Allen started for Timmons at SAM after Timmons went AWOL and did OK. He started out in college on the outside, too. He's not great at coverage, but he's not slow and I think he has the ability to do it fairly well. Yeah, Anthony isn't too smart. What we see in Smith, however, is a smarter and more athletic Anthony. And Anthony, who is Smith's size, rotated in for Timmons last year at SAM. Again, Edmunds would be great. However, so would Smith. And getting either would mean adapting to their strengths/weaknesses. Which they both posses.
Miami plays a lot of zone drop at the lb level when the sticks/scoreboard allow it anyways But I’d still like to hear where Roquan fits for each of those personnel packages. Cause to me as plan a if we add Roquan he’s the base and nickel weak and competes with Kiko for the dime backer. A Roquan add to me means Kiko again kicks inside to mike in base with raekwon at strong. In nickel Kiko and Smith (and very susceptible to the spread you out and run downhill at you mind you) Basically the only strength at the poa you’d have would be raekwon at strong. Yeah you’d have more range but the scheme ask these lbs to be in gaps a lot. They aren’t gonna be able to just elude guys as much as run and chase backers schematically.
You're making this too complicated. You're painting players into corners when they are gifted enough to play in the entire room. The following picture is Miami's Wide 9, 4-3 Over defense: The SAM here would not be in any real danger of being eaten up by blockers. He can stack and shed the TE in order to rush the passer or tackle the runner or cover the TE. If the TE moves down to block the DE and the OT is on the SAM I don't see that as an issue either... what with Smith's speed, agility, and read/react ability. The following is Miami's Wide 9, 4-2-5, Cover 1 Robber: Here we see only 2 LB'ers and an extra DB. The illustration shows the WLB covering the TE, but it doesn't have to be the WILL (Kiko). Kick Kiko off the field and keep McMillian and Smith in there. That's what I mean by "Hybrid" in regards to Smith. Meaning he's not really a SAM or WILL...he's whatever he needs to be when he's needed. This is a very simplistic way of looking at the Dolphins defense, but I think it's what the Dolphins want to achieve.
B/c it is. It's not nearly as straightforward as the elementary blocking examples you're trying to explain nor the simplistic alignment diagram that's shown either. And scheme fit is real despite your attempts to dismiss it.
I don’t buy into the anybody can play anywhere at lb in miamis scheme stuff. I know gase wants to tell us there’s no defined rolls but it sure seems to me that the ask is for certain things in each slot. And guys being miscast when asked to do something else. Koa misi played with a hand in the dirt in college kicked inside even. Coincidence that he would only play strong in Miami? I don’t think so. Dude rescued his career cause he was able to play a 2 down strong side poa and fill lb. had the thump for it. The drafted as a 34 olb with no edge pass rush win minus the pure bull rush for another day. Miscast out the gate even. Tried him at mike completely lost too. Raekwon needs to show he has nickel range before we pen him in there. Sometimes guys line up in different spots based on the formation of the opposition but by and large Kiko was weak and Timmons was mike in 2017. Timmons played the thump or silb in Pittsburgh so the fit in miamis scheme was strong and nickel mike. Fit would be the same for Edmonds although I wouldn’t rule out him being able to play a nickel weak considering how much of a freak he is. It just wouldn’t be plan a going into things. Be more a pleasant surprise type thing. Miamis just asking to be hammered downhill in the run game with a nickel pairing of Kiko and smith. I know damn well if I was playing us it would wear a target. Why try to outflank you when I can spread you forcing you in nickel and schematically reach your lb level and wash you out
I'm not saying that I think anyone could play any of the LB'er positions. I'm saying that Smith could play WILL and SAM and do it very well. When I say "all this fit stuff is nonsense" I'm not talking about all players across the board. I'm talking about the players in we are discussing. Of course some players need a particular scheme to play well. The Patriots take a lot of sub-par players and create a scheme they can excel in. However, players like Von Miller, Champ Bailey, Ronnie Lott, etc are athletic enough and smart enough, among other things, to play in nearly any scheme. Even though, playing to their strengths will make them the best they can be. I think Smith COULD be one of those players. And I don't see him as a bad fit at SAM for Miami's defense.
