Takimoto's 10 Most Important Ducks for 2009: #4-6 "The Abstracts"

We're still waaaaaay to early in practice to know who will be in the starting 22 on the Smurf Turf, but it doesn't mean these players still won't be extremely important come September 3rd. 

#6: The starting CB NOT named Walter Thurmond III

Our DBs are extremely banged up, with TJ Ward, Talmadge Jackson, Willie Glasper, Marvin Johnson and others sitting out practices this spring.  Talmadge and Glasper are the two ranking cornerbacks, and have the most overall experience of anyone not named TJ or WT3.  Talmadge had 30 tackles and two interceptions last year, getting most of the playing time when Thurmond was nursing injuries.  Rob Moseley's depth chart from the first week of practices had Talmadge on Thurmond's side - as well as competing with Javes Lewis for time at rover - and Glasper on the other side with Anthony Gildon, who has been receiving the bulk of the first team reps opposite Thurmond this spring.

Regardless of who is out there come September, they will be challenged.  Coaches are well aware that WT3 is not only a draft talent, but is having an outstanding spring.  The success or failure of the "other" CB will play a role in the success or failure of the pass D as a whole.  Depth doesn't appear to be a huge issue however, once everyone takes the summer to get healthy.  Gildon, along with fellow redshirt freshmen Kenjon Barner and Scott Grady, are getting plenty of reps this spring which should help in the long run.

#5: The Lightning to LeGarrette Blount's Thunder.

Much like our DBs, our running back corps has been taking lumps this spring.  In addition to Blount's foot injury, LaMichael James has been held out of all contact following shoulder surgery and Remene Alston was lost for the rest of spring drills, also with a foot injury. 

Andre Crenshaw has been the constant throughout spring practice, and should stand to be the #2 entering fall.  We have seen what Crenshaw is capable of, as he served as Jonathan Stewart's backup following JJ's injury in 2007, most notably rushing for 133 yards in the ground assault the Imperial Army laid on the city of Seattle.  He brings a balanced rushing style, not necessarily a power back, though he's not gonna run away from anybody either. 

Many of us are clamoring for LaMichael James and his speed-based skill set, which would be a palatable complement to Blount's power game.  We've never really had a true burner at RB, and I think everybody's excited to see what it'd be like.  If analogies are your thing, Blount is Woody, and LMJ is Buzz Lightyear.  It remains to be seen, however, how his shoulder will handle full contact football, and he hasn't seen any meaningful action other than being a scout team superstar last year, so let's not jump to conclusions just yet.  In any event, a second back will be extremely important both to take some of the weight off Blount's shoulders, and to provide a different running style to prevent opposing defenses from getting complacent.  Two-back sets with James and Blount would be verrrry interesting to watch.  Not to say I'm rooting for anybody ;).

#1D: The Offensive Line

Nothing makes me more nervous for this season than the thought of a less-than-very-good offensive line come fall.  Neither Blount nor Masoli have proven at this point that they as runners can overcome poor blocking like a J-Stew could.  And this group is just as banged up as the DBs or the RBs.  I should have called this section "The Infirmary". 

We do have a fair amount of returning experience on the line, with currently-injured C.E Kaiser and Jordan Holmes both appearing in every game last year, with 14 starts between them.  Oft-injured Bo Thran also returns, and naturally has an injured knee.  Redshirt freshman Nick Cody has had a strong spring taking Kaiser's reps at right tackle.  Mark Asper looks to be penciled in at one of the guard spots, with Holmes and Carson York at some amalgamation of center and the other guard.  Darrion Weems, who as a side note is probably the biggest person I've seen since Haloti Ngata was here and is one of three or four Ducks who has legitamately frightened me in person (AJ Tuitele is defeintely another), was seeing considerable time with the first string line until he tweaked his knee at last Friday's scrimmage.  Other notable linemen include former DT Conrad Davis and former TE NaDerris Ward. 

A poor second scrimmage last week worries me about this unit, but Steve Greatwood is great(wood) at his job - better than anyone in the country last year in fact - and with all summer to get healthy we should see a solid and high-performance unit on the field next season. 

Coming soon...THE TOP 3!  And if the O-Line's ranking is any indication, this may be a close one.

P.S  Here's a poll that has nothing to do with anything.

P.P.S  The Ducks that I have looked at and been legit scared are:
Anthony Trucks - just crazy ripped and one of the more intense players I've seen brfore a game starts.  He just would sort of pace and stalk in the tunnel before running out.  And this was to go run drills.  I can't even imagine what he was like during DuckVision time.

Blair Phillips - See above.

AJ Tuitele - Easily the scariest player I've ever seen.  We were standing in pregame tunnels prior to the '06 UCLA game, and I made the mistake of yelling, "Let's go AJ!" at him.  He looked at me with a glare that said, "I want to rip your nuts off, take the sperm and impregnate some women, wait nine months, and eat your kids in front of you.  Oh, and then EFFING KILL YOU!"

Darrion Weems - He looks harmless, but his overall mass is just menacing.  To put it in perspective, he's like a brontosaurus.  Sure they eat plants, but he's still an effing dinosaur.  By comparison, Haloti was a blue whale: also huge, but I didn't fear him.  I'm not really sure Haloti had baleen instead of teeth though.

TJ Ward - If Weems is a brontosaurus, TJ Ward is an allosaurus: a big, stalking, Jurassic killing machine.  And in case you're wondering, yes I have been watching Jurassic Fight Club on the History Channel.