11-05-2020, 04:07 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-05-2020, 10:47 AM by 37thchamber.)
Raphael Delacour chuckles when I mention playoffs. "Come on man," he says. "You didn't have to go there."
The Norfolk Seawolves have endured a torrid campaign, in the wake of losing almost their entire starting lineup this past offseason, but Delacour is unfazed. "It's expected," he shrugs. "You don't expect to compete with a team full of rookies. Nobody looks at college ball or even high school ball and says 'yeah those guys with a team full of freshmen, they'll do well'. Same thing here."
There have been positives, of course. "Yeah Laz is showing his worth," Delacour notes, referring to the Seawolves' starting running back. "A lot of people will look at the raw stats and think he's not that good, but they're not playing in this offense. He's doing pretty well all things considered."
What does he mean when he says "this offense"? He sounded a little frustrated. "Yeah it's nobody's fault in particular, it's just that we're all still learning the playbook, getting to understand each other a bit better. Emi [Rune] is a great quarterback, but I think we're still forming that connection that receivers and quarterbacks usually have. This season has felt like one long training session in that way."
Pointedly, I note that Delacour himself has been inconsistent this season, to which his reply is a deep exhale through the teeth, and a slow headshake. Despite his abnormally high proportion of drops -- "good hands" was a common note from scouts when he was recruited by several schools coming out of high school -- and complete lack of touchdowns, he actually leads the Seawolves in receptions as well as reception yardage this season. "It's a conversation I have with the coaches quite regularly," he admits. "They're a bit worried about the number of drops, and I think that's part of the reason why I've been playing on the outside a lot rather than my usual slot role."
Does he think the weakness of the Seawolves' offense will hamper his draft stock as he looks to the ISFL draft in a few weeks' time? "Maybe? Probably?" He shrugs. "I don't worry about it. Pops got drafted in the eleventh round and did alright, your draft position doesn't necessarily correlate to your actual talent. It just tells you how good people think you are."
The Norfolk Seawolves have endured a torrid campaign, in the wake of losing almost their entire starting lineup this past offseason, but Delacour is unfazed. "It's expected," he shrugs. "You don't expect to compete with a team full of rookies. Nobody looks at college ball or even high school ball and says 'yeah those guys with a team full of freshmen, they'll do well'. Same thing here."
There have been positives, of course. "Yeah Laz is showing his worth," Delacour notes, referring to the Seawolves' starting running back. "A lot of people will look at the raw stats and think he's not that good, but they're not playing in this offense. He's doing pretty well all things considered."
What does he mean when he says "this offense"? He sounded a little frustrated. "Yeah it's nobody's fault in particular, it's just that we're all still learning the playbook, getting to understand each other a bit better. Emi [Rune] is a great quarterback, but I think we're still forming that connection that receivers and quarterbacks usually have. This season has felt like one long training session in that way."
Pointedly, I note that Delacour himself has been inconsistent this season, to which his reply is a deep exhale through the teeth, and a slow headshake. Despite his abnormally high proportion of drops -- "good hands" was a common note from scouts when he was recruited by several schools coming out of high school -- and complete lack of touchdowns, he actually leads the Seawolves in receptions as well as reception yardage this season. "It's a conversation I have with the coaches quite regularly," he admits. "They're a bit worried about the number of drops, and I think that's part of the reason why I've been playing on the outside a lot rather than my usual slot role."
Does he think the weakness of the Seawolves' offense will hamper his draft stock as he looks to the ISFL draft in a few weeks' time? "Maybe? Probably?" He shrugs. "I don't worry about it. Pops got drafted in the eleventh round and did alright, your draft position doesn't necessarily correlate to your actual talent. It just tells you how good people think you are."
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