Pro Football Focus: Rob Ninkovich - Secret Superstar

[Ring 6]

I guess I'm in the minority...

I want to like Nink. I do. When I go back and rewatch the games, I keep an eye on him, too. Cause it's clear he has a high motor. But man, there really are times where he gets flat out pushed around out there. Like physically pushed off the LOS. Can't hold his ground, let alone collapse the pocket or set the edge.

It's peaks and valleys with Nink. There are certain plays where he gets going and looks great. But I really suspect that he simply can't that extreme pace for an entire game due to his lack of size. I think he's be a fantastic role player with limited snaps; like the kind this D really needs.

You cannot find a 34 OLB who does not get pushed around by 300-350 lb OTs.
Like any other position, its not a case of finding a player who wins 100% of his one on ones, but one who wins more than most players at his position, understand the position, and executes a play when one is to be made.

 

[Triumph]

If you hop off the clown car for a second, you'll see that much of the discussion in this thread revolved around PFF's suckage.

Broken clock, and all.

You need some windex for those coke bottle glasses of yours.

Only a couple of people in this thread have called PFF out and youre not one of them which is no surprise.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Nink is very good but he has one problem. Its his short arms and guys occasionally slip out of his arm tackles.

Okay, to me, this is just weird. Granted with a big old wingspan you have a way better shot of making some kind of contact, batting balls down, and otherwise complementing your game when you're playing it right, but the problem isn't short arms, it's that arm tackling is just bad most of the time.

Am I the only guy old enough to have been taught to wrap up and slide down, cuz legs can't move when someone's holding em? That means contact between bodies, not arm tackling. And okay, he does way too much arm tackling. But complaining that he's not good at tackling wrong kind of irks me.

There's an advantage to long arms but there's a bigger advantage to sound fundamentals. You guys want him to be Jevon Kearse? Fine, but then you're thinking he's a pass rush specialist playing defensive end in a 4-3, right?

Wingspan is fine, but it's kind of a bonus. When you find yourself complaining that a linebacker doesn't arm-tackle well it sort of begs the question of why he's arm-tackling at all.

Okay, rant over. I don't know that he'd be my favorite guy in pure run support, or my favorite guy as nothing but an edge rusher, or my favorite guy as a strong safety, or whatevah. I do know he can play the run (his weakest attribute, which is kind of expected but not ideal in a coverage LB,) he has a relentless motor/never quits on a play, gets to the QB when called on to, and is an interception threat in coverage. Other than that, can't think of one good thing about the guy.

The argument from highlight reels:

Rob Ninkovich Highlights 2011 [HD] - YouTube

So put a position coach on him, stick him in the weight room, have his amygdala removed so he's fearlesser, and hope he can turn into Vrabel (same package, sounder tackling.) If all that can't happen, I'm still good w/Ninko. But yeah, you guys are right about that problem in terms of the "versatility" claim -- a lot of room to grow, if he's got upside left. I mean, could you imagine Ninko if he suddenly embraced the idea that tackling is an art-form in itself?

 

[Ivan]

I like Ninkovivh and think he's a decent player but he's no "superstar," secret or otherwise. PFF is a complete joke and utterly useless, it's the blog equivalent of the messageboard draftniks who insist that watching You Tube clips of prospects qualifies them as experts on college players. Let's not forget that this is the same site that named Kareem McKenzie as the best player in the NFL a year or so ago.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Nink is very good but he has one problem. Its his short arms and guys occasionally slip out of his arm tackles.

Bugs me a fair bit when Ninko (or any Pats pass rusher) will be right there in the QB's throwing space, but will whiff the ball swat or sort of fail to really influence the QB with a momentum transferring grasp.

I do like that he's reminiscent of Mike Vrabel, as MV is one of my personal favorites. Gotta admire when a guy can come in and just keep getting better (or perform at a consistently solid/good level to the point that more and more people begin to notice - giving the illusion that he's improved.)

 

[JackBauer]

You need some windex for those coke bottle glasses of yours.

Only a couple of people in this thread have called PFF out and youre not one of them which is no surprise.

Okay? So, most people are talking about Ninkovich. No one appears to be extolling the virtues of PFF. Several people have criticized it (if you bothered to pay attention, you'd know that there's only one poster on this board who defends them with any regularity).

I'm also a bit confused why it'd be no surprise that I haven't criticized them in this thread. Care to enlighten me?

 

[Marqui]

We'll know more about how BB feels when we see a few things:

1.) Whether the "base" defense for the Patriots is a 3-4 or 4-3

2.) If the "base" is 3-4, do we see Hightower and Jones getting real OLB time

3.) If the "base" is 4-3, do we see Hightower/Spikes/Mayo as the starting LBs

If 2 and/or 3 are yes, it seems to me that such would indicate the Patriots see Ninkovitch as a backup/Jack-of-all-trades guy moving forward, if not beginning this season.

I don't really see any other scenario. Hard to imagine the Pats used 4 high picks on Jones and Hightower so they can back up Ninkovich.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Okay? So, most people are talking about Ninkovich. No one appears to be extolling the virtues of PFF. Several people have criticized it (if you bothered to pay attention, you'd know that there's only one poster on this board who defends them with any regularity).

I'm also a bit confused why it'd be no surprise that I haven't criticized them in this thread. Care to enlighten me?

Because the hundred or so times that you criticized them in the past weren't enough to make your position clear, apparently.