FS vs. SS

[patchick]

My secret is aiming low.

 

[stinkypete]

At this point, I'm a bit disappointed by this draft's safety class and especially in Moore. I suppose I can live with it should BB decide to draft someone like Chung in the second or third round, but I'm now thinking that a better option might be to pay the piper and acquire a vet safety like Jermaine Phillips or Sean Jones and going the DE/DT (Tyson Jackson), pass rushing OLB, CB and WR on day one.

It is very possible that Jackson will be the most sure bet of the talent available when we come to pick. Given how hard it is to find an upper echelon 3-4 lineman, there is no way Belichick would pass on Jackson if he is available.

 

[Mark Morse]

Two names to watch at the upcoming combine are Victor "Macho" Harris (VT CB) and Kevin Akins (BC CB/LB). Harris may be too slow to play CB in the NFL but is aggressive and has cover skills. A move to Safety might be best for him. Akins is LB big, led BC in sacks and played that SS position near the LOS. He has cover skillls as a CB. Akins will be a late round pick. Interesting that he was invited to the Combine.

 

[Seneschal2]

One guy who I think looked very good against the run and decent against the pass at the Senior bowl was Ellis Lankster.

Unfortunately, Ellis was one of a very few NOT invited to the Combine. Too bad, considering his impressive Senior Bowl week.

 

[SteveKiner]

Rodney-sized LB for Wisconsin. His profile at NFL Draft Scout says he can cover RB/TE like a Safety, but gets swallowed by OL - which describes most Safeties. He missed most of the season with an ACL or somesuch, hopefully he can show us something at the Combine.

I think Jonathan Casillas could shoot up the draft boards if he can show that his knee is healthy. I've heard lots of rumors but I don't know for sure what he ever timed in the 40 etc but he just played fast. Hopefully he hasn't lost that. At Wisconsin he was a top playmaker his first three years. As a true frosh he blocked a punt with under a minute to go to win a big rivalry game. If the Wisconsin D made a big play, he was usually involved. This past year, he was hurt and no one on the D made any big plays. I think your Draft scout description is pretty accurate as far as running/coverage ability and he does get swallowed up by th OL. Casillas was much more effective when he was freed up in space and allowed to use his speed and quickness. When Casillas was healthy, Wisconsin would often times take out one of the DT's, put Shaughnessy over the Center/Guard and rush Casillas from the edge on passing downs. Casillas was pretty effective doing that so I think he could handle the blitz part of playing safety as well as the run support. If he hasn't lost a step to his knee injury then he should have the quicks to stay with TE's and RB's in coverage. He is a good hitter so he should be able to handle the physical part of SS. I think he could play LB in a Tampa-2 style defense or Safety in a Patriots style scheme. Worst case you would be getting a great special teams guy. For whatever reason, the Wisconsin defense had IMO alot of senior talent this past year, Shaughnessy, Casillas, Levy, etc but just underperformed terribly. I don't know if it was coaching or injuries or what, but guys who were productive in the big 10 as freshmen and sophomores seemed to plateau or regress. I guess if Casillas becomes the next Rodney Harrison we will find out.

 

[patchick]

I think Jonathan Casillas could shoot up the draft boards if he can show that his knee is healthy.

Does anybody have any solid info on what the knee injury/surgery was? I like Casillas a lot, but that's a tough position to enter with bad knees.

BTW, Casillas was arrested last year for DUI...on a moped.

 

[dryheat44]

Does anybody have any solid info on what the knee injury/surgery was? I like Casillas a lot, but that's a tough position to enter with bad knees.

BTW, Casillas was arrested last year for DUI...on a moped.

I think I saw that on Scrubs once.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Is Michael Hamlin any relation to Ken 'Hitstick' Hamlin?

YouTube - Clemson's Michael Hamlin Tribute: Best Strong Safety In College Football and Soon the NFL

Size decent at 6'3 205. But they say he has only average athleticism.

Michael Hamlin | Clemson Scouting Report - 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

Also how about Nic Harris from the Crimson Tide moved over to the strong safety position? He's got great size at 6'3 230 lbs.

Nic Harris Scouting Report - 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

 

[JSn]

BTW, Casillas was arrested last year for DUI...on a moped.

Intriguing. I wonder if he knows this guy: YouTube - Steve's Riding Lawn Mower DUI Arrest Video

 

[dryheat44]

Also how about Nic Harris from the Crimson Tide moved over to the strong safety position? He's got great size at 6'3 230 lbs.

Nic Harris Scouting Report - 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

He's a strong safety from Oklahoma. He practiced a bit at lineback leading up to the Senior Bowl, but he's always been a safety.

 

[SteveKiner]

Does anybody have any solid info on what the knee injury/surgery was? I like Casillas a lot, but that's a tough position to enter with bad knees.

