Babineaux to challenge Russell!

by Built2Spill on Jul 30, 2009 11:15 AM PDT

According to Mike Sando in his NFC West Blog he states:

"Jordan Babineaux will challenge Brian Russell for the starting job at free safety. Babineaux is focusing on one position -- safety, not corner -- and the team hopes that helps him. Ruskell also pointed to an improved maturity level with Babineaux. They would like to get more range at the safety position."

I am not sure we were really rooting for Babineaux to become safety but this is an interesting development. Also in the segment, it mentions that Mike Wahle is not doing so well so Max Unger can challenge for the starting left guard. Sando also mentions that the Seahawks are making Max Unger learn all positions of the interior line. Enough also with those chips?

BTW the combination of Max Unger and Mansfield Wrotto is simply Mongo Unger.

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Comments

I like it

I’d rather see Adams make a run for it, but if Babineaux has a real strong camp, why not?

I’d rather have some compeition than no compeition.

Guyz, I need ur help. Im txting from my iphone. I'm at a girls house i like, & i had 2 go 2 the bthroom. It was #2, & i clogged the toilet, water is everywhere. What should I do?

by MontpikeMike on Jul 30, 2009 11:28 AM PDT reply actions

Fantastic news

It’s something, anyway. There’s a lot of room for improvement to get up to replacement level from Russell. Here’s to serendipity!

by jacobstevens on Jul 30, 2009 11:45 AM PDT reply actions

I just came by to share this great news. GREAT!

In an earlier discussion I said ‘I don’t know why Babineaux couldn’t replace Russell." This is great news. Competition is always good, but beware: Russell is cited by John as a great practice player.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Jul 30, 2009 12:10 PM PDT reply actions

Pardon me for the lack of enthusiasm.

But before Russell, wasn’t Big Play Babs the whipping boy (either amongst FGers or amongst Seahawks fans in general (before he made all those big plays))? At this point, anything is an upgrade, but I’d really like to see the young guys get a shot at the starting spot as well.

by LantermanC on Jul 30, 2009 12:27 PM PDT reply actions

I concur.

Somehow, in the back of my mind, this seems like a minimal upgrade.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Jul 30, 2009 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions

I seem to remember most of Babs' blown coverages when he was playing CB

You know, I lost my father. Ah, he'll turn up. Have you checked the dumpster out back? He used to like to take a nap in there."
-George Carlin

by Wayward Llama on Jul 30, 2009 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Because he was not quick and fast enough to play man coverage.

Safety is different, plays more to his strengths. And to be honest, I don’t care if he is not a great safety, I’ll take average or below average from him.

I would not expect him to be a great safety, at his best he could be a smart guy that does well in a zone, has decent range, and can wrap up, but will not be a great hitter or man coverage safety.

by cashless on Jul 30, 2009 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Cedeno over Betancourt.

Where’s our Jack Wilson?

by LantermanC on Jul 30, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

=)

i like the way you think

by cro-mag! on Jul 30, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Last time Babs played Safety for a extended amount of time it was SS

So he was asked to be a run stopper and it wasn’t pretty.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Aug 1, 2009 8:01 AM PDT up reply actions

Thanks for the good news.

And for Mongo Unger.

by thebyron on Jul 30, 2009 12:48 PM PDT reply actions

I'm glad we're seeing some competition

It shows that the FO is at least acknowledging the possibility that Brian Russell just isn’t cut out for the job.

Hopefully Adams and Greene can also get a shot at this. They really need to light it up in the preseason to even have a chance.

by aerozeppelin on Jul 30, 2009 12:56 PM PDT reply actions

This challenge better happen at game speed

Russell is the champion of Wednesday football.

by ninjasocks on Jul 30, 2009 3:18 PM PDT reply actions

Watch yourself Frye.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Aug 1, 2009 8:01 AM PDT up reply actions

Also, I'll take this opportunity to state that I loathe ESPN's comment section.

The quality is almost as bad as the YouTube community.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Jul 30, 2009 4:04 PM PDT reply actions

Worse.

I don’t even bother looking anymore. I’m convinced that the average ESPN message board user is either 13, or stupid.

You know, I lost my father. Ah, he'll turn up. Have you checked the dumpster out back? He used to like to take a nap in there."
-George Carlin

by Wayward Llama on Jul 31, 2009 3:29 AM PDT up reply actions

Or both.

I’d guess both.

by thebyron on Jul 31, 2009 7:41 AM PDT up reply actions

Ok, I couldn't help it, I went and looked. It took me less than 30 seconds to come across this gem:

“CowboyP893 (7/30/2009 at 3:04 PM)
As I said, the best combination of Seahawks Safeties is Babineaux and Russell. Put Grant of the bench, or release him. Grant was the worst player on the Seahawks defense last season.”

You know, I lost my father. Ah, he'll turn up. Have you checked the dumpster out back? He used to like to take a nap in there."
-George Carlin

by Wayward Llama on Jul 31, 2009 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions

That guy is troll

He trolls the PI, the Seattle Times and the ESPN boards. Supposedly, he’s a Cowboys fan (who grew up in the Northwest), but he never shows up on the Cowboys board. He’s been banned from the Times board at least once for some offense that went beyond his regular trolling.

by ninjasocks on Jul 31, 2009 10:10 PM PDT up reply actions

So basically he is to the Seahawks what I am to the 49ers.

Except his is to a further degree.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Jul 31, 2009 10:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Heh, you and me both, pal.

Although I mostly just roast the grades and/or justifications that make below-average players into studs.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Aug 1, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, but somehow in the last month or so,

FF has managed to amass 800+ comments at the 49ers site.

by LantermanC on Aug 1, 2009 10:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow.

A fact I did not know. Man, oh man. :P Though I don’t suppose he’s ready to change to ‘Fearless Troll’… :P

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Aug 2, 2009 6:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Babineaux is a playmaker,

He is a situational player, not a 3 down player. special teams and 3rd and long.

"Superhero like even"

by censor1979 on Jul 30, 2009 4:26 PM PDT reply actions

It stands to reason that true playmakers are on the field most of the time.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Jul 30, 2009 8:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Ding ding ding.

Folks, we have a winner.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Jul 30, 2009 9:35 PM PDT up reply actions

I hope someone else steps up and takes the spot from Russell

I love having Babs for depth. The guy has made some key plays as a roleplayer. But if h were good enough to start, he would have taken the job a whlie back.

by ASeahawkfan on Jul 31, 2009 12:51 AM PDT reply actions

New Ruskell Transcript

more of what we already heard, but confirmation for any who wondered whether Babs was competing against both Russell & Grant (just against Russell). The other thing it shows is, it’ll be typical Tampa-Two safety coverage, the two deep, with a side of the field, basically interchangeable. It’s a really good read.

by jacobstevens on Jul 31, 2009 9:39 AM PDT reply actions

I'm just glad it sounds like they're sticking him at one position

Having to be the secondary’s utility guy has probably hampered his development a tad. He maxes out as a Nickel/Dime CB in the pros. But he has the build, and what appears to be the skill-set, of a decent S. Plus he has ball-skills. And even though it seems he’s been here forever, he’s still relatively young (26, IIRC).

Like was said above, in a scheme suited to his strengths, and the chance to concentrate on just one job, he could pay off. Might only be a marginal upgrade over Russell, but just that little bit could make a huge impact on the secondary as a whole.

by jteckmann on Jul 31, 2009 9:40 AM PDT reply actions

Well, Babs had better be working on developing his GRIT.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Jul 31, 2009 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions