Jonathan Banks scouting report

I've been thinking about this as well. With Banks at 12 and the depth at WR in this draft and Free agency. It just might be our best chance of improving this team immediately.

 

Imagine this scenario:

1) CB Jonthan Banks
2) DE Tank Carradine
2) WR Stedman Bailey or Markus Wheaton
3) TE Joseph Fauria or Vance McDonald
3) Top rated Offensive Guard on the board

Plus FA WR Greg Jennings.

Even without considering other draftees, that'd be a pretty serious impact on both our defense and offense.

 

That would be a fantastic draft

 

Immediately, as I put my ideal picks and free-agency in the prior post, I am haunted by pre-visualizating of the ghost of Jeff Ireland's 2013 Draft:

1) DT Jesse Williams
2) OLB Sean Porter
2) OG Larry Warford
3) WR Ryan Swope
3) CB Brandon McGee
4) WR Dan Buckner
5) TE C.J. Fiedorowicz
6) SS JuJuan Harley
7) C James Ferentz

"We have addressed all our positions of needs with kids we feel very good about."

 

The injury angle is something I'm only just catching up on now with Banks.

I think there's a definite, noticeable difference from the Auburn, Tennessee and Kentucky games to the Alabama, Ole Miss and even the Northwestern game.

 

1) What difference are you seeing?
2) What's the prognosis for recovery from his type of injury?

 

You know, in theory I'd be fine with picking up top notch talent with health-question marks.

Jonthan Banks, Tank Carradine, etc.

That's how you get guys like Gronkowski at an amazing value. Of course there is a slight risk, but less so with today's medical abilities to diagnose and assess a patients chance of recovery, plus treatment is better now.

The only drawback is if Ireland needs guys to have maximum inpact in 2013 to save his job, he may avoid guys coming off injuries entirely. I think that would be a mistake.

 

I have no idea any details on the injury. I just see a sluggishness in him after MTSU. The speed isn't the same.

 

Scurrilous fan message board source, but it tells me what I was curious about... WHEN did he get hurt:

http://www.secrant.com/rant/display.aspx?p=38288459&pg=2

Critics of Banks often point to him being roasted by Alabama. Know when that was? The week after he hurt his knee. They played 'Bama right after Middle Tenn.

I'm starting to think Banks is a great opportunity to buy low on a very undervalued stock.

 

http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/node/11691

Sounds like he was tough and committed (and maybe foolish), playing through it the rest of the year. If it has not fully healed by the combine, we STILL may get an underrated sense from Banks' performance. I think he's becoming my favorite target at #12. I have a feeling that once that knee heals, some team is going to be very very happy with a potential Pro Bowl corner.

 

Banks talks about the injury after the game (next day, I think).

[video=youtube;pFeoPDYNrtc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFeoPDYNrtc[/video]

The reporter asking about his knee was trying to follow up with a question "Did you feel a difference.." [in the knee after you hurt it] is how I assume he was going to finish the line of questioning. I'm miffed the other reporters cut him off to talk about stuff that matters less big-picture, but more to them that day.

I don't know what Banks demeanor is usually like, but he seems 'down' about the injury and a bit unsure. When they ask at the end if he was worried, he avoids answering initially, then offers that he didn;t want his senior season to end on the field at Middle Tennessee. So that gives you an idea of how concerned he may have been at the moment it happened that it could be severe.

At the start, as they ask him about it, and he says he'll be fine, he exhibits what most behavioral psychologists say is consistent with someone who doesn;t believe what he is saying. It's possible banks had, at that time, some doubts about his knee. Of course he should, since it was only the day after the injury, when it was probably swollen, traumatized and there was no telling how well it would heal (or how damaged it was) yet.

Anyways, I think this is a kid whose performance the latter half of the year had EVERYTHING to do with that injury. Is he injury prone? I don't think so. I think this kid is a potential Pro Bowler and I hope we bet on him at 12th overall.

