Sleeper CB: Michael Griffin? - New England Patriots Forums

PonyExpress · 04-21-2007, 12:02 PM

Cedric Griffin is not as athletically gifted as Michael but came on very strong starting for the Vikings at CB last season, despite going through the 2006 draft process as a FS prospect. C. Griffin won NFC defensive player of the week honors late in the season. UTexas began a trend 3 years ago of playing its best DB athlete at the SS position with Huff, so nominal "position" is not an indicator of NFL potential at Texas. M. Griffin's drawback at S is his small size which may lead to durability issues. He reportedly played the '06 season with a severe neck stinger and an injured foot due to collisions. Collision injuries are likely to get worse in the NFL. Griffin put on 5-10 lbs of fake weight during the draft process to please his critics and hide his "flaw" but played at 195 his senior year. His borderline weight would be an asset at CB instead of a durability issue at safety. As a CB his natural talent is #3 in this class behind Revis and Hall. I'm starting to like him better at CB than S; CB would take better advantage of his natural quickness, while S may expose his only weakness. Does anyone agree, or am I crazy here?

Remix 6 · 04-21-2007, 12:05 PM

u dont rank someone as a top 5 CB when hes rarely played it

hes a Safety..he weighs 203-205 .. hes got room to bulk up.

hes a good safety..leave him there.

PonyExpress · 04-21-2007, 12:10 PM

Griffin frequently played man to man coverage, just like Huff and Meriweather. His skills in coverage are obvious. To me he sometimes looks out of position playing in the box; in the Senior Bowl, for example, he seemed a bit reluctant to stick his nose in maybe because of the after-affects of his injuries. I think he may be better suited to a pure coverage role, and he has shown up very well when in that role.

sebman2112 · 04-21-2007, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PonyExpress

Cedric Griffin, Michael's brother, is not as athletically gifted but came on very strong starting for the Vikings at CB last season, despite going through the 2006 draft process as a FS prospect. C. Griffin won NFC defensive player of the week honors late in the season. UTexas began a trend 3 years ago of playing its best DB athlete at the SS position with Huff, so nominal "position" is not an indicator of NFL potential at Texas. M. Griffin's drawback at S is his small size which may lead to durability issues. He reportedly played the '06 season with a severe neck stinger and an injured foot due to collisions. Collision injuries are likely to get worse in the NFL. Griffin put on 5-10 lbs of fake weight during the draft process to please his critics and hide his "flaw" but played at 195 his senior year. His borderline weight would be an asset at CB instead of a durability issue at safety. As a CB his natural talent is #3 in this class behind Revis and Hall. I'm starting to like him better at CB than S; CB would take better advantage of his natural quickness, while S may expose his only weakness. Does anyone agree, or am I crazy here?

He's for sure not in the top three at CB. Heck, Meriweather (the other smallish FS candidate) is a better CB prospect than Griffin.

PonyExpress · 04-21-2007, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sebman2112

He's for sure not in the top three at CB. Heck, Meriweather (the other smallish FS candidate) is a better CB prospect than Griffin.

I disagree.

Remix 6 · 04-21-2007, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PonyExpress

I disagree.

how so?

Meriweather played very well for 2nd half of Miami's season as a CB

hobbsownscoles · 04-21-2007, 12:30 PM

Since when was cedric griffin ever a fs prospect?

***BelichickFan*** · 04-21-2007, 12:38 PM

Why does everyone want to use a #1 pick to change guys' positions ? CB to S, S to CB, S to LB, it's nuts. If we want a CB we'll draft a CB not a Safety,

PonyExpress · 04-21-2007, 12:52 PM

These criticisms of my opinion are reasonable and justified. I realize I am going out on a limb and can't blame anyone for not joining me.

***HEY BRO! WHAT UP?*** · 04-21-2007, 12:59 PM

The only thing that worries me about Griffin is the wear on his body from making so many tackles in college. His college stats are through the roof, but will the wear and tear on his body catch up to him in the pros? However, if the Pats settled for Griffin, I would be happy.