The Santa Ana Star
Once Scorned, Otters Rookie Draft Class Shows Promise
It was an ugly 0-4 preseason for the Orange County Otters, as they seemed to play down to their opponent and then go just a little bit lower. It's no cause for concern just yet, the preseason is a time to experiment with the playbook and learn the capabilities of your rookies. The coaches have now learned what not to do to succeed this season. On top of that, with the SaberCats and Legion firmly sitting as two of the worst teams in the league, it's doubtful that either O.C. or Arizona really feels the pressure at the moment.
The highlight of this Otters' preseason must be the performance of the rookie draft class, and no player exemplifies that more than LB Julian O'Sullivan. The pick was scorned by analysts at the time it was made, as no one had O'Sullivan mocked to the first round. The Otters' front office didn't care though, and were happy to pick the player than they wanted even if no one else did. That move looks like a smart one after this preseason as O'Sullivan has had an incredible performance. That theme continued as Otters' second round pick Erlich Burnsman and fourth rounder JD Boom had similarly impressive preseasons.
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Revitalizing the Run Game? @BoltyMcSpeedy
The Otters were well known for being the league's premier running team in Season 1, but took an almost complete 180 last season and depended entirely on their passing offense. The drafting of British export Erlich Burnsman shows the team wants to get back to their roots, or perhaps find a balance on offense. Burnsman had his fair share of struggles this preseason and probably didn't get the volume you'd expect from testing out a rookie, but he also showed promising ability as the team ran a bit better than they have lately. With a 9+ yard run in all four games as well as 2 touchdowns, Burnsman is off to a good start. The team will need to build on that by developing their rookie OL Brad Madlad who will be a key in this offense's future.
Boom Goes the DE @BOOM™
Who's Adamle Tomlinson? He's the guy that didn't get a sack in 3 preseason games. JD Boom, however, wouldn't let himself miss out on the stat sheet. Boom showed tenacity and talent as he notched 6 sacks in the preseason, one of which went for a safety. There's no doubt that a lot of teams, including the Otters, made a mistake by passing up on Boom. The Otters were lucky enough to grab him in the fourth round and he has shown the physical presence and athletic ability to deliver well above his draft position. Boom is the new ideal for Defensive Ends, like Ricky Maddox, who put on as much weight as they can hold and use their raw size and muscle to plow through lines. If the strategy is a good one, we could see Boom become an elite player in no time.
The New Guy in Charge? @JuOSu
There's no doubt that LB Ian Bavitz is the center of this Otters defense, but first rounder Julian O'Sullivan may just push him aside before too long. O'Sullivan showed up all over the stat sheet, recording 42 tackles and 5 sacks in the preseason. Those kind of numbers show the pure talent that O'Sullivan is, as well as the hole in this Otters defense that he's filling. Julian has been an immediate improvement to the Otters run defense, as only 1 RB averaged over 4 ypc but that was on only 4 carries. He adds to that with the speed to reach the offensive backfield, but at some point he will need to improve his coverage ability or he'll be a liability in key passing downs. It seems likely that O'Sullivan will show himself worthy of the first round label if the Otters can keep him for the long run.
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With a lot of Orange County's veterans looking tepid or even disappointing this preseason, their S3 rookie class has had ample opportunity to showcase their ability. What do you think of the rookies this preseason? Have the Otters stolen the draft by taking these three players or should they have listened to the mock drafts? It's no doubt too early to tell, but still fun to consider the possibilities.
GRADED
Once Scorned, Otters Rookie Draft Class Shows Promise
It was an ugly 0-4 preseason for the Orange County Otters, as they seemed to play down to their opponent and then go just a little bit lower. It's no cause for concern just yet, the preseason is a time to experiment with the playbook and learn the capabilities of your rookies. The coaches have now learned what not to do to succeed this season. On top of that, with the SaberCats and Legion firmly sitting as two of the worst teams in the league, it's doubtful that either O.C. or Arizona really feels the pressure at the moment.
The highlight of this Otters' preseason must be the performance of the rookie draft class, and no player exemplifies that more than LB Julian O'Sullivan. The pick was scorned by analysts at the time it was made, as no one had O'Sullivan mocked to the first round. The Otters' front office didn't care though, and were happy to pick the player than they wanted even if no one else did. That move looks like a smart one after this preseason as O'Sullivan has had an incredible performance. That theme continued as Otters' second round pick Erlich Burnsman and fourth rounder JD Boom had similarly impressive preseasons.
---
Revitalizing the Run Game? @BoltyMcSpeedy
The Otters were well known for being the league's premier running team in Season 1, but took an almost complete 180 last season and depended entirely on their passing offense. The drafting of British export Erlich Burnsman shows the team wants to get back to their roots, or perhaps find a balance on offense. Burnsman had his fair share of struggles this preseason and probably didn't get the volume you'd expect from testing out a rookie, but he also showed promising ability as the team ran a bit better than they have lately. With a 9+ yard run in all four games as well as 2 touchdowns, Burnsman is off to a good start. The team will need to build on that by developing their rookie OL Brad Madlad who will be a key in this offense's future.
Boom Goes the DE @BOOM™
Who's Adamle Tomlinson? He's the guy that didn't get a sack in 3 preseason games. JD Boom, however, wouldn't let himself miss out on the stat sheet. Boom showed tenacity and talent as he notched 6 sacks in the preseason, one of which went for a safety. There's no doubt that a lot of teams, including the Otters, made a mistake by passing up on Boom. The Otters were lucky enough to grab him in the fourth round and he has shown the physical presence and athletic ability to deliver well above his draft position. Boom is the new ideal for Defensive Ends, like Ricky Maddox, who put on as much weight as they can hold and use their raw size and muscle to plow through lines. If the strategy is a good one, we could see Boom become an elite player in no time.
The New Guy in Charge? @JuOSu
There's no doubt that LB Ian Bavitz is the center of this Otters defense, but first rounder Julian O'Sullivan may just push him aside before too long. O'Sullivan showed up all over the stat sheet, recording 42 tackles and 5 sacks in the preseason. Those kind of numbers show the pure talent that O'Sullivan is, as well as the hole in this Otters defense that he's filling. Julian has been an immediate improvement to the Otters run defense, as only 1 RB averaged over 4 ypc but that was on only 4 carries. He adds to that with the speed to reach the offensive backfield, but at some point he will need to improve his coverage ability or he'll be a liability in key passing downs. It seems likely that O'Sullivan will show himself worthy of the first round label if the Otters can keep him for the long run.
---
With a lot of Orange County's veterans looking tepid or even disappointing this preseason, their S3 rookie class has had ample opportunity to showcase their ability. What do you think of the rookies this preseason? Have the Otters stolen the draft by taking these three players or should they have listened to the mock drafts? It's no doubt too early to tell, but still fun to consider the possibilities.
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glad I was playing well
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