So far I'll sum up Elam's first 2 years with this comparison. Elam has been the Safety version of Terrence Cody, high pick underperforming ( also not doing what he was know for doing well in college good in pros ) mount cody basically made it impossible to run on Bama, he was blocking FGs, NFL Cody gets pushed back off the ball more often than expected. Elam in college, hard-hitting safety, none for tackling . Had a nose for the ball causing fumbles recovering fumbles, appeared to be very confident as a player. NFL Elam misses too many tackles, stops before the final whistle blows too often, seems lost and unsure on the field, shows no football IQ.
Elam's rookie year I tempored my expectations. I figured hey he will blow some coverages on the backend I'm sure but he's bound to make some game-changing hard hits, maybe some batted balls even an interception or 2. Since he was playing more FS and I felt his strength was more playing up on line as a SS-hybrid.
Fast forward to this season, during the offseason articles were written about him calling defenses looking so much better, more confident in his approach, I never saw that on the field even at the start of the season. His reaction always seems delayed like he's thinking to much, he rarely ever wraps up when he goes to tackle, he's always going up high, or comes up and hesitates. Due to various secondary injuries he had to play some CB, some nickel back also ( didn't expect much there ) but I expect my safety to be a sure tackler.
Many of the safeties from that class has looked just as bad and were either benched at some point this season or finished the season benched.
We all gave up on Jimmy Smith before. Db is the hardest transition in the NFL and even the "elite" player still struggle (Patrick Peterson gave up 7 or 8 TDs this year as the second highest paid DB in the league). Usually after Three years, they have it down.
Too many people on here gave up on Jimmy Smith because of an ankle injury and him getting beat on some double moves with limited playing time.
CB is more of a transition than Safety in league due to nature of coverages, speed, new rules in NFL vs college coverage rules. Safeties due cover slots more now and days but safeties learning curve are different since they can see the field more than a corner that's always going with a WR in battle.
I get in the debates at work and on Facebook all the time with people about corners like Peterson for instance. Yes he gave up TDs but the cardinals played man coverage literally 90% of the time and blitz heavy. Peterson gambles too much believing he can make plays. He needs to work on his technique and settle for deflections more.
Even with Revis Saturday people were saying awww he overrated S.Smith catching balls, getting penalties. I'm like yeah everybody gives up catches and TDs. But he plays great press man, uses his body well, and is very sneaky/ cleaver with positioning and hand play.
DBs now are at a real disadvantage with how little contact can be made.
Orton is hanging up his cleats, and of course, Buffalo has no first round draft pick to use for the most important position.
He retiring? I didn't know that.
Rex Ryan would have been better off with a team like the Bears or Falcons. With built offense in place and he could build his defense ( even with the Jets the year after they lost Revis they overachieved as a defense because of his scheming. ).
With the Bills he has strong defense again. Excellent front 4 ( returning kiko Alonso ), RB talent ( but injured too much between Jackson and Spiller ). Young WR talent. At QB do they keep
Orton for now.
Melvin has actually continued to look good. How was he on PS with chykie and guys playing. He has shown much better ball awareness.
Looking through here, smh lol. Looks like we would be better off with a couple of Positional Prospects threads
ex: Top WR prospects, Top Secondary (CB/S ) Prospects,
Sleepers lesser known players- could talk about players not constantly mentioned as 1st and 2nd round prospects.
Plug-in Play Prospects - players that you think would step in contribute Day 1 ( Ex. CJ Mosley, Zack Martin this season )
Looks like a lot of the individual threads are for WR prospects.
so how good is Ricky Wagner, because he;s gonna be the starting right tackle
*This isn't necessarily true.. R.Wagner is currently a potential RT starter. Many things could occur before the start of the season. Couple years ago we signed B.McKinnie late to help the Oline , last year we got D.Smith to sure up the Defense late in the preseason process.
Point being veterans get cut during training camps, some surprising cuts may happen, or trades could occur as well. I mean we did trade 4th & 5th round picks for Monroe during the season.
Ex. The titans drafted Lewan, signed Oher M.Roos is in the final year of his contract, if they go through camp and feel that both oher and Lewan are capable starters, he could become a cap casualty or trade bait.
Same could happen in St Louis with maybe Roger Saffold or Jake Long unless they chose to play Robinson at Guard early on.
Plenty of time for the FO to make more moves to improve this team.
Apparently hurst handled clowney and limited him as well as any linesman has done in college.
