ESPN: Big DBs in high demand, short supply

[jobberone]

Big DBs in high demand, short supply
College game favors bigger, faster athletes on offense rather than the secondary
Originally Published: April 16, 2014
By Jeff Legwold | ESPN.com

Will NFL Defensive Backs Get Bigger?

Tim Hasselbeck discusses the success the Seahawks have enjoyed with the size of their defensive backs and whether they have set a precedent for other teams to try and copy.

It is simple physics, a football Newtonian law of sorts. Yes, when the floodgates opened in the passing game and touchdowns were scored at a record pace this past season, it was the result of a remember-when generation of quarterbacks named Manning, Brady and Brees.

Yes, it was the result of a rulebook tipped by the league's decision-makers decidedly toward offensive players. It was the result of innovative, aggressive coaches who ditched the huddle and pushed the pedal to the floor at every turn.

But there is something else at work, something more basic, something rooted in force, mass and acceleration.
"This league is a bigger, faster, stronger league,"Denver Broncos coach John Fox said. "And you win when you win matchups, and if you're the bigger, faster and stronger guy, you're going to win more matchups. That's not rocket science there. That's just the way it is."

http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2014/st...backs-playing-catchup-taller-faster-receivers

• Stock rising for small-school prospects
• Colts' Jim Irsay -- like father, like son?
• Can GPS technology reduce injuries?
• Stakes are high when projecting QBs
• Draft season brings deception strategy
• How did scouts whiff on Burfict?

 

[jobberone]

Interesting factoids:

In 92 the avg WR and DB were roughly 6-0 and 200.

In 2012 the WRs were 6-1 1/2 and almost 210. The DBs were 6-0 3/4 and 198 on average. Not to mention Megatron sized guys and hybrid TEs really towering over most DBs.

 

[casmith07]

Stupid move on the part of NFL scouts. Just like the "dual Tight End" crap that New England lucked into with Gronk and Hernandez, this is an exception, not the rule.

Richard Sherman stank up the joint when he came into the league. He's had to work extremely hard to come from being a middling cornerback at Stanford to being the best in the NFL. You cannot just plug and play a 6'3" corner and expect to hold all your opponents to 185 yards passing.

 

[jobberone]

Stupid move on the part of NFL scouts. Just like the "dual Tight End" crap that New England lucked into with Gronk and Hernandez, this is an exception, not the rule.

Richard Sherman stank up the joint when he came into the league. He's had to work extremely hard to come from being a middling cornerback at Stanford to being the best in the NFL. You cannot just plug and play a 6'3" corner and expect to hold all your opponents to 185 yards passing.

Most have a steep learning curve.

 

[xwalker]

Big DBs in high demand, short supply
College game favors bigger, faster athletes on offense rather than the secondary
Originally Published: April 16, 2014
By Jeff Legwold | ESPN.com
Will NFL Defensive Backs Get Bigger?

Tim Hasselbeck discusses the success the Seahawks have enjoyed with the size of their defensive backs and whether they have set a precedent for other teams to try and copy.

It is simple physics, a football Newtonian law of sorts. Yes, when the floodgates opened in the passing game and touchdowns were scored at a record pace this past season, it was the result of a remember-when generation of quarterbacks named Manning, Brady and Brees.

Yes, it was the result of a rulebook tipped by the league's decision-makers decidedly toward offensive players. It was the result of innovative, aggressive coaches who ditched the huddle and pushed the pedal to the floor at every turn.

But there is something else at work, something more basic, something rooted in force, mass and acceleration.
"This league is a bigger, faster, stronger league,"Denver Broncos coach John Fox said. "And you win when you win matchups, and if you're the bigger, faster and stronger guy, you're going to win more matchups. That's not rocket science there. That's just the way it is."

http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2014/st...backs-playing-catchup-taller-faster-receivers

• Stock rising for small-school prospects
• Colts' Jim Irsay -- like father, like son?
• Can GPS technology reduce injuries?
• Stakes are high when projecting QBs
• Draft season brings deception strategy
• How did scouts whiff on Burfict?

The Cowboys are in a situation right now where they should try to find some mid to late round big CBs and see if they can develop them. They're never going to develop a big CB if their 4th and 5th guys on the roster are 5-9 and 5-10.