Greg Schiano and Greg Cosell give Mark Barron rave reviews

[michael89156]

Greg Schiano and Greg Cosell give Mark Barron rave reviews

by Sander on May 28, 2012 1:46 PM EDT in Player Analysis

 



Al Bello - Getty Images
 about 1 month ago: NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Mark Barron from Alabama arrives on the red carpet during the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 26, 2012 in New York City.




There was quite a bit of criticism for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they traded down and selected Mark Barron with the seventh overall pick, but it didn't take long for the story to change. Mark Barron had been a steady riser on media draft boards in the days leading up to the draft, and as soon as the draft ended positive opinions on the safety started to come out. And, quite frankly, the more I watch him play, the more I like the selection. I'll talk about that a little later, but I want to highlight two Gregs who talked about Mark Barron recently: Schiano and Cosell.

Let's start with Schiano, who talked about Barron for a group of season ticket holders at an event at One Buc Place, taped by our very own akbrown15. It's interesting to see what Schiano found important about Barron that led the Buccaneers to select him: he was a dominant player in every tape he put on. More interestingly, he mentioned the fact that Barron was a two-time captain and won two national championships. The fact that he wants winners - something he got with Doug Martin too- and captains isn't necessarily different from previous seasons, but the fact that Schiano mentioned that along with quality of play as the major factors going into the decision to draft Barron says something about the kind of character he wants on his football team. Whether or not gathering players who won at the college level works remains to be seen, though. You need a lot more than a history of winning to win at the NFL level, after all.



Greg Cosell's take may be a little more interesting and gives us a better view of Mark Barron as a player. He regularly appears on podcasts with Yahoo! writer Doug Farrar, and in their most recent podcast they discussed the NFC South. You can find it here, but I've transcribed the relevant parts on Mark Barron as well (emphasis mine).
 

"I think he does everything, the only thing that I would say he probably doesn't do is play single-high safety and roam sideline to sideline. But I was truly surprised watching Alabama's tape, and I watched an awful lot of games because they had so many players. I thought he played man-to-man exceptionally well on tight ends. Again, he's not facing the level of tight end that he'll face in the NFL, but the point is he was asked to do that and he did it. So I think he's a complete safety."
 
"I know I read, after I watched him, I read a lot of people say 'Well he can't play in coverage'. I would disagree with that. I think he can absolutely play in coverage except for perhaps single-high. I wouldn't say he's Ed Reed in terms of roaming the deep areas of the field, but not many are and Reed's a Hall of Famer. But I think Mark Barron can essentially do everything else and do it at a pretty high level."
 
[..]
 
"I thought he was one of the six-seven best players in the draft, maybe higher. I don't quite do a draft board like that, but if I had to think it through I would probably say he's in my top six or seven. So when he was drafted seven, and then a lot of people started saying 'Well he's not who they really wanted.' - none of us know that, that they really wanted Morris Claiborne and, hey, whatever. Mark Barron was the Bucs' draft choice at number seven and I think Mark Barron is an immediate starter and has All-Pro potential sooner than later."
 
[..]
 
"The point is I think this guy is a football junkie. I think he'll be at the facility, I think he'll be work. Not to get back to Kellen Winslow, but Kellen Winslow wasn't traded because he can't play. Kellen Winslow was traded because Greg Schiano is there now, trying to build a new program with committed players and Kellen Winslow decided he'd rather work out on his own. That didn't fly. You know, Mark Barron - you won't have that problem with Mark Barron."





http://www.bucsnation.com/2012/5/28/3048186/greg-schiano-and-greg-cosell-give-mark-barron-rave-reviews

[JDouble]

I'm very neutral on Barron. Don't really know what he'll bring to the defense, so I'm just waiting to see what he can do. I've never really been hyped or bummed over the pick.

I will say this though, safety is a position much like RB where a rookie should be able to come in and contribute right away. Not to say they won't improve as the years go on, but I feel like safeties and running backs should play at a high level right away if they are any good. With that said, when you take a safety in the top ten he better be a special player. A game changer. If he isn't, then it was a wasted pick, because you can get solid starting safeties all the way thru the mid rounds. If you take a QB or CB or OT or DE in the top ten, that player can be a top 20 player at his position and you got good value. To take a safety in top ten says he is going to be special, like top 5 at his position, otherwise you'd go with a more valuable position...so I am expecting greatness. Hope he lives up to his draft spot.

[blind melon]

Safeties are key in the 4-3 over/under.  Just, if not more important than CB's.  They are KEY and valuable - especially with the ability to cover the TE's we will face this year. (Wouldn't of been the case in a Cover 2 base.)

We need a lot of depth at the position. That concerns me most right now.

