Joseph gets to know DBs through film study

[CloakNNNdagger]

By Nick Scurfield

Through film study, Texans defensive backs coach Vance Joseph has gotten a feel for each of the Texans' young DBs, including 2010 first-round pick Kareem Jackson.


In a typical offseason, Vance Joseph would be getting to know his players the old-fashioned way – mini-camps and OTAs, meetings and practices.

Instead, the Texans’ new defensive backs coach is familiarizing himself with them the only way he can: Film study. Lots of it.

“I’ve watched every game they played last year probably five times, and I’ve watched every practice,” Joseph said on Tuesday. “I don’t have my guys here, so I’m watching as much film as I can so I know what I’m dealing with when they walk in the door. I’m trying to figure out what kind of player they are, how they respond to adversity -- when good or bad stuff happens, how they respond.”

The Texans had the worst pass defense in the league last season, but Joseph has seen encouraging signs on tape. In 2010 first-round pick Kareem Jackson, for example, he sees a “really, really good zone player.”

“He’s physical,” Joseph said. “His eye placement is correct. His biggest issue is man-to-man technique, which for most young corners, that’s the problem. In this league, if you’re playing man-to-man and you lose that battle, it’s probably going to be a 30-yard, 40-yard gain. If you’re in zone and you don’t do the right thing, it may not be a huge gain. So we’ve got to fix his man-to-man technique, but he’s a very good zone player and he’s a physical tackler.”

Glover Quin, who likely will be moving from cornerback to safety, is another player who has caught Joseph’s eye.

“He’s a good football player,” Joseph said. “He does a lot of things correctly. He’s a coach’s dream because he’s going to do it right all the time. A bunch of the guys (are like that). Even watching (safety) Troy Nolan a little bit this week, he’s a guy who’s capable of doing it right. That’s important.”

Cornerback Jason Allen, a six-year veteran, is the Texans’ most experienced defensive back. He had six interceptions last season, including three with the Texans after he was released by the Dolphins.

“He made some plays last year,” Joseph said. “That guy does some things that make you really, really excited. I’m looking forward to him playing corner for an entire training camp. Because his entire career, he’s been in between safety and corner, safety and corner. I want to see him play corner and see how good he can be. He was a first-round pick out of college, so somebody saw something in the guy. He can play. He just needs more corner reps. He’s got long arms, he’s tall, he can run. So we’ll see.”

Brice McCain, a sixth-round pick in 2009, and Sherrick McManis, a fifth-rounder in 2010, spent most of last season in reserve roles behind Quin, Jackson and Allen.

“I like Brice,” Joseph said. “I watched every practice from last year, camp and the fall, and watching the one-on-one stuff, Brice was one of our better one-on-one players from playing press and playing off-man. He’s got a unique skill which is speed that we can always use. And McManis is a tough guy. That’s his unique quality, and toughness wins games. Speed wins games. So those qualities are definitely going to be used. I like both of those guys.”

Cornerback Antwaun Molden, a third-round pick from Eastern Kentucky in 2008, has played sparingly since breaking an ankle late in his rookie season.

“Physically, he’s got it,” Joseph said. “It’s no question. Sometimes for a guy, he can get caught in a rut a little bit with the same system, same coach. Sometimes a new system and new coach, hearing it different hits his brain different, and you hope he reacts different to my coaching than he has in the past. But he’s a gifted enough guy, and I’m hoping the light comes on.”

The Texans also have three incoming rookies, cornerbacks Brandon Harris and Roc Carmichael and safety Shiloh Keo. Joseph and Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips expect immediate contributions from all of them. Joseph said that the more he watches and reads about them, the more excited he gets.

“Keo, I’m assuming after we get him here, you’re going to want two or three more like him,” Joseph said. “Brandon Harris is going to be a pro from day one. And I think Roc’s going to be fine. He’s a competitive little guy. He wants to be great. He’s been a worker his whole life, and that’s important. It’s three confident guys. They believe they can, and that’s half the battle playing DB in the NFL. You’ve got to believe you can.”

A former NFL cornerback himself, the 38-year-old Joseph is eager to get to work with the players he has gotten to know mostly by their play on tape.

“Watching their season last year, I’m encouraged because they play so hard and they’re young, so most of them are blank pages,” he said. “So whatever I teach them, they’re going to hopefully retain. And they don’t have a bunch of bad habits because they’re young guys. But hopefully we can get it done quick, and camp’s going to be interesting. Wade’s system is so simple that we’re going to spend time on fundamentals, and that’s going to be the key.”

[Rey]

Yeah I definitely think these defensive coaches are indirectly talking to the players.

[JimBaker488]

Originally Posted by Rey

Yeah I definitely think these defensive coaches are indirectly talking to the players.

I'm not sure why they'd need to in a forum like this when they surely have
ample opportunity to communicate with their players thru personal intermediaries ?

[steelbtexan]

Is this the same DB group that made every QB not named Rusty Smith look like an all-pro?

The proof will be in the pudding. But Joseph is now a true part of BoB's org. Spin-Spin-Spin

Even if the tape tells you differently.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

I'm not sure why they'd need to in a forum like this when they surely have
ample opportunity to communicate with their players thru personal intermediaries ?

It's just my opinion.

I have no clue what exactly they are doing.

[TexanSam]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

I'm not sure why they'd need to in a forum like this when they surely have
ample opportunity to communicate with their players thru personal intermediaries ?

Shoot, they're probably communicating through Skype.

[DX-TEX]

Originally Posted by steelbtexan

Is this the same DB group that made every QB not named Rusty Smith look like an all-pro?

The proof will be in the pudding. But Joseph is now a true part of BoB's org. Spin-Spin-Spin

Even if the tape tells you differently.

Wasnt that a pretty big debate last year though? Are the corners that bad or was it just really ****ty coaching?

[V3rm0nt3r]

Is it just me or are the coaches more excited about getting Keo in to camp than Harris and Roc? I get that he's an effort kind of guy but that doesn't fully justify the plethora of optimism they've shown for a 5th rounder (like that SAT word?). I wonder if it's their confidence in the way he'll fit in the system or do they think that they saw something on film that other teams overlooked. Either way I'll be watching for him come Sundays.

[Ole Miss Texan]

Originally Posted by V3rm0nt3r

Is it just me or are the coaches more excited about getting Keo in to camp than Harris and Roc? I get that he's an effort kind of guy but that doesn't fully justify the plethora of optimism they've shown for a 5th rounder (like that SAT word?). I wonder if it's their confidence in the way he'll fit in the system or do they think that they saw something on film that other teams overlooked. Either way I'll be watching for him come Sundays.

From one scouting report I read on Keo, he's a guy that could have been drafted anywhere in the draft: from the 2nd or 3rd round to the 7th. But wherever he was drafted, he was going to come in, immediately impact and be a fan/coach's favorite. And the 31 teams that passed on him would really really regret it.

I like hearing this stuff from the coaches, about our current players. Joseph gives us some great insights into our guys' strengths and weaknesses. I'm really really excited about how our team is shaping up and just as excited about the kind of coaches we have: Phillips, Joseph and Herring. I think our players will actually start learning and developing for a change!! Give us a veteran CB and this secondary really excites me. Everyone chant "Nnamdi, Nnamdi, Nnamdi"

[El Tejano]

So we’ve got to fix his man-to-man technique, but he’s a very good zone player and he’s a physical tackler.”

Translation: Thank God this kid had some good college coaching or else I'd have a big disaster to fix after his previous NFL coach did a horrible job.

[kiwitexansfan]

I'm really, really hoping his positivity on McCain was just PR bs and not genuine affection or I'm not going to be a happy fan next year.

[Ole Miss Texan]

Originally Posted by kiwitexansfan

I'm really, really hoping his positivity on McCain was just PR bs and not genuine affection or I'm not going to be a happy fan next year.

Sounds like he's first and foremost pretty high on Jason Allen, Kareem Jackson and the rookie Brandon Harris. I'm still holding out hope for a veteran free agent to come in and take the #1 spot. After that, I view the talk about the other CBs with the idea of where they are on the depth chart... that being Carmichael, McCain, McMannis, etc - I'm pretty excited about those guys' skillset and their potential. That's exactly what you want in your #4-6 CBs!!!!

