Welcome to a getaway day edition of the Friday Feedback. I had my feet on the ground for a few weeks, and there was a second there when I feared they’d sprout roots, but like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. I’m gone for the next 10 days … and part of the journey takes me to the Sunshine State, which I hear is gorgeous — gorgeous! My noble wife and her noble friends are being honored for the work they do raising money to help folks cope with and combat cancer. Their group is under the umbrella of Stupid Cancer, but together they “make it all suck a little less.” There’s a gala. I’m a plus-one!

That said, we’re minus-one here for a while, but I’m hoping the space remains lively. I’ll flip the ball to the bullpen on the way out the door, and they’ll get us through to the next round. There’s plenty happening — baseball games, football recruiting, the Big 12 golf championship, the NFL draft, the Penn Relays, Will Grier queries — and all I ask is for you to be civil with one another. With everyone else? Nah.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, take your time.

Sid Brockman said:

Pretty sure if Grier doesn’t throw one over Ruby off his back foot we’ll riot.

Just kidding…excited to see him though. The Durante/White/Simms battle for the two outside WR spots is intriguing to me. Hope Jennings and Sills settle in inside as well. On the D side I want to see free safety depth behind Dravon as well.

I’ll work in reverse, because these are all good points. West Virginia figures to use the most new bodies at safety. I think Eugene Brown — and near as I can tell, he’s either Eugene, Geno or E.J. — and Kenny Robinson have a shot, and Collin Smith is a really good athlete and a very solid football player. Wouldn’t be shocked if Tony Gibson found a transfer here, either, but that’s quite an ask right now. Sills and Jennings have the inside position(s) to themselves for now, and Grier sure seems to like them, but that position needs a twitchy guy, so Tevin Bush and Kennedy McKoy were pleasant developments. Reggie Roberson can fly, and he’s not a giant, so maybe he goes there because there are players outside — but not so many that Roberson couldn’t earn a helmet there. But overall, what a missed opportunity for Steven Smothers. As for the outside, I don’t know how to weight Ricky Rogers praise, but he was well-reviewed in the spring, and everyone was bummed out about Simms. The thought was he was WVU’s best chance to replicate Shelton Gibson, but Jovon Durante made the most of the occasion. Lastly, because I’m curious and serious all at once, what are the grounded expectations for Grier? I mean yards, completion percentage and touchdown:interception ratio. Like, what if I said 3,300/60/26:10? Because that’s Skyler Howard’s line for 2016. Personally, I don’t think he’ll average 300 yards a game because of the running game, but I think he’s accurate, and I think he’ll connect on deep balls and hit his spots in the red zone. So, 3,500/67/30:8? This is nuts, right? That’s the point.

Bobby Heenan said:

I get Rex (F it I’m going deep) Grossman vibes from Chuggs.

You gotta unleash the dragon.

Remember when Geno Smith would lose his helmet or come out for one or two plays for some other reason and Paul Millard would come in and go berzerk? That was great. Everyone digs Grier’s arm, and rightfully so, but Chugunov is a higher caliber and he wants to shoot. Let’s not forget his, shall we say, interesting debut last season?

 

ML said:

Grier looks amazing and Chuggs is a serviceable backup. Good to see Durante’s development continue too.

Tony’s D seems like it’s reached another gear. The cheese he calls is straight from video games. The complexity is impressive but the way even the third string guys seem to get it is even more impressive. I get the feeling Grier will love facing base defenses. There’s no reading Gibson’s stuff. If you try to read and adjust from his line looks, he’s got you.

Not only that, but Gibson admits Grier chops his defense up and doesn’t freeze. “He’ll see something, and it triggers him and he knows exactly where he’s going and he knows exactly where to put the ball,” Gibson said. “He’s done it numerous times.”

Sammy said:

Tight end seems to have vanished from the offense in the Jake Spavital era. Can’t say I understand so many four receiver formations when they are filled with walkons and nobodies while we keep blockers and running backs on the sideline. Grier looks great but Spavital has me nervous.

