Is Matt Elam a bust?

[gtalk12]

I disagree with the bold.  His rookie year, to me, wasn't promising.  All I recall was talk about him having to play out of his natural position as a reason why he looked so bad and was beaten left and right.  Then he got moved to SS and managed to actually get worse.  How does a player actually get moved to his natural position and get worse???

 

Some people compare it to Jimmy and say "well, J.Smith didn't look as promising until his 3rd season also" but there's a huge difference to me.  Outside of battling injuries and that Chargers game in 2011, Jimmy actually looked promising.  He was never flat out beat our out of position, he just had one huge flaw in his game which was turning his head to locate the ball.  His coverage was always very good and that's what you ask of a CB to start.  Elam's tackling was his only saving grace in 2013 and he managed to get immensely worse in that aspect in 2013.  

 

I will admit bias as I never liked the Elam pick from day one.  I wanted Jonathan Cyprien although I haven't followed him at all to see if he's been better but I can't imagine he hasn't been.  Until proven otherwise, Elam is a bust to me

 

 

That's fair, he was by no means a popular pick for any of us. He was suppose to be, above all, a good tackler. Did not see that as much as I'd like to.

[gtalk12]

Will Terrance Brooks even be able to practice before the season begins? His injury looked ugly. 

 

I doubt it, but when he was on the field he made plays. Remember the Colts game and the hit against the Titans?

 

Both FSU picks were SOLID

[LordRavens]

Brandon Williams, Kyle Juszczyk, Rick Wagner all invite you to come over their place later.

i meant the  2013 draft as a whole

[Overseas Ravens lover]

i meant the  2013 draft as a whole

 

3 starters out of a draft is not a bad one. Plus the 2013 class across the whole league is not a good one. The fact that the our 2 picks hasn't panned out yet still got 3 solid starters just shows the crap shoot nature of the draft, and the value of mid-round picks. When judging the draft, It's really important not to focus too much on the top of draft while ignoring the mid rounds.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Overseas Ravens lover

[ravensnick]

I disagree with the bold.  His rookie year, to me, wasn't promising.  All I recall was talk about him having to play out of his natural position as a reason why he looked so bad and was beaten left and right.  Then he got moved to SS and managed to actually get worse.  How does a player actually get moved to his natural position and get worse???

 

Some people compare it to Jimmy and say "well, J.Smith didn't look as promising until his 3rd season also" but there's a huge difference to me.  Outside of battling injuries and that Chargers game in 2011, Jimmy actually looked promising.  He was never flat out beat our out of position, he just had one huge flaw in his game which was turning his head to locate the ball.  His coverage was always very good and that's what you ask of a CB to start.  Elam's tackling was his only saving grace in 2013 and he managed to get immensely worse in that aspect in 2013.  

 

I will admit bias as I never liked the Elam pick from day one.  I wanted Jonathan Cyprien although I haven't followed him at all to see if he's been better but I can't imagine he hasn't been.  Until proven otherwise, Elam is a bust to me

Cyprien has been marginally better at best. Better tackler maybe, but that's not saying much. Liability in coverage. 

[GrimCoconut]

I can't think of many safeties in recent drafts who are elite or even very good. I think the last elite safety was Thomas. Byrd and McCourty are both great, but both are converted cornerbacks. I think the last good safety is Harrison in 2012. He's certainly not Thomas, who's elite, but I'd probably call him great. I think this is a league wide issue. It's really hard to find very good safety play in the draft.

[RavensFanMania]

NO, he's not a bust. Honestly think he just needs to spend more time in the film room. Brains over brawn. Ed Reed was a testament to that in his later years. 

love your sig quote.  I wouldn't trade CJ Mosley for the entire Redskins roster.....lol

[BmoreBird22]

people keep pointing out his confidence, idk though, he seems to play with a swagger that would suggest hes been good, he could give up 3 consecutive touchdowns and then make a nice tackle on the next snap and he would be fired up and flexing for the crowd thats booing him. 

I'd rather have that than someone who mopes around and then gives up a fourth consecutive touchdown because he doesn't believe in himself

[Purple_City39]

Cyprien has been marginally better at best. Better tackler maybe, but that's not saying much. Liability in coverage. 

So he's Elam but a better tackler?  I'd take that actually.  Keep in mind the history of the Ravens defense.  Players just look better here than with other teams.  We see them leave all the time and either look worse immediately or in their second year of being gone.  Scott, Thomas, Kruger, Landry, even Reed, etc.  Even in this system, Elam looks worse than Cyprien

[raven22nation]

This is the make it or bust season for Elam. He says hes lost 5% body fat and is playing faster and harder. Hes just got to go out there and play the way Ozzie sought him out to play as a first rounder. Hes gotta prove himself this year i know he will

[ALSKAN RAVEN FAN]

I dont know if it's right to label him a bust yet but I know  Oz and Harbs have publicly challenged him to get better so that says something...If he does not get better and work on his tackling he wont be in the NFL for long.

[Static]

Realistically Matt Elam will always have a place in the league. Some team will think they can fix him etc. etc. 

[JoeyFlex5]

I'd rather have that than someone who mopes around and then gives up a fourth consecutive touchdown because he doesn't believe in himself

i agree 100%, but more importantly id rather have someone who doesnt give up 3 touchdowns to begin with lol

[BmoreBird22]

i agree 100%, but more importantly id rather have someone who doesnt give up 3 touchdowns to begin with lol

I mean, yeah, that's definitely the place to start

[Orange_Peanut]

love your sig quote.  I wouldn't trade CJ Mosley for the entire Redskins roster.....lol

ahah thanks

[berad]

According to Aaron Wilson (reporting what Elam said), he looks "noticeably leaner" - dropping 5% body fat thanks to better training and diet.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-safety-matt-elam-says-hes-ready-to-break-out-after-disappointing-first-two-seasons-20150509-story.html

[Willbacker]

I wouldn't be surprized to see him playing more corner this year but he has to learn to wrap up instead of always looking for the killer shot instead keeping short completions from being long ones. He has a lot to prove.

