2013 Secondary - CBs?

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Gopher Bandanna Guy

Gopher Bandanna Guy

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The Gophs secondary was a strength of the defense this season, but losing Carter and Stoudemire at the corners is a significant loss of veterancy. Presuming Wells and Vereen play the safeties again in 2013, who are our most likely candidates to open against UNLV as our starting corners?

My guess is Shabazz and Thompson, but I admit I'm not overly familiar with the depth at CB on this team. Thoughts?
 

Gopher Bandanna Guy said:
The Gophs secondary was a strength of the defense this season, but losing Carter and Stoudemire at the corners is a significant loss of veterancy. Presuming Wells and Vereen play the safeties again in 2013, who are our most likely candidates to open against UNLV as our starting corners?

My guess is Shabazz and Thompson, but I admit I'm not overly familiar with the depth at CB on this team. Thoughts?
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I think the more likely scenario is that Thompson stays at S and Wells moves to CB. I'd prefer that they didn't and keep the good S depth, but I could see it happening. Shabazz seems almost like a lock to start at one CB, while the other will be manned by whoever they move from S, or if they don't move anyone, up for grabs between Baltazar, Boddy, Murray, and A. Johnson.
 


I just don't see Wells being moved. He has the potential to be one of the best safeties in the B1G4 over the next two years. He may be too valuable at safety to move.
 

The coaches seem to like Murray a lot. He may see more time. Jucos Boddy, Shabazz, Baltazar likely too.
 


I wouldn't rule out the incoming freshman either.
 

I've been talking about Wells moving back to CB for awhile now (I believe John Galt has also talked about it quite a bit).

For me, it just makes the most sense. I think he's more athletic (not as fast but more agility) than Thompson.

I just think Wells skillset best fits at boundary corner (where Stoudamire plays). He is a good tackler (necessity), he can cover but he's probably not best used in a ton of space (field corner). Shabazz makes a lot of sense over there. I also think it covers up Wells biggest weakness, Wells gets lost in the shuffle a bit on running plays trying to come up from the safety position. Wells was good this year, but the Iowa and Northwestern games kind of highlighted this weakness of Wells.
 

btowngopher said:
I wouldn't rule out the incoming freshman either.
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Yeah, I'd really love to say that we can just plug Andrews in that position, but I think if a true freshman plays a lot at CB, it'll be more in the nickel situations (which make up about 60% of the defense played today).
 

Right now, we basically have 3 starting safeties: Vereen, Wells, Thompson. Baltazar and Shabazz saw limited playing time, and I don't remember Murray or Boddy getting a snap at CB all year. In a season where the expectation is for us to win 7 games, I'd be shocked if those are the top 4 guys. I think Wells or Vereen move to CB and start opening day opposite Shabazz.
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
I've been talking about Wells moving back to CB for awhile now (I believe John Galt has also talked about it quite a bit).

For me, it just makes the most sense. I think he's more athletic (not as fast but more agility) than Thompson.

I just think Wells skillset best fits at boundary corner (where Stoudamire plays). He is a good tackler (necessity), he can cover but he's probably not best used in a ton of space (field corner). Shabazz makes a lot of sense over there. I also think it covers up Wells biggest weakness, Wells gets lost in the shuffle a bit on running plays trying to come up from the safety position. Wells was good this year, but the Iowa and Northwestern games kind of highlighted this weakness of Wells.
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Wouldn't shock me to see Wells end up on the outside either. It will certainly be an interesting position to watch into spring ball and fall camp as there are very few proven options at CB but a fair amount of bodies in the DB pool to evaluate and determine who is best suited to take over for Carter and Troy.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Wouldn't shock me to see Wells end up on the outside either. It will certainly be an interesting position to watch into spring ball and fall camp as there are very few proven options at CB but a fair amount of bodies in the DB pool to evaluate and determine who is best suited to take over for Carter and Troy.
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Yep, I'm less worried about it than I was even last year (we didn't know what we had from our young S's, we thought we didn't have a ton in Carter). We have some good football players back there and shuffling them around positionally doesn't concern me, especially from S to that boundary corner, who plays a lot like a traditional safety at times.
 

I think Wells was recruited as a CB, but I think he looks more like a S than CB. I feel the same way about Vereen--who was also moved inside--but at least he's played a lot of CB.

I'm guessing it's the two JC guys from last year lining up with the first team come spring practice. We'll see where it goes from there.
 

Any chance Steven Montgomery moves to CB? I thought he was one of the better players in the 2011 class, but he red shirted his first year and barely played this year.
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
I've been talking about Wells moving back to CB for awhile now (I believe John Galt has also talked about it quite a bit).

For me, it just makes the most sense. I think he's more athletic (not as fast but more agility) than Thompson.

I just think Wells skillset best fits at boundary corner (where Stoudamire plays). He is a good tackler (necessity), he can cover but he's probably not best used in a ton of space (field corner). Shabazz makes a lot of sense over there. I also think it covers up Wells biggest weakness, Wells gets lost in the shuffle a bit on running plays trying to come up from the safety position. Wells was good this year, but the Iowa and Northwestern games kind of highlighted this weakness of Wells.
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Good thoughts and points. I just don't know if I see Wells moving to CB. But, like Bandana Guy, I am not as familiar with the backups in the secondary outside of Shabazz. Didn't seem to see a whole lot of them outside of special teams that I recall. I remember Murray a couple times, Thompson and Balthazar (sp?) playing significant time in the secondary on occasion, but that is about it. So, I guess I really don't know.
 

