Landon Collins, S, Alabama

[staylor26]

I know everybody is scared shitless of Alabama defensive prospects (rightfully so), but this guy is legit. Him and Berry would be the best safety tandem in the NFL.

[OldSchool]

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cf...n-collins?pg=1

You'll enjoy this article. Sounds good but I still don't trust Bama DBs.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by OldSchool

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cf...n-collins?pg=1

You'll enjoy this article. Sounds good but I still don't trust Bama DBs.

I understand the concern I really do. I had it with HaHa last year and Milliner the year before, but Landon Collins is a great safety prospect with a very well rounded game. You can't just dismiss a player for those reasons, it's illogical. Not every DB that comes through Bama is exactly the same. They get elite talent year in and year out the law of averages says there has to be a good one every now and then. (LJ and Tamba broke the Penn State RB and DL stereotype)

[Direckshun]

The biggest question is: can Collins cover?

Can Collins cover. That's the whole game. If he can cover, he's a slam dunk. But Bama backs have a terrible track record of coverage, even though Clinton-Dix has a chance of breaking that.

The one thing Collins can do brilliantly is tackle. He is an excellent tackler, and the Seahawks have laid the foundations that fundamentally sound, aggressive tackling prevents a ton of points from being put up over the course of a game or season.

Collins is a phenomenal tackler -- I've seen a good amount of tape on him, and he never misses a tackle. He can get burned, however, due to having what I would consider to be 4.7 speed.

In my eyes, if you need a pure box safety, he's the best in this draft. Unsure if that translates to best overall safety. I'd probably drop a 2nd on him. A 1st if I knew more about how he'd fare in coverage.

[Direckshun]

I neglected to mention that I thumb my clit to Collins tackling.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Sorter

Like what?

Like, cover for an extended amount of time.

Bama's front has raped faces ever since Saban arrived. DBs aren't under the incredible pressure they'll face in the NFL because the vast majority of the time, OLs can't handle Bama's pressure up front.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

The biggest question is: can Collins cover?

Can Collins cover. That's the whole game. If he can cover, he's a slam dunk. But Bama backs have a terrible track record of coverage, even though Clinton-Dix has a chance of breaking that.

The one thing Collins can do brilliantly is tackle. He is an excellent tackler, and the Seahawks have laid the foundations that fundamentally sound, aggressive tackling prevents a ton of points from being put up over the course of a game or season.

Collins is a phenomenal tackler -- I've seen a good amount of tape on him, and he never misses a tackle. He can get burned, however, due to having what I would consider to be 4.7 speed.

In my eyes, if you need a pure box safety, he's the best in this draft. Unsure if that translates to best overall safety. I'd probably drop a 2nd on him. A 1st if I knew more about how he'd fare in coverage.

I think he's the best single high safety prospect to come out of college in the last few years (not named Earl Thomas). He will be a top 10 pick.

[Direckshun]

I absolutely do not buy into Collins as a FS, let alone a single-high FS. He'll be lucky to time in the 4.6s.

He's a pure box safety, IMO.

As was Mark Barron, who was a better box safety and better in coverage than Collins. The Bucs took him at #7 overall in 2012, and he's been awful.

Can Collins cover. The question is still an incomplete to me. But he's got the makings of an elite strong safety if he can. If he can't, he's a glorified Bernard Pollard.

[OldSchool]

Ole Miss just took a dump on him twice. Two huge TDs given up by him in coverage. No thanks to Bama DBs.

[Direckshun]

Someone will still take him early. NFL teams are hopelessly addicted to flushing draft picks on Bama players.

[OldSchool]

Agreed, just hope it's not us.

[Direckshun]

We got duped on Nico Johnson. At least that was just a midrounder.

I was certain in 2012 that we wanted Mark Barron.

[Reaper16]

Collins acted like he'd never seen a trips bunch package in his entire life. Mental mistake after mental mistake today.

[kccrow]

I like Derron Smith a whole bunch more than Landon Collins

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by kccrow

I like Derron Smith a whole bunch more than Landon Collins

They are both too slow for my tastes, but I do like Smith more as well.

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

I'm sure they backpedal, but it's been reiterated numerous times that it's not a big part of how Saban currently coaches his defensive backs at Alabama. They primarily use and are taught the shuffle technique.

I mean, if you've got some information that says otherwise, I'd love to read it. However, go watch the Alabama games. This is a very prevalent aspect of the defensive backs training at that program and what they use in a game time situation. And this technique is why it's said that they struggle at the next level in attempting to re-learn what the vast majority of NFL defensive coordinators/secondary coaches want to see from their players.

I was reading somewhere that recent 'Bama CB Deion Belue said that this was the one thing he had problems with in transitioning from the junior college ranks to Saban's program - the learning of the shuffle technique that Saban wants his DB's to use.

Here is a video that shows exactly what I'm talking about:



As far as other techniques, I'm not aware of any that restrict their performance at the NFL level. And this is just with the defensive backs. When you are asked to use a specific technique repeatedly over the course of four years or so, it's hard to reprogram yourself into another way of doing things.

But, since your fan club is looking for a "classic Sorter beatdown," (Nightfrye has probably been thumbing her clit for days waiting for it) as the kids say on the intranets...

Sorry for the lengthy wait. I'll post some articles that should share some light on it.

Cliffs: The "lack of backpedaling" is due to how Saban teams play (single high typically). Another team that everyone is drooling over in Washington does the same thing in regards to their corners.

Additionally, corners don't straight backpedal out of press or press-bail.

As for why Bama DBs (I'll limit it to corners for now), I think it's like any player busting/struggling. It's a ****ing crapshoot. That being said, taking kids that have aligned in press and teaching them to play off is going to result in struggles and take some time for them to develop (ala Kirkpatrick/Kareem Jackson).

As far as Collins goes, the shuffle technique doesn't apply to him (although I'm not sure you were really talking about him and not Bama corners, I'd have to re-read the original post.

I don't know why people thought I would be mean to you about this. I like Sac, even if some of his comments border on insanity.