Wash. Post: DBs

[Box_O_Rocks]

washingtonpost.com

Good Coverage Getting Hard to Find
Scouts Not Sold On Available Defensive Backs

By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 19, 2009

As the NFL draft nears, the league's talent evaluators seem genuinely excited about the wide receivers. They appear far less enamored, however, with the available defensive backs who will spend the coming years trying to cover them.

Belichick's Combine Presser and Tom Dimitroff are sourced for the article.

 

[mayoclinic]

Nice quotes. I hadn't realized that BB singled out Jenkins in his combine spiel. I think Jenkins at CB/FS and Louis Delmas at FS/SS are the two biggest impact DBs in the draft.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Nice quotes. I hadn't realized that BB singled out Jenkins in his combine spiel. I think Jenkins at CB/FS and Louis Delmas at FS/SS are the two biggest impact DBs in the draft.

I really don't see BB interested in either of these guys. Jenkins does not have the quick twitch he desires in coverage and Delmas is not big enough for the SS position.

I could see BB interested in Byrd as a FS because he is physical enough to play safety, however his lack of speed scares me.

I could also see BB interested in Bruton who does have speed, but needs to be coached up a good bit.

 

[upstater1]

I see two top notch wide receivers.

These scouts that see 6 first round WRs are about to make their bosses hate them.

 

[jays52]

In general, I'd have to say that I agree. It generally seems like it is a lackluster year for the corner position. Especially when you consider how highly ranked Butler is. Watching Butler, I see Terrance Wheatley with a fully functioning left wrist.

Conversely, I am quite high on Delmas and most of the top three safeties as a whole. Delmas is head and shoulders above the rest, IMO. I think he has exceptional plant and drive, great ball awareness, good recognition, outstanding footspeed and top flight hips. This is in addition to how solid a hitter he is. He's really violent, good explosion through the hit and most impressively he finishes the tackles. It's so rare that you find a safety in college that can not only hit, but finish the hits. I really like how he is fully capable of the lights out decleater, but also knows to secure the tackle, wrap up and drive the opponent into the turf. I think that the pairing of Meriweather and Delmas would be a top notch safety tandem.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

In general, I'd have to say that I agree. It generally seems like it is a lackluster year for the corner position. Especially when you consider how highly ranked Butler is. Watching Butler, I see Terrance Wheatley with a fully functioning left wrist.

I agree, Butler is a lot like Wheatley, only quicker and with better route recognition skills.

I really hope Wheatley and Crable make a year 2 leap this year. But I can't see BB counting on either of them so he needs additional backup plans.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

I agree, Butler is a lot like Wheatley, only quicker and with better route recognition skills.

I really hope Wheatley and Crable make a year 2 leap this year. But I can't see BB counting on either of them so he needs additional backup plans.

Quicker than Wheatley??? I don't see how that is possible, but you have probably seen more of them than I have. Wheatley is one of the quickest CBs I have ever seen, but the problem is that his bones are as fragile as a bird. The Patriots gambled and wasted a 2'd on him...He should be traded to a team that plays on grass, not the rock-hard Gillette turf...

 

[jays52]

Quicker than Wheatley??? I don't see how that is possible, but you have probably seen more of them than I have. Wheatley is one of the quickest CBs I have ever seen, but the problem is that his bones are as fragile as a bird. The Patriots gambled and wasted a 2'd on him...He should be traded to a team that plays on grass, not the rock-hard Gillette turf...

I wouldn't exactly say that Wheatley has bird bones. He had a really bad wrist injury a few years ago that is a recurring problem. Better a wrist than a ligament, a lower body joint, or a bad muscle. I also wouldn't say that he was a wasted pick. Personally, I'm real high on Wheatley. I still feel that he is going to be a much more complete corner than Samuel and will thrive in the NFL's Bill Polian Booshat Passing Legislation system. Also, field turf is super forgiving. If you don't mind minor turf burn, pellets in your cleats and pellets sticking to your face, it's a dream to play on.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Quicker than Wheatley??? I don't see how that is possible, but you have probably seen more of them than I have. Wheatley is one of the quickest CBs I have ever seen, but the problem is that his bones are as fragile as a bird. The Patriots gambled and wasted a 2'd on him...He should be traded to a team that plays on grass, not the rock-hard Gillette turf...

When i say quicker, I am using the 3 cone drill as the measurement.

I think it is too early to call Wheatley a bust, but the Pats did know ahead of time that the wrist was a recurring problem.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Also, field turf is super forgiving. If you don't mind minor turf burn, pellets in your cleats and pellets sticking to your face, it's a dream to play on.

Take it from me those ground up tire pieces get into every area of your body and uniform. The sweat makes the beads cling to you. Somehow they even get on your feet, through a think layer of tape, socks and cleats.

I don't see why more players don't wear Eric ****erson like eye protection while playing on that stuff.

