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Welcome to Baltimore: Brandon Stephens

Sizzle said:
I’m wondering if the criticism stems from the extremely limited film/videos on him. He might’ve had a couple bad games which happens to every player out there (to varying degrees obviously). So maybe the issues aren’t as bad as let on; maybe it’s just a bit of inconsistency
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his movement skills are excellent so it’s unsurprising - he’s super inconsistent especially with his pedal and some of his press technique but theres no denying the movement skills, the physical traits and the ball skills
 
rossihunter2 said:
his movement skills are excellent so it’s unsurprising - he’s super inconsistent especially with his pedal and some of his press technique but theres no denying the movement skills, the physical traits and the ball skills
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I know they are talking him up at safety but to me he is a corner and I am starting to get excited about him there in a year. A raw coming out Jimmy Smith vibe. love his feet, his ability to turn, run and squeeze when he anticipates correctly, his ability to play the ball in the air.
I am not sure about having him switch positions again. Reading QB, reading routes...pass game concepts seems a too big hill to start climbing when he's half way up a different one.
 
rossihunter2 said:
his movement skills are excellent so it’s unsurprising - he’s super inconsistent especially with his pedal and some of his press technique but theres no denying the movement skills, the physical traits and the ball skills
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Eh comes with the territory of learning a new position... he just has to put it all together and it seems he has the desire and traits to do it
 
Edgar said:
I know they are talking him up at safety but to me he is a corner and I am starting to get excited about him there in a year. A raw coming out Jimmy Smith vibe. love his feet, his ability to turn, run and squeeze when he anticipates correctly, his ability to play the ball in the air.
I am not sure about having him switch positions again. Reading QB, reading routes...pass game concepts seems a too big hill to start climbing when he's half way up a different one.
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He would be a bit different from a young Jimmy or even Humph. He has ball skills so he would be able to locate the ball and make plays if the chance came along rather than have it go right over his head
 
Edgar said:
I know they are talking him up at safety but to me he is a corner and I am starting to get excited about him there in a year. A raw coming out Jimmy Smith vibe. love his feet, his ability to turn, run and squeeze when he anticipates correctly, his ability to play the ball in the air.
I am not sure about having him switch positions again. Reading QB, reading routes...pass game concepts seems a too big hill to start climbing when he's half way up a different one.
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i agree with you about corner - but in terms of read and react, so much of what SMU asked him to do was a ton of cover-2/cover-3 zone type stuff

for me i think the biggest thing for him mentally (especially coming to a man-heavy team) is going to be eye discipline especially when playing press or trail where his back's to the QB
 
Sizzle said:
He would be a bit different from a young Jimmy or even Humph. He has ball skills so he would be able to locate the ball and make plays if the chance came along rather than have it go right over his head
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it is one of my least favourite misconceptions that humphrey and jimmy dont play the ball just because they dont get a ton of picks
how many PDs has Marlo got by playing through the hands at the catch-point? the answer is probably a lot

stephens projects to be similarly disruptive at the catchpoint
 
rossihunter2 said:
it is one of my least favourite misconceptions that humphrey and jimmy dont play the ball just because they dont get a ton of picks
how many PDs has Marlo got by playing through the hands at the catch-point? the answer is probably a lot

stephens projects to be similarly disruptive at the catchpoint
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According to many scouts, and according to even film, young Jimmy and Marlon were not the greatest at turning their heads around and picking off the passes.
 
Sizzle said:
According to many scouts, and according to even film, young Jimmy and Marlon were not the greatest at turning their heads around and picking off the passes.
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but at corner - ball skills rarely refers to "hands" - it's about your play at the catch-point

it's true that one of the few concerns about marlon was his ability to adjust to the ball at the catch-point - but he's shown with his FFs and play generally that he's become elite at playing through the hands to force the ball out

and i got the impression you were talking about jimmy and marlon as pros rather than as college prospects (for which i cant speak to jimmy because i never watched his college tape)
 
rossihunter2 said:
but at corner - ball skills rarely refers to "hands" - it's about your play at the catch-point

it's true that one of the few concerns about marlon was his ability to adjust to the ball at the catch-point - but he's shown with his FFs and play generally that he's become elite at playing through the hands to force the ball out

and i got the impression you were talking about jimmy and marlon as pros rather than as college prospects (for which i cant speak to jimmy because i never watched his college tape)
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Yeah I was referring to them coming out and even their first couple seasons. Yes Marlon has the forced fumble ball skills, but that doesn’t mean he has the ability to turn his head and play the ball as well as a ball hawk would like Peters.

