forums

Linebacker

Ethnicsands said:
I don’t agree. We can pretend it’s all unknowable, but Jennings, Joyner and Wilder aren't looking like Sundays players to me. Things can change but that doesn’t mean the trend is wrong or undiscernable.
Click to expand...

Glad I didn't have to post this...but you are spot on.
 
Advertisement
Advertisement
Canesfan21 said:
Grace was playing great for us until he got kicked off the team for benefits. Plays on Sundays now but not an impact player. Shaq has had a down year but the kid has been an anchor for us for 2-3 years and has time to turn it around. I think Pinckney has been great and will have a pro career.

Looking at that list its just plagued with great players that were head cases / made mental mistakes (E. Johnson, Paul, Blue, Figueroa, Grace, J. Young) and Injuries (Witt, Kirby, Owens, Wilder, Gordinier, Gayott)

Our 2016 evals have provided the only consistency in 10 years.
Click to expand...
Maybe my expectations are just skewed by my memories, but I recall the ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s. Watching Winston Moss, Tiger Clark step it up, Mo Crum, the Bermuda Triangle, Ray Lewis the best player on the field the day he showed up. Rohan and Francis. Webster, Morgan, Vilma, DJ, also Rocky and Beason. Spence had special instincts.

We’re now ecstatic over what should be the minimum expectation. What true all americans have we had in ages?
 
Advertisement
I am hoping Steed and Jennings can bounce back this Spring knowing they are in danger of being passed over by Huff and Brooks if they don't get their **** together and catch on quick. Injuries set them back but **** if feels like they have been here forever and don't have a full season worth of serious PT between the two of them. Smh.

I like our incoming LB class but I don't love it. You have some guys who need to be coached up and Patke hasn't proven he can take a 3* kid and make a beast out of him. If you are going to take projects, you better have a 5* LB coach.
 
Ethnicsands said:
In the ‘80s - early 90s era, we had: Winston Moss, Crum, Brophy, Clark, Shannon, Barrow, Armstead, D. Smith, Mira, Carter, Newbill

Even in the mid-‘90s, we had R. Lewis, Russell, Francis, Burgess, Marley, and Morgan and Webster enrolled in ‘97. Chris Campbell and H. Clark enrolled in ‘99.

In the ‘00s, we had Vilma, DJ Williams, Rocky McIntosh, T. Gooden, McClover, Beason. Then we started to miss assess even while signing some highly rated kids: J. Bryant, S. Adkins (good athlete but not great LB), L. Williams, W. Williams. Also Randy started looking for guys who reminded him of him: Cook, Houston, R. Davis. Sharpton was a solid enough athlete. McCarthy was very underrated.

In ‘08, we brought in Spence and A. Brown, both good recruits and players even if Brown ended up going elsewhere. R. Buch was a solid player and good recruit, imo, even if he was a tweener who never turned into what people thought. Futch was a bad eval, as was Marti.

In ‘09, Holton and K. Rob, both bad evals (wheels off the cart)
in ‘10, Cain, Cornelius, Gaines, T. Williams, K. Nelson (wheels gone from crash site)
In ‘11, E. Johnson, Paul, Perryman, Armbrister. Say what you want, Dorito could evaluate LBs. Still, only 1 had a real impact at UM.
In ‘12: Kirby, Blue, Terry, Witt
In ‘13: Figueroa, Grace
In ‘14: D. Owens, J. Young, McCray, Gayott, M. Smith
In ‘15: Perry, King, Gordinier
2016: Shaq, Pinckney, McCloud (Dorito evals)
2017: Wilder, Jennings, Steed (Diaz evals)
2018: Joyner
2019: Brooks, Huff

So basically, since 2008, we have Perryman. He’s the only LB we’ve had drafted since Spence. Everyone else is a coulda shoulda or below what a top level UM LB meant previously. Armbrister has stuck in the NFL as an UFA, and he wasn’t even an NSD commitment, IIRC. I believe Dorito added him after NSD.
Click to expand...
Jennings wasn’t a manny evaul. He was a son of a former richt player

r buch had injuries issues. That ruined him.
 
Advertisement
Ethnicsands said:
I don’t want anyone on this board to misunderstand - this isn’t Ethenic Sands. Just a screen name that links to his name the way others have done for other players. Goes back a long way on these boards. But happy to share a view. Sorry if anyone been confused.
Click to expand...

Glad you cleared that up, because I was under the impression that you were the former Cane
 
Ethnicsands said:
So basically, since 2008, we have Perryman. He’s the only LB we’ve had drafted since Spence. Everyone else is a coulda shoulda or below what a top level UM LB meant previously. Armbrister has stuck in the NFL as an UFA, and he wasn’t even an NSD commitment, IIRC. I believe Dorito added him after NSD.
Click to expand...
McCarthy was drafted in the 4th round in 2011 and was having a decent career in the NFL but he kept getting injured.

Ever since I started watching the Canes we always had multiple good LB's except for the last three years.

2009: Sharpton, Spence, McCarthy
2010: McCarthy & Spence
2011: Spence & Perryman
2012: Perryman, Paul, Johnson
2013: Perryman, Figueroa, Ambrister
2014: Perryman, Kirby, Grace, Ambrister
2015: Grace, Young, Kirby
2016: Shaq, Pinck, McCloud

2017-Now: Absolutely nothing.


So much wasted talent. Brown, Grace, Young, Figueroa, Johnson, Paul, etc.
Eddie Johnson was on his way to becoming our next great LB smh.
 
Advertisement
jed1250 said:
Well look at our LB coach. Is it Patke.... I really think we should hire a Ray Lewis or a Vilma as a consultant or as the coach. I am a firm believer that if you were all pro at the position you can teach/coach the position.
I really believe our recruiting issues are that the kids don’t believe in the position coaches, I believe that is a problem and the other is they want out of Miami

I do believe we are gonna be good next year with woh we have in waiting.
I do agree recruiting at LB and DB is a problem
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the reality indicates quite the opposite. People you cite become all pro's because they perform things naturally and instinctually. That you can't teach.

Those who looked into it find that the best coaches are those who may not have the best natural talents but made themselves into ball players. The same carries over into baseball. The best managers were not all stars but journey men that happened to hang around the majors for years (particularly former catchers). They end up knowing more of what it takes to be successful and can relate to others how to do it. (Of course if you cherry pick, you can always find exceptions).
 
Last edited:
NorthEastCane said:
Unfortunately, the reality indicates quite the opposite. People you cite become all pro's because they perform things naturally and instinctually. That you can't teach.

Those who looked it find that the best coaches are those who may not have the best natural talents but made themselves into ball players. The same carries over into baseball. The best managers were not all stars but journey men that happened to hang around the majors for years (particularly former catchers). They end up knowing more of what it takes to be successful and can relate to others how to do it. (Of course if you cherry pick, you can always find exceptions).
Click to expand...
That is an interesting perspective, never looked at it like that. I think as fans we get frustrated when we see people leave the program and play in the NFL at a different position. Like our DEnd Chickillo I think playing good for Steelers at LB. Like watching this staff play Roseau at interior lineman and was double teamed. What a waste. LOL. Sometimes I am reaching for straws after watching us flail for so many years.
 
Advertisement
Back
Top