Utah State’s Head Coach Talks Mo Alexander

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V3

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I don't get all the love for McLeod. All I heard last year was that our CB's had to play off so much because McLeod was a liability. Now people are acting like he's the best FS we have. If he truly is the best FS we have on this team, the Rams didn't do what they needed to to address the issue. In today's pass-happy league, you need a good FS. People keep bringing up their concerns for our WR's. While I have some questions about them as well, our secondary is a MUCH bigger concern for me.
 

Memphis Ram

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Rookie special teamer with an opportunity to develop into a starter in time. Quite frankly, given his size, it wouldn't shock me to see this kid moved back to LB in time. If I'm not mistaken, he's already bigger (and faster) than Darren Bates and Ray Ray Armstrong were when they came out of college.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Agreed. mcLeod was not great last year but he is a decent player. McDonald played some free Safety at USC. In his Senior year he was asked to move because of injuries. It hurt his draft stock as a result. I think in the end he is the guy covering the deepest with Alexander in the box.

At least both are strong tacklers and they need to be if they end up going one on one against hard runners like Gore/Hyde and Lynch.
 

Memphis Ram

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I don't get all the love for McLeod. All I heard last year was that our CB's had to play off so much because McLeod was a liability. Now people are acting like he's the best FS we have. If he truly is the best FS we have on this team, the Rams didn't do what they needed to to address the issue. In today's pass-happy league, you need a good FS. People keep bringing up their concerns for our WR's. While I have some questions about them as well, our secondary is a MUCH bigger concern for me.

I like McLeod. And I never did buy that McLeod was the reason the Rams played their CBs like they did, because some of Fisher's post Gregg Williams Titans teams played their CBs the same way. And that was with a 1st rounder in Michael Griffin at FS.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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I thought they played so far off because of the inexperience of the Safeties.

Whatever the reason, I hope we don't see that same distance from the goal line with the corners this year. It was very frustrating when it was 3rd and 5 and the corners were 10 yards off the line.
 

Zaphod

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I don't get all the love for McLeod. All I heard last year was that our CB's had to play off so much because McLeod was a liability. Now people are acting like he's the best FS we have. If he truly is the best FS we have on this team, the Rams didn't do what they needed to to address the issue. In today's pass-happy league, you need a good FS. People keep bringing up their concerns for our WR's. While I have some questions about them as well, our secondary is a MUCH bigger concern for me.
I get it, people like him because he hits hard. But I'm also in the camp that we don't need a "ball hawk" at free safety.

To me, it's just the opposite, we need at least two safeties that are good in coverage, (not jumping routes for interceptions) and excellent at tackling (not crushing the ball carrier) because they will be just exactly that, the safeties. If Cody Davis can work his way into the line up, I would be giddy, because to me he's exactly the player they want in cover 1 or 2.

But you made a point that I really have to highlight. They put some serious resources into the draft this year at secondary, and I LOVE that. But some of our best players and best fits for this defense are rookies or second year players. On the defensive line, I think we can rely to support that, but it's going to be an interesting year.
 

Wonderboy

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Just my opinion, but I don't see Alexander as a starter this year at safety. He is a core special teams player that possibly has the potential to grow into a starter. I think the guy that has the best chance to be a starter is actually Bryant from Ohio State. It seems like the feeling on him was that he was the best player on that defense since.... JL. I think he has the opportunity to grow into a starter. I really like that pick! A big time player who suffers an injury late and drops big time because of it. I think he is likely better than Alexander at safety already. Alexander, the thumper, could be a pro bowl caliber special teamer (hopefully anyway). Well, my $.02 has officially been thrown in whether you like it or not.
 

V3

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I get it, people like him because he hits hard. But I'm also in the camp that we don't need a "ball hawk" at free safety.

To me, it's just the opposite, we need at least two safeties that are good in coverage, (not jumping routes for interceptions) and excellent at tackling (not crushing the ball carrier) because they will be just exactly that, the safeties. If Cody Davis can work his way into the line up, I would be giddy, because to me he's exactly the player they want in cover 1 or 2.

But you made a point that I really have to highlight. They put some serious resources into the draft this year at secondary, and I LOVE that. But some of our best players and best fits for this defense are rookies or second year players. On the defensive line, I think we can rely to support that, but it's going to be an interesting year.

Who is good in coverage at S for the Rams? McD is adequate but I wouldn't say good. He was only a rookie last year so there's going to be some improvement but I still don't see his ceiling being all that high in that department because of how stiff he is. He is your prototypical SS and I'm perfectly fine with him playing that. The problem is Fisher is going to expose him by playing him too much at FS. I don't see anyone else on this team that's good at coverage on the back end. Alexander is a major project in that department so I'm not expecting that from him this year. McLeod is a backup at best and is better suited at nickle CB than S, IMO. I put very little stock in late round picks and UDFA's being able to be very good starters. It happens from time to time but it's exceedingly rare so I'm not putting my hopes on players like Davis, Daniels, etc. I know I'm in the minority at this site but I wasn't a fan of the Joyner(Joyner and Alexander were really the only picks I wasn't big on) pick so I'm not sure how much he'll help wherever he plays. Other than his "highlight" plays from time to time, he didn't stand out to me. His metrics dovetailed into what I was seeing http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/46242/351/peshek-cb-metrics-20. He seems like a high effort guy that's already just about hit his ceiling and benefitted from having a good defense around him. I hope I'm wrong on him but I don't see him being the great player that people here think he's going to be.

As you can see, the secondary is by far my biggest concern for this team and I don't feel the Rams made much of an improvement in that department in the offseason. I think their biggest improvement was hiring Williams. Perhaps his hiring will be enough to get the team over the hump in terms of a playoff berth?
 

ZigZagRam

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He may not be all that physical, but he is bigger, faster, and whether you believe it or not, a better tackler than McLeod or Daniels. He was in the top 5 in the country in tackles his Sr. year. If he would have come out this year, with the draft crop at the safety position, he most likely would have been a 3-4 round pick. And until Daniels can get thru a training camp or even a more than a partial season without being injured, he really shouldn't factor into this.

With all the missed tackles I've seen from this group of safeties the past 4 years, all looking for the kill shot, I would much rather have a non-flashy consistent tackler who just finds a way to get the guy on the ground. You say he was "put on his backside multiple times by smaller players", but I bet they were falling over him as they went to the ground.

Completely disagree about the 3-4 round comment. Last year's draft class was even weaker than this year's at safety and he still didn't make the cut.

He may be a better tackler than McLeod, but Davis is not good in coverage, and he's especially bad when he's playing in a deep zone. He's not an instinctive player back there, and as much as I dislike McLeod, he's at least serviceable on the back end. He also struggles when he has to come in to stop the run when he is playing that deep zone.

Just one example of Davis screwing up his coverage responsibility. Totally fooled by play action on this TD pass:

cd2.gif


A few examples of Davis taking poor angles or missing tackles when running downhill.

cd1-1.gif

cd3.gif


There's a reason he went undrafted. He is a solid wrap-up tackler and has speed, but he's a liability in coverage. He can't play deep. He's fast but he's not instinctive, which is much more important at the next level.

I had this discussion with someone last season. What qualities does Davis have that makes you think he could ever contribute outside of special teams? I get that fans love his speed in shorts.

Davis would've got cut if Matt Daniels hadn't gotten hurt last season. This year with Mo Alexander and Christian Bryant on board, he's going to be looking for work at the end of August.
 
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Tailback

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ahhh, Cody Davis runs 4.4 and can cover and tackle. He should be getting more attention
train
I was totally on the Cody Davis bandwagon prior to last years preseason games. When I watched him play though, he always seemed a half step behind the play. He has the physical tools, but in my eyes he didn't display much wow factor. Maybe a year with the practice squad has helped him out?
 

ZigZagRam

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I was totally on the Cody Davis bandwagon prior to last years preseason games. When I watched him play though, he always seemed a half step behind the play. He has the physical tools, but in my eyes he didn't display much wow factor. Maybe a year with the practice squad has helped him out?

This is exactly right. He's slow to diagnose everything that's going on in front of him. His speed helped him mask that at the college level, but it's obvious that 32 teams realized that wasn't going to translate to the pros, thus he went undrafted.

He'll be a practice squad fallback plan if we ever need a depth safety to come in and play special teams if one of the others gets hurt. I imagine we'll only carry 4 on the roster going into this season with Joyner's ability to play the spot. McDonald, Alexander, and McLeod are pretty much locked in. Bryant and Daniels will probably be competing for that last spot.
 

Tailback

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This is exactly right. He's slow to diagnose everything that's going on in front of him. His speed helped him mask that at the college level, but it's obvious that 32 teams realized that wasn't going to translate to the pros, thus he went undrafted.

He'll be a practice squad fallback plan if we ever need a depth safety to come in and play special teams if one of the others gets hurt. I imagine we'll only carry 4 on the roster going into this season with Joyner's ability to play the spot. McDonald, Alexander, and McLeod are pretty much locked in. Bryant and Daniels will probably be competing for that last spot.

Your post above with the clips pretty much says it all.
 

ZigZagRam

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I honestly don't think we'll actually see much of Davis on defense during the preseason. If he couldn't make last year's squad with that thin secondary, I don't think he'll get much of a chance this time around.
 

Zaphod

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Who is good in coverage at S for the Rams? McD is adequate but I wouldn't say good. He was only a rookie last year so there's going to be some improvement but I still don't see his ceiling being all that high in that department because of how stiff he is. He is your prototypical SS and I'm perfectly fine with him playing that. The problem is Fisher is going to expose him by playing him too much at FS. I don't see anyone else on this team that's good at coverage on the back end. Alexander is a major project in that department so I'm not expecting that from him this year. McLeod is a backup at best and is better suited at nickle CB than S, IMO. I put very little stock in late round picks and UDFA's being able to be very good starters. It happens from time to time but it's exceedingly rare so I'm not putting my hopes on players like Davis, Daniels, etc. I know I'm in the minority at this site but I wasn't a fan of the Joyner(Joyner and Alexander were really the only picks I wasn't big on) pick so I'm not sure how much he'll help wherever he plays. Other than his "highlight" plays from time to time, he didn't stand out to me. His metrics dovetailed into what I was seeing http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/46242/351/peshek-cb-metrics-20. He seems like a high effort guy that's already just about hit his ceiling and benefitted from having a good defense around him. I hope I'm wrong on him but I don't see him being the great player that people here think he's going to be.

As you can see, the secondary is by far my biggest concern for this team and I don't feel the Rams made much of an improvement in that department in the offseason. I think their biggest improvement was hiring Williams. Perhaps his hiring will be enough to get the team over the hump in terms of a playoff berth?
I absolutely expect Williams, and for that matter the additions of Carrington and Donald to the DL to help out considerably with our pass defense. And this may seem a bit odd to day, I expect a bit of a learning curve with Williams with regard to getting the most out of this defense.

First, his defenses are known to be complex. He likes to throw different looks out there to keep offenses guessing. And that's all well and good until younger players aren't sure of their assignments.

Second, he likes to throw in blitz, but the strength of our defense was actually the consistent pressure from out front four. I really think that after you add a speed and a bull rush tackle in Donald and Carrington, you can generate even more up the middle in passing situations without sacrificing coverage.
 

DR RAM

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Like Memphis says, Mo is a special teamed first, but I think he might play in some packages. Might be McDonald's backup also. I have no idea, at this point who the other starting safety might be.

I think it will be the best competition in camp.
 

CoachO

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Completely disagree about the 3-4 round comment. Last year's draft class was even weaker than this year's at safety and he still didn't make the cut.

He may be a better tackler than McLeod, but Davis is not good in coverage, and he's especially bad when he's playing in a deep zone. He's not an instinctive player back there, and as much as I dislike McLeod, he's at least serviceable on the back end. He also struggles when he has to come in to stop the run when he is playing that deep zone.

Just one example of Davis screwing up his coverage responsibility. Totally fooled by play action on this TD pass:

cd2.gif


A few examples of Davis taking poor angles or missing tackles when running downhill.

cd1-1.gif

cd3.gif


There's a reason he went undrafted. He is a solid wrap-up tackler and has speed, but he's a liability in coverage. He can't play deep. He's fast but he's not instinctive, which is much more important at the next level.