And it’s not just hands, it’s ball awareness
 
Sizzle said:
Yeah I was referring to them coming out and even their first couple seasons. Yes Marlon has the forced fumble ball skills, but that doesn’t mean he has the ability to turn his head and play the ball as well as a ball hawk would like Peters.
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i mean they're asked to do different things - marlon's asked to do some more difficult things because we know he can do them - and he absolutely gets his head around and plays the ball - the force fumbles are a symptom of his ability to get his hands in at the catchpoint and rip the ball out

he's more similar in play-style to jalen ramsey (with whom his PD and INT stats are very much in line with) - guys who're asked to play a ton with their back to the ball because their movement skills, athleticism and iq allow them to play in those more difficult man situations

the ravens (and other teams he's played for) know that marcus peters is at his best when given the freedom to make plays on the ball and take risks - so we've put him in those sorts of positions where we give him the shallows and allow him to take risks on the deeper ball behind him and to let him play some more zone type coverages where he gets to read and bait the QB

especially with marlon in the slot a ton it's tough to give him those same sorts of opportunities without revamping the scheme somewhat...

im not suggesting he's the same ball hawk that peters is - but nobody in the league has been anywhere close to as prolific as peters has been since he entered the league
 
rossihunter2 said:
i mean they're asked to do different things - marlon's asked to do some more difficult things because we know he can do them - and he absolutely gets his head around and plays the ball - the force fumbles are a symptom of his ability to get his hands in at the catchpoint and rip the ball out

he's more similar in play-style to jalen ramsey (with whom his PD and INT stats are very much in line with) - guys who're asked to play a ton with their back to the ball because their movement skills, athleticism and iq allow them to play in those more difficult man situations

the ravens (and other teams he's played for) know that marcus peters is at his best when given the freedom to make plays on the ball and take risks - so we've put him in those sorts of positions where we give him the shallows and allow him to take risks on the deeper ball behind him and to let him play some more zone type coverages where he gets to read and bait the QB

especially with marlon in the slot a ton it's tough to give him those same sorts of opportunities without revamping the scheme somewhat...

im not suggesting he's the same ball hawk that peters is - but nobody in the league has been anywhere close to as prolific as peters has been since he entered the league
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Excellent analysis, I agree
 
Sizzle said:
According to many scouts, and according to even film, young Jimmy and Marlon were not the greatest at turning their heads around and picking off the passes.
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Jimmy always had excellent ball skills, however jimmy was in trail coverage A LOT and that’s where he excelled and by nature it’s risky to play the ball in trail coverage on deep routes, if it’s well thrown you will get burnt turning around.
 
JoeyFlex5 said:
Jimmy always had excellent ball skills, however jimmy was in trail coverage A LOT and that’s where he excelled and by nature it’s risky to play the ball in trail coverage on deep routes, if it’s well thrown you will get burnt turning around.
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jimmy for years was one of the best press man corners in the league because he was so disciplined - he trusted his length and athleticism to help him at the catch-point late if the ball did get thrown (which for a few years it rarely was) - he's one of the best pros ive ever seen at route recognition and reading receivers down to be able to break fluidly and mirror even in trail

truly one of the most underrated players of the last decade in the NFL - it's absurd that he'll never have a pro bowl or all pro on his CV when his career ends
 
rossihunter2 said:
jimmy for years was one of the best press man corners in the league because he was so disciplined - he trusted his length and athleticism to help him at the catch-point late if the ball did get thrown (which for a few years it rarely was) - he's one of the best pros ive ever seen at route recognition and reading receivers down to be able to break fluidly and mirror even in trail

truly one of the most underrated players of the last decade in the NFL - it's absurd that he'll never have a pro bowl or all pro on his CV when his career ends
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Yep. He would’ve been known as the best CB in the NFL for at least a few years if he wasn’t hurt pretty much every year
 
rossihunter2 said:
jimmy for years was one of the best press man corners in the league because he was so disciplined - he trusted his length and athleticism to help him at the catch-point late if the ball did get thrown (which for a few years it rarely was) - he's one of the best pros ive ever seen at route recognition and reading receivers down to be able to break fluidly and mirror even in trail

truly one of the most underrated players of the last decade in the NFL - it's absurd that he'll never have a pro bowl or all pro on his CV when his career ends
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Agreed 100%. He is one of the most skilled boundary corners I’ve ever seen, he is incredible at squeezing the route and eliminating a clean release, and then he does so well to flip hips and then pin himself perfectly trailing the receiver and recognizing when to attack the catch point, and when he has comfortable positioning or sees the receiver breaking stride for an underthrown ball he immediately turns into an elite ball corner.

injuries ruined what I believe would’ve been a HOF or at least borderline career and he would’ve been just behind Suggs in ravens fame
 
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