re: Does Welter prove his haters wrong this season?

get 'em BilJ!!!!

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How do you feel about missing a tackle on a running back?

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Now you should show some photos of some of the other guys missing tackles or making mistakes last year. Hell, it's almost as if the games LSU lost last year were entirely Welter's fault. I sure hope this young man has thick skin, cause a bunch of you guys sure seem to enjoy kicking him in the the teeth over some of his less than stellar play last season.

yes, everyone makes mistakes and misses tackles sometimes. However, Welter does it a lot more than everyone else. He is a glaring weakness in our defense and he is right in the middle of our defense. how can you people defend this guy's playing ability? it blows my mind.

Maybe it's time to look at this debate from another angle. LSU signed a relatively large class of LB's two years ago.

It's entirely possible, if not probable, these young guys just haven't learned the position the way Chief would like. There is little doubt each and every one of these youngsters is more talented than Welter, yet DJ must offer something maybe more than what meets the eye, so he gets the majority of the playing time.

Maybe, just maybe, DJ is adept at things we may not see or appreciate, such as making sure everybody is lined up properly, has the right defensive call from the sideline, and so forth.

Those are measurable's we fans don't see in the heat of battle. I'd be the first to agree DJ doesn't have the sheer talent of the other 10-12 LB's on the squad but he must bring something to the table or he wouldn't be the starting MLB for LSU.

Hell, maybe none of the young studs are ready for that role quite yet, could be as simple as that.

But to those on here that think they know better than Chief as to who to put on the field to make LSU as good as possible, give that shite a rest.

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I'll say it again, it is not a good thing when a guy starts a full season. And I can't recall any memorable or game hanging plays he has made. Not one. We don't need average players on the field. We need playmakers.

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You may have accidently hit the nail squarely. Having 11 playmakers on the field at once may sound great and all, but what good is that without somebody out there playing the role of QB on defense, telling everybody where to go and when. Maybe Welter is the guy that fills that role?

Chaos is a good thing in today's game, but controlled chaos is even better and maybe that's where DJ Welter fits in.

Hopefully, one day Chief will write a book or some memoirs maybe explaining this whole thing to us.

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idoublleu[quote]
I am filled with anxiety going into any game in which Welter is our starting MLB. It's the same anxiety I felt knowing that Roman Haroer was a starting safety for the Saints. I'll say it again, it is not a good thing when a guy starts a full season. And I can't recall any memorable or game hanging plays he has made. Not one. We don't need average players on the field. We need playmakers. I'm have no clue how Welter starts ahead of Beckwith or Garret, Louis, or Jones (of course I know Louis gets his shot this season). It's the same frustration I felt watching Jordan Jefferson start on a team that had Mettenberger on the bench. Not playing your best players always hurts you in the end. Alexander- Beckwith or Garrett- Louis or Jones would be my dream come true.

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Filled with anxiety, what kind of life you must lead if a twenty year old kid starting a position in a football game causes such nail biting You act as if Chavis is a dad/coach putting his kid at qb on some pee wee team. The man has a vested interest in winning and putting a defense on the field with that in mind.
I have no doubt in his abilities to do so with past results for one than one team in the SEC.

absolutely

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Hating a 20 yr old college player who is out there busting his butt for LSU just shows the class of the ranters here. And I am sure he has more talent in his left big toe than 999% of his haters here. But, considering how many busted plays LSU had last yr on defense, having an "intelligent" defensive LB who can hold his own is exactly what this defense needs till the offense comes around. I'll never boo any college player, let alone a LSU one.

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he'll be 23 once the season starts. That doesn't mean much, but if he hasn't shown talent yet, it's most likely not going to occur out of nowhere when you're 23. And he missed an entire season because he wasn't doing what he was supposed to do. Just FYI

It's not like this is some young kid who made mistakes. The whole point of him playing was because he's a QB for defense and makes the plays he's supposed to make. He did not "hold his own", he was extremely noticeable for not making routine plays. It's not like 80% of the fan base are just crazy. Sure there are crazy fans out there, but this is a legitimate concern that he is below average an is a gaping weakness in our defense.

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There were several games last season where Welter led the team in tackles.

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DJ had 25 solo tackles, 55 assited tackles, 80 total tackles, yet only 4 TFL netting - 11 yards. In a scheme that is designed (by Chavis' own words on Moscona's show) to make your mlb the focus of the scheme, that just isn't enough production. Also number of tackles doesn't tell you anything. If I told you that a guy got 15 tackles, and they all came after a gain of 10 or more yards, would you be fired up by that? Where tackles are made is as important as making the tackle.

By way of example, Kevin Minter had 55 solo 75 assisting 130 (!) total tackles and capped that astounding production with 15.0 TFL netting - 52 yards. Over twice as many solo tackles. In a scheme that demands that, it is huge! When you remove that ability from the middle of Chavis' scheme, you get run on a lot. That's why it is an issue.

Passing game issues: Kwon for example last year had 4 pass break ups and 4 passes defended. Welter had 1 of each. Kevin Minter had 5 and 6, respectively the year before. Ego Ferguson last year had 3 and 3. Where is his production in the passing game? He isn't TFL'ing, he isn't sacking (meaning he must be in coverage), and he isn't impacting the passing game.