Tyrann Mathieu tweet about Rob Ryan (1 Viewer)

[whoami]

Hey your screen name suggests you may have caught an LSU game or two before. So maybe you can help me.

Tyrann Mathieu, didn't the majority of his big plays come while playing as a nickel/dimeback or safety? LSU moved him inside quite often.

Yes, he can be the joker of the defense. We need a Ed Reed type guy who is feared as a tackler (this dude caused fumbles) and also feared as a guy who can catch the ball. The QB must then thread ball into a tight window. It would result in many more INTs or QB throws them away. He can do a solid wrap-up.

 

[LSSpam]

Yes, he can be the joker of the defense. We need a Ed Reed type guy who is feared as a tackler (this dude caused fumbles) and also feared as a guy who can catch the ball. The QB must then thread ball into a tight window. It would result in many more INTs or QB throws them away. He can do a solid wrap-up.

No, we need an elite boundary CB for one side of the field and a deep FS who is long and cover a ton of distance.

Look, I think Tyrann Mathieu can be a pretty good player in the NFL though anyone with his size playing in space is going to have to worry about injuries (Bob Sanders for example), but he's not going to be, in my opinion, an every down starter and is a bit of a luxury I'm not sure we can afford.

 

[SaintRob39]

I think those wanting to bring a recovering drug addict to play football in New Orleans are kidding themselves. Places like New Orleans and Miami are not the best for people who cannot resist temptation.

You guys can debate his measurables all you want, but if he couldn't handles success in Baton Rouge, I do not think bringing him to the big games in the big easy is a good idea.

Glad to hear he likes RR though. Kind of seals my impression as a coach that players want to play for.

I hate when people say this. It isn't where you are it is what you want. If you want it in Buffalo, Kansas City, Green Bay or any other place an addict with that kind of pull and money will find it just as easy as anywhere else.

 

[LSSpam]

To put it differently, it's like taking one of those 5'9 WR/HB hybrids like Tavon Austin on offense. I mean sure it'd probably be a nice draft pick, but when we have so few, that's how we want to spend it?

 

[saint_cajun78]

I would take him in the 3rd if no one higher profile falls there when we pick. The kid made some mistakes but who doesn't at that age. It's better to screw up when you’re younger and immature than to do something like that when you get older...take Mike Vick, and Plaxico Buress for example. I think the kid now knows how his immature actions have affected his stock and yet he still has a chance to get drafted in the mid rounds of the NFL draft and make a future for himself. This kid will recover and have a solid NFL career book it! <O</O
<O</O

I'd like to think I know a thing or two about folks recovering from mistakes especially when given an opportunity for a second chance at their career....who am I?? I'm a First Sergeant in the U.S.A.F <O</O

 

[LSUknight2010]

Hey your screen name suggests you may have caught an LSU game or two before. So maybe you can help me.

Tyrann Mathieu, didn't the majority of his big plays come while playing as a nickel/dimeback or safety? LSU moved him inside quite often.

He played mostly nickel his Freshman Year and they would blitz him .

His sophomore heisman season he played Outside corner and on third downs they would move him to nickel to create havoc off the edge. He also led the defense in tackles

His big plays came off of Special Teams, picks either in nickel or outside corner, most of the fumbles were from the nickel or plays downfield he also was good at safety

 

[St. Geezy]

No, we need an elite boundary CB for one side of the field and a deep FS who is long and cover a ton of distance.

Look, I think Tyrann Mathieu can be a pretty good player in the NFL though anyone with his size playing in space is going to have to worry about injuries (Bob Sanders for example), but he's not going to be, in my opinion, an every down starter and is a bit of a luxury I'm not sure we can afford.

Spam, your posts are usually money, but I think you may be a little off on your analysis here.

We're very unlikely to get an every down defensive starter in round 3. Getting a nickel or even dime CB that can also return punts in round 3 would be a big time coup.

This day and age, with this being such a passing league, your nickel CB is basically a starter.

 

[Fontenot]

Yeah, and he wasnt drafted either.

I think u just made the op's point.

