Ready for grading - 384 words
Yesterday, the first games of the 16th NSFL season kicked off. League wide, many were excited to finally see their players in action. There are plenty of story lines to follow - we have expansion teams, new rookies bound for stardom, and a large field of contenders for this years Ultimus.
A much smaller spotlight falls on 2nd year defensive tackle AJ Lattimer. As a first round pick just a season ago, he was thrust into a starting position immediately and...well, whelmed the crowd. He didn't have any big time plays, and was an afterthought on the stat sheet, but he didn't necessarily make any mistakes either. He was just...there.
Coming into year two, expectations are much higher. Otter fans hope to see an uptick in tackles out of him, more sacks, maybe a forced fumble or two. At least something of substance to show that he was worth the first round pick. However, he is not off to a good start.
In his first game of the season, Lattimer recorded a measly two tackles during the Otter's 28-19 win over the Sabercats. After a full offseason of what appeared to be hard work on his part, none of it looks to have paid off. As a nose tackle, his strength is - ehrm, well - his strength. He should be manhandling the guys on the opposing line, yet he continues to drop duds on the stat sheet, much like last season. Even the "polarizing and unpredictable" Ryan Leaf Jr., who was picked eons after Lattimer in the same draft, was able to outplay him, notching 4 tackles along with a sack in his first game. If the enigmatic Ryan Leaf can do it, why can't AJ Lattimer?
Maybe I'm being a little tough on him - while playing next to a fierce interior rusher like Thorian Skarsgard and with an all-around talented defense behind him, it can't be easy for him to make the plays we'd all like to see him make. But I can't help but think he should be a better player than he's shown so far. It is hard to see from the tape whether or not he is actually helping the team. He will need to make some changes, because right now, he is looking like a very easy lineman to replace.
Yesterday, the first games of the 16th NSFL season kicked off. League wide, many were excited to finally see their players in action. There are plenty of story lines to follow - we have expansion teams, new rookies bound for stardom, and a large field of contenders for this years Ultimus.
A much smaller spotlight falls on 2nd year defensive tackle AJ Lattimer. As a first round pick just a season ago, he was thrust into a starting position immediately and...well, whelmed the crowd. He didn't have any big time plays, and was an afterthought on the stat sheet, but he didn't necessarily make any mistakes either. He was just...there.
Coming into year two, expectations are much higher. Otter fans hope to see an uptick in tackles out of him, more sacks, maybe a forced fumble or two. At least something of substance to show that he was worth the first round pick. However, he is not off to a good start.
In his first game of the season, Lattimer recorded a measly two tackles during the Otter's 28-19 win over the Sabercats. After a full offseason of what appeared to be hard work on his part, none of it looks to have paid off. As a nose tackle, his strength is - ehrm, well - his strength. He should be manhandling the guys on the opposing line, yet he continues to drop duds on the stat sheet, much like last season. Even the "polarizing and unpredictable" Ryan Leaf Jr., who was picked eons after Lattimer in the same draft, was able to outplay him, notching 4 tackles along with a sack in his first game. If the enigmatic Ryan Leaf can do it, why can't AJ Lattimer?
Maybe I'm being a little tough on him - while playing next to a fierce interior rusher like Thorian Skarsgard and with an all-around talented defense behind him, it can't be easy for him to make the plays we'd all like to see him make. But I can't help but think he should be a better player than he's shown so far. It is hard to see from the tape whether or not he is actually helping the team. He will need to make some changes, because right now, he is looking like a very easy lineman to replace.
![[Image: StarkComicCOL.png?width=1118&height=676]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/813516004993925163/969363218738872330/StarkComicCOL.png?width=1118&height=676)
