Nick Collins

[Deputy Nutz]

Rouse/Bigby '08.

That's the winning ticket.

This is what I'm hoping too. If Rouse doesn't pan out, I hope it's someone else. Either way, I hope it's NOT Nick Collins. He's been a major disappointment.

I wouldn't call him a major disappointment, I would just call him a nonfactor at safety, which actually might be worse. How the hell can you play safety and not have one interception on the year? Rouse played two games and had two picks.

[b bulldog]

Agree,I don't think a second round pick out of a small school can be labeled a major disappointment.

[Bretsky]

The sickening part about Collins is he seems to have the talent. Good speed and break on the ball.

Is he TT's version of Da Fraud ?

Time will tell; I have not given up on him yet.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I'm real happy with the situation at safety. Young players, strong competition. Next year Collins will have to fight to keep his spot. Almost guaranteed upgrade next year, regardless of who win the starting spots.

[StPaulPackFan]

Collins/Rouse will probably be the #1 battle in training camp. Collins and Colledge have to be the biggest disappointments this year.

Along with these two, I feel Jenkins was also a huge disappointment. At the end of last season he really came on and showed great potential. In his limited time in the Preseason he looked almost unstoppable, especially in the Pittsburgh game. Then the regular season starts and he more or less disappears.

Going into this year I thought Jenkins would be a difference-maker. I guess I was wrong. On the flip side, Jolly really improved before going on IR.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

My biggest problem with Collins is he doesn't make plays. He dropped at least four INT's this year and doesn't do anything special when it counts. For example in Sunday's game, instead of making a play, he gets called for a big penalty that costs us seven points. I hope Rouse beats him and plays good or we have problems at safety.

[run pMc]

Wouldn't say Collins is a disappointment. Most people agree he was a reach for where he was drafted. He's obviously a very gifted athlete, but I'm not sure about instincts. I heard the coaches and players say that he was good at getting people lined up and making the calls this year, so maybe he' figured out the game. If so, that's great. One thing we know is that he is not a ballhawk.

I'll be very interested to see the competition at S and CB next year. Rouse will push Bigby and Collins, Culver comes off IR, Peprah could emerge, and who knows who else TT will bring in (Underwood?) At CB, we have Tramon, Blackmon, Bush and Walker...none of those guys have shown they can do it consistently. I'd like to see somebody step up and push Hrris and Woodson...those guys aren't young spry speedsters, and I don't feel good about having to start one of the backups if Woodson's knee needs surgery.

Back to Collins. I think S is his best position, but I wonder if he needs to be paired with a more of a ballhawk who can cover. It seems like he's a more athletic version of Bigby. He's fast and a willing hitter, but I don't know about his ability to cover a TE or RB. That was a big weakness last year and at times this year.

[The Leaper]

I don't get how he regressed so much from year 2 to year 3...

What the hell went wrong???

Two words.

Kurt Schottenheimer.

[The Leaper]

Back to Collins. I think S is his best position, but I wonder if he needs to be paired with a more of a ballhawk who can cover. It seems like he's a more athletic version of Bigby. He's fast and a willing hitter, but I don't know about his ability to cover a TE or RB. That was a big weakness last year and at times this year.

I've been saying this for 2 years now.

You can't have two run-supporting safeties on a team where you play press coverage outside with your CBs.

We need a damn COVERAGE safety...someone who can make plays on the ball in the air downfield.

I think Bigby has more upside as an in-the-box guy than Collins has. Can Rouse be a coverage safety? I don't know.

[BallHawk]

The sickening part about Collins is he seems to have the talent. Good speed and break on the ball.

Is he TT's version of Da Fraud ?

Time will tell; I have not given up on him yet.

Not if we're talking about who else was available and what happened to them, but if we're talking playing ability, he's pretty damn close.

[Patler]

The sickening part about Collins is he seems to have the talent. Good speed and break on the ball.

Is he TT's version of Da Fraud ?

Na, not even close. You can line up and play with Collins as one of your safeties. You WANT more than what he has been, but you can accept Collins as he is. In other words, he doesn't hurt you being there, even if he doesn't do things to change a game.

Ferguson simply can't be your starter. If he is, you are in big trouble at WR.

[woodbuck27]

He should be nothing more than a ST's player and a backup.

He has to get it. Get into the game. Does he have ability? YES he's proven that but now we need to see consistency and effort.

Otherwise cut him and reserve ST spots for players with real upside. Collins has been 'a nowhere man' this season. Too bad he got short whistled on that QB blitz on Sunday (and subsequent roughing the QB penalty) as that could have been by far his biggest play all season.

The whole outcome may well have changed based on that almost huge play. Is he just unlucky or have bad timing? He needs to feel Irish.

[The Leaper]

Na, not even close. You can line up and play with Collins as one of your safeties. You WANT more than what he has been, but you can accept Collins as he is. In other words, he doesn't hurt you being there, even if he doesn't do things to change a game.

I completely agree. Collins was invisible...which isn't good, but it isn't horrible either. He didn't give up a bunch of big pass plays. He didn't make a bunch of critical errors where we are sitting here cussing him out after the game.

We would all love for him to make big time INTs and ruffle more feathers in the secondary with his hitting ability. However, he's adequate and won't kill you back there.

Ferguson never really contributed whatsoever on the field for Green Bay...despite having Favre tossing him the ball, who is one of the best QBs a receiver could have in terms of opportunity.