Andre Branch or Vinny Curry

[Redlichtie]

What's the deal with Branch?

I see a big,tall,freakish athlete with VERY long arms and an explosive first step.Also appears to have the aggression,passion and leadership for the game that were missing with Gholston.

Has put up good numbers too.Am I missing something when I see him and think he's a (mid-to-late)1st Round pick?...reminds me of Justin Houston without the baggage(yet...or that I'm aware of)As I remember the knocks on Houston were that he was a nutter and that he'd get lost in space but he was pretty useful at KC as a rookie.A steal in the 3rd.

Curry has great production but appears to lack the high-end explosion everyone is looking for ala Abraham,Ware,Suggs etc.But the guy has just flat out produced without being surrounded by elite talent.Anyone see this guy as just being the classic overachiever/low-upside prospect who gets marked down because his triangle numbers won't be great but he' just a great football player?

I genuinely think one or both of these two will be the elite pass rusher we are looking for when they get to the NFL and as neither has 3-4 OLB expereince perhaps they won't fit our defense but what's the general view out there?

[Maury77]

I have to disagree with you about Curry. I think he is a pretty explosive athlete.

[bitonti]

branch has a tendency to dissapear

I love Curry's production

I don't think either are suited for the 3-4

since we are talking about 4-3 DE

what do people think of Quentin Coples? He was hyped to be a top 5 pick. Had a down year but turned it on at the end.

[Maury77]

Originally Posted by bitonti

branch has a tendency to dissapear

I love Curry's production

I don't think either are suited for the 3-4

since we are talking about 4-3 DE

what do people think of Quentin Coples? He was hyped to be a top 5 pick. Had a down year but turned it on at the end.

Hmm he might be there at 16. Interesting.....

[augustiniak]

actually the guy i'm wondering about is whitney mercilus. i saw a few highlights of him and he reminded me of john abraham. what does anyone think?

[bitonti]

Originally Posted by augustiniak

actually the guy i'm wondering about is whitney mercilus. i saw a few highlights of him and he reminded me of john abraham. what does anyone think?

big 10 DE who only played in the 4-3 and had 1 big year of production.

Tanny would put needles in his eyes before he made a Mercilus pick in rd 1.

just for the record I feel an Ingram or Upshaw is way more likely than any of the names in this thread. They are gonna want OLB experience.

[Beerfish]

I think this huge concrete line that we put between 3-4 and 4-3 players in many cases needs to come down. Unless the guy is at the very top end size wise of being a 4-3 end it makes no difference to me if he is artificially slotted into being a 4-3 guy.

OLB's need to stop the run and rush the passer and if I can get a guy not ideal for 'playing in space' who is a pass rush demon I could give a shi* if he can't cover at all.

[sec.101row23]

Originally Posted by bitonti;4327825[B

]branch has a tendency to dissapear[/B]

I love Curry's production

I don't think either are suited for the 3-4

since we are talking about 4-3 DE

what do people think of Quentin Coples? He was hyped to be a top 5 pick. Had a down year but turned it on at the end.

Very true. I watch every Clemson game and not only does he disappear at times, he does it at crucial times. I also agree he seems like a better 4-3 DE than a 3-4 OLB.

[bitonti]

Originally Posted by Beerfish

I think this huge concrete line that we put between 3-4 and 4-3 players in many cases needs to come down.

if we lived in a world where the Gholston pick never happened, I would agree, it is an artificial difference

but I believe the Jets FO won't ever again draft a player in the first round who has never played OLB and stand him up. It's a projection and it's too risky for the accountant that runs the team.

[Beerfish]

Originally Posted by bitonti

if we lived in a world where the Gholston pick never happened, I would agree, it is an artificial difference

but I believe the Jets FO won't ever again draft a player in the first round who has never played OLB and stand him up. It's a projection and it's too risky for the accountant that runs the team.

I don't doubt that they might be gun shy but Gholston was not a failure because he was a DE that moved to olb , it was because he had very poor instincts, not a great motor and very few pass rush moves.

[augustiniak]

Originally Posted by bitonti

big 10 DE who only played in the 4-3 and had 1 big year of production.

