If we had an empty board for 2nd round WRs and LBs, then I would have to seriously consider Ciron if he were there. Our Oline is one of our strengths, so he'd be a nice insurance policy to preserve that. Why isn't it talked much about moving Carey inside to LG and having someone a little better and more nimble in pass pro at RT with the emergence of Henne and our "future" air attack? That's what I was contemplating with Loadholt last year.
I think people wildly underrate how good Vernon Carey is. The guy is one of the best Right Tackles in the league, and was a quality LT in '07. He's not a beautiful dancing bear type guy in pass protection, but he gets the job done at a much higher than average level. If he hit the open market and didn't get a hometown discount last year, someone almost certainly would have paid him franchise LT money.
TBH TP, I think Andrew Gardner could make that move possible, the guy was outstanding at GT two times All ACC, he even played well as a Tackle in Paul johnson's triple option running attack. Gardner would have to really special as a player to move a established vet like Carey inside to G, but they have kept him on the roster all season for a reason, they must really like his game especially with as stingy as they are with roster slots.
The player I'd want least in rd 1 off that list comes from probably the position I want to see the most new faces at next year in TC.
Thing is DJ, everyone talks about Tebow's heart and will to win and his intangibles. Well you know what, what do you think Adrian Wilson thinks of that? Or Haloti Ngata? Or Chad Greenway? Or Vontae Davis? I'll tell you what they think: nothing. Because they're all better athletically than Tebow, quicker movers, bigger hitters, etc. On an average SEC defense, how many players go onto be NFL starters? 2? 3? Big jump to the NFL level. And you're certainly not the only one who says Tebow can play fullback or tight end or h-back. But how do they know? Have they seen him play there? Can he take on Ray Lewis like Lou Polite or can he take on Patrick Willis like Ahmad Hall? Can he block a DE like Jason Witten can? Can he run a route on Kerry Rhodes the way Dallas Clark can? Can he even catch the ball? It's great to speculate but facts are facts and for me, the facts don't stack up because it seems to be taken as read that he can do all these things.
any experts seen footage of UCLA DT Brian Price?? How does he compare to G. Mc Coy and the other DTs besides Suh? The kid was 3rd in TFL in the nation 1.88 avg.(22 total). He just won PAC10 DPOY and 1st team ALL American. I really hope he stays one more year and dominates like Suh. If he does enter i hope Miami is looking at him. Wr coach Dorrell can give them all the inside info since he recruited him at UCLA.
Alen's a big fan Vmarc. His boy Verner roams the secondary, so he has a moist patch for all things Bruin.
Oh man.... I would laugh my butt off if that were ever brought up on the ask Lou segment!!! Posted via Mobile Device
I agree with your first paragraph, and iam not saying his talent deserves the first round grade, iam sayin i think someone will move him into the 1st with those intangibles, and the fact that i think the wildcat formation executed by the proper handler, is a legit power running game all by itself. I'd like to see him at the combine to project what else he can do besides wildcat qb.. The athleticism displayed there could give us some good insight on some projections...I think that's must see tv in this unique situation. Hypothetically speaking here?, if ronnie brown said he had to retire because of his foot, and you did'nt have Pat white on your roster, but you have the knowledge and the coaches to execute this formation, would you take tebow to replace ronnie? and continue to try to be the best wildcat team in the league, and if you would, where?
ive been singing his praises since the beginning of the season. i think he might be a better DT than McCoy personally. I would be surprised if he escapes the first round. Sadly I dont think he's a great 3-4 prospect. I think he'll be a pro bowler in a 4-3 but as a 3-4 he cant play NT and I dont think his exceptional talents translate well to DE. He would probably be a decent 3-4 DE but never as special as he will be in a 4-3. Personally I dont see him slipping past the Bears
So what's your top 10 looking like at this point? Reminds me of 2006. We're set right now I think to pick #16. I don't know if I have it ordered yet but I would set up a top 12 because there are so many yet to declare, and it would include the following players... WR Golden Tate WR Arrelious Benn (yet to declare) WR Brandon LaFell TE Jermaine Gresham LB Brandon Spikes LB Rolondo McClain (yet to declare) DT Dan Williams DT Jared Odrick DT Marvin Austin (yet to declare) DE Corey Wootton DE Derrick Morgan (yet to declare) DE Greg Romeus (yet to declare)
I'm thinking in this order: Williams Benn McClain Spikes So what I'd like to have: rd 1- Dan Williams rd 2- trade 4th to move up for Benn in the 2nd rd 3- Sean Lee FA pickup- WR Antonio Bryant Williams and Benn are physical monsters, and I still subscribe to the theory that NT and WR are more impact positions than ILB. For all of the talk that Parcells doesn't like taking first rd WR's, the game has been changing and favoring the offense/passing game. If a team wants to be elite they just about have to be able to throw- and catch- the ball well. We're bringing a sling shot to a gun fight every week. Even though logically I see Williams in the 1st, taking Benn there wouldn't bother me in the least. He's a physical monster, and he's been caged this year by injury and circumstance.
