Joyner: Reed, Taylor Overrated from Coverage Standpoint

What our defense needs are more guys like ST. He just flies around, to, and through the ball.

Taylor had a bad year last year, just like the entire D. I don't think we needed an expert to tell us that.

I wonder what his metrics looked like in prior years though.

Exactly what I was thinking. 2006 Sean Taylor was not the same Sean Taylor that we all saw in 2005. I also thought his play in the Pro Bowl (not just the hit on the kicker, but his overall play) suggested what he is capable of given a competent supporting cast.

I think ST is gonna prove hes good in coverage this year.

You could tell in the Minnesota game that his focus was all wrong last year. I distinctly remember at least one play where he chose the hit over an int and that is fundamentally wrong. An additional turnover in that game and we win.

I think that Williams is doing the right thing with Taylor this year. He has told the world that his job is to play center field and reel in balls. And Taylor seems to be on board with his weight loss.

As far as the Pro-bowl, there seems to be a lag. Taylor became an alternate off of the reputation of his first two years more than his performance last year. And I have said this before. No one can say a single word about Taylor after Roy Williams made it last year. He was pathetic absolutely pathetic last year in coverage.

Taylor had a bad year last year, just like the entire D. I don't think we needed an expert to tell us that.

I wonder what his metrics looked like in prior years though.I would think they were a lot better.

Its worrisome that he regressed in his third season...thats not suppossed to happen. Hopefully we can sit here a year from now and see what an abberation year 2006 was here for the guy.

I feel he "regressed" (and I use that term lightly) last year because he felt he had to do everything while also covering for Arch. But I think he realized it is not all about the hitting and he lost some weight and gained some speed. I think the addition of Landry, Smoot, Fletcher, and a healthy Griffin should improve him greatly. I am expecting a 6+ interception season from taylor.

Metrics aren't going to tell you the impact of Sean Taylor missing the Tampa game two years ago, allowing Chris Simms to own the middle of the field deep and resulting in over 30 points scored by the Bucs. And possibly costing us the division title in the long run.Actually, I think Metrics WILL tell us this. And I'm guessing they would prove your point correct.

Metrics aren't going to tell you the impact of when Todd Pinkston (was it Pinkston?) hears Taylor's footsteps and looks the other way out of fear instead of focusing on the ball.Well, no. Todd Pinkston is no longer relevant in this league though, in no small part to this play.

Metrics aren't going to tell you Sean Taylor's vision and awareness (and pure athletic ability) to run full speed, pick a ball up off a bounce and take off leading to the winning field goal in dramatic fashion.

True, there's plenty Taylor needs to improve on. But we're much better off with him on the field than without him.I wouldn't disagree. But the thread points out that he's probably overrated based on the fact that he played in the pro bowl last year, and I don't think theres too many of us that would disagree with that.

All the metrics do is tell how how many yards per play an opponent got when he worked on Sean Taylor. In 2006, that was a lot. We're all free to draw our own conclusions, but I personally won't lay the blame for that at the feet of anyone but #21. He needs to step it up.

Who cares about things like heart, leadership, the ability to inspire fear in opposing teams, and a dozen other immeasurable qualities when metrics teach us that Taylor can't play safety, Betts is as good as Portis, and Brunell is a great quarterback?Who cares about on field performance?

Me, thats who.

Yeah...well here in America we don't use the metric system! No one says it's First and 914 centimeters.

USA! USA!

Seriously though, I'm sure you're well aware that there's a lot more to evaluate a player and his value that what a stat sheet says

Seriously though, I'm sure you're well aware that there's a lot more to evaluate a player and his value that what a stat sheet saysOf course. Thats the fun part!

Statistics are my starting point. Once I understand where the process begins, I can develop all sorts of crazy observations that may or may not be reality.

I just don't fly in the face of the evidence, I try to build on it. I realize I can come off condecening at times, but its frusterating to sit here and see two parties bicker over the irrelivant/simple issues. I by far prefer the complex football-related issues, but I feel that the mainstream fan will never even discover these issues because the current accepted method of player evaluation is so poor, and the sports media is more than okay with that.

For example, I'd love to debate whether or not we can expect ST to rebound based on the historical expectation of the position and his college and professional merits. Unfortuanately, theres a handful of people who don't even yet realize how poor his play was last year even after linking the article. Makes it hard to move on to the fun points when I have to argue the for granted ones.

Ah, whatever. All in a days work.

End rant.:soapbox: