Justin Durant the Playmaker

[wileedog]

We talked this guy off the couch. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to play anymore, and no one else was knocking down the door.

He makes one play at the end of the 2nd game of the season and suddenly he's "The Playmaker?"

Really?

 

[mperfection]

We talked this guy off the couch. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to play anymore, and no one else was knocking down the door.

He makes one play at the end of the 2nd game of the season and suddenly he's "The Playmaker?"

Really?

Yes - REALLY!!!!!!!!

 

[btcutter]

Yup. Kevin Burnett as well, just developed somewhere else.

I wish more of our later rounders pans out quicker and contribute.......well, I guess we might have won the lotto with Dak. But we need more hits.

 

[Nexx]

i kinda like what they are doing now. keep durant fresh and healthy by rotating him. use him in the 4th quarter during crunch time.

 

[Falco78]

While I am not sure he's a play maker he definitely has shown he should be a starter

 

[EPL0c0]

Justin Durant can be a guy that can help this defense turn around. He seems to be a fringe player in practice but always shows up for the games and has a way to find the football.

I remember two years ago, hearing about him potentially being a roster cut in training camp but he turned out to be our best linebacker before the injury. This year I even heard talk of him being a surprise cut and he barely saw the field week one but he was our savior in week two.

Injuries will always scare me with this guy but if he is able, he should start and get a full snap count. Lord knows this defense needs playmakers and Durant can be that guy playing next to Lee.

Durant was playing solid in Dallas before his injury. He & Lee worked well together.

I think a big problem with Lee is that he tries to do too much. When he knows the other LBs struggle, it's like he wants to be in 2-3 places at once.

IF Durant is back up to speed with the defense/Marinelli/etc, then this gives Lee the chance to focus just on Lee.

This would go for ANY of the LBs, but if Durant can just do enough so Lee can focus on his own assignments, that helps the defense A LOT

 

[chicago JK]

Durant is a JAG when he was here a few years ago. That is not a bad thing. He was a guy who could be a average starter and fill in a spot as a placeholder. Every team has these guys. Is he the same player as he was a few years ago? Lets hope so, because our linebackers look pretty awful outside of Lee.

Durant is a veteran placeholder though. We obviously need to find better talent at linebacker moving forward.

 

[dallasdave]

Justin Durant can be a guy that can help this defense turn around. He seems to be a fringe player in practice but always shows up for the games and has a way to find the football.

I remember two years ago, hearing about him potentially being a roster cut in training camp but he turned out to be our best linebacker before the injury. This year I even heard talk of him being a surprise cut and he barely saw the field week one but he was our savior in week two.

Injuries will always scare me with this guy but if he is able, he should start and get a full snap count. Lord knows this defense needs playmakers and Durant can be that guy playing next to Lee.

He is an upgrade !

 

[dallasdave]

Yup. Kevin Burnett as well, just developed somewhere else.

Good point !

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

Personnel decisions by this front office look at the bottom line too much; "Let's cut this vet, we can pick up a cheaper rookie to fill his spot."

You don't do that with play makers. There was another guy, mostly a ST guy who scored TD's for us, including a 99 yd int. of Eli. That guy was a role player, ST. guy, I can't remember his name. Bryan McCann? Not sure. But when we cut him, the the usual suspects were like "Great, he's just a role player, we don't need him, we can sign a cheap rookie!"

Guy was a PLAYMAKER. He was MAKING PLAYS. In a LIMITED ROLE. You know, not seeing the field much but DOING SOMETHING when he was out there.

But hey sure, go ahead! Cut him! Sign some cheap rookie for that limited 2nd/3rd string/ST role. Guys who made plays for this team in limited field time, instead of being rewarded with MORE playing time, get shown the door.

You find a playmaker, you hang on to him. Justin Durant made plays for us. We should have kept HIM and cut some cheap rookies.

LMAO, Bryan McCann was a playmaker? He had 1 pass defense and 1 INT that he returned for a TD in 9 games. He then went on to Baltimore, Oakland, Miami, and Arizona in 3 years, recording a grand total of 1 more PD before leaving the league in 2013 at the age of 25.

Yeah, he scored a punt return TD as well, and also fumbled the ball 6 times in 9 games that season.