Right now, WR and CB are the two positions I see that absolutely need the upgrades. Hopefully the CB upgrade comes organically from the growth of Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. I doubt the WR upgrade necessary will come purely from Brian Hartline. What that means is we need to make sure we take care of the WR position. By allowing the CB position to sit for another year, you're taking a big gamble, but it's one that I'm willing to take. After that you really need to be opportunistic about who you add based on the impact you think they could have on the team. If you think Dan Williams would have a big impact on the team, go after him. But I also think Brandon Spikes or Rolondo McClain could have a big impact on the team. One thing that is a little disturbing is that our OLBs are filled with guys that should be playing WOLB. We have no SOLB. Jason Taylor should not be as heavy as he is and he should not be playing that side. Joey Porter can't play that side. Cameron Wake can only play the left side as a down rusher on pass rush downs, if he gets into normal defense it has to be as a WOLB. Charlie Anderson is a WOLB. Erik Walden probably is as well. Honestly, if Shawne Merriman makes it out of San Diego, I would absolutely give him a contract that is structured to where you have a "show me" year. If you pull in Merriman and Antonio Bryant, you can concentrate on using the draft to fill your hopper with another WR prospect, possibly a TE prospect, a NT prospect, a LB prospect and some more interior OLs.
What do you make of Roth getting waived? He came with some limitations, but I didn't mind having a two-headed monster at the position. I'm not so sure that Walden or Anderson couldn't play SOLB. NT and WR need talent added in the first few rounds, CB I'm not so sure. It's an interesting point, but there are other crying needs to be taken care of with high draft picks. BTW good job by J Allen. Smith most definitely didn't put his best foot forward against the Pats, and not to be harsh about it but he almost cost us the game. Aiken was making him look silly. In terms of OL, Duke Robinson is looking better and better especially after Nalbone got waived. Carl Nicks form a couple of yrears ago would have been good in the 5th, too. Dan Williams and Benn just look like studs to me. Gilyard is interesting and I wonder how high he'll go, but I gotta admit his lack of size throws me off. It's going to be very interesting to see who makes it on to the WR core next year, in terms of rookies and the existibng guys. I wonder if we can keep Ginn, despite the salary cap ramifications. Someone has/some guys have to go.
Roth was slow, couldn't pass rush and couldn't cover. What we need out there at that spot is a tight end destroyer, a guy that can hit the tight end at the line, cover him if need be, and set the edge of the run defense. Roth was good for that except he didn't have near the athleticism needed to cover. We need a guy that's as physical as Roth but maybe a little smaller and quicker...more experience in coverage.
Remember too, Parcells wanted to draft Merriman for Dallas that year. I don't remember the circumstances but just know he drafted Ware instead because of character concerns. So he may be a target if he hits free agency.
The guy that I like is that loinebacker for South Carolina. His name slips my mind at the moment, but would like to get him in the third.
hurry up and watch some footage of him because youre missing out. I know you'll be impressed yeah i pretty sure he'll be a mid 1st rounder. If he bails(my fingers are crossed that he doesnt) i hope he lands on a team i like. dont want to go off topic but can you briefly tell me the difference between 4-3/3-4 DT/NT. is the difference in size/weight? i take it the NT needs to take on 2 OL?
With Sparano and Ireland being such obvious Parcells-ites...I don't think you'll ever see a 6'0" or 6'1" guy plugged in at the SOLB spot. Parcells really believes in those guys being tall and lanky so that they're able to dominate passing lanes.
To answer your hypothesis: no, no I wouldn't. There are better running backs out there who could run it. I'd rather just draft Spiller or Dwyer to do it. Ronnie had never run the Wildcat till Sparano asked for a volunteer last season. It wasn't too tough for him to get up to speed. There are just better players out there to do it.
Hmmm. Toughie. I'm probably going to plead the fifth a little in that I want to get a handle on the LB corp and the conversion ends that can play the strong side. But I'll give it a crack: WR Golden Tate WR Dez Bryant WR Damian Williams TE Jermaine Grisham DT Terrence Cody DT Dan Williams DT Jared Odrick ILB Rolando McClain ILB Brandon Spikes OLB Derrick Morgan OLB Jerry Hughes But the SOLB LB thing is interesting because of 2nd/3rd round guys like AJ Edds, Coleman and Jammie Kirlew who can both go forward and back and Coleman and Kirlew who can get after the QB as well. Also, some asterisks next to names such as Wootton, the Griffen kid at USC and even the small school guy at Murray State whose name escapes me. I also still wonder about out lack of a ballhawk in centrefield and wonder about someone like Morgan Burnett depending on where we end up picking. He's had a down year, but he's a very good player and you could shift Wilson to his more natural SS spot.
