Tag: nickel

McCarthy: Kelvin Joseph playing new position, enjoying ‘best stretch’ with Cowboys

From @ToddBrock24f7: The third-year cornerback may finally be rewarding the Cowboys’ patience, with a shift to nickel seeming to be a change for the better.

Kelvin Joseph has seemingly spent his entire Cowboys career on the bubble.

But the thing about bubbles is, they usually find a way to rise.

The Dallas coaching staff has stuck with Joseph through exceptionally bad decisions off the field- not to mention some poor play on it- since joining the team in 2021. Now, two full years later, the 23-year-old may be rewarding the organization for their patience.

“I think this is the best stretch for Kelvin that he’s had since he’s been here,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday.

Joseph’s athletic talents have never been in question; they’re why he was a second-round draft pick coming out of Kentucky. But the Louisiana native was raw, in more ways than one.

Unable to make much of an impact as a rookie, Joseph put his football future in serious doubt during the 2022 offseason. In April, it was announced that he was “a person of interest” in the investigation of a fatal shooting that had occurred outside a Dallas nightclub. Joseph sat down with investigators- albeit a month after the fact- and admitted that he was a passenger in the car from which the shots were fired but claimed he was not the shooter.

The Cowboys ignored calls to cut Joseph immediately. He played more in his second season, but did little to boost his stock with fans. He was benched during the team’s Week 15 loss to Jacksonville after giving up two touchdowns in the span of three coverage snaps.

Joseph continued playing special teams and even provided a bright spot during the Cowboys’ divisional-round meeting with San Francisco when his forced fumble in punt coverage led to a game-tying field goal.

It may have been enough to earn him one more chance at sticking around. And by all accounts, Joseph is making the most of it.

Part of this offseason’s improvement seems to be the result of a positional shift. Joseph was seen taking reps as the defense’s nickel cornerback at the recent OTA practices, and it seems the change is agreeing with him.

“You can see his heightened awareness,” McCarthy explained. “I think where he’s at in his development- there’s nothing that he can’t do physically- but now, having an understanding of going in and playing nickel, what’s clear to me is he’s better outside. He’s seeing how it fits together, it helps with the instincts and the concept understanding.”

Joseph agrees that the move is allowing him to put his best foot forward after his previous missteps.

“It’s a big chance for me and an advantage because of my capabilities and what I’m able to do,” he said recently, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

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“Just being able to learn from everybody and learn from my mistakes,” he continued. “That makes me more mature. Like me getting benched last year: not getting mad about it, just using it to get better this offseason on my mistakes and my reason on why I couldn’t play last year or why I was benched or why I gave up passes. This offseason was a whole different focus to come back better, faster, and stronger than what I was last year. … Just locking in. Dialed in. All the way. Blocking out the off-the-field distractions and the naysayers, just to prove everybody wrong.”

Everybody, that is, except his Cowboys coaches, who believed in him all along. And now it will be up to Joseph to extend his “best stretch” all the way to becoming the player he was expected to be as a Top-50 pick.

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Packers expecting Keisean Nixon to play more nickel snaps in 2023

The Packers are expecting Keisean Nixon to play more in the slot in 2023. Is this a telling sign that Rasul Douglas will play more at safety?

Did Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst drop a hint at how his team wants to line up in the secondary next season?

In an answer related to re-signing Keisean Nixon during Monday’s availability, Gutekunst said he’s expecting Nixon to play even more snaps in the nickel (slot corner) next season.

“We’re really excited about not only the return stuff, but we think he’s going to see a lot more time in the nickel this year, and we’re all really excited about that because when he was in there, he was impactful,” Gutekunst said.

Nixon, an All-Pro kick returner, played 244 snaps in the slot last season, with the majority coming over six games (Weeks 3-4, Week 9, Weeks 12-15). When covering from the slot, Nixon gave up 19 catches on 24 targets for 200 yards and intercepted one pass on 145 total coverage snaps, the most among Packers cornerbacks while in the slot.

How will the Packers arrange the secondary if Nixon is playing more snaps in the slot?

One easy answer: Rasul Douglas could move to safety. In this scenario, Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes would play on the perimeter at cornerback, Nixon in the slot and Douglas at safety, with Darnell Savage mixed in as a backup option in the slot and at safety.

Nixon playing more in the slot just doesn’t work number-wise if Douglas remains at cornerback. Stokes is returning from a season-ending ankle injury and will be an expected starter, and Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in football. Both are best when playing on the outside.

