Players like Carroll and Clay...I guess we need to be more patient with the better athletes, I think why I underestimated them longterm is because those two players for their first two years were two guys not really knowing what they were doing in the scheme, just not sure of all their responsibilities, which in return inhibits their great athleticism and literally slows them down. Now once the mind gets comfortable, and the confidence improves, the athleticism begins to show up more and more, thus moving their bodies closer to point of making the play...You know some players that go thru that process of learning, and don't see the immediate results, go down the wrong path man, they start to slack on the physical training and just lose that focus to get thru it..it's the ones like Clay and Carroll who grind on their craft, so when the mind clicks, the great athleticism starts to show..we win...this is why work ethic coming out of college is so important. I'm confident that we will see Dion Jordan do the same, which is pretty freakin exciting thinking about it.
I was dead wrong about Carroll. He was the last guy I expected to be be playing opposite Grimes this year. The play on the ball he made on that 3rd and long Sunday was huuuuge
Carroll will get a big test on Sunday as Brady has victimized him repeatedly over the past few seasons. We're going to need a really good game from Grimes, Carroll, and Wilson. Clemons has been solid. Jones has been off all season. Hopefully they all stay healthy and play well. Worried about having to play the rookies or Wheeler and Ellerbe having another bad game. Wheeler got burned for a 14 yard TD last Brady game and they got 2 more on the ground rushing.
This is part of the thing when we talk about talent and evaluate personnel decisions. Guys like Clay and Carroll were always talented guys. Olivier Vernon is another good example. But they weren't always good or talented football players. You have to draft some of those guys and give them time to develop and trust in the coaching staff to put them into positions to succeed. I've long liked Carroll more than most people. I used to think ball skills were something a DB either had or he didn't, but I've come to believe it can be developed. Carroll has always done a pretty good job of running with his man, he just often failed to get turned around or find the ball. Now he is doing that. He's really made some outstanding plays in that regard.
Yes, that's what I was thinking, Carroll has great physical measurables, same with OV, Clay is a very talented athlete, jimmy is a good athlete, and Dion Jordan is a freak, I think he will be next in line if he works hard this offseason, and starts to understand his responsibilities.. It's just good that these guys seem to have the character to grind thru the mental pains so we can then see all that good stuff.
I'd still be wary of Nolan Carroll, particularly if it comes down to the size of his contract as he is a free agent. I think he has definitely caught more flak that he deserves this season, but what he's done this season is something he has never even shown flashes of in previous years. Charles Clay is a bit different. He has shown flashes admid inconsistency. His is a case of opportunity, IMO. If you look at his metrics from last year, you can get the idea that if given a chance he would produce.
Don Jones should end up being a stud then. [video=youtube;WGUzmra3h_w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGUzmra3h_w[/video]
Not necessarily and I hope that's not how my point gets interpreted..there's a lot of folks who are athletic that can't make it at this level.. To me athleticism and movement talent are two different things.. For example..I thought that tyronne Matthieu was a blue chip player..the most talented movement player amongst any secondary player in the draft..movement being the key word...he's already a probowl talent at this level, when he understands everything, he'll only get better. Don jones with that type of athleticism, and some of the flashes we've seen, has a chance to improve Greatly, we've seen some instincts in display, let the game come to him in a few years and lets see what that raw athleticism look like as a football player.
Honey Badger tore an ACL As for Carroll..not so sure, keep in mind our Secondary has outperformed it's prior talent level the past two years, perhaps a part of it is Coyle's scheme and understanding of Db's and coverages. In Cinci, they even resurrected PacMan's career
Speaking of... DJordan got more snaps during the Steelers game than before and more than Misi, Shelby, or Soliai... http://www.thephinsider.com/2013/12...vs-steelers-recap-miami-defensive-snap-counts
by the same token those "great" athletes need to start producing early and often. In other words, they have to earn patience by producing. OV is a good example of a player developing normally. Carroll is not. Clay is an outlier. He was a beast in college. Should've been used more from day one. I don't understand why it took 3 years with Clay.
clay is why I started this thread, great athlete who played slow because he wasn't sure of his responsibilities, once he did, more confident, play speed speeds up...gotta wait for the click with these athletes.. Wait til it happens with our Qb...he's already starting to be consistent while he's dealing with the stuff upstairs.
This may side path things. Deej... but which players do you think are the best high-potential athletes coming out of college this draft class who are gonna be undervalued because they'll need some time to develop?
I'd add Jimmy Wilson and Don Jones to the list of hard working guys that'll pay dividends in the future. Be patient through the downs, because the ups are worth it. All heart squad Tannehill, Hartline, Clay, Carroll, Wilson, D Jones, Jordan, Jenkins.
I don't know if it's really a major improvement or one that can now stay consistent. This team pass rushes very heavily and play more coverage schemes. I think it's no coincidence that our secondary has improved at the same time our run defense has fallen off a cliff.