Jdub - I'm sure I am mis-interpreting what you're saying...   You are expect Barron to play akin to "...expecting greatness"  ...  "right away"... ?  Expectations too high if that is indeed the case.

[JDouble]

Not exactly. I expect him to be a good, solid starter as a rookie. On par with Cody Grimm or Eric Berry.

I expect greatness in year two and beyond. I don't think that is too much to expect out of a safety taken with the 7th overall pick.

[blind melon]

That's certainly more reasonable.

We just don't know enough yet - about anything... lol.

[JDouble]

Yeah, it's way too early to know anything yet. I just feel like if you take a safety that early, he doesn't have to be Troy Polamalu or Ronnie Lott...but he better at least be John Lynch or Brian Dawkins.

[blind melon]

Never really thought about it, but Barron's game is much akin to Dawkins - and if that ends up being the case - It's a win.

[JDouble]

Yeah, I didn't follow Barron in college so I don't know a lot about him, but from the limited game tape I have seen of him....he reminds me of Brian Dawkins. I think if he pans out, that is the type of football player we will get.

[Detrimental]

Yeah, I like the B-Dawk comparison a lot actually. Their off the field demeanor is similar too.

[Ladyfan]

I like the looks of this guy.  Cross your fingers he stays healthy.

[Jr.3]

I like the looks of this guy.  Cross your fingers he stays healthy.

If for some reason he does get injured his back up is Cody Grimm. I like the depth at strong saftey.

[muvlodge]

I'm very neutral on Barron. Don't really know what he'll bring to the defense, so I'm just waiting to see what he can do. I've never really been hyped or bummed over the pick.

I will say this though, safety is a position much like RB where a rookie should be able to come in and contribute right away. Not to say they won't improve as the years go on, but I feel like safeties and running backs should play at a high level right away if they are any good. With that said, when you take a safety in the top ten he better be a special player. A game changer. If he isn't, then it was a wasted pick, because you can get solid starting safeties all the way thru the mid rounds. If you take a QB or CB or OT or DE in the top ten, that player can be a top 20 player at his position and you got good value. To take a safety in top ten says he is going to be special, like top 5 at his position, otherwise you'd go with a more valuable position...so I am expecting greatness. Hope he lives up to his draft spot.

I think Barron can make an immediate impact on this D.  I will go further to say he can make a 20% overall impact on the D, if there is a way to quantify that.  If you can go just by his numbers he can put up and impact/splash plays versus let's say what his position put up the last 3 seasons.  I was so happy when I heard his name and not MoMo or Keuchly.  Although, I am sure Keuchly would definitely have helped the team. With the importance of SS in this system it only makes since Schiano gets one of the better SS to come along in the last several years. It helps we got him early in Schiano's tenure that way he can grow under the system and be onboard from the beginning.

[BucBalla85]

To take a safety in top ten says he is going to be special, like top 5 at his position, otherwise you'd go with a more valuable position...so I am expecting greatness. Hope he lives up to his draft spot.

I think the new CBA throws this logic out the window. I think now that draft choices dont cost so much money you can afford to take chances on guys. I think today if you really like a guy you take him regardless of what people call it a "value" pick or not. Also I think we got value in our pick. We got the best safety in the class so it wasnt some back up guy. It was a big need. And the guy can ball. He can tackle and can cover. Something TJack had lots of trouble at last year. I think in this division its crucial to have a decent safety.

[Pteranodon]

I think the new CBA throws this logic out the window. I think now that draft choices dont cost so much money you can afford to take chances on guys.

Yeah I was arguing kind of with somebody on here before the draft who was basically saying the Bucs should expand their board some if the premium position guys there aren't as good as they should be, and I was saying to go with the board rankings, at the time I (and nobody else either) would have considered getting Barron, but I guess the Bucs did their rankings that way.

[Feel Real Good]

To take a safety in top ten says he is going to be special, like top 5 at his position, otherwise you'd go with a more valuable position...so I am expecting greatness. Hope he lives up to his draft spot.

I think the new CBA throws this logic out the window. I think now that draft choices dont cost so much money you can afford to take chances on guys. I think today if you really like a guy you take him regardless of what people call it a "value" pick or not. Also I think we got value in our pick. We got the best safety in the class so it wasnt some back up guy. It was a big need. And the guy can ball. He can tackle and can cover. Something TJack had lots of trouble at last year. I think in this division its crucial to have a decent safety.

While the money is now less of an issue, the opportunity cost is still there. After the Bucs took Barron at #7, the next safety went at #29 and after that #48. By the time the third safety was picked, nine offensive linemen and seven wide receivers had been picked. By picking a safety that high, the Bucs missed the opportunity for much higher ranked players at other positions later. For that reason, it's not ok for Barron to just be above average. He needs to be really, really good to justify passing on depth at other positions.