Carvin Johnson to Deep Safety

Submitted by whyyoumadtho on

http://michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1145679

Something small that I just saw that must have slipped through the cracks. I am not sure if this means anything about tomorrow but Rivals is saying Carvin Johnson moved to FS and Cam Gordon is working spur.

Other small note from article: Marvin Robinson could play LB in some Nickel situations.

Beavis

October 29th, 2010 at 12:45 PM ^

So if I'm reading this right:

Cam and Carvin switch spots.  Carvin loses time with Vinopal coming in.  Vinopal vs. Carvin for that spot.  Wouldn't be suprised to see Vinopal start.

MRob can contribute now, when Mouton puts his hand down. 

Q/BWC - work in progress.

Section 1

October 29th, 2010 at 6:04 PM ^

And this thread has been an interesting discussion.

But our official 2-deep doesn't reflect any changes; right?

http://www.mgoblue.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mich/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/fbl-depthchart-102510

Cam Gordon is our first FS.  And Carvin is stil HYB. 

So I don't know what to think.  Other than to make sure to get in front of a hi-def tv Saturday night.

bleuadams

October 29th, 2010 at 6:40 PM ^

New Probable 2011 (next season) Defensive Depth Chart:

NT: Martin(Sr.), Washington(So.), Ash(Fr.)

DT: Van Bergen(Sr.), Talbott(Fr.), Heininger(Sr.)

DE: Black(So.), Wilkins(Fr.), Watson(Sr.)...Rock(Fr./R.S.)

OLB: Roh(Jr.), Paskorz(Fr.), Herron(Sr.)...Beyer(Fr./R.S.), Kinard(Fr./R.S.)

MLB: Demens(Jr.), Ryan(Fr.), Fitzgerald(Sr.)...Jones(Fr./R.S.)

WLB: Jones(So.), Robinson(So.), Bell(So.), Leach(Sr.)

Sp: T. Gordon(So.), Furman(Fr.), Hawthorne(So.)

SS: Kovacs(Jr.), C. Gordon(So.), Simmons(Jr.), Williams(Sr.)

FS: Johnson(So.), Vinopal(So.), Van Slyke(Sr.)

CB: Woolfolk(Sr.), Christian(Fr.), Talbott(Fr.)...Brown(Fr./R.S.)

CB: Floyd(Jr.), Avery(Fr.)...Hollowell(Fr./R.S.)

 

Here is my personal (although maybe not 'likely') dream defense for 2011:

NT: Washington

DT: Martin

DE: Van Bergen/Black

OLB: Roh

MLB: Demens

WLB: Robinson

Sp: Furman/Kovacs

SS: C. Gordon

FS: Moore/Walls

CB: Woolfolk

CB: Floyd/Christian

...I hope that #1) Quinton Washington proves to be such a beast on defense that he can't be kept off the field and starts at NT.  His 320 lb size is much needed in the middle of any 3-man front.  Martin moves to DT.  Van Bergen remains at DE (and is replaced by Black in passing situations).  #2) Marvin Robinson quickly transitions into an instant stud at WLB and beats out Mike Jones for the starting position.  #3) Josh Furman hones all of that raw athleticism and beats out T. Gordon at Spur.  #4) Cam Gordon really takes to his new SS position and beats out Jordan Kovacs there - who then becomes our nickleback.  #5) That we get at least two stud FS recruits in this class, and that they are 1-2 on the depth chart.  Neither Carvin Johnson nor Ray Vinopal reallly has what we're looking for there.  It'd be nice if Byron Moore was one of those commits, because he's probably more college ready.  And it'd be nice if the other was Walls, Lyons, Clinton-Dix, or the dude that's committed to FSU right now (can't remember his name?).  #6) That one of the true freshman CBs - Christian, Avery or Talbott - makes big strides this season and at least pushes Floyd for the starting position.

briangoblue

October 29th, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^

I wonder if the coaches thought he was better suited to the position, wanted to add depth to deep safety, or if Thomas Gordon just officially won the job outright or some combination of these . Interesting move.

evenyoubrutus

October 29th, 2010 at 12:50 PM ^

I kinda thought deep safety was always where the wanted him.  I was surprised when the two-deep came out at the beginning of the year and he was playing in the box.  I hope it works out.

RONick

October 29th, 2010 at 3:33 PM ^

Agreed.  I remember thinking when he commited that he was probably destined to deep safety based on his athleticism and physical prowess.  I was somewhat shocked that they had him playing closer to the LOS to start the year.

As an aside, all of the position switching actually makes me more excited for this defense going forward.  With so many (very) young players getting to see so many different spots in the defense, my hope is that they start to understand how it should all work very quickly.  Maybe the defense is serviceable next year?!?  A guy can dream, right?

WolvinLA2

October 29th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^

So how many guys from our defense are playing the same position they played 2 weeks ago? Any?

JK, I like these moves, they seem to make a lot of sense.

joeyb

October 29th, 2010 at 1:08 PM ^

I like this. Thomas Gordon seems to have the Spur locked down pretty well. Carvin and Vinopal might not be true FS types, but if they can play smart, then they have a step on Cam Gordon.

