1st Practice

[JHallCanes]

You would think a fanbase subjected to Randy Shannon and Al Golden for a solid decade would stop being so ******* obsessed with weights, not even SEASON weight, but spring weights.

Get it together.

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

 

[UknowWhat]

You would think a fanbase subjected to Randy Shannon and Al Golden for a solid decade would stop being so ****ing obsessed with weights, not even SEASON weight, but spring weights.

Get it together.

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

 

[58straight]

Kaaya needs to gain 20 more pounds for the NFL IMO. At 6'4 1/2 230 is a very good size for an NFL qb

He wont last in the NFL at his current weight.

yea def look at Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady...those two just ooze muscle

rodgers is one of the most athletic QB's in the league and weighs in the 220's, and when you talk brady that's one of the biggest exceptions to the rule but even he now is over 220

So what if he's athletic?? He's still thin and so is Marcus Mariota, so is teddy bridgewater, **** Derek Carr onlys weighs 215 is he too "light" for the NFL?? How bout Kirk Cousins at 200 pounds is he too "light"??

if you cant see the difference physically between those guys and kaaya i dont know what to tell you. And what do you mean so what he's athletic? athleticism is huge for a QB that may be lacking in size do you think michael vick would still be in this league at this size if he wasnt that athletic it matters a ton. I like kaaya but he's not very mobile or athletic so it would benefit him to add muscle since he's pretty stationary, we saw the results of repeated hits to his slight frame and he was injured quickly.

 

[JHallCanes]

You would think a fanbase subjected to Randy Shannon and Al Golden for a solid decade would stop being so ****ing obsessed with weights, not even SEASON weight, but spring weights.

Get it together.

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

While you bring up some good points I quite frankly couldn't care less about the NFL. What we need is fast aggressive linebackers to help US this year. He may be an NFL safety someday but it's probably just going to take him longer to fill out than some guys and there's just no reason to force him into a role here when he could be so useful for us in one spot.

 

[252cane]

You would think a fanbase subjected to Randy Shannon and Al Golden for a solid decade would stop being so ****ing obsessed with weights, not even SEASON weight, but spring weights.

Get it together.

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

Diaz actually runs a 4-3 under so if he would put grace at sam he would be lined up close the los. Wlb will actually protect him from lineman because he would line up behind the dt.

 

[eric081695e]

was there no practice today i haven't seen anything at all about it today ?

 

[DMoney]

Players like Grace are getting more popular as the passing game becomes more prominent.

Grace can be like Deone Bucannon from the Cardinals or Darron Lee from Ohio State.

 

[252cane]

Players like Grace are getting more popular as the passing game becomes more prominent.

Grace can be like Deone Bucannon from the Cardinals or Darron Lee from Ohio State.

I agree with bucannon but not lee. Anyway look at the division. Unc is a spread uptempo team, fuente runs a spread uptempo, gt a triple option, duke pistol/spread. The only teams using pro style is uva and pitt.

Even on the other side of the ACC every team except fsu and Louisville are using spread.

Grace is fine for the college game. It will be no different if they were using a 4-2-5 and he will likely be a ss in the NFL.

 

[canes614]

Players like Grace are getting more popular as the passing game becomes more prominent.

Grace can be like Deone Bucannon from the Cardinals or Darron Lee from Ohio State.

I agree with bucannon but not lee. Anyway look at the division. Unc is a spread uptempo team, fuente runs a spread uptempo, gt a triple option, duke pistol/spread. The only teams using pro style is uva and pitt.

Even on the other side of the ACC every team except fsu and Louisville are using
Grace is fine for the college game. It will be no different if they were using a 4-2-5 and he will likely be a ss in the NFL.

. Lee is listed at 230 now but he plays alot smaller. He was a QB/S in HS prolly has about 10 lbs of extra weight without gaining strength. Scouts say he plays more like big safety. Grace is a decent comparison. Imo Darron Lee Draft Profile ? NFL.com

 

[iLoveTDs]

"LB Jermaine Grace is now listed at 6-feet-1 and 205 pounds on the latest official roster. On last year’s roster, Grace was listed at 6-feet-1 and 221 pounds. Grace is excited about the new defensive scheme because he will be able to blitz more and use his speed.''

I hope this is a Typo.

This was good news imo. In Diaz's scheme Grace at 210-ish is perfect.
We are literally taking it old school and playing with undersized OLB/DE's.

:U5PyXda:

 

[Brandonmscane]

http://http://www.hurricanesports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=28700&ID=5165601

[video]http://www.hurricanesports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=28700&ID=5165601[/video]

 

[can4life]

I think the guys will add more mass in fall workouts. I think the coaches where focus more on condition this spring and rightfully so to many guys where carrying around bad weight.

