yet another FS thread!

So . . . who's it gonna be?

Richardson was apparently too slow when he struggled at FS with us before and if he was too slow then no amount of experience or coaching is likely to make up for that flaw now.
Branch is probably too inexperienced to be thrown out there at FS and isn't he more suited to SS anyway?
Tillman apparently hasn’t stayed healthy and his instincts are questionable . . . like speed, either you’ve got instincts or you don’t.
Shaw is mysterious. Even though our TBR scouts apparently didn’t see him at safety last weekend I found the snippet below:

>>>>Pat Yasinskas / Sporting News
Posted: 3 days ago

The selection of CB Chris Gamble could create an option at free safety, a position of uncertainty that wasn't addressed in the draft. With Gamble on hand, the team can afford to move CB Terrance Shaw to free safety if second-year pro Colin Branch doesn't pan out<<<<

I haven’t heard anything specific about Shaw. Maybe he’s got enough speed &/or enough instincts. He clearly has some experience but looking at his stats would indicate that he is missing something (over his last 5 seasons he has played in 64 games and tallied 150 Tckls, 3 INTs and 25 PDs - meh)
Hampton is another curiosity. I remember our scouts reporting that he was getting some time at FS over the weekend. All I know about him is he made a couple of plays last preseason at corner and he looked good doing it.

We all speculate and give our sage opinions but thank God the Panthers staff knows what they are up to and what they have and do not have much better than we do. It's still fun to pick at it though.)

 

It's gonna be a real interesting preseason for our secondary and O-line.

 

the "summer school" mini-camp should be EXTREMELY interesting. I expect a lot of players moved around, on the O-Line and in the secondary, to see who fits best before training camp arrives.

Things I wouldn't be surprised to seeno particular order)
1. Travelle Wharton practicing at T and G.
2. Bruce Nelson practicing at G and C.
3. Colin Branch practicing as 1st team FS
4. Doug Brzeznski Practicing at starting guard
5. Cecil Toby getting water for the guys that are practicing.
6. Travis Claridge practicing at G and T.
7. Jarrod Cooper practicing at FS.
8. Damane Duckette getting more reps than expected. (He'll be this year's camp fan fave.)
9. Mark Fields will be watched like a damn hawk. By EVERYONE team, media, etc.
10. Chris Gamble practicing with the 1st team defense.
11. William Hampton practicing at FS and CB.
12. Adam Meadows practicing at T and G.
13. Hank Poteat practing at CB and FS.
14. Tuten Reyes getting in a fight with Cecil Toby because he took his job of getting water.
15. Damien Richardson practicing at starting FS.
16. Mike Seidman practicing as starting TE.
17. Travares Tillman practicing as starting FS.
18. Rich Tylski practicing as starting G.
19. Chris Weinke working with the 2nd string offense. (Before Peete)
20. Dante Wesley practicing at CB and FS.
21. Matt Willig practing at T and G.
22. Rod Rutherford being more impressive than expected. (If Duckette isn't this years fan fave then Rutherford will be.)

I know some of these are more obvious than others, and most of them are speculation, but there's a LOT of uncertainty in a lot of positions this year, and should prove to be a VERY interesting summer semester. I'm guessing they have the players slated for positions by training camp so they'll be able to concentrate primarily on one area. So the biggest movement will happen during the summer session.

 

of course Rutherford will be the fan fave, he can run a little.

Cooper won't practice at FS.

That list is too long, and most of those are no-brainers. Thanks Capt. Obvious.

 

I even said some of them were obvious. I was pointing out that there are a TON of possibilities.

 

Definitely more interesting than previous years - I like the infusion of "younger" players. I believe Moose and Buck are the only key players (aside from K,P and LS) that are over 30. At 31 Fields has a couple of competent possible backups waiting and the two or three career backup OLs we have over 30 should show the kids like Wharton & Nelson more of “the ropes” on their way out.

BTW – The chances of us grabbing one more younger/slightly better OL before the season starts may not be likely but it’s possible, and it would make things even more "interesting".

 

There are some people on this board who say Branch is more suited to SS, but I don't know why. The main reason people say that of any player is lack of speed, and Branch is plenty fast enough. SS's may need to be a little bigger, but there is no reason a bigger player shouldnt play FS, if they're fast enough.

 

the biggest reason is that branch isn't a big "coverage" guy. He's more of a hitter. You normally expect your free safety to be the extra coverage guy when necessary. the strong safety if normally your hitter that helps with the run. Of course both have to do a little of each at times, but that's prototypical free and strong safety descriptions

 

>>Richardson was apparently too slow when he struggled at FS with us before

and really lacked explosion at all. Just executed. Just like Alexander, just doing his job. Smart, lacks fire. Just doesn't take the chances or puts himself out there like guys who make a difference.
That, and slow, well those two don't work.


>>Branch is probably too inexperienced to be thrown out there at FS and isn't he more suited to SS anyway?

His playing style works better there. Plus, he's lacking in instinct and guys like that tend to work better when they have more responsibility and less decision making to do. Which is probably part of why Minter works better at SS - Minter reacts a lot better than any of these guys, and is a hard core football player, which makes up for the lack of that intense instinct.


>>Tillman apparently hasn’t stayed healthy and his instincts are questionable


I think people have been waiting for a light to come on with him. Yeah, instincts are off, and it seems like his FS situation last time was marred by the fact that he's just a better SS. Which, honestly, we've got two big SS backing up a small SS, and two small FS who are really SS. It's ironic and telling that we've got 6 deep at SS and no one at FS.


>>Shaw is mysterious. Even though our TBR scouts apparently didn’t see him at safety last weekend I found the snippet below:

Yas keeps putting that on Shaw and everyone's lapped it up. All he has is size - he's not played safety, he's never been mentioned by the team as a safety. The only thing that hasn't happened is that they didn't come out and say "he's not a FS" like they did with Wesley.

>> I remember our scouts reporting that he was getting some time at FS over the weekend.

That was Hampton, I'm pretty sure.

 

Has anyone formed an opinion on Hampton yet? Good, or bad . . . corner, or FS . . . Bud, or Bud lite?