Is Rolando McClain Coming Back or Not?

[Beau Petard]

Just a question/point of order --

Is the conditioning test made up of stuff that the player(s) are unaware of until it's conducted - for example, does Harbaugh say, "Okay, today, the test will be x number of sprints followed by a 2 mile timed run", then another time it's different? Or is the test pretty much a basic, "We want you to be able to run this, then that, short rest, then something else" that is known to the player?

If a player knows what to expect as far as the test requirements and elements, why would he not train to do those things, have Saban or someone (like an elephant in Alabama, where the Tuscaloosa - thank you, Groucho! ;)) administer the test to him before he gets to Harbaugh and takes a dump, and ensure that he knows he can meet the test requirements?

[houstonravensfan]

I don't understand why people are so concerned at all about this situation. It's really a no-lose, non-issue.

One possibility is that he shows up for the OTA's in great shape. He stays committed. He is a great teammate. He runs all over the field, making plays, looking like the top ten pick that he is. He kicks ass in the preseason and earns a spot on the team.

The other possibility is we cut him.

Those are the only two I see, and either one is just fine.

Thank you -- you said it all and I hate to type.

[AirFlacco]

The whole "he used to play for the Raiders" excuse is tired and really just not true.

That said, it's April. He was just reinstated. Harbs clearly isn't really thrilled about it. We all likely know how this is going to end.

Let's just wait and see how it plays out.

Sounds like the same dude who said Gino was big enough to play Center. :)

[wickedsolo]

Sounds like the same dude who said Gino was big enough to play Center. :)

Actually it sounds like the claim that Gino's issues were all physical when the tape clearly shows most of his issues were mental .

Jeremy Zuttah? 1" taller and maybe a few pounds heavier. We're not talking about a huge variance there.


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[2gigch1]

For all we know the first 'conditioning test' was an exercise in humbling the man and seeing how he publicly reacts to the coach's public scorn. If he blows up then fine, we're done. If instead he grabbed a big 'ole slice of humble pie, went back and tried it again then perhaps he has a chance.

Now that he's allowed in the door they can watch his every move, analyze his heart and see if he has what it takes.

And it costs the Ravens nothing.

Should be interesting to watch.

[AirFlacco]

Actually it sounds like the claim that Gino's issues were all physical when the tape clearly shows most of his issues were mental .

Jeremy Zuttah? 1" taller and maybe a few pounds heavier. We're not talking about a huge variance there.


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Um, Ozzie said we had to get bigger and stronger up the middle. Joe was injured up the middle. Guy came right over Gino and his LG.

You won't be seeing any more of either.

Zuttah didn't give up a sack last year but keep dreaming on the mental part. That was only part of the problem.

Gino said himself he's in the gym working to get stronger and bigger, um, up the middle.

[AirFlacco]

THIS:

------------------------

The Ravens replaced Osemele (6-foot-5, 330 pounds) and Birk (6-4, 310) with A.Q. Shipley (6-1, 309) and Gino Gradkowski (6-3, 300). The drop-off in size hurt the line and the group had problems protecting quarterback Joe Flacco and clearing holes in the running game.

“We’ve got to get bigger in the interior of our offensive line,” Newsome said. “That’s one of the areas that I think we need to improve on.”

Another issue on offense was in the passing game, as the Ravens lacked a sure-handed receiver to move the chains in clutch situations. The Ravens had big-play threats with Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, but they didn’t have an intermediate target as in previous years with Anquan Boldin. The injury to tight end Dennis Pitta also hurt the offense’s ability to attack the middle of the field.

[wickedsolo]

You answered your own question Trap. Them saying they want to get bigger in the middle was clearly referencing Shipley more so than Gino.

Additionally, there is a difference between "stronger" and "bigger". You use both constantly and you aren't using them correctly at all.


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[AirFlacco]

Re-read the quote, man. You keep reading it the way you want first saying it was all mental on Gino and now laying it all on Shipley. It was both of them. They got smaller over the middle at both positions, up the middle after Birk and KO were gone . It's not happening this year. We got KO back and Zuttah is stronger than Gino. He played in every game for years down there and at several positions on the line and didn't allow a sack last year. Yanda loves him even if you don't, and we'll get another lineman from the either the first round down to the 3rd. One of the guys I posted above and they can play two positions - RT and OG.

Gino said himself he's working to get bigger and stronger but we'll never see him again. He got JOe hurt. Part of it was mental and the other part physical.

Many of us posted this was gonna happen the day we drafted him and it did.

Getting back to the topic, Rolando's been around long enough to know what to expect and he came back out of shape, late or not late for practice. These guys are supposed to be training and living football, breathing and even eating football 24 hrs pr day. He was off for a year but acted like well, Gaither and Fat Mac's party bus. He even had excuses like a head ache for crying out loud.

We won't be seeing him either, same as Gino and Shipley.

[wickedsolo]

Re-read the quote, man. You keep reading it the way you want first saying it was all mental on Gino and now laying it all on Shipley. It was both of them. They got smaller over the middle at both positions, up the middle after Birk and KO were gone . It's not happening this year. We got KO back and Zuttah is stronger than Gino. He played in every game for years down there and at several positions on the line and didn't allow a sack last year. Yanda loves him even if you don't, and we'll get another lineman from the either the first round down to the 3rd. One of the guys I posted above and they can play two positions - RT and OG.

