Bench Mason Position Question
pretty simple question: bench mason is a murderer, and is relatively tight-end sized. it doesn't seem like he'll be well suited on the Dline, and he's got fantastic offensive instincts. not to mention a yen to murder.
why can't we use his murderousness to be blocky/catchy? couldn't he blow back a few guys like AJ williams? did i mention that he murders?
i mean, look at that punim!
(an in-game screencap)
I think he could (and will) be used as a blocking tight end in some situations. He’s got pretty decent hands, too. Just not sure how many times we’ll have 3 TE’s on the field together (thank god)
thanks and i hope he does -- i was definitely thinking more short-yardage situations where we wouldn't necessarily need a flex in there. i just hadn't read anything about it as an option, and was getting worried with eubanks & mckeon in terms of blocking.
Techniques on blocking from TE is vastly different than at FB where they're just trying to put their body between the defender(Mostly LBs) and RB as opposed to TE where they'll be blocking DE/OLB and won't have a full head of steam to do so. It requires hand usage/placement and just use their legs to drive forward.
He will be a decent situational three technique, particularly against passing downs. He will get at least a few carries as a tail back, and I don’t think we are done seeing him as a fullback in short yardage situations. I do love the tight end idea as well - he has excellent hands as seen on his senior highlight film. He is the kind of player that you want on the field, and clearly that is a priority for this coaching staff.
Is he too slow to be a linebacker?
Yes.. also, good depth there
April 18th, 2019 at 10:02 PM ^
Side to side maybe but not in the middle. But I would like to see him at TE
I could see him as a Noah Furbush type where he was dashing into gaps and drawing blocks to keep a LB behind him clean.
They should invent a new position for him - Python.
Murderback
Terminator
Predator
that one is reserved for penn state and sparty.
April 18th, 2019 at 10:18 PM ^
Good point.
Instead, how about "Chuck", as in "Norris"?
Bring back the 80's Bear front. 5-2 defense. Put him at the nose and tell him to just bull rush the center and see what happens.
Apparently excessive screaming.
He should be part of the pass rush package. Paye played DT in it last season at about the same size. I don't see Mason in the regular rotation on defense, but the pass rush package is pretty important. That's where Uche made an impact.
On offense Mason can play a few roles. Rather than a regular blocking TE like Williams, I see more of a role as an h-back like Khalid Hill and Poggi.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:35 PM ^
So you don't think Paye should be in the pass rush package anymore?
I could see Mason beating him out for that job. Or they could both be in it.
Someone is going to have to replace Winovich as the end across from Uche in the rush package. That could easily be Paye.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:50 PM ^
Hill isn’t talked about enough. He was a huge part of the teams success.
He's too short to be a TE, too slow to be a DE or LB, too small to be a DT. He's a tweener, no matter where you put him other than FB. This is why you don't recruit guys to be fullbacks.
I think everyone in the program and in the entire fanbase is happy we recruited him. He's got 9 touchdowns his first two seasons and would probably have finished his career with upwards of 20 if we didn't change our offense heading into this season.
He's a special teams legend, too. He's destroyed so many people with either tackles or blocks.
I don’t think Mason is a tweener. He has pretty good height for a DT at 6’3. Question is has he maxed out at 260lbs or so or can he gain an additional 20-40lbs to be viable at DT. It honestly wouldn’t be a bad idea to redshirt him and get him to playable weight and get him a year of practice at DT. With his motor and aggression, his mindset would work great at DT. Unfortunately I think this switch is too late in his career for it to be fruitful, unless he’s been working to bulk up since January and we see a 285lb Mason come fall.
April 18th, 2019 at 10:15 PM ^
He's still a useful player on offense and special teams. I think he ends up with more snaps at his current weight.
On another team, he probably would have been redshirted as a freshman and groomed to play DE. Maybe on this team if he was an incoming frosh.
I think it worked out better for Michigan that Winovich went that basic route instead.
April 18th, 2019 at 10:18 PM ^
The problem is you never met Ben's Dad. I have and the guy is f-ing HUGE. Ben Mason will be at 270+ lbs by fall camp. BTW - Ben is the strongest man on the team based upon bench, squat and dead-lift weights.
Edit - add his size / strength to his quick get-off on DL and the sky is the limit. Needs technique as a legit DT but shit that is easy compared to FB.
Ben Mason = 2019 Havoc
April 18th, 2019 at 10:04 PM ^
Harbaugh said Ben Mason needs to play 50+ plays per game. Here is my distribution:
- Special teams - 10+ plays
- Offense - 15+ short yardage / HB situations
- Defense - 25+ DL rotation
Wild card is Ben's development during the summer. He is a legit 6'3" tall. His FB size was about 250lbs. Can Herbert put 20+ lbs on the dude by fall camp? Ben Mason is unique guy so he may be closer to 3-Tech size by August. Stayed tuned as this is the coolest dude in developmental mode for Michigan football. Go Blue !!!
April 18th, 2019 at 10:28 PM ^
That Appleton guy assured me that we will have the most explosive, big play offense in NCAA history because Mason may occasionally line up on the defensive line.
Looking forward to that.
April 18th, 2019 at 10:42 PM ^
The best position for Bench is wherever he can inflict the most physical damage on the opposition... put him there and he will flourish!
April 18th, 2019 at 10:45 PM ^
I think he will be fine as a situational DT.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:10 PM ^
My prediction is that Mason will get the most snaps as a RB and do well. He's the best back for grinding out 3-5 yards on the ground and the list of his competition for this role is short. Granted "speed in space", but you still need to be able to run the ball. I don't buy that Charbonnet, Turner and Wilson will get all the carries.
I do see some snaps as a pass rush DL along with FB and some HB, but we're apparently not using a FB much and I think Paye, Dwumfour, Hutchinson and Uche will be the first option for pass rush specialists.
April 19th, 2019 at 10:32 AM ^
Like Leroy Hoard...if we need 1, he'll get us 3. If we need 5...he'll get us 3.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:24 PM ^
Play him every down
Somewhere.
April 19th, 2019 at 12:20 AM ^
Bench Mason, holder.
So many balls popped that year.
So. Many. Balls.
One of the dumbest phrases on this blog, and there are a lot of them, is blocky/catchy. It just sounds stupid.
That is all.
April 19th, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
Nerds being nerds.
April 19th, 2019 at 10:34 AM ^
Unoriginal nerds being unoriginal. Brian says it once = some of these guys say it for 10 years.
i try to save my best material for the real world, as this board is more of a time-waster for me -- though clearly it's the most important thing going on for some people. i'll take the note though: don't use the lingo of the blog i am posting on.
April 19th, 2019 at 10:26 AM ^
Weird post.
great comment tho
April 19th, 2019 at 10:39 AM ^
Ben Mason's position = football player
April 19th, 2019 at 11:56 AM ^
I don’t see much of a role for him as a pass catching tight end in this new offense. It’s speed in space, not lumbering, murdering fullbacks in space
Aren't we going towards "speed in space"? lol... how does this fit into the plan? For that matter how do tight ends fit into that plan?
so you and the poster above did a great job reading until i suggested he could be a blocking tight end in the mold of AJ williams.
but yes, there will be tight ends that block in the new offense. someone has to create the "space" for the "speed" to operate in.
April 20th, 2019 at 10:43 AM ^
AJ Williams was a tackle playing TE.
Sounds just like Mason. Wait a minute, that doesn't sound anything like him...
If I could +1 you for punim I would