[berad]

Article about him on the site, Harbaugh dives deeper into the physical transformation:

 

Harbaugh said Elam has entered this offseason in “tremendous shape.” He’s lost about eight pounds of fat and his body fat percentage is “way down” to about six percent.

 

Ozzie also stated he sees more confidence from Elam. Ozzie also touched on Arthur Brown - our 2nd round pick from that same draft:

 

“Arthur Brown is another young man who, at this point of his career, needs to find a way to get to the field,” Newsome said. “When you’ve got C.J. Mosley and Daryl Smith both playing at a very high level, it’s hard for someone like Arthur to get to the field.

 

“If those guys [brown and Elam] put forth the effort and show the improvement that we think they should show, then both of them will get a chance to be on the field this year.”

 

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Ravens-Not-Satisfied-But-Have-High-Hopes-For-Matt-Elam/44cc1ee6-6461-4639-a321-c1374af60435

[Cillmatic]

Kapron Lewis-Moore will be huge, too. Just watch.

Who? He won't make it to the regular season and he wasn't that good in college.

[ravensnick]

Who? He won't make it to the regular season and he wasn't that good in college.

He was projected to be a 2nd/3rd rounder before his injury. He was a key piece of that ND team that lost to Bama. 

[GrimCoconut]

Who? He won't make it to the regular season and he wasn't that good in college.

Yeah, Lewis Moore was the leader of the DL that faced Alabama in the championship and was a big part of that defense and would've likely been a second round pick if he didn't get hurt late in the year. That said, he's got an extensive injury history and he could be JAG.

[rmw10]

Yeah, Lewis Moore was the leader of the DL that faced Alabama in the championship and was a big part of that defense and would've likely been a second round pick if he didn't get hurt late in the year. That said, he's got an extensive injury history and he could be JAG.

 

Especially when he hasn't played in 2.5 years pretty much, minus a short stint last offseason.  I really liked that pick too, but it's just been an unfortunate run for KLM.

[GrimCoconut]

Especially when he hasn't played in 2.5 years pretty much, minus a short stint last offseason. I really liked that pick too, but it's just been an unfortunate run for KLM.

Yeah. I was a big fan of him coming out of college and was ecstatic when we drafted him but I'm losing hope now. Sometimes you get a guy coming off an injury who was projected as an earlier pick, like Arthur Jones. Other times, you get Marcus Lattimore. He could just be another Marcus and not an Arthur.

[FlackAttack]

Article about him on the site, Harbaugh dives deeper into the physical transformation:

 

 

 

Ozzie also stated he sees more confidence from Elam. Ozzie also touched on Arthur Brown - our 2nd round pick from that same draft:

 

 

 

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Ravens-Not-Satisfied-But-Have-High-Hopes-For-Matt-Elam/44cc1ee6-6461-4639-a321-c1374af60435

 

he also said he is "not satisfied" with elam

[berad]

he also said he is "not satisfied" with elam

 

Yup, they stated that outright for everyone in February.

[Edgar]

He may be leaner and more confident looking but the fact that we made a play to acquire Swearinger speaks very loudly to me that Harbaugh and co. Are not holding their breath in expectation that Elam improves.

[Edgar]

He was projected to be a 2nd/3rd rounder before his injury. He was a key piece of that ND team that lost to Bama.

I think he has a climb to make this team this year.

[Mad Puppy]

Is Elam a Bust?

 

[GrimCoconut]

Is Elam a Bust?

As much as I'm frustrated with Elam, and I really am, I can't label him as a bust yet. I'm struggling with it because I'm really down on him but I know it's not fair to call him one yet. I think this year decides his fate, but I can honestly see him stick around throughout his rookie deal because I don't see Will Hill sticking around. I think he gets paid and becomes a compensatory pick next year and Elam takes over in 2016 after playing as a rotational player this year.

[redrum52]

people keep pointing out his confidence, idk though, he seems to play with a swagger that would suggest hes been good, he could give up 3 consecutive touchdowns and then make a nice tackle on the next snap and he would be fired up and flexing for the crowd thats booing him.

i supported elam for 2 straight years but its just too hard to support him anymore, ill still hold out some blind faith, but i dont think its confidence, i think its just mental, he absolutely cannot seem to even come close to the learning curve, he has horrible tackling technique, he stutter steps before the hit and he hits way too high, doesnt wrap up, bad angle, bad discipline, he has good ball instincts and i appreciate that in the most desperate of moments he has a knack for going after the ball and he succeeds at that more than his overall performance would suggest, but he also fails in the most routine of "catch, tackle, get off the field" situations so often that he is nothing more than a HUGE liability on the field. i cant help but think how good a wr feels when hes got the ball in his hands and he sees that #26 as the last thing between him and the endzone, when elam's on the field he will be the offenses focus, get a YAC guy in the open field against elam, any offense that can succeed at that, will succeed on the scoreboard.

Lmao.. it's so true. I've heard the confidence thing, but when he makes a play, he sure as hell doesn't seem too shy to let the world know. I'm not going to give up because he's shown flashes but hasn't put it all together. in his defense, it looks like that whole safety class was trash, sans, Eric Reid.