2026 Training Camp - Preseason Observations

[gopkrs]

I'm not understanding this. Bullard is our slot corner. He's almost always in the game.

 

[milani]

Well, in the Cardinal-Panther HOF game the kickers were 5-5 in FGs. None really difficult. And no missed PATS. So Smack should get some cracks in Pittsburgh. He is going up against Boswell who kicks 50s all night. Hang tough, Kid!

 

[mradtke66]

I wonder if that was the plan or just the best option having lost Alexander, and Hobbs miss.

Unlikely. Finding early 2025 depth charts show Bullard as the nickel w/ Hobbs on the boundary. Part of why signing Hobbs was questioned that we had nickel covered, but desperately needed outside help with Alexander's departure.

Say st Juste takes one of the starting CB spots. Would you personally prefer valentine or Bullard at nickel?

Hell no. Valentine can't tackle.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

I'm not understanding this. Bullard is our slot corner. He's almost always in the game.

I mean Bullard was a safety who was forced to play slot corner and played well there.

Is he a slot corner though? Or is he still a safety capable of playing slot corner. And now that we have a #3 CB capable of playing slot corner. Do we keep Bullard there or play someone like valentine or Cisse?

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

Unlikely. Finding early 2025 depth charts show Bullard as the nickel w/ Hobbs on the boundary. Part of why signing Hobbs was questioned that we had nickel covered, but desperately needed outside help with Alexander's departure.



Hell no. Valentine can't tackle.

lol heard that.

Ok say Cisse earns the starting job outside. Nixon plays the other side. And st juste at like 6’3” becomes the competition?

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

Unlikely. Finding early 2025 depth charts show Bullard as the nickel w/ Hobbs on the boundary. Part of why signing Hobbs was questioned that we had nickel covered, but desperately needed outside help with Alexander's departure.



Hell no. Valentine can't tackle.

That’s good info on Bullard coming in listed as a slot CB right off the bat. He really isn’t big enough to be much of a safety in the NFL listed right around 5’10.5”. 198 pounds coming out of Georgia. I shouldn’t say that but personally I don’t like building into our defense -6” height and -50 pound disadvantages, against TEs.

Bullard has always reminded me of Micah Hyde. Not necessarily great on paper. But is visibly in the middle of everything making plays.

 

[gopkrs]

I mean Bullard was a safety who was forced to play slot corner and played well there.

Is he a slot corner though? Or is he still a safety capable of playing slot corner. And now that we have a #3 CB capable of playing slot corner. Do we keep Bullard there or play someone like valentine or Cisse?

To me, Bullard has been getting better and better at slot corner. I don't know who would play safety if Williams or McKinney went down.

 

[mradtke66]

Is he a slot corner though? Or is he still a safety capable of playing slot corner. And now that we have a #3 CB capable of playing slot corner. Do we keep Bullard there or play someone like valentine or Cisse?

Honestly, nickel is kind of its own position. Having a hybrid player is kind of the ideal. Because of how offenses deploy personnel these days (such little base) your nickel is a defacto starter (at least more of starter than your 3rd linebacker in a 4-3) and often becomes a box defender.

 

[mradtke66]

Ok say Cisse earns the starting job outside. Nixon plays the other side. And st juste at like 6’3” becomes the competition?

He might not even be competition. Assuming he's good, makes the roster, etc etc, maybe he's a pure boundary corner. In that case, when we go Dime, perhaps Nixon slides inside as the other nickel and St Juste becomes the other outside player. We did similar things in 2010--Woodson and Tramon were the starters and when Shields took the field as the 3rd CB, Woodson would slide down to the slot.

It's also possible that at 6'3", he doesn't have the hips to be a CB of any kind. Maybe he's X's primary backup in deep center field.

 

[mradtke66]

That’s good info on Bullard coming in listed as a slot CB right off the bat. He really isn’t big enough to be much of a safety in the NFL listed right around 5’10.5”. 198 pounds coming out of Georgia. I shouldn’t say that but personally I don’t like building into our defense -6” height and -50 pound disadvantages, against TEs.

Safeties only man up with TEs sometimes. When you face those special TEs (Gronk, Gonzalez, etc.) you have to get creative. Most DBs of any kind can't actually cover them. X 6' even.

The whole point or design of those special TEs is to make the defense wrong no matter what. Put a LB on them, just out run the coverage and laugh. If they put a DB on him, lob something and let him rebound that ball away from the defense.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

He might not even be competition. Assuming he's good, makes the roster, etc etc, maybe he's a pure boundary corner. In that case, when we go Dime, perhaps Nixon slides inside as the other nickel and St Juste becomes the other outside player. We did similar things in 2010--Woodson and Tramon were the starters and when Shields took the field as the 3rd CB, Woodson would slide down to the slot.

It's also possible that at 6'3", he doesn't have the hips to be a CB of any kind. Maybe he's X's primary backup in deep center field.

He is a very good athlete. Better than some give him credit for I believe. He was signed cheap as sort of a one trick player. “Plays the zone well”. Probably due to not having those hips to play 1 on 1 outside, as you mentioned.

I believe in this defensive scheme. Pressure scheme. We will be wise to have our CBs play tight and physical inside that 5 yards. Try to disrupt the short passes that negate our pass rush.

I think St Juste would be ideal for that role.

He jumped a pass and brought it back for a theoretical 6 a few days ago. Wouldn’t mind seeing more of that as well.