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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.I would add Ebner to the coverage LB/S list (against RB & TE's). I am saying "hopefully" but his STs skills makes him available for such work (he's on the 45) and I would expect him to improve yearly.
You misunderstand. Notice the Ravens won the SB with a safety who couldn't cover his way out of a paper bag.
Look: I understand Wilson sucks in coverage. I trust BB to use him in such a way to maximize his talents and minimize his liabilities. If BB is a master of anything, it's that.
Ok, a few minor points about this lore that Wilson was benched because he can't cover. You may remember that the Cardinals started 3-0 and then proceeded to lose 5 in a row. Whizenhut, desparate to save the team and his job, decided to make an example of Wilson and "benched" him in the Falcons game.
So, what exactly does "benching" mean in this context? He played only like 45 of 70 snaps, not all 70 like he usually did. After the game, Whizenhut famously said about benching one of the most popular athletes in the state of Arizona, that they were better in pass defense. "See it worked," or something like that.
The fact that they lost the freaking game didn't seem to matter all that much for Whiz the idiot. There is a reason the guy is not a head coach any more. The "improved" defensive Cardinals with Wilson sitting on the bench about 25 to 35 snaps a game proceeded to lose 6 out of 7, including 58-0 to the Seahawks. Of course, at that point, Whiz was locked in. And he stubbornly kept Wilson on the bench.
One might observe that before the "benching" of Adrian Wilson, the defense with him playing virtually every snap, among other things: (1) Held Russell Wilson to 18-34 for 151 yards, (2) held Brady to 28-46 passing, and (3) held teams to 20.8 points per game even though they had zero offense whatsoever and punted or turned the ball over on virtually every possession.
After the "benching" of Adrian Wilson, the supposedly improved Cardinals gave up 23 points per game.
Now, I'm not going to try to make the case that the Cardinals were a better pass defense team with Wilson in there. I don't think they were. And the game that led to the "benching" was a game where Alex Smith picked them apart with short passes and completely like 18 for 19 or something. But maybe 4 or 5 were in Wilson's vacinity.
I also have my eyes and I've seen Wilson play live perhaps 50 times, as a Cardinals season ticket holder. And there's no doubt that he seemed a step slower last year. But everyone step back from the cliff. He's a veteran player who hits hard and makes guys scared to come across the middle. The notion that he was some sort of weak link that teams exploited to beat the Cardinals passing defense is simply a fantasy. The true story is that he is a pro bowl player who is now 33 and no longer is as quick to the ball as he was when he was 28. Whizenhut was absolute idiot of a coach who caught lightening in a bottle one year to make the super bowl after going 8-8 in the regular season when all 4 of the top seeds dropped out of the NFC playoffs and the 5th seed Cardinals got to host an NFCCG. With players like Docket, Rolle, Boldin, Fitzgerald, and Kurt Warner he was able to win a couple of games in the playoffs. He's not a rocket scientist and the fact that he wanted to make a scapegoat out of the franchise player to save a 3-5 team and try to save his job doesn't make Wilson a bad player. He's mostly an idiot that wasn't a very good coach, and so holding the fact that he "benched" Wilson up there as evidence that he's a bad player is not the best evidence.
So, come back from the ledge everyone. Yes, we may want to sub sometimes on obvious passing downs. But this is a solid, strong, nasty, big, physical player that makes players on the other team want to go back to the locker room.
The game being called as it is now Rodney Harrison would be ineffective.Today's Nfl safety needs to be a cover guy.
Wilson doesnt suck in coverage. That was created here, and simply is not accurate.
Advanced Stats vs Pass
Year Team Pos Plays Stops Dfts Yd/Play Rank Stop% Rank Pct Tm
2011 ARI SS 31 22 8 5.9 1 71% 1 7%
2010 ARI SS 44 21 7 7.6 6 48% 11 11%
2009 ARI SS 51 24 14 7.2 3 47% 6 11%
Since when does consensus equal correct? Especially around here.Hmm...wellp, that seems to be the consensus. Sorry.
...and apparently signed very inexpensively.
Reiss has him at a cap charge of $1.33mm
Maybe worthy of a separate thread:
10 years ago in baseball Billy Beane discovered that high-OBP guys were significantly undervalued, while power was overvalued. He built winning clubs at a serious salary disadvantage by buying the undervalued high-OBP players.
This year there has been a serious 'market correction' re-valuing 30-year old veterans. Kraft referenced this in his comments yesterday. The highest 25 contracts included a combined total of six Pro Bowl appearances. The older guys - like Welker - are getting far lower offers than one would have expected a year ago.
So, this says 'the market' is undervaluing 30+ players. A team like the Patriots could benefit by bringing in some undervalued players - like Wilson, sadly like Welker. Adding a veteran pass rusher, right tackle, corner, wide receiver could be done inexpensively. Like last year, they could add multiple at those positions, and then let them sort it out in training camp. Unlike last year, you might get lower guaranteed payments that eat up cap space.
The team has profited with Rodney Harrison, Andre Carter, Brian Waters, and a few others, while whiffing on the likes of Torry Holt, Robert Gallery, John Lynch, etc.
Nice to see that Wilson was signed at such an attractive deal. I hope for several others, like John Abraham or Osi, etc.
Since when does consensus equal correct? Especially around here.
...and apparently signed very inexpensively.
Reiss has him at a cap charge of $1.33mm
Maybe worthy of a separate thread:
10 years ago in baseball Billy Beane discovered that high-OBP guys were significantly undervalued, while power was overvalued. He built winning clubs at a serious salary disadvantage by buying the undervalued high-OBP players.
This year there has been a serious 'market correction' re-valuing 30-year old veterans. Kraft referenced this in his comments yesterday. The highest 25 contracts included a combined total of six Pro Bowl appearances. The older guys - like Welker - are getting far lower offers than one would have expected a year ago.
So, this says 'the market' is undervaluing 30+ players. A team like the Patriots could benefit by bringing in some undervalued players - like Wilson, sadly like Welker. Adding a veteran pass rusher, right tackle, corner, wide receiver could be done inexpensively. Like last year, they could add multiple at those positions, and then let them sort it out in training camp. Unlike last year, you might get lower guaranteed payments that eat up cap space.
The team has profited with Rodney Harrison, Andre Carter, Brian Waters, and a few others, while whiffing on the likes of Torry Holt, Robert Gallery, John Lynch, etc.
Nice to see that Wilson was signed at such an attractive deal. I hope for several others, like John Abraham or Osi, etc.
Good post. The market change is radical imo and the Patriots clearly saw it coming. There are many good players on the market right now who can be had at prices that very few could have imagined a year ago. It appears that many of those players have yet to accept that the market has changed as dramatically as it has and are still waiting for teams to come up to them rather than take the much lower offers that are coming in.
Didnt really care who's consensus you meant.Where did I say it was the consensus of PatsFans.com?
Didnt really care who's consensus you meant.