I hope either Carvin or Vinopal step up in a big way so that Woolfoolk can stay at CB next year.

MEZman

October 29th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^

So is Carvin fast enough for the deep safety position? Not that Cam was fast, I'm wonder if this is a quick fix temporary thing or something that could work permanently.

Magnus

October 29th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^

This sounds like an I-told-you-so...and I guess it is...

...but seriously, why has it taken the coaching staff so long to realize some of these things?  Are they surprised that a 195-pound freshman can't hack it at Spur, which is basically a linebacker?  Why did they believe in the first place that a 6'3", 207-pound kid with questionable speed could be our free safety?  Why has 275-pound Adam Patterson been playing nose tackle when Renaldo Sagesse - who's heavier and stronger and has experience there - would be the obviously better answer?

I just don't understand what these coaches are doing sometimes.  I don't know if it's Rodriguez or Robinson or Brathwaite or what, but sometimes it just seems like they don't have a clue.

mgokev

October 29th, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^

It's not that the coaches are always right.  I think it's more of the fact that they have more information to base their decisions on, so maybe they shouldn't be judged as harshly when many of us don't see what they see in practice.  Maybe Gordon outperforms everyone at safety in practice and it's only until now that the coaches have stopped giving him the chance to do it in a game?  It's not that they're right, but we can't say we know what's best without having all the information either.

jg2112

October 29th, 2010 at 1:50 PM ^

Take Cam as the example.

In mid-August, he and Emilien had the most experience at deep safety, with VinoGRIT and Carvin Johnson just entering practice.

The coaches now have 7 games and dozens of practices worth of information. Also, Emilien transferred, taking away Gordon's back-up.

They might have come to the conclusion that they now have confidence in Vinopal and Carvin to man the deep safety spot, all the while knowing that Cam can also work in that position if needed.

Of course, if they just had the all-knowing knowledge of Magnus, they'd have done this months ago because Magnus knows their roster better than them.

Magnus

October 29th, 2010 at 2:14 PM ^

And he really hasn't done anything to dispel that notion.  He's been practically invisible, and Thomas Gordon (who already redshirted) seems to be doing just fine there.

So...yeah...he didn't redshirt.  I was wrong.  That doesn't mean he shouldn't be redshirting.

Tha Quiet Storm

October 29th, 2010 at 3:03 PM ^

I think Carvin's injury has had more to do with his level of play than his ability. It's easy to look back now and say he probably should've redshirted, but if you think coming into the season that a guy can help you, then why not give him a shot? If you start your first game as a true freshman, then obviously the coaches saw something in you to justify that decision.

Magnus

October 29th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^

I agree.  And I'm not knocking Carvin Johnson here.  I think he's a good player, but at least at this point in his career, he's not physically ready to be a linebacker.

However, this is not "hindsight" on my part.  I said back during the summer that Carvin Johnson should redshirt.

joeyb

October 30th, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^

It doesn't really argue against his point either. He has been arguing that he should redshirt because he is undersized for that position. He gets injured in the first game because he's undersized and gets plowed over.

08mms

October 30th, 2010 at 1:38 PM ^

I think its hard to understated the difference between true freshman at the start of the year and after half a season. We might finally be getting Tue point where were not just throwing in the most competent athletes available but instead are finally allowing optional talent development. Yippee!?

Motown20

October 29th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^

Glass is half full.  The world is full of different people, who have all kinds of different views.  In sports, it's "Monday Morning Quarterbacks".  Everybody is 20/20 on Monday.

It does make me wonder though...

Why didn't Coach Carr start Tom Brady earlier?

Why didn't Bo adjust his style of play before he lost his 6,7 or 8th Rose Bowl?

Why didn't Moeller attend some AA classes?

Hmm........

 

Magnus

October 29th, 2010 at 2:44 PM ^

I am not a Monday Morning Quarterback.  I've been saying since Cam Gordon was recruited that he had linebacker speed.  And I said several weeks ago that Carvin Johnson was too small to play Spur.

I am many things, but a liar is not one of them.

Magnus

October 29th, 2010 at 11:50 PM ^

I haven't heard it straight from the horse's mouth, but yeah, supposedly the coaches told him he could have a chance at WR but they really wanted him on defense.  I think everyone assumed they meant at LB, but I don't know that his defensive position was predetermined.

Like I said, I thought he'd be a linebacker, but that's not necessarily in line with what the coaches thought.

Motown20

October 29th, 2010 at 3:29 PM ^

If you think about it though, the problems that Gordon has been experiencing, concerning the obvious lack in speed at safety, have not occurred until recently (MSU/Iowa games).  In the first Big Ten game at IU, he seemed OK, I believe he even had a pick.  The next two games, it became obvious he might be out of position.  The bye week arrives, time for the coaching staff to to look back at the film, make some changes. 

I believe that is what the coaches are trying to do.

Anyways, everyone is on the record going forward, so let's hope for the best and see what happens.