the first year that he is the THE guy. Oh by the way, did I forget to mention that we have a lack of experience and depth at QB.

James Ross. I know I'm going to catch a lot of flack for this but in my eyes James Ross III is the best player on the team PERIOD. With Ryan being out and probably not going to be back until mid to late October that is going to put a lot on Ross' shoulders. I see him as the leader of the D this year.

Derrick Green. I'm throwing Green in the discussion not even knowing if he's going to be our starter at all but I really feel that he will be a big part of the run game by the time we get into the heart of the B1G season. I also think a power run game is going to be key to beating O$U.

TE Devin Funchess is our best receiver. I know we have Gallon and Dileo coming back and I'm expecting Darboh to step it up this year and I have high hopes for Chesson also but because of Funchess' size and athleticism he creates the biggest match up problems for opposing defenses. I look for Funchess to have 600+ yards receiving and 10 TDs. That will only help get Gardner going and get him more and more comfortable running the team.

Other. If not one of the four mentioned, then who and why?

I agree with you on basically everything you said. Devin is huge on the offensive side of the ball, although I'm not expecting Green to do much. I hope that I'm pleasantly surprised though. Ross is now the leader since Ryan is out, but what happens when Ryan comes back? Obviously both will play but who leads? That "could" provide some unwanted friction. I don't know, that's why they play the games.

Did you really just leave DG off your top 4?

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

Did you really just leave DG off your top 4?

yes I did. I struggled with that too. I know it all starts with Devin on offense but I honestly believe he has the tools around him to win and so I tried to base my post on two things.... 1) which one of those tools is so good at his position that it will make the team better and 2) Who is the best athlete at his position.

Devin is a heck of a QB but he hasn't taken it to the next level yet on the college stage. Lewan has, Ross has, I truly believe Funchess will this year and I threw Green in because I believe the RB is going to be our lynchpin this year now that Denard is gone.

Call me crazy!

How do you post an animated GIF image on this site? Anyone know?

sandyeggo_blue wrote:

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

Did you really just leave DG off your top 4?

yes I did. I struggled with that too. I know it all starts with Devin on offense but I honestly believe he has the tools around him to win and so I tried to base my post on two things.... 1) which one of those tools is so good at his position that it will make the team better and 2) Who is the best athlete at his position.

Devin is a heck of a QB but he hasn't taken it to the next level yet on the college stage. Lewan has, Ross has, I truly believe Funchess will this year and I threw Green in because I believe the RB is going to be our lynchpin this year now that Denard is gone.

Call me crazy!

How has Ross, but not Gardner? The only game Ross played above average in was Iowa. He had 12 tackles (9 solo) which is impressive. However, that same game Gardner went 18-23 for 314 yards, 3 passing TDs, 3 rushing TDs. I think Devin's performance was more "next level" than Ross's.

Ross because Ryan is out until (probably late) October...

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Ross because Ryan is out until (probably late) October...

What does that have to do with what sandy said? He said Ross has taken it to the next level, but Gardner hasn't.

I'm not saying that 'eggo shouldn't have mentioned DG (although I think that he feels that would be the obvious choice). 'eggo was, for lack of a better term, "blowing" Ross because he is going to be the D's guy the first-half of the year.

If it isn't Lewan it will be a surprise.

I like Funchess but he doesn't strike me as a Brady Hoke type tight end.

'shoes

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

I'm not saying that 'eggo shouldn't have mentioned DG (although I think that he feels that would be the obvious choice).  'eggo was, for lack of a better term, "blowing" Ross because he is going to be the D's guy the first-half of the year.

People making predictions is one thing. Everyone gets those wrong sometimes.

I just don't get how Ross played "next level" but Gardner hasn't.

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Ross because Ryan is out until (probably late) October...

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

...Ross because he is going to be the D's guy the first-half of the year...

this and this but in general I feel that Ross is going to be a beast this year. DG will have a good year but I think Ross, Lewan and Funchess will be better at their position than DG will be at QB. And I expect DG to have a good year so that just tells you how good I think the others will be and how important their contribution to the team will be.

So which one, Ross or Gardner, has already taken his game to the next level?

That is what I'm questioning...

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

So which one, Ross or Gardner, has already taken his game to the next level?

That is what I'm questioning...

At this point neither. Like you showed, they both had flashes last year but I think Ross is more poised to be a breakout star this year and bring his game to the next level and that is why I put him on the list and not DG.

DG will be good and he will get a lot of mention because he's the QB and that's just the nature of it. But in terms of who is better at their position I think Ross is a better LB than Devin is at QB. Again, I think DG is going to be good and I can't wait to see him this year but Ross is going to be REALLY good.

It's really comparing apples to oranges but I still think it can be measured. For instance Taylor is way better at LT than pretty much anyone else is at their position.

Yeah I play fantasy sports (a lot more than I should) and it is the same thing there. Troy Tulowitzki is elite because there is no SS on his level. Meanwhile there are a handful of 1st Baseman that put of Tulo's numbers. Tulo is more valuable than them because of how much better he is compared to players that play his position.

Regardless, I'd be surprised if Gardner isn't a top 5 QB next season. His numbers in the 2nd half of last season were top 5 quality and now he will have two solid RBs to take pressure off.

I am going with a sleeper in Frank Clark. Will be a Brandon Graham type season. DG will be my second and most obvious. I think the dline will make the secondary look better than it is this year. Next year both will be great.

I don't think that Clark can be called a sleeper, he's just not flashy. Good call romeo, you may be right.

romeo49 wrote:

I am going with a sleeper in Frank Clark. Will be a Brandon Graham type season. DG will be my second and most obvious. I think the dline will make the secondary look better than it is this year. Next year both will be great.

This would be my pick, but I am going with Devin Gardner.

romeo49 wrote:

I am going with a sleeper in Frank Clark. Will be a Brandon Graham type season. DG will be my second and most obvious. I think the dline will make the secondary look better than it is this year. Next year both will be great.

Right on cue. http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2013/07/michigans_frank_clark_runs_45-.html

we need that speed. our sack numbers have been pretty low.

The "best at his position", or "making his presence at his particular position really stand out"?

On that note, I'd definitely have to throw Frank Clark's name into the hopper. I don't quite recall him duplicating, all of 2012, the level of amazement he reached with that interception of 6-6 Lamar Thomas in the Sugar, but it showed what he can do. And without a police blotter as a distraction (to him or his program overall) in '13, but with added [mental and physical] maturity coupled with that pure athleticism, look out...