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Patke discusses progress of LB's, special teams this spring

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RightSaidFred said:
We need a transfer at LB. Bad. I can't remember ever seeing so many jags on the linebacker roster at Miami. It's easily our weakest position on the whole team right now.

We need a difference maker to come in and take one spot.

And Jennings is not the answer. I don't know what the **** they're doing still giving him starting reps. And I'm not buying the Brooks and Huff hype you hear around here... not even a little. If they had something to show, they would have showed what they were gonna show already. They ain't it.

If it were me.... I'm grabbing a transfer and rolling with Flagg + the transfer + a striker.
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I don't think a transfer is needed. The right guys need to play. My 2-deep are:

ML: Austin-Cave, Flagg
WL: Brooks, Huff

It's time for the young guys to shine. Jennings and Steed were DE tweeners converted to LBs. They were slow on their reads and slow to the football. I saw several times where Jennings just ran to a spot when the ball was snapped guessing where he thought the RB would go because he couldn't read and chase the RB down. The RB just cut back to a gaping hole where the LB should have been if he's stalking from the back hip like good LBs do. It's time to move on.

I want the best athletes on the field as my starters. Right now that's Austin-Cave and Brooks. I don't know how Huff's athleticism compares to Brooks because we haven't seen him, but I know he's more athletic than Jennings and Steed.

It's time for the young guys to eat. They're night and day faster compared to what we saw last year. After 1-2 years in Manny's system, they should be ready to go.
 
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There are some good but inexperienced guys out there that will continue to get better. We’re half a dozen practices into spring.
 
AlexCane said:
Are we ok with Stevenson returning kicks/punts? Given our lack of depth, if he were to suffer an injury on ST, that'd be brutal.
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I doubt he gets injured on kickoff kneeling or fair catching lol. Part of the deal was him returning punts , I mentioned that when i was hinting at the mystery cb. He wants to be a returner too.

Btw I told y’all to watch Cave this year.
 
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Mel Bernstein said:
Our Inside LBs are WEAK. Jennings and Steed better not be starting. Flagg, Cave and Huff need to put it together ASAP.
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+1

Agreed. No more Jennings. Maybe a decade ago he would've been good. He's a 3-4 read and react thumper playing in a speed and instinct oriented 4-2-5 D. Bad fit.
IMO, I felt Steed would've been better at WDE than at LB.
 
Number1CanesFan said:
I don't think a transfer is needed. The right guys need to play. My 2-deep are:

ML: Austin-Cave, Flagg
WL: Brooks, Huff

It's time for the young guys to shine. Jennings and Steed were DE tweeners converted to LBs. They were slow on their reads and slow to the football. I saw several times where Jennings just ran to a spot when the ball was snapped guessing where he thought the RB would go because he couldn't read and chase the RB down. The RB just cut back to a gaping hole where the LB should have been if he's stalking from the back hip like good LBs do. It's time to move on.

I want the best athletes on the field as my starters. Right now that's Austin-Cave and Brooks. I don't know how Huff's athleticism compares to Brooks because we haven't seen him, but I know he's more athletic than Jennings and Steed.

It's time for the young guys to eat. They're night and day faster compared to what we saw last year. After 1-2 years in Manny's system, they should be ready to go.
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Flagg flashed a bunch last year and was arguably our best LB..... so you are are benching him for Cave? All reports from camp saying Flagg is crushing it and taking the next step. MLB needs to be instinctual.
 
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CaliforniaCanes said:
Flagg flashed a bunch last year and was arguably our best LB..... so you are are benching him for Cave? All reports from camp saying Flagg is crushing it and taking the next step. MLB needs to be instinctual.
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It boggles my mind that Flagg played last year with a BMI of a 40 year couch potato. I am hoping him being in shape helps with his quickness and he can dominate!
 
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Cribby said:
I doubt he gets injured on kickoff kneeling or fair catching lol. Part of the deal was him returning punts , I mentioned that when i was hinting at the mystery cb. He wants to be a returner too.

