Ras-I Dowling and Taylor Price at practice today

[Tom_Montana12]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

WHY in the world would anyone compare RAS-I to Cromartie?

RAS-I is an amazing tackler and run stopper at the CB spot. One of the best Ive seen in College.

Cromartie is terrible at run support and wrap up tackling.

I guess i'm just comparing their body types, with both of them being lankier corners at 6'2".

And I guess I wasn't specific enough with how I was comparing the two, but I was referring to their abilities to cover man to man, and if Dowling is agile enough to deal with quick, shifty slot guys like Welker?

 

[Froob]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Gronkowski

or Gonzo

Mesko?

take your pick...

Might just be a brain fart here but who is Gonzo...?

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

besides height, RAS-I and cromartie are nothing alike.

 

[Froob]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Is 6'2 pretty much as tall as a corner can be? You never see any at 6'4 or 6'5 corners. Can you not be agile enough or something at that height?

 

[TriplecHamp]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

besides height, RAS-I and cromartie are nothing alike.

Ras-I Dowling Profile | MockDraftClub.com
read this, watch the tape, report back.

 

[Tom_Montana12]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Based upon the little that i know about Dowling it sounds like he could be Meriweather's replacement should he leave. People were shocked we took another corner at #33 since we already had McCourty with Bodden coming back from a (hopefully) non-serious injury and recently signing a 4 year contract, as well as Arrington who held his own last year being forced to be our #2 CB.

His size and skill set fit the mold, being a sound tackler/semi big hitter and excelling in zone coverage (based upon what I've read about him). Sounds like a FS project to me.

 

[patchick]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

I was in the chat when we drafted Mankins. Total meltdown. Don't let anyone kid you and tell you they knew who the hell he was. Maybe one or two guys did. Some said in BB we trust. Most hated the pick.

I had chosen Mankins in the draft board contest. And to wrap back to the topic at hand, this year Dowling was the one I got right. Hope that bodes well. (Let's just forget about that Ryan Claridge year....)

 

[bagwell368]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Is 6'2 pretty much as tall as a corner can be? You never see any at 6'4 or 6'5 corners. Can you not be agile enough or something at that height?

It's applied physics. The rec knows where he is going, the DB does not, so the DB has to be able to change directions very quickly, someone who is taller and/or heavier simply cannot react as quickly.

 

[bagwell368]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Based upon the little that i know about Dowling it sounds like he could be Meriweather's replacement should he leave. People were shocked we took another corner at #33 since we already had McCourty with Bodden coming back from a (hopefully) non-serious injury and recently signing a 4 year contract, as well as Arrington who held his own last year being forced to be our #2 CB.

His size and skill set fit the mold, being a sound tackler/semi big hitter and excelling in zone coverage (based upon what I've read about him). Sounds like a FS project to me.

More and more teams are playing nickel.

CB's in general are more valuable then S's (why just check out the drafts over the past 10 years and tell me where the 10th CB and 10th S is chosen every year.....

So, if Dowling really has true CB skills, it's almost a waste to move him to safety. A lot of great S's are chosen in rounds 3 and beyond, few CB's that matter are seen that low.

 

[D-Money]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Corners that can play man are at a minimum.I want corners that play that way and not nickel corners.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

ppl wtf'd the GRONK pick???? lmfao for real?

I thought Mesko @ round 5 was a GR8 pick. I called Hernandez in 4th "michigan punter" I said to my dad in the 5th.


Mesko was the top punting prospect coming in that year. 5th round makes tons of sense to get one of the best Punters in college sports. It was a huge need over that Hanson douche

Some people WTFed the Gronk pick strictly on the grounds of "why are you picking a guy who just missed a full year of football with a severe back injury at the top of the 2nd round?"

OTOH, though, a guy like Gronk goes in the early-mid 1st round if not for the injury, so as long as they were confident that it was an isolated thing--which they apparently were, but at least one other team wasn't--then that's a huge value pick. Conversely, you can look at someone like Da'Quan Bowers, who was being mentioned as a possible #1 overall pick before it was discovered that his knee injury would be both chronic and likely progressive over time. Even with that prognosis, he still went in the mid second round, so it definitely makes the Gronk pick look pretty reasonable by comparison.

Either way, I'd think that we as fans are used to it by now. Between Tate, Gronk, Dowling, and Cannon, it's clear that Belichick has identified a market inefficiency related to health issues that are deemed to be isolated occurrences. He's just buying low on them, and as long as he's right it's a great strategic move.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Based upon the little that i know about Dowling it sounds like he could be Meriweather's replacement should he leave. People were shocked we took another corner at #33 since we already had McCourty with Bodden coming back from a (hopefully) non-serious injury and recently signing a 4 year contract, as well as Arrington who held his own last year being forced to be our #2 CB.