They used Trevon Wesco a lot in the spring. Jake Spavital had a plan for the spring, and the spring game was treated like the 15th practice. Now he digs in and figures out who he has and what they can do. Remember, the offense won’t blend in many players over the summer. It’s think tank stuff right now, which is fine, and the days in camp will be far more formative.

I love you, Doug! said:

I’m glad Dana added that little wrinkle where Grier carries the ball down the line as if he’s going to run then passes. First saw ASU do that in the bowl game two years ago, really liked it.

Pat White would like a word with you. That’s something Spavital re-introduced. He’s had some quarterbacks who can make that threatening and effective, and it seems like Grier is at least a possibility. It’s so hard to stop. Slows defenders, and even if Grier has no intention to run, he’s at least buying time for his receivers to get past slowed defenders, and Grier’s arm takes care of the rest. Grier can run a little bit, too. I don’t know if he’s Howard — I haven’t seen it — but he’s not Trickett, either.

Vaughn said:

Doug – I also liked that play. It seems like Kansas St. does that against us as well and it’s pretty effective.

I also found the lack of TE involvement interesting given how much Spav has mentioned he likes TEs. Did Wesco even play? Perhaps they’re keeping that stuff hidden until the VT game.

Grier can really sling it. He can put a ball in tight windows in coverage. It’s getting to be difficult to control my optimism for this season seeing him make decisions and throw like he did Saturday.

K-State goes forward with it, right? Seemed to me, from highlights, that Grier was going to one side or another, and that opens up different possibilities. If he’s strafing to his left and a receiver is sweeping left to right, good luck. And Spavital is going to use tight ends and fullbacks. They limited Eli Wellman’s snaps all spring and gave Wesco a lot of work. There’s a plan, and we can assume some of it was sheathed.

I love you, Doug! said:

We have questions/observations:
How fast is Sills? 4.5-fast, or slower?
Loved that simple little not-quite-lob pass Grier threw to Sills that he should have caught for TD. Great to have a tall QB and a tall WR so you don’t have to execute high-dregee-of-difficulty fade-to-Bolivia.
– Chuggs showed improvement.
– Tevin Bush looked overwhelmed, swarmed. No surprise.
– I’m reasonably confident Kyzir White, if fully recovered, is start vs. Va. Tech.
–

I love you, Doug! also said:

Uncompleted observation:
– Everybody, do the Marenco!

I’ll be delighted if we never see a fade again.

BobbyHeenan said:

– I think Sills is Dakiel Shorts fast. That is to say fast enough to do well, but not fast enough to hit that Shelton Gibson/Alford level. I think mid to high 4.5’s at a real combine laser timed 40. This is just my guess though.

– I thought it was interested how much Sills played outside. I think they just trust him right now and we were short on bodies outside.

-I continue to hold out some hope (but fading fast) that the light will come on and Durante will meet my expectations. It’s hard to see a guy run that fast, jump that high, and make some great catches and then just disappear for games on end. He’s not a great blocker and I’m starting to question his route running, because something is just missing.

Durante is just too talented to give up on, and the receivers coach, Tyron Carrier, believes he’s much better off now as an outside receiver. He understands how to get open outside after playing inside. There’s great optimism. “We had a tough time get him the ball last year,” Carrier told me. “He was open an awful lot, and we had a tough time getting him the ball. That’s the big difference now. He’s in a role where he can make those plays.”

Ohio Mike said:

Poor crowd at Spring Game. Vingle suggests possibly unpredictable weather – but Columbus has similar weather yet gets 80 – 100,000 filling their stadium. Teams that draw fans to their spring games make it enjoyable. A real game atmosphere and a spectacle. WVU has nice crowds in the past. Remember the game bieng on ESPN and Rich Rod letting fan call a play from the stands? That was fun – and raised some respectable money for the hospital, which is no small thing! As long a HCDH treats the event like a practice (to the point where even he “got bored”) the crowds and the money for the hospital will be woeful.

It’s a tired discussion when it lacks nuance. WVU’s going to max out around 15,000 and typically settle with about half of that. What’s the team going to do to double or triple those numbers? That’s the discussion. Otherwise it’s a notebook item. 

Dino said:

Did Vingle show the numbers for attendance and dollars for the previous decade along with the weather report for comparison????

No.

Sid Brockman said:

I’m not sure a comparison to Ohio State is accurate. Most teams at WVU’s level of competitiveness only get a few thousand. And I’m not sure how letting Geno throw a bomb to Shelton is any less fun than a fan calling a play.

Comparing WVU’s spring game attendance to Big 12 teams is misplaced. Are we really expecting WVU to draw like Oklahoma and Texas or even Oklahoma State or Kansas State? Comparing it to Pitt (7,076), Maryland (tomorrow), Virginia Tech (tomorrow), Virginia (tomorrow), Louisville (14,000), Kentucky (37,172) and regional opponents is better. Kentucky, by the way, went with a Friday night game, which is useful. Overall, WVU isn’t interested about attendance. Whatever it gets is a bonus because proceeds go to the children’s hospital.

Dino said:

Bosses who don’t allow Mike to cover Mountaineer Baseball have been known to end -up at the bottom of the Kanawha River wearing a pair of Cement Wing Tips……. what size shoes do you wear Mr. Boss ????

Easy, easy. Nothing is, uh, in cement yet. It may still happen. I only referenced that conversation because it’s so rare, and an unprecedented expense near the end of a fiscal year is not always welcome but is sometimes mandatory. There’s a good chance WVU is a regional host, by the way. If not, there are some drivable sites, which is easier on expenses. Either way, we’re not broke. We do more in the line of travel than just about everyone else. But it’s a newspaper in 2017. 

ClevelandWVU? said:

Let’s start by covering some regular season games for a change. Boss might be more receptive.

It’s WVU in a national championship event. That’s all the reception that’s needed. And if you’re doing daily game stories for home games, you’re doing it wrong. Coverage is and ought to be more involved than “There’s a game. Go write about it.” 

Wayward Eer said:

Interesting weekend of baseball. Friday WVU gifted one to TCU who decided not to take it, Saturday they gave one away and TCU kept it. Sunday, TCU looked like a high school team on the bases, and WVU made them pay. I think the important thing was the WVU put pressure on the #3 team in the country all weekend and mistakes happen even with the best of teams when the pressure was on. I thought it was kind of a fluke that opposing teams were making a lot of mistakes (especially on our home field) against the Mounties and that we were catching a lot of breaks, but now I am beginning to come around to the fact that this team has a way of applying pressure that force teams into those errors. Press Virginia on the diamond so to speak. Should be fun the rest of the way.

That’s probably true. Look at these stats. The Mountaineers aren’t “great” at anything. They’re balanced, though, and that overall approach with offense, defense and pitching, either overwhelming, corresponding or just enough, accumulates. But if you spot where WVU is ranked highest, there’s a theme. It’s pressure. Triples, stolen bases, sacrifice bunts, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, fewest hits allowed and most strikeouts per game. It’s an aggressive team that takes more than it gives.

Down South said:

Somebody finally explained to me what a Sunday starter was. The more you know …

I need to know what you thought it was. A bloody Mary?

Clarence Oveur said:

Mr. Isreal was a 2-star out of high school, holding only FCS offers: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/23090

He’s now suddenly a 3-star? I smell a Skyler Howard Redux…

He’s got four years to figure it out, and he’s got the ability as well as the time to acquiesce to a new position.

Ohio Mike said:

Problem with 175 pound QBs is they get beat up = Trickett & Pat White both missed games and probably lost games when they played hurt. Skyler seemed small and he was 200-ish.

He’ll add 15 or so pounds in the next year. Time is an ally.

StraightOuttaNorthCentral said:

Looks good. But some of those secondaries had a distinctive “WVU in 2012” look to them. It was nice to see that Isreal can hit wide open receivers in stride, however.

Silver lining!

JAL said:

Another QB, keep throwing them out until one sticks

I concur. It’s the hardest position to recruit. It’s harder at WVU (and like places). You need to be creative. It’s nice to go grassroots and develop high school quarterbacks alongside a tradition of doing so, but it’s just as good to find winning quarterbacks. The best way to do that is to be obtuse and/or take some chances. The more you collect, the more likely you are to find an answer. Look how many NFL teams draft, never mind sign or carry, multiple quarterbacks. 

