Thanks fellas. We all need to take a step back at times and just evaluate what we have rather than slam it because we don't have the 'glamour' picks.
Trekbiz, Jamar unfortunately falls into the category of "Will never be Loved". When the draft board came down and we got close to our pick, we wanted Chambers, Drew Brees, Tommy Polley or Kendrell Bell. We took a ball hawk CB who didn't really fit our scheme, in that he doesn't play bump and run. Fans saw that we had 2 great corners and thought it was a pathetic move, not thinking of all the 3 and 4 receiver sets that teams were running. He was the Thorpe Winner who would have been a top 10 pick had he been 2 inches taller. He had his struggles early learning the new scheme and then got thrown into the deep end when Surtain got hurt against Indy and had to start - he played quite well actually, but the first year was a tough one for him. Usually CB is one of the hardest positions to learn even if you know the system/scheme. Fletcher had to learn new looks, new players, bigger, better, stronger, faster receivers. And he had to learn an alien scheme - he had to learn how to jam receivers at the line, he had to learn to get in guys faces and shift his hips quicker than ever. It's something he'd never done. You need strength to do that and Jamar had football strength but not specific scheme strength. All this takes time people. It's not as easy as just lining up and going at it a couple of times and away you go. This takes years to get down properly. In year 2, he was night and day over year 1. He played much, much better, but because many people didn't want him here in the first place and many people felt that he stopped us getting Drew Brees - thus having a replacement for Jay - they used him as the whipping boy - any time he made a mistake, people lit him up for it. There was a MASSIVE outrage after Marvin Harison caught 11 balls against us and nearly won the game in week 2 last year. I went back and watched the game and watched evey pass completed on him. Only 1 completion was down to him as fault and that was because he turned the wrong way - the rest he was step for step. In fact on some of the plays that people were castigating him for, it was Madison in coverage and not him, but no-one wants to light up Sam too much. Then people got on him for the long Peerless Price TD in Buffalo - Fletcher wasn't even on Price - he was on Josh Reed in the slot. It just so happened that Reed's route undercut Price's route and Fletcher was in the area. Then he was chasing down Price and all of a sudden, everyone thinks it must have been Jamar's fault. Not true. the final indignation for Jamar was the Randy Moss TD in Minnesota. I'm sorry, but Fletcher clearly expected deep help over the top from Wooden and it never came.
I think his progression from year 1 to year 2 was strong. I KNOW that he has been in the weight room constantly this off-season and has added some considerable upper body bulk to be stronger off the snap. He is a tape hawk, a kid who works hard and who will be a solid player in year 3. I think people think that a kid will be all world straight off the bat. It doesn't happen, especially at CB. I also think, as aforementioned, that many people wrongly see Fletcher as the reason that Fiedler is still the starter because he stopped us getting Brees and therefore will never accept him. What we have is an improving young corner who is willing to learn, has good speed, is better on receivers breaks, is more fluid, looks like he knows what he's doing, has solid coverage and is the best tackler and run supporter of our DB's. I think in year 3, he'll be very solid.
Greenwood is the same. Because he isn't recording 10 sacks or making game changing plays, people assume he must be rubbish. Far from the truth. Whilst Morlon would be the first to agree that he hasn't been outstanding for us, he's certainly been a lot better than many people make out. You have to understand about systems. Players are signed as free agents because they fit systems. Players are ignored as draft picks, because they don't fit systems. You try and match up guys who you think will do well in your system. Our system is such....run to the ball, speed kills......but the key player in our system is Zach Thomas. He is the best tackler. He is the water at the bottom of the funnel. The funnel is Bowens and Chester and Haley as was and Zgonina as will be. Their job isn't to sack the QB or to chase plays 15, 20 yards downfield. Their job is to soak up the 3 interior linemen, freeing up Zach to either run to the LOS and make the tackle, or move outside to the perimeter and make the tackle. Zach is a great player, don't get me wrong, but he is made better because of the system. Thus, the OLB's aren't meant to flourish in the system. They are supposed to work to the edges with speed and hold up the ball carrier and forcer him back inside to Zach or the ends, who are chasing down the plays from behind. Watch when runners get to the edge and see how the body shape of Greenwood and Rodgers is - they stand angled, stopping a further move outside and turning the carrier back inside to the MLB. Greenwood plays well within the limits of the system. OLB's in Bates' scheme are not going to be All Pros. They are not asked to go after the QB, they are not asked to make plays - that sounds really odd, but it's true. They are supposed to be the edges of the funnel. They are the players that work from the hash lines on their side of the field, to the sideline. Greenwood has the speed to get outside. He is much improved in coverage. He needs to do a better job of working through trash and getting his legs uncovered because at times that holds him up. But he makes a lot of tackles on the perimeter and like Fletcher is getting better. What he also does is keep blockers off Zach because of his speed. It's all part of the system. If Bates unlocked the scheme some and allowed Greenwood more freedom to roam and make plays, people would be happier, but in a way he's shackled by the system. Eddie Moore will have the same problem until Zach moves on. He's part of a funnel. There is a reason that Zach makes 180 tackles a season and Greenwood and Rodgers make 85/100. Unfortunately fans don't see the scheme and how it works. Greenwood does a job within the confines of the system. He needs to work on some little things, but his drop depth is better, he is more fluid as a cover guy. They will both be fine. Unfortunately 75% of fans will never see that, but they are fine.
