DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2019 NFL Season 2019 NFL Draft Browns pick Sione Takitaki 80th overall

GC. or rather, (taki) squared, is taki times taki.

Schobert is in my opinion, the most all around Lb they have, and should be held closely to the vest, as accoding to rotoworld, a couple days ago, I think he's vastly a bargain contract if around circa 750K per year.

I hope they continue to add players with all around game at LB, because it's such a crucial area.

How long can they keep this roster together?.

The Browns roster, (getting better), is reaching a point where one player with all the attributes, is becoming of more value than 3 players which are really good but have a weakness.

It wasn't always this way.

His highlights are great. When you see his peak you can see why we took him in the third round. If he can be consistent then he can be a beast. If he's not consistent he's not playable on downs one through three.

Reminds me of this story from grammar school:

If I had a highlight package of all my best moments on the tennis court, I'd look like Roger Federer.

I have faith in our football guys, so I'll reserve judgement. I hope he makes it.

Agreed. If he learns and can channel his play he could turn into a good LB. If nothing else he shows a lot more enthusiasm and hustle than Jamie Collins.

I forgot about Collins. Already.

Yes, at times.
Depends on who I'm talking to. Some of my dummy friends wouldn't get it.

And... it looks great on the screen.

I'm just a fan of puns and wordplay. Anything to keep the creative juices squiring...

Makes a lot of sense EO. We drafted guys that will play on ST and improve them which was a weak spot for us last season. All of them have ability to become starters down the road so this will give them a chance to learn while still contributing to the team. Seems very smart to me. Excellent move.

surprising to see he's that forward about it then

I am not getting on the messenger, but I think I am a pretty good reader and I am not quite getting how the author is saying that Wolf is making it pretty clear that Takitaki is going to be a starter?

The coaches decide who starts, right?

Exactly what I was thinking. Wolf said nothing of the sort, and Freddile & Wilks will decide who plays when and where.

From the start it seems to me that Wolf has been the most vocal defending this pick, can only speculate any meaning to this, but the first part seems true.

I would agree, wolf lights up when he talks about him..also did you happen to see that episode of "building the Browns" when Dorsey let everyone know they were taking Taki...perhaps I looked into it too much, but I didn't get the sense anyone was overly thrilled...then again, maybe that's how they always are.

If you're referring to what he did at around the 1:55 mark, I'd say there's nothing to worry about and you're reading too much into it. That was definitely not a "oh, something hurts" rub. Zero question in my mind about that. If anything, that looked much more like an itch or a nervous tick sort of thing... and I can't believe that we're actually talking about trying to read anything into one movement during a press conference.

Sometimes, scratching an itch is just scratching an itch

What a great read that is, thank you for posting.

I hope he makes it, if he doesn't I doubt it'll be through a lack of effort.

Here is to hoping he turns into our ray lewis. He is the type of player I thought we would take with our second round pick. A fast crazy man ! love the pick!

The guy is a mad dog in a meat market.

His wife looks nice.

She could turn my life around

Dorsey has shown the ability to pluck some pretty darn good players out of the mid rounds. Maybe this kid is another.

Don't go Junkin this thread up with bad karma!

Ouch! Hope there's no Junkin in this bunch.

Right???

good news

Is his name pronounced C-O-Nay?

Or C-Own?

Serious question.... and also, is it tacky-tacki or taKEY-taKEY?

Sione Takitaki, B.Y.U. ….. “See-OH-nay TAH-kee-TAH-kee”

Got it, thanks. I wasn't trying to be cute, I just had been wondering about it..,

All players have to go thru more extensive physicals than almost any of us have endured. History, Ernie Davis, do you really think our front office would waste a pick on someone physically unable to compete. I trust our front office AND doctors.....GO BRowns!!!

Did I miss something? Is he rumored to be injured?

