I see it as the other way around. As depth grows you are more able to have those stricly special team specialists becuase you no longer have the need for your 3/4th RB, 5/6th WR, and so on to be contributors on the O or the D becuase the guys in front of them are good backups with no injury history.
The problem is that the Cardinals still have no idea who the KR and PR men will be. Based on previous performances, Bryant Johnson does not look like the answer as a kickoff returner or punt returner. He runs far too upright and hesitates the way Reggie Swinton did.
Roger Robinson seems ideal for the KR role. He's built low to the ground and he has ideal burst to find daylight.
Michael Spurlock is the Randal Antwan-El type athlete that DG has been looking for. He's shifty and quick.
Troy Walters brings veteran savvy and ability to the role and will likely win the job if Spurlock struggles.
I predict that Spurlock will impress and win the job...and may even win the KR job as well. If so, that might save a roster spot for someone like Femi.
Femi's play was just as good if not better on special teams. With more tackles on fewer special teams plays.
I was watching different games, I guess. I saw Femi whiff repeatedly on tackles last year...yeah, he had 17...as did Harold Morrow...and Quentin Harris led the team with 24. But, Femi looked tentative to me, as did Morrow, who was supposed to be a special teams dynamo.
Also Robinson has never been a KR so giving him the job he has never done while we are not sure of his injury status is putting the cart way before the horse. And KR has already been implied by Green that it is BJ's job to loss at this point in time.
Answered above.
Versatility I will give you and IF he can show he can be a lead blocker I agree he does have a shot. But at what point in time has this special teams sigigicant talent show itself. Becuase I dont see how you can say someone is a significant special teams talent when he has only played one game.
Did you watch Bronson in pre-season and in the first game (he had 2 ST tackles versus the Giants...1 unassisted and 1 assisted)? The guy made the team because he is such a physical specimen...really stood out as a big framed athlete with above average speed and tackling ability for a player his size. I would be shocked if he doesn't make the team, assuming he stays healthy.
How many players has Green stated this about in the past and how many are still looking for a job. I wouldnt put to much stock into it.
I agree. Good point. There's no telling what anything means with DG.
Huff is easily a good coverage LB. There is a reason we held TE's to the least amount of catches, Yards, TD's over the last 10 years in the NFL. That is becuase all 3 of the LB's last year Dansby, Huff, and Darling are all good to great coverage LB's. And to say that Huff doesnt have the edge speed playing behind shattered DL core is one of the craziest things I have seen yet in the paswt month. He was ranked 6th in the whole NFL for TFL's, #1 on our team and he doesnt have edge speed. The guy is fast any way you slice it. Its his strength that is questionable not his speed not one bit.
Orlando Huff played more with his mouth last year than anything else. He's a sturdy, reasonably quick (not fast) LB who's very much hit or miss. Yes, he had 7 TFL last year...which was good...but, he was not a blitzing threat at WLB...in fact he had only one QB pressure and one QB hit. CP wants a WLB who can blitz from the edge so that teams will be reluctant to double team Bertrand Berry.
Orlando Huff's overall play last year was not impressive...plain and simple. He missed far too many tackles and wasn't the athlete on the edge that CP wants. The Sporting News' comment on Huff: "Orlando Huff has some decent skills, but the coaches are looking for a playmaker on the weak side. They didn't think Huff delivered last year." Lindy's comment on Huff: "Disappointed on weak side after coming over from Seattle last year."
Huff is the #1 WLB even after all the OTA's, yet he will need a very good camp to stay on the team. Going against a 5th round slim jim rookie and another LB that the coaches were dissapionted in his progression last year in Blackstock? Dont see where you are coming from on this one at all.
Blackstock fits the mold physically if he can improve the mental aspects of the position. If Gerald Hayes is healthy and winds the MLB job...look for James Darling to garner some time at WLB...and the sleeper here, IMO, is Mark Brown. This guy is under-rated. As for your reference to Brandon Johnson, he will need to get stronger...but his role this year will likely be on STs and in the nickel packages where he can use his speed to his and the team's advantage in coverage.
Mitchell had 9 Tackles the first 8 games of the season and 5 the last 8 games. He was far more consitent the first 8 games not his last 8 becuase he was injured multiple times his last 8 games. But I do like his special teams potential based off of last year.
I did not realize that...probably because Mitchell had a real good game late in the season and I remember thinking how much he had improved over the course of the year. He was being criticized for not playing physically tough enough...yet, I remember him pasting a return man twice in one game on the far sidelines.
As for the first sentence you are probably correct but at the same time you give far far to much credit to rookies, especially the UDFA's of the world. You are the complete opposite of what you are complaining about us. You are the ultimate underdog cheer leader, and there is nothing wrong with that.
