Since not much football to discuss here is a good debate:

Rashaan Melvin or Jimmie Ward?

I have wondered who will be the better pro. Melvin has the size, speed etc that you look for in a cornerback. Jimmie Ward is smaller but is football smart plus a ballhawk.

Let the debate begin.

Ward without a doubt. Love Melvin, but Ward just has that 'it' factor and his ability to be a monster at special teams as well is only going to extend his career that much more

Ward based on the lone fact he's going to get a better shot than Melvin.

Ward, and it's not only because he is "getting a better shot" it's because he's just a better player.

He's also more versatile than Melvin and can play special teams better. To be honest, it's not even a good comparison. While Melvin has excellent measurables and was a good NIU player, I don't think he's an NFL corner on an every down basis.

BTW, they both had the same shot, Melvin didn't prove himself enough in college to get drafted as opposed to being a UDFA.

(01-22-2014 02:51 PM)7 Wrote:  Ward based on the lone fact he's going to get a better shot than Melvin.

Tampa hid Melvin on IR for the year. assumed he could have come back but better there then practice squad

(01-22-2014 02:54 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Ward, and it's not only because he is "getting a better shot" it's because he's just a better player.

He's also more versatile than Melvin and can play special teams better. To be honest, it's not even a good comparison. While Melvin has excellent measurables and was a good NIU player, I don't think he's an NFL corner on an every down basis.

BTW, they both had the same shot, Melvin didn't prove himself enough in college to get drafted as opposed to being a UDFA.

That's just not true. Do you think it's a coincidence that Moore, Evans, and Faustin all looked like competent corners playing with Melvin and they all looked like hot garbage this season?

http://www.buccaneers.com/team-and-stats...6f97d17c08

So many errors in his Bio

(01-22-2014 02:57 PM)7 Wrote:  

(01-22-2014 02:54 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Ward, and it's not only because he is "getting a better shot" it's because he's just a better player.

He's also more versatile than Melvin and can play special teams better. To be honest, it's not even a good comparison. While Melvin has excellent measurables and was a good NIU player, I don't think he's an NFL corner on an every down basis.

BTW, they both had the same shot, Melvin didn't prove himself enough in college to get drafted as opposed to being a UDFA.

That's just not true. Do you think it's a coincidence that Moore, Evans, and Faustin all looked like competent corners playing with Melvin and they all looked like hot garbage this season?

I still don't know why Melvin didn't get drafted. He played alot of games in the MAC. or as Tampa Bay calls it the Mid Atlantic Conference.

(01-22-2014 02:57 PM)7 Wrote:  

(01-22-2014 02:54 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Ward, and it's not only because he is "getting a better shot" it's because he's just a better player.

He's also more versatile than Melvin and can play special teams better. To be honest, it's not even a good comparison. While Melvin has excellent measurables and was a good NIU player, I don't think he's an NFL corner on an every down basis.

BTW, they both had the same shot, Melvin didn't prove himself enough in college to get drafted as opposed to being a UDFA.

That's just not true. Do you think it's a coincidence that Moore, Evans, and Faustin all looked like competent corners playing with Melvin and they all looked like hot garbage this season?

Yes, it obviously made a difference he was good and could cover the top receiver, so the others got the garbage receivers. Generally most MAC schools have a drop off between WR1 and WR2.

Also, if he was a "shut down" as you'd like to think, NFL evaluators would have saw the tape and taken the chance on him in the draft, because he had the measurables.

He also played at NIU with a redshirt, so even more development to become better than Ward.

He also didn't play at an elite level like Ward did his last year. They had exactly the same opportunity. Melvin even had his last game against elite competition to make himself stand out.

I know you're a big Melvin fan, but to say he isn't going to be a better pro than Ward based on "getting a better chance" is just idiotic. There is a reason one is going to be a relatively high round pick and the other isn't.

Would Larry English still be in the NFL if he wasn't a first round pick?

I couldn't disagree more that Melvin didn't play an elite level. That's just wrong.

That has little relevancy to what is being talked about. But the answer is no. It may say more to who will stick around the pros more because they have a vested interest in one vs. the other, but again it doesn't explain why Ward will be a high pick and Melvin wasn't drafted.

If Melvin proved himself, he would have carved out a bigger role before he was hurt. People are saying Ward can start at the next level immediately, nobody said that about Melvin. The main reason teams were high on him was because he's rangy and ran well without pads. Put him in pads and he's a serviceable corner that makes enough plays to swarm a receiver, but doesn't tackle at a great level, drops far too many picks, but can make enough plays to maybe be a nickel corner.

Bottom line: Ward was a better college player and will be a better pro.

He was an undrafted player that made the team and got hurt early on in the season. He actually got hurt in training came and fought through it to make the team, and eventually landed on IR. Was he supposed to go from UDFA to starter on a team with Revis and a 2nd round pick?

Look, the question was who will be a better pro. Ward will be a better pro because he's going to be a relatively high draft pick and be handed the opprotunity to play and contribute. He's being "handed" the opprotunity because of how he played in college, yes, but at the same time if you don't think Melvin played really well in college you're nuts. Ward's special team ability is a huge plus for him and that was something Melvin didn't do in college, so yes I'm not arguing Ward isn't the better player.

The only thing that changed in the secondary last year was the loss of Melvin. They want from having an extremely strong secondary to having one of the worst group of corners in college football. Melvin was given as much responsility as any corner in college football his senior year. Coverages were always shaded away from him and he was getting very little help.

If you want to play the "if he performed better in college he would have been drafted higher" card, I'll show you Tom Brady and the hundreds of other players in football that scouts absolutely whiffed on.

Both were great players at NIU. Both I think could be succesful NFL players. Ward will get a good shot, Melvin may or may not. Thus, I'll take Ward.

Well gotta pray for some injuries in Tampa so that Melvin can get on field.(see Doug Free)

Melvin jamming recievers in the cover 2 could actually be a great fit for him.

Yes the Tom Brady analogy is a good one, scouts miss. Brady was also drafted, I meant drafted in general not being drafted higher. I mean people obviously whiffed on Turner as well, and so many others.

But I think I gave a succinct answer when I said Ward was a better college player and can play special teams better, which factors in largely for rookie defensive players.

I never said Melvin was bad in college. I'm saying he had the height, cover ability, and the speed. He lacks the tackling, special teams ability, and playmaking ability of Ward. Melvin has been greatly missed for NIU's secondary as it was obvious to all NIU fans.

To me the answer of who will be a better pro isn't based purely on Ward being a second/third round pick, it's because he has fewer holes in his game. This factors into why he will be drafted and ultimately be a better player. I still think Melvin can be a nickel corner, but I think you're excuse for Ward being "given a better shot" discredits Jimmie more than anything.

I want both to succeed, but to answer the question in all facets I think the easy answer is Ward.

I don't think there's any question that Ward will get more opportunities than Melvin if he's drafted in the first few rounds. Teams don't like to admit that they're wrong that quickly.

Neither of them!!! You know why

Because Jamal womble is the best and better than the rest

He is apparently in the NFL!

(01-24-2014 04:49 PM)yesman815 Wrote:  Neither of them!!! You know why

Because Jamal womble is the best and better than the rest

He is apparently in the NFL!

LMAO get off facebook.

(01-24-2014 04:53 PM)7 Wrote:  

(01-24-2014 04:49 PM)yesman815 Wrote:  Neither of them!!! You know why

Because Jamal womble is the best and better than the rest

He is apparently in the NFL!

LMAO get off facebook.

I swear people text me screen shots all the time hahaha

Everyone knows that dude is working as a vendor at an NFL stadium and not a player