Btw I told y’all to watch Cave this year.
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this and you're far less likely to get hurt on PRs than KORs.
 
AlexCane said:
Are we ok with Stevenson returning kicks/punts? Given our lack of depth, if he were to suffer an injury on ST, that'd be brutal.
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Can't play scared! If he's the best option you have to play him if "W's" are truly the end goal and I think it is.
 
Number1CanesFan said:
I don't think a transfer is needed. The right guys need to play. My 2-deep are:

ML: Austin-Cave, Flagg
WL: Brooks, Huff

It's time for the young guys to shine. Jennings and Steed were DE tweeners converted to LBs. They were slow on their reads and slow to the football. I saw several times where Jennings just ran to a spot when the ball was snapped guessing where he thought the RB would go because he couldn't read and chase the RB down. The RB just cut back to a gaping hole where the LB should have been if he's stalking from the back hip like good LBs do. It's time to move on.

I want the best athletes on the field as my starters. Right now that's Austin-Cave and Brooks. I don't know how Huff's athleticism compares to Brooks because we haven't seen him, but I know he's more athletic than Jennings and Steed.

It's time for the young guys to eat. They're night and day faster compared to what we saw last year. After 1-2 years in Manny's system, they should be ready to go.
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Brooks isn't healthy right now. He's still nursing a foot injury from last year. He simply can't be relied on until he's healthy. The best ability is availability.
 
HOLISTIC CANE said:
Can't play scared! If he's the best option you have to play him if "W's" are truly the end goal and I think it is.
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I hear you. There are definitely arguments on both sides.

Personally, I think that if we can find someone to comparably return punts/kicks then I'd sit him. But if he's head and shoulders better than the #2 option, I agree, you play him.
 
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CaliforniaCanes said:
Flagg flashed a bunch last year and was arguably our best LB..... so you are are benching him for Cave? All reports from camp saying Flagg is crushing it and taking the next step. MLB needs to be instinctual.
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Remains to be seen. The bar was rather low last year. He flashed, but had many mistakes as well. I like Flagg, but Austin-Cave is way more athletic and has a higher ceiling IMO. I think they should be 1 & 2 at ML over anyone else.
 
Every time the coaches talk about Cave, they mention him learning the reads, playbook, etc.

Can't see him as a starter anytime soon.
 
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HOLISTIC CANE said:
Brooks isn't healthy right now. He's still nursing a foot injury from last year. He simply can't be relied on until he's healthy. The best ability is availability.
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Well, there's no games until September so I expect him to be available for Fall camp. Just because a guy is injured doesn't mean he isn't the best at his position, ala King.
 
Cribby said:
Btw I told y’all to watch Cave this year.
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Miami of old athleticism. Can Patke find a way to make him effective?
Gables Cane said:
Patke has a reputation of being a poor to mediocre recruiter; but he also has a reputation of being a very good teacher and developer of talent. I'm willing to give him a chance to see if he can make lemonade...
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I can think of CB coach who just got moved aside with the same rep. Finley and Frierson looked decent at Striker, so maybe there's hope. But I am super skeptical. Haven't liked the Patke move to a position coach since day one.

If Patke strikes out across Brooks, Huff and Cave, we can label him a JAG coach once and for all. If he goes 1 for 3, I personally would consider it a combination of luck and the player's internal drive, won't give Patke any credit. I need to see 2 of the3 to hit to believe Patke deserves to be on the field at Miami.
 
Number1CanesFan said:
I don't think a transfer is needed. The right guys need to play. My 2-deep are:
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If we can find a GT who is Tito Odenigbo level or better at the LB position, then we need to take him. There won't be any Phillips or Boldens on the portal at this point.
 
grover said:
If we can find a GT who is Tito Odenigbo level or better at the LB position, then we need to take him. There won't be any Phillips or Boldens on the portal at this point.
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I'm not looking for a transfer. Time for the young men to eat!!
 
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