CC Team said:

Macon is just coming into his own. Would love to see what his senior season could be, but he needs to do what is right for him. Walking away with a degree and a salary in Europe might be his best choice.

He was a difference-maker in the second half of the season, and the Big 12 is getting thinner in the post. There’s a lot out there for Macon in 2017-18.

netbros said:

So it seems we will have Macon or Culver, but not both. Do I get a say?

I would like to see Macon stay and Culver go to prep school. Give Sags and Magic another year to develop before Macon is gone. Culver can then join next year’s class.

For the record, I didn’t write the story, so I don’t know this to be the case. It does seem that something is afoot. The five in/four out doesn’t work, so something is about to change.

StraightOuttaNorthCentral said:

I’ve been saying for at least a year and a half that if Adrian had a Lithuanian last name, he would be an NBA prospect. Second round draft picks almost never turn into anything, so there is no reason for a team not to take a flyer and see if he turns into something useful.

Whoa. The concern is labrums are labrums and the upper body is the upper body.

I love you, Doug! said:

Are we already making Mr. Grier a one-and-done?

Some are! But it’s a realistic possibility. WVU knows this.

ML said:

My wishful thinking goes like this.

Grier isn’t poor. This isn’t a guy with 3 kids and a side job at Taco Bell. Leaving for urgent financial concerns shouldn’t be in play. And Grier has been on an NFL quarterback track for many years. Coaches’ kids know what the NFL looks for in top qb draftees, and a major part of that is playing 3 years, winning at least 25 games, passing over 60 percent, etc., etc. While it’s always changing and demand gets QBs drafted higher than normal (Trubisky), leaving after year 1 would leave him short of those goals.

It’ll come down to how he plays this year obviously. But I think he plans on staying 2 years and anything short of a Heisman or a CFP win will keep him around to solidify his status as a top qb in round 1, rather than a guy who raises concerns because he’s only a 1 year college qb.

That’s probably all true, but you could offer the opposites — he does have a baby, he has been on the NFL track for years, coaches do know about him, and Mitch Trubisky’s rapid ascent intrigues players in similar situations — and say the same. If he lights it up, why not go? Why risk coming back? The 2018 draft will probably have USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen at the top … but after that? Wyoming’s Josh Allen. Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph. Some other guys? A good year could put him somewhere near that second cut. 

I love you, Doug! said:

I hope the Waterfront is fixed. Last time I was there it was a mess. Had to go outside to find the jerry-rigged restaurant.

It’s gotten the Marriott overhaul. Splendiferous. 

Sid Brockman said:

Is there any chance we see spring football moved back a week/two weeks so spring games occur the last week of April/first week of May to accommodate visitors? Just spitballing, but if everyone likes June for those visits, it will be hard to get some of the bigger name kids on campus, I think.

It’s probably all on the table right now. I think WVU likes that Easter weekend because of spring breaks before or after it, but some families aren’t going to travel on that weekend, either. 

Hersh said:

I think the Waterfront Hotel was going through some growing pains with the renovations and the transition to the Marriott brand and management, which I don’t think happened until this year. I’ve heard some good reports. Honestly, anything has to be an upgrade over Lakeview. That place is a mess and the service has been shaky for a long time. These young kids will think the Waterfront is spectacular. They don’t know any better. Plus, it’s right there in town and close to everything.

WVU had logistical concerns about Lakeview, which Lakeview really couldn’t control, but aesthetics matter, too. It sounds vain, but it matters, and recruits on official visits stayed at Lakeview. It’s a golf course, which is not entirely impressive to prospective football players, and it’s far from campus and off-site eating and entertainment options. Waterfront Place is closer to all of that, so that makes a greater impression. Now, Lakeview’s proximity to campus kept players out of trouble, and temptation is not far away from Waterfront Place. Maybe that’s extreme, but maybe someone breaks curfew now. Who knows? And on top of that, WVU’s going to get about 40 rooms every weekend, and that’s going to hit the hotel market hard. People want to stay downtown, and this cuts into that.

The 25314 said:

I thought recruits decided based on uniforms?

Enjoy the weekend (and beyond)!