Aaron ross

[DanTanna]

111th rank passing defense in D1. No thanks.

[dogberry]

As a Texas fan, I notice players that shine against the horns. Figures at KS got my attention last year.

[Doomsday101]

Originally Posted by dogberry

As a Texas fan, I notice players that shine against the horns. Figures at KS got my attention last year.

Same here and Andy Brodell the WR from Iowa got my attention as he put up 150 some odd yards on the Horns.

The Hawkeyes needed one play to strike again. Brodell took a short pass, faked out Texas cornerback Aaron Ross, the Thorpe Award winner, and outraced the Longhorns down the sideline for a 63-yard score.

"It felt like they were picking on me the whole game," Ross said.

[joseephuss]

Originally Posted by DanTanna

111th rank passing defense in D1. No thanks.

That was mainly due to the fact that Texas had no pass rush. The reason DL guys like Crowder and Robison should only be second day picks. They showed some impressive combine numbers, but if they were great, Texas would have had more sacks and pressures.

The pass defense also suffered because neither safety could cover. The reason why I think Griffin is over rated and really should be a 2nd day pick as well. I keep seeing his name mentioned as a 2nd tier safety for the 2nd or 3rd round. That is too high.

And then Brown and whomever was subbing for him at the other corner back spot were inconsistent all year. Another guy who is only worth a 2nd day pick.

Ross was the most consistant defender on that Texas squad and he had some big plays for them. I don't think he is worthy of a 1st round pick, but he should bring good value in the 2nd round.

[Chocolate Lab]

Originally Posted by dogberry

As a Texas fan, I notice players that shine against the horns. Figures at KS got my attention last year.

I like Figurs as a late-round return specialist. He's tiny, but he's got blazing speed.

(And FWIW, it was K-State. )

[ABQCOWBOY]

Originally Posted by joseephuss

That was mainly due to the fact that Texas had no pass rush. The reason DL guys like Crowder and Robison should only be second day picks. They showed some impressive combine numbers, but if they were great, Texas would have had more sacks and pressures.

The pass defense also suffered because neither safety could cover. The reason why I think Griffin is over rated and really should be a 2nd day pick as well. I keep seeing his name mentioned as a 2nd tier safety for the 2nd or 3rd round. That is too high.

And then Brown and whomever was subbing for him at the other corner back spot were inconsistent all year. Another guy who is only worth a 2nd day pick.

Ross was the most consistant defender on that Texas squad and he had some big plays for them. I don't think he is worthy of a 1st round pick, but he should bring good value in the 2nd round.

I don't really agree with much of this. The scheme at Texas hurts the pass rush as much as anything IMO. They go small all over the damn place and that's good if you want to get to the ball carrier quick but it can work against you when your playing safeties at LB and LBs at DEs. There out of position and they suffer from a huge size disadvantage. In the case of Robison, I think you see a guy who really should have been playing LB his entire career. Crowder played hurt a great deal at Texas. When healthy and on the field, he played with very good production. He showed the ability to get to the QB. I guess I just don't think that it's as simple as not being able to pass rush. Texas is not a team that uses the blitz much anyway.

It will be interesting to see how they work out in the NFL. I wish them both luck. I hope we take Robison but that's just me.

[joseephuss]

Originally Posted by ABQCOWBOY

I don't really agree with much of this. The scheme at Texas hurts the pass rush as much as anything IMO. They go small all over the damn place and that's good if you want to get to the ball carrier quick but it can work against you when your playing safeties at LB and LBs at DEs. There out of position and they suffer from a huge size disadvantage. In the case of Robison, I think you see a guy who really should have been playing LB his entire career. Crowder played hurt a great deal at Texas. When healthy and on the field, he played with very good production. He showed the ability to get to the QB. I guess I just don't think that it's as simple as not being able to pass rush. Texas is not a team that uses the blitz much anyway.

It will be interesting to see how they work out in the NFL. I wish them both luck. I hope we take Robison but that's just me.

I'll take Robison. Just not on the first day.