His size and skill set fit the mold, being a sound tackler/semi big hitter and excelling in zone coverage (based upon what I've read about him). Sounds like a FS project to me.

Eugene Wilson was a college CB who started at safety as a rookie for us. It's not unprecedented, and there are actually quite a few NFL safeties who were CBs in college simply because they were athletic enough to be (kinda like how a lot of NFL guards were tackles in college). If they want to transition Dowling over to safety, and it doesn't happen this year, it would have to be due to a combination of the shortened offseason and his injury.

 

[Tom_Montana12]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

More and more teams are playing nickel.

CB's in general are more valuable then S's (why just check out the drafts over the past 10 years and tell me where the 10th CB and 10th S is chosen every year.....

So, if Dowling really has true CB skills, it's almost a waste to move him to safety. A lot of great S's are chosen in rounds 3 and beyond, few CB's that matter are seen that low.

While this is entirely possible, i think he'll play wherever he is best suited. I don't think Dowling is quick enough to be that nickel corner, correct me if I'm wrong. Doesn't seem fluid enough in the hips. McCourty will obviously be at the top of the depth chart, and I don't see us paying Bodden to ONLY be a nickel corner and put Dowling opposite McCourty. I don't know though.

What I'm trying to say is would it make sense to have McCourty and Bodden on the field in the base defense, and then slide Bodden over to nickel and insert Dowling across from McCourty? I don't think we'd pay Bodden to be strictly a nickel back, hence Dowling having more value at safety, IF he's a good player there of course.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Not a bad thing but the corners on the outside have to be huge for this team.At least get stops when there needs to be stops.I am excited about Bodden.I much rather see him on the outside.

If Bodden starts on the outside and then moves to the slot in nickel situations, why would that be an issue for you?

 

[TheSolderKing]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

well....Ronald is pissed b/c he wants to see Albert and Vereen Practice very soon

 

[D-Money]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

I want corners that press wrs.Dowling could be that guy.He better get a shot at the CB position.

 

[patchick]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

CB's in general are more valuable then S's (why just check out the drafts over the past 10 years and tell me where the 10th CB and 10th S is chosen every year.....

So, if Dowling really has true CB skills, it's almost a waste to move him to safety. A lot of great S's are chosen in rounds 3 and beyond, few CB's that matter are seen that low.

That's long been the perception, but I don't think it's the reality any more. If you look at the past couple of pro bowl rosters, 9 of the 11 safeties selected were drafted in the first 2 rounds, compared to 7 of the 11 corners.

Or to put it another way, I'd say that the most valuable DB of the past decade has been Ed Reed, not any CB. If Dowling could improve the team most by playing safety, I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

While this is entirely possible, i think he'll play wherever he is best suited. I don't think Dowling is quick enough to be that nickel corner, correct me if I'm wrong. Doesn't seem fluid enough in the hips. McCourty will obviously be at the top of the depth chart, and I don't see us paying Bodden to ONLY be a nickel corner and put Dowling opposite McCourty. I don't know though.

What I'm trying to say is would it make sense to have McCourty and Bodden on the field in the base defense, and then slide Bodden over to nickel and insert Dowling across from McCourty? I don't think we'd pay Bodden to be strictly a nickel back, hence Dowling having more value at safety, IF he's a good player there of course.

I think you're right that Dowling won't be asked to defend against slot receivers, even if he does stay at CB. Bodden has been playing that role though, so it's possible that in 3WR sets Dowling could be line up outside as a CB. And if it's not him, it will likely be Arrington, with Bodden still being on the inside. Either way, I wouldn't get too hung up on who is getting paid how much and the idea that a nickel corner is worth less than an outside corner. Against a lot of offenses, your #3 CB is on the field as much as most of your other starters- I remember AJ Smith explaining that in their eyes the #3 CB was a starter, and that was why they drafted Cason in the first round when they already had Cromartie and Jammer.

It's also possible that he could be predominantly a safety who occasionally lines up as a CB, which is something that Meriweather has done before I believe.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

I want corners that press wrs.Dowling could be that guy.He better get a shot at the CB position.

You need to become a GM then

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Re: Ras-I and Price at practice today

Ras-I Dowling Profile | MockDraftClub.com
read this, watch the tape, report back.

I dont care. Perhaps YOU should watch more tape.

Dowling is a solid run defender who is not afraid to stick his nose in a scrum.

Cromartie is a terrible run defender who shys away from contact.

Enough said!