Mailbag question: Denard and Tate

Posted at 8:00am — 9/6/2010

EDIT NOTE: Apologies for not getting this reader’s mailbag question addressed and put up before the opener. It was a busy week and this is an interesting question.

Mailbag question: Denard and Tate

Hey guys your new site has been a great move, good job!!

I haven’t heard one topic discussed in months and would like your take. There is no starting QB or RB named yet as RR wants it a secret. It was stated that RR did not want to waste a talent like Denard Robinson standing next to him on the sidelines watching the game. He wants him in the game.

To that means, Coach Rod said Denard was learning QB but by learning that position it also teaches him all the skilled positions. You can see where I’m going with this. Forcier gets the start at QB and Robinson starts at RB. What a great combo!! Forcier has been groomed at QB, can read defenses better, is very athletic, he just is not as fast as Denard, but still a functional, all around good QB. Robinson is still learning to be a QB and RR doesn’t have a lot of time to waste on a project, so why not have him as RB where he can use his speed and agility to the max?

What a great opportunity this would provide for the offense playing both at the same time. Even if you hand off to Denard he can still be a passing threat. And, if this fails and Forcier flops at QB Denard can always be put in. What do you think??

Tom T.

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Thanks for the question.

Well, Coach Rod told us the first year he was here, then the following year, and even this year, that he would likely not name a starter at the quarterback position to the media no matter if he knew, the players knew and the other assistant coaches knew who the starter will be against UConn.

We believe Denard Robinson is the starter, as first predicted back in the spring when a lot of people thought we fell off the rocker.
We could see Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier being used together in certain specialty packages.

We could also see Michigan using Denard Robinson in some special formations and sets to get him the ball.

In our opinion this would be only in special schemes or packages. Denard Robinson has been taking too many snaps at quarterback to be used as full-time running back.

We could see Denard Robinson being used as a speed or jet back in empty backfield for example.

One thing people keep dismissing or forgetting about is Devin Gardner. DO NOT FORGET THIS KID! He is the future of Michigan football at the quarterback position and this might be sooner than later.

A lot depends on how the season goes, but we predicted the very first practice where we saw him this spring that he wouldn’t red-shirt — well who knows he might even be the starter at some point this season.

Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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