Read a report that our once blossoming CB is being pushed by a veteran. Hopefully it's a wake up call and he finally becomes the player we hoped. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/s...ns-richard-marshall-making-push-to-rep/nP93t/
Well I don't know the percentage exactly, but Nickel CBs are on the field for a lot of snaps. My guess would be over 50% in today's league. At the very worst we have a great nickel CB
Marshall isn't exactly chopped liver. So it ain't like VD is getting pushed by some journeyman. No matter which one starts they'll both get plenty of snaps this season. Barring injury, I'd predict both will be top 11 for defensive snaps this season, as will Sean Smith for that matter. Some observers of the Cards season considered Marshall the defensive MVP. He allowed a lower comp pct last season than either Davis or Smith. He allowed a lower passer rating into his coverage than either. He allowed less TD passes than either.
Not so sure he is going to be "great" anywhere anymore...every year I feel like he is about to play at a Pro Bowl level and I have been wrong. I think at this point a servicable starter is about the best we can expect.
I guess we'll see. I still think he's an above average player. I'd even call him a good CB in the NFL. I still have hopes that he'll continue to grow
That was one of the knocks on Davis coming out .Inconsistency and taking plays off.He plays as well as he is motivated to play.Perhaps competition will do that for him.
Wow, I'm surprised..can there be a case made that their thinking about moving Vontae around a bit more, from the inside covering the slot while Marshall covers The boundary, so VD can be more of a playmaker, blitzer on third down?
Im assuming Marshall will be in the slot when we run Nickel etc., he is a great tackler and better at the LOS than anyone on our roster I assume. VD could be right in his qoute about guys just "getting work" but didnt sound like Davis got much of an endorsment from Philbin. May be a situation where Davis only plays on passing downs, and when we line up in a base D Marshall assumes the CB spot. Interesting.
That's what I was thinking too, and it's not like we intentionally spent $16.0M on Marshall to be a backup. He was brought in b/c he can play (like MrClean stated). Perhaps spending a little more time off the field will allow him to increase his efficiency when he's on it. ?? I've always thought his best role might be nickel corner where the increased action might stimulate him better mentally.
Why would you take one the most dangerous corner in the league against the run off the field though..Im not buying this, I think it's because Vointae has the quickness to cover the slot, and if you keep him outside all the time, your not using his whole skillset, from the middle of the field, VD can make more plays, blitz more..He'll be the starter imo, or maybe Marshall is a true pro, and they see that VD has some room to grow in that dept, and want to let him watch what it's like for a bit.
A serviceable starter? Come on man. VD is much better than just serviceable. With the exception of the beginning of last year he's been pretty damn good. And not to make excuses, but his bad start last year is a direct result of the lockout.
I wouldn't be too worried about it based on the article, just my opinion. I think they need to give everyone a look, but I'd expect that Vontae Davis would be starting opposite Sean Smith come week 1, barring an injury. I couldn't really speak to it having not attended many Bengals training camps the past few years, but when the Bengals have been hit with injuries, their backups have usually played solidly. I wonder if this might be something he's done in the past just to get guys ready.
didn't know that marshall was that good at stopping the run at his position, but i still dont buy it, i think when marshall starts the 3rd preseason game davis can start to "worry"
IF Marshall starts at CB over Vontae it's a good 'prblem' to have, because it means Marshall is looking good. That lets us move Vontae to slot, as DJ mentioned,. Vontae's skillset, imo, suits the slot best as he has incredible change of direction, closing speed, planting his foot and driving forwards in the short area between the time the QB winds up and the ball arrives. Perfect for slot. Plus more hitting! The questions is, if an opposing offense only goes 2WR most of the game, do we let that keep Vontae off the field? I guess, again, it depends on if Marshall's playing great football.
