Unofficial DB 40 times as they occur

[ABQCOWBOY]

Of course he'll make a team at safety. I don't think there's anything easy about teaching a kid to play WR if he doesn't have natural hands, otherwise a failed CB could just switch to WR.

I'm sure in HS and lower levels he played some receiver since he was probably, even then, big and fast. So that he ended up being a safety at the next level makes me think it was more natural for him.

I grew up "the tall kid", I was 6'6" by senior year of high school and everyone assumed I should play center when I was more natural on the perimeter. No matter how much they tried, I wasn't the type of guy that enjoyed posting up and backing a guy down, I preferred to get the ball in space and face the basket. But I joined the team, and of course I played center because I was the tallest but by the end of my time there, they were running me off screens for the 3.

My point is, just because he's big and fast doesn't mean he can play WR.

Actually, when he signed, he could have signed as either WR or DB or QB. He was an All-American at all three positions at O'Dea HS. However, he wanted to play Safety so he went to USC to follow in the Footsteps of USCs many great Safeties over the years. Mays has stated in the past that his idles, while in HS, were Deion Sanders, Ronnie Lott, Sean Taylor and Charles Woodson. The fact that USC recruited him as a DB is probably why they signed him. Washington, where is father went to school, recruited him as an offensive player I believe (WR or QB). I would have made him a WR or even a QB. I guess we'll see.

 

[burmafrd]

Mays to ILB sounds like a real good idea. Poor coverage skills vs WRs does not matter much there; RBs and TEs are a lot easier to cover. Now the question is can he tackle well?

 

[DFWJC]

Actually, when he signed, he could have signed as either WR or DB or QB. He was an All-American at all three positions at O'Dea HS. However, he wanted to play Safety so he went to USC to follow in the Footsteps of USCs many great Safeties over the years. Mays has stated in the past that his idles, while in HS, were Deion Sanders, Ronnie Lott, Sean Taylor and Charles Woodson. The fact that USC recruited him as a DB is probably why they signed him. Washington, where is father went to school, recruited him as an offensive player I believe (WR or QB). I would have made him a WR or even a QB. I guess we'll see.

As they say, if Safties had great hands they'd play WR. :laugh2:

I know, that doesn't hold up today as much as it did in the past...but just maybe Mays does not have great hands. His stats seem to indicate that this could be the case.

 

[jterrell]

Well everyone that hates him won't have to worry, he won't be there when we pick.

It's funny considering all the comparisons to Roy he gets cause everyone has big safety phobia now, I don't think Roy ever ran no 4.24.

4.24 40 >>>> Defensive Player of the Year right????

Only in early March....

 

[jterrell]

My thought on Mays is this. We took Kevin Burnett in the 2nd round. KB is 6'3" 239. Mays could play ILB next to James. Donnie Edwards played it for Wade in SD. Day one he could replace Carp in the nickle.

I'm not a Mays homer. I do recognize talent. Is he a ball hawk, no. I will like to see the position drills. Is he tight in the hip. Does he have short area quickness. Can he flip, turn and drive. I am concerned about his lack of INT. Again, given the right scheme - can he make plays. I don't know, but the kid has an awful lot of talent.

Answers:

Is he tight in the hip?? yes, he is tight and not fluid. Very powerful but in one direction.

Does he have short area quickness. No

Can he flip, turn and drive. No, no and no.

That's basically how a physical freak in the 40 with great size makes so few plays that do not include big hits delivered after charging up 15 yards ina straight-line.

Mays is a heck of a sprinter.

He can play football at least as good as Alexander Wright.

He showed this stuff plenty of times in his senior season.

 

[JBS]

Mays official 40 is 4.43

 

[JonJon]

Well everyone that hates him won't have to worry, he won't be there when we pick.

It's funny considering all the comparisons to Roy he gets cause everyone has big safety phobia now, I don't think Roy ever ran no 4.24.

He will if you put a plate of biscuits in front of him.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Mays to ILB sounds like a real good idea. Poor coverage skills vs WRs does not matter much there; RBs and TEs are a lot easier to cover. Now the question is can he tackle well?

He is a very poor form tackler. He's a hitter and relies too heavily on impact shots to bring down players. Now, this may be the ESPN effect showing up and perhaps he can be taught to tackle better but right now, he is not a good form tackler. That's a problem if your going to consider him at LB. I defintely think he might be able to play the Bubble ILB in a 34 but you would have to deal with the same kinds of issues we delt with when we took Barber. He's not going to be a physical presence when he has to shed OLs and pursue. He's going to try and run around them.

 

[DFWJC]

Mays official 40 is 4.43

Like I said...calm down everyone. That time was very unofficial...and unofficial times means very little. I'm surpised it's 4.43 though...thought it would be mid 4.3s.

 

[TheCount]

He is a very poor form tackler. He's a hitter and relies too heavily on impact shots to bring down players.

That's why there are coaches in the NFL, isn't it?

I'm not even pro Mays, but the idea that a player coming out of the combine is as good as he'll ever be is completely unfair and inaccurate.