That of course would be Austin Lane at Murray State, who is on the radar but who a non Dolphins friend emailed me about having seen him play. And I suppose you have to throw a Jason Pierre Paul into the mix, although his inexperience would worry me in terms of Ireland's thinking. Part of me also believes that if Jeff thinks Mardy Gilyard can play outside and Davone can move full time to the slot, then there's a lot to like about his game, nowhere more so than in his work ethic; a kid that came from nothing and worked 4 jobs to pay for his scholarship after getting the boot is the sort of kid that's going to always be thankful to be in the NFL and won't ever let you down on the work front. I left Dez Bryant in because I wonder how fast he'll run - I was thinking back to that 'how fast is Jairus Byrd' discussion we had last year with his pick off at the goaline and Bryant struggling to catch up. Coupled with not playing much this year and the suspension, I wonder if he's ripe for a fall beyond where Crabtree went? Moral of these last 2 posts of mine is 'I have no idea'.
body structure has something to do with it. A NT's body should be rounder like a hippo. With a 4-3 DT, you have several different types but you'll allow for longer types that more resemble bears. A NT is a two gapper meaning he will control the two gaps and hopefully two blockers. A DT is often times a one gap DT meaning he is only responsible for going through the gap and disrupting the play. 4-3 DTs tend to be more athletic, 3-4 DTs tend to be heavier and more difficult to move.
I think it's less about passing lanes than it is than Parcells preference to have the linebackers playing tighter positioning face to face with the tight end in the base defense than it is a passing lanes thing. I don't think Parcells own personnel tendencies given his own specific systems are going to be a big sticking point. They're running something a bit different, and I don't think he would be unwilling to accommodate them if they wanted a shorter OLB, a 235 pound ILB, etc. and so on.
I think you're right in a traditional 2-gap vs. 1-gap sense, but I think it's a little bit more flexible than that. 3-4 NTs aren't necessarily 2-gap players. At one point, that was really the predominant style, but it isn't now. Right now, the only "true" 2-gap 3-4 defenses in the league right now is Cleveland. Bill Belichick generally runs one, but they've been throwing in alot of 4-3 recently, and Dom Capers in Green Bay does some. Everyone else, even the "big" guys have overwhelmingly their sitting in the gap between Center and Right Guard. This includes the Dolphins, strangely enough given Parcells runs the team, and that the coaching staff ran Parcells defense but instead chose to go more with Wade Phillips style. Running a 1-gap system lets you have a little bit more flexibility to pick who you want to be your NT. Like Jay Ratliff, for example, he's built like a 3-4 DE or a 4-3 3-technique, but he's arguably the best NT in the league, and he does it mostly on his penetration rather than his ability to hold blocks.
That's part of the dilemma with Bryant and Benn. I'd go with Bryant, but if Benn rips off a 4.4 and Bryant runs in the 4.55-4.6 range that'll be something to think about. Maybe too much for some teams.
yeah I didnt have the time to go through all the differences so I just went wiht a basic type of definition. no 3 technique explanations and stuff
Can't help but love Ndamukong Suh and his humble character on the podium when he was presented with multiple trophies. Former basketball and soccer player, dammit I wish he was on our team.
I'll just toss this out there apropos of nothing. When I watch Brandon Spikes and Rolondo McClain play side-by-side, meaning I watch a game of one guy's and then watch a game of another's, cut up video of one guy's, then cut up video of the other's etc...I notice some contrasts. 1. Rolondo McClain really is NOT as physical a player as Brandon Spikes...in any way. 2. He doesn't read the ball as quickly or consistently as Brandon Spikes. 3. He is not as instinctive in coverage, reading the quarterback's eyes. 4. Too often he turns like a barge, hips too high where Spikes can sink them and get himself out of trouble. 5. He ends up on the ground too often, one way or another. 6. There is no doubt that Spikes' motor is revving at a higher RPM, much more urgency. 7. Brandon Spikes rushes the passer. Rolondo McClain is an amateur in comparison. 8. Rolondo McClain is not prone to overpursuit, Brandon Spikes is. 9. Rolondo McClain has better length and potential for dominating passing lanes. 10. Rolondo McClain moves backward and forward very well. Consider the gauntlet thrown. I know we've got some McClain fans in the audience. I think he's an overachiever that plays for a well coached Nick Saban defense. He's got better people up front that keep blockers off him, namely Terrence Cody. Brandon Spikes is much more intimately familiar with offensive linemen, he's been dealing with them more often and for longer than McClain and it shows. This year he seems able to put some of his pass rush principles in attacking OLs, into action in his play to play dealings with OLs instead of just when he's running downhill against them in pass rush. In other words on run plays and on plays where he is tracking the QB's eyes instead of rushing him, and he still has to deal with an OL trying to get in his face, he's doing a real good job of using his hands and churning his feet to keep that OL from locking onto him and he stays free to action on the ball. I think McClain is a good player but you ask me right now which guy I take over the other and it's not something I really have to think too hard about. In Brandon Spikes I see a feistier and more advanced linebacker prospect.