 

[Coach Macho]

You would think a fanbase subjected to Randy Shannon and Al Golden for a solid decade would stop being so ****ing obsessed with weights, not even SEASON weight, but spring weights.

Get it together.

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

Diaz actually runs a 4-3 under so if he would put grace at sam he would be lined up close the los. Wlb will actually protect him from lineman because he would line up behind the dt.

Not against the spread offenses we're going to see almost every week. He'd be out of the box. Way out of the box.

 

[252cane]

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

Diaz actually runs a 4-3 under so if he would put grace at sam he would be lined up close the los. Wlb will actually protect him from lineman because he would line up behind the dt.

Not against the spread offenses we're going to see almost every week. He'd be out of the box. Way out of the box.

True. Diaz likes to use 3-3-5 vs multiple wr sets so i could see grace being huge in that because his speed and range.

 

[JHallCanes]

Players like Grace are getting more popular as the passing game becomes more prominent.

Grace can be like Deone Bucannon from the Cardinals or Darron Lee from Ohio State.

I guess I can't blame us fans too much for not being willing to allow some creativity sink in.

I think Geo also pointed out that Grace always has had very impressive strength numbers. I thought he was good at dealing with traffic in high school as well.

And let's be honest, if he was 230 naturally he probably wouldn't still be here.

 

[Moro]

You would think a fanbase subjected to Randy Shannon and Al Golden for a solid decade would stop being so ****ing obsessed with weights, not even SEASON weight, but spring weights.

Get it together.

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

I get what you are trying to say but it is not necessarily true for a 4-3 defense. Undersized LB are perfect for the 4-3. The DT are shooting their gaps every play. The LB are reading the movement of the G's if they come shoot the gap, if they pass block, then drop into coverage. At the WILL the LB does not have to be 230 lb, this is why Spence was able to play the position at 205. His quickness was his best asset. It helped him in coverage in the flats and helped him disrupt the play behind the line of scrimmage against the run. So when you say he can't play in the box at 205 lb that's not true because a lot of teams bring in a safety to play in the box and we know S are smaller that LB typically. The Will is your most athletic and mobile LB and he needs to be lighter and faster to cover a RB or WR in the flats and that's at any level of football. As far as Spence, he will have no trouble finding another NFL team. He just has the opportunity to select the best fit for him.

 

[UknowWhat]

You would think a fanbase subjected to Randy Shannon and Al Golden for a solid decade would stop being so ****ing obsessed with weights, not even SEASON weight, but spring weights.

Get it together.

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

I get what you are trying to say but it is not necessarily true for a 4-3 defense. Undersized LB are perfect for the 4-3. The DT are shooting their gaps every play. The LB are reading the movement of the G's if they come shoot the gap, if they pass block, then drop into coverage. At the WILL the LB does not have to be 230 lb, this is why Spence was able to play the position at 205. His quickness was his best asset. It helped him in coverage in the flats and helped him disrupt the play behind the line of scrimmage against the run. So when you say he can't play in the box at 205 lb that's not true because a lot of teams bring in a safety to play in the box and we know S are smaller that LB typically. The Will is your most athletic and mobile LB and he needs to be lighter and faster to cover a RB or WR in the flats and that's at any level of football. As far as Spence, he will have no trouble finding another NFL team. He just has the opportunity to select the best fit for him.

Our HS ran Diaz Def... The Will is usally in the box... in our case Sam is normally out of the box...with the large number of teams running spread ... in this scheme SAM is your more athletic backer...he can go out in coverage or when 1 by 1 on a TE... he has the quickness to rush from the edge...So it makes since that Grace has moved to SAM and JY to WILL...MIKE and Will or interchangeable and SAM and Saftey or close to being interchangeable. ..

 

[Moro]

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

I get what you are trying to say but it is not necessarily true for a 4-3 defense. Undersized LB are perfect for the 4-3. The DT are shooting their gaps every play. The LB are reading the movement of the G's if they come shoot the gap, if they pass block, then drop into coverage. At the WILL the LB does not have to be 230 lb, this is why Spence was able to play the position at 205. His quickness was his best asset. It helped him in coverage in the flats and helped him disrupt the play behind the line of scrimmage against the run. So when you say he can't play in the box at 205 lb that's not true because a lot of teams bring in a safety to play in the box and we know S are smaller that LB typically. The Will is your most athletic and mobile LB and he needs to be lighter and faster to cover a RB or WR in the flats and that's at any level of football. As far as Spence, he will have no trouble finding another NFL team. He just has the opportunity to select the best fit for him.