Football's fundamentals include tackling, catching, throwing, and running. Not complicated. The higher level stuff, for players at least, is recognizing and identifying coverage's. Which means they must memorize stuff. Not complicated. Sure, some guys are very smart and can look at a defense without much studying and see the coverage. Much like some people can pick up a Rubik's cube and figure it out in no time. But that's not the norm. Instead, coaches tell their players what to do and when to do it over and over and over. Until they memorize it. The ones who can memorize typically have a career and the ones who can't, won't. Not complicated. The complicated part about football is the jargon. If I asked you what 1000+1000 equaled you could tell me 2000, right? Well, if I asked you what 仟 + 仟 = you'd have no clue. Well, it's 2,000. Still not complicated, you just have to memorize the Mandarin number for 1000. If I were to sit most anyone down in a room and show them a tape of what a Cover 1 defense is compared to a Cover 2 defense over and over they'd soon learn the difference between each. Not complicated. Teaching these things is complicated. Learning the tendencies of different teams is complicated. Creating plays and schemes is complicated. Learning X's and O's is time consuming (mainly due to the jargon), but it's not really complicated.
Something like that. Presnap: Smith is at Sam in our base from vs 11 personnel; offense calls for Y trade motion; we shift to match strength. Postsnap: The play is weakside Duo. Now how do you like Smith's chance vs a center like that of Kelce, Federick, Hudson, etc.? What about vs pulling guards in the power run game? Iso runs? These are the mismatches that NFL teams will exploit. It's not as simply as saying he's lined up over the TE so that's his only worry in block shedding requirements.
If you want to make it less comolicated understand this. Smith cant handle blocks unless he runs around or away from them. He has no POA strength. Our sam and mike linebackers in this defense need poa stength and stack and shed ability to beat blocks without losing their run fits. The will also needs this ability although to a lesser extent. Smith has a very big weakness in his game when it comes to poa strength and stack and shed abilty. He is just terrible at it. The rest of his game is great, but in that one area he sucks, and it just so happens that area is required if you want him to play sam or mike in this defense.
A not complicated translation: Presnap: Smith is on the same side as the Tight End in Miami's default defense vs the offense that has 1 RB and 1 TE; the offense wants the tight end to move to the other side; the defense switches. Postsnap: A run that leaves the read to the RB. Isn't the RB more concerned with the Mike? I don't think Smith would have any more trouble with Kelse etc than any other LB'er with his athletic abilities, reactions, and read skills.
I know you all know more than me, but when Gase is saying that there are no defined roles isn't he saying that the offense can sort of dictate and shift the roles of the LB'rs with a shift in the offense alignment? For example, didn't a team do that to Smith? Shift the offense so that he was forced to take on blockers? As I said, I don't know that for a fact, that was just what I thought happened.
I think what gase meant by it was they cross train guys so if they need to play them there they are familiar with the assignments and asks. Likely due to attrition more than anything else. That doesnt mean however that they are ideal fits for other spots or won’t get exploited. I mean sure we can line up anyone anywhere hell we played 2016 with spencer paysinger a starting nickel once jelani Jenkins went down. And we paid for it. About as much as we paid for lining up Bacarri Rambo.
You're basically doing to Smith what some have accused Deej of doing to Edmunds. You'd be hard pressed to find any one claim that Smith is "terrible" or "sucks" at anything. It's not like Smith was constantly getting mauled in college. Smith doesn't back down from anyone at the poa and he has a lot of strength and can lay the wood to the blockers who do get to him, and he can shed with quickness.
There's been a lot of talk about Miami going away from the WILL and SAM and instead utilizing a 2 mirror OLB's concept. Meaning that either side may have to cover or shed the TE. This is another thing I mentioned earlier in this thread a few times and another reason why I think Smith would be a good fit here.
Meh...every player in the league has liability concerns. Some are worse than others and I don't believe Smith's is all that large.
I can see both sides of the debate and can come up with concerns about just about any guy we could take at 11. I wonder if Smith's body is maxed out? Maybe some time in a specialized training program and some extra coaching on hand usage might do wonders for him. He seems to have something that is not easily coached, instincts.
