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Taylor Mays returning to USC

bckey

bckey

All Pro
ESPN is reporting that Taylor Mays is returning to USC for another year. Scratch him off our want list this year.
 
Saw that this morning as well. It should be interesting Thursday when we know who all is coming out. I love the draft, but Mays was one guy I would love for the Texans to get even though he probably would have been gone by the time we were on the clock.
 
That really sucks.

It hurts us two ways:

1) We can't draft hm
2) Another team with a need at FS is likely going to look at Moore, making his draft price sky rocket

I don't get it. Why wouldn't he come out this year? If he ran a 4.3ish time at the combine, he'd practically be guaranteed top 15 money
 
I think it hurts us because that's one less elite player that will fall to us, but I like it because I did not want to draft Taylor Mays.
 
Crap. One less player to maybe push a guy like BJ Raji to us... and Moores stock does go up simply because he is now the #1 Safety.
 
TexansSeminole said:
I think it hurts us because that's one less elite player that will fall to us, but I like it because I did not want to draft Taylor Mays.
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It hurts us either way in my opinion. I don't want Moore. Sure, he would be an upgrade, but he doesn't look like near the elite safety that Mays will be. ANd like you said, that is just one more potential player that would have been off the board freeing up a different potential prospect for us.

I really am getting intrigued by Aaron Maabin more and more. I just don't like the liklihood that him or Orakpo would slip to us.
 
Guaranteed workout warriors are the best thing that can happen to a team picking at 15.

Guys who should be picked somewhere between 15-30 in the first round suddenly become top if their 40 time is below a certain value or if they lift a specific amount of weight

That allows the real top 10 players to drop, and then allows teams like ours to pick them up later in the draft and for cheaper
 
Bad move. Gotta strike when the iron's hot! Remember Ronney Daniels from Auburn? Ok, that's kind of extreme. But, look at Lauranitis from Ohio State. You give NFL scouts another year to critique you and they will find more and more flaws in your performance. Mays has nothing left to prove at USC. Plus, Eric Berry with the coaching that he will get from Monte Kiffin will be next year's #1 safety prospect. Hell, he'd be the #1 safety this year if he was eligible for the draft!
 
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Looks like Mays isn't afraid of a little competition from Eric Berry to see who the top safety will be next year.
 
bah007 said:
Looks like Mays isn't afraid of a little competition from Eric Berry to see who the top safety will be next year.
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Well maybe it could turn out good where Berry and Mays come out next year and possibly another top Safety has a great season where it becomes a deep draft for safeties.
 
Texecutioner said:
Well maybe it could turn out good where Berry and Mays come out next year and possibly another top Safety has a great season where it becomes a deep draft for safeties.
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Major Wright could be that guy. Add to that group Rolle, who says he will enter the '10 draft after his year at Oxford; and that could be four really good safeties in 1 draft class.
 
I dunno but I have a feeling a lot of the Mays fans on this Board were also big Reggie/USC fans back in 2006 who were disappointed because we didn't draft him and are still excited about the prospect of getting a big-name Trojan on the Texans roster ?
Now there's many, many on this Board who know far more about DBs than I do, but it's my understanding that as long as we go with a system that features and emphasises corners who are strong cover guys there tends to be less emphasises on prominent/high-draft-pick type safetys like Mays ? Anybody, help me out on this ?
 
Screws up my trade down scenario but just means I still want my spots filled and have to figure out how to accomplish it. If a player is in top 15, he should have ample evidence, he will improve his next draft placement substantially not to go for current draft. We all know the variables that can screw up another year in college.

I see 3 basic areas I call 'DIRE NEED" for improvement on Texans. The first, turn overs should be corrected without draft, unless you replace the player such as J. Jones. The next two are A) scoring 6 in red zone and B) stopping the run. I had thought that a RB in 2nd such as Shonn Green would take care of B and a DT in later rounds could plug the holes. I was looking for a DT that would address the issue but not eat up a day one pick. Maybe Ron Brace a physical clone and team mate of B.J. Raji. I have minimal info on Brace but you get the idea. Recently, I have debated whether a 15 should be used on Raji. I think some are saying he will go 15-25 opening the door for a possible trade down and pick up a 2nd. Anyway with Mays out of the picture as trade bait, I am considering the following;

1st Raji DT with or without a trade down.
2nd Shonn Green Rb
3rd Rashad Johnson FS 6'0" 190 4.49 or Sherrod Martin FS 6'1" 193 4.46
4th Robert Ayers DE 6/3" 270 lbs All SEC 1st team 3 sacks 15 tackles for loss.
5th Ian Johnson RB (Slaton clone)

Trade down, same but select DE Matt Shaunessy if avail with later 2nd pick or if not Brandon Graham who can play DE or ILB
 
No, I wasn't neither a fan of Bush nor VY!
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But I'm a fan of Mays and Orakpo.

I don't think we have any chance of landing either one of them, but I do believe that they help give us a better choice at #15 or a better opportunity for trading down.

Been studying the BC/Vandy game.
I'm not buying Raji at #15.
There's a possibility that he might not develop his game much more. It's a risk the Texans cannot afford yet.

Yah, his buddy DT is worth a look for the late rounds. I don't value his stock as good as Okam's.

The OLB, Herzlich, I like!
Throw him into the mix of a trade down scenario.
The guy can rush, cover, and close quickly on the play. Play bigger than his size (238 lbs, I think).

They have an O-lineman that I really, really like.
Soph Thomas Clairborne #78. He plays both guard spots. Then took on the C position when the starter went down in the first half. (3 different positions in the same game.)
The guy is big (6'3, 323 lbs), yet very athletic. He can run block, he can pull (even from the Center position) and do well in space. He can pass protect just as well. And yes, the Eagles run a ZBS scheme.
The other guard, a senior, #73 (what his name? I think he was 1st team conference), could be a late round pick-up for us, if we want to have depth.
I need to see more of him though.
 
nunusguy said:
I dunno but I have a feeling a lot of the Mays fans on this Board were also big Reggie/USC fans back in 2006 who were disappointed because we didn't draft him and are still excited about the prospect of getting a big-name Trojan on the Texans roster ?
Now there's many, many on this Board who know far more about DBs than I do, but it's my understanding that as long as we go with a system that features and emphasises corners who are strong cover guys there tends to be less emphasises on prominent/high-draft-pick type safetys like Mays ? Anybody, help me out on this ?
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Correct assessment but I for one want a true FS with ball hawking skills and sub 4.5 speed.
 
I definitely am hoping for a trade down scenario now. All the elite pass rushers will probably be gone, and we're pretty set at the skill positions. I wanted Taylor Mays pretty badly.
 
2010 will have Eric Berry, Taylor Mays, Kam Chancellor.

I could stomach another year of Wilson and Ferguson. Shore up the front 7 and o-line this draft, get our ballhawk next year.
 
I see alot more talented SS's than FS's in this draft, and alot more talented FS's in the 2010 class than SS's. I would probably look more at SS's this year, even though FS might be a bigger need for us. Personally, I think both positions are equal needs.

Drafting another strong safety would put us in an interesting situation. We have CC Brown, Ferguson, Barber, and Harrison all on the roster as strong safeties. Barber may be a FS. If we draft another strong safety, we will have to drop one of these guys. I doubt we drop Ferguson. So, Rick Smith would have to choose between dropping Brown, Barber or Harrison. If he chooses Brown he kicks a still young and experienced safety off the roster. If he chooses Barber or Harrison he is replacing them after only one season in the league (Harrison injured in his rookie year).

IMO RS would choose Brown, due to the youth of Barber and Harrison (his draft picks), and the production of Ferguson.

It may be that we are willing to cut Demps, and carry less free safeties and more strong safeties. If we drafted a multi talented guy like Hamlin, we could use him at both FS and SS.

The way I see it we need to upgrade both FS and SS, so even though we will have to cut a recent draft pick, or a previously productive player, I am still willing to do it.

But that's me.
 
Hey I just rewat the VT BC game from last year.
Reminds me of of that big LG of the Hokies. He weighed something like 350 some lbs, but look pretty quick on his feet.

He and Duane Brown was the reason I said VT averaged about one more yard running left as compared with other directions.

Also, the DT from BC #60 (not Raji) was quoted at 330 lbs by the announcer but he did not look as big as this year. I wonder what is the real story here???

Ramsey #73 was the RG and he looks OK, good for depth.

Look out for the Eagles LT next year when he will be a Jr (I think he's 2nd team ACC this yr.) He started as a Fr. at RT and looked decent.

Cherilus had the worst day of the 4 starting tackles in this game. Chris Elis was giving him more hard time than he did to the rookie.
 
Pete Carroll talked Taylor Mays into what was best for Pete and not what was best for Taylor Mays and the dumb kid fell for it. Next year Taylor Mays will probably be the 2nd best Safety behind Eric Berry.
 
Berry is good, no doubt.

But don't forget to take into consideration that I counted at least 6 Ints by Berry that were lucky. The ball was either thrown directly to him (we all know about those poor decisions by QBs!) Or the QB was pressured and threw the ball off-target. Or the ball bounced off another defender into his hands.
 
