Trent Richardson

[VObserver]

_ You are absolutely joking right???? I don't even think there is a valid argument that he is better than Grant Fleming and I'm assuming you are talking about him and Brooks who plays middle linebacker?? Daylon played a ton but started once Fleming left with his injury. I love McCoy but he is NOT better than Fleming. _

I absolutely am NOT joking. I am as serious as a stroke. Does McCoy have Fleming's physical attributes? Clearly not. But he is a better player, defined as one who steps up and makes the big play at crucial times.

[Just1More]

I've always thought my right testicle was better than my left... but I'm proud of both of them... and glad to call them mine.

McCoy = Fleming = Great LB (Brad may not like me using the word "great" but he is caught up with one of the Brady Bunch right now... I think it's Marsha)

[zephyr]

_ I absolutely am NOT joking. I am as serious as a stroke. Does McCoy have Fleming's physical attributes? Clearly not. But he is a better player, defined as one who steps up and makes the big play at crucial times. _

So, if Grant were not injured and played the entire year, don't you think he would have made those plays? McCoy only had 4 sacks so lets not make him out to be Lawrence Taylor. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge McCoy guy and was thinking that he should play more going into the season. But if you think that he does more on D than Flemming, I believe you are wrong. There really is no way to prove who is "better" but he led the team in tackles because of the injuries we had this year, not because of his tackling ability. Fleming still finished in the top 5 in tackles and he was lost for 2/3 of the season! He was averaging almost 8 tackles a game and was leading the team in interceptions when he got injured. McCoy is not a run stopper and while he does a good job on blitzes of getting to the QB, he's not even as good of a pass defender as Fleming and McCoy used to be a safety. Fleming is just more of the complete package with his size, agility, ability to pay the pass and he's a better run defender.

[zephyr]

_ You guys are all over Flemming, and rightfully so, but he is not the playmaker that McCoy is. Flemming is our best LB in pass coverage, but he is not a game changer. McCoy is a game changer, period. He flat out makes plays! One can argue that he is the reason that we beat ASU and MT.

McCoy led the team in tackles, 3rd in TFL, 1st in sacks, tied for 1st in forced fumbles, tied for 1 in INT's. It is really hard to argue against those stats, especially since he did not start for the first half of the year.

Don't get me wrong, Flemming is one of the best LB's we have had in the last 15 years, but I don't think he is as good as McCoy. _

Those "stats" you speak of are a little deceiving since they were really not all that impressive to begin with and our team was very poor in causing teams to turn the ball over. I know what you are trying to state and I love McCoy but he had 4 sacks which led the team. Sure, he had the impressive one against ASU which sealed the win but I would hardly say he is the reason we won that game. He led the team in tackles and that is impressive but Fleming or Brooks clearly would have easily led the team had they not been injured. Fleming was still top 4-5 in tackles and he was injured 2/3 of season! He was averaging 7-8 tackles a game and was leading the team in int's when he left. While McCoy does have some stats I think they are a bit misleading.

[VObserver]

Well just have to agree to disagree. There is, of course, an upside to this. Who would have ever thought that we would be arguing about which of two very good defensive players was better? lol

[DestinCajun]

So, tell me, how many stars did Daylon have coming out of HS? Who did we beat out for him?

Not that any of that really mattered to me nor was I thinking about it when he sacked Corey Leonard on the 3 yard line and gave the Cajuns a chance to beat ASU which they promptly took full advantage of.

Comparisons aside, that's the definition of a "PLAYMAKER".

[CajunZ1]

_ So, tell me, how many stars did Daylon have coming out of HS? Who did we beat out for him?

Not that any of that really mattered to me nor was I thinking about it when he sacked Corey Leonard on the 3 yard line and gave the Cajuns a chance to beat ASU which they promptly took full advantage of.

Comparisons aside, that's the definition of a "PLAYMAKER". _

He was a 1 star recruit at Safety. We all remember how much he struggled at that position.

Credit the coaching staff for finding a spot for him where he could excel.

That's why coaching is so important. Our team is full of less that typical size/speed combos at certain positions. Bustle and co's job is to put all those rough peices to the puzzle in the right order. Mccoy I believe is one of those successes for our staff.

P.S. We beat out Baylor and Stephen F. Austin for McCoy FYI

[MetryCajun]

_ He was a 1 star recruit at Safety. We all remember how much he struggled at that position.

Credit the coaching staff for finding a spot for him where he could excel.

That's why coaching is so important. Our team is full of less that typical size/speed combos at certain positions. Bustle and co's job is to put all those rough peices to the puzzle in the right order. Mccoy I believe is one of those successes for our staff.

P.S. We beat out Baylor and Stephen F. Austin for McCoy FYI _

So true.
You see this a lot in the transition from HS to College. Even though we recruited him as a saftey, it was obvious he did not have the skill set for that position. Quite simply, McCoy is a LB in a safety's body. If he were a little taller (6-2) he would probably have been a big time LB recruit. Making projections like this is risky. The LSU's of the world do not have to take these kinds of chances. We do. It looks like the gamble with McCoy will turn out well for us.

[Clutch0364]

_ He was a 1 star recruit at Safety. We all remember how much he struggled at that position.

Credit the coaching staff for finding a spot for him where he could excel.

That's why coaching is so important. Our team is full of less that typical size/speed combos at certain positions. Bustle and co's job is to put all those rough peices to the puzzle in the right order. Mccoy I believe is one of those successes for our staff.

P.S. We beat out Baylor and Stephen F. Austin for McCoy FYI _

In high school McCoy played LB but bc of his size he projected as a safety in college.

[CajunZ1]

_ In high school McCoy played LB but bc of his size he projected as a safety in college. _

Thanks for the info. That makes sense.