DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Gilber CB Break Out Season?

Whoa! At first glance thought your thread title said "Gilbert out for season!".

I love Pettine's take on this whole thing. Yeah, he's showing up now, but I need to see it everyday. Some good, old fashioned tough love. Man, I think Pett's a really good coach. Really happy we got him.

I certainly hope so.

Letting Skrine walk was a huge endorsement to Gilbert, IMO, from the coaching staff/FO.

Let's hope he starts making huge improvements. Him playing to his potential along side with haden..... That would be straight up nasty.

I totally agree, this kid has the talent, he showed some flashes at camp and limited game time. Whatever his issue was, I hope it's in the rear view mirror. I feel we have the BEST young DB's in the League and the second year in this system will allow all the guys to play faster and not think as much. As much as I liked the Tramon Williams FA signing, it would not surprise me at all if he were cut or traded at the end of camp. Maybe that's bold thinking, but if Gilbert wins the starting position opposite Joe, Williams seems like a great slot guy and I am juiced to see Desir in his second season, I am not sure Williams can earn that FA money he signed for.

first thing i thought is who is gilber? lol

i think gilbert will work out in the long run. JMO.



some one better tell him if the refs see him pulling on a jersey like that it will get called. lol

Gilbert showed some steady improvement last year on the field, even if he was a bone head off of it. I think the kids going to be just fine. I think it's really going to help him not having to learn a new system, and having whole new coaches for his second year. That's been a pretty rare luxury around here...

I keep reading that he improved as the year went on, but I never saw that. In fact, his playing time decreased as time went on.

It seems folks is ridin' high right now and it don't take much to set them off.

I hope what we've been reading this off season about Gilbert coming around is all true. We need a guy with his talents to play well.

Letting Skrine walk was an endorsement of K'W.

Signing Tramon to big money was an indictment of Gilbert.

Yup. And hopefully IEO can replace Williams in a year.

Gilbert break out season? I'll need to see it before I believe it but one thing is for sure... I'd like to see it. Has the athletic ability just has to tie everything together and get it right. We two lock down corners, this gives Gipson even more roam and freedom and as' well as Whitner.

I'm definitely rooting for him!

He has the talent to be sure he does, but does he have the head for it???

If he is as good as he can be then wow we become one of the best defensive backfields in the league. Now if we can get the scheme adjusted correctly and stop crashing our OLB into the line and actual maintain leverage on the outside edge we may actually slow the run down too.

Still won't be good enough unless they start scoring lots of points on defense, but it sure will be a lot of fun to watch.

agreed, but until the ILB opposite Dansbury continues to be a liability in run support then crashing the DE and the OLB down is going to continue I am afraid.

Indeed it may be even more acute if Shelton gets the inside penetration we are looking for and the RB can cut off his butt on cut back runs

Am I reading it right that you think having a stuf interior DL will make our run defense worse because of whichever ILB plays next to Dansby?

I know it sounds counter intuitive, but...

Actually yes it COULD, interior penetration when not supported in the back side by solid ILB play can lend itself to cutbacks, off the butt of the NT.

Now one hopes the DE's do their jobs and keep the ILB clean, but an ILB that lacks size and strength can get caught in the minutia of traffic inside and not be able to get to his point of responsibility. Dansbury has that and is able to shed through that traffic, his opposite, not so much, which is why we walk a safety down at times or crash our OLB's and risk losing contain on the outside.

If you watch out NT last year there are lays where they punch once and sit , read and react, IMO for one of two reasons, either to eat up more blockers or to clog the middle and avoid cut back lanes.

Two areas we were gashed.. outside edge and cut back off the guard / center gaps

That's what I love about Pett, he's one of the more honest, real coaches that we have had. When a guy is a slack, he's gonna let it be known, while still treating the players with respect.

He was like that w/the Jets and Bills, too. Good observation.

Who's Gilber?........

I really believe Gilbert will show everyone why we thought enough of him not only to use a first rd. pick, but also trade up to get him ....

Any evidence for that position?

How about the fact that he trained with Joe all off season and we know he already has the tools, and Joe just gushes about him. We really won't know until the season starts what "evidence" there is, but it's fun to think about.

Gut feeling + he is working with Haden

From your mouth to God's ear Pastor!

Joe gushes about Johnny, too.

Is this his breakout season?

I think I'd have a heart attack if both those picks turned out to be something. There would definitely be some skid marks in my Fruit of the Looms... no doubt.

LOL...........well I hope ..........Nevermind.

But yeah, wouldn't that be great?

Those are sometimes related issues, but not in this case.

I think by now its been well covered and reported that Gilbert's lack of and decrease in playing time had to do with poor preparation and having a crap attitude, NOT because he's lacking talent wise.

