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- Oct 21, 2011
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Very biased here, so I won't write too much more in terms of predictions. I expected huge things from Jermaine when he came in. He couldn't really get on the field last year. He's exactly the type of LB I'd recruit (college) and draft (NFL). He still has to put on the necessary pounds/strength, but I continue to think he fits perfectly with the evolving offenses in football.
Here's an exceptional breakdown from some time ago done by someone who was relatively close to him:
http://www.canesinsight.com/threads/41227-Recruit-Notebook-Jermaine-Grace?highlight=jermaine+grace
In that thread, you'll find all sorts of different comments.
Here's what I wrote toward the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 (nevermind mention of Collins and MT; f'in guys):
I couldn't be a bigger fan of Jermaine Grace. He may have surpassed Alex Collins as my favorite recruit in the class.
For a while (and in this thread), I've said that I see Grace as a 2nd or 3rd rounder in the future. Given the way is evolving and the skills LBs will need going forward, if Grace puts on 30 pounds in the next 4 years (a realistic goal), I think he has everything you'd want in a 1st round caliber LB.
It will be really interesting to see if they can keep him off the field and give him a redshirt. If he's really 205-208 right now, and he spends the next 8 months working harder than he's ever worked before, I think he's more valuable to our team (next season) than guys like Armbrister and Cornelius - who'd be the presumed backups to Perryman at WLB.
He brings a unique set of skills to the field that can't really be measured until he takes the perfect drop depth. He did so today on a crossing route and it made me stand up. He threw the QB's rhythm completely off. It's the type of play that doesn't show up in any individual statistical category, but changes whether a defense gets off the field on 3rd down or not.
When Thomas and Grace are on the field together, we're going to witness special things.
I mentioned this in the Jamal Carter thread, but it's worth mentioning in this context again:
We need our LBs and Safeties to be "tied together" better. While I expect an improvement from what Chickillo showed last year and a jump from AQM, we're going to need Grace, Crawford and Carter to play significant roles in getting us the fug off the field on 3rd downs. Those incredible windows in the 12 yard slant areas need to be closed. We need range from our LBs and Grace provides that. We need LBs who have the speed AND take better angles and I think Grace can provide that.
Is he a thumper in the mold of the prototype 3-4 backer from the Parcells/Groh/Golden theory? No. But, he's a playmaker and I hope he's given the chance to make some mistakes this year.
Here's an exceptional breakdown from some time ago done by someone who was relatively close to him:
http://www.canesinsight.com/threads/41227-Recruit-Notebook-Jermaine-Grace?highlight=jermaine+grace
In that thread, you'll find all sorts of different comments.
Here's what I wrote toward the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 (nevermind mention of Collins and MT; f'in guys):
I couldn't be a bigger fan of Jermaine Grace. He may have surpassed Alex Collins as my favorite recruit in the class.
For a while (and in this thread), I've said that I see Grace as a 2nd or 3rd rounder in the future. Given the way is evolving and the skills LBs will need going forward, if Grace puts on 30 pounds in the next 4 years (a realistic goal), I think he has everything you'd want in a 1st round caliber LB.
It will be really interesting to see if they can keep him off the field and give him a redshirt. If he's really 205-208 right now, and he spends the next 8 months working harder than he's ever worked before, I think he's more valuable to our team (next season) than guys like Armbrister and Cornelius - who'd be the presumed backups to Perryman at WLB.
He brings a unique set of skills to the field that can't really be measured until he takes the perfect drop depth. He did so today on a crossing route and it made me stand up. He threw the QB's rhythm completely off. It's the type of play that doesn't show up in any individual statistical category, but changes whether a defense gets off the field on 3rd down or not.
When Thomas and Grace are on the field together, we're going to witness special things.
I mentioned this in the Jamal Carter thread, but it's worth mentioning in this context again:
We need our LBs and Safeties to be "tied together" better. While I expect an improvement from what Chickillo showed last year and a jump from AQM, we're going to need Grace, Crawford and Carter to play significant roles in getting us the fug off the field on 3rd downs. Those incredible windows in the 12 yard slant areas need to be closed. We need range from our LBs and Grace provides that. We need LBs who have the speed AND take better angles and I think Grace can provide that.
Is he a thumper in the mold of the prototype 3-4 backer from the Parcells/Groh/Golden theory? No. But, he's a playmaker and I hope he's given the chance to make some mistakes this year.
