Brad Jones

quote:

ALERT: THIS IS NOT A HAWK BASHING THREAD.

Well I guess the mods should lock this thread right now, then.

Hawk sucks.

He's a free agent after this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Hud:
... turning into a really nice player. I think he has had as much to do with improved defense as anyone. Faster than we thought, covers the middle better than either Bishop or Hawk, stands people up, makes tackles in backfield... Has he become a regular even next year? I think yes. ALERT: THIS IS NOT A HAWK BASHING THREAD.

He's not a good OLB, but he is an above average ILB. DJ Smith sucked pretty hard, but it looked really bad when he went down (just imagining what was behind him). It's really nice to have the guy who replaced him turn out to be a significant upgrade. The one thing that still makes him a bit of a downgrade from Bishop is the pass rushing ability, an area where he excelled.

Think you're selling Bishop a bit short, here. Love seeing a LB who can actually make RBs collapse backwards when he hits them.

There's no reason why Brad Jones can't fill the role that Brandon Chillar played a couple years ago - #1 backup at a couple different positions; 3rd down linebacker. Plus, he plays special teams.

And we still haven't seen Manning who could end up the best of the bunch.

i've been really surprised by Jones, especially in coverage. He plays the run extremely well, but he's also the dime LB, which means he's in coverage a lot. I thought that would be a liability but I think he's done a pretty nice job.

I've been pleased with Jones too. Kind of surprised he was behind DJ Smith after watching both play this year. With Crosby sucking and CU Football sucking even more, glad that Jones can represent the Buffs on the football field.

I wonder how ILB will shake out in the offseason. Bishop and Smith will be back, Jones looks too good not to keep, and I expect Manning to be much improved next year. Throw in Hawk, Francois and Lattimore, and it's a crowded position. And with that group lacking a true stud, it wouldn't surprise me if TT drafted one high.

I'm not as convinced as most, apparently.
I do think he has played better over the last couple of weeks, but I've seen plenty of bad play from him this year.
His biggest value is his versatility, but keep in mind there is a reason why he's playing on the inside, and there's a reason he's starting, and neither have to do with exceptional skills.
He may be growing in his new role, and I hope he succeeds. There's still more opportunity in front of him, and he should at least have a chance to take advantage.

I've been watching Brad Jones closely over the past several weeks and I couldn't be more pleased with how well he is playing. Take a look again at the goal line stand against the Bears from 2 weeks ago. Jones was instrumental in keeping the Bears out of the end zone with bit hits on Forte on consecutive plays at the 1 yard line. Take a look at how well he is covering TEs and RBs out of the backfield. He rarely gets burned, unlike DJ Smith who is a total liability in coverage. I've also been surprised at how effective Jones has been as a blitzer up the middle - something I just didn't see from him when he started at OLB. Jones is a keeper. We need to sign him and line him up next to Desmond Bishop as a starter next year.

He's played much better since moving inside. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well he's played and was even unsure that he'd end up making the cut out of training camp.

quote:

Originally posted by CUPackFan:
I've been pleased with Jones too. Kind of surprised he was behind DJ Smith after watching both play this year. With Crosby sucking and CU Football sucking even more, glad that Jones can represent the Buffs on the football field.

Much to my surprise, former Buff Nate Solder is also having a solid year in New England. I didn't think he would be ready to play for a couple years.

But yes Brad Jones has been having a solid year. He times his blitzes well, he closes fast, he takes good angles, and wraps up and drives the ball carrier. It has made me notice how much our other starting LB doesn't do those things (didn't say Hawk, who had a solid game against Tennessee). I hope Jones is re-signed and allowed to compete in TC next year for more playing time. He's definitely making the most of his opportunities.

He's been solid in coverage, even with the failed tackle on Marshall that led to a TD. He was right there.