Cyrus Kouandjio revisted

[El Chingon]

You have to wonder if WE are worried about his medical situation.

[jarhead]

Quite frankly I am starting to believe the LOT prospects that will be available when we pick are not much better than ones we can get in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.

[MHS831]

I'd rather have Hurst than Cyrus.  Call me crazy, but every time I watched Hurst, I saw 100% effort.  Every time I saw Cyrus, I saw 100% big.

[jarhead]

I'd rather have Hurst than Cyrus.  Call me crazy, but every time I watched Hurst, I saw 100% effort.  Every time I saw Cyrus, I saw 100% big.

I agree!

[jarhead]

Cyrus was featured on Path to the Draft. Baldy and Casserdy like him.....said he may not get past the Fins

[MV%doe]

You have to wonder if WE are worried about his medical situation.

 

 

i dont think so, cause they worked him out(may have had a vist too). but who knows could be a smoke screen, but i think dave doesn't waste time tryin to trick other teams. 

[MV%doe]

I'd rather have Hurst than Cyrus.  Call me crazy, but every time I watched Hurst, I saw 100% effort.  Every time I saw Cyrus, I saw 100% big.

 

talent vs effort, thats a tough debate either way. most times i want effort, but talent wins sometimes too. why not both? cryus in the first, hurst in the 3rd.....

[MHS831]

talent vs effort, thats a tough debate either way. most times i want effort, but talent wins sometimes too. why not both? cryus in the first, hurst in the 3rd.....

 

I think you are right.  I wish I knew more about the knee---

 

I have thought Cyrus has been overrated for a while. 

 

[carolina-chuck]

If Kouandjio is there at 28 and with us being desperate for a Tackle, no way we can pass up on him.

It would be difficult to choose between Kouandjio and Lee if both are there, but you gotta go with a mammoth. Cant teach size and we gotta protect Cam.

I believe that Kouandjio is a better player coming out than Fluker was last year.

[ctrcat]

^ Exactly and not only was Fluker the 11th overall pick, but he was studly right off the bat. Cyrus at 28 is highway robbery.

[bdub515]

If he makes it to the 2nd I'd take him but before that it's not worth the risk

Sent from my LG-P769 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app

[davos]

What's the deal with the Sugar Bowl though?  Beyond the injury speculation, what I've read is that he just underperformed all season and ended it in a bad way against Oklahoma.  He apparently struggles against speed rushers and we have Michael Johnson and Cam Jordan to deal with at the very least and that's 4 times a year.  

[gettlemanjack]

What's the deal with the Sugar Bowl though? Beyond the injury speculation, what I've read is that he just underperformed all season and ended it in a bad way against Oklahoma. He apparently struggles against speed rushers and we have Michael Johnson and Cam Jordan to deal with at the very least and that's 4 times a year.

Cam Jordan, like the Falcon's newly acquired DE Tyson Jackson, is a big prototypical 3-4 DE (think a cross between a 4-3 DT and 4-3 DE). Kouandjio matches up well with them. Its the OLB he would need to worry about in the Saint's 3-4, which is a position they have a need at (Galette is okay/solid, Victor Butler blew his knee out and is a question mark). The Falcons have always run a 4-3 but could switch to a 3-4, we'll see.

As for Michael Johnson, he's a big freak athlete, I would love to see how Kouandjio matches up with him. I think Kouandjio would do well with him.

I loved Michael Johnson as a physical prospect back in his Georgia Tech days. One of my favorite match-ups was the GT DL vs the LSU OL in their bowl game in ATL's Georgiadome. in that game it was:

Georgia Tech

DE Derrick Morgan (#16 overall, 2010 draft)

DT Vance Walker (#210 overall, 2009 draft)

DT Darryl Richard (#234 overall, 2009 draft)

DE Michael Johnson (#70 overall, 2009 draft)

LSU

LT Ciron Black (Undrafted in 2010)

LG Herm Johnson (#167 overall in 2009 draft)

C Brett Helms (Undrafted in 2009)

RG Lyle Hitt (Undrafted in 2010)

RT Joe Barksdale (#92 overall, 2011 draft)

LSU dominated the line of scrimmage and won 38-3. Michael Johnson didn't look as great as I thought he would (i thought he was a sure fire early 1st Rounder). I mean he got his -- GT's only two sacks, but I vividly remember one was an easy one were LSU blew their blocking assignment and left Johnson completely unblocked with a straight shot at the QB. Can't remember the other, but Johnson didn't look like a 1st Round pick that game (and he fell to the 3rd Round in the draft)

just because you don't look like a 1st round pick in one bowl game doesn't mean you aren't worthy of a 1st R pick (I still would have taken Michael Johnson in the mid to lower first round back then, and i'm not a GT fan, i just liked Johnson)

As for Kouandjio, he is like Marquis Lee, great in 2012, issues in 2013 (Lee had a horrid drop rate in 2013, which is very concerning). Kouandjio was great in the run game both years (and we are a running team as are the 49ers and Seahawks) but showed issues in pass protection in 2013, specifically in two games: VT and Oklahoma. The VT game, multiple Bama OL looked rusty, ESPN the next morning had former OT Mark May doing a whole segment circling several Bama OL on film and showing their goofs). I chalked it up to a fluke performance that would be fixed by the next game, and I was right. And I dislike Bama.