 

He twisted his knee after running an interception back 46 yards against MTSU. Here is a link detailing the play.
http://blogs.clarionledger.com/msu/2012/10/26/film-session-a-fast-and-furious-6-minutes/

 

Also worth noting, Banks said it was his LEFT knee. Keep that in mind.

He said it was at the end of the play, I think, his leg got bent under him or something. It elicited an angry, in your face finger-wagging of the official by his head coach, from the sound of it. Coach protecting his player.

Would love to see a clip or gif of the end of that play.

 

I'm not sure if that's actually a stat or not though, lol.

FWIW if you count only his work against FBS Winning teams he had 25 passes defensed and 11 of them were interceptions.

 

Which pass rushers would you want at 12?

 

I would love that draft. The only thing I would consider changing is the 3rd round. I think JF should go last and a WR should be picked with our first 3rd. Get a G in FA. Someone proven. It's beyond time for stability with this oline and a rookie isn't the answer (especially with Martin not yet proven).

I also agree with you about drafting injured players. Why not? The draft is always about projecting. Same thing happened with Tannehill. If the kid had another year, he might of been in the running for #1 overall this season rather than "questionable" top 10 in 2012. I think Tank Carradine, more than any player, truly fits that Gronk mold of a player who's injuries shorted the draft stock of a top 10-15 player.

I don't think Jeff Ireland is going anywhere. I'm convinced Ross has given him a pass on the TS years. I think Ross looks at that as Bill Parcells's concoction and Ireland had little to no responsibility. Ross clearly saw Sparano and Ireland as two different entities forced to be together. Ross seriously can't expect 5 picks in the top 100 to completely change the dynamic of a team this season. And based on his past comments, he knows FA isn't the way to build your roster, so I don't think he expects tons of high priced FA signings. Jeff has another 2-3 years on lock.

 

He was definitely worried about the knee. He had to see a doctor about it. But the doctor gave him good news. He tweeted about it. Nothing specific just said something like "I just got some GREAT news from the doctor. #thankful" or something like that. So whatever the knee was, it was a scare and he was worried about it being bad. I think it must have been impactful even if it didn't end up being a worst case scenario.

 

I'm assuming one of your assumptions in this is that Jake Long is re-signed? What about Randy Starks?

 

People can knock him or whatever but I still think he's top quality. He can play football. And his speed is not a big factor once he improves his technique.

EDIT: I should say "if" not "when" he improves technique.

 

One thing that was curious to me was that in the Northwestern game it seemed like Mississippi State rotated Johnthan Banks with Corey Broomfield who moved back to corner. I'll be damned if it doesn't look like every other series or maybe ever third series, Banks is off the field altogether. If that was a coaching choice that had nothing to do with injury, that would disturb me a little.

 

I'm not sure if it had anything to do with it or not, but cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith was previously responsible for player rotations on defense. He left before the bowl game to take a job at Auburn. Mississippi State changed things up for the bowl game, giving play calling responsibility to linebackers coach Geoff Collins and had defensive coordinator Chris Wilson handling the player rotations. Wilson was already on the way out at that time, because shortly after the bowl game, Mississippi State promoted Geoff Collins to defensive coordinator. Geoff was previously the defensive coordinator at FIU. Chris Wilson then took a job with Georgia as DL coach. Wilson's performance as a coordinator was spotty at best over the past two years. The aggressiveness that was there with Manny Diaz was gone, and Mississippi State played entirely too much soft zone. Also, it seemed like the only time they would blitz, they would send Banks on the blitz.

 

Either way, Darius Slay was an every-down corner in the game while Banks rotated with Broomfield.

 

French exchange student chic. I like it.

 

I have asked several times… what are your thoughts on Slay? I actually like him better then Banks who I believe is overhyped a bit.

 

I don't like him better than Banks but I do like him and I believe I started bringing him up around October of last year because he was highly underrated back then (not anymore). He's a little bit more solid against the run. If the coaches did make a decision to sub in Broomfield for Banks without it being an injury thing, then that would probably be the reason.

Slay has pretty good athletic ability, but I don't think he's as quick twitch as Banks. He has a little bit of that Sean Smith thing going on where he gets jammed up trying to change direction to start closing on the football.

