Lamonte Edwards

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per tweeter @GophersNow- "Gophers are also considering giving Devon Wright a chance to get some carries at tailback moving forward with Lamonte Edwards now at LB."

Jerry Kill just said we need to get Lamonte Edwards more touches at RB, now sounds like they're moving him to LB permanently? #donotlikeonebit

Unless we're that starved for quality or depth at LB, he definitely should be getting more touches at RB, not less.... he's a beast.
 

Edwards hasn't really been that impressive at RB, and maybe if he works at LB they can move someone like Tinsely to DE and try to get more pressure on the QB.
 

How can you make a real assessment on Edwards when he's had basically a handful of carry's at RB? I don't doubt his abilities on defense I just find it hilarious that posters here are so ready to call for position changes after less than 10 carries.
 

Has there been any confirmation or update on Beal's health?
 



Kuato Lives! said:
How can you make a real assessment on Edwards when he's had basically a handful of carry's at RB? I don't doubt his abilities on defense I just find it hilarious that posters here are so ready to call for position changes after less than 10 carries.
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Agree. I also find it hilarious that some posters believe his best contribution for the Gophs, as well as his possible NFL future, is at linebacker. We have absolutely no hard evidence for this other than he was a good defensive player in HS according to those who have seen him play. Now in no way am I suggesting he won't be good on D if they indeed switch him, but there is no way we can know for sure until we actually have a large sample size both ways. He needs more carries and to demonstrate the ability to block to judge him as a back, and we need to actually see him on D in game situations to know if he can do it as an LB. Maybe we should just trust that these coaches know what they are doing, and that they will give the kid, and ultimately the team, the best chance to succeed. I for one am just going to enjoy the ride and se what happens here.
 


According to Kill's presser, apparently Lamonte's H.S. coach kept calling Tracy Claeys to tell him that Lamonte should have been on the defensive side of the ball all along.
 

josh087 said:
According to Kill's presser, apparently Lamonte's H.S. coach kept calling Tracy Claeys to tell him that Lamonte should have been on the defensive side of the ball all along.
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Lamonte has a motor, so he can be a godod defender. Even if he hadn't play running back he still would have gone to a BCS team for defense. He played mostly DE and some OLB at Woodbury.
 



hendo59 said:
Agree. I also find it hilarious that some posters believe his best contribution for the Gophs, as well as his possible NFL future, is at linebacker. We have absolutely no hard evidence for this other than he was a good defensive player in HS according to those who have seen him play. Now in no way am I suggesting he won't be good on D if they indeed switch him, but there is no way we can know for sure until we actually have a large sample size both ways. He needs more carries and to demonstrate the ability to block to judge him as a back, and we need to actually see him on D in game situations to know if he can do it as an LB. Maybe we should just trust that these coaches know what they are doing, and that they will give the kid, and ultimately the team, the best chance to succeed. I for one am just going to enjoy the ride and se what happens here.
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I completely disagree with you here. Now I can't speak for everyone but I've always felt he had a greater ceiling at LB than RB and was only placed at RB due to lack of depth. While there's no college game film/experience to support those thoughts it was not an uninformed thought process.

-From a physical standpoint the kid definitely has a frame more fitting your typical LB than RB
- Despite being a great athlete Edwards wasn't a full time RB in high school until his senior year. His junior year he got a few carries a game but was a standout at DE. Its rare that kids make the transition TO running back from other positions once they get to college. Usually its vice versa
- Even from watching high school film its clear that his excellence at RB was based almost purely on being a great athlete playing ball in MN against fairly poor competition (compared to the nation as a whole). He wasn't a great RB but a great athlete playing RB
- Since he's not a fundamentally sound RB and never was it made since to put him at LB (remember he's always played defense) where his top notch athleticism will be a huge plus
- Statements from one of his former coaches that posts/contributes to a different site that verified all of the aboce statements
- Additionally actually running the ball at a high level is as much about instincts as it is training and some guys just don't have those offensive instincts. From all the quotes from his former and current coaches it seems abundantly clear that he's a great athlete trying to learn to play RB. Now my point isn't that he can't do it or won't be good because I think he could be very good in time. My point is that I've always felt LB was likely his more natural spot and where he had a higher ceiling and that there are many, non 'hilarious' reasons for a person to think so.
 

