Meriweather is going to be a stud

[danny88]

Im not dismissing Wright actually. I like him as a player. The thing about Vick and Wright is..neither of them have been in jail for what they did or gotten in big enough trouble. The case about Wright raping a woman and the XTC pills (which might not have been his) never got anywhere..he did get kicked out of USC but that was a few years ago and nothing really came of it..if it did he would be in jail. With Vick..theres some peopel jumping on his back because hes Michael Vick. 1) No evidence of marijuana || 2) His propery..he doesnt live there..trouble arises and people are calling for suspension..what for? No one said he was involved..

I defend innocent people. They might be questioned and brought in but unless they get convicted and its positive that they did cause trouble, then i dont have a problem really. Unless its repetitive and makes you wonder ..why are cops always around him

I sit down and wait to see what happens..and since nothing really happened with Wright, Meriweather or Vick yet..i cant hold a grudge. I dont defense Henry..i dont defend Pacman and i dont defend druggies.

imo..some people are quick to judge. They jump on Meriweather for owning a gun..well cut Samuel and Gaffney..shoot i bet Brady owns a gun too

I find it funny how some people think if a person owns a registered hand gun they have character issues? I wonder if they think the same of the young police cadet. The fact is a ton of people in this country own hand guns. Yong, old, black, white, purple and orange. Down south EVERYONE owns a gun.

You would think people could understand why a lot of pro athletes own guns. They make millions of dollars, and in some cases play in markets where fans are border line obsessive (NE).


In the USA it is perfectly legal to own a gun. A ton of pro athletes / people own them. You just dont hear about it.

 

[Ceresco]

Kids going to be a great player. I hope we draft him : )

I really really hope we dont.

 

[sebman2112]

Why would a college kid own a gun? Unless he knew that the type of life style he lives, or types of people he hangs with makes him feel that he may need it one day. Self defense or not, that shows me that he is making wrong decisions and traveling down the wrong road. I say no thanks to him.

Steve, he is a criminology major and his father is a police officer. He owns the gun legally, and from what I understand he would like to be a police officer someday. I don't like the fact that he had to use it, but what are you going to do when an assailant shoots your roommate? They were at their own apartment building, and a guy wearing a bandanna shot Meriweather's roommate, so Meriweather returned fire. Really, it's a none story. Maybe he should have just stood there and let the assailant kill his roommate. I mean he'd be a good guy then, right? See the Miami dade county area has some of the worst crime numbers in he country, and it seems football player's have been the targets of a lot of criminal attacks in the area. This is the reason Jabar Gaffney and Asante Samuel carry guns.

 

[dryheat44]

I defend innocent people. They might be questioned and brought in but unless they get convicted and its positive that they did cause trouble, then i dont have a problem really.

After learning why Meriweather shot his gun, I don't have a problem with it. What I do think would be a problem, and I don't know the answer, is if he's a kid who goes out to the Miami clubs with a gun tucked into his waistband, "just in case" something happens. Bad things tend to follow those people.

But on to your statement, just because somebody hasn't been convicted of a crime doesn't mean he's not a character risk. Pac Man's never been convicted (yet). Guilty or Innocent is for the judges. For the NFL and its franchises, it doesn't, and shouldn't, come into play. Bad character (not suggesting Meriweather is, but almost certainly Wright) doesn't necessarily manifest itself in a conviction. The Code of Conduct of any organization should be of a higher standard than US law.

 

[PonyExpress]

The biggest issue I have with Merriweather is his play, not his "citizenship". He is small for a safety and not quick enough for a CB. The size issue suggests durability concerns in the NFL. The quickness issue suggests he won't be able to cover the slot effectively. Merriweather made a tremendous number of plays behind the LOS in college. He even considers his game a "smash-mouth" style. The chances of him being able to play that way in the NFL at 195 lbs are slim. If he bulks up he will lose his current quickness. SO there is a good chance he is a tweener, in which case I wouldn't gamble a 1st rdr on him.

