Who do you want to start at nickel?

[TRick72]

Why I’ve been saying we need OJ, X and Damari back in a big way. Move Fitzgerald back to his natural position and then you pick the best for the nickel, Dunnigan, Thornton, Day. I’m a little concerned with Dunnegan being out of position at times but his raw potential is unreal!

Ja’boree Antoine

 

[AUcane]

Thornton…it’s starting to click! Plus, his skill set fits well against Clemson’s run game, setting the edge!

Jj can do the same and even better

Quiet a kept but JJ is also our best gunner on PR coverage

 

[Donny Donowitz]

Whoever gives us the best chance to win.

 

[jps2344]

They desperately need to get Fitzgerald back in the middle of the field—probably nickel alternative safety. He’s doing ok but him at corner is like asking Ed reed to play corner it’s a waste of his strengths. Thornton at nickel is basically a pure blitzer. It’s unfortunate that they couldn’t get one more young corner suitable enough that they have to waste fitzgerald’s talents out there.

First line hit the nail on the head. Needed.

 

[mojoxd]

What’s interesting is that JJ is almost exclusively playing boundary safety (jakobe thomas role) and Thornton is playing nickel (keionte scott role). With fitz at corner, they could have been playing JJ at nickel from the get go, but they're choosing not to. Maybe there are a lot more responsibilities at nickel so they’re going with the older player, but it seems like Thornton is much more suited to the boundary safety position than where he’s playing now at nickel.

 

[Memnon]

What’s interesting is that JJ is almost exclusively playing boundary safety (jakobe thomas role) and Thornton is playing nickel (keionte scott role). With fitz at corner, they could have been playing JJ at nickel from the get go, but they're choosing not to. Maybe there are a lot more responsibilities at nickel so they’re going with the older player, but it seems like Thornton is much more suited to the boundary safety position than where he’s playing now at nickel.

The problem with Thornton is that you can't put him as a Dropback Safety because he's very limited in terms of his change direction ability/agility.

He can really only play close to the LOS as a Torpedo Blitzer.

He doesn't have the range to play as a traditional Safety. Even at Boston College, when I watched his BC film, in 2 years of starting up there, I could count on my hands the number of times he played in the deep 3rds. Tim Lewis pretty purposely hid him from coverage for that very specific reason.

Playing the same role on Miami's Defense as he did at Boston College, basically an extra LB.

 

[mojoxd]

The problem with Thornton is that you can't put him as a Dropback Safety because he's very limited in terms of his change direction ability/agility.

He can really only play close to the LOS as a Torpedo Blitzer.

He doesn't have the range to play as a traditional Safety. Even at Boston College, when I watched his BC film, in 2 years of starting up there, I could count on my hands the number of times he played in the deep 3rds. Tim Lewis pretty purposely hid him from coverage for that very specific reason.

Playing the same role on Miami's Defense as he did at Boston College, basically an extra LB.

Yeah, you’re right about his deficiencies in coverage. Jakobe did a fair amount of dropping into coverage last year and was versatile as a robber, low hole player, and even dropping deep. I guess i was thinking that at least in the boundary, there’s less grass to cover. Thornton’s body positioning and footwork on the TD he gave up against wake was …. well you know. I know you broke it down in your post game recap.

In an ideal world, I would prefer if thornton was a situational/rotational player than a full on starter because his limitations hamper what Hetherman can do on defense. But i also understand that they’re undermanned outside and patchworking the back 5 right now. If jaboree makes it back, i hope he cements himself as a starter going into the playoffs. Getting lucas back will help too.