Deone at linebacker

[NashDishesDimes]

Anyone paid muh attention to Deone? Everyone is officially listing him as a linebacker. I am not sure if they were exaggerating but the commentators the other night said he hasnt taken one snap at safety this year.

This is going pretty overlooked, the guy has never played LB in his life until he is just tossed in there in the NFL. My guess is that he hates it.

Anyone know how he is doing? I see he led the team in tackles the other night but that is pretty much to be expected at ILB. I assume if/when D-Wash comes back, he will move back to safety and Cards will have to let some talent in the secondary walk..

Thoughts?

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I know some on here (K9 in particular) have taken time to really evaluate his play. That being said I think he may be a little over critical of his play when you consider he is playing out of position. One of the complaints I have seen is that he gets stuck in blocks too much, but I would imagine that to be because of his lack of size and thus strength for the position. It's kind of a double edged sword because of his smaller size and quickness he can make plays that most ILBs don't make, but those same things will cause some issues that most other ILBs don't have as well.

You also bring up a good point in that he hasn't really ever played the position. With that comes a lot of technique type things that you wouldn't necessarily need to learn while playing the safety position. I am just happy that he is talented enough to not completely suck at that position and is actually making a pretty decent amount of positive plays for the defense.

 

[Cardsfann]

He's smaller yet not even half as explosive as DWash. Dude makes as much plays at ILB as Minter does.

 

[Finito]

He's a freak talent. Some guys on this board want a roster of these perfect players that don't exist. They complain he doesn't do well in coverage and what not but you can go look at his college film and see 15 interceptions on his resume. Adrian Wilson wasn't the best dropping back either and he's going in to the rim of honor pretty soon and hall of fame eventually. Bucannon was drafted to be an in the box downhill safety.

I don't think some guys really understand how talented you need to be to come to the NFL completely just switch positions like he has and still be able to stand out. There is a reason guys like Gruden and Jaws just gush all over him but what do they know.

I swear if we had a prime Deion Sanders on this team certain guys here would rip him apart because he doesn't tackle

 

[Goldfield]

No more Washington talk.

 

[LittleDavis]

Deone is a box SS. Not fast enough to cover deep and not big enough for LB. He is a fiesty, hard nosed and energetic athlete that doesn't have any particular skill set. He makes the occasional shoot the gap TFL but more often is slipping and sliding through blocks for a 3-4 YDF tackle or getting completely engulfed at the point of attack. We need a MLB that can set the tone!


HEY Sean Weatherspoon....we're still waiting...time is ticking!

 

[DVontel]

If anything, I would rather see Minter get benched & see the duo of Deone & D.Wash.

 

[WisconsinCard]

I said when we drafted him he is our next ADUB. Some scoffed some agreed, but he is been a LB and only an LB since he's been here. So he is not really our new ADUB he is just going to look like it on paper. The reason some are making a big deal about it is that want his number changed to a LB number. They say he is harder to identify with a DB number.

 

[BigRedRage]

who is Daryl Washington?

 

[Ohcrap75]

I like DB and I feel like he will make a bigger impact once we get a True ILB. I also think that the player that really compares to ADUB is HB. Although he doesn't have his size, he is one of our best tacklers and a great pass rusher like Wilson. Pretty amazing that a 5'9'' player can be a tone setter!

 

[Harry]

You can typically get a pretty good ILB in round 2 or sometimes even 3. When the contracts shake out in the off-season he may well play more of a strong safety position.

 

[Capital Card]

a. I'm convinced Washington isn't coming back to the Cardinals. I think the better question is if he'll ever play in the NFL again.

b. Buc was asked to step in and fill a gaping hole left by Washington. He's not going to the Pro Bowl as a linebacker, but he's done a good job stepping up.

c. I agree with Harry that Buc will eventually be a pretty decent Strong Safety.

d. As for now, the kid never comes off the field. No matter the position, I think this is what most players strive for. I don't see any reason for him to be upset about it.

Go Cards!!!

 

[kerouac9]

He's a freak talent. Some guys on this board want a roster of these perfect players that don't exist. They complain he doesn't do well in coverage and what not but you can go look at his college film and see 15 interceptions on his resume. Adrian Wilson wasn't the best dropping back either and he's going in to the rim of honor pretty soon and hall of fame eventually. Bucannon was drafted to be an in the box downhill safety.

I don't think some guys really understand how talented you need to be to come to the NFL completely just switch positions like he has and still be able to stand out. There is a reason guys like Gruden and Jaws just gush all over him but what do they know.

I swear if we had a prime Deion Sanders on this team certain guys here would rip him apart because he doesn't tackle

Where does the freakish talent show up? I know that the Cards love him and talk a ton about him (which is why Gruden and Jaws talk a lot about him — journalists are lazy and they'll parrot whatever Mark Dalton is telling them to say). Where are the big plays? A couple tackles for loss? Isn't he a defensive back? Shouldn't he break up some pass plays?

Again, if you have the game on DVR or NFLRewind, I implore you to watch all the defensive snaps and key in on Bucannon. He has that one tackle for loss, but consistently ends up leaving the gap he's supposed to contain, or getting knocked down, or getting caught up in traffic, or failing to take deep enough drops.

He's fine. He's a below-average inside linebacker and not good enough to take snaps away from Tony Jefferson at strong safety. His biggest play Monday night was almost getting to the ball carrier as quickly as Tyrann Mathieu.

He's 20+ games into a professional career where he's exclusively been a linebacker. We've gone over this conversation in depth a couple weeks ago. It's time to put away the "He's playing out of position!" garbage. This is his position in the NFL.

