Mushrooms In Bloom
-
- May
- 30
You can officially hand David Diehl his official decoder ring of the Mushroom Society.
You know that club. Keep ‘em in the dark and feed ‘em, well, um, let’s not go there. But you get the idea. It’s usually convened in matters of state secret affairs. In the Giants case, that means the situation at left tackle.
Diehl spend most of today’s Organized Team Activity working left tackle, but he did take some reps at left guard, where he played the better part of last season. How long he’ll stay at left tackle will have a lot to do with how second-year player Guy Whimper progresses.
Until that determination is made, Diehl has been told to prepare at both positions. And it’ll stay that way until Tom Coughlin decides that Diehl needs to know more than the coach’s need-to-know information flow currently dictates.
“We’ve told him everything we’re going to tell him,” Coughlin said. “He plays left tackle. He plays left guard. We’re going to evaluate everyone that’s out here and come up with the best combination.”
So when would Diehl get the word on whether his 2007 lot is at left tackle or left guard?
“It’s not going to be important for him to know until there’s a time where he really has to,” Coughlin said. “At this point in time, that’s not the point. He knows exactly what he needs to know.”
Whimper is also being kept in the heavy dusk, and will remain there until things really start to sort themselves out in training camp. And that’s just fine with both players.
“It’s still early,” Diehl said. “Right now, I’m just doing what it takes to become a better player. I’m doing all the individual drills at tackle and guard. I’m obviously focusing on all the techniques at tackle, and watching film, and doing whatever it takes to become a better player.
“I’d like to know, but I’m working as hard as I can to be prepared. That’s as much as I can tell you. I don’t know how it’s going to play out or what’s going to happen. I don’t know what they’re thinking.”
Here’s what they’re probably thinking. The same thing everybody else is. If Whimper can’t handle Eli Manning’s blind side, then Diehl moves out to tackle and Rich Seubert, itching to start again after coming back from that horrific broken leg in 2003, goes in at left guard. The only question then would be whether Diehl’s solid technique can make up for slow feet at left tackle over the long haul.
I’ve always believed Diehl better suited to guard, where linemen don’t have to be that fast. Whatever the case, though, Coughlin would do Diehl a great service by letting him in on the final plans as soon as possible.
Coughlin even mentioned sixth-rounder Adam Koets as a possibility, but don’t count on him making any noise. He’ll probably need a year in the weight room.
For all practical purposes, this is a battle between Diehl and Whimper. And Whimper gave no indications last year that he’d be ready to protect Manning’s blind side this season.
The silence from Coughlin might just benefit Whimper more than Diehl.
“I don’t want to know too much because it’ll keep me practicing harder each day,” Whimper said. “Me, personally, I like it better this way. This way, me and Dave work even harder because nobody really knows what’s going to happen.”
So until further notice, Diehl and Whimper will continue to share snaps at tackle, and Diehl will continue sliding like an Olympic luger from outside to inside and back again.
Ciao for now.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 3:36 pm by Ernie Palladino. 
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Ernie Palladino
Unless the Giants find a left tackle in the June cuts, I think you are absolutely right. This comes down to whether or not the coaches think Whimper is ready.
Roman Oben hadn’t given any indication he was ready to be the left tackle before he was basically handed the job and had a wonderful first year starting. So goes Whimper.
Ernie-Any word on players around the league that might be June cuts?
Any word on those cuts? I heard Kendrick Clancy was released by the Cards. I’d much rather have him back instead of William Joseph. Clancy would fit nicely into the small DT system Spag’s has too! Plus he can play NT when we need one.
Gianthinker:
Haven’t heard of anything significant coming up. I’m not sure if they’d want Clancy back, since Cofield is kind of the same type of player. Besides, this Alford kid they drafted might be enough to push Joseph out of the rotation. I’ll keep my ears open.
Ernie-Thanks. I actually think Joseph is already out of the rotation anyway. He’s the #5 DT in my mind. Robbins, Cofield, Alford, Bell should all get more time. As long as Alford is ready. I think the Bell signing is one of those signings no one pays attention to but it will be an important one. They might not want Clancy back and thats fine. I would just personaly rather have Clancy over Joseph. I also think his ability to play 3 technique and NT and the fact he’s a smaller DT like Spag’s system calls for makes him a match.