As for Kouandjio, after his rusty performance in the opener vs VT, he went on to have a great season: First Team All-American (AFCA , FWAA, WCFF , AP , CBS, Athlon), 1st Team All-SEC (both coaches and media). Then he had the poor game vs Oklahoma which is on people's minds because it was his last game, which is good for us because it means he might fall to us (as for his knees, i'm not a doctor, I would have to ask them)

this is how Andrew Gribble explained it in an article he wrote yesterday (he graduated journalism from Ohio Univ, and was the beat writer for Auburn 2008-2010, Tennessee 2010-2012, Bama 2012-now)...

"After a strong sophomore season, Kouandjio struggled at the beginning of 2013, particularly against Virginia Tech's veteran defensive line. He got better as the year unfolded and displayed how dominant he could be when he repeatedly knocked down defensive ends ... But in Alabama's Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma, Kouandjio looked a step or two slow against Sooners' outside linebacker Eric Striker"

[davos]

Cam Jordan, like the Falcon's newly acquired DE Tyson Jackson, is a big prototypical 3-4 DE (think a cross between a 4-3 DT and 4-3 DE). Kouandjio matches up well with them. Its the OLB he would need to worry about in the Saint's 3-4, which is a position they have a need at (Galette is okay/solid, Victor Butler blew his knee out and is a question mark). The Falcons have always run a 4-3 but could switch to a 3-4, we'll see.

As for Michael Johnson, he's a big freak athlete, I would love to see how Kouandjio matches up with him. I think Kouandjio would do well with him.

I loved Michael Johnson as a physical prospect back in his Georgia Tech days. One of my favorite match-ups was the GT DL vs the LSU OL in their bowl game in ATL's Georgiadome. in that game it was:

Georgia Tech

DE Derrick Morgan (#16 overall, 2010 draft)

DT Vance Walker (#210 overall, 2009 draft)

DT Darryl Richard (#234 overall, 2009 draft)

DT Michael Johnson (#70 overall, 2009 draft)

LSU

LT Ciron Black (Undrafted in 2010)

LG Herm Johnson (#167 overall in 2009 draft)

C Brett Helms (Undrafted in 2009)

RG Lyle Hitt (Undrafted in 2010)

RT Joe Barksdale (#92 overall, 2011 draft)

LSU dominated the line of scrimmage and won 38-3. Michael Johnson didn't look as great as I thought he would (i thought he was a sure fire early 1st Rounder). I mean he got his -- GT's only two sacks, but I vividly remember one was an easy one were LSU blew their blocking assignment and left Johnson completely unblocked with a straight shot at the QB. Can't remember the other, but Johnson didn't look like a 1st Round pick that game (and he fell to the 3rd Round in the draft)

just because you don't look like a 1st round pick in one bowl game doesn't mean you aren't worthy of a 1st R pick (I still would have taken Michael Johnson in the mid to lower first round back then, and i'm not a GT fan, i just liked Johnson)

As for Kouandjio, he is like Marquis Lee, great in 2012, issues in 2013 (Lee had a horrid drop rate in 2013, which is very concerning). Kouandjio was great in the run game both years (and we are a running team as are the 49ers and Seahawks) but showed issues in pass protection in 2013, specifically in two games: VT and Oklahoma. The VT game, multiple Bama OL looked rusty, ESPN the next morning had former OT Mark May doing a whole segment circling several Bama OL on film and showing their goofs). I chalked it up to a fluke performance that would be fixed by the next game, and I was right. And I dislike Bama.

As for Kouandjio, after his rusty performance in the opener vs VT, he went on to have a great season: First Team All-American (AFCA , FWAA, WCFF , AP , CBS, Athlon), 1st Team All-SEC (both coaches and media). Then he had the poor game vs Oklahoma which is on people's minds because it was his last game, which is good for us because it means he might fall to us (as for his knees, i'm not a doctor, I would have to ask them)

this is how Andrew Gribble explained it in an article he wrote yesterday (he graduated journalism from Ohio Univ, and was the beat writer for Auburn 2008-2010, Tennessee 2010-2012, Bama 2012-now)...

"After a strong sophomore season, Kouandjio struggled at the beginning of 2013, particularly against Virginia Tech's veteran defensive line. He got better as the year unfolded and displayed how dominant he could be when he repeatedly knocked down defensive ends ... But in Alabama's Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma, Kouandjio looked a step or two slow against Sooners' outside linebacker Eric Striker"

 

Thanks for the breakdown ma'man.  

 

Even though you can't base his abilities off solely those games, they're still there.  Not to mention they were how he opened and closed the season.  Just makes me wonder because looking at Bitonio or even Moses, they never really had a game where they were worked like he got against Oklahoma (correct me if I'm wrong though).  VT didn't even have that great of a d-line this year minus Gayle (who's only above avg) so that makes it even more concerning imo.  Not trying to be crazy nitpicky, but Bitonio excelled on the big stage and played even better against top competition like FSU and UCLA.  CK gave up three sacks and had like 7 pressures in his last bowl game where talent like to prove themselves.