He sucked last year but at least to me he's shown the ability he can become an elite safety. And please, enough with the "we drafted so and so over so and so". That's how the NFL works, everybody drafts somebody instead of somebody else. 99% of the time it's the wrong pick. 99% of the time they could have gotten a better player who was drafted later. Except for that one best player of the draft...
Just watch the game. You can't tell me after watching his performance in that game that he's not capable of becoming a top 5 safety. The way he was knocking people out, jarring balls loose, hovering around the line of scrimmage and making big hits in the backfield in the running game. He did suck after that, but I think that was more him missing a lot of time due to the concussion, him having terrible players around him, him having to cover deep instead of doing what he does best and is most comfortable with. All that is going to change now. If he sucks again this year I'll label him a bust and move on from him, I wouldn't even give him another year after that. But I'm 99% sure he will become an impact player and hopefully a Polamalu type safety. People thought I was nuts when I said Richardson looked like Baby Sapp in the preseason. Pryor looked like Baby Polamalu, he can be that type of safety. Only thing that bothers me with him is his lazyness. If he grows up (it sounds like he did), if he matures now and takes his JOB (not a hobby anymore) serious, if he starts studying and if he dedicates himself to becoming a top flight safety he can, he's got all the tools. Sheldon has those qualities. We'll see with Pryor but I'm hopeful.
Now I agree that the Jets should have taken Bridgewater over Pryor, but I think you're being ridiculously judgmental and too harsh on Pryor. Did you see Pryor play at Louisville? He was a very, VERY good safety, and "elite" college safety. He was playing out of position all of last year in Rex's defense, and I'd be willing to bet that he got little or no coaching that was worth a crap. He had no good CBs to play with last season, either. He was adjusting to the speed of the NFL, trying to do something that he wasn't ideally suited for, and had little help or support around him. I think it's WAAAAY too early to say that he will never be elite and that he sucks.
Very weak in his most important responsibility, pass coverage. Broken slide rulers would take a better angle than Pryor in making a tackle. He needs to learn how to play smart, and stop looking for that one big hit for ESPN. Big year coming up for Pryor.
First, what Pryor did at Louisville has absolutely no impact on how he will perform in the NFL. Ryan Leaf had a great college career. Second, I never said he sucks. He had a very disappointing rookie season, especially for a 1st round draft pick. Like I said, this will be a very big year for Pryor. Let's see if he can step up.
I disagree. Yes, there are players who are great in college who are busts in the NFL, but to say it has no impact is not accurate imo. In college he showed the play making ability, speed, athleticism and instincts to become a very good pro. In your initial post you didn't just say that he had a "very disappointing rookie season, especially for a 1st round draft pick." You may not have said that he "sucks," but said he would "never be elite." HUGE difference. If you had simply said that he had a very disappointing rookie season, I would have had no reason to disagree. I agree that he had a very disappointing rookie season. I think there are valid reasons for that. Few rookies come into the NFL and dominate from day one. It takes a lot of players a while to develop. I don't think Rex is the great defensive mind that so many think he is, and in his system he tries to force players into roles that they may not be suited for. I also don't think his CS was very good. All that said, he may never develop. He may wind up being a bust, or just an average player. Then again, he could develop into an All Pro safety. I just think it's too early to predict one way or the other. I want to see how he plays this year with a year's experience, playing his natural position, with great CBs in the defensive backfield, in a system that is tailored to fit the abilities of the players, and supposedly better coaching.
Pass coverage is no longer his most important responsibility. He was playing at FS last year. He is a natural SS, and that's where he'll probably be playing most of the time this season. Yes, he does need to learn to take better angles, but supposedly, that is a learnable skill. I also agree that he needs to learn to just wrap up the ball carrier and not always look for the big hit. I think Bowles will correct that flaw. Again, that is something that should be fairly easily correctable. I also agree that this is a big year for him. Thankfully, with Bowles having played safety, and with what I think will be a better CS, I expect to see marked improvement in his play this year.
As NC said, pass coverage is not his most important responsibility. With much improved CB's, he will be able to play as a box safety a much higher percentage of the time. Even the areas he will have to cover vs the pass will be significantly smaller than last year, and he'll be able to play primarily moving forward, and have a lot less backpedaling to do. He was literally playing a different position than he has been training for throughout college and the offseason, and was forced into it due to a bunch of CB's going down. When players try to do too much, they make mistakes. Even elite players do this, when they are forced to account for inadequacies on other parts of the team. Lots of players take some time to adjust to the Pro level, and take time to perfect techniques that they were able to be a bit sloppy with in college. Pryor has all the talent to become an elite SS, but everyone knows there are no guarantees when it comes to potential. You just seem to be ignoring some pretty key facts as to why Pryor struggled in his rookie season. And to say he's not talented enough to be an elite safety... That's just ignorant.
10 first rounders or 0 first rounders doesnt really matter. not to say we dont have the makings of an excellent defense because we do. but i mean kyle wilson was a first rounder, dwayne robertson was a first rounder, vernon gholston was a first round. how much all pro or pro bowl talent do we have is the real measuring stick. Revis and Mo are all pros. Sheldon is all pro talent. Cromartie is a pro bowler. Harrison is pro bowl talent Leonard williams is likely to be pro bowl talent or better. 2-3 all pros and 2-3 probowls. that is pretty outstanding.
well when we DID have a top 3 defense, we barely made the playoffs. that was with a younger version of mangold/brick, probably a better oline all around, and with a ton of luck. so i dont think with geno at qb and not feeling very lucky and a defense that hasnt proved it yet that it is crazy to think we miss
im not down on pryor, but "elite safety" seems like a reach at least based on what he showed. He had some really big mental lapses last season. i get he would be tasked with as much coverage, but you can still blow coverage at SS. he had at least 2 plays where he completely missed his assignment that led to a long wide open uncovered player for a touchdown. he can tackle, but it isnt like he didnt miss his share of them, or take bad angles leading to big plays instead of losses in the backfield. He didnt do much on blitz packages. he didnt make many plays in the secondary both on the ballor on the ball carrier/reciever. i think he can be good, but i dont see the elite stuff based on what he showed. its not like he came on like reed or polamolu in year 1 blowing up plays all over the place
Polamalu actually had a very similar rookie year. Ed Reed is a different story, he had Chris McAlister who in his prime was arguably the best corner in football, better than Sherman is now. That's how good he was. They had a bunch of other really good corners and safeties, and overall just a great defense with ridiculous pass rushers (Suggs, Boulware, Adalius Thomas etc.). And what people didn't really see was how many times he gambled, how many bigplays and touchdowns he's given up. DB's take a while to develope, it's not like with pass rushers or middle linebackers or receivers. Dee looked like garbage early on, but he showed signs of a #1 corner before he got hurt. Most young corners and safeties do. Very rarely does a guy like Revis play like a #1 corner from day one. Let's see what Pryor does this year. It's too early to judge him IMO.
No he didnt. Polamolu didnt start as a rookie, he only played on passing downs, and when he was in he wreaked alot of havoc. 2 sacks, and basically just as many tackles as pryor in a fraction of the snaps. Comparing him to ed reed as a rookie is a joke, i dont care how many pro bowl corners he played with or big plays he gave up. pryor isnt near that class even inr eeds rookie year im all for not judging pryor to early... thats exactly what people are doing saying he has elite safety potential
I'm very fringe about it, so Idk if I will keep that prediction come late August. We do have better offensive weapons though.
i think we will be right there. 8-10 wins. the schedule helps, but the division will be tough. gun to my head id say 9-7 and not making it