Douglas has the size, play-style and tackling ability to make the transition. He’s excellent playing with his eyes on the quarterback and might be better suited for reading and reacting from a safety alignment. Last year, the Packers started Douglas out in the slot, but he eventually moved back outside after Stokes went down and Nixon played more inside.

The Packers want Nixon on the field more on defense in 2023, and the easiest path to accomplishing this personnel idea is giving Douglas a chance to play safety.

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Dick Vitale has high praise for UNC basketball program

The UNC Basketball program is the top team in the country going into the 2022-23 season according to ESPN’s Dick Vitale.

With the NBA withdrawal deadline officially passed, it’s time to update the early preseason rankings for the 2022-23 season. ESPN’s Dick Vitale published the latest version of his dazzling dozen, spotlighting the top 12 teams as it stands right now.

And sitting right at the top are the North Carolina Tar Heels.

UNC takes the top spot again in Vitale’s updated rankings, holding serve from the previous version. The Tar Heels beat out Kentucky (No. 2), Arkansas (No. 3), Houston (No. 4), and Gonzaga (No. 5) for the top spot.

Here is what Vitale had to say about UNC in his latest rankings ahead of the new season:

It’s great to have an All-American in Armando Bacot returning up front. Having Caleb Love, Leaky Black and R.J. Davis provides continuity and experience. The Tar Heels also bring in 6-9 recruit Jalen Washington and point guard Seth Trimble, providing lots of depth. Hubert Davis has a reason to smile and the Heels may add another transfer. They tried to get Matthew Mayer from Baylor but fell short. Look for bigger things from Puff Johnson.

While Vitale notes the usual suspects he also mentions [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] and to expect big things from him going into the season. The Tar Heels have an open spot in their starting rotation after missing out on Matthew Mayer and if Johnson can fill it and improve, UNC could be even better.

We should also keep an eye on the recruiting class and especially Seth Trimble who is really elevating his game. [autotag]Jalen Washington[/autotag] and Tyler [autotag]Nickel[/autotag] will join him while Will Shaver has already been on campus.

Ugo Amadi and Marquise Blair battling for Seahawks nickel spot

Ugo Amadi and Marquise Blair are once again battling for the Seattle Seahawks nickel spot in training camp.

The Seattle Seahawks selected Ugo Amadi out of Oregon in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. He’s making his case for the roster now entering his third season in the league.

“Ugo is really on his game,” coach Pete Carroll said this week after practice. “As a matter of fact, I talked to him about that today, how much more he knows now and how much more where he is, his ability to disguise and utilize the calls and stuff. He’s just way ahead where he’s been, and he has looked really good.”

Amadi filled in for Marquise Blair at nickel corner last year when Blair went down with an ACL tear, ending his season. The competition is on for the spot again this summer.

“It’s a real good battle between those two guys,” Carroll said. “Marquise, we’ve always been excited about what he can do and how he can play, whether it’s at safety or nickel, but Ugo’s not just giving it up, he’s competing like crazy.”

Amadi, Blair and the rest of the Seahawks take the field Thursday afternoon as they continue to prepare to face the Raiders in Las Vegas for their first preseason game on Saturday night.

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Who will play nickel for the Packers next season?

The Packers have options on defense for the slot cornerback position.

When the Green Bay Packers hired Joe Barry, the new defensive coordinator said you can never have enough guys that are potential nickels. Luckily, the Packers will have plenty of options they can explore at slot corner for 2021.

In 2020, the nickel role was handled predominately by Chandon Sullivan. In 16 games, Sullivan lined up inside on 533 snaps and received a grade of 62.2 from Pro Football Focus. Green Bay tendered Sullivan to the tune of $2.1 million back in March, expecting him to compete for a starting role once again.

Sullivan will have the most experience on the roster when it comes to playing nickel, but he is far from their only option. It’s very possible Green Bay could try to upgrade.

If not Sullivan, Jaire Alexander should be taking snaps inside as much as the team can afford. His size and skill set makes him an ideal candidate to play closer to the ball and be a disruptive playmaker. Alexander really has no limitations to his game in that he can tackle and cover. Barry could allow him to press inside so he can completely neutralize a shifty slot receiver and also design some creative blitz packages to cater to his aggressive playstyle.