Sione Takitaki: How his presence fills a need for the Cleveland Browns defense in 2019
By Jake Burns

https://expo.cleveland.com/sports/g66l-2...se-in-2019.html

BEREA, Ohio -- NFL life takes some getting used to. Even for someone who plays the game as aggressively and passionately as Sione Takitaki.

The rookie linebacker has played all over the field. He's aligned as a 3-4 edge linebacker, and in the middle in 4-3 schemes. BYU made the switch to the 4-3 and it was successful in large part due to Takitaki's prowess in the middle.

The Browns took note of that physical linebacker when preparing for the 2019 draft. They selected Takitaki in third round with a desire to add some pop and effort to the linebacker room. His high energy and desire to chase perfection also caught their eye.

Takitaki discussed his play style after Saturday's first full pad practice. “I feel like I am a high-energy guy so I just go out there and try to attack stuff and do everything right."

However, Takitaki's desire to play fast and passionately has to be throttled down on occasion. The veterans took note of his high intensity and it led to a couple early issues in non-pad practices.

"Like you said, it kind of got chippy." Takitaki continued, "that is just me being a rookie not understanding what the NFL is and coming out here and practicing right. ... I have been learning from the vets and the coaches to just to play under control, keep everyone healthy and things like that.”

The learning curve is unavoidable. Especially at a position so difficult to master quickly.

Takitaki will be looking to eliminate as much of that learning curve as possible in order to help the defense as quickly as possible.

"THEY HAVE ME AT MIKE"
Takitaki has been the vocal leader each time he's on the field. That role is typically reserved for the middle linebacker, who has a direct communication with the defensive coordinator through a large chunk of the play clock to get the defensive call right.

Takitaki knows it's his job to pass along the play and bark out the role of his teammates on each snap.

"They have me calling the plays, closing the front. It's something I am definitely comfortable with."

Takitaki might have played in multiple roles within the BYU defense, but he knows where he prefers to align, and the Browns took him in the draft with the desire to use him accordingly.

"I feel like I'm a Mike linebacker, I'm a vocal guy, can come in and control things and that's why this is something I'm comfortable with. Going left to right, dropping in pass coverage, all of that. I feel comfortable doing those things from the middle."

Look at any quality middle linebacker; those who do it well have a mixture of instinct and athleticism that challenges interior linemen or tight ends. Takitaki has both traits, but he needs to keep working on the mental side.

Growth in processing is where Takitaki admits he has to keep getting better every day. This takes an immense amount of time, and upwards of thousands of reps at the position.

The ideal part of this scenario is there's no rush. For the first time in a long time, the rookies can grow at their own pace.

"PATIENCE IS TOUGH"
The challenge for Takitaki is remaining patient. He is backing up a Pro Bowl linebacker in Joe Schobert, who has the Browns' trust earned over the last three years.

Takitaki knows his role is to be ready if needed. But that doesn't make sitting on the sidelines easy.

"Feel like every day I'm starting to get more comfortable. Tomorrow I'm going to improve in something, then the next day something else. Finally by the first game I should be all right."

He figures to back up Schobert and make an impact on special teams. He knows the importance of the latter from his days at BYU. The Browns also know the importance of having a quality player behind Schobert in 2019.

The defense was noticeably less effective when Schobert missed four weeks in 2018. With Takitaki as the backup, they hope there won't be a big dropoff in quality of play.

The message is clear. Grow comfortable within a defense set to accentuate his best skills, learn from those veterans in front of you, and make an impact wherever needed.

"I just have to work on being consistent," the rookie said Saturday. "Go out there and learn the playbook, play fast, play physical and be consistent in those areas every day and I will give myself a good chance."

The Browns have the best of both worlds working right now. They have their current middle linebacker, but with Takitaki they seem to have a young player they believe in for the future as well.

Tough decisions will eventually have to be made. But for now, the status quo is a good formula for the middle of the Browns defense.

I think every team needs a few of those crazy intense guys, and he appears to be one of them