Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Devin Funchess

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Devin Funchess


October 4, 2017

Devin Funchess (image via Panthers)

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess caught 7 passes for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 33-30 win over the New England Patriots. It’s a career-high in both catches and touchdowns for Funchess.

HONORABLE MENTION

  • Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completed 32/45 passes for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has now thrown 10 touchdowns and 0 interceptions this year.
  • Dallas Cowboys defensive end Taco Charlton made 1 assisted tackle in a 35-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams
  • Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark made 4 tackles in a 46-18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts
  • Seahawks wide receiver Amara Darboh made 2 catches for 10 yards in the 46-18 win over the Colts
  • Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Willie Henry made 1 tackle and 2 pass breakups in a 26-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Seahawks safety Delano Hill made 2 tackles in the 46-18 win over the Colts
  • Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis made 3 tackles in a 35-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams
  • Cleveland Browns safety Jabrill Peppers made 4 tackles, 3 punt returns for 4 yards, and 5 kickoff returns for 116 yards in a 31-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
  • Green Bay Packers linebacker Jake Ryan made 5 tackles in a 35-14 win over the Chicago Bears

7 comments

  1. Comments: 6285
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    Lanknows
    Oct 04, 2017 at 12:53 PM

    Did you know:

    Erik Magnuson is the backup CENTER for the 49ers. Perhaps he was misused at Michigan.

    https://sfo.247sports.com/Bolt/Erik-Magnuson-to-play-back-up-center-for-San-Francisco-49ers-106887132

    Kyle Kalis was also signed to the Colts active roster.

    https://www.hogshaven.com/2017/10/2/16406300/report-indianapolis-colts-signing-og-kyle-kalis-from-redskins-practice-squad

    Graham Glasgow is starting for the Lions. Ben Braden is a practice squad player.

    Mason Cole is still projected to go pretty high in the NFL draft though a poor season would obviously change that.

    What this says to me is that the 2015 OL had more than enough talent to be a pretty good unit. With 4/5 starters back in 2016 and year 2 coaching continuity things should have been running pretty smoothly.

    This leads me to think our current woes are about coaching, as the OL performance appears to be a bigger issue than personnel.

    • Comments: 528
      Joined: 9/13/2015
      michymich
      Oct 04, 2017 at 11:41 PM

      Signed to active roster? Practice squad? Maybe Magnuson can’t play tackle at the NFL level and they are experimenting with him at center because of his size? Why shouldn’t UM play him at tackle? He did fine in college at RT.

      Glasgow was a good player but it takes 5 guys right? Walk on right? Maybe it was overrated recruiting rankings?

      Pretty weak argument LK. If you said most of these guys were 2nd team backups then maybe you have an argument. I think the real point that should be made is if these guys were talented then they should have been drafted higher by the NFL teams. They have combines and pre draft workouts and plenty of tape. Somebody like Kalis can be used in short yardage run situations.

      I don’t see a compelling argument to say better coaching would have turned these guys into all-americans.

      • Comments: 528
        Joined: 9/13/2015
        michymich
        Oct 04, 2017 at 11:45 PM

        Player comparison: Bradley Sowell, Seattle Seahawks
        There’s not much about Braden’s game that suggests he can hold up at tackle in the NFL. Like Sowell, he’ll just give up the edge too often to play their regularly. As a guard he doesn’t have quite the power that one would want and he’ll have to go to a zone team where his athleticism will be a better fit.
        Bottom line: Braden played both guard and tackle at Michigan and his athleticism and movement is fun to watch. He is a skilled blocker on the move. However, he struggled overall at both positions. On film Braden does not demonstrate the strength to be able to hold blocks long enough to be an effective blocker and his grades also reflect this. Braden often loses his balance by overextending into blocks and this might reflect a lack of core strength. Braden had a difficult task being asked to play both guard and tackle throughout the year and there is definitely some athleticism that will make teams take a look at him. His best fit is in an outside zone-heavy running scheme and in a situation where he can develop his strength and pass-blocking skills over time as a pass blocker as he has a ways to go in this regard to play in the NFL.

        • Comments: 528
          Joined: 9/13/2015
          michymich
          Oct 04, 2017 at 11:50 PM

          Bio: Kalis
          Four-year starter who spent most of his time at right guard. Earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors and some All-American consideration as a senior after garnering Honorable Mention All-Big Ten as a junior.
          Pos: 
          Durable guard who gets the most from his ability. Sets with a wide base, works to block with leverage and fires off the snap. Stays square, keeps his feet moving and anchors in pass protection. Works well with teammates and is always looking for someone to hit. Good down-blocker who engulfs defenders.
          Neg: 
          Athletically limited lineman who shows stiffness in his game and is ineffective blocking in motion. Lacks footwork in space and cannot adjust to pass rushers or blitzers.
          Analysis: 
          Kalis is a tough, hard-working lineman with athletic limitations but is someone with backup potential for the next level.

      • Comments: 6285
        Joined: 8/11/2015
        Lanknows
        Oct 05, 2017 at 10:50 AM

        There’s a wide range of outcomes for undrafted players.

        NFL Starter > Backup > Practice Squad > Foreign Football > Out of football

        We already knew they weren’t all-americans. That they are NFL backups this early as rookies speaks to talent level. While that wasn’t much doubted for Kalis, it’s perhaps notable for Magnuson. Kalis’ issues were supposedly mental, but that he’s on a roster indicates he’s doing something right with new coaching.

        I agree that Magnuson’s move inside isn’t an obvious indictment but it does indicate that OT might not have been his best position. That’s true for Cole as well and seemed to be true for Braden also. The lack of true OTs in recent years is a concern raised by many..

        • Comments: 3844
          Joined: 7/13/2015
          Oct 05, 2017 at 11:29 AM

          The lack of true offensive tackles has been a concern to an extent, but this is nothing new. Tackle is a premium position. It has always been the case that failed tackles move to the interior. Stephen Schilling, Patrick Omameh, Erik Magnuson, etc. are just a few examples of that over the years. As you get to higher and higher levels, only the elite tackles remain at OT in the NFL. Guys like Robert Gallery turn into busts at tackle, but then they’re okay at guard.

          • Comments: 6285
            Joined: 8/11/2015
            Lanknows
            Oct 05, 2017 at 12:05 PM

            While I agree with the larger point, I don’t think it really applies for arguably the two best OGs we’ve had in the last decade.

            Schilling and Omameh were both primarily OGs in college right? I think in part that’s because that’s where they fit best but also because M had Lewan and other options at OT at the time.

            I know Schilling played some OT but I don’t think Omameh did much. It’s pretty typical for OL to move around in practice and beyond but I don’t think that is necessarily a failure on the part of these 2 players that they were at OG for the majority of their time at UM.

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