It looks like Beal will be out for the year based upon what the coaches aren't saying at this time.
 

Gophers09 said:
Has there been any confirmation or update on Beal's health?
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It seems to me you start planning for the future now. Linebacker is going to be a spot where there are definate needs next year. I think there is a reason Florida and Beal parted. I admire the guys perserverance but something tells me that the Gators just didn't feel he would recover from the injury. ACL's are tough, especially when it is reinjured, I would think there is a strong possiblity Beal will not be back.

From what I have seen Kirkwood is going to be the feature back for the Freshman class. You need to get your best athletes on the field and linebacker may be the best chance for Edwards to play.
 

I have full faith in the staff doing whats necessary in order to win games. So I love the move.

But what do we know? Kirkwood is going to get carries, probably 15 a game barring other circumstances. Bennett will continue to get reps at running back as well. So where does that leave Lamonte? If he can move well in space, put him somewhere
 



I've been saying it since before Lamonte even signed with the Gophers, I thought he would end up at LB and I think it will be his best position. I never had any hard evidence except seeing the kid play a handful of times (wasn't incredibly impressive as a runner but a freak of an athlete) and from his HS coach (Beau Labore) pretty much echoing exactly what I thought. Now, i'm not saying this to pay my back, i'm saying it because a lot of people I know who have seen the kid play thought it was a no-brainer he would end up on defense (like Hageman being a no-brainer to end up at DT). That was sort of the camp I was in, so much that I got mocked by a few posters on here for continually suggesting he would end up on defense.

Personally, I can see it being a bit about depth but I also think it's about where he is a better player. He never seemed like a natural runner in HS or in the extremely limited sample size in college.

For the posters saying "how do you know without giving him a chance on offense?", well the coaching staff has had a chance to watch him in practice. I would support wherever they put him because i've only seen him a couple times, but i'm not at all surprised by this move. I'd have been more surprised if he finished his career at RB.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I've been saying it since before Lamonte even signed with the Gophers, I thought he would end up at LB and I think it will be his best position. I never had any hard evidence except seeing the kid play a handful of times (wasn't incredibly impressive as a runner but a freak of an athlete) and from his HS coach (Beau Labore) pretty much echoing exactly what I thought. Now, i'm not saying this to pay my back, i'm saying it because a lot of people I know who have seen the kid play thought it was a no-brainer he would end up on defense (like Hageman being a no-brainer to end up at DT). That was sort of the camp I was in, so much that I got mocked by a few posters on here for continually suggesting he would end up on defense.

Personally, I can see it being a bit about depth but I also think it's about where he is a better player. He never seemed like a natural runner in HS or in the extremely limited sample size in college.

For the posters saying "how do you know without giving him a chance on offense?", well the coaching staff has had a chance to watch him in practice. I would support wherever they put him because i've only seen him a couple times, but i'm not at all surprised by this move. I'd have been more surprised if he finished his career at RB.
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You certainly have not moved from your initial stance.

Admittedly, I never saw the kid play in high school. But if Beau Labore (credible source, as I stated in a thread about some dude named Brandon Beal) and the Gophers staff think he can make an impact on D - then shouldn't that be good enough for us?
 

oleboy41 said:
- Despite being a great athlete Edwards wasn't a full time RB in high school until his senior year. His junior year he got a few carries a game but was a standout at DE. Its rare that kids make the transition TO running back from other positions once they get to college. Usually its vice versa
- Even from watching high school film its clear that his excellence at RB was based almost purely on being a great athlete playin
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I agree with some of your statement, but this isn't true. Lamonte's played running back just as much as any other position in his life. He got more than a few carries during his junior year. Woodbury mainly played a wish-bonish/jumbo and full house offense his junior and senior years. Lamonte got the majority of the carries. I think you were confused, because Osifyue, the other running back who started, also got carries. Lamonte was the main back, though.

