The Face Of Our Defense Next Year

[frostycane]

I’d challenge you guys to watch some old games. There are definitely times where your like “where the heck are the backers?” I’ve watched a few and always come away feeling like because so many went on to have stellar careers in the nfl we overlook some of their bad plays.

Now were they great? Did the team win ALOT more? Did they make some great plays? Obviously, but I think we are overly hard on the guys we have now. And if we scrutinized them back then as hard as we do now I think you’d be surprised at some of the plays that maybe aren’t so great.

 

[who]

Our starting LB's are avg at best, BCC Middle LB look better in coverage than Shaq ever did

People are having a hard time separating Shaq off the field and on the field. He's a great ambassador but on the field, he's not good. At all. I'm excited about Brooks. Finally a real athlete.

 

[who]

He’s certainly going to be the most impactful new starter, for better or worse. Hopefully this board gives him the same respect they’d expect to receive if put in a similar position. His speed and explosiveness jumped off the field of Saturday. He’s absolutely going to be a game changer over time. The new Miami might start looking like the old Miami. We’ve had an ELITE defense and LB’ing core for the last two seasons. I’m also excited to go from top fifteen/twenty to top 3. Speed kills and our current groups only shortcoming is their not 4.5 kids. If he comes in and plays to his abilities, it will be a smooth transition.

It's not only their speed. They consistently take bad angles and often out of position. You can't afford to do that when you're that slow. They have a problem with strength too. I remember when Shaq was struggling to bring down Howell.

 

[Canesfan1899]

I'm excited to see Brooks develop this season. He would've been an elite recruit had it not been for the knee injury his junior year. Kid looks like a beast and is putting in the work in S&C.

 

[NicKane]

You want to see Elite??...
Watch the 86-88 LB Unit
Watch the 89-92 LB Unit
Watch the 93-94 LB Unit
Watch the 99-2002 LB Unit
Then watch our current Unit, and with a straight face bunch them with the others.

I would throw 2003 in there as well.

 

[Mandingo]

I’d challenge you guys to watch some old games. There are definitely times where your like “where the heck are the backers?” I’ve watched a few and always come away feeling like because so many went on to have stellar careers in the nfl we overlook some of their bad plays.

Now were they great? Did the team win ALOT more? Did they make some great plays? Obviously, but I think we are overly hard on the guys we have now. And if we scrutinized them back then as hard as we do now I think you’d be surprised at some of the plays that maybe aren’t so great.

Watch them all the time. Under Schiano, I thought there were a ton of **** schemes. But, guys like Dan Morgan would make play after play after play. His game against FSU in 2000 was crazy good.

S quartermen went through an entire game against Florida and only made four tackles. He is our starting middle linebacker. Fourth year starter. 4 tackles. I watched him. I watch the game multiple times. He is extremely limited in space at times. Simply cannot get to the play at times. UFs Seniors made themselves known that night. 55 was a liability often. Bad instincts.

A friend of mine told me he didn’t know Michael Pickney was even on the field until after the game when he saw him trying to fight.

We’ll see a big difference with Sam in the middle. Good Linebackers get to the ball and finish. That’s Sam.

 

[caneworld]

Sam got on the field and looked like the fastest player out there. Also had great instinct.

You are right... game speed is often a factor of instinctively being at the right spot at the right time... not as much the 20mph speed radar readings that has been talked about so much recently...

 

[Twhizman]

Our linebackers today aren't elite like the ones from our glory years .but I'm sure glad they stuck around instead of turning pro.besides it doesn't matter today what we had then.no disrespect to those players they aren't on the field today winning football games.

 

[coffeecane]

You want to see Elite??...
Watch the 86-88 LB Unit
Watch the 89-92 LB Unit
Watch the 93-94 LB Unit
Watch the 99-2002 LB Unit
Then watch our current Unit, and with a straight face bunch them with the others.

With this take you can say every unit in those years were better than every unit we have today. That is why those teams played for NCs. We strive every day to get back to that. Unfortunately we've been replaced with Bama and Clemson for now. Let s see where Manny takes us.

 

[Hurricane23]

Kid looked like a strong safety playing backer, that's the Miami way explosive fast, hard hitting linebackers, his speed will help in coverage. I think he will be better than any of our current starters

 

[miamicanephins]

I get it but does every single thread about our current plaers have to devolve into this dude going off into a comparison trip down memory lane?

He already has the whimsical Nate Webster threads he starts out of the blue.

You should take up vaping.

 

[ajone228]

When Sam got in the game, I thought he looked like the fastest player on the field at that moment.

Kid diagnosed the plays and got to the ball fast and aggressively.

We are going to get back to the fast and physical defenses....

He’s an animal!!!

 

[JSmoot]

On paper only. Shaq and Pinckney graded out at the bottom among defensive players for the first two games. They looked sluggish and when Pinckney isn’t blitzing I forget he is on the field.

Agree with this. Said it before, but pull up the Game 0 highlights and look find Shaq on every gain by gatas.. he's out of place or missing a tackle. Secretly can't wait for speed/tackling at LB again.

 

[Torocane]

He needs as many reps as possible

 

[Go Canes!!]

You should take up vaping.

You shouldn’t change a single thing you do.

 

[KrazyCane]

Our LBs? Elite? Pffff they're not even close. They are slow. Wait until we get some of these start playing when they come in. I have a feeling we are going to recruit those fast and light LBs and build them into men.

You remember when Brandon Spikes ran a 5.06 forty yard dash and was still one of the best linebackers in college football??

 

[KrazyCane]

Our starting LB's are avg at best, BCC Middle LB look better in coverage than Shaq ever did

BCC MLB would be 3rd string at best on this team though. Y’all have no clue what Shaq is asked to do in this defense if he was as bad as y’all say then he wouldn’t have been ranked one of the best linebackers in coverage last year and the staff wouldn’t continuously put him on the field in passing downs.

 

[bobbydigius]

No....our starting LBers are NOT elite....Stop it....Good??..Absolutely....but to throw accolades like "Elite" around in ref to Elite LBing at UM is ludicrous...

Yup, a couple of years go people on here crowned our secondary elite, and a poster shot back with, if that’s elite than what do you call the 2001 secondary? Elite gets thrown around here way way too loosely.

 

[88]

I want to yell "TRY IT!" when running backs try to get to the edge on us again.

 

[SWFLHurricane]

Yup, a couple of years go people on here crowned our secondary elite, and a poster shot back with, if that’s elite than what do you call the 2001 secondary? Elite gets thrown around here way way too loosely.

Exactly....If these guys are Elite...then what tf were the guys I mentioned earlier??....Not one of these LBers would have started in the yrs I previously mentioned....