So, it is possible to be an idiot but show improvement, which is the general consensus on Gilbert's rookie season.

And don't forget, on Pett's team, looking ok/good in the game doesn't guarantee playing time the following week. There were times through out the season where both West and Crow had really good games, but were benched the next week (not at the same time) because they didn't have a 'good week of practice'.

As to MY prediction for Gilbert this season: I don't know if it'll be a "breakout" season for him, but I think he's going to do quite well for us going forward, and the fact that he has been working with Haden I don't think can be dismissed. Haden "gushing" about him is not what bolsters my prediction. It's that Haden has already shown he has an ability to mentor and bring along young guys, the one I am thinking of is Buster.

When you go back and watch Haden over the years, to me its obvious that he's put in a lot of work on his technique. Yes he has a natural tendency to get handsy, but I think he's transitioned to the knew NFL "No Touch" policy pretty well. If you look back at Buster, his big leap forward was in his 3rd season after he spent time working with Haden. Buster and Haden have 2 different physical builds, and have 2 different natural ability, but Buster's technique looked much like Haden's. I wish I had the links, but two seasons ago, Buster and Haden had statistically nearly identical seasons, IIRC Haden edged him out on INT's, but Buster had more passes defensed. Tackles and such were pretty even and they were both in the top 10 CB's for much of the season.

Haden is a physical corner, we all know that. Buster tried to be physical, but he's just not big enough, which is why I think he had so many more PI calls. I'd be willing to bet that if Buster had a similar physical build to Haden, we would have had 2 All-Pro CB's back there. Gilbert I think has a much more similar build to Haden and can have similar numbers, minus the PI calls.

That is a fine argument, but I did NOT see improvement from Gilbert as the year progressed. Yeah, he had that one sensational run on a pick that was way overthrown [it was not tight coverage,] but that doesn't signify improved coverage and tackling.

He actually lost time to a freaking safety at cb towards the end of the year. DeSir gave up SIX first down catches in one game [that's incredible] and Gilbert lost time to him. Improvement? Nah, I didn't see it.

Now, I am not saying he can't turn it around. We all HOPE he does, but I have thus far not seen evidence of it.

We are just hoping he turns it around. That's fine, but no one should get upset because a few of us want to actually see proof before we go Ga-Ga.

I've not seen where Joe 'gushes' about Johnnie. Where do you see that?

I'll add this:

We are also seeing reports out of OTAs that Gilbert has been impressive. We are not hearing ANY of the bad things we often heard last year.

Lastly, it has been reported numerous times that the kid has all the talent/athleticism to be a very good CB. He just needs to start acting like a pro...and there are many indications that he is doing just that.

I think he WILL have a breakout season...but next year rather than this year.

You don't have the ability to perform an internet search?

"“I thought the pick-six was a play that he missed an interception on a couple weeks ago on the same call and found it. Then, obviously, he showed his skills finding the end zone. Very proud of Justin. It’s a tough week. I thought he had a great week of practice, and it showed in the game.”"

This was Pettine's comments about that INT (pulled it off the team site, so take that for what its worth). Sounds like there was a tad more than just being in the right place at the right time.

As for Desir, IIRC, wasn't he matched up against Carolina's rookie, or a young guy that had been getting significant production as a downfield threat? IIAlsoRC, he was also generally being praised for keeping a lid on that guy (something like under 60 yrds receiving?). I could be wrong.

Look, one great Pick 6 and keeping a downfield threat to low yardage isn't obviously what I think any reasonable person would consider a "complete body of work", and I don't think anyone actually is saying that. Seems to me that people are just at two different starting points on a journey to the same destination. We all hope Gilbert and Desir pan out, its just that some of us think they are further ahead than what your assessment happens to be. No biggie, you say tomato... I say tomato. (I hope that translates!)

Thanks for the factual part of your post.

oops wrong finger

y'all two are funny.

Let's hope Gilbert takes a huge leap forward this year.

I'd have to say though....if Desir ends up getting more playing time than Gilbert over the course of this season, actually beating him...i'm going to be disappointed.

I mean i'd love for Desir or any of our players to play at nfl starter level....but man...that would be yet another 1st round bust since 99.

I want to see solid improvement on the field. If he gets it and shows positives, he could grow to be a major help. If he is a head case or screws up, then it is different. But I think he could help us considerably.

I could say the same to you. It's basically where ALL OF US get our Browns news/info. No need to be a jerk about it.

Besides...my Dad could kick your Dad's butt.

You asked for a response and got one. Here's your chance to talk football (again)...but nooooooooo...what is wrong with you?