 

[jays52]

Take it from me those ground up tire pieces get into every area of your body and uniform. The sweat makes the beads cling to you. Somehow they even get on your feet, through a think layer of tape, socks and cleats.

I don't see why more players don't wear Eric ****erson like eye protection while playing on that stuff.

Two a days in August doing Oklahomas when the heat is radiating off of the black foundation? Yep. Pellets surgically attached to your face.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Two a days in August doing Oklahomas when the heat is radiating off of the black foundation? Yep. Pellets surgically attached to your face.

Oh yeah I can see that being nasty. But it is still better than playing on concrete under astro turf. That was nasty stuff. I always hated the Georgia Tech field for that.

 

[jays52]

Oh yeah I can see that being nasty. But it is still better than playing on concrete under astro turf. That was nasty stuff. I always hated the Georgia Tech field for that.

HA! I can only imagine, man. Luckily, I'm too young to have ever had to play on that stuff. The shin splint horror stories true? Even doing weight vest plyos on the field turf would give them. Can only imagine playing games on the carpet.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

HA! I can only imagine, man. Luckily, I'm too young to have ever had to play on that stuff. The shin splint horror stories true? Even doing weight vest plyos on the field turf would give them. Can only imagine playing games on the carpet.

Almost everything is true when it comes to astro turf. I remember a lot of sprained ankles and turf toes. We played at Ga.Tech twice in my career and the first time I left that game with tons of raspberry's on my body. The second time we played there, I taped up everything and changed the tape at half time.

It was a very fast surface, but I still hated it.

 

[Seneschal2]

I have to set the record straight on my sleeper pick:

He had a really bad wrist injury a few years ago that is a recurring problem.

I think it is too early to call Wheatley a bust, but the Pats did know ahead of time that the wrist was a recurring problem.

Recurring problem??

Wheatley had multiple surgeries to correct a dislocation on his right wrist early in his college career. He has a foot-long stainless steel plate above that wrist to provide stability. He played two full seasons with that plate with no recurring problems.

Last season, in game #8 vs Indy, Wheatley dislocated his OTHER wrist (the left one). He underwent surgery to repair that wrist.

There is no recurring problem unless he re-injuries either wrist.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

There is no recurring problem unless he re-injuries either wrist.

Bu-bu-bu-but wha-wha-wha-what about metal fatigue?

 

[everlong]

I've only played on field turf for lacrosse and have nothing but good things to say about it. The interesting thing is it's indoor lacrosse and thus the temperature is controlled so I never had it stuck to my face because the surface was too warm. Indoor you die sweating but it never stuck to my skin.

I've played football on astro turf a long time ago and have nothing good to say about it, like everybody else.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

Quicker than Wheatley??? I don't see how that is possible, but you have probably seen more of them than I have. Wheatley is one of the quickest CBs I have ever seen, but the problem is that his bones are as fragile as a bird. The Patriots gambled and wasted a 2'd on him...He should be traded to a team that plays on grass, not the rock-hard Gillette turf...

Field turf is as soft as grass, Just head over to SMU's turf and you will see

As far as Wheatley we are just going to have to wait to see how he turns out this year but I think he will be a factor.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

Take it from me those ground up tire pieces get into every area of your body and uniform. The sweat makes the beads cling to you. Somehow they even get on your feet, through a think layer of tape, socks and cleats.

I don't see why more players don't wear Eric ****erson like eye protection while playing on that stuff.

:ditto::ditto::agree::agree:

Man the first time I went into a stadium with that stuff it smelt like a Good Year tire factory. In 2003 we played our first game of the year and it was 30 degrees (yes up here in Canada and that would be like 90 degrees F.) They and just layed all the pellets on the field the day previous so they were not beat down at all and we were the first people on it. Where the field had not been "beat down" to say the least pellets were flying. I remember on a punt getting an ear hole shot landing on my side getting up to try to make the play but I could not see or breath with all the pellets.

To say the least I still cannot figure out how the pellets get into every spot imaginable. I enjoy the shower more after a field turf game then a mud bowl

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

Almost everything is true when it comes to astro turf. I remember a lot of sprained ankles and turf toes. We played at Ga.Tech twice in my career and the first time I left that game with tons of raspberry's on my body. The second time we played there, I taped up everything and changed the tape at half time.

It was a very fast surface, but I still hated it.

It was the burn that got me about that stuff. I do agree about the knees, ankles and turf toe (which I never had but it is debilitating to a football player). The only injury I ever had on the stuff other then plenty of raspberries was dislocating my thumb on a sack. When I came down my thumb popped off the joint like a branch on a tree because the stuff was so hard (or at least our budget turf that was here in Canada or McGill University to be specific). The stuff was hard but when they would paint logos and ad's and it rained you might as well be playing on a ceramic floor.