However, that takes Alexander off of the boundary, which is where he is coming off an All-Pro season. Moving him inside creates a void opposite of Kevin King, but the Packers just used a first-round pick on Eric Stokes. Stokes could start as the other outside corner, giving the defense two long and fast players on the boundary with Alexander in the slot. Ultimately, that plan is contingent on Stokes being ready to contribute right away as a rookie. He will likely be the starting outside corner eventually, but Green Bay may want to give him more time to develop.

Another rookie who could compete for playing time right away is Shemar Jean-Charles. The Packers used a fifth-round pick on Jean-Charles after a solid career at Appalachian State. He finished with two career interceptions, 97 tackles, and 33 passes defended. According to PFF, Charles allowed a completion rate of just 30.4 last season.

Those kind of ball skills are useful for a slot corner, but Jean-Charles spent most of his time in college playing outside. However, his twitchy athleticism, shorter build, and slender frame could push Green Bay to try him inside. If he impresses during training camp and in the preseason, there’s a decent chance Jean-Charles has a role that isn’t just special teams in 2021.

One other option is safety Darnell Savage, who played in the slot sporadically during college and his first two NFL seasons. But he’s also a high-end starter at safety where his speed is a huge asset.

The nickel spot has become increasingly important over the years, and the Packers will look to improve where they can. Sullivan could be a solid option for another season, or the defense could benefit from someone else emerging in the slot.

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Could the Seahawks pursue Trajan Bandy as nickel corner?

Trajan Bandy is an undersized CB who scouts believe will excel as a nickel corner in press coverage, making him an ideal fit for Seattle.

The Seattle Seahawks have a laundry list of priorities to take care of this offseason, most notably on the defensive and offensive lines.

After that they will need to find a third running back, a backup quarterback and another wide receiver or two and then, eventually, they’ll want to find players to compete with Ugo Amadi at the nickel cornerback position.

While it is not the team’s top priority, using the back end of the 2020 NFL draft could be a great way for this team to bring competition in for Amadi, while also developing key contributors on the special teams – likely as replacements for free agents Neiko Thorpe and Akeem King.

While Myles Bryant of UW is a popular choice for this gig, another name the Seahawks could target at the end of the draft or as an undrafted free agent is Miami CB Trajan Bandy.

Bandy is undersized, standing 5’8 with just 29 7/8 inch arms, which limited him in man coverage as an outside corner with the Hurricanes.

Most scouts are certain he will be a slot corner in the NFL, and he excels in zone and press coverages – two areas that should make him appealing for the Seahawks.

Additionally, Bandy is a solid tackler in the open field, suggesting he would be an asset on the special teams as a gunner.

The Seahawks will focus on pass rush and skilled offensive positions before they find competition for Amadi at the nickel, but once they turn their attention that way – Bandy is a solid option for them to pursue.

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Seahawks’ nickel cornerback job is Ugo Amadi’s to lose

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the nickel corner job is Ugo Amadi’s to lose, but they still plan to bring competition to camp.

One of the big mysteries heading into the 2019 season for the Seattle Seahawks was at the nickel cornerback position.

After Justin Coleman departed for greener pastures in Detroit, the team was left with a handful of options in training camp, including veterans Jamar Taylor and Akeem King, and rookie Ugo Amadi.

Taylor and King each got their chances, but it took until Week 14 against the Panthers for Amadi to finally take over the role full-time. Even then, the Seahawks committed to running their base 4-3 defense at an alarmingly high rate last season, making the nickel position more obsolete than it has been in years in Seattle’s scheme.

Carroll eventually admitted he wishes they had played Amadi at nickel sooner, a testament to his abilities at the position – and the struggles by Taylor and King.

Carroll doesn’t sound ready to make that same mistake again in 2020, telling reporters at the NFL combine that the nickel position is “Ugo’s to lose right now.”

Carroll did go on to say the team will bring in competition during training camp, but with Taylor, King and Kalan Reed all set to hit free agency it could be an entirely new crop of contenders for the job.

Amadi is a hard-hitter and all-around playmaker, although the numbers don’t paint a pretty picture of him in pass coverage, with his 11 times targeted resulting in nine receptions for 83 yards and an opposing passer rating of 98.3.

Still, he has the build and necessary traits to exceed as a nickel in Carroll’s defense, a role that might increase in 2020 following the not-so-great experiment of having linebackers operate in more coverage from last season.

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