I think fundamentally we're all in agreement that Spikes is the better athlete. What I don't think is up for consideration and shouldn't be on any level is that Rolando McClain is far and away the most instinctive linebacker in the draft. That to me is unquestioned. I've long said that McClain turns like a ferry and that ultimitely his game is best suited to the 3-4 where some of his athletic deficiencies can be covered up in terms of changing directions. I do happen to think that given the versatility of the defense, having a player like Spikes that you can put on the edge on obvious passing downs makes him, in all probability, a more viable proposition for the Miami Dolphins.
I absolutely question the instincts, and I particularly question Rolondo McClain's vision for the ball compared with Spikes'. I think that Spikes sees the ball better and reacts accordingly.
very interesting analysis CK. I like the fact you are not afraid to go out on a limb. Even though Spikes and McClain have been neck and neck all year, I think its safe to say popular opinion now has McClain ahead. Not to say popular opinion means didly. But I like it anytime someone is willing to go against the grain I'm in the McClain camp but I could see Spikes turning into a better pro. I think Spikes has more elite athleticism. What I havent seen yet is the play recognition advantage you see. I still have a few games to watch of each but from the little Ive seen it seems that McClain diagnoses plays a bit better and is more consistent in getting the assignment right. Spikes seems to overpursue more and gamble more which leads to blown assignments at times. I think the ceiling is higher on Spikes but I think the floor is higher on McClain. It will be interesting to watch their careers.
The thing that really stands out, especially when you know to look for it, is the sense of urgency and the physicality in both players. Brandon Spikes is and always has been a street fighter in that regard. When you get done watching Spikes and then you watch McClain immediately after, it makes McClain look worse than he is. Keeping in mind of course that one of the primary games I graded of McClain's is his SEC Defensive Player of the Week performance against the Auburn Tigers. So it's not like I'm not giving the dude a fair shake.
I think we agree to disagree on this one and step away from the precipice of insidelinbeackerinstinctisms.
We also have to take into account that McClain is a year behind Spikes right now. IMO McClain's mental make up has matured faster than he can get his body to react to what his mind is thinking. I believe he's still undergoing the action "slowing down" for him and is possibly overthinking at times to make up for it.... but I absolutely love his instincts. Everyone else on the field gets to basically just play..... Rolando tells them what to do and they do it, which makes it easier to concentrate on the task in front of them, where as McClain is responsible for so many things it's crazy. I also take into account the fact that he's a Junior QBing the best D in the country. To me, the Saban aspect is actually a compliment to Rolando's ability. How often does the egocentric Saban actually relinquish control over to one of his players, especially a Junior?.... b/c McClain basically runs that defense. Saban trusting McClain to make all the calls and audibles to the extent that he does speaks volumes about the kid IMO. I can see what you're saying about McClain being less physical, but again I think that's more about him trying to play "analytically", thinking too much, and having to know what all 11 guys on the field are doing during each snap. As the game continues to slow down, I bet we'll see him consistently more physical and decisive. If you can see it, then an NFL coach will see it.... and if they see it, they'll tell him to play more physically if he in deed needs to. Rolando is coachable and intelligent enough to make any adjustments..... he's also strong/physical enough to become more physical if asked. If you go back to the Ole Miss game, he met massive John Jerry at the LOS and completely drove him backwards and pancaked him over his own teammate. It wasn't like a Cam Wake exploding into a LT who is in pass pro and moving backwards...... Jerry wanted to lock McClain up and drive him backwards, but Rolando actually stood Jerry up, didn't give an inch, and proceeded to completely dominate him!! It was full force against full force and 100lb lighter McClain was the victor. When he hits a pile and decides to be physical, the pile stops moving forward. He doesn't give up anything when he's in that mode. I also remember his Clemson game from the season opener in 08 when he was just out playing and not having to think for the entire defense etc..... and man was he physical then. But again IMO, as the game begins to slow down for him b/c of all the responsibilities he has to take on, then we'll see his physicalness come back out and he'll become a Ray Lewis type LB. Just my 2 cents.
