Chris Borland

Who will be the better NFL ILB?


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FrankRizzo

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Borland vs CJ Mosley vs Ryan Shazier

Shazier is by far the fastest.
Mosley has the accolades and is from the great Bama program.
So was Rolando McClain about 4 years ago, who is a bust.

Aaron Curry was also THE MAN a few years ago as the consensus top ILB.
He bombed out like McClain.

I don't see the greatness in Mosley, just as I thought Curry was way overhyped.
Just because a guy is the consensus #1-rated by most experts doesn't mean he's going to be the best, or even good.
Tons of examples of that in recent drafts.

Mosley has a history of injuries, as Justin Harrell did before we drafted him.
Some here say Shazier cannot play WILB in the NFL, even though he himself compares himself to nothing but other NFL ILBs like Lavonte David and Navorro Bowman.

Which guy, go on record right here, do you put your money on as being the best NFL ILB?
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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What does Borland do so well anyway?
NFL Draft Scout has ranked him 79th overall, projected to be drafted in the second or third round while Nolan Nawrocki has him going in rounds 4-5. I don't care about a lot of the mock drafts you posted in another thread as those guys don't possess any credibility IMO.
Mayock is smarter and has more experience than Nawrocki, and he's been right more often.
If he doesn't have "credibility" with his former NFL playing experience, his many years scouting, and his contacts within the NFL, speaking to scouts, coaches, and GM's, then you can just believe what you want.

It's fine to "disagree" about prospects.
But pretending someone smarter and more connected than you is just not "credible" is either naive, ignorant, or arrogant, not sure which.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/seahawks/2014/02/24/mike-mayock-on-the-nfl-combine/
On Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland: “If there are 10 players in this draft that I love, he’s one of them. I didn’t even know who he was quite frankly in October when I put the tape in to get ready for a Notre Dame game and I watched BYU play Wisconsin.
It was my first exposure to Chris Borland and I went who is 44? Every tape I put in I was like, ‘Wow, this kid reminds me of [Luke] Kuechly.’ Not the same body type but he’s always around the football. I love Chris Borland.”

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...ris-borland-compared-to-panthers-luke-kuechly
Mayock called Borland "as fun a guy to watch on tape as I have ever seen" and praised his instincts and quickness. He compared Borland to former Dolphins LB Zach Thomas and a "sawed-off" Luke Kuechly. While Mayock admitted the measurables aren't necessarily there, he said he "wouldn't let this kid get out of the second round."

http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2014/02/18/mike-mayock-might-good-fits-broncos-31/26504/
NFL Network’s draft guru Mike Mayock held a media conference call Tuesday........
The Broncos don’t pick until No. 31 which is fine because Mayock said “from my perspective this is the deepest and best draft class that I’ve seen in probably 10 years.”
Middle linebacker (Keith Brooking, 37, and Paris Lenon, 36, started the past two years): “That whole middle linebacker thing is interesting to me. Most people would say it’s a little high, a little rich for (Wisconsin’s) Chris Borland but I don’t believe that. I think Borland could step in and immediately stabilize that whole situation.”

http://predominantlyorange.com/2014...lb-chris-borland-continues-connected-broncos/
The connection from Mayock came through the Denver Post Broncos beat reporter Mike Klis, another major name recently connecting the Broncos to Borland.

Most recently, ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. predicted the Broncos would pick Borland in the first round.
Again, I have no problem disagreeing with anyone on any prospect, from Manziel to Bridgewater to Pryor to Clinton-Dix, Mosley, Shazier, Borland, etc.

But it's quite astonishing to pretend that anyone who disagrees with your personal POV doesn't have any credibility.

On Borland, I guess I will agree to 100% disagree with you.
I dislike the Badgers and rooted against them often. Yet this guy impressed me and I am about as confident in him being a good to very good NFL ILB and right away as a rookie.
I saw Zach Thomas from his rookie year on.
I saw Sam Mills in New Orleans.
I have watched London Fletcher.
And I have watched Luke Keuchly.
Borland is in that discussion without question.
 

HyponGrey

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Borland is an undersized, underathletic thumper with short arms. If the RB and FB position is devalued in today's NFL, then the pure run stuffing LB (especially those with Borland's physical limitations) even more so. That's right, I said it, Borland is a defensive FB, a dinosaur. Rang has a midget fetish, just look up "rang's gang." That guy could survive in the NFL 20 years ago. Even Ray Lewis had to adapt and cover a seam later in his career. Keuchly is a long 6'3 and runs like a gazelle, as such he drops back quite a bit. There's no comparison there. Some of us prefer to not be sheep. Borland reminds me of a more instinctual and polished, less athletic DJ Smith.
 
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Mayock is smarter and has more experience than Nawrocki, and he's been right more often.
If he doesn't have "credibility" with his former NFL playing experience, his many years scouting, and his contacts within the NFL, speaking to scouts, coaches, and GM's, then you can just believe what you want.

It's fine to "disagree" about prospects.
But pretending someone smarter and more connected than you is just not "credible" is either naive, ignorant, or arrogant, not sure which.

Again, I have no problem disagreeing with anyone on any prospect, from Manziel to Bridgewater to Pryor to Clinton-Dix, Mosley, Shazier, Borland, etc.

But it's quite astonishing to pretend that anyone who disagrees with your personal POV doesn't have any credibility.

I didn´t say Mayock doesn´t possess any credibility (although he´s not my favourite draft analyst), not sure why you got that impression. The only thing I said about Mayock is that I haven´t seen a mock draft of him and that the three hour show the NFL Network does the day before the draft is ridiculous.

The credibility comment was directed towards a lot of the mock drafts listed at the link you posted in another thread (http://walterfootball.com/draftdata.php). I don´t think there´s anything wrong with not putting too much stock into the mock draft of a lot of the drafts listed there.
 

