Well, clearly the holdovers from 2012 know they are in roster trouble -Richard Marshall -D Patterson -Nolan Carrol -Jimmy Wilson I feel Clemons and Jones are cemented in as starters at Safety, adding Lamar Taylor and Willie Davis and Grimes, to a usual 5 man Cb rotation, means some folks will be looking for work elsewhere when the season opens in 2013. Marshall and Patterson figure to be in roster trouble due to contract size, Carrol really has not developed into more than an avg Cb and Jimmy Wilson is a sort of tweener. IMO, of the holdovers it is down to Jimmy Wilson and Richard Marshall, Wilson makes more plays, Marshall is coming off of a back injury and poor play in 2012. Problem with Wilson as a Cb is he is not a slot Cb, and not really a boundary Cb. My guess is: Starting Cb's: Richard Marshall Lamar Taylor Nickel Cb: Willie Davis Battle is for the #4 Cb job, unless Davis is just hot garbage in camp forcing them to keep Patterson.
Oh sure, real battle is at Slot Cb and #4 Cb. 1 good, but overpaid Vet, 2 young Cb's who have not really developed and a Rook Cb who was traded up for in the draft.
Yep, for whatever reason I forget he is on the roster! So Marshall v Grimes? or Grimes and Marshall w/Taylor the #3? Or Grimes and Taylor?
Man, I really like Wilson. Why in the world did we stop blitzing him from the slot? It seems like every time this team finds something that works, they completely stop doing it. And this is true of every regime that has blown through town. Hope Wilson can stick. I think there's a lot of untapped potential there.
Guess I'm a old man cuz I like proven vets over unproven rookies! Just me, but experience is worth every penny. Like Forrest Gump says "Rookies are like a box of chocolates!
I'm still wrapping my head around a "Taylor" on the roster and it not being "JT". For me, I know folks get excited over the draft, but until they actually do something it's like they don't exist unless it's Dion Jordan...
Yeah Taylor was a reach but since so many seems to love the pick I threw him in there. I do believe he has an uphill battle on his hands beating out the Vets, learning the system and gaining the trust of the coaching staff.... If he is as talented as many believe him to be, he will start at some point in the season but not day 1 unless the injury bug rears its head!
IMO, unless health is an issue, Taylor should be the starter from day 1. Our vets have been vetted. Baptism by fire. We can't afford having such a high draft pick riding the bench. If such is the case, Jordan better be rookie of the year/pro bowl candidate in order for the daft to be considered a success.
Not so much, just reading b/t the lines on the twitter feed and Carrol and Wilson know it's now or never. Personally I think Wilson should be the backup S, he's undersized but to me, he just makes things happen he's just not great in man on man coverage from the slot. If Carrol had still returned kicks he'd have a better roster shot. To be clear: Richard Marshall Dimitri Patterson Brent Grimes Nolan Carrol Jimmy Wilson Willie Davis Jamar Taylor Though didn't Marshall play some Safety in AZ?
Most pundits are projecting Taylor as a starter? Not sure where you got your info from. What we really don't know is about how well grimes and Marshall are recovering.
well, until proven otherwise, you have to go with: Grimes (assumed healthy enough to start) Patterson (Staff allegedly liked what he did at the end of the year) will battle Taylor Marshall (if healthy enough to regain his nickel form) will battle Davis you have Carroll and Wilson as throw ins and competition ... but both need to show some serious improvement. believe both made 'some' improvement last year ... their 1st year with some real coaching mind you (same for Clemons and Jones). Guys like Stanford, Presley (converted QB), and Posey are still unknowns and get a bit more slack than Carroll and Wilson who are in put up or shut up mode. to me, i would not expect Davis to take over at nickel this year .... unless forced to do so. the obvious moves are to cut Marshall and Patterson to save $$$ ... but they aren't going to do that unless someone from the pack makes them expendable. If Marshall is healthy, would guess that Patterson is the odd man out ....
I think Jamar Taylor will play a good deal of nickelback. He has the strength for that position that teams are looking for nowadays to press slot WRs (the way Baltimore beats NE), short-area quicks, can attack the run pretty well. If nickel is becoming the more base defense, i think you'll see Taylor inside often. This depends on what we do with the large contracts Patterson and Marshall have too, which remains to be seen. My first thought is that they won't both be here; but between Grimes' ACL and Taylor's red flags, there are pretty good reasons to keep them on. Corner will be interesting to watch as it plays out.