That same scheme worked in recent years for Texas, especially in pass defense. If they struggled it would be against the run, which is typical for a smaller quicker defense. This past year teams were so successful throwing against them that they didn't need to run. It wasn't scheme. It was the players. Crowder and Robison were not the weak links, but they aren't great, either. Both can be good role players for a NFL team. There is a need for role players, but I prefer that to occur in the later rounds. That scheme also worked for Jimmy's Cowboys.

[ABQCOWBOY]

Originally Posted by joseephuss

I'll take Robison. Just not on the first day.

That same scheme worked in recent years for Texas, especially in pass defense. If they struggled it would be against the run, which is typical for a smaller quicker defense. This past year teams were so successful throwing against them that they didn't need to run. It wasn't scheme. It was the players. Crowder and Robison were not the weak links, but they aren't great, either. Both can be good role players for a NFL team. There is a need for role players, but I prefer that to occur in the later rounds. That scheme also worked for Jimmy's Cowboys.

I would not mind having either player in the 3rd round. However, in years past, Texas has not played this defensive scheme. This is a recent thing IMO. Texas has moved to this from a more traditional defensive posture of years past. Texas, this year was the victom of graduation of interior defensive personel. They lost both DTs and most of there LBs the previous years. I would not call either of these guys 1st round talents but I think they were much better then what the season shows. The Texas defense, last year, could not get good teams off the field. I don't think you can point to the DEs or the DBs and say it was them, per say. I think the scheme lent to it and the inability of the interior defense to get pressure or stop the run. Texas DBs did not play good man to man defense. They played lots of zone and layed of, trying to keep everything in front of them. I think Brown new that he couldn't play pressure defense with the group of kids he had.

[Biggems]

Originally Posted by Crown Royal

Hook, line & sinker.

The problem with DJ coming out was that he was soft and wouldn't be able to stand up to OL. Now it's because he doesn't have a DL in front of him.

I have seen the Chiefs play about 5-6 times since they drafted DJ...lets just say he isnt what is wrong with that defense.....they need work.....DJ is doing a fine job.

as a rookie he had 95 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 pass defends, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery in 16 games......not too shabby for a rookie

this past season he had 75 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 pass defends, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries in 13 games.......once again not a bad total....

DJ is doing just fine in KC....

[Rack Bauer]

If we draft Ross before the third round I'll shoot a kitten.

[joseephuss]

Originally Posted by Rack

If we draft Ross before the third round I'll shoot a kitten.

And that will be a reducition in the number of kittens you usually shoot in a day.

[Chocolate Lab]

Originally Posted by ABQCOWBOY

I would not mind having either player in the 3rd round. However, in years past, Texas has not played this defensive scheme. This is a recent thing IMO. Texas has moved to this from a more traditional defensive posture of years past. Texas, this year was the victom of graduation of interior defensive personel. They lost both DTs and most of there LBs the previous years. I would not call either of these guys 1st round talents but I think they were much better then what the season shows. The Texas defense, last year, could not get good teams off the field. I don't think you can point to the DEs or the DBs and say it was them, per say. I think the scheme lent to it and the inability of the interior defense to get pressure or stop the run. Texas DBs did not play good man to man defense. They played lots of zone and layed of, trying to keep everything in front of them. I think Brown new that he couldn't play pressure defense with the group of kids he had.

This is getting off topic, really, but I am within range of hearing Oklahoma City's Sports Animal radio station, and one night I heard Barry Switzer talking about this on his weekly show. They asked him about the good job Gene Chizik had done (as always) and Barry pointed out that Chizik was a zone coach where Texas had always played a lot of man-to-man in the past. Switzer said a key difference between college and the pros was that in college, there aren't enough good corners to go around. He said in the NFL, you have the elite athletes at corner that can often match up, but that at the college level, the good WRs far outnumber the good CBs. He said that's why zones in college make sense, and he thought that was a big reason UT's defense was so much better lately.

Barry is so often described as a hick buffoon, but I thought that was a great point and something I hadn't really heard before.