xwalker
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I don't think they are putting his name on the depth chart in ink, but I also wouldn't rule him out. My previous review:
Dekoda Watson
Arm: 32-3/4”
Height: 6013
Weight: 240
40 Yrd Dash: 4.40 (Pro Day)
20 Yrd Dash: 2.60
10 Yrd Dash: 1.54
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 24
Vertical Jump: 40
Broad Jump: 11'02"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.11
3-Cone Drill: 6.82
He reminds me of Bruce Carter. He has the physical ability to do anything but it’s the mental side that is hit or miss. He even had one of those Bruce Carter plays where he forgot to touch the player that was down and the player was able to get up and gain some more yards.
Like Carter, he had some blocked kicks in college.
He might not be quite the freak athlete like Carter, but he’s not far behind. I think he can run right with Carter. His burst is really impressive.
He was a backup and spot starter until week 14 of 2013 when he became a full time starter until being out for the final game with an injury. He had off-season hernia surgery.
He signed with Jax for 2014 on a 2 year, 2.25M contract. His missed all training camp and the preseason due to hernia surgery and make his first start in week 10 against the Cowboys in England.
He was cut immediately after the Cowboys game. I didn’t see any reason for the cut based on his play in that game. He had 1 play where he over-played the inside run and Murray bounced outside (Watson’s side) for a big gain, but otherwise he looked solid. I wonder if he got into some kind of trouble while they were over there.
He only has 7 starts in 5 years so he probably is what he is at this point. He probably would have had several more starts but didn’t get credited with the start when the defense opened up in the Nickel.
Game Review:
He generally played on the Strong Side and was often right up on the line.
He is really fast and moves around with ease. On many RB or TE routes in the flat he almost beat them to the sideline. He matched up in man against the freak TE Vernon Davis and ran with him step for step.
He is strong enough to stack and shed blocks by OLinemen and is a good tackler.
He was given a chance to rush the passer a few times in both Tampa and Jax. He lined up as a DE against Dallas and blew past Tyron forcing Romo to step up resulting in a sack by a DT.
The negatives are all about the mental side of the game. Unlike a guy like Brinkley that I reviewed earlier, he is less about anticipating the play based on film study or instincts and is more of a reactionary type player. There were times that he did play with good instincts but was not consistent in this area. In the NFL one wrong step can get you boxed out against the run.
He did not play in the Nickel but I think that was more about being the #3 LB on the team than an inability to do it. He was behind guys like Paul Posluszny in Jax and Levonte David in Tampa (note that he was in Tampa before Lovie was the HC). He did OK in man coverage in the base but was inconsistent in zone coverage. Again more of a mental issue than physical.
He was a top special teams player; although, with the Cowboys he did have one knucklehead play where he ran into the kicker and gave the opponent a new set of downs.
On special teams he plays with his hair on fire, but on defense he is more conservative.
Summary: I don't know if he will push for any playing time at LB, but as a special teams player he has way more upside as a possible LB than Cam Lawrence. His future is about how well he takes coaching and how dedicated he is or isn't in regards to learning the scheme and watching film.
