db questions about next year.

**CyDude16** · 12-03-2008, 11:19 AM

I'm just glad Hunley is gone...not to put down the kid, but i couldn't stand watching him, just didnt have the skill or athleticism or the will. I am kind of disappointed Chris Brown didn't get to play the full year, during the K-state game it seemed he was the only safety still trying.

**ISUCLONES15** · 12-03-2008, 11:24 AM

I've got the perfect solution. We should just have Nik Moser pose as an incoming freshman and get 4 more years of him!

These past few years have made me appreciate how much Moser meant to our team for the time that he was here. A very under appreciated player.

**Stormin** · 12-03-2008, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by CloneIce

We are not deep at corner, but we are very, very deep at corner relative to our safety depth. Our safety play was god-awful last year and two of the top three graduated. It has to be improved and counting solely on newcomers to improve a huge weakness is a recipe for disaster.

Also, nobody is clamoring to move LJ to safety, just some discussion on the fact that he could be a great safety. I think he will stay at corner though because of his ability there.

I also have read on another board that Land may have outgrown safety and end up being a LBer, so I don't know if we can automatically count on minutes from him at that position yet.

We can only hope that Land has outgrown safety. Our LB play was not great either. We couldn't cover the TE to save our soul. I think Banks or Alan Bell move to safety. I think the Juco safety plays. I thought Hunley was poor at safety. And James Smith made mistakes as well. Brown was injured too much to be much of a factor. I thought that Singleton got worse as the season wore on. LJ did well for a freshman but got burned on occasion. I thought Macklin from Mizzou had a whole 'nother gear when it came to speed. Not even close. Glad we were able to miss Crabtree from Tech. I thought Parker wasn't even a factor in most games. Nate Frere okay at DT. We will miss Taylor some, but he didn't have as big of a year as I had hoped. Jesse Smith is a bit slow. We need Tim Dobbins back. Garrin and Raven aren't the answer either. They are no Ace Bowen. We couldn't disguise a blitz if we wanted too. And we never had an offense off balance the whole year. And that includes SDSU and Kent State. My rant is done now.

**jj-cyclones** · 12-03-2008, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Stormin

We can only hope that Land has outgrown safety. Our LB play was not great either. We couldn't cover the TE to save our soul. I think Banks or Alan Bell move to safety. I think the Juco safety plays. I thought Hunley was poor at safety. And James Smith made mistakes as well. Brown was injured too much to be much of a factor. I thought that Singleton got worse as the season wore on. LJ did well for a freshman but got burned on occasion. I thought Macklin from Mizzou had a whole 'nother gear when it came to speed. Not even close. Glad we were able to miss Crabtree from Tech. I thought Parker wasn't even a factor in most games. Nate Frere okay at DT. We will miss Taylor some, but he didn't have as big of a year as I had hoped. Jesse Smith is a bit slow. We need Tim Dobbins back. Garrin and Raven aren't the answer either. They are no Ace Bowen. We couldn't disguise a blitz if we wanted too. And we never had an offense off balance the whole year. And that includes SDSU and Kent State. My rant is done now.

Tim Dobbins was just as slow as Jesse Smith is but since we are playing a different defensive now Jesse is forced to try and cover the TE and sometimes WR...I just think we need a better cover LB and I'm sure the staff is going after them and Jesse is the best we have right now...

I agree with most everything you said but just wanted to point out that it seemed like when we did blitz our guys were right up on the line of scrimmage (showing blitz) or it was a delayed blitz (which i hate) and our guys were usually to slow to make a difference in the backfield or they would be out of control and run right past the QB (say that a million times this year)

**rhlentz** · 12-03-2008, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by jj-cyclones

I don't see why people want to move of best player on d to the saftey spot! Seems dumb to me, I would much rather see Banks move to saftey before LJ...both are 5' 10'' but Banks is 193 and LJ is 179...I'm guessing LJ is going to put on more weight this offseason but still I would rather but a bigger Banks back there...

If banks cut his hair he and LJ would weigh about the same

**Clones85'** · 12-03-2008, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by BooneCy

I don't understand the mentality on this board that if you have a good corner, you move him to safety. This kid won the starting spot at corner his freshman year. Just because he can hit you move him to safety? We need our best cover guys at corner. LJ needs to stay where he's at.