 

[Remix 6]

The biggest issue I have with Merriweather is his play, not his "citizenship". He is small for a safety and not quick enough for a CB. The size issue suggests durability concerns in the NFL. The quickness issue suggests he won't be able to cover the slot effectively. Merriweather made a tremendous number of plays behind the LOS in college. He even considers his game a "smash-mouth" style. The chances of him being able to play that way in the NFL at 195 lbs are slim. If he bulks up he will lose his current quickness. SO there is a good chance he is a tweener, in which case I wouldn't gamble a 1st rdr on him.

why do u suggest he doesnt have quickness? He played CB half of last year and did very well. Hes also the best cover safety. Size..i cant argue but to say he'll bulk up like all other players will. Bulking up doesnt necessarily mean you lose speed/quickness..some people have frames to add 10-15 pounds without losing speed/agility.

 

[sebman2112]

The biggest issue I have with Merriweather is his play, not his "citizenship". He is small for a safety and not quick enough for a CB. The size issue suggests durability concerns in the NFL. The quickness issue suggests he won't be able to cover the slot effectively. Merriweather made a tremendous number of plays behind the LOS in college. He even considers his game a "smash-mouth" style. The chances of him being able to play that way in the NFL at 195 lbs are slim. If he bulks up he will lose his current quickness. SO there is a good chance he is a tweener, in which case I wouldn't gamble a 1st rdr on him.

He has very good in-game speed. I've witnessed that myself, and NFLDraftScout said exactly that. Some guy's just test slower than they play.

"With his exceptional playing speed, Meriweather was a godsend in the defensive backfield. His versatility saw him play free safety and nickel back as a redshirt freshman, free safety and strong safety as a sophomore, strong safety as a junior and strong safety, left cornerback and right cornerback during his senior year."

"Has excellent flexibility, especially when having to redirect ... Maintains balance changing direction and shows good urgency and a sudden burst closing on the plays in front of him … Has the nimble feet to transition quickly and the body control to stay on the hip of the receiver throughout the route (did not allow a reception in four games during 2006 season) ... Very decisive in moving to the ball, showing the speed to recover when beaten ... Sinks his hips and shows proper knee bend in his backpedal … Turns effortlessly coming out of transition and there is no wasted motion in his plant-and-drive … Pedals with good foot balance working underneath the framework of his body … His range and speed lets him play from sideline-to-sideline and has the transition quickness to come out of his breaks with suddenness and explosion"

He's also an intelligent player with good recognition & technique:
"Has a keen feel for the ball in flight, doing a fine job of reading keys and breaking down plays when working in space ... Very well-prepared to face his opponent, putting in the extra hours in the film room studying tapes … Has great route recognition skills and an instinctive feel for movement in the pocket ... Stays fluid and calm in man coverage and won't bite on fakes and counter moves by the receiver … Consistently gets good position against slot receivers and tight ends working underneath … The thing you see on film is his ability to mirror without allowing separation … Quick to make proper reads and is rarely caught out of position at the top end of the zone … His range is evident off the hash, as he is quick to pick up the secondary receivers through the zone … His ball anticipation ability lets him make proper reads when jumping the routes, as he has the second gear to close in an instant … Sifts out the ball through trash when playing against the run, taking proper angles to shorten his path to the ball … Even when he takes a long loop to avoid blocks, he shows urgency to close and make the play … Sticks his face into the pile and stays low in his pads to anchor and take down the lead blocker … Sure tackler in space who strikes with force on every opportunity to put his hat into the opponent's chest."

 

[PonyExpress]

NFL team personnel gurus who tell you they have a problem with Merriweather's actions during the brawl are probably lying, the same way they pretended to be shocked and dismayed over that Tennessee tackle stomping on Andre Gurode's face, or Seymour stomping on Tarik Glenn's helmet. NFL teams secretly admire Merriweather violent on-field nature and killer instinct. It is what they want in a safety. They will never admit it for PR reasons. They have more of an issue with the gun incident. Personally, I support the right of citizens to bear arms legally. Merriweather had a license to carry a concealed weapon, and the fact he went through the hoops to get it done shows some maturity, whereas many others carry weapons illegally. So I don't have that big an issue with it provided there is no other evidence of gangbanging.