His instincts are through the roof. I doubt he's maxed out weight or strength. He's only 20. And if anyone keeps track : SPARQ is an acronym for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness. The SPARQ Rating is a scoring system designed to measure sport-specific athleticism. The results from various tests in each of the areas of speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness are combined and weighted using a sport specific formula. Smith had a 98 score Edmunds had a 71
That's been the case from day one in our scheme, and it goes goes for the entire defense, not just the OLB's, with the exception of the 1 and 3 tech which requires the 3 to align to the strength. Our Cover 2 shell with interchangeable safeties is designed for this concept. The only time roles are specific are when facing heavy personnel and we play with an Under front.
Oklahoma didn’t agree. They liked Roquan at the poa so much they designed plays specifically to go after him. And that was from a spread o and soft design front.
Every player has strengths and weaknesses. The difference here is that a required strength for our LB unit is stout POA play and stack & shed abilities vs lineman, which just happens to be Smith's weakness. There's no hiding that in our scheme.
Day one from Burke? How often did Kiko line up on the strong side last year? Do you know or did he do it often?
http://seahawksdraftblog.com/nike-sparq-data-for-the-2018-draft-class And I got Edmunds' score from a post by KB in the Club.
He’s running clean to the ball and he’s doing it at a rediculous speed rate at the college level and it gets labeled as high level instincts. I don’t see much pre snap I see a lot of post snap covered up or hidden even at times by the speed and range. Which admittedly is ungodly. If his instincts were so great as a mike he’d be flowing laterally to the ball more instead of turning and running. But I do think his feel for the position is very high level. But that’s not instincts. Two things I think he has the highest level of are range and feel for the position. His instincts fit more at weak in terms of read and diag
Here's the official site and not some silly fan blog. https://3sigmaathlete.com/rankings/off-los-linebacker/ Edmunds: 127.4 Smith: 126.1
Hey Carmen what’s your take on Jerome baker as a nickel and developmental weak/hybrid I know the poa isn’t there but there’s some talk he can be had in the 3rd round and he’d give us top shelf range? And he can carry coverage.
Subpackage backer, special teams out of the gate. I've only quickly scanned two games (USC & Penn St) but seems to be a poor man's Roquan Smith. Good movement and range, but I don't see the grunt work to fit an attacking scheme for an every down defender. Plays really tall. I'd be more comfortable with a day 3 selection considering our scheme requirements.
In our scheme I agree Day 2 seems dicey. in run and chase I could see it. I could also see a safety convert. That athlete though whoof.
Thanks for the thoughts, ya'll. Is it me, or does it seem like the draft will never come? I am getting excited, but it seems like it's taking forever to get here. Story of my life. I have a problem with delayed gratification. :-)
I've been in this weird haze where the draft has felt like it's been stuck at a month away for about 6 months, until literally today when someone on my timeline mentioned they were doing their yearly coverage of the picks and now it suddenly feels like it's really close. I got so bored of the pointless posturing from the media outlets that I've largely ignored the coverage the last couple of weeks so I probably need to catch back up and see who's risen and slid over in that time.
Here’s what I find interesting Sceeto, if this kid gets bigger he’s not gonna get quicker, he already does not move that well laterally, his long legs make laterally agility pretty tough.. So what ceiling are we talking about?..what is upside? Well, imo it’s who becomes the fastest player from point A to point B and finishes.....here’s the icing on the cake, we know no one finishes better than Roquon Smith.. I think some folks need to rethink their whole philosophy on upside with these two players.. Give me Roquon Smith with 10 more lbs of muscle in 5 years, with that speed, I’ll show you upside. Edmunds puts 10 lbs of muscle and he’s playing def end. I would think folks who like Edmunds and a finished product, see Willie McGinnest a bit?
I don't think he lied or intentionally gave misleading info, it's just that most average fans don't really understand what they are seeing, how to correctly interpret data and film, or how to go about business in the correct way. This was a telling remark on the blog: It's not like this information is secret, just have to know where to look and be knowledgeable of what you're searching for.
Kevin Tolliver? He's horrible. That just causes me to think those scores are irrelevant. Tolliver is really crap.