Wolf6151 said:
Pete Carroll talked Taylor Mays into what was best for Pete and not what was best for Taylor Mays and the dumb kid fell for it. Next year Taylor Mays will probably be the 2nd best Safety behind Eric Berry.
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I don't know - I've got a large amount of respect for LZ and his sources, and they would differ with you

USC safety Taylor Mays made the right decision to go back to USC. After studying film on him, some talent evaluators decided that despite his outstanding speed and ability to close on the deep ball, his instincts just weren't what they had hoped and his run support tackling could use a lot of work.
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LZ Blog
 
ChampionTexan said:
I don't know - I've got a large amount of respect for LZ and his sources, and they would differ with you



LZ Blog
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I don't know. I think he could have worked on those things in the NFL while getting paid out the ying-yang to do it. Carroll was classless in the way he handled the Sanchez presser. What an ass! And I've always like Carroll as a coach, but after the Sanchez deal it made me wonder if he was really in it for his athletes.

Sanchez made the right business decision for himself and his family. With both Bradford and McCoy returning to school, Sanchez instantly puts himself behind Matthew Stafford as the 2nd best QB prospect in this year's draft. If he has some good workouts, he could possibly be a Top 10 pick. Mays really made a poor business decision. Regardless of how scouts may have felt about him now, I guarantee that Mays wouldn't have made it past the 15th pick in the draft. He was rated as the #1 Safety prospect in the draft. What else does he need to prove at USC? Nothing at all imo. Now, he will have to compete with Eric Berry and Kam Chancellor for the top spot next season. Berry will have an advantage over Mays because he plays against tougher competition and will have a year to study defense under Monte Kiffin

This year has been very puzzling regarding how many top prospects - bonafide 1st round draft picks - have said no to the millions of dollars waiting for them in the NFL to go back to school and play for free. Bradford, Gerald McCoy, Jermaine Gresham, Brandon Spikes, CJ Spiller, Mays, Greg Hardy. Makes me question-are they really playing for free? With what has gone on this year, I seriously doubt it.
 
Texan JBZ said:
I don't know. I think he could have worked on those things in the NFL while getting paid out the ying-yang to do it. Carroll was classless in the way he handled the Sanchez presser. What an ass! And I've always like Carroll as a coach, but after the Sanchez deal it made me wonder if he was really in it for his athletes.
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I agree on Carroll's lack of class regarding Sanchez. I do feel like he was more concerned about his own well being.

I still think Mays was in a different situation. Going back to LZ's comment, it wasn't the first time he'd commented on Mays. Prior to the official announcement that Mays was staying at SoCal, LZ said the following (It was in the comments section, so it's tough to link to).

A scout that I trust more than any other in the business tells me that he has a 2nd round grade on Mays.
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Mays didn't strictly rely on his own judgement in making the decision. These guys get input from NFL sources on where they're likely to be drafted (which tells me there were likely others who shared the opinion of LZ's source). I'm sure a good workout could have improved his stock somewhat, but what's the guarantee he would have had a good workout? What's to say it couldn't have been below expectations? There's a huge financial difference between going in the top ten, and going in the late first round, let alone second round. My guess is Mays was well aware of the financial repercussions of his decision, and that he stayed in school because of the money, not in spite of it.
 
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76Texan said:
Berry is good, no doubt.

But don't forget to take into consideration that I counted at least 6 Ints by Berry that were lucky. The ball was either thrown directly to him (we all know about those poor decisions by QBs!) Or the QB was pressured and threw the ball off-target. Or the ball bounced off another defender into his hands.
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That actually doesn't mean much to me. He still has to be there, he still has to understand that the QB is under pressure and that he needs to tighten his coverage. It just shows that he is around the ball alot. It doesn't matter that a ball bounces off a defender if another guy doesn't have the awareness to locate it and go after it. And when the ball is thrown directly at him, he atleast can make the interception. More than I can say for alot of safeties.
 
I agree with everything said above regarding Pete Carrolls lack of class. It's pretty obvious that he advised his players based on what's best for USC and Pete Carroll and not on what's best for the player. Also the way he just brushed by Sanchez during his press conference showed where Pete's true intentions are. Taylor Mays will be the 2nd best Safety next year at best, far behind Eric Berry. Berry stands a good chance of going in the top 10 and maybe in the top 5. Mays and Chancellor will be battling for 2nd place amongst safeties.
 
TexansSeminole said:
That actually doesn't mean much to me. He still has to be there, he still has to understand that the QB is under pressure and that he needs to tighten his coverage. It just shows that he is around the ball alot. It doesn't matter that a ball bounces off a defender if another guy doesn't have the awareness to locate it and go after it. And when the ball is thrown directly at him, he atleast can make the interception. More than I can say for alot of safeties.
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Why I use the term "no doubt" to describe how good he is!
Just don't want to buy into the unecessary extra-hype, whether with words or numbers.

I will certainly try to study him more closely!
 
rollinstone18 said:
2010 will have Eric Berry, Taylor Mays, Kam Chancellor.

I could stomach another year of Wilson and Ferguson. Shore up the front 7 and o-line this draft, get our ballhawk next year.
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2010 will also have Myron Rolle and Major Wright, 2 guys who should not be over looked.
 
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