I don't really know, but I have heard everything from just a kind of clean up to an ACL. I tend to think it is the former because the surgery was done in late DEC/Early JAN and he is supposed to be okay for the combine. Apparently he sprained his knee in fall camp, missed the first 2 games and then came back and played the rest of the year at less than 100% before tweaking it again practicing for the Champs Bowl. That was when he shut it down. Some reports say he will be fine for the combine, so I would imagine it was a cleanup of some loose cartilage. Supposedly he ran in the 4.4's last offseason. If he can duplicate that and have good cone times he could really rise up the boards.

 

[DaBruinz]

I was high on Will Moore until I started looking at him more deeply. Unfortunately, there is no one this side of Ernest Shazor whose stock has plummeted like Will Moore's has. Moore was considered a mid first rounder as late as December. But, a horrendous Senior Bowl week cause a lot of the draftniks to go back and re-evaluate Moore. And now, Moore is considered a last 2nd/ early 3rd and his stock is still going down.

Now, with that being said, Moore could be a steal in the 3rd round of the draft. From what I've read, this kid has intangibles out the wazzou and this sort of thing could put enough of a chip on his shoulder to make him a great player in the NFL if he focuses it properly. The big issue with him, though, is his ability to cover WR and TEs in the slot. Something that he failed to do at the Senior Bowl.

Unfortunately for teams needing safeties, this draft is really weak at that position. Combine that with a lack of good free agent prospects and those free agents stand to make some very good money.

 

[DW Toys]

Two names to watch at the upcoming combine are Victor "Macho" Harris (VT CB) and Kevin Akins (BC CB/LB). Harris may be too slow to play CB in the NFL but is aggressive and has cover skills. A move to Safety might be best for him. Akins is LB big, led BC in sacks and played that SS position near the LOS. He has cover skillls as a CB. Akins will be a late round pick. Interesting that he was invited to the Combine.

Harris is a bit too small for a S.
DW Toys

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Harris is a bit too small for a S.
DW Toys

So is Bob Sanders.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Does anybody have any solid info on what the knee injury/surgery was? I like Casillas a lot, but that's a tough position to enter with bad knees.

BTW, Casillas was arrested last year for DUI...on a moped.

12/21/08 - It has not been the senior season Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Jonathan Casillas expected. After battling a knee injury he suffered in fall camp all season, Casillas underwent surgery earlier this week and will not play in the Champs Sports Bowl game against Florida State on Saturday. The Badgers will also have at least one academically ineligible player for the game and are awaiting news on the status of several others. UW coach Bret Bielema said after Saturday night's practice that Casillas, wide receiver Maurice Moore, who also recently underwent surgery, and redshirt freshman quarterback James Stallons, would not make the trip to Orlando, Fla. The team leaves on Monday. Bielema said he was unable to confirm Stallons was being left behind for academic reasons, due to privacy issues. There is an NCAA rule that players must pass six credit hours in the just-concluded semester to be eligible to play in bowl games. - Tom Mulhern, Badger Beat

Sounds like a meniscus tear.

 

[DaBruinz]

So is Bob Sanders.

Box - That was my thought at first. Then I took a step back and realized that the biggest knock on Sanders, even coming out of the draft, was his durability. I think its a given that Sanders just can't stay healthy. He's not had a year where he hasn't missed a game. And 3 of the years, he's played 6 games or less.

Sanders has a great attitude and is all heart, but he just doesn't have the mass to withstand the constant pounding that he likes to dish out.

 

[patchick]

Sanders has a great attitude and is all heart, but he just doesn't have the mass to withstand the constant pounding that he likes to dish out.

He's been in the back of my mind with Meriweather, too. Can't help but wonder what a steady diet of tight ends and running backs will do for Brandon's health.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

He's been in the back of my mind with Meriweather, too. Can't help but wonder what a steady diet of tight ends and running backs will do for Brandon's health.

Well, there is that for both Meriweather and Sanders. So durability has to be a concern, but it also has to be weighed against talent. Another factor, Meriweather is aided by having four LBs to help with those TEs and RBs, whereas Sanders just has three. Harris as a FS is a later round value because of the durability issues, but he's certainly a player to consider for the job.

 

[DW Toys]

So is Bob Sanders.

So Macho=Bob Sanders?

There was one guy who is a small safety that looks like he could be Sanders-like and that is Delmas. He is smaller than Merriweather but he hits very well.
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

Well, there is that for both Meriweather and Sanders. So durability has to be a concern, but it also has to be weighed against talent. Another factor, Meriweather is aided by having four LBs to help with those TEs and RBs, whereas Sanders just has three. Harris as a FS is a later round value because of the durability issues, but he's certainly a player to consider for the job.

Box, don't you believe we leave Merriweather alone at FS and get a SS?
In our defense it is left seide or right anyway, but it sounds good.
DW Toys