I don't get the hype over Minter

[BigRob]

That may be true but I'm pretty sure Upshaw did line up on the inside on occasion.

Main point being: Their not using Upshaw as their starting ILB. They need a ILB, Safety, Receiver, Tight End help.

[BigRob]

Here's an expert for ya doid:

Daniel Jeremiah. He was a professional scout for the Ravens prior to joining NFL Network.

I've seen all I need to see from Kevin Minter…Instincts, burst, explosive striker, sorts through the trash, great effort. I'm in

[URL]https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks[/URL]

See everyone can regurgitate what the experts claim and then claim they knew the same thing long before.

[steelblood]

I like Minter very much. I think he is a top forty talent for sure. I also like Khaseem Greene. I thought he'd weigh around 225 at the combine. But, he came in at 241 (same weight basically as T'eo and Minter). He still ran really well (high 4.6s). Greene is a playmaker. He has range and speed almost as good as Ogeltree, but he is a more explosive hitter. Greene blitzes well and thumps receivers in the pass game. I'd love to get Green in the second round. That kid would be awesome next to Timmons.

[BigRob]

I like Minter very much. I think he is a top forty talent for sure. I also like Khaseem Greene. I thought he'd weigh around 225 at the combine. But, he came in at 241 (same weight basically as T'eo and Minter). He still ran really well (high 4.6s). Greene is a playmaker. He has range and speed almost as good as Ogeltree, but he is a more explosive hitter. Greene blitzes well and thumps receivers in the pass game. I'd love to get Green in the second round. That kid would be awesome next to Timmons.

I'm a big fan of Greene as well. I just don't think we're going to take an ILB before the 3rd or 4th.

[flippy]

I think it's sometimes tough to evaluate a player on a really good team. 1 star can make it easy for other guys to stand out. There were some other stars at LSU which may have freed up Minter to make some plays.

[lloydroid]

Here's an expert for ya doid:

Daniel Jeremiah. He was a professional scout for the Ravens prior to joining NFL Network.



[URL]https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks[/URL]

See everyone can regurgitate what the experts claim and then claim they knew the same thing long before.

I think you are a little obsessed with me. Try chilling out, Big Tub.

[lloydroid]

I think it's sometimes tough to evaluate a player on a really good team. 1 star can make it easy for other guys to stand out. There were some other stars at LSU which may have freed up Minter to make some plays.

The only think I can think of, is that, in middle, you don't have to move very far to make plays. But if this guy has to cover TEs in these days, he is in huge trouble. He is really slow. You could tell by just watching him that he's got not speed, even before the 40 time came up. There were O linemen who were faster, visually and timed. And Minter isn't overly athletic. He had beasts on his D line, as SEC teams all have awesome D lines. If he doesn't have a superior DL in front of him in the NFL, he will struggle. If he has to cover anyone, he is also in trouble. No thanks. He is no where near as physically talented as our own Timmons.

[lloydroid]

Oh, by the way, the other unimpressive, high profile ILB: T'eo. He looked stiff and kind of slow. How anyone thinks he is a top 5 pick is beyond me.

[Dee Dub]

The only think I can think of, is that, in middle, you don't have to move very far to make plays. But if this guy has to cover TEs in these days, he is in huge trouble. He is really slow. You could tell by just watching him that he's got not speed, even before the 40 time came up. There were O linemen who were faster, visually and timed. And Minter isn't overly athletic. He had beasts on his D line, as SEC teams all have awesome D lines. If he doesn't have a superior DL in front of him in the NFL, he will struggle. If he has to cover anyone, he is also in trouble. No thanks. He is no where near as physically talented as our own Timmons.

Clueless. You obviously never saw Minter play. He held his own in coverage. Now having said that, as a Steelers next to Timmons, he wont do much of the covering of the TE's and backs. That job will go to Timmons. What you will want out of Minter or T'eo is the ability to drop into a zone coverage. Read and re-act which is something they both have shown the ability to do.

Kevin Minter was tackling machine. Both in the back field and down field. This cat didn't miss a lot of tackles. He plays faster than he times. Like a heat seeking missile.

130 tackles 15 for loss (yeah and that is coming from 7 yards off the line of scrimmage), and 4 sacks, and 6 PD's.

[Dee Dub]

Oh, by the way, the other unimpressive, high profile ILB: T'eo. He looked stiff and kind of slow. How anyone thinks he is a top 5 pick is beyond me.

Nobody has ever said he was a top 5 pick. I would still have no problem taking him at 17. What I saw, was he actually did pretty well in the drills. But I do not have an axe to grind.

[BigRob]

I think you are a little obsessed with me. Try chilling out, Big Tub.

Ha ha. Nice one. Very witty.

[flippy]

next to Timmons, he wont do much of the covering of the TE's and backs.

I think Timmons is best when he's playing in the box instead of dropping into coverage. Did you notice at the end of the season when Troy was playing, Lebeau wasn't dropping Timmons into coverage as much and we were able to create turnovers.

Timmons doesn't always have to blitz, but the threat always has to be there. That will force guys to account for him so their QB doesn't get killed.

And that's why I'd like another LB with Timmons' skillset playing next to him. That way you don't know who's dropping and who's covering. Heck, Woodley was pushing 300 lbs and DL still has him dropping to cover RBs/TEs regularly. And he's often adequate.

The reality is the guy next to Timmons is gonna drop half the time and have to cover WRs/TEs/RBs. So a guy like Minter would have been a much better fit 5-10 years ago. Now he doesn't offer the same value.

And given Tomlin's track record, he like LBs with athleticism and he likes positional flexibility.

[ikestops85]

This is one of the reasons I hate the combine. People start seeing times, height/weight, etc. and make decisions on players. Look at the player's tape and talk to the player. That's how you rank them. Maybe, and I say maybe, use the stats from the combine as a tie-breaker. What the guy does on the field during games determines what kind of player he is. Not, as they say, what he does in gymn shorts.

[Captain Lemming]

This is one of the reasons I hate the combine. People start seeing times, height/weight, etc. and make decisions on players. Look at the player's tape and talk to the player. That's how you rank them. Maybe, and I say maybe, use the stats from the combine as a tie-breaker. What the guy does on the field during games determines what kind of player he is. Not, as they say, what he does in gymn shorts.

Yes, how soon they forget ike, recall just last year with what would become rookie team LB Vontaze Burfict after the combine:


"He ran slower than any other linebacker tested at the Combine in the 40-yard dash, registering a 5.09 second time that was beaten by 36 of the 48 defensive linemen including 346 pound Dontari Poe. A troubling lack of overall explosion was also shown with a 30" vertical jump, a number beaten by all but two linebackers in Indianapolis. "

Undrafted he led the Bengals in tackles. By some measures he is the most valuable defensive player in the league:

[URL]http://www.cincyjungle.com/2013/1/3/3833256/the-incredibly-high-value-of-vontaze-burfict[/URL]

Save for "the crazy" in Burfict, based on the player ability, in hindsight I would draft him in a minute and put him next to Timmons.

Minter AND Teo are both CHEETAHS compared to Burfict, when it comes to timed clock speed.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Minter AND Teo are both CHEETAHS compared to Burfict

Well then, maybe they belong with the Patriots...