Derrell Smith...

[bothsocksup]

Just watching this team, you can see how much we miss this guy. Our defense hasnt been the same since he departed. He was stout at the point of attack, fast enough to chase down a runner east/west, and very intelligent as the quaterback of our defense. Oh not to mention, A LEADER.

We need to recruit people in the mold of Derrell Smith to captain our defense. Right now, we are getting pushed around at the linebacker level. The fast/rangy model we have for our linebackers is a recipe for disaster if the rush isnt getting home. IMO we need to move either Spruill back to the middle, or groom Cam Lynch ( a much thicker player) to play the Mike.

 

[PhatOrange]

Just watching this team, you can see how much we miss this guy. Our defense hasnt been the same since he departed. He was stout at the point of attack, fast enough to chase down a runner east/west, and very intelligent as the quaterback of our defense. Oh not to mention, A LEADER.

We need to recruit people in the mold of Derrell Smith to captain our defense. Right now, we are getting pushed around at the linebacker level. The fast/rangy model we have for our linebackers is a recipe for disaster if the rush isnt getting home. IMO we need to move either Spruill back to the middle, or groom Cam Lynch ( a much thicker player) to play the Mike.

Love DSmith but we just miss having a MLB north of 230 pounds. I said it since game #1 that Diabate was killing us. I don't understand in any way shape or form how you can continue using him in the middle right now. DDavis isn't much better either on the outside.

Is LCoker so bad in the head that you can't at least give him a series ? Some players are gamers, maybe he'll surprise. We badly need his size and tenacity in the middle right now. At least give the kid a shot. How bad can he screw it up?

Don't know if Dan Vaughn is the answer either but give him a chance as well. Neither of these options can be any worse than what we're seeing out there already. At least lets just see what they got.

If the coaches insist on Diabate at MLB then we might be better off just moving Shamarko to MLB. Shamwow and Diatabe look to be the same size and at least this enables getting Durrell Eskridge on the field.

 

[SmilinBob]

This staff makes those types (230 lb) DE's.

 

[RMH44]

Love DSmith but we just miss having a MLB north of 230 pounds. I said it since game #1 that Diabate was killing us. I don't understand in any way shape or form how you can continue using him in the middle right now. DDavis isn't much better either on the outside.

Is LCoker so bad in the head that you can't at least give him a series ? Some players are gamers, maybe he'll surprise. We badly need his size and tenacity in the middle right now. At least give the kid a shot. How bad can he screw it up?

Don't know if Dan Vaughn is the answer either but give him a chance as well. Neither of these options can be any worse than what we're seeing out there already. At least lets just see what they got.

If the coaches insist on Diabate at MLB then we might be better off just moving Shamarko to MLB. Shamwow and Diatabe look to be the same size and at least this enables getting Durrell Eskridge on the field.

Well said, Phat.

 

[Fjoinkay]

Derrell Smith was a truly great athlete, football player and from all of the interviews (I've never met him) a truly great person.

He played RB, DE and LB at SU. The fact that he learned the LB position so quickly and played it so well after moving around so much is very impressive.

I hope the staff takes some time to show these LBs and the defense some film from 2010 just to give guys like Diabate a sense of what the D looks like when it's humming. Diabate is from the Bronx via the Ivory Coast, if I am not mistaken, and all he has done is work his tail off to become a better football player. I may be wrong, but I think he will continue to improve because that is all he has done and I don't believe he is at his ceiling. Maybe watching how it's done in this defense with film from 2010 will help him to make better reads and decisions in game action. Or maybe the staff has already done that or maybe I'm just flat wrong about him needing to make better reads and decisions to improve.

 

[dollarbill44]

I've said it elsewhere that, in college, a solid LB corps can cover up a LOT of deficiencies on defense.

I think if you just recruit size for the D-line (275+) - it doesn't have to be that talented - and put very good 240lb -250 lb athletes at LB, you will have a very solid D.

 

[OttoMets]

Love DSmith but we just miss having a MLB north of 230 pounds. I said it since game #1 that Diabate was killing us. I don't understand in any way shape or form how you can continue using him in the middle right now. DDavis isn't much better either on the outside.

Is LCoker so bad in the head that you can't at least give him a series ? Some players are gamers, maybe he'll surprise. We badly need his size and tenacity in the middle right now. At least give the kid a shot. How bad can he screw it up?

Don't know if Dan Vaughn is the answer either but give him a chance as well. Neither of these options can be any worse than what we're seeing out there already. At least lets just see what they got.

If the coaches insist on Diabate at MLB then we might be better off just moving Shamarko to MLB. Shamwow and Diatabe look to be the same size and at least this enables getting Durrell Eskridge on the field.

Agree. about Coker. Of course the coaching staff knows way more about football and their own personnel than either of us. But the guy is always around the ball on specials. And Diabate isn't getting it done.

Send Coker out there for a few snaps. He can't be much worse than what we've got now.

 

[dollarbill44]

He can't be much worse than what we've got now.

These dangerous words have been spoken on this board a bunch of times.

 

[OttoMets]

These dangerous words have been spoken on this board a bunch of times.

Yeah, it's not a very strong bit of reasoning on my part. But I'd sure like to see Coker get a chance on game day.