If we get pre-injury Brent Grimes, we didn't overpay for him. We got a steal. Dudes a beast and the falcons are not happy to lose him. Hes a risk due to the achillies, but if he can get back to full speed we're set. (probably lose him next year tho if thats the case) Marshall will be the starter IMO. We signed him for a reason a year ago and I think he'll earn the spot. Basically, im just thrilled we won't have to see the likes of RJ Stanford and jimmy Wilson out there covering guys (poorly) anymore
I always think of 3 starting CBs for any team, for us, Grimes, Patterson and Taylor, with Marshall potentially replacing Patterson if Marshall is completely healthy.I love Wilson's ST play, so I'd love to see them keep him as a backup safety/special teams ace. Carroll is gone IMO, he brings nothing to the table that someone else can't.
Here is my take on the whole secondary and what i would like to see shake down. Corners 1. Grimes 2. Taylor 3. Marshall/Patterson competing for nickel corner. I dont see how both stay if one of them is going to be the 4th corner. If Taylor bombs in camp than this could change. 4. Davis 5. Carroll PS. Donald Jones Free Safety 1. Chris Clemmons 2. Jimmy Wilson (Marshall could get some time there if need be) Strong Safety 1. Reshad Jones 2. Jordan Kovacs
About what I would think as well. Suspect we will ask Marshall or Patterson to take a paycut, and if one agrees and one doesn't ... well goodbye. They may wait on cutting one or both of those vets though while they look at Taylor/Davis in camp. Carroll could be in the 3-4 slot as well. He's not great, but as a low end corner is acceptable. Key for secondary will be Grimes' health, Jones maintaining or even elevating his game, and the passrush.
I agree with those who think it will be Grimes, Marshall, or Patterson, as the two starters at CB when the season begins, if Grimes and Marshall are healthy enough to compete for a starting job. I think Taylor will start out as a nickle or dime CB and could become a starter as the season goes along, if one of the veteran starters falters during the season. I think Carroll, Davis, and Wilson will be battling for a roster spot and I expect one or possible two of these players to be cut prior to the start of the regular season.
Hopefully, it's Grimes and Taylor as starters, Marshall, Patterson or Davis competing for the nickel..
Gotta go with Grimes and Taylor. I could see marshall in the slot. If Davis impresses I think we cut patterson and save the 4 million and it only helps to add more talent on the roster.
Nobody is interested what kind of music he's listening to... sorry I couldn't help myself. I really tried not to write this but it just happened
If you are really 32, you are not an old man. I like proven vets too though. Until the rooks show something on the field, the starters IMO, are Grimes and Marshall, with Patterson in the slot. Taylor and Davis can replace Carroll and Stanford until they prove they are ready to start. Just remember the best corners we've had the past 15 years, Surtain and Madison, were not week 1 rookie starters, and had nothing better ahead of them, than the vets we have now. I recall Surtain didn't start till late in year 2, and Madison something like week 14 or 15 of his rookie season.
I would caution against early expectations on Taylor or Davis. Jamar Taylor seems to me like a guy that freezes and doesn't commit when he's a little outside his comfort zone in terms of speed, knowing his responsibilities and reading what is happening on the field. That could make him like a broken ATM machine while he's still trying to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Remember he played at Boise, he didn't see this caliber of athletes very often. When he did get that bump up in speed and athletic ability at the Senior Bowl week of practices, I thought he really struggled with the likes of Markus Wheaton and Marquise Goodwin.
I am 32 but I feel old, they say I'm an old soul!!!! thx. I fully agree Rookies have to show something first!
That's kind of how I would go I think. Wouldn't be surprised actually if Davis supplants Taylor in the short term, because of his inside-outside flexibility. I think the coaches may have checked out on Nolan Carroll, but if they hadn't then I wouldn't have been totally shocked if he emerged as the starter on the outside opposite Grimes. Does this lineup scare you though? I mean aren't we kind of one Achilles rehab setback away from..."OH SH-T!" in the secondary?
Nope, b/c rookie Cb's tend to play quickly, so we could easily see Grimes/Taylor as the starting Cb's, Patterson as the #3 and Marshall moves Clemons off of Strong Safety. If anything we've added a quality start in Grimes, assuming he's healthy, 2 rook Cb's, and we have Marshall coming back healthy. Added 4 new players, would have Patterson for a full season as well if he is kept.
i don't see anything altering Clemons, Jones tandem at S .... definitely not Patterson or Marshall .... this is a huge year for both ... being contract years .... and potentially puts us in a huge bind. unless the 'other' Jones or Kovacs really surprises in TC (which i don't really see) ... albeit, i give Kovacs a better shot right now today ....