I like that whoever plays will be a system player. One that has been recruited by or been in Claeys system for the majority of their college career.
 

I think as some have already said, Shabazz is a lock at one of the corners.

I also believe that any of the others would not be a lost moving from safety to corner because I believe (based on last season) they all were better corners than safeties....again last season.

Vereen - we know he can play corner, contrary to what some believe he was the best corner in 2011 (even before Troy was hurt).....that's why he was the field corner.

Thompson - again another dynamic athlete who can play multiple positions. I think he can play cb put I would leave him at S, of the 3 he is the most experienced.

Wells - The most dynamic of the 3. He is a stud football player who becomes very ordinary in the run game as a S. In fairness to him this was his first season at the position so growth should be expected. This is tough. I like this kid alot. If he is used primarily in the pass game as the deep or slot/cover safety cool. He could also figure out the tackling piece (really angles because he is not afraid to mix it up) and become all world.

The issue won't be cb because we are loaded there (all 3 S's are good/great cb's); the issue will be who can play run defense at the safety position. This is a good problem to have because it's much easier (on other teams) to find a run stuffing safety than a cb.
 

Sportsfan24 said:
I think as some have already said, Shabazz is a lock at one of the corners.

I also believe that any of the others would not be a lost moving from safety to corner because I believe (based on last season) they all were better corners than safeties....again last season.

Vereen - we know he can play corner, contrary to what some believe he was the best corner in 2011 (even before Troy was hurt).....that's why he was the field corner.

Thompson - again another dynamic athlete who can play multiple positions. I think he can play cb put I would leave him at S, of the 3 he is the most experienced.

Wells - The most dynamic of the 3. He is a stud football player who becomes very ordinary in the run game as a S. In fairness to him this was his first season at the position so growth should be expected. This is tough. I like this kid alot. If he is used primarily in the pass game as the deep or slot/cover safety cool. He could also figure out the tackling piece (really angles because he is not afraid to mix it up) and become all world.

The issue won't be cb because we are loaded there (all 3 S's are good/great cb's); the issue will be who can play run defense at the safety position. This is a good problem to have because it's much easier (on other teams) to find a run stuffing safety than a cb.
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That's exactly how I see the situation. Now, I do disagree a little on the notion that the better CB always plays the field corner as I think they sort of have different skills. His name is escaping me, but Alabama almost always played the best CB in college football on the boundary, because he is larger, not afraid to tackle, likes to blitz, etc. I will agree though, the best pure cover corner should be on the field.

You're assesment of the players is exactly how I feel though. I actually liked Vereen at corner, but I like him a little more at Safety (especially because of Shabazz). If we didn't have Shabazz, I'd probably be in favor of moving Vereen over, but I like his coverage skills on the backside.

Your Wells assessment is spot on, he's a tough kid but he just didn't take great angles and got lost in the lineman too often to be effective against the run at the safety position. I like him at that boundary corner cause he'll get to blitz and use his toughness, but he was also pretty solid in coverage.
 

Sportsfan24, I defer to you on the DB issue because you've obviously watched a lot of that position (I pretty much defer to you on most player evaluation matters), but regardless of whether Vereen was the best corner in 2011, is he suited for the position? He just seemed to get a lot better and more reliable when playing S. Part of that is that the game was more "in front of him." He seemed to get turned around a bit when playing CB and doesn't look to have enough flat-out recovery speed if that's going to happen. Granted, 2011 was everyone's first year in a new system so that could change. Just my observation.
 

50PoundHead said:
Sportsfan24, I defer to you on the DB issue because you've obviously watched a lot of that position (I pretty much defer to you on most player evaluation matters), but regardless of whether Vereen was the best corner in 2011, is he suited for the position? He just seemed to get a lot better and more reliable when playing S. Part of that is that the game was more "in front of him." He seemed to get turned around a bit when playing CB and doesn't look to have enough flat-out recovery speed if that's going to happen. Granted, 2011 was everyone's first year in a new system so that could change. Just my observation.
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Thanks for the kind words but my opinion is no better than anyone's else's.

Vereen? 2011 was tough on the backend. QB's had all day to pass, the S's were used exclusively in the run game and the corners were left on a Island. When one of the S's (Kim early, Lewis midway) were used in coverage they rolled to the other corner side of the ball. Considering all things I think he played pretty darn well. Speed? He is faster than either of the 2012 cb's.

Of all the guys in the secondary Brock is the most well rounded so he might be "stuck" at S but he would be a very good corner....but then so would most of them.
 

Sportsfan24 said:
He is a stud football player who becomes very ordinary in the run game as a S ... He could also figure out the tackling piece (really angles because he is not afraid to mix it up)
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Bob_Loblaw said:
he's a tough kid but he just didn't take great angles and got lost in the lineman too often to be effective against the run at the safety position.
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You guys both hit the nail on the head here. As the folks sitting around me could attest to, it was a common complaint of mine this season. I don't know what the coaches have in mind for the corner spots in 2013, but I'd like to think Wells is an option.
 

btowngopher said:
Any chance Steven Montgomery moves to CB? I thought he was one of the better players in the 2011 class, but he red shirted his first year and barely played this year.
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I doubt it, since they moved him to safety last year and he wouldn't start at corner next year.
 

I think Wells would be great at boundary corner, he would have to make some tackles, but in the games where he had to make a lot of RB tackles near the line of scrimmage, he was getting up real slowly by the third quarter. I don't think he can take the pounding playing safety against Wisconsin, Iowas, MSU, Neb.
 

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