The Future on Defense
by mbn on Nov 18, 2009 3:09 PM MST
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PrintOne of the upsides of some of the injuries on defense is that we have been able to see some of the younger back ups getting playing time. It has been a mixed bag in my book. I thought it might be worth while to take stock in what we have seen thus far from the young back ups.
Will Davis: I like what I have seen. He is very active on pass rush and seems physical enough to set the edge well. His coverage of backs needs to be improved. Forsett had gained 6 yards before Davis closed on him. That may improve in time but at least for now, he seems to be able to impact the game as much as Berry has traditionally done. 2010 starter? We'll see if they resign Okeafar another year but I think Davis will be in the rotation, especially on 3rd down.
Ali Highsmith: Highsmith is basically a slower, heavier, less athletic version of Adrian Wilson. His special teams impact has declined this year although he isn't bad. He got eaten up in traffic inside, and wiffing twice on open field tackles doesn't look good on a resume either. Teams with any sort of a power running game will target him in the future. More often then not, rather than filling the holes he has been bending back and taking angles like a safety would. The upside to Hayes' injury? We now know that Highsmith can not be the heir-apparent should Dansby walk.
Reggie Walker: I know he is off everyone's radar but from what little I have seen of him on goal line this past game, I like what I have seen. He is around 240 and 6'. He seems to be thumper (like Hayes) which I tend to like in a 3-4 ILB. I would like to see more of him but thus far, he seems to have potential. Is he a future starter... that is probably a stretch.
Rashad Johnson: Ughh... Underwhelming, underachieving, underperforming... any other words that go along with that train of thought? I know it is only his rookie year etc... but he has shown nothing. He looks nervous. The game is still too fast for him and he is worried more about making a mistake than making a play. I havn't seen athleticism either. He was drafted to provide a backup and leverage for contract talks with Rolle but right now he looks to be able to provide neither. I will be honest, (and said so after the draft) I was not a fan of the pick. I wanted the Cards to pick Jasper Brinkley (ILB 250ish 6'4" was picked up a dozen picks later by Vikings) but the Cards had Johnson ranked high. Time will tell but I wouldn't place money on Johnson being an impact player in 2010
Greg Toler: I was also skeptical of Toler in the draft. He was a complete unknown to me, but, unlike in the 3rd round, there weren't other players I would have prefered so his draft didn't bother me. He has shown potential. In the Giants game he looked nervous but he held his own although he wasn't tested much. He has played well on special teams and, unlike R. Johnson, he has made an impact. I think he has potential to replace McFadden in 2011.
Kenny Iwebema: Injuries, tumors, conditioning... it has been a hard year for Kenny. Yet he still has managed to play well on special teams and is effective in rotation on the DL. The draft may bring more competition for DL spots next year but I would bet that Iwebema will be back in 2010 and will provide effective depth.
I left out Ware (who I have come to like and hope they resign) and R. Brown (who I have never been a fan of) simply because they are veterans and will be FA. They are a known package and if they are brought back it will be to fill holes. I am not looking to them to be the promise of the future.
I know we'll do all of this speculation again in the off season but what's your take now?
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Revenge of the Birds' (ROTB) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of ROTB's editors.
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the future will be determined in the next few draft years
I am supprized you didn’t mention cody brown at all
The Devil Birds just got cha
by DaCards on Nov 19, 2009 12:11 AM MST via mobile reply actions
It's cause he hasn't played this year.
MBN just mentioned players that have actually played in a regular season NFL game. All we have on Brown is how he played in college and the fact that he is sitting on the sidelines because of an injury.
Walker looked good in preseason, too
And it’s hard not to like what we’ve gotten from Davis so far, all things considered. Highsmith looks like he needs a lot of work, might even be in full decline, which is a big problem all around.
I’m not as down on RJ quite yet, but he is looking like a stretch for a 4th-rounder. You’re right about Toler on special teams, he has been good there. That’s definitely a sign to look for with this team — Adams, CC, Iwebema, etc.
Yea, I was really impressed with Walker in the preseason.
I wonder if he would have been a better replacement for Gerald hayes while he was out with injury because of his size?
Eeh, size is one thing
But he’s converting from a DE to an OLB, and played WR before that. We like to theorize that he’ll develop good coverage skills quickly due to his diverse background, but I can’t tell you one way or another at this point. What I’m getting at is that they mostly have him working a pass-rushing skill set at the moment. It might be worth a shot, but given his background and the kind of work they have him doing, I would expect him to flounder a bit more than Highsmith has up to this point.
You're mixing the two.
Walker is an ILB rookie FA we signed. He was always a LB. You’re confusing him with Will Davis who was a converted WR, converted DE, converted DT and now an OLB. And I think Walker is better than Highsmith and it doesn’t hurt that he is bigger. The only reason he didn’t start over Highsmith (in my opinion) is because Ali is a second year player and is more familiar with the playbook and the schemes. You know Whiz doesn’t like to throw rookies into the fire. Now that we are in the second half of the season, expect to see more of Walker over Ali.
Life's too short. Be a fan. Orlando Magic, Arizona Cardinals,Tampa Bay Rays and of course "the U"! What a winning combo.
Davis has been the biggest surprise by a mile to me
I didn’t expect anything from him this season and didn’t really expect much in the future. I kind of pictured him as always being a backup pass rusher and good special teamer but he’s been much better than expected so far. Who knows what the future holds but he may turn into a decent starter sometime in the next year or two and anytime you get that kind of value in a sixth round pick, you’ve done a hell of a job.
Don’t give up on Rashad Johnson either. Troy Polamalu is the best safety in the game and he was a first round pick but he didn’t do jack as a rookie (0 starts and just 38 tackles). It takes time for some guys to get adjusted to the speed of the game.
Be careful....to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
I hope so. I don't think we've seen enough anyway to evaluate Johnson
We can’t assume that Whiz not putting him in games has anything to do with his play in practice, preseason, etc. Whiz does this with rookies and it’s something he did last year with Campbell as well.
What? I didn't break it, I was just testing its durability, and then I placed it in the woods becuase it's made out of wood and I just thought he should be with his family.
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Davis is my guy.
Life's too short. Be a fan. Orlando Magic, Arizona Cardinals,Tampa Bay Rays and of course "the U"! What a winning combo.
Except for all of last year...
But yeah, actually he’s performed well in an increased role. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
Whiz
Whiz and the staff seem to slowly develop players and patiently incorporate them into the system as the season progresses. I think Whiz is doing a great job grooming our future.
Also, the staff makes a big emphasis on athletes performing on special teams and how great performance can get them playing time. What builds work ethic like working your way
to a starting position?
I think our future is looking good in general. Guys like Ali just need experience and to be around a stable organization that is professional and respected. I think most the athletes that get into the NFL have the raw ability to be starters, but usually it comes down to being in the right situation.
They are who we thought they were!
Buster Davis
Is he in the league still our 3rd round pick from the draft a few years back maybe he was a 2nd pick not sure.
The Devil Birds just got cha
by DaCards on Nov 22, 2009 12:02 AM MST via mobile reply actions
Went to Indy and Detroit. Not sure where he's at now.
What? I didn't break it, I was just testing its durability, and then I placed it in the woods becuase it's made out of wood and I just thought he should be with his family.
Revenge of the Birds
He has also been off and on the Houston practice squad.
They signed him to the practice squad twice this year and then cut him within 10 days of each signing.
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