As guys that would see SIGNIFICANT playing time on defense this season... I agree with you, not. good. lol

[Rey]

Originally Posted by kiwitexansfan

I'm really, really hoping his positivity on McCain was just PR bs and not genuine affection or I'm not going to be a happy fan next year.

All he said was that he was fast and that he had good man technique. Those are both true statements. I'm pretty sure he saw flaws in all if their games but I didn't expect him to actually rip them apart in the press.

McCain has some tools to work with. But unless he takes a jump from the way he played last year don't expect to see him get a whole lot if tick.

[EllisUnit]

Cornerback Jason Allen, a six-year veteran, is the Texans’ most experienced defensive back. He had six interceptions last season, including three with the Texans after he was released by the Dolphins.

“He made some plays last year,” Joseph said. “That guy does some things that make you really, really excited. I’m looking forward to him playing corner for an entire training camp. Because his entire career, he’s been in between safety and corner, safety and corner. I want to see him play corner and see how good he can be. He was a first-round pick out of college, so somebody saw something in the guy. He can play. He just needs more corner reps. He’s got long arms, he’s tall, he can run. So we’ll see.”

Thats what i'm talking about. I like this guy already. J. Allen better be starting along with whatever big name FA we pick up.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by EllisUnit

Cornerback Jason Allen, a six-year veteran, is the Texans’ most experienced defensive back. He had six interceptions last season, including three with the Texans after he was released by the Dolphins.

“He made some plays last year,” Joseph said. “That guy does some things that make you really, really excited. I’m looking forward to him playing corner for an entire training camp. Because his entire career, he’s been in between safety and corner, safety and corner. I want to see him play corner and see how good he can be. He was a first-round pick out of college, so somebody saw something in the guy. He can play. He just needs more corner reps. He’s got long arms, he’s tall, he can run. So we’ll see.”

Thats what i'm talking about. I like this guy already. J. Allen better be starting along with whatever big name FA we pick up.

That's what he needs...........and the way things are going no one is going to have training camp to show what they really might be able to do with some good instruction.

[EllisUnit]

i dont care if we have training camp our not. he needs to start.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-fantas...INT?r_src=ramp

[awtysst]

Originally Posted by TexanSam

Shoot, they're probably communicating through Skype.

Not directly of course, becuase that would be against the rules.

Now, if the coaches happened to be sitting in a room talking about various plays and formations and let's just say their skpe account just happened to be on and lets say someone happened to get into that conservation and let's say players happened to see it, that would not be against the rules.

[TexanSam]

Originally Posted by awtysst

Not directly of course, becuase that would be against the rules.

Now, if the coaches happened to be sitting in a room talking about various plays and formations and let's just say their skpe account just happened to be on and lets say someone happened to get into that conservation and let's say players happened to see it, that would not be against the rules.

LOL. I'm sure it's probably something like that.

As for Joseph, I don't know how much confidence I have in him. I remember all the positive press for David Gibbs when he became our secondary coach a few years ago, and we all know how that turned out.

[DocBar]

It might be a good thing that our new coaches have to learn their players by watching game and practice film. They can form an opinion about a players strengths and weaknesses without personalities getting in the way. I'm all for players that work hard and try their asses off, but I don't want them starting because of work ethic. I want them starting because they are the best we have on the time.

[awtysst]

Originally Posted by TexanSam

LOL. I'm sure it's probably something like that.

As for Joseph, I don't know how much confidence I have in him. I remember all the positive press for David Gibbs when he became our secondary coach a few years ago, and we all know how that turned out.

I hear you, but I think the difference is that Wade Phillips is a proven Defensive Coordinator. In comparison Frank Bush was a first time D Coordinator and Richard Smith was not a previously successful one. The absolute worst defense he had as a Defensive Coordinator is probably better than the best one we have ever had. I trust his judgment in terms of specific coaches he needs to teach his basic philosophy. If Wade thinks Joseph is his guy, then I will go with that until proven otherwise on the field of play.