 

[Dough Boy]

Answers:

Is he tight in the hip?? yes, he is tight and not fluid. Very powerful but in one direction.

Does he have short area quickness. No

Can he flip, turn and drive. No, no and no.

That's basically how a physical freak in the 40 with great size makes so few plays that do not include big hits delivered after charging up 15 yards ina straight-line.

Mays is a heck of a sprinter.

He can play football at least as good as Alexander Wright.

He showed this stuff plenty of times in his senior season.

Thanks. I only saw a couple of games and didn't zero in on him. I would consider a move to the bubble or ILB spot next to James. If he can become a wrap up tackler, I think he has a home their or at WLB in the 4-3. I'm not sold on him as a SS or FS.

Question for you: How does he compare to LeRon Landry? He put up a nice combine and not so well career so far for DC's Worst Team.

 

[Dough Boy]

That's why there are coaches in the NFL, isn't it?

I'm not even pro Mays, but the idea that a player coming out of the combine is as good as he'll ever be is completely unfair and inaccurate.

Agreed

 

[DFWJC]

Yeah, that's fine for a safety. Just with his size and his play, I think people were expecting 4.4.

And it turns out that what he ran.

 

[Doomsday101]

Thanks. I only saw a couple of games and didn't zero in on him. I would consider a move to the bubble or ILB spot next to James. If he can become a wrap up tackler, I think he has a home their or at WLB in the 4-3. I'm not sold on him as a SS or FS.

Question for you: How does he compare to LeRon Landry? He put up a nice combine and not so well career so far for DC's Worst Team.

draft him in the 1st then move him to a spot he has never played? I could understand that if we were talking about a late rd pick but with a 1st I kind of expect the player to show he has a clue about playing. If you are not playing top notch in college you got problems because it is only going to get much harder in the NFL

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

That's why there are coaches in the NFL, isn't it?

I'm not even pro Mays, but the idea that a player coming out of the combine is as good as he'll ever be is completely unfair and inaccurate.

Perhaps. However, the idea that a player is evaluated better then he will ever be, coming out of the Combine is also a very fair statement according to past history. Look, I understand the excitement but you can't teach a player to be physical if it's not in his nature to be physical. It just doesn't work and 1st round money is a lot to give up. If we are talking about him at LB, then that's something that we have to consider. We have had limited success teaching a player that actually played LB in college this very thing. We have also been burned on a highly drafted player who was not a good cover and ultimately cost us. I'm not saying Mays can not be coached up. I'm saying that in the recent past, we have taken chances on players in the 1st round who didn't fit and we are paying the price for it.

 

[Dough Boy]

draft him in the 1st then move him to a spot he has never played?

See Ware, Spencer, Merriman and others. Not a revolutionary concept. There was some talk of moving Earl Thomas to CB, he plays FS.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

See Ware, Spencer, Merriman and others. Not a revolutionary concept. There was some talk of moving Earl Thomas to CB, he plays FS.

This is not a good comparison IMO. College Speed DEs convert to 34 OLBs all the time. The positions are not that different in many cases. It's a matter of playing with your hand up or down. Same if your a LDE in a 43 and moving to LOLB in a 34. As for Thomas, well, Texas recruites CBs to play Safety, Safeties to play OLB and OLBs to play DE regularly. They believe in speed over size so it's not all that much of a stratch to think that Thomas might have the skills to play CB. Having said that, this is at the collegiate level and all of these guys were moved because they showed the ability, not just physical ability, to convert.

Mays does not tackle well and he is not a physical player that has ever shown the ability to lock up with OLs and make plays. This is a big stretch to make if you are talking about moving this guy to LB.

 

[DFWJC]

See Ware, Spencer, Merriman and others. Not a revolutionary concept. There was some talk of moving Earl Thomas to CB, he plays FS.

Safety to Linebacker is a much bigger switch.

 

[Dough Boy]

This is not a good comparison IMO. College Speed DEs convert to 34 OLBs all the time. The positions are not that different in many cases. It's a matter of playing with your hand up or down. Same if your a LDE in a 43 and moving to LOLE in a 34. As for Thomas, well, Texas recruites CBs to play Safety, Safeties to play OLB and OLBs to play DE regularly. They believe in speed over size so it's not all that much of a stratch to think that Thomas might have the skills to play CB. Having said that, this is at the collegiate level and all of these guys were moved because they showed the ability, not just physical ability, to convert.

Mays does not tackle well and he is not a physical player that has ever shown the ability to lock up with OLs and make plays. This is a big stretch to make if you are talking about moving this guy to LB.

See the inverse. Darren Woodson. The draft is all about projection. A spread QB moving to the West Coast off. An option based RB (LT) was thought not to be able to run between the tackles. Adrian Peterson fell because of health concerns. In the end, its all about the same -

its all projection based. FYI, just because college DE convert "all the time" does not hold up as a premise for any argument.

 

[Dough Boy]

Safety to Linebacker is a much bigger switch.

Thomas Davis did it out of GA. First round pick. By all accounts, he is a better player at LB than Saftey.