This really isn't relevant, but here's a nice write up about Lamonte: http://www.woodburybulletin.com/event/article/id/39118/group/Sports/
 

I'm fine with the move, especially if Lamonte buys in. He's a tall RB who runs too straight up and Kill wants guys who run more downhill. I also like Kirkwood's potential at RB much more and going forward they still have Wright, Cobb and Roderick Williams. Defensively, outside of Keanon Cooper, they really don't any other LB's with the athleticism of Lamonte, I think he has the makings of a very good LB. Win/Win as I see it.
 

I'm fine with him wherever the coaches want to play him, but one thing is clear to me from practice & games....he's not a straight ahead, move the pile kind of back. His instinct is to scoot outside & get around the edge. There's nothing wrong with that type of back unless you've got him on the depth chart to fill the role of short yardage specialist, then you have a problem.
 

There are people who want to score touchdowns and then there are football players.

Which one is Lamonte?

Football players play defense. Everybody knows this!

(I wouldn't say this to Matt Spaeth's face...)
 

Kill said that Lamonte likes to hit people, he is too good a player to on be on the field for a few carries, and they are beat up at LB. Said they wanted to practice him at LB yesterday and today and see how he does. Kill is proving that he will not leave any stone unturned.
 

Studwell55 said:
There are people who want to score touchdowns and then there are football players.

Which one is Lamonte?

Football players play defense. Everybody knows this!

(I wouldn't say this to Matt Spaeth's face...)
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Huh? I thought football players played O-line?
 

RoyalGopher said:
I agree with some of your statement, but this isn't true. Lamonte's played running back just as much as any other position in his life. He got more than a few carries during his junior year. Woodbury mainly played a wish-bonish/jumbo and full house offense his junior and senior years. Lamonte got the majority of the carries. I think you were confused, because Osifyue, the other running back who started, also got carries. Lamonte was the main back, though.

This really isn't relevant, but here's a nice write up about Lamonte: http://www.woodburybulletin.com/event/article/id/39118/group/Sports/
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You may be correct as I was going from memory of 2nd hand information
 

Studwell55 said:
There are people who want to score touchdowns and then there are football players.

Which one is Lamonte?

Football players play defense. Everybody knows this!

(I wouldn't say this to Matt Spaeth's face...)
Click to expand...

I think that running back is without a doubt the most physical and toughest position to play in football. On defense you hit people, at running back you get hit.
 


Edwards always struck me as a really physical football player, his lead blocks in HS were devastating, he has that little extra juice at the point of contact that makes a block or tackle explosive.

I can't help but think of Alex Daniels, hopefully without the character flaws, mason played him at LB/RB early, seemed like he was out of place/bouncing around too much.
Hopefully Lamonte settles into a position and learns the nuances and techniques associated with it. I'm betting his role right now will be an attacking one at the LOS on blitzes where he doesn't need to worry about coverage audibles/schemes and can just attack the guy with the ball.
 

Here is a bit on how Lamonte has been doing from Nate Sandell

Best quote:

"I'm actually surprised. Even that first day out there, he was doing really well with the scheme and even some of his fundamentals, so he's a natural fit. Obviously it's not 100 percent clean, but he'll get there... I jokingly asked him if he understood the whole defense after our first (position) meeting. He said 'The one thing I understand is you hit the guy with the ball.'"
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jovs said:
I think that running back is without a doubt the most physical and toughest position to play in football.
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Most physical? Maybe. What do you mean by toughest? Toughest physically? Possibly. Toughest mentally? If anything, RB is probably the easiest position on the field to play mentally.
 

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