 

[GuernseyCard]

Where does the freakish talent show up? I know that the Cards love him and talk a ton about him (which is why Gruden and Jaws talk a lot about him — journalists are lazy and they'll parrot whatever Mark Dalton is telling them to say). Where are the big plays? A couple tackles for loss? Isn't he a defensive back? Shouldn't he break up some pass plays?

Again, if you have the game on DVR or NFLRewind, I implore you to watch all the defensive snaps and key in on Bucannon. He has that one tackle for loss, but consistently ends up leaving the gap he's supposed to contain, or getting knocked down, or getting caught up in traffic, or failing to take deep enough drops.

He's fine. He's a below-average inside linebacker and not good enough to take snaps away from Tony Jefferson at strong safety. His biggest play Monday night was almost getting to the ball carrier as quickly as Tyrann Mathieu.

He's 20+ games into a professional career where he's exclusively been a linebacker. We've gone over this conversation in depth a couple weeks ago. It's time to put away the "He's playing out of position!" garbage. This is his position in the NFL.

Given that he's played almost exclusively at ILB, what supports this conclusion?

 

[Chaz]

Wait, he had a big tackle for loss in the backfield but his biggest play is almost getting to the ball carrier as fast as Mathieu?

The real problem, team wise, is Spoon isn't good enough to take snaps away from him at linebacker.

 

[oaken1]

There have always been two kinds of safety in the NFL.
Guys who are too slow to be corner.............
and guys who are too small to be a linebacker.
Deone is a football player. He would occasionally make a play from any position on the field..... but IMO he will not physically hold up to continuously being hit by guys a hundred pounds bigger than he is.

 

[kerouac9]

Wait, he had a big tackle for loss in the backfield but his biggest play is almost getting to the ball carrier as fast as Mathieu?

The real problem, team wise, is Spoon isn't good enough to take snaps away from him at linebacker.

It's so easy to look up the plays that Bucannon actually made:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201510260crd.htm

1 10 CRD 38 Justin Forsett left end for -1 yards (tackle by Deone Bucannon)
1 10 RAV 20 Joe Flacco pass complete short right to Kyle Juszczyk for -1 yards (tackle by Tyrann Mathieu and Deone Bucannon)

So, which tackle for loss on first-and-10 was the "big one"?

 

[Chaz]

It's so easy to look up the plays that Bucannon actually made:



http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201510260crd.htm



1 10 CRD 38 Justin Forsett left end for -1 yards (tackle by Deone Bucannon)

1 10 RAV 20 Joe Flacco pass complete short right to Kyle Juszczyk for -1 yards (tackle by Tyrann Mathieu and Deone Bucannon)



So, which tackle for loss on first-and-10 was the "big one"?

That is what you said. I am trying to reconcile the two statements.

 

[kerouac9]

That is what you said. I am trying to reconcile the two statements.

The play they highlighted on the broadcast was the one where Bucannon actually didn't do anything. His other "big play" was a one-yard loss on 1st and 10.

 

[juza76]

Do u Think the change of position is permanent or he will play SS again?

Maybe just Raynoch Thompson was playing LB under 220 lb

 

[kerouac9]

Do u Think the change of position is permanent or he will play SS again?

Maybe just Raynoch Thompson was playing LB under 220 lb

He hasn't played SS as a professional. Bucannon is playing at 208, according to AZCardinals.com. Yikes. Even Thomas Davis came into the NFL playing at 230.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

He's 20+ games into a professional career where he's exclusively been a linebacker. We've gone over this conversation in depth a couple weeks ago. It's time to put away the "He's playing out of position!" garbage. This is his position in the NFL.

I completely disagree with this logic. So because he has been playing a position in the NFL that he hasn't played ever before the NFL that somehow means that he isn't playing out of position? You also pointed out his weight in another post suggesting how small he is at 208 lbs (listed), but wouldn't size for the position you are being asked to play have something to do with being out of position. Granted looking at that guy it is pretty likely that he weighs closer to 220-225 than 208, but still he is built like a strong safety, but is being asked to play a position that is typically filled by bigger and stronger guys.

 

[kerouac9]

I completely disagree with this logic. So because he has been playing a position in the NFL that he hasn't played ever before the NFL that somehow means that he isn't playing out of position? You also pointed out his weight in another post suggesting how small he is at 208 lbs (listed), but wouldn't size for the position you are being asked to play have something to do with being out of position. Granted looking at that guy it is pretty likely that he weighs closer to 220-225 than 208, but still he is built like a strong safety, but is being asked to play a position that is typically filled by bigger and stronger guys.

Nope, because that's his position in the NFL. I'd like someone to support the assertion that he's never played LB at any level before last year.

I don't really care if he's trying hard or whatever — I'm an Arizona Cardinals fan first, a Deone Bucannon fan second. I want to make sure that our ILB is the best ILB, or at least doing an adequate job.

The thing that concerns me most is that the things he's doing well as an ILB are not things that will make him a good SS. He's not dependable in coverage, he doesn't defense passes, he doesn't play well in space.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Nope, because that's his position in the NFL. I'd like someone to support the assertion that he's never played LB at any level before last year.

I don't really care if he's trying hard or whatever — I'm an Arizona Cardinals fan first, a Deone Bucannon fan second. I want to make sure that our ILB is the best ILB, or at least doing an adequate job.

The thing that concerns me most is that the things he's doing well as an ILB are not things that will make him a good SS. He's not dependable in coverage, he doesn't defense passes, he doesn't play well in space.

I think you are a bit harsh on Deone Bucannon, just like you were initially very harsh on DWash as well.

I think he's been a decent ILB in run down situations, and decent in pass coverage. He's a plus player inside the box against the run, and he isn't overwhelmed playing around larger players.

Where I get concerned is that he almost never (or is it never) makes any plays other than tackles.

 

[thephoenixson28]

He is our new Adrian wilson.