Meriweather knows it's time to step up

[JackBauer]

I have thought that Meriweather has been a bit of a disapointment so far. I really hope he will step up this year since there are a lot of new pieces in the secondary this season. He will be needed to help bring some continuitity to the secondary. With Rodney gone, he will also need to step up.

I am hopeful, but not confident he will. Performing well in training camp is one thing, doing it in live action is another.

This seems overly pessimistic to me. Rodney has effectively been "gone" for some time now, and while I don't think the safety play was necessarily stellar last year (though it's tough to really evaluate given the crappy play at CB and iffy pass rush), Meriweather I thought was clearly the bright spot in the secondary. Given that and the fact that his play has continuously improved since he was drafted and stepped on the field, it seems a bit bizarre, given his pedigree and obvious raw talent, that you would be so skeptical that his play would continue to improve.

Granted I was a student at U of Miami when Meriweather was a Hurricane so naturally I'm a bit of a staunch defender of his.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

Meriweather was horrible in his rookie year, great last year.

What impressed me in '08 was his ability to stay with receivers on deep routes. In the BB Era, I've yet to see a FS do better in this area that Brandon did in '08.

 

[Sicilian]

Meriweather was horrible in his rookie year, great last year.

What impressed me in '08 was his ability to stay with receivers on deep routes. In the BB Era, I've yet to see a FS do better in this area that Brandon did in '08.

I wouldn't call him horrible as a rookie. It took him some time to learn the system and get comfortable enough to get reps. By year's end he was playing decent... not stellar, but solid enough. Last year he picked up where he left off and improved one of his weaknesses... his hands. This year I expect big things from him.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

I wouldn't call him horrible as a rookie. It took him some time to learn the system and get comfortable enough to get reps. By year's end he was playing decent... not stellar, but solid enough. Last year he picked up where he left off and improved one of his weaknesses... his hands. This year I expect big things from him.

In his rookie year, he couldn't cover a locked door.

 

[Sicilian]

In his rookie year, he couldn't cover a locked door.

I don't even know what that means.

But by the Super Bowl he was usually in position to make a play, he just lacked the ball skills to come away with it. Regardless, I'm not saying he was even a first teamer his rookie year, but he was not "horrible" for a rookie.

Not everyone is going to be Mayo their first year in the league.

 

[JackBauer]

I don't even know what that means.

But by the Super Bowl he was usually in position to make a play, he just lacked the ball skills to come away with it. Regardless, I'm not saying he was even a first teamer his rookie year, but he was not "horrible" for a rookie.

Not everyone is going to be Mayo their first year in the league.

What, exactly, makes an unlocked door more difficult to cover than a locked door?

 

[NEGoldenAge]

What, exactly, makes an unlocked door more difficult to cover than a locked door?

They can open and close.

 

[APatrioticVirginian]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

Meriweather's time to step up was the superbowl when he dropped the game winning int.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

Do you have any idea what BB could do with an Ed Reed?

Opposing offenses wouldn't want to find out.

 

[jmt57]

Route to Pats is via Clinton

Pats should be in much better shape this year than they were in 2008 in their secondary.

Route to Pats is via Clinton by Rich Garven of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Though McGowan drew interest from other teams, the only visit he made was to New England. He felt he fit in, both personally and professionally, here.

The Patriots believe that just might be the case as well.

“I think he’s certainly got some physical potential,” Belichick said. “He’s a tough, hardworking kid that shows up in the kicking game and also on defense. We’ll see how that role plays out, but he’s a competitive guy with some versatility. He runs well, is a good hitter, a good tackler.”

McGowan has been practicing at free safety, regularly paired with rookie Pat Chung as part of the unofficial second unit behind starters James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather. He also has been working with the return and coverage units on kickoffs and punts.

The most important thing, though, is that McGowan is healthy and able to work for the first time in nearly a year.

 

[blackglass3]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

Meriweather's time to step up was the superbowl when he dropped the game winning int.

Since Samuel and Hobbs are gone are we going to start trashing Meriweather's missed INT?

If he would have caught that, it would have made Tyree's catch look routine. It was a ridiculously hard ball for anyone to catch.

 

[signbabybrady]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

Since Samuel and Hobbs are gone are we going to start trashing Meriweather's missed INT?

If he would have caught that, it would have made Tyree's catch look routine. It was a ridiculously hard ball for anyone to catch.

Ditto......

 

[Sicilian]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

Since Samuel and Hobbs are gone are we going to start trashing Meriweather's missed INT?

If he would have caught that, it would have made Tyree's catch look routine. It was a ridiculously hard ball for anyone to catch.

And besides that, we're not going to start saying Meriweather missed his time to "step up" because of one play his rookie year. What should we do? Cut him because he's clearly not a "clutch" player?

 

[JackBauer]

They can open and close.

Regardless, it's still a stationary object. Seems like the poster's trying to be too clever by half.

 

[JackBauer]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

And besides that, we're not going to start saying Meriweather missed his time to "step up" because of one play his rookie year. What should we do? Cut him because he's clearly not a "clutch" player?

You really shouldn't listen to that guy anyway. IIRC correctly, he was banging the "trade Seymour, he sucks" drum.

 

[WelshPat]

I'm still not a fan of this guy. I just don't think he does anything really well. He's a bad tackler, just okay in coverage (rewatch the seahawks game, Carlson really abuses him at time). He was sold as a top 15 talent, with off the field issues holding him back. But he's WAY behind the safties drafted before him (Landry, Griffin, Nelson)

 

[Sicilian]

I'm still not a fan of this guy. I just don't think he does anything really well. He's a bad tackler, just okay in coverage (rewatch the seahawks game, Carlson really abuses him at time). He was sold as a top 15 talent, with off the field issues holding him back. But he's WAY behind the safties drafted before him (Landry, Griffin, Nelson)

Well, I wouldn't say he's WAY behind... but maybe that's why they were drafted first, eh?

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

You really shouldn't listen to that guy anyway. IIRC correctly, he was banging the "trade Seymour, he sucks" drum.

See my sig for further brilliance

 

[JackBauer]

I'm still not a fan of this guy. I just don't think he does anything really well. He's a bad tackler, just okay in coverage (rewatch the seahawks game, Carlson really abuses him at time). He was sold as a top 15 talent, with off the field issues holding him back. But he's WAY behind the safties drafted before him (Landry, Griffin, Nelson)

This is totally ridiculous. He is NOT a bad tackler. He's not great, but he's far from bad. He's pretty damn good, actually, in coverage. Not only that but once he gains familiarity with the system, as we saw, he's a smart player, he can hit; he's a natural footballer. He's got good range in center field, as is good in deep coverage.

You do realize Carlson was a rookie phenom TE, and probably will turn into one of the best TE's in the league. He abused a lot of good players.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Sanders ready to step it up

Since Samuel and Hobbs are gone are we going to start trashing Meriweather's missed INT?

If he would have caught that, it would have made Tyree's catch look routine. It was a ridiculously hard ball for anyone to catch.

Do yourself a favor and put APatrioticVirginian on ignore. I did the first week he started posting here and haven't looked back. The only unfortunate time that I have to read his garbage is when somebody quotes him. Therefore, the less people quoting him, the better.