I had this discussion with someone last season. What qualities does Davis have that makes you think he could ever contribute outside of special teams? I get that fans love his speed in shorts.

Davis would've got cut if Matt Daniels hadn't gotten hurt last season. This year with Mo Alexander and Christian Bryant on board, he's going to be looking for work at the end of August.
We will agree to disagree. My observations were firsthand watching him in training camp. He and McLeod were head and shoulders above any of the other safeties in diagnosing plays and anticipating where the ball was going.

And you cherry pick two highlights. The example in pass coverage I honestly think a case could be made that he was much closer to the LOS than playing in a single high FS position and the CB just flat out got beat. Which had little to do with Davis.

My evaluation of him have nothing to so with his "measurables" other than to note the obvious. He is bigger, faster and a better tackler than McLeod.
 

ZigZagRam

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We will agree to disagree. My observations were firsthand watching him in training camp. He and McLeod were head and shoulders above any of the other safeties in diagnosing plays and anticipating where the ball was going.

And you cherry pick two highlights. The example in pass coverage I honestly think a case could be made that he was much closer to the LOS than playing in a single high FS position and the CB just flat out got beat. Which had little to do with Davis.

My evaluation of him have nothing to so with his "measurables" other than to note the obvious. He is bigger, faster and a better tackler than McLeod.

I also watched him first hand in camp and in preseason action as well (as did others, Tailback in particular) and at least 6 games from his final season at Texas Tech.

The cherry picking argument is a peeve of mine. Believe it or not, those weren't the only three plays where he struggled. Those were all from the one game of his that was posted on YouTube where it's easier to cut gifs as opposed to other outlets like ESPN 3. I'm sorry for not posting 11 games worth of all-22, but I provided a few examples where he shows the same issues that you can see during the preseason last year. If you watch more of his college film (not sure if it's still up on ESPN 3) you'll see the same issues in other games.

And the CB didn't get beat. There's 3 receivers lined up on the left side of that formation. The outside CB stuck to his man on the out route. The left slot CB stuck with his man on a wheel route. Davis's job was obviously to cover the right slot receiver that incinerated him on the deep slant. He's gotta recognize that he's the last line of defense against that third receiver.

Again, why do you think he wasn't invited to the combine and went undrafted? 6-2, 200 lb safety, who tackles well and is very athletic. Must be something wrong with him right? Probably because his instincts suck and in the pros that's more important than your pro-day 40 time.

For the team's sake I hope he's the next Larry Wilson, but I don't see how there's any way he makes the team barring multiple injuries to the safeties ahead of him on the depth chart.
 

CoachO

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I also watched him first hand in camp and in preseason action as well (as did others, Tailback in particular) and at least 6 games from his final season at Texas Tech.

The cherry picking argument is a peeve of mine. Believe it or not, those weren't the only three plays where he struggled. Those were all from the one game of his that was posted on YouTube where it's easier to cut gifs as opposed to other outlets like ESPN 3. I'm sorry for not posting 11 games worth of all-22, but I provided a few examples where he shows the same issues that you can see during the preseason last year. If you watch more of his college film (not sure if it's still up on ESPN 3) you'll see the same issues in other games.

And the CB didn't get beat. There's 3 receivers lined up on the left side of that formation. The outside CB stuck to his man on the out route. The left slot CB stuck with his man on a wheel route. Davis's job was obviously to cover the right slot receiver that incinerated him on the deep slant. He's gotta recognize that he's the last line of defense against that third receiver.

Again, why do you think he wasn't invited to the combine and went undrafted? 6-2, 200 lb safety, who tackles well and is very athletic. Must be something wrong with him right? Probably because his instincts suck and in the pros that's more important than your pro-day 40 time.

For the team's sake I hope he's the next Larry Wilson, but I don't see how there's any way he makes the team barring multiple injuries to the safeties ahead of him on the depth chart.

That's the beauty of the preseason and training camp. We shall see how things shake out come August. And if I rubbed you the wrong way with the cherry pick comment I apologize. As I mentioned, this is just one case where we will agree to disagree. better we leave it at that.