As far as on the field... the only reason he will be taken in rd 1 (by the Cowboys) is they believe he can cover the slot in nickel situations, something Geno once could do but struggled with early last season. I have questions about whether Merriweather really can do it. Merriweather's quickness and fluidity are good but not exceptional, his speed is good but not exceptional, his leaping ability is good but not great. IOW, he is at the top end of college athletes, but in the middle for NFL nickel backs. If he is unable to cover the slot, then he becomes a somewhat limited NFL player. That's my concern, why I wouldn't risk it in rd 1, and the questions won't be answered for about 2 years.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Chances are you would critasize Meriweather when he has done nothing like that, but have no problems when Brady actually knocks chicks up.

someone's got a thin skin danny... its a joke given the title of the thread

But frankly given the "exemplary" character traits he's shown thus far I seriously wouldn't doubt he'd do exactly what I said. I am a fan of his football talents but am NOT a fan of him as a person. I can't imagine WHAT he could do to convince our front office that all his on-field and off-field incidences do not reflect on his character, thus I can't imagine we'll draft him.

By the way, I didn't know Brady had gotten multiple girls pregnant - do you have information that you want to share with us or is it YOU who is making up information to make your point?

 

[PonyExpress]

Kiper agrees with my reservations about Merriweather, for what that's worth...http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18263224&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6

 

[BPF]

NFL team personnel gurus who tell you they have a problem with Merriweather's actions during the brawl are probably lying, the same way they pretended to be shocked and dismayed over that Tennessee tackle stomping on Andre Gurode's face, or Seymour stomping on Tarik Glenn's helmet. NFL teams secretly admire Merriweather violent on-field nature and killer instinct. It is what they want in a safety. They will never admit it for PR reasons. They have more of an issue with the gun incident. Personally, I support the right of citizens to bear arms legally. Merriweather had a license to carry a concealed weapon, and the fact he went through the hoops to get it done shows some maturity, whereas many others carry weapons illegally. So I don't have that big an issue with it provided there is no other evidence of gangbanging.

As far as on the field... the only reason he will be taken in rd 1 (by the Cowboys) is they believe he can cover the slot in nickel situations, something Geno once could do but struggled with early last season. I have questions about whether Merriweather really can do it. Merriweather's quickness and fluidity are good but not exceptional, his speed is good but not exceptional, his leaping ability is good but not great. IOW, he is at the top end of college athletes, but in the middle for NFL nickel backs. If he is unable to cover the slot, then he becomes a somewhat limited NFL player. That's my concern, why I wouldn't risk it in rd 1, and the questions won't be answered for about 2 years.

I saw Meriweather play quite a bit and I think he is quick and has loose hips which is obviously extremely important for a DB. He looks very agile and it looks to me as though he has the ability to easily change direction. He has playmaking ball skills and good hands (7 ints). He has the instincts for his position and the football smarts.

You talked about quickness, fluidity and leaping ability not being great but I disagree. The stats say that he had 25 pass breakups during his career. When the ball is in the air he reads it and he also times his jump well. He is a very solid tackler and always seems to be in good position to make a play. He also has a lot of experience, he started 31 games and played in 49. He might need to gain 8-10 lbs but he looks like a very solid DB prospect. You need to look at the totality of the player to make a better judgement.

 

[PonyExpress]

I saw Meriweather play quite a bit and I think he is quick and has loose hips which is obviously extremely important for a DB. He looks very agile and it looks to me as though he has the ability to easily change direction. He has playmaking ball skills and good hands (7 ints). He has the instincts for his position and the football smarts.

You talked about quickness, fluidity and leaping ability not being great but I disagree. The stats say that he had 25 pass breakups during his career. When the ball is in the air he reads it and he also times his jump well. He is a very solid tackler and always seems to be in good position to make a play. He also has a lot of experience, he started 31 games and played in 49. He might need to gain 8-10 lbs but he looks like a very solid DB prospect. You need to look at the totality of the player to make a better judgement.

I respect your opinion and attention to detail. I have looked at Merriweather thoroughly, both his production and athleticism. How many pass break ups came against elite competition? How many interceptions came against elite compeititon? One of his distinguishing features was an ability to make plays behind the LOS. How relevant will that skill set be in the NFL at his size? You suggest he can bulk up. Can he bulk up and maintain his current speed and quickness? I have looked at Merriweather, and have some doubts- enough to pass on him in rd 1. I am only talking about RD 1, not Rd 2 or 3.