On another note, just watching Reshad Jones on the Finsiders and you can sort of see where he's not a super strong mental-side-of-the-game guy compared to a couple other dudes. I think it's going to be critical that whoever mans the other safety spot be able to co-ordinate that secondary, because it really shouldn't be Reshad. And here's the problem with that... it means there's a higher chance of starting Clemons, even if Jimmy Wilson proves to be a bigger playmaker. Jimmy wilson is just too green, I think, to be ready to take on making the secondary calls in his second year, and only his first year in this defense. So it's either Clemons or Marshall. In fact, if they wanted to play Jimmy Wilson and Reshad as the starting Safeties, it could mean that they need an experienced guy like Marshall out there to help make the calls... which could explain him bumping Vontae to slot. Though I don;t think it's normal for a starting CB to try to make secondary calls, since he is too far from the other CB on the other side of the field. A LOT of moving parts here folks, and some of it begins with having a Strong Safety who can;t be the general of the secondary, imo. See what I mean at 2:25 when Sam totally loses him with his question. To be fair, it's not the clearest question (since he doesn't actually ASK one at the end) but Rashad can;t even figure out what he's talking about enough to comment on it. He's just lost and asks Sam to repeat it. [video]http://www.miamidolphins.com/media/videos/Reshad-Jones-Joins-The-Finsiders/b4f9d57c-72fb-4148-9454-9a8f7df23a04[/video] Also interesting that the Finsisders are really focusing a lot of this interview on the mental aspects of his position... but he DOES say that he feels he learned this defense FAST so maybe I'm wrong.
Yeah but the way Madison speaks on this show you can never really understand what the hell he trying to say half the time, so I wouldn't really fault Jones here. Even though he might not be the smartest guy on the field, I think this is the year he can stop thinking so much out there and just let his instincts take over and start making more big plays.
I need to watch it still, but just saying there has been times before when Sam asked a question and I had no clue what he was talking about and it appeared from the facial expressions of Drayton and Sims that they had no idea either.
Yeah, some of that is what happened here too, so maybe I'm pre-judging Rashad by his reputation a bit. Still, he doesn;t immediately scream, "Make me the quarterback of the defense" at you when you experience him talking and thinking. I'd be more comfortable with, well, Culver is probably the guy mentally I'd like back there next to Reshad, physically I'd like Clemons, and heart and attitude-wise I want Jimmy Wilson.
Of the four top safeties, Jones is my least favorite, based on what we saw last season. I'm in definite show-me mode when it comes to him. I'd rather pair Clemons and Wilson as the starters personally.
Not sure Clemons and Wilson provides enough physical punch against guys like Gronkowski, other tight ends and in runs support. Wilson is like 190, if that. Plays way bigger, but still... physics is physics.
IMO, both Clemons and Wilson tackle just fine and most of all I think they'll be where you want them to be more likely on any given play. If it was all about physics is physics we'd start Tyrell Johnson.
I just don't know a) How a guy like Wilson holds up for 17 weeks, giving up 10-40 pounds on every collision. b) If he doesn't become a big liability on the goalline compared to Rashad.
Can't remember where, so I don't have a link, but I remember reading that Miami had asked Jimmy Wilson to bulk up a bit to handle playing safety, and that he was around the 205lbs mark now. I still think that in Coyle's defense, Reshad Jones is in line to have a better year than he did last year, and I think until proven otherwise, I'd go with Jones and Clemons as the starters. Wilson, on the other hand, I think probably has a better track on one of those nickel/dime role players who can use his athleticism in coverage. So while he may not be a "starter", I think he could be a guy that comes in and allows Jones to play that Yeremiah Bell role in-the-box in passing situations, while he and Clemons are the traditional safeties.
The good news is that Marshall, Davis, Smith, Jones, Clemons and Wilson have the physical makeup to be the strongest unit we have seen here in quite some time.
Like my buddy the other Coyle tells me, the #1 adage in football, is simply "low man wins". Davis is smaller than Smith so the latter should be a better run defender right? He ain't though and why is that? You ever often see Davis try to take on a runner who outweighs him up high? Nope, he knows low man wins, so he comes flying up and hits them between the knees and ankles, and if he does that, even the Brandon Jacobs and Jerome Bettis's of the world drop like a sack of dirt.
One of the videos of them practicing in the bubble, showed Wilson and Jones standing together, helmets off, and there didn't appear to be 10 lbs difference between them to me.
If Jimmy Wilson is at 205 that's fantastic news, so long as he is well conditioned and kept his speed. I don't want Wilson as a nickel back. His skill set and the way he plays the game is perfect for safety. In fact, one of the reasons I am beginning to trust this coaching staff is that they saw Jimmy as suited to the Safety position. No Jason Allen uncertainty there.
TBH, I think he is suitable and capable of playing either corner or safety at the level of a solid NFL starter. It looks like that terrible GM Ireland found us a steal when he drafted Jimmy. The first Hindu theory player I actually thought of for him was Steelers corner Ike Taylor.
