Sophomore Slump

[pantherclaw]

A playmaker is still a playmaker. 

[Khaki Lackey]

3 hours ago, RumHam said:

It'll be Brown or Gross-Matos. Brown has to majorly show improvement strides otherwise it's a down year. You can't draft a DT that high only to have them not evolve to be elite. 

So if a 2nd year player doesn't become "elite" it's a slump? Got it.

Who'd you want at 7 last year that you haven't gotten over?

[kungfoodude]

1 hour ago, pantherclaw said:

A playmaker is still a playmaker. 

[CRA]

I think Chinn likely fits the bill as having high odds of a sophomore slump.  At least from a Carolina fan perspective.  In fact, he could possibly improve in reality and yet be deemed by many fans as taking a step backwards.    He has a lot of "splash" plays last year.  So I could see him having less of those and people thinking he took a step back when reality it might not even be the case. 

[kungfoodude]

3 minutes ago, CRA said:

I think Chinn likely fits the bill as having high odds of a sophomore slump.  At least from a Carolina fan perspective.  In fact, he could possibly improve in reality and yet be deemed by many fans as taking a step backwards.    He has a lot of "splash" plays last year.  So I could see him having less of those and people thinking he took a step back when reality it might not even be the case. 

Agreed and that is why I said "for a variety of reasons." His future is at safety but he may have to take a step backwards to start taking big steps forward. In the end, if he adjusts well and becomes an elite safety for 8-10 years, no one will really remember the slump/transition year.

Edited June 30, 2021 by kungfoodude

[panthers55]

6 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

I think we are just using the term "slump" a little differently. I am being a little more broad with my use of it. 

I expect to see an obvious production loss in 2021. To me the biggest thing to actually worry about is that Chinn wasn't terribly good in coverage in 2020. I do have a little bit of concern that he might get picked on while he is learning.

Tackling production will go down hopefully. You don't want your safety leading the team in tackles. But production for interceptions and passes defended should go way up. I am not worried because he played run first and coverage second so it wasn't his focus. This year it will be more about the pass and he has a year of experience. He himself said he played safety all through college so this is a change to his old and familiar position not a new one. He should flourish in his role.

[Madwolf]

I'd say Chinn has the biggest chance to have a sophomore slump. You're changing his positions and putting him in a spot where he'll have less statistical impact from a personal stats standpoint. He might have a bigger impact on the defense overall, but that's not what the weekend stat warriors are going to see.

[TrevorLaurenceTime22]

People in this thread saying "postion change" make it obvious they do not understand what they were watching Chinn took the majority of his snaps at S.

[kungfoodude]

44 minutes ago, TrevorLaurenceTime22 said:

People in this thread saying "postion change" make it obvious they do not understand what they were watching Chinn took the majority of his snaps at S.

So you believe you have a better grasp of what we did on defense in 2020 than say, Phil Snow? Because Phil Snow specifically said that Chinn was a starting linebacker in 2020 but "...then we have packages where he plays in the back row, in the secondary."

Interesting flex.

[Rubi]

I think we’re underestimating the effect of having an improved defense. Adding Bouye / Horn to the secondary mix is going to vastly improve what the secondary was from last season. And when you move Chinn back to his natural position…I just don’t see how he “slumps” 

Fewer tackles doesn’t = slump

I get the OP’s point but I just don’t see it happening for Chinn. 
 

Brown is also getting a lot of help this off-season. More bodies up front and more pass rush. 
 

There is just too much talent/reinforcements added for these guys to go the opposite direction IMO 

[kungfoodude]

38 minutes ago, Rubi said:

I think we’re underestimating the effect of having an improved defense. Adding Bouye / Horn to the secondary mix is going to vastly improve what the secondary was from last season. And when you move Chinn back to his natural position…I just don’t see how he “slumps” 

Fewer tackles doesn’t = slump

I get the OP’s point but I just don’t see it happening for Chinn. 
 

Brown is also getting a lot of help this off-season. More bodies up front and more pass rush. 
 

There is just too much talent/reinforcements added for these guys to go the opposite direction IMO 

Chinn was also not particularly stellar in coverage last season. So, there is some reason to think he might have some growing pains.

[Moo Daeng]

YGM doesn't have anything to slump from. He's promising but it's not like he had a big rookie year.

 

 

[ForJimmy]

Brown should play better with Jones beside him and Reddick/Burns rushing the QB. Chinn definitely makes the most sense with a new position and less opportunities to clean up shitty tackles from Whitehead. A better secondary getting pass breakups will also take away opportunities for tackles.

[MasterAwesome]

I suspect there's a decent chance Kenny Robinson might "slump" his way back down to the Practice Squad.  Didn't seem like they thought particularly highly of him considering they waived/signed him to the Practice Squad during the season last year, only to promote him presumably out of necessity a couple days after Burris was injured. 

I guess it's a positive sign that he stuck around after Burris returned but he was still primarily relegated to Special Teams.  The main thing working in his favor IMO is how little depth we have at safety.