 

[IceHot]

To put it differently, it's like taking one of those 5'9 WR/HB hybrids like Tavon Austin on offense. I mean sure it'd probably be a nice draft pick, but when we have so few, that's how we want to spend it?

At least one of our draft picks will be on a risky pick to be sure. Believe it or not you can fill holes through UDFAs also.

The draft isnt all about filling holes like most of us want it to be. Sometimes it about taking risk and sometimes its about getting special teams and role players. The "Honey" Badger could fill this role as a suggested day 3 pick.

 

[St. Geezy]

To put it differently, it's like taking one of those 5'9 WR/HB hybrids like Tavon Austin on offense. I mean sure it'd probably be a nice draft pick, but when we have so few, that's how we want to spend it?

I'd want to spend it on the best available players. If the staff thinks Austin is good enough to where it trumps the defensive talent on the board by a wide margin, I'd be okay with it. Our WRs aren't all that great and Brees isn't getting any younger, meaning he could use the help.

We need to keep in mind that we're not just drafting for the 2013 season. Marques and Lance ain't getting any younger.

 

[reason2believe]

I am out on TM. I say stay away. We don't need him, and we don't need the baggage. He does not have enough upside to have to deal with the downside.

 

[LSUknight2010]

I am out on TM. I say stay away. We don't need him, and we don't need the baggage. He does not have enough upside to have to deal with the downside.

What's the downside? the only trouble he had was weed.

If he hadn't got kicked off LSU's team he would be in the mix for top 3 cornerbacks this year

 

[LSSpam]

As far as I'm concerned, 2012 didn't happen. Throw an asterisk on the Falcons division title and not even bother talking about our team that year.

So let's talk 2009-2011, which is productive anyways because from what I hear a lot of what Ryan will do will resemble what GW was doing anyways.

In 2009 Jabari Greer was outstanding. So outstanding he was arguably one of the top 2 or 3 CBs in the game. He really was right up there with Darelle Revis that year, I'm not kidding. This really allowed us to focus on rolling Darren Sharper over on coverage consistently towards Tracy Porter while Greer locked down the other side of the field, and a big part of why we had so many turnovers.

As 2011 rolled around Greer had definitely slipped and Patrick Robinson wasnt filling the void. Neither one could consistently win 1on1 matchups and Jenkins, who wasnt as smart as Sharper was either, was pushed deeper and deeper as the deep FS because he was basically having to Sophie's choice out there, unable to fully roll over to one side or the other because neither CB could be relied on to be left alone. Our defense actually wasnt horrible for the most part in 2011, but we did give up some deep pass plays, particularly in big games like San Francisco, in part because of this (though the big fault vs San Fran was Harper being isolated on Vernon Davis repeatedly).

I bring this all up because this is exactly the issue we're set to face in 2013. Ryan is going to run a lot of man coverage on the edges with a single deep safety. The problem is, we neither have a CB we can count on to spend the whole game (or even large stretches of it) by himself with no deep help nor do we have a FS we trust to cover a lot of ground deep and consistently take good angles and make good decisions, muchless still be able to impact the game turnover-wise.

So when we talk DBs in the draft, with our limited picks, I'm very focused on getting someone, anyone, who has even a shot at being one of those two type players. We have pieces on the roster to cobble together a front 7, maybe not an elite one, but at least one with some potential. But I am very concerned that we've got nothing of real long-term potential in the secondary unless the light bulb comes on for Patrick Robinson.

I would rather take a 10% shot on a CB with a shot at being a future starter for us one the sideline in the 3rd or 4th then take Mathieu, even though he may be more likely to be at least a productive player in the NFL. Seriously.

 

[RiverRat]

Watching him today made me a believer. If there isn't an obvious choice at our 3rd round, I'd pull the trigger. He's one of those players you move around to create havoc and confusion. He's a younger Harper that can catch. Probably a bit better in coverage too.

 

[head trauma]

who cares about this dudes combine/workouts. I mean lil man is a flat out baller. he's a play maker which New Orleans lack in the secondary, I mean not only did he ball outta his mind at LSU he made players that was good better and the great players superstars. hopefully since Rob Ryan's in the building the Saints want run away from play makers like him.