I have been fairly hard on him. I have openly criticized the fact that he is always injured and should not be given prima donna treatment during scrimmages etc. I also have commented on his rare size to speed ratio. He has the measurables and by all accounts a good guy and a great teammate.
I saw an article where another player basically said we are all trying to learn to block like Culkin. I believe it was an offensive lineman who said that their entire unit watches the way Culkin blocks on film and they try and emulate him. This was an interesting tidbit IMO. I like the fact that Sean is starting to get more credit for doing the dirty work that his position requires. Some people, myself included, tend to overlook this.
As a receiver, We have seen very little from Sean as far as breaking tackles and making plays after the catch. Part of this is that he had a QB that threw erratically and that he had trouble with the drops early in his career(particularly the bunnies when he was wide open and the ball hit him in the hands). He did a much better job catching the ball last season in limited attempts. Another huge part of his inability to take flight as a receiver is that Mauk and or Henson just refused to use the middle of the field. You would think with Sean's speed he would have some luck down the seam.
I think, as a group, Culkin, Reese and Blanton are all super athletic. I look forward to seeing more two tight end sets. I wonder if Reese and or Blanton has improved as blockers? To me, having two tight ends on the field that can both block and get up field is a game changer.
I would expect to see huge improvement from our tight ends this year. And despite my frustration that Sean sits out scrimmages I hope he kills it his Senior season and carves out a nice career at the next level.
I saw an article where another player basically said we are all trying to learn to block like Culkin. I believe it was an offensive lineman who said that their entire unit watches the way Culkin blocks on film and they try and emulate him. This was an interesting tidbit IMO. I like the fact that Sean is starting to get more credit for doing the dirty work that his position requires. Some people, myself included, tend to overlook this.
As a receiver, We have seen very little from Sean as far as breaking tackles and making plays after the catch. Part of this is that he had a QB that threw erratically and that he had trouble with the drops early in his career(particularly the bunnies when he was wide open and the ball hit him in the hands). He did a much better job catching the ball last season in limited attempts. Another huge part of his inability to take flight as a receiver is that Mauk and or Henson just refused to use the middle of the field. You would think with Sean's speed he would have some luck down the seam.
I think, as a group, Culkin, Reese and Blanton are all super athletic. I look forward to seeing more two tight end sets. I wonder if Reese and or Blanton has improved as blockers? To me, having two tight ends on the field that can both block and get up field is a game changer.
I would expect to see huge improvement from our tight ends this year. And despite my frustration that Sean sits out scrimmages I hope he kills it his Senior season and carves out a nice career at the next level.
