jobberone;2068252 said:
I think the bashing is getting a little too hateful. JMO. I think Roy regrets causing injuries to some people and perhaps he is subconciously laying back a little because of it. Hey, I have all the respect in the world for someone being sensitive, kind, and compassionate. I think many of you would be the same way.
I'm not saying that is the whole of it. It's just likely to be a part of it. And I expect it is hard to go from one system to another. Some players just take longer to adjust. And I don't see it unusual for pro players to take a year plus to get really comfortable with the system.
I still think a lot of the problem is physical preparation with Roy. You cannot maintain that kind of edge without nearly daily hard training. And I mean hard. It takes that kind of dedication.
I have my doubts as to whether Roy can do it. Offenses have surpassed the abilities of defenses IMO. But the defenses will adjust. It is not possible for most safeties to play like CBs. If they could play like CBs then that's what they would be and not be safeties. It's just unreasonable to think 3 CBs are going to cover four or five good WRs. So I like the idea of putting more CBs on the field. The NFL is going to have to start drafting enough big CBs so they can cover these huge fast TEs and also provide adequate run support. And the current safeties are going to have to learn to cover better or be replaced by someone who can. It's that simple.
I expect fans to be fanatic. But if a Spartan can be civilized then there is no reason for fans not to be.
..there are reasons for his play being not up to expected levels. I know for sure in 2006 he had a bad shoulder and played in pain for half the year and wasn't the same. It had to have also affected his pass defense, too.
Players will not come out and use injuries as an excuse and RW never did to his credit. And they never want to admit how hurt they are to let other teams attack them more because he was injured. But teams did anyway. They could see the film and how RW favored his shoulder after the injury.
RW should be respected for continuing to play and he has no control over the coaches desision to keep playing him even if he was injured. As a result, his play had to suffer from previous levels and RW had to suffer with the negative comments that resulted over it.
And he never made excuses. He just did what he could.
You have to respect him for that, but few do nor acknowledge it as being part of the issues with him recently.
But he continued to appear to do alot of the same things in '07 he did in '06 post-shoulder problem, so asuming he's healed now, there remains some other issues there that have to be ferreted out.
He has his reasons why he's struggling with some of this. It's just unclear. I've speculated his shoulder may not be right yet since the late season '06 injury and he's still shying away from violent contact with it as opposed to years past in order to not have another more serious event.
It's just an unknown.
And it's more than any one clear cut thing, although everybody wants to just simplify it and say he's this or that.
I mentioned the same thing in another thread about the fact that he's severely injured several players by playing his style of play and that could very well be an issue only the player and the coaches can explore behind closed doors.
We'll see.
I won't give up on him.
When he's right, he a tremendous player and fun to watch.
:starspin ReDBaLL ExPreSS :starspin
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