Lawrence Okoye Thread of Epic Awesomeness

Originally posted by WINiner:
Why is TJE going to be gone in a few weeks?

I said FA in my original post. I shouldn't have said a few weeks technically it's March but as in a few weeks and he's done playing with us. I'm sure Fangio will try to bring him back since he favors those types of guys. I had TJE beating out Tukuafu in 2013 and he played really well but this year he did nothing to deserve being re-signed. He just got in the way of Dial and Carradine. As great as Fangio is I'd say playing favorites with vets is one of the things I don't like about him. A lot of managers do that in all sports. I'll gladly lose a bit in run d to get some pass rush, we have plenty of guys who can stop the run.

Originally posted by Gore_21:

Originally posted by WINiner:
Why is TJE going to be gone in a few weeks?

I said FA in my original post. I shouldn't have said a few weeks technically it's March but as in a few weeks and he's done playing with us. I'm sure Fangio will try to bring him back since he favors those types of guys. I had TJE beating out Tukuafu in 2013 and he played really well but this year he did nothing to deserve being re-signed. He just got in the way of Dial and Carradine. As great as Fangio is I'd say playing favorites with vets is one of the things I don't like about him. A lot of managers do that in all sports. I'll gladly lose a bit in run d to get some pass rush, we have plenty of guys who can stop the run.

This is my one major beef with Fangio, along with being too conservative at time. I would look to see more of an attacking defense, but I can't hate what works.

With that said, I don't mind TJE being brought back on a minimum deal. However, the best thing for our young players on the D line probably would be to just throw them out there. One thing is for certain is that we probably have all but seen the best of TJE. For guys like Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Kaleb Ramsey, and even Lawrence Okoye, who knows.

if new coaches come in this winter, okoye will have to show he's a player, or he's gone. he's got no history with anyone else, so he's just another guy.

Originally posted by xcfan:
if new coaches come in this winter, okoye will have to show he's a player, or he's gone. he's got no history with anyone else, so he's just another guy.

Very good point. Yet another reason I hope Harbaugh gets his head out of his ass and adopts a 21st century offensive philosophy.

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Originally posted by xcfan:
if new coaches come in this winter, okoye will have to show he's a player, or he's gone. he's got no history with anyone else, so he's just another guy.

Very good point. Yet another reason I hope Harbaugh gets his head out of his ass and adopts a 21st century offensive philosophy.

Okoye is a Baalke/Tomsula project. I could see him making the PS again next year with a new HC because I personally believe a lot of our defensive staff will stay right where it's at and Baalke is obviously going nowhere.

Originally posted by WINiner:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Originally posted by xcfan:
if new coaches come in this winter, okoye will have to show he's a player, or he's gone. he's got no history with anyone else, so he's just another guy.

Very good point. Yet another reason I hope Harbaugh gets his head out of his ass and adopts a 21st century offensive philosophy.

Okoye is a Baalke/Tomsula project. I could see him making the PS again next year with a new HC because I personally believe a lot of our defensive staff will stay right where it's at and Baalke is obviously going nowhere.

Even still, I could see a new coach less inclined to stash him there another year.

On another note, Vic Fangio may have said that Okoye is definitely a defensive player. I would love to pick Fangio's brain on Okoye's development. I'm curious as to how he thinks Okoye would perform as an O-lineman in short yardage situations where all they need is a little push.

he means nothing for the future of this team,, as soon as a new regime take over,, he will be a memory kept only alive in the nate davis corner of the twilight zone

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:
On another note, Vic Fangio may have said that Okoye is definitely a defensive player. I would love to pick Fangio's brain on Okoye's development. I'm curious as to how he thinks Okoye would perform as an O-lineman in short yardage situations where all they need is a little push.

fangio isn't objective. look at okoye; look at how he moves. that's an OT.

Originally posted by cciowa:
he means nothing for the future of this team,, as soon as a new regime take over,, he will be a memory kept only alive in the nate davis corner of the twilight zone

such a sweet arm. brain of a puppy dog. but such a sweet arm...

Originally posted by xcfan:
if you didn't grow up with a football-coach father, think about how little football know-how you had that first year you played--whether it was pee-wee or high school. really. remember? the only thing i had a sense of were defensive pursuit angles and and a couple white-guy moves carrying the ball; all stuff learned in the school yard. blocking? shedding a block? tackling? proper hand placement while catching? back peddling? schemes? assignments? pretty clueless on all that. coaches had to show me, one spoonful at a time.

that's where okoye was a year ago. being smart and having an adult mind, he's probably like a high school varsity player now: comfortable with the basics, and wanting to prove himself. he's an extraordinarily powerful man who can probably find find a spot by next fall. not a joke.

Not the joke I was talking about bro...

I'm this dudes #1 fan and really only joined this goofy, reactionary forum to talk about him because it's such an intriguing story

Originally posted by kwest49er:

Originally posted by xcfan:
if you didn't grow up with a football-coach father, think about how little football know-how you had that first year you played--whether it was pee-wee or high school. really. remember? the only thing i had a sense of were defensive pursuit angles and and a couple white-guy moves carrying the ball; all stuff learned in the school yard. blocking? shedding a block? tackling? proper hand placement while catching? back peddling? schemes? assignments? pretty clueless on all that. coaches had to show me, one spoonful at a time.

that's where okoye was a year ago. being smart and having an adult mind, he's probably like a high school varsity player now: comfortable with the basics, and wanting to prove himself. he's an extraordinarily powerful man who can probably find find a spot by next fall. not a joke.

Not the joke I was talking about bro...

I'm this dudes #1 fan and really only joined this goofy, reactionary forum to talk about him because it's such an intriguing story

Agree, with McDonald out of the picture and possibly Smith gone, we need a pure bull rusher esp. one with those long arms. If he gets the plays down (and he should by now) and garners some real PT, competition and technique down, he has a legit shot to not only make the 53 this year but pay a significant role. It'll be on him but it's very possible now.

I'm thinking he makes the 53 next year and gets a lot of special teams reps then midseason gets some nickle work

http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/49ers-sign-five-players-reservefuture-contracts

The 49ers on Tuesday signed five of the nine players who finished the season on their practice squad to reserve/future contracts. Two of the players who were not re-signed were defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye and linebacker Shayne Skov.
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Okoye did not re-sign with the 49ers, presumably because he is waiting to see where defensive line coach Jim Tomsula ends up. Okoye, a finalist for Great Britain in discus at the 2012 London Olympics, signed with the 49ers in 2013 in large part because of Tomsula's commitment to try to develop him into an NFL player.

I have no idea whether or not Okoye will ever become a starter or regular back up for some team in the NFL. I'm just curious about how he does because he is such an excellent athlete and his story is an interesting one.

If Tomsula becomes HC he's staying