PikeBadger

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Borland is and always has been a "football player". It doesn't matter where he is drafted. What the drafting team will get is a guy with great instinctual awareness wwith the ability to make plays. How long his body will hold up is the real question about Borland. Forget the measurable stuff. It's up to the DC to put this kid in a position to do what he does best, make plays. He's not going to be a bust because he loves to play the game.
 
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Borland is and always has been a "football player". It doesn't matter where he is drafted. What the drafting team will get is a guy with great instinctual awareness wwith the ability to make plays. How long his body will hold up is the real question about Borland. Forget the measurable stuff. It's up to the DC to put this kid in a position to do what he does best, make plays. He's not going to be a bust because he loves to play the game.

It does matter where a player is drafted. I like Borland as a football player as well, but he wouldn´t be a great value pick in either the first or the second round as you can get way better players there. In the third round it´s tough to imagine getting a lot of players as talented as Borland, that´s why he would represent great value there.
 

ThePerfectBeard

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Borland is an undersized, underathletic thumper with short arms. If the RB and FB position is devalued in today's NFL, then the pure run stuffing LB (especially those with Borland's physical limitations) even more so. That's right, I said it, Borland is a defensive FB, a dinosaur. Rang has a midget fetish, just look up "rang's gang." That guy could survive in the NFL 20 years ago. Even Ray Lewis had to adapt and cover a seam later in his career. Keuchly is a long 6'3 and runs like a gazelle, as such he drops back quite a bit. There's no comparison there. Some of us prefer to not be sheep. Borland reminds me of a more instinctual and polished, less athletic DJ Smith.

Amen! Since everyone likes to complain about injury history, take a look at Borland's injury history for an undersized LB. He trumps Mosley's injuries ten fold.
 

HyponGrey

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Borland is and always has been a "football player". It doesn't matter where he is drafted. What the drafting team will get is a guy with great instinctual awareness with the ability to make plays. How long his body will hold up is the real question about Borland. Forget the measurable stuff. It's up to the DC to put this kid in a position to do what he does best, make plays. He's not going to be a bust because he loves to play the game.
Because everyone who loves to play the game pans out in the NFL.
 

fanindaup

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I like the way Borland plays. He's always around the ball. For sentimental reasons I'd like to see my favorite Badgers in green and gold. I figure if he's the BPA when it's our turn to pick, my wish will be fulfilled. If not, it wasn't meant to be. I trust the professionals to make that call. I'm in a very zen place right now.
 
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FrankRizzo

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Well, he missed all but two games in 2010 with a shoulder injury, two games in 2012 and another one last year.
So he's missed a total of 3 games in the past 3 seasons?
I'll take that going forward the next 3 years.
Compare that to: C Matthews, B Jones, N Perry, D Bishop, etc.......
 
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So he's missed a total of 3 games in the past 3 seasons?
I'll take that going forward the next 3 years.
Compare that to: C Matthews, B Jones, N Perry, D Bishop, etc.......

Great job ignoring the shoulder injury in 2010 that cost him most of the season and is a concern for NFL teams. BTW, availability in college doesn´t always translate to the NFL, Matthews missed a total of one game during his career at USC for example.
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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Great job ignoring the shoulder injury in 2010 that cost him most of the season and is a concern for NFL teams. BTW, availability in college doesn´t always translate to the NFL, Matthews missed a total of one game during his career at USC for example.
Exactly.
And Charles Woodson was as fragile as they get when he was with Oakland, before we got him as a free agent. Then he "became" very durable for us for awhile.

Everybody gets hurt playing football if they play long enough.
 

PikeBadger

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It does matter where a player is drafted. I like Borland as a football player as well, but he wouldn´t be a great value pick in either the first or the second round as you can get way better players there. In the third round it´s tough to imagine getting a lot of players as talented as Borland, that´s why he would represent great value there.
I agree. I think he's a pick 50-90 and you're getting a good player regardless of where he goes in that range. He's not a risky pick at 50 or 90.
 

Vrill

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CJ Mosley will be the starting ILB on some NFL team for a decade. Hopefully its us.
 

brandon2348

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I like Chirs Borland and the way he plays and agree that he is a great football player, but I also agree with someone I chated with on here about this same subject awhile ago. Chris Borland really doesn't do anything special for us. We need speed in the middle with a mean streak. C.J Mosley is that guy and is a 3 down player. I would be absolutely shocked if Mosley is a bust. I just cant see it happening unless he has a major injury. Yes, Shazier is faster but he is a tweener(size) and is probably the biggest gamble of the three. If C.J Mosley is there at 21 I think TT has take him. This guy has Navarro Bowman written all over him.
 
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"Mayock called Borland 'as fun a guy to watch on tape as I have ever seen'".

I like Mayock a lot, but that's hyperbole.
 

AmishMafia

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I like and appreciate Borland, but he is not what we need. We need an ILB who can drop into coverage. LBs in a 3-4 need to be versatile and I don't see that in Borland. I am tired of seeing the middle of the field open to TEs, RBs, and WRs to stroll out there and catch an easy pass for 7-9 yards. Both Shazier and Mosley are very capable in coverage (for a LB anyway). The improvement to our defense will be greatest, IMHO, with the addition of a ILB with coverage skills.

I read somewhere the Shazier is one of the best LBs in coverage in some time. I would prefer Mosley, however, as I think he is still pretty good in coverage, but is a better leader and in the run game.
 
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Having a pretty solid rookie year from what has been seen so far imo

Well, he didn´t get any snaps on defense until week 6 but since then has been pretty solid. Had 18 tackles without any missed ones yesterday.
 

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