Should the Bengals move Taylor Mays to linebacker?

[augustisback003]

Should the Bengals move Taylor Mays from safety to linebacker? I say yes and here's why. The Taylor Mays, as a safety, experiment has been a complete and utter failure. While its true Mays is a physical marvel who can wreck havoc on the football field his instincts and feel for coverage are lacking. He's at his best when charging forward and delivering devastating hits upon the ball carrier. Mays also possess the size (6'3" 230) and speed (4.2) to make the transition. Moving Mays to the strong-side LB position would allow him to do what he does best and that's being the enforcer the defense desperately needs without exposing him in coverage. A LB corp of Mays on the strong-side, Burfict in the middele and Howard on the weak-side would make an already solid front 7 even better.

 

[DanBengalfan]

he wouldn't be starting, he'd end up on the practice squad or something similar. He could go to another team who's think at S or even play in the UFL or Canada as a safety before getting screwed like that.

 

[Tubbs1518]

I think he is better suited as a LBer, but to think he can just transition easy as our and be good enough to be our starting LBer is a lil bit of a reach

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Should the Bengals move Taylor Mays from safety to linebacker? I say yes and here's why. The Taylor Mays, as a safety, experiment has been a complete and utter failure. While its true Mays is a physical marvel who can wreck havoc on the football field his instincts and feel for coverage are lacking. He's at his best when charging forward and delivering devastating hits upon the ball carrier. Mays also possess the size (6'3" 230) and speed (4.2) to make the transition. Moving Mays to the strong-side LB position would allow him to do what he does best and that's being the enforcer the defense desperately needs without exposing him in coverage. A LB corp of Mays on the strong-side, Burfict in the middele and Howard on the weak-side would make an already solid front 7 even better.

In theory that sounds great. However, Mays is damn poor in coverage I would not trust him covering the TE either. Plus, LB is a very instinctive position, especially if playing a zone or read. RB's and slot receivers fly across your zone and you have to react quick enough by seeing whats unfoding in front of you to attack the play.

I am not sure Mays has any football instincts for defense. I would almost rather try to make him a WR or RB before sacrificing another defensive position trying to stuff him in it.

 

[cincygrad]

He couldn't' be any worse at linebacker than he is at safety.... That being said, it's still more of a 'hope' that he would be good enough to be a starting linebacker. But I think now is the time he gives it a go -- He has the right size and it probably fits him better.

BTW -- Didn't Chicago want to do this? Some other team I'm thinking of that wanted to acquire him before we did?

 

[kramer1]

How Bengal would that move be? Remember on Hard Knocks when Mikey asked if that DLineman could play TE?

Yeah, let's move Taylor Mays to LB'er. Fucking brilliant.

Hell, can he throw? We need a QB.

 

[ckhokie]

4.2 unofficial was really 4.4 officially, fyi

Obviously a breathing body to get Rey out would be an upgrade, but I am not a fan of drastic position changes on our roster, considering the talent that is around. We dont need to force this.

 

[augustisback003]

Switching players to different positions are not out of the norm for the Bengals or the NFL. The Bengals moved David Pollack from College DE to LOLB before he got injured and lets not forget they also attempted to moved DE Michael Johnson to LB before coming to their senses. Michael Boulware was an OLB at FSU but was drafted by the Seahawks in the 2nd Round and switched to strong safety. Almost every 3-4 OLB was a DE in College. But the player who I have in mind when making the comparison is Thomas Davis. Davis was an All American safety at Georgia but was drafted by the Panthers in the 1st Round to play OLB and had a very successful career before injuries took their toll. So its not outside the realm of possibility to think that an underachieving Mays can't be moved to a position that would allow him to take advantage of his natural physical ability.

 

[kramer1]

Switching players to different positions are not out of the norm for the Bengals or the NFL. The Bengals moved David Pollack from College DE to LOLB before he got injured and lets not forget they also attempted to moved DE Michael Johnson to LB before coming to their senses. Michael Boulware was an OLB at FSU but was drafted by the Seahawks in the 2nd Round and switched to strong safety. Almost every 3-4 OLB was a DE in College. But the player who I have in mind when making the comparison is Thomas Davis. Davis was an All American safety at Georgia but was drafted by the Panthers in the 1st Round to play OLB and had a very successful career before injuries took their toll. So its not outside the realm of possibility to think that an underachieving Mays can't be moved to a position that would allow him to take advantage of his natural physical ability.

It's actually so insane it makes my head hurt.

 

[DanBengalfan]

yep.

 

[futballiscool]

it's worth a shot.

 

[kramer1]

You people must be high.

Let's take a guy who blows at his natural position and put him at a different one. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[futballiscool]

You people must be high.

Let's take a guy who blows at his natural position and put him at a different one. What could possibly go wrong?

he blows because he lacks the coverage skills to play saftey. he has the size and strength needed to play LBer, especially if he added 5-10 lbs for the position switch..

he's already a bust at Saftey, so why not give him a chance to salvage his career at LBer. it probably won't work, but Saftey already hasn't worked in the NFL.. that ones a given

 

[kramer1]

he blows because he lacks the coverage skills to play saftey. he has the size and strength needed to play LBer, especially if he added 5-10 lbs for the position switch..

he's already a bust at Saftey, so why not give him a chance to salvage his career at LBer. it probably won't work, but Saftey already hasn't worked in the NFL.. that ones a given

The Bengals are such a great franchise they can afford to try and "salvage careers?"

Just stop.

 

[Servo]

You people must be high.

Let's take a guy who blows at his natural position and put him at a different one. What could possibly go wrong?

What's the downside? It's not like Mays contributes much outside of ST. They didn't invest anything in him. Why not move him to LB and see if he can contribute? There is really nothing to lose here.

 

[kramer1]

What's the downside? It's not like Mays contributes much outside of ST. They didn't invest anything in him. Why not move him to LB and see if he can contribute? There is really nothing to lose here.

Except wasted time and effort on a guy who doesn't deserve it. This would also take away valuable coaching time from the young guys who do deserve it. It's a lose-lose situation, actually.

Oh, and it's also fucking retarded. Just stop.

It would be classic Bengals, though. Instead of drafting or signing a proper LB we try and convert a fucking scrub to be one. It would make perfect sense.

 

[DanBengalfan]

yea, its a business. we're not a charity case. The one guy people would hold up as a success story for this got his ass hurt.

 

[flamingrey]

This sounds eerily familiar to the Clements to safety debates.

Why not just sign a veteran or draft a rookie MLB and release Mays? Let's not make this bigger than it is.

 

[cincygrad]

This sounds eerily familiar to the Clements to safety debates.

Why not just sign a veteran or draft a rookie MLB and release Mays? Let's not make this bigger than it is.

Clements was a tremendous safety.... He's an all-pro. I hope we keep him or try Neuman at the position next year. It's bound to work.

 

[vancelot23]

This sounds eerily familiar to the Clements to safety debates.

Why not just sign a veteran or draft a rookie MLB and release Mays? Let's not make this bigger than it is.

Clements played a lot of safety this year.