Our HS ran Diaz Def... The Will is usally in the box... in our case Sam is normally out of the box...with the large number of teams running spread ... in this scheme SAM is your more athletic backer...he can go out in coverage or when 1 by 1 on a TE... he has the quickness to rush from the edge...So it makes since that Grace has moved to SAM and JY to WILL...MIKE and Will or interchangeable and SAM and Saftey or close to being interchangeable. ..

I think the point is that you don't have to be 230 lb to play in the box. The "Box" being your front 7. You can't run a 4-3 and your LB are not counted in your front 7. LB by nature play run first then pass. Against spread offenses they may step out to play underneath coverage in the flats but they still have run support to that side.

 

[252cane]

It's unbelievable that these dopes are still in Folden land despite the obviousness of his failure here and how bad a fit for UM it is to be in the business of artificially bloating players.

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

I get what you are trying to say but it is not necessarily true for a 4-3 defense. Undersized LB are perfect for the 4-3. The DT are shooting their gaps every play. The LB are reading the movement of the G's if they come shoot the gap, if they pass block, then drop into coverage. At the WILL the LB does not have to be 230 lb, this is why Spence was able to play the position at 205. His quickness was his best asset. It helped him in coverage in the flats and helped him disrupt the play behind the line of scrimmage against the run. So when you say he can't play in the box at 205 lb that's not true because a lot of teams bring in a safety to play in the box and we know S are smaller that LB typically. The Will is your most athletic and mobile LB and he needs to be lighter and faster to cover a RB or WR in the flats and that's at any level of football. As far as Spence, he will have no trouble finding another NFL team. He just has the opportunity to select the best fit for him.

Our HS ran Diaz Def... The Will is usally in the box... in our case Sam is normally out of the box...with the large number of teams running spread ... in this scheme SAM is your more athletic backer...he can go out in coverage or when 1 by 1 on a TE... he has the quickness to rush from the edge...So it makes since that Grace has moved to SAM and JY to WILL...MIKE and Will or interchangeable and SAM and Saftey or close to being interchangeable. ..

So they have moved grace to sam in a 4-3 under? Or is diaz not planning on using it?

 

[UknowWhat]

Jermaine Grace's weight is irrelevant. I know you know this but the guy is the perfect fit for an aggressive defense.

The key to a blitzing defense? Get there first. People always said how passive our previous defense was, but we blitzed A LOT. Problem was our blitzes were ill conceived and our guys slow to the ball. That just left bigger gaps in our coverages.

Grace wasn't a 5 star recruit for a reason. He lacks size. He's strong for his size though and has absolutely elite speed. He might be the fastest **** linebacker in the country for all we know.

There's no reason Grace can't have a James Burgess impact. I happen to think he's a better player than Burgess and if he's properly utilized, namely his elite speed and natural instincts, he's going to have a big year.

I think Grace is the best player on our Defense... but at 205 you can not play in the box in D1 and higher football. By him getting moved to SAM was a great move because now he will be out of the box a lot more than at WILL... I honestly think he should play safety... His size and speed and aggression make that a perfect spot for him... especially at the next level.... How many teams in the NFL will draft a 207 LB? Spence is going to have trouble finding a team he is over 230 now... but at 5'11 his frame is maxed out... I hope that I'm wrong because he is one of my favorite Canes. GA Tech runs power right at the box... and it proved positive against our D... Now if the DLine can penetrate the LOS that will take a lot of pressure off the backers but even then the box backer will have to shed a block before getting to the ball and that will mean you will need strength and size

I get what you are trying to say but it is not necessarily true for a 4-3 defense. Undersized LB are perfect for the 4-3. The DT are shooting their gaps every play. The LB are reading the movement of the G's if they come shoot the gap, if they pass block, then drop into coverage. At the WILL the LB does not have to be 230 lb, this is why Spence was able to play the position at 205. His quickness was his best asset. It helped him in coverage in the flats and helped him disrupt the play behind the line of scrimmage against the run. So when you say he can't play in the box at 205 lb that's not true because a lot of teams bring in a safety to play in the box and we know S are smaller that LB typically. The Will is your most athletic and mobile LB and he needs to be lighter and faster to cover a RB or WR in the flats and that's at any level of football. As far as Spence, he will have no trouble finding another NFL team. He just has the opportunity to select the best fit for him.

Our HS ran Diaz Def... The Will is usally in the box... in our case Sam is normally out of the box...with the large number of teams running spread ... in this scheme SAM is your more athletic backer...he can go out in coverage or when 1 by 1 on a TE... he has the quickness to rush from the edge...So it makes since that Grace has moved to SAM and JY to WILL...MIKE and Will or interchangeable and SAM and Saftey or close to being interchangeable. ..

So they have moved grace to sam in a 4-3 under? Or is diaz not planning on using it?

Grace will be SAM...