Is there a reason why we can't?

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84BreaksAnkles
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Is there a reason why we can't?

Post by 84BreaksAnkles »

Have a top 5 secondary next year? Not just in terms of Catches/YDS/TD's against, PBU, INT.. But also against the run?

I mean seriously you guys.. look at our secondary right now...

CB :
Xavier Rhodes
Trae Waynes
Terrance Newman
Captain Munnerlyn
Josh Robinson
Jabari Price
Marcus Sherels

S :
Harrison Smith
Taylor Mays
Robert Blanton
Andrew Sendejo
Antone Exum Jr.

Guys i REALLY like:
Harrison (lays vicious and sincere wood on cats, and is a beast against the run, smart as heck, gets into the backfield, hawks the football, breaks up passes, scores- this guy is all pro)

Xavier (Unbelievable man coverage skills, makes insane pass break ups, consistently shuts down #1 recievers, very solid in run support, sometimes puts himself at risk/in a compromising position trying to bait the ball, tends to break technique at times, has trouble with sophisticated complex slot recieving offenses)

Trae (Dominated his peers in press-man, unbelievable speed [fastest on our team, unless you believe ol' wally], big enough to potenially be very physical, seems like Zimmer's wet-dream in terms of coachability)



I think the guy with the greatest potential is Xavier. He in my opinion has a very realistic shot at being a top-5 top-3 corner in this league- This year..
Harrison has solidified a spot as a top-5 Safety in this league.. And the scariest part is I expect a lot more this year...
This leaves Trae as the missing x-factor. Granted this is off potential, but can you imagine what it would be like if he fulfills our expectations (You know you have high high expectations for this kid..)- And you end up with Xavier, Trae, and Harrison back there? That's disgusting....

The great part is we have so much depth.. Ideally a guy like Antone Exum Jr. Steps up and solidifies himself as the guy next to Harrison.. But you have two vets in Cap and Terrance who can speed up the development of these young guys in a way that's invaluable. Don't sleep on Jabari Price either. In his limited amount of playtime last year, he showed some potential.

Zimmer fancies himself as a secondary guru, He has all the pieces he wants now, in terms of guys he likes.

So why can't we give the legion a run for their money?
Please just watch(04:39-05:18):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxXCuSyj18M&t=4m39s
This is a dog.
Compare that to this guy (00:46-01:01):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar3ioQywcAc&t=0m45s
"It's ok to hit the bag"
Pondering Her Percy
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Re: Is there a reason why we can't?

Post by Pondering Her Percy »

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
The saddest thing in life is wasted talent and the choices you make will shape your life forever.
-Chazz Palminteri
The Breeze
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Re: Is there a reason why we can't?

Post by The Breeze »

I think the pass rush will go along to making that happen....not to mention better coverage in the middle.

But I do like the way the secondary is shaping up. :thumbsup:
DK Sweets
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Is there a reason why we can't?

Post by DK Sweets »

I don't know if the entire title wouldn't fit, but click-bait titles are off-putting to me. I hope that doesn't sound rude, I'm just being honest.

Back to the topic, I think this year is a little early for a top-5 secondary, but I won't rule it out completely. I'd like to see how much production we get out of our SS and I'd like to see if Waynes/Robinson/Newman can hold up opposite Xavier.

My gut reaction is that Trae Waynes will be a guy that is not as good as we would like. I keep hearing people say something along the lines of "I trust Zimmer to coach up anybody in this secondary, and Trae Waynes has all the skills", but that's really not fair. Rex Ryan is a really good defensive coach, and he didn't get a great secondary with Kyle Wilson and Dee Milliner coming out of the first round. It's simply not as easy as drafting talented players and matching them with good coaches. I will say this: from what I can tell, Trae Waynes is a top-flight human being, and I always give those guys a chance (although you don't have to go any further than Christian Ponder to see that being a good human is not the same as being a good football player).

I think overall we will have a solid defense, but I'm not sold on our secondary quite yet.
indianation65
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Re: Is there a reason why we can't?

Post by indianation65 »

Is there any reason?
It takes 4-6 games in to know who are the players and who are the weak sisters...but sure, it's very possible!

Go Vikes!

...wisdom
...spirits in the wind and the trees
dead_poet
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Re: Is there a reason why we can't?

Post by dead_poet »

Yes, and there's also the possibility of the pass defense (particularly in the secondary) to be worse this year. There's a gaping hole at safety next to Smith. While we anticipate that being filled with someone other than Blanton and Sendejo, there's no guarantee that guy will be measurably better. And we have to be careful not to anoint Waynes as starter opposite Rhodes so quickly. Even if he does win the job, there's no guarantee he'll be any more productive than Captain was last year. I mean, while he has that potential, the fact remains he'll be a rookie going up against seasoned veteran quarterbacks and receivers. It took Rhodes a couple of seasons to improve and I think he was more talented coming out than Waynes (and less grabby). If Waynes starts, I expect rookie mistakes and frustrating DPI/holding calls. Hopefully we'll see progress as the year goes on. If Newman starts, I think that'll probably give the team a small boost, but he wore down at the end of last year and it has yet to be seen how much tread he has left on his tires.

If Waynes can advance to Rhodes' level in the next year or two and we figure out the other safety spot, there is big potential for the secondary in a year or two, particularly if the pass rush can stay consistent (or improve). In 2015, however, I'd be happy if they were as good or even incrementally better than last season. I'm more concerned with the rush defense at this time, which is a weird thing to write given the relative strength/weakness of this team over the last decade.
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” --- Bill Shankly
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