Gino said himself he's working to get bigger and stronger but we'll never see him again. He got JOe hurt. Part of it was mental and the other part physical.

Many of us posted this was gonna happen the day we drafted him and it did.

Getting back to the topic, Rolando's been around long enough to know what to expect and he came back out of shape, late or not late for practice. These guys are supposed to be training and living football, breathing and even eating football 24 hrs pr day. He was off for a year but acted like well, Gaither and Fat Mac's party bus. He even had excuses like a head ache for crying out loud.

We won't be seeing him either, same as Gino and Shipley.

Way to twist my words Trap. Just like Tony was strong-armed into recanting about the Gary Kubiak hiring, right? :grbac:

For example of size vs strength: Terrance Cody is ENORMOUS. Yet, his lack of functional strength and technique makes him a below average player.

I think we can say the same about Gino. Even if he isn't close to his listed weight of 300lbs (let's say 290lbs) that still is on par with some of the other top centers and interior linemen in the league from a pure size perspective (Chris Myers, Jeremy Kelce, Scott Wells, Evan Mathis, and so on). Size =/= strength. Brendan Ayanbadejo was one of the strongest guys on the Ravens' squad and he was maybe 230lbs. Did he need more "size"?

So, if you're saying that Gino lacked functional strength and that combined with his mental shortcomings is why he failed as the starting center last year, I'd certainly agree with you 100%. If you're saying he failed because he wasn't big enough, I think you're dead wrong and are correlating size and strength which is an incorrect correlation.

If the Ravens were so concerned with getting "bigger" at center, why trade for Jeremy Zuttah who (as I pointed out above) is only an inch taller than Gino and comparable weight? Why trade for someone who is relatively the same size as the guy you had last year when you could have signed Kevin Booth who was a free agent and significantly larger than both Gino and Zuttah (Booth is listed at 6'5" 320lbs)?

When Ozzie and Company discussed needing to get bigger on the OL that combined with their current moves to keep KO at LG and trade for Zuttah to me indicates that they were more referring to Shipley as the "size" issue rather than Gino. That isn't laying the blame on Shipley and removing blame from Gino at all. That's simple logic. Shipley (who has incredibly short arms, is barely 6'1", slow, has poor technique, and short legs) being replaced by a health KO (6'5" 330lbs) is SIGNIFICANTLY larger than Shipley.

Now, if the Ravens went out and signed Kevin Booth or went hard for Alex Mack (6'4" 315lbs) I'd say you were probably right. As it stands? I think you're taking the whole "size" thing with Gino and completely making it something it isn't.

[AirFlacco]

You're still mixing apples and oranges. Zuttah is simply stronger and better and more experienced than Gino which is why you won't be seeing him no more just like they didn't see your boy Henn no more
:grbac:
after you said he's have a break thru season in Miami but dream on, man.

[Paintballguy]

Way to twist my words Trap. Just like Tony was strong-armed into recanting about the Gary Kubiak hiring, right? :grbac:

For example of size vs strength: Terrance Cody is ENORMOUS. Yet, his lack of functional strength and technique makes him a below average player.

I think we can say the same about Gino. Even if he isn't close to his listed weight of 300lbs (let's say 290lbs) that still is on par with some of the other top centers and interior linemen in the league from a pure size perspective (Chris Myers, Jeremy Kelce, Scott Wells, Evan Mathis, and so on). Size =/= strength. Brendan Ayanbadejo was one of the strongest guys on the Ravens' squad and he was maybe 230lbs. Did he need more "size"?

So, if you're saying that Gino lacked functional strength and that combined with his mental shortcomings is why he failed as the starting center last year, I'd certainly agree with you 100%. If you're saying he failed because he wasn't big enough, I think you're dead wrong and are correlating size and strength which is an incorrect correlation.

If the Ravens were so concerned with getting "bigger" at center, why trade for Jeremy Zuttah who (as I pointed out above) is only an inch taller than Gino and comparable weight? Why trade for someone who is relatively the same size as the guy you had last year when you could have signed Kevin Booth who was a free agent and significantly larger than both Gino and Zuttah (Booth is listed at 6'5" 320lbs)?

When Ozzie and Company discussed needing to get bigger on the OL that combined with their current moves to keep KO at LG and trade for Zuttah to me indicates that they were more referring to Shipley as the "size" issue rather than Gino. That isn't laying the blame on Shipley and removing blame from Gino at all. That's simple logic. Shipley (who has incredibly short arms, is barely 6'1", slow, has poor technique, and short legs) being replaced by a health KO (6'5" 330lbs) is SIGNIFICANTLY larger than Shipley.

Now, if the Ravens went out and signed Kevin Booth or went hard for Alex Mack (6'4" 315lbs) I'd say you were probably right. As it stands? I think you're taking the whole "size" thing with Gino and completely making it something it isn't.

It's one of the biggest misnomers out there. Just because someone is big, doesn't necessarily mean they are strong and vice versa. Just look at body builders vs power lifters. Power lifters are generally smaller than body builders, but they are much stronger. My small 5'9" 165lb self deadlifted over 400 and squatted over 300 which was a lot more than some of the much bigger guys in my gym.

To me Gino just lacked the strength and technique to get it done at Center.