76. This number will be donned this year by the beast who also goes by the name of Sebastian Vollmer. This man of men stands 6'8" and weighs a solid 315 pounds. The Patriots selected him 58th overall in the 2nd round of the 2009 NFL draft, the Pats 4th pick. Vollmer didn't start the game of football until he was 14 and moved to the U.S. in 2004 from his homeland of Kaarst, Germany.
While he may not have as much experience as a majority of the offensive linemen coming out of the draft, he did start the last 25 games for the Houston Cougars. More importantly he was part of a prolific (No.1 nationally ranked) offense that averaged 5.2 yards per carry, 575.1 yards per game, 414.1 yards by air, and an honorable 41.2 points per game (Patriots.com). Meanwhile he was selected All-Conference USA football first team as a senior.
So why is he so special? He's all upside. This kid is continuously improving at an impressive rate.
"I think he's certainly a developing player...he has a lot of good tools to work with. He's a tough kid, very smart, well-conditioned athlete. He's a big man" said Head coach Bill Belichick.
"I think he's a kid who has a lot of upside. I couldn't say enough about him. He's a quality kid. He'll work his ass off for the Patriots" said Houston Cougar's offensive line coach Joe Gilbert.
While he is a tackle, he did start his career at tight end and as a blocking back. What he will be fighting for is a position at right tackle. The Patriots offensive line has been tops in the NFL, especially during their epic 2007 season. Due to his lack of experience I very much doubt he'll be replacing Matt Light on the left side, so Nick Kaczur will most likely be defending his right side position during camp. While Kaczur has been great since 2005, I do believe that Vollmer has far greater potential. Regardless of who starts, the depth of the Patriots offensive line is far better now.
For an offensive linemen he is very athletic. He runs the 40 in 5.13 seconds, 32 reps benching 225 lbs, and led the country in offensive linemen with a 37.5" vertical jump. You have to see this guy in action to really get excited about him. This mammoth of a man is incredibly nimble with his feet and a long arm reach. If he continues to work hard Vollmer is going to be a monster on the line. He can help give Brady that luxurious 5-9 second pocket time to let the receivers break free. He can help Maroney get back on track this year and open up a nice gaping hole for him to blow through. He can; he will.
Video Profile by DraftGuys.com
NFL Pro Timing Day OL Drills (Watch his feet!)
NFL Pro Timing Day 2 (Can you say BEAST?)
I didn't think my first official post on here would be about a rookie offensive linemen, but I'm just so damn excited for this guy. I cannot wait to see him next month at Training Camp!
The Big and Bad Are... NOT Back.
14 years ago
I just got so pumped that I knew the name Nick Kaczur. lol okay, soo good blog :) I just have no idea what those stats mean but sounds good to me! I'll have to learn more about him when I watch him play this season :]
ReplyDeleteHaha thanks, what stats do you need to understand?
ReplyDelete5.2 yards per carry, 575.1 yards per game, 414.1 yards by air, and an honorable 41.2 points per game
ReplyDelete=)
His college team, the Houston Cougars scored an average of 41.2 points per game. They averaged 575.1 yards a game, and 414.1 of those would be passing yards. They also averaged 5.2 yards every time they ran the ball. A little better ??
ReplyDeletelol no! haha that just expanded it. What I mean is, I don't know what those stats mean! whats a carry? what kind of points are you talking about? like, he scored 41.2 touchdowns a game?! what do you mean by yards & passing yards?
ReplyDeletethat kind of stuff =x
Oh man..haha. None of the stats are for him himself, rather for his team. But it's a big deal because he was on that team. This offense was ranked #1 in the nation. The Houston Cougars scored an average of 41.2 points a game. Doesn't mean touchdowns, just points, cause there could be field goals and safeties as well. If I had to guess though, they probably averaged 5 or 6 touchdowns a game.
ReplyDeleteA carry is when they run the ball, when the quarterback hands the ball off to the running back and he runs for his life. Their total rushing yards for the season, divided by the number of times they rushed, equaled an average of 5.2 yards every time they ran the ball. This is a large number, I consider anything over 3.5 yards pretty good. This is a big deal because Vollmer is one of the blockers on the line, so he's the one making holes for their running backs to sprint through.
Passing yards is all the yards they gain from throwing the ball. So every time Brady drops back to pass, throws it to a receiver and they catch it, those yards are passing yards. Averaging 400+ passing yards is a lot, but that's a college number. You will never see that average in the NFL. Most NFL teams average in the 200 yard range for passing in a game.
Better ??
MUCH better. I read that very, very carefully and I semi understand. Will I retain that info? eh, i'll probably forget by tomorrow. But I will come on here and read it again! Makes a little more sense though. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteMay I add, wowww you really know this sport.
hahaha sorry but to say I "know" this sport just because I explained rushing and passing to you...just shows how much you DON'T know about this great game. I don't mean that in a mean way, I just don't think you truly understand how very, very, very complex football is.
ReplyDeleteOh believe me, I KNOW I know nothing about this sport :P
ReplyDeleteJust wait until you see me dissect a game, that's uber fun.
ReplyDelete