6'3 230 ain't NFL linebacker size? Go check some rosters and see how big most of those guys are. 250-260 is considered a BIG linebacker. One of the best in the league, Thomas Davis for carolina plays at about 235. London Fletcher was a tackling machine at 5'11 220. CJ definitely has the size and the frame to add more weight. Hell Kelvin Sheppard is listed at 239 himself.
They do when half the teams in the league run a good number 3-4 WR sets. Even in nickel sets, the safety has to do some covering. Brees, Manning, and Brady are the best in the league because they exploit mismatches. They look for the guy being covered by the safety or LB and pick on him. They don't have to cover all game long, but they have to cover. In an NFL defense, CJ would be better suited using his size and speed to be a tacklin machine at outside LB. He's a freak of an athlete but the mental part is what might hold him back at the next level. Things get a lot more complex, but either way, I'm confident in his ability. I just think for LSU's defense, he'd be an asset in a Harry Coleman type role. Big enough to play LB, athletic enough to play safety. On the field for every snap.
So you go with Loston and Taylor at the safety positions, I just dont think you have the experience there.
whats the highest a CB has been drafted. how bout DB? i dont think there has ever been a #1 pick of either of those positions. pp's college career is not as good as champ's, yet. champ had a big impact on special teams and O.
Either way you're losing something. Loston won't have the experience of course, but Taylor will, and Taylor has been impressive. You can't really put all the blame on him for the Whoolio 73-yarder. We had other options than putting a safety on their best guy. Jones is really a luxury in that we can keep a veteran secondary or he can help shore up a depleted LB corp like Coleman did. My only apprehension is since Jones just really came on strong in the 3rd or 4th game this year, we might just now be scratching the surface with him. But if Loston is as good as advertised, I think it's better to get his talent on the field than have it waiting on special situations. Get him out there, and let CJ find the guy with the ball and hit him really hard. It's a good problem to have in that Jones is probably capable of making the switch. I just hope the Minter's, Mingo's, Barrow's, etc of the LB corps are ready to step it up. Good thing Shepperd should be back. We'll miss Coleman and Riley...Cutrera not so much... Who's calling the defense this year? Is it Riley? Jones? Someone else?
I agree, that might be the best move for Jones, now that you put it that way. Plus we have some prime time talent coming in at Safety with this class. I worry more about our Linebackers next year than our secondary, moving Jones would make me worry less. I think Sheppard is calling the defense.
I checked the history and no DB/CB has gone higher than 3. Shawn Springs went #3 back in the late 90's and he earned his billing. Deion was a #5 pick. Champ was a #7 pick. Safety records on NFL.com only go back to 91, but the highest drafted was a #2, Eric Turner out of UCLA. Laron Landry was actually 3rd highest on record for NFL.com when he went #6. Sean Taylor went #5.
#4. Surprisingly, for the past 15 years or so, ALL of the CB's drafted in the top 10 have been as good as advertised. Pacman was the only bust, but it obviously wasn't his talent that made him a bust. But the top 10 guys over that time...Champ, Shawn Springs, Bryant Westbrook (was very good until injuries got him), Antonio Langham, Woodson, Quentin Jammer, Terrence Newman, Deangelo Hall (still good, but fallin off), Pacman, Antrelle Rolle, Carlos Rogers...not bad at all. Actually, most of the 1st round guys have been good. Amazing success rate.
what about Ed Reed and Sean Taylor? Also, i could see Peterson being a number 1 overall pick. Chad Jones doesn't he want to play baseball? I still think Chad hits hard enough to be a linebacker but his size (even though there are linebackers his size in the NFL) is not the ideal size. Bradie James is the ideal size for a linebacker.
