Rookie growing pains no longer an issue

[pantherclaw]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/06/03/1474628/rookie-growing-pains-no-longer.html

"A year later, it's a different story for Martin as he begins his second go-around with Panthers summer practices.

He's no longer a rookie trying to learn the ropes and gain the trust of his coaching staff. He's been dubbed as a starting safety early in the offseason, replacing five-year veteran Chris Harris, who was traded."

I know this brings up a sore subject for many, nice read though.

[panthers55]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/06/03/1474628/rookie-growing-pains-no-longer.html

"A year later, it's a different story for Martin as he begins his second go-around with Panthers summer practices.

He's no longer a rookie trying to learn the ropes and gain the trust of his coaching staff. He's been dubbed as a starting safety early in the offseason, replacing five-year veteran Chris Harris, who was traded."

I know this brings up a sore subject for many, nice read though.

How has he been used in OTAs. I thought Godfrey was moving to strong safety and Martin was taking over the free safety position. How have they been lining up??

[rayzor]

i think they have already been talking about how little difference there is between SS and FS in this system. not sure they are paying too much attention to that and just using them the same way, just on opposite sides of the field.

considering they mainly worked on the passing game for the bulk of the first bunch of OTAs they probably just focused on their role in coverage.

[CRA]

i think they have already been talking about how little difference there is between SS and FS in this system. not sure they are paying too much attention to that and just using them the same way, just on opposite sides of the field.

considering they mainly worked on the passing game for the bulk of the first bunch of OTAs they probably just focused on their role in coverage.

if Carolina played legit cover 2 the majority of downs there wouldn't be a huge difference but they didn't do that last and I don't see how they could do that this year.

I think Martin has better FS potential than Godfrey but at the same time I think he has better SS potential so I guess I can live with where he ends up.

[monstercat]

If Godfrey can consistently play the way he did after coming back from injury last year, we should be in great shape at both safety positions.

I'm not a bit worried about who is the SS and who plays FS, because they both have to play the run and the pass equally well.

[rayzor]

if Carolina played legit cover 2 the majority of downs there wouldn't be a huge difference but they didn't do that last and I don't see how they could do that this year.

I think Martin has better FS potential than Godfrey but at the same time I think he has better SS potential so I guess I can live with where he ends up.

harris was the issue. he isn't that great in coverage and doesn't have the speed he needs to do it right. he had lots of strengths but coverage for sure wasn't one of them. that very well could explain why they didn't run it the majority of the time. since they now have two coverage safeties that could enable them to do it more.

[pantherclaw]

How has he been used in OTAs. I thought Godfrey was moving to strong safety and Martin was taking over the free safety position. How have they been lining up??

I wish as much as you, that they would give more information on that.

[CRA]

harris was the issue. he isn't that great in coverage and doesn't have the speed he needs to do it right. he had lots of strengths but coverage for sure wasn't one of them. that very well could explain why they didn't run it the majority of the time. since they now have two coverage safeties that could enable them to do it more.

Godfrey isn't better than Harris to date in coverage.....so I don't see how Harris was the issue last year. How is Godfrey now a coverage S? B/c of a couple of FFs?

Sure, Godfrey has potential...but to date he hasn't even reached the Harris level in coverage. At best, tied it but that is being generous.

[rayzor]

Godfrey isn't better than Harris to date in coverage.....so I don't see how Harris was the issue last year. How is Godfrey now a coverage S? B/c of a couple of FFs?

godfrey improved a good bit after he came back from injury last year...it was enough to let me believe that he finally got it and was going to be able to live up to his potential. that still has to be seen but i have a lot more confidence in him than i did going into last year for sure.

imo, godfrey brings more to the table in coverage skills than harris. he brings more speed, which is essential. his speed is what gives/will give him the edge over harris. he also became a better tackler (don't read harder hitter). godfrey is also on his way up. last year was only his second year and it was going to take some time for him to learn it but it appears he has. of course this is all opinion, just like anything else.

the pass defense did a pretty good job last year but to me it seems that meeks wants his defense to be faster than what harris allowed. i think that played a big role in how they planned coverage. with two fast safeties that can cover pretty well they have a bit more room to stay within whatever scheme meeks wants for the defense as a whole.

[DaCityKats]

cra dont say that or the calvary will come for you and say choose another team. godfrey did improve after his injury but was still out of position a lot. if i recall meeks did have bob saunders all over the field some what like a rover role(troy p plays the same thing at times.) i can see godfrey doing that same thing with sherrod playing up top of him.

[rayzor]

cra dont say that or the calvary will come for you and say choose another team.

godfrey did improve after his injury but was still out of position a lot. if i recall meeks did have bob saunders all over the field some what like a rover role(troy p plays the same thing at times.) i can see godfrey doing that same thing with sherrod playing up top of him.

he wasn't out of position as much after he came back. that was one of the areas of improvement i saw.

i could see godfrey being a rover type but from what i have heard from players involved, there really isn't much difference at all between FS and SS in meeks scheme here. regardless of anyone else's opinion, the players say that the two safety positions are very similar compared to how they are in most teams.

[CRA]

godfrey improved a good bit after he came back from injury last year...it was enough to let me believe that he finally got it and was going to be able to live up to his potential. that still has to be seen but i have a lot more confidence in him than i did going into last year for sure.

imo, godfrey brings more to the table in coverage skills than harris. he brings more speed, which is essential. his speed is what gives/will give him the edge over harris. he also became a better tackler (don't read harder hitter). godfrey is also on his way up. last year was only his second year and it was going to take some time for him to learn it but it appears he has. of course this is all opinion, just like anything else.

the pass defense did a pretty good job last year but to me it seems that meeks wants his defense to be faster than what harris allowed. i think that played a big role in how they planned coverage. with two fast safeties that can cover pretty well they have a bit more room to stay within whatever scheme meeks wants for the defense as a whole.

I acknowledge he showed some improvement those last games.....but you have to realistically acknowledge what he was improving from. Even though he showed improvement, it isn't like he was even close to looking like an average NFL S prior.

23 straight games of below average S play and 6 where he showed improvement from that. Godfrey has the skill set to be better in coverage than Harris.....however he hasn't earned by his play the talk that he is better than a Harris caliber S. In addition to not proving to being better in coverage YET....he isn't even a better tackler (and Harris even went backwards near the end and I ignore the wow factor as a tackle is a tackle).

Just my opinion. Godfrey has a great skill set though and could workout great. People still are giving him too much credit and those FF are causing people to overlook a lot. imo.

[SOJA]

I've said it once I'll say it again, I loved Chris Harris and I was pissed at first, but at some point he was going to be the odd man out and better we now sooner than later, plus we added a young linebacker to our depth

[rayzor]

ftr, i wasn't even looking at his FF numbers. i was more talking about his pass coverage skills. FFs doesn't really play into that, imo.

i was pretty hard on godfrey early last year. a lot had to do with how highly i regarded him as a prospect and a student of the game going into his first season. i figured there was going to be a big learning curve from him. i just expected it to last only one season.

in TC and preseason i saw him a as a really timid hitter and a horrible tackler. i called him the second worst on the team (first being teal). i was more than happy that he got hurt and that martin came in and, imo, won the position from godfrey.

i was pissed when godfrey came back taking the position back from martin but i was really impressed with the play that i saw from him when he came back. he much more fit the earlier image i had of him. he isn't the ball hawk that i hoped but overall he could be just as good as i thought.

he is one player that the game needed to slow down for and i think that injury gave him enough of a break for him to put things in perspective and when he came back i think the game did slow down.

this offseason should be huge for him. a year in meeks defense and a better idea of what he is supposed to be doing.

aside from the ??s on the dline i think the defense as a whole will be doing really well and should be a top 10 again only consistently through the year.