Technical Tidbits 9/2

Just months after selecting him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, the Patriots released former Georgia Tech defensive back Jemea Thomas. Thomas, who apparently had an underwhelming preseason performance for New England, was later picked up off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys, an organization in desperate need of some fresh defensive talent. He would go on to make the 53 man roster of the Cowboys (listed as a linebacker for some reason unknown to me), but upon doing further research it came to my attention that Thomas was released from the Dallas squad as I was writing this paragraph. It's another tough break for Jemea, who has a ton of potential and a ceiling plenty high enough to play in the NFL some time in the future. Hopefully another team will be willing to give him a shot.

Just in case you were in some distant stratosphere and somehow missed the news that Georgia Tech played a close game with Wofford on Saturday, be sure to read this quick list of takeaways from the game, courtesy of the AJC (check out the FTRS postgame summary here). One of the biggest points that Ken brought up in his article was the lack of pressure applied by Tech's defensive line against an outmatched opponent. That aspect of the game really got lost among all the cries of "fire Paul Johnson!" and "all hope is lost!" which emanated from around the fanbase. The bottom line there is that, as we anticipated, developing a solid pass-rush will be a constant struggle for the Jackets in 2014; they will almost certainly need to improve if the team expects to win many games. (Note: Wofford's run-heavy scheme also contributed to the lack of sacks.)

Guys, Russell Athletic finally made us proud! Their latest (and by latest I mean first) innovation in football technology is actually one of the coolest ones I've heard of lately: they made pads out of the leftover aerospace-grade carbon fiber left over from the production of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The new pads, known as CarbonTek, boast some impressive supporters such as Washington WR Pierre Garcon and Saints RB Mark Ingram, and are thought to provide a lot more comfort, mobility and protection than traditional shoulder pads. Now all we need are some decent uniforms and Russell will have taken a big step in regaining our trust...

I wish I could say that Saturday's game between Clemson and uga was an exciting barn-burner ending with chants of "ACC! ACC!" from the Clemson faithful in Athens, but I just can't. The dwags would go on to dominate Clemson 45-21 in what would have been a marquee win for the ACC against one of the SEC's strongest teams. The whole game, as the article above suggests, was a huge missed opportunity for the ACC to make a statement by getting a big win in hostile territory, but it just didn't work out. Instead, what we have is a conference that is the laughingstock in the nation: ULM upset Wake Forest, multiple FCS teams nearly did the unthinkable to top ACC squads, and FSU almost bit the dust in their season opener. What does this all mean for the conference? That is yet to be determined, but it is safe to say that the ACC as a whole will need to improve.

What does the ACC need to do to improve perception around the nation? What do you think about Russell's newest innovation?

Have a great Tuesday!