Anyone else thinks it's a bit unusual that McCollum has been getting the 2nd team reps over Sydney Brown when CJGJ or Blankenship goes down?  I was really hoping Brown would be kicking a$$ after he got back but maybe the coaches aren't feeling the same....

I don’t think there’s a reason to be concerned, Brown is coming off that ACL tear and maybe since he’s young the staff want to bring him back gradually.

 

or maybe they don’t think he fits the scheme, could be either one. 

Fangio’s scheme on the back end is complex.  Brown missed significant time in the offseason recovering from the ACL.  McCollum has worked his tail off just to make the roster so he is mentally ahead of Brown.  I think Brown’s miscue last week on the Cupp TD didn’t instill confidence in the coaches that he was ready yet so when Blankenship went down, McCollum was the next man up, not Brown.  I think when Brown has a full offseason in the scheme, he can become a starter.  

I'm not going to read into anything just yet.

But, I love the building of depth in the Secondary. WOW. 

Fangio had led this defense to the #1 ranking and is credited for finding a diamond in the rough in Baun.  I don’t see a need to question his decision-making.  

McCollum played real well in the season finale last year and had a very strong preseason this year. I believe he can eventually be a starter in this league once he gets enough experience. Right now, I'm glad we have him on ST and for depth at safety. I'm rooting just as much for Brown, but he's only been back from the ACL rehab for a few weeks. Give him some time to get his confidence (in his knee) all the way up. It should be a good battle in next year's training camp / preseason. 

With Slay out and Blankenship hurt, Jackson tried to go at McCullum yesterday. It was a good test for him considering he didn't get to prepare with the starters in practice. Blankenship is responsible for all the communication in the secondary, so with Slay out as well, things could have been much worse. In 21 snaps (16 in coverage), PFF gave him a good 71.2 grade yesterday.

He did break up that 4th down pass at the end. I'd like to see him actually bat that thing down instead of trying to intercept it on 4th down, but still a good play. 

 

I’m going to give this one to Fangio. He believes that for now McCollum is the best option because he’s been here. Brown is returning from that injury so he probably needs more time anyway. Fangio doesn’t seem like the type to play a guy because of his draft spot or contract, rather he plays who he thinks is the best option. If he believes Brown is the better player then he would be out there.

Yeah I think Fangio knows what he’s doing so I’ll go with his decisions there. Sure I think Brown is the more athletic player but Fangio clearly felt in that spot McCollum was the better option. Maybe McCollum is a smarter player? More savvy perhaps? I think Brown is really fast and hits hard but that could get us caught out at times.

I think Fangio is trying to get Brown to slow down some in his approach... Brown plays like his head is on fire and a heat seeking missle..

Fangio's system is complex where players need to maintain the areas they are awarded an react accordingly. It will come , but he'll still get some chances.

2 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

 Sure I think Brown is the more athletic player

 Forty Time:

Brown (4.47)

McCollum (4.48)

 

Vertical: 

Brown (40.5")

McCollum (37.5")

 

Broad Jump:

Brown (10' 10")

McCollum (10' 10")

 

They're pretty even athletically. 

15 hours ago, LacesOut said:

I'm not going to read into anything just yet.

But, I love the building of depth in the Secondary. WOW. 

Yup 

6 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

 Forty Time:

Brown (4.47)

McCollum (4.48)

 

Vertical: 

Brown (40.5")

McCollum (37.5")

 

Broad Jump:

Brown (10' 10")

McCollum (10' 10")

 

They're pretty even athletically. 

Thanks for those stats bud. I hadn’t really appreciated how similar they were. I guess Brown just seems to pop a little more? But maybe that’s because he is a gunner on STs.

8 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Thanks for those stats bud. I hadn’t really appreciated how similar they were. I guess Brown just seems to pop a little more? But maybe that’s because he is a gunner on STs.

Brown is about 3 inches shorter and 10 lbs heavier. From a play style, Brown is a much bigger hitter and that's what "pops" when we watch him make plays. 

As I said earlier, I'm not worried about Brown. He's a hard worker and returned from the ACL injury just a few weeks ago. McCollum had the advantage of OTAs, TC and preseason and earned his roster spot as a dark horse. Both of these guys should push each other for playing time next season. I think Brown, though, is more likely the backup for CJGJ while McCollum is the backup for Blankenship.

I'm looking forward to seeing how McCollum does when surrounded by starters and with a week of practicing with them. He stood out when playing with backups. 

On 12/2/2024 at 2:49 PM, time2rock said:

Fangio had led this defense to the #1 ranking and is credited for finding a diamond in the rough in Baun.  I don’t see a need to question his decision-making.  

In Vic I trust.

It was a rough first start for McCollum. He needs to tackle better. It was a good learning experience for him, but we missed Blankenship out there.