http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2012/06/nolan-carroll-believes-hes-past-sophomore-slump.html So do you believe he is past slump or is he still in it?
I don't exactly remember him bursting onto the scene as a rookie. Not to the point where there would be expectations he didn't meet.........Apparently this is in regards to training camp play and special teams. He did improve as the season went on last year, but so did everyone else. Why he was primarily responsible for one of the best Wr's in the game, in such crucial situations, is beyond me. I don't have the tapes but I'd ( like to ) assume he was playing nickle and Johnson motioned into the slot. If I remember correctly that was week 2, after we just dropped Benny Sapp like a bad habit. Luckily he'll be a dime back at best, barring injury.
I haven't see any flashes from the kid that I can rely on that makes me think he's gonna be a good player.
I wish Nolan the best but a slump requires a period of higher skill level first.. Hope he does break out this year tho, seems like a good guy
He just needs to bury his head in the playbook, spend his time in the weight room, practice his heart out in OTA's and TC, and learn from the coaching staff, then everything we want from him will fall into place. But ONLY if the 3 other DB's do the same and they step up their level of communication on the field. I'm from Missouri, the show-me-state, so less time talking, Nolan, and more time working to improve, will win me over when you become a key part of the best defensive backfield in our division.
Nolan Carrol, the guy we drafted with the pick acquired in the Tedd Ginn trade? Bleh, give me Ginn any day.
I think he was past his sophomore slump after the bye week in 2011. He started out awful (as did the entire secondary), being thrown on 17 times with 13 completions for 190 yards and a TD, all in 110 coverage reps. But then they reduced his playing time, worked him back in slowly, and he was thrown on 13 times allowing 3 completions for 49 yards with 0 TDs, 1 INT and 3 PDs over his next 106 coverage snaps. Technically you may say he turned the corner after his first two games against the Patriots and Texans when he allowed 142 yards and a TD. Only allowed 98 yards over the next 180 coverage snaps. Nolan Carroll certainly started off poorly but again so did all the secondary. I mean Benny Sapp got cut after one week. Sean Smith cramped up and allowed a big one to Hernandez in Week 1. Vontae Davis was in and out of the lineup with conditioning related injury issues, and when he did play during those first four games prior to the bye week, he wasn't exactly playing inspiring football. The entire secondary sucked in the first two games, including Smith, Sapp, Carroll and Davis...not to mention Reshad Jones.
I don't get the sophomore slump bit either. He only played 79 corner snaps as a rookie. He played 330 last season, and allowed the lowest completion pct on the team and also allowed a lower passer rating than all but Davis.
I wouldn't. Ted Ginn is fool's gold. He's a good kick returner, no doubt about that. But the league has made rule changes to make kick returns less relevant than ever. I don't trust Ginn at all on punt returns. He doesn't have that fearless quality you need in a punt returner. I'd just assume do without him and yeah I'm positive I would rather have Nolan Carroll on roster than Ted Ginn. See MrClean's post. Carroll's "sophomore slump" was really not as much so as some claim. Allowing the lowest completion percentage in the secondary is not a slump. Allowing the lowest passer rating on passes thrown your direction isn't a slump. He definitely was the goat against the Patriots in Week 1 and then again versus the Texans in Week 2. He started out slow. But so did Sean Smith, Reshad Jones, Vontae Davis and Benny Sapp (who didn't even survive to Week 2). If having Ted Ginn back on the roster means we didn't get to pick Nolan Carroll, I'll gladly forego Ted Ginn's presence.
You calling me a fool? With the addition with Lamar Miller this could all be irrelevant. ST is where I see him making the quickest and most predictable impact. Regardless, our CB situation with Marshall is deep enough that Caroll won't really be able to impact us all that much anyway. Unless I am mistaken, how much dime are we actually gonna play that puts 4 CBs on the field? I don't see it happening all that much, unless Smith lines up at safety to cover athletic TEs on obvious passing down.
Talent reigns. If Nolan Carroll proves that his poor play in Weeks 1 and 2 of last year are well behind him, and he's more the guy that allowed 3 of 13 for 49 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT and 3 PDs after the bye week...then he'll get on the field. Keep in mind that only in the media's eye (and by that I mean Omar Kelly's eye) is it 100% certain that Richard Marshall is a corner and will always be a corner with the Miami Dolphins. Richard Marshall played corner and safety with the Cardinals last year, and not the pseudo-safety that you see Sean Smith playing at times but actual real safety. In a way, Nolan Carroll is competing along with the gaggle of safeties between Reshad Jones, Chris Clemons (who played less than Carroll a year ago), Jimmy Wilson and Tyrell Johnson. Kelcie McCray may make the roster but I doubt he's really competing that much for playing time. If Carroll takes a year three leap in effectiveness, he'll get on the field.
Personally I see our starting safeties any of these three: Jones/Clemons/Wilson with Wilson having locked up the SS role (IMO) Marshall was called a CB by the team, so I'm not certain if he even gets considered for the back line. If Caroll beats him out, so be. Like you said, talent reigns. May the best men win. Caroll will play a key role on ST if he can't secure a starting/sub package CB anyway, and I like his game personally. I just don't see him beating out Marshall/Smith/Davis, or being considered for a safety unless it is FS, which Jones and Clemons have much more experience.