Tanny would put needles in his eyes before he made a Mercilus pick in rd 1.

just for the record I feel an Ingram or Upshaw is way more likely than any of the names in this thread. They are gonna want OLB experience.

i understand what you're saying. my early prediction for the jets if they stay at 16 is either upshaw, ingram or perry, though i don't know as much about perry.

[sec.101row23]

Originally Posted by Beerfish

I think this huge concrete line that we put between 3-4 and 4-3 players in many cases needs to come down. Unless the guy is at the very top end size wise of being a 4-3 end it makes no difference to me if he is artificially slotted into being a 4-3 guy.

OLB's need to stop the run and rush the passer and if I can get a guy not ideal for 'playing in space' who is a pass rush demon I could give a shi* if he can't cover at all.

True. I think people make the assumption that a 3-4 OLB HAS to be able to "play in space" and cover guys, otherwise they consider him a 4-3 DE. If you look at some of the elite 3-4 OLBs like Ware, how often is he covering guys out of the backfield?

[bitonti]

Originally Posted by Beerfish

I don't doubt that they might be gun shy but Gholston was not a failure because he was a DE that moved to olb , it was because he had very poor instincts, not a great motor and very few pass rush moves.

It is extremely tough to measure instincts, especially at the DE position. their assignments are get up field, rinse and repeat. Hit somebody. Alot of these college DE are treated like potted plants. they don't get complex assignments or asked to read/react.

[Much ado about Nothing]

Branch's problem should be that no one likes Clemson.

Curry is the man.

[Come Back to NY]

Originally Posted by Maury77

I have to disagree with you about Curry. I think he is a pretty explosive athlete.

Curry is terrific- quick, football smart and a playmaker....Branch has personality issues- a lot of his own teammates don't like him....

[Come Back to NY]

Originally Posted by Much ado about Nothing

Branch's problem should be that no one likes Clemson.

Curry is the man.

his bigger problem is many at Clemson don't like him....

[JetOrange]

Originally Posted by bitonti

branch has a tendency to dissapear

I love Curry's production

I don't think either are suited for the 3-4

since we are talking about 4-3 DE

what do people think of Quentin Coples? He was hyped to be a top 5 pick. Had a down year but turned it on at the end.

Could you start a thread on this topic. The Jets are not a pure 3-4 team, Couples is a 4-3 end that was a possible top 5 pick, after an 11 sack effort in 2010, but in 2011 he seemed to mail it in, had 7.5 sacks, thus is drop in value. The jets have a nice 7 man rotation on the DefensiveLine, but only Wilkerson has any significant upside as a Pass Rusher. For a team that is desperate for a Pass Rush this could be an alternative...

[Much ado about Nothing]

Originally Posted by JetOrange

[/B] Could you start a thread on this topic. The Jets are not a pure 3-4 team, Couples is a 4-3 end that was a possible top 5 pick, after an 11 sack effort in 2010, but in 2011 he seemed to mail it in, had 7.5 sacks, thus is drop in value. The jets have a nice 7 man rotation on the DefensiveLine, but only Wilkerson has any significant upside as a Pass Rusher. For a team that is desperate for a Pass Rush this could be an alternative...

I think he still goes top 5....and I'd try him at DE/OLB first. Coples can move.

[Redlichtie]

Originally Posted by Maury77

I have to disagree with you about Curry. I think he is a pretty explosive athlete.

Based on that clip I take your point.He's everywhere and is always around the play.good tackling technique and seems to always hustle after the play.And I saw some explosion too.Looks like the guy he was up against was a pretty good LT(No75)and he more than held his own and even made some plays

The Senior Bowl and Combine will be interesting for him.I guess if he has a big few weeks and times well some of those 2nd round grades might start getting revised up.I love how his 'negatives' include hi running down the play a couple of times from behind 20 or 30 yards downfield

He already looks good in green!

[Maury77]

Originally Posted by Redlichtie

Based on that clip I take your point.He's everywhere and is always around the play.good tackling technique and seems to always hustle after the play.And I saw some explosion too.Looks like the guy he was up against was a pretty good LT(No75)and he more than held his own and even made some plays

The Senior Bowl and Combine will be interesting for him.I guess if he has a big few weeks and times well some of those 2nd round grades might start getting revised up.I love how his 'negatives' include hi running down the play a couple of times from behind 20 or 30 yards downfield

He already looks good in green!

I hope not