Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GOTA
You got it. Pees has known Matt Elam for a decade. If there was anything to be worried about he wouldn't have been taken in round 1.
Dig it. If Elam was literally the only SS in the draft so we had to take him--warts and all--then I would be suspicious.
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Interstingly enough Elam doesn't have an agent right now. Ed Reed didn't have one for much of his career. I wonder if the similiarites stop there.
I trust the FO did there due diligence on Elam though.
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
I don't think that lack of an agent or signability will mean that much. With the rookie cap there's no reason to hold out. You're going to turn down millions over a few thousand or some guaranteed money?
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
redmike34
@ loba... No sour grapes on my part...
FTR that crack was aimed at the pundits, not anyone here.
Quote:
[A] lot of the various sites had him rated FAR below his projected (and actual) draft position, and I don't know why. I can only assume they know something others don't... or they really don't like short safeties? The SI grade seems to be based on how short he is more than anything else according to their write-up... but it seems harsh to drop him 2.2 points from where they graded Cyprien based on that alone?
His size is part of it, I'm sure, particularly when you consider how big receivers have gotten.
I'll hazard a guess that the other part is his aggressiveness, which originally concerned me as well--I watched the highlight reels & visions of yellow hankies flashed through my head. He probably intensified that "concern" with some things he said about liking to hit, wanting receivers to be "afraid" to come into his coverage, & especially not backing down on his style of play (sounding ominously like what Pollard said last season).
I doubt this concerns the Ravens. Someone asked Elam a question about his physical play & drawing flags & he replied that he'd just have to trust his technique. I'm sure the coaching staff will show him how to refine that technique to stay shy of PFs--& most importantly, he's a rookie & the Ravens staff is almost like a collection of father-figures, so he will take their advice & learn (unlike Pollard, who in essence said he was too set in his ways to change them now). It might be a problem for half the teams in the NFL, but it won't be one here.
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lobachevsky
FTR that crack was aimed at the pundits, not anyone here.His size is part of it, I'm sure, particularly when you consider how big receivers have gotten.
I'll hazard a guess that the other part is his aggressiveness, which originally concerned me as well--I watched the highlight reels & visions of yellow hankies flashed through my head. He probably intensified that "concern" with some things he said about liking to hit, wanting receivers to be "afraid" to come into his coverage, & especially not backing down on his style of play (sounding ominously like what Pollard said last season).
I doubt this concerns the Ravens. Someone asked Elam a question about his physical play & drawing flags & he replied that he'd just have to trust his technique. I'm sure the coaching staff will show him how to refine that technique to stay shy of PFs--& most importantly, he's a rookie & the Ravens staff is almost like a collection of father-figures, so he will take their advice & learn (unlike Pollard, who in essence said he was too set in his ways to change them now). It might be a problem for half the teams in the NFL, but it won't be one here.
When comparing him with Pollard, I think Elam's size actually becomes an asset. Pollard was 6'2, at 5'9 and change Elam will have a much easier time landing those big hits in legal areas, rather than in the head/neck
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NjRavensFan
a LOT of sites had him rated FAR below the first round? Maybe you read more pre-draft coverage than me but thats not how I remember it. I also know for a fact that the Ravens front office, through their myriad of connections with him, knows Matt Elam significantly better as a person than these publications do, and if they decide to rate him a red star player then I would not be too worried about any character concerns
He was rated at 133 overall here....
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...NFL-Draft.html
I think there was at least one more of this ilk, but not sure where right now...
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lobachevsky
:grbac: If there is any player in the draft the Ravens knew backwards, forwards, up & down, it's Matt Elam. Their history with the Elam family (going back to his brother Abram, whom Pees coached at Kent State) is voluminous.
Sounds like a lotta sour grapes to me.
Pretty much this. Based on the players they drafted this year, with something like 60-70% being team captains and high-character guys, I'd be shocked if they had even the slightest concerns about Elam's character. He dropped to us because he was 5'10" instead of 5'11", no other reason.
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
redmike34
You just cited a list that had Ryan Nassib ranked as the top prospect in the draft...
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NjRavensFan
You just cited a list that had Ryan Nassib ranked as the top prospect in the draft...
Eli better watch out. Nasty Nassib is creeping up behind him
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NjRavensFan
You just cited a list that had Ryan Nassib ranked as the top prospect in the draft...
Ha. Touche. There were a lot of bozo lists about, though I thought NFP was supposed to be one of the better ones.
Draft Nasty had Philip Thomas as the #1 safety prospect... based on what I dunno.
You're right though... the credibility of any of these guys is fairly suspect.
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TheSpiderWebb
Pretty much this. Based on the players they drafted this year, with something like 60-70% being team captains and high-character guys, I'd be shocked if they had even the slightest concerns about Elam's character. He dropped to us because he was 5'10" instead of 5'11", no other reason.
Ed Reed originally dropped to us because he was actually 5'10" and change. And Ed also played both SS (early in his career) and then FS later in his career (although he bounced between both roles depending on the situation). He had the ability to play either position which was very unusual.
Elam is about one inch shorter but has the same ability as Reed to bounce between SS and FS depending on the situation. This was a great draft pick!
Re: Elam Character Concerns?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
redmike34
Ha. Touche. There were a lot of bozo lists about, though I thought NFP was supposed to be one of the better ones.
Draft Nasty had Philip Thomas as the #1 safety prospect... based on what I dunno.
You're right though... the credibility of any of these guys is fairly suspect.
There were a lot of good to solid safeties in this class, but no clear front runner, so a lot of different people had a lot of different favorites. I personally wanted Cyprien going in, but I'll gladly take the guy all four of Ozzie, DeCosta, Harbaugh and Hortiz liked better instead lol