MontanaHawk05":3m6t4tfe said:
vin.couve12":3m6t4tfe said:
I've never been Earl's biggest fan
That much is obvious. Any reason why?
No one big particular reason. Just another overrated first rounder that doesn't provide all together more value for the ROI than other safeties that can only play FS. He's played as a cover 3 safety most of his career, which is one of 3 deep players, and is one of the easier positions as a safety. The two most stressed positions in coverage in that defense is actually the MLB and SS/WLB, whichever is playing the short middle zone. Since you go so conservative with 3 deep instead of 2, you get dinked and dunked a lot because the deep side is pretty well closed off with 3 dedicated players. We do go cover 1 and get into some blitz packages, but being surrounded by such a high level of talent makes his job easier. Fans often think it's the other way around, but it isn't true. He's even excused of a lot of short comings, often simply by people refusing to believe what they see. The TE seam route is often his responsibility, for instance, and it's been a big problem for a long time. The short zone guys are only supposed to carry that so far and hand off the inside seem to the FS. Or when he can't barely jump 30 inches off the ground for a ball when he's 5'10...or how fans and announcers, who are paid to make gods of men BTW, say how he plays sideline to sideline in coverage and he literally almost never does because he's literally not supposed to per the scheme, etc, etc, etc.
He's a very, very good player. One of many 1st rounders who's lived up to expectations, but that isn't saying a whole lot in terms of greatness. There's just a lot of lies and nonsense regarding a lot of 1st round picks and that's par the course and he's one of them. If you know schemes and what you're looking at, who's responsibility is what, and then listen to people's BS when you know damn well better, it's just old. He's a very good player, but once he's traded you'll start to see him get exposed more without all the talent around him. His main asset has been quickness and acceleration his entire career. His brains has been the SS since he was a rook. He can't jump, leaves his feet constantly and never stopped that even with experience, etc, etc, etc. A lot like the NBA dunker that gets the fans all riled up, but could be an actual better basketball player.
If you wanted truly elite, scheme diverse players on the Hawks during the previous tenure, you're looking at Wagner, Kam, and Bennett, as much as people don't want to admit the latter. People began to hate Bennett, in particular, but you can put him in any defense and he would thrive. Wagner is the truly special player in this D though. He's the best overall LB I've seen since Seau. And no, Lewis and Willis don't compare. Neither was nearly as good at the POA. They were pretty boys by comparison. Wagner has the overall skillset of a true great. Earl, not so much. That said, if he wants to play extortion games...well, that can be dealt with. He doesn't hold the cards he thinks he does.