Agreed. Let's stop this talk about LJ moving to safety. Hopefully he will be back at ISU next year

Originally Posted by jj-cyclones

I don't see why people want to move of best player on d to the saftey spot! Seems dumb to me, I would much rather see Banks move to saftey before LJ...both are 5' 10'' but Banks is 193 and LJ is 179...I'm guessing LJ is going to put on more weight this offseason but still I would rather but a bigger Banks back there...

I would move Banks to safety as well. He doesn't cover very well but he can hit and has the look of a safety

Originally Posted by jj-cyclones

Tim Dobbins was just as slow as Jesse Smith is but since we are playing a different defensive now Jesse is forced to try and cover the TE and sometimes WR...I just think we need a better cover LB and I'm sure the staff is going after them and Jesse is the best we have right now...

I agree with most everything you said but just wanted to point out that it seemed like when we did blitz our guys were right up on the line of scrimmage (showing blitz) or it was a delayed blitz (which i hate) and our guys were usually to slow to make a difference in the backfield or they would be out of control and run right past the QB (say that a million times this year)

Huh? Incorrect

**BooneCy** · 12-03-2008, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Clones85'

Agreed. Let's stop this talk about LJ moving to safety. Hopefully he will be back at ISU next year

Can someone fill me in on this comment? I have seen it a couple times, but don't have the details. Why wouldn't LJ be back at ISU next year?

**Aclone** · 12-03-2008, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by jj-cyclones

Tim Dobbins was just as slow as Jesse Smith is ...

Huh?

Dobbins was one of the fastest middle linebackers in the draft. Something like a 4.6 forty. He was drafted so high because of his combine numbers, not performance--and with a couple years of coaching, is doing well.

**Aclone** · 12-03-2008, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by BooneCy

Can someone fill me in on this comment? I have seen it a couple times, but don't have the details. Why wouldn't LJ be back at ISU next year?

Paranoia.

**BooneCy** · 12-03-2008, 02:53 PM

I see. Sorry I asked.

Why stop there.

I am really excited for Williams, Robinson, and Schwartz next year, if they are at ISU next season.

**Bader** · 12-03-2008, 02:56 PM

We'll all be singing the praises of whomever we have at DB next year if this team develops ANY semblance of a pass rush.

Also, has anyone heard anything about how Dustin Land has been progressing this year at safety?

**jj-cyclones** · 12-03-2008, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by Aclone

Huh?

Dobbins was one of the fastest middle linebackers in the draft. Something like a 4.6 forty. He was drafted so high because of his combine numbers, not performance--and with a couple years of coaching, is doing well.

Dobbins did run a 4.61 in the draft so I guess I should eat my words about him being just as slow as Jesse Smith...But Dobbins was not forced to cover as much as Jesse so maybe its not a fair comparison...

I can't find a 40 time for Jesse anywhere.

**Aclone** · 12-03-2008, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by jj-cyclones

I can't find a 40 time for Jesse anywhere.

They had to use an hourglass...

I would have been just as happy with Tyrone McKenzie still in the middle the last two seasons.

**jj-cyclones** · 12-03-2008, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Aclone

They had to use an hourglass....

Well played...

**CloneIce** · 12-03-2008, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Aclone

Well, to me it makes no sense to weaken one position to strengthen another. Like the people who suggest that Chris Lyle put on fifteen pounds to play strongside end. Aside from the issues of Lyle's "best" position, we would just be getting a three deep at rush end with Parker, Lyle and Maggitt, a nice mix of experience and youth, and we'd be destroying that to cover a different spot.

Or the people who say that James Carpenter doesn't matter, that we have "plenty" of talent to cover left tackle. We don't, switching someone from elsewhere just weakens those positions. Oh sure, we can probably "get by", but I'd really rather that Cyclone football were in a position where we weren't merely "getting by" any longer.

If a position is a strength, I'd rather have it remain a strength, rather than weakening it to cover another.

Besides which, both Banks and Bell will be seniors, so we'll need all of the experience at corner in '10 that we can get.

Can't argue with that.

The advantage being that Butler will be here for Spring ball.

And "relying on newcomers" worked for cornerback last fall, even though signing Banks late was something of a fortuitous accident.

Good points. I think if any D end gets moved over to the strong side it would be Rashawn Parker, as Lyle appeared to be the better pass rusher of the two this season. The situation reminds me of a few years back when Tyson Smith and Beau Coleman were both returning at Rush-End, and we moved Coleman over to strongside End to get our two best D-Ends on the field.

Of course, hopefully one of the redshirts or newcomers will be one of our best two ends.