That one game ( the first game of the college season ) actually is what catapulted Hurst into first round projections for the first half of the college season. hurst did block Clowney well, that was also a humid game Clowney and others were cramping late in the game ( that's what jump started the Clowney isn't in shape stuff), but Clowney supposedly had a stomach virus days before the game and missed several practices.
Throughout the season he came back down played solidly solidified himself as 2nd or 3rd guy. ( even with the injury there was no excuse for him to not get drafted ).
This is a steal, I feel that Hurst and TE C.Gillmore somehow got mixed up as to, who should have been 3rd rounder and who should have been signed as undrafted FA.
This would be wonderful! Please get Coleman and one of those CBs in Purifoy or Roberson and I'll be happy!
Exactly. U said it perfectly
http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2014-nfl-undrafted-free-agents
This is where I get my undrafted FA news. Quick and always up-to-date and accurate. Been reliable for 3 years now.
Boy some good undrafted guys. Some with issues of course.
Isiah Crowell is tough RB.
Marcus Robinson CB - most of college season was rated 1st prospect
L.Purifoy same thing from 1st round to undrafted.
B.Coleman WR- was mocked to us in 4th round for weeks on walter football.
A.Richardson RT
J.Hurst RT
J.Jeffcoat
A.Johnson - talk about a fall. He was rated as top DT same year as Clowney.
I'm defense minded first and yet, we need to help our offense help our defense! We need key and solid offensive players not the scraps that's leftover in the draft and now, we're trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip with them. Smh!
#Mili
I agree with this. While I'll always be defensive minded person first. I was truly hoping to see the office get a jolt of new life. ( I knew Ebron was a dream, but I thought M.Lee, J.Matthews, A.Robinson were real possibilities. Was looking for Z.Martin to give Flacco some much needed protection as well. ).
Hoping Mellette and M.Brown can make me forget about all the WRs we passed on. ( the first 3 rounds had me screaming for a WR the way I was screaming for Q.Patton last year lol).
One disappointing take away from this draft is WR was loaded with talent, and we did not get a WR to bolster depth and give Flacco more options, we didn't address Oline depth early enough in the Draft IMO either..
After TE Ebron was picked in the 1st I only hoped we would add a WR in the 2nd or 3rd round, or an Olineman..
I was also hoping to see a CB added for competition purposes with Chykie and Asa...
I would still like to know something about that TE in the 3rd round?
I can honestly say. I don't know much about that last pick the TE and I follow mock draft etc all year long. If we were going to take a project pick why not pick M.Bryant at WR. The deepest WR draft in years and we don't get anyone???!
Marlon Brown and Mellette have to really make a leap.
Had a chance at Moses to help Oline.
Maybe we can get Hurst at ot later
Honestly jets are cashing in on solid picks after us. I really wanted both of the Jets picks. Pryor and Amaro.
Boy boy. Nearly all the WRs gone. Now Moses gone too... I mean shucks.
I guess we will be stuck with Mongrief or someone at WR.
All these WRs I never thought we wouldn't get one decent one.
Ugh--- Robinson gone now.
Bryant ---- please.
Oh well another one gone.
Can we please get Robinson or Bryant at WR.
Terrible pick you mean? Guy tested positive for crap out of FSU, then we dont address needs on the Oline or RB we have a old RB that cant run anymore whos dealing with possible assault charges
He didn't test positive for anything he had diluted ( watered down urine). Meaning he drank to much water before the urine test.
Teams that draft strictly on needs generally reach for players.
Now I wasn't expecting Jernigan there. I was hoping for one of many players. nix, A.Robinson among them.
Morgan Moses is dropping.
I wouldn't take a RB in second. Plenty of backs to be had in the 5th round. Storm Johnson, M.Dyer, I.Crowell. A few off the radar RBs
Interesting pick. He's going to DE. Value pick.
All kinds of talent on the board can we trade back and get an extra 4th.
Maybe Moses for RT. Also an option
Should be interesting. Robinson, nix, jean-baptiste, latimer all have a chance to make it to us.
After Martin and Ebron were gone I was hoping to trade back.
So what will become of A.Brown. Will these two become stuck in competition like Ellerbe and McClain for years?
Just got a notification McClain bombed his workout. Showed up late, couldn't finish the conditioning test, didn't do positional drills.
Nfl.com
Rolando McClain bombs in Ravens workout
Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer
Mediocre > Gino
Lol
in Ravens Talk
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I'm cool with Tressman as the OC just got the txt