 

[sebman2112]

Kiper agrees with my reservations about Merriweather, for what that's worth...http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18263224&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6

Don't get me started on Kiper

 

[danny88]

Kiper agrees with my reservations about Merriweather, for what that's worth...http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18263224&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6

That kinda hurts your argument. Kiper is a guy who makes money at being wrong all the time : )

 

[sebman2112]

I saw Meriweather play quite a bit and I think he is quick and has loose hips which is obviously extremely important for a DB. He looks very agile and it looks to me as though he has the ability to easily change direction. He has playmaking ball skills and good hands (7 ints). He has the instincts for his position and the football smarts.

You talked about quickness, fluidity and leaping ability not being great but I disagree. The stats say that he had 25 pass breakups during his career. When the ball is in the air he reads it and he also times his jump well. He is a very solid tackler and always seems to be in good position to make a play. He also has a lot of experience, he started 31 games and played in 49. He might need to gain 8-10 lbs but he looks like a very solid DB prospect. You need to look at the totality of the player to make a better judgement.

Good post.

 

[sebman2112]

I respect your opinion and attention to detail. I have looked at Merriweather thoroughly, both his production and athleticism. How many pass break ups came against elite competition? How many interceptions came against elite compeititon? One of his distinguishing features was an ability to make plays behind the LOS. How relevant will that skill set be in the NFL at his size? You suggest he can bulk up. Can he bulk up and maintain his current speed and quickness? I have looked at Merriweather, and have some doubts- enough to pass on him in rd 1. I am only talking about RD 1, not Rd 2 or 3.

He made plays going up against Calvin Johnson while playing CB, so I don't think the level of comp could have been any higher.

 

[patchick]

Pardon me for reviving this long-dead thread, but I just happened to come across the Globe article on Meriweather written soon after the draft...
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/05/11/branded_unjustly/
...and it reminded me of something.

Meriweather was a hotly debated player here before the draft. In discussions of character concerns, especially the shooting he was involved in, it was often noted that "his father is a police officer." You'll find more than one poster making that point in this thread. Yet according to the Globe article, it doesn't seem to be true:

Meriweather's biological mother, Gabrielle (Meriweather) Roundtree, gave birth to him when she was 13. She turned over legal guardianship to Tim, a human resources director, and Mary, the assistant principal of Ocoee (Fla.) High School, when Meriweather was in high school.

I'm just curious where the father-is-a-cop angle came from. Does anyone have a source? (Just to clarify, I couldn't care less what his dad does for a living, I'm just interested in how this factoid came to be disseminated.)

 

[PonyExpress]

Pardon me for reviving this long-dead thread, but I just happened to come across the Globe article on Meriweather written soon after the draft...
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/05/11/branded_unjustly/
...and it reminded me of something.

Meriweather was a hotly debated player here before the draft. In discussions of character concerns, especially the shooting he was involved in, it was often noted that "his father is a police officer." You'll find more than one poster making that point in this thread. Yet according to the Globe article, it doesn't seem to be true:

Meriweather's biological mother, Gabrielle (Meriweather) Roundtree, gave birth to him when she was 13. She turned over legal guardianship to Tim, a human resources director, and Mary, the assistant principal of Ocoee (Fla.) High School, when Meriweather was in high school.

I'm just curious where the father-is-a-cop angle came from. Does anyone have a source? (Just to clarify, I couldn't care less what his dad does for a living, I'm just interested in how this factoid came to be disseminated.)

Maybe someone confused him with Sean Taylor, another U safety with gun problems whose father is a cop.

 

[patchick]

Maybe someone confused him with Sean Taylor, another U safety with gun problems whose father is a cop.

Ah, excellent point.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Meriweather screams versatility

He runs like a corner, covers like a corner, reportedly has instincts that rival Bruschi's (I didn't see that in Miami games I watched, but the "experts" say it), hits like a linebacker and blitzes extremely well. Once he learns the schemes, he can literally be lined up anywhere in the secondary.
And while I have a lot of reservations about BB taking the "bengals" approach to winning football games and bringing in some character challenged players, I can not fault BB for drafting this guy when you look at his body of work on the field.
The Pats 2007 secondary could feature Samuel and Wilson, both looking forward to new homes in 2008, Harrison a high character player, Hobbs, a brash young guy oozing with confidence and running his mouth a bit too much, and Meriweather playing nickel. If anything happens to Harrison, who is there to "mentor and rein in" Meriweather?
Sanders? Scott? Hawkins? Highly unlikely.