Johnathan Cyprien to Titans

Babs was the SS. Griff would just sneak into a SS role here and there

Then he'd blitz and just high five RBs as they went for 6

 

Babineaux was trash too.

 

He wasn't that bad

 

Remember Lamont Thompson...

 

Griffin, just like any other halfway decent or good DB excelled when his front 7 did their job like they were suppose to.

I don't recall him ever changing positions cause the guys I remember him playing with were SS. (Hope, Babineaux, Pollard)

I also don't buy the "unwillingness" to tackle anyone for a guy who was constantly top 3 on the team for tackles. He just would take dumb angles at times, or try to hit people with his shoulder instead of wrap up.

IMO his biggest flaw later on his career was he constantly would bite on play action. Bad for him to do, especially as a safety cause you're the last line of the defense. But after players like Haynesworth, KVB, Bulluck, Thornton, Tulloch, etc. left, retired or got older. The D was stuck with Titans legends like Moises Foku, Will Witherspoon, Barrett Ruud, Wimbley, Sammie Lee Hill and a few vet players that we currently have that are decent/good now, were rookies or young back then.

They would get wrecked on the run, so I don't really blame him for feeling also responsible to stop the run. Which led him to having to rush back on pass defense, taking bad angles, ect.

Don't get me wrong, he had some bad play, was guilty of missing tackles, and what I also mentioned above. But people made him out of be the weak link of the defense for years, while I had the unpopular opinion that he was simply a ballhawk/centerfield safety asked to do way too much.

I saw Byard have his share of bad angles, and whiffed tackles this season. But he was a bright spot in a secondary where the rest of the players couldn't create turnovers.

So for Byards sake, hopefully he has a career with a top 5 run stopping front 7 and at least sub-par CBs, or else he won't have the luxury of reading the QB to make plays on the ball. Then he too will be left out to dry trying to do everyone else's job and be made a scapegoat for not being productive like he was this past season.

 

Unwillingness was more of a joke on his misses not that he was scared. I could easily see Griffin pulling what that guy in NO just did even as a 8 year vet.

Thanks also for the reminder on that stellar front 7 and that continued history of outstanding FA pickups this team has had.

I also don't remember him covering very well. Cyprien actually reminds a bit of the later Griffin years except he hits harder.

I think byard has shown some awesome flashes but I'd like to see consistency. Much of the same complaint I have with the entire defense overall.

This is why I'd like the D addressed this offseason, specifically a LB capable of covering a TE or some better pass rush.

 

A linebacker that can cover TE's or RB's out of the backfield has been every Titans fan dream pretty much since Bulluck left.

Maybe Jayon Brown will grow into that role and improve, but who knows. Either way, that does need to be a key issue addressed.

 

Untrue. Byard can actually make a tackle.

 

I saw him whiff on tackles this year. But he made key plays in the passing game. So it's over looked and generally gets a pass.

My point was the moment he has a year he doesn't put up 7 ints, people won't be overlooking his missed tackles or the mental lapses he sometimes has in coverage. And y'all will turn on him as fast as y'all did Griff.

Also, why is it okay people can use the argument that Cyprien is good tackler cause he had a few seasons with 100+ but I bet if I tried to use that same argument with Griffin I'd get told stats dont tell the whole story.

 

1. I was calling Byard being a beast since he's first game last season. It has nothing to do with Ints it's the fact that he was always around the football.

2. I wouldn't say Cyphrin is a good tackler seeing as all I've ever seen him do is random dive at dude's feet. I don't think I saw him make a play in space all season.

3. Tackles are unofficial stats that are kept at the team level. Tackle statistics are not really super accurate and definitely don't tell the whole story since if a player just falls down and someone just touches him it's a tackle.

4. All players whiff here and there in space but Griffin and Cyphrien would whiff almost every. single. time. they were in a 1v1 tackling situation. It's not a once in a while thing.