 

Yes and Yes.

If Jake goes, we obviously have to jump in the OT pool


EDIT: Moneywise, that means signing jennings too equals letting Hartline and Fasano go. Not sure about Sean Smith. That's a lot of FA's.

 

Is there something you need to tell your wife about the student you hosted last semester?

 

Her name was Beyonce.

 

And if we resign Starks I just think that all this Dlineman talk will be for naught..I don't see how we can resign starks, have Odrick on the team, and select Dline at 12...

If Ireland is in love with some Dlineman in this draft, I don't see how he can resign Starks right?

 

Zounds.

 

I've never thought we would go D-line at 12.

 

This draft is so d-line deep I'd be stunned if Miami went D-Line first, unless Ireland absolutely loves Werner or Moore and they fall.

I see so many one trick pony pass rushers that I just cant imagine Miami leaving day 2 without having taken one for passing downs.

 

I like Banks. Good player. My type of player. He's lean but well sized and he's a playmaker. Sometimes to his detriment but he's a playmaker nonetheless. He's always looking for the turnover which God knows is something we need on this squad. He can play the run OK, he has the ability to blitz effectively off the edge and he has decent hips pre the knee injury. What I like about him is that he can transition quickly inside out. He likes to look back at the QB with inside leverage but when his receiver cuts to the outside, he's smooth in transitioning outside. He has good closing speed and when he gets his hands on the ball, it stays on his hands. Reads the game so well. Couple of issues I have with him are that he tries to make the big play too much. He'll try and strip the ball instead of tackling. It worked against LSU but failed against Auburn when he tried to punch the ball out of Onterrio McCaleb's hand instead of just tackling him and Onterrio scores. Also, when he gets engaged playing the run he can't get off a block to save his life. He's terrible at disengaging so teams will look to run to his side at the next level. I love his speed. Look at his punt return touchdown against UT Monroe. Explosion, acceleration and long speed. No questions there. He's an outstanding leaper and he anticipates well. Like Leon McFadden, he understands offense really well. He might have an issue at the next level with his gambling. He'll make plays but he will get burned as well because he's so aggressive going after the ball. He's a great kid off the field as well. Loved watching against Tennessee because he was matched up on Cordarrelle for much of the game and it was a great battle. I'd have few qualms about taking him at twelve because he makes plays. He's Ed Reed at cornerback. Just loves the ball.

 

So with more coaching up and greater discipline do you think Banks could become one of the league's top cover corners?

 

I need a cigarette and a moment for myself.

 

Interesting you should mention Ed Reed, because I understand Banks played Safety at one point. If he is a liability against the run (due to blockers), what would youthink of playing him as our Free Safety? Foolish? A waste?

I don't know if I could handle watching a CB let runningbacks straight past him all year as he danced with a WR. I just about have a coronary when Sean SMith lets that happen (he does this less and less, thank Goro).

This also explains why CK notived Banks being cycled off the field foir another player who was probably stronger in run support. Do we live with his shortcomings at CB or could he be an Ed Reed caliber Free Safety for us?

I hate the idea of projecting a position change, personally, but fear Ireland would not draft a guy who is weak vs the run at corner. My preference is still to draft Banks at 12 and start him at corner (and mind my blood pressure).

 

That's kind of what I see too. He's a double-edged sword. He makes plays by peeking into the backfield. Often he reads the quarterback's drop perfectly. But then he can also give up plays by peeking into the backfield. He's right more often than he's wrong, but when he's wrong it can get ugly, like that touchdown he gave up on the wheel route to Ole Miss. Not one of the Moncrief touchdowns, the Jamal Mosley touchdown. Or at least I think it was a wheel route. Either way Banks was peeking into the backfield and bit up, allowed Mosley to get behind him and couldn't turn and catch up. The most disturbing thing about that play was that I *really* don't think Mosley is very fast. Maybe 4.85 at the best. Banks should've been able to close ground once he turned and got on the hoof with him...but that could be where the knee injury comes into play.