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Player name: Dane CruikshankH/W: 6’1 209School / Class: Arizona / RS SeniorPosition: DBMeasureables: 4.41 40 Jurrell Casey Jersey , 38.5” vertical jump, 10’01” broad jump, 25 bench press reps, 6.89 3 cone drillThe Tape2017 vs Purdue (#9)2017 vs Oregon (#9)2017 vs USC (#9)2017 vs Washington State (#9)Strengths- Athleticism - He tested very well athletically at the Combine. Top 5 in the 40 for safeties, sixth in vertical jump, fifth in the 3 cone drill. The 4.41 is not a joke. He frequently shows it on the field when chasing down the play from behind. He kept up stride for stride at corner against some of the faster receivers in the nation. Lateral agility is a plus. Well suited as a box safety. Plus athleticism off the edge. Can flip his hips on a dime to make the play. Cat like quickness. - Versatility - He came in as a cornerback and left as a safety. Can play both adequately with little drop off at corner. Well versed in nickel and dime defense as Zona ran the staple Rich Rod 3-3-5 defense. Primarily used as a box safety and slot corner during his senior season. The versatility will come into play during roster cut down day as he can save a valuable roster spot for someone else to make it. The Wildcats even had him as a fourth linebacker on the field due to their severe lack of talent there. - Physicality - Cruikshank is a physical marvel and has the frame for a in the box type of safety. He’s a big hitter that goes for the home run hit. The problem is, he has a lower batting average than Joey Gallo. Has all the tools to be a decent bet in help defense when covering backs and tight ends. He can play anywhere in the front or back of the defense, depending on the package. Rarely shies away from contact. - Production - It increased both years that he played for Arizona. A minor increase but an increase nonetheless despite playing only one more game. Weaknesses- Fundamentals - In a word, nonexistent. It appears that he solely relies on athleticism to get by but that will only take him so far. He’s a poor tackler that rarely shows any capability of wrapping up properly and goes for arm tackles frequently. He can keep up with receivers but is considered to be an automatic pass interference penalty. Doesn’t really know the sleight of hand that corners use to get away with PI and holding calls. - Instincts - Below average. Often seen not in the play. I don’t know what Arizona was doing on defense but it seemed like he was a few steps slower than everyone else trying to diagnose what was going on. Maybe it was the constant moving around that did him in. He needs to settle down and learn one position in my estimation. Even when he gets the play correct, the play is already essentially done. - Attitude / Ego - Let’s just say that it’s affected his team in a negative manner. In the Oregon game, he had an easy walk in pick six taken off the scoreboard because he was taunting the Ducks before he scored. Nearly every play that I saw him make, he celebrated like he just won the Super Bowl. The Titans team leaders will need to keep an eye on his brash behavior and coach him out of it. Dumb penalties often mean the difference between winning and losing. He has a penchant for being overeager to garner the ire of referees everywhere. NotesI specifically chose those linked games to watch because of the wide variance in offensive systems (and yes, Purdue is fun now with Jeff Brohm running things there). Cruikshank performed admirably but his weaknesses were present as well. He’s really inconsistent from play to play. He’s more of a strong safety than a free safety at this point and should be developed in that manner. The Oregon tape stood out to me the most. He was impressive in that contest. Another game that he stood out was the Wazzu tape. DC was a three star junior college recruit that signed for Arizona in 2015. Was the 29th ranked JUCO recruit in the state of California, 11th ranked at his position, and 99th ranked nationally. Native of Chino Hills, CA (the town made famous by another prideful and brash athletic family called the Lavar Ball Show). Funny note: He has picked off both Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. Final SummaryI’m somewhat ambivalent on the pick. If it works out Cheap Rashaan Evans Jersey , then great. If it doesn’t, it’s not good but not a franchise altering disaster. Cruikshank is very raw and needs a ton of development time to even compete for a starting job in 2019. Fortunately, the current DC Dean Pees is well known for development. Not to mention to fact that he has great veteran secondary mates to learn from. He needs to settle down into one position and stick with it. Cyprien won’t have to worry about his job for the 2018 season but 2019 may be an entirely different story. At the least, he can be a decent bet to succeed on special teams. The best situation for him would be to sit and learn for the 2018 season. Athletically he profiles close to a former Titan DB in Michael Griffin. Another comp could be former USC safety Taylor Mays. Previous ReportsAlabama LB Rashaan EvansBoston College EDGE Harold LandryTitans, Marcus Mariota Return to Heinz Field November 16, 2017 marks the date of arguably the worst game of QB Marcus Mariota’s professional career.
Last season the Titans entered that Thursday Night game with sights set on completing the sweep of the AFC North. The three previous weeks included an overtime win against the winless Browns, and two dogfights against the Ravens and the Bengals. The Titans earned wins in each game, but by no more than seven points combined. It took a game winning drive orchestrated by Mariota to squeak by Cincinnati, a drive that left the Titans QB a little banged up. The key play took place with a little over one minute left in regulation. On 2nd and 2, Mariota scrambled for a five yard gain and landed directly on his face. Initially, he appeared concussed and the Titans called a timeout following the play. After the game it was reported it was his non-throwing shoulder that was hurt. I still am of the belief his bell was rung - and it lingered into Pittsburgh.Prime Time SpotlightDefeating the Bengals had put the Titans on the map, as it was their best start in nearly a decade. In order to gain national respect, a win in Pittsburgh against one of the AFC powerhouses would help the Titans case.Instead, a nightmare performance ensued. It was the debut of the new “SkyCam” view as the primary angle. Through that view, Titans fans were left scratching their heads on errant Mariota throws and stuttering runs in open space by former RB DeMarco Murray. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsIn Mariota’s showdown against “Big” Ben Roethlisberger, he was on the wrong side of the stat sheet. Mariota threw four interceptions to Roethlisberger’s four touchdowns.Although the Titans defense was able to bottle up RB Le’Veon Bell on the ground http://www.titanscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-josh-kline-jersey , he still did some damage as a receiver by adding 57 yards to his 103 total yards from scrimmage. The Steelers capitalized on the Titans turnovers, adding nine points following each interception. A quick score on the first play of the second half pulled the Titans within two points - which goes unnoticed when the final score makes the game look like more of a blowout than it truly was.Three consecutive Steelers touchdowns put the game out of reach and didn’t help the Titans build any respect as a contender in the AFC.The Steelers’ playmaking receiver - and current Madden cover guy - WR Antonio Brown carved up the Titans secondary , generating highlight reel catches with ease.Yes, Mariota doesn’t play defense, so how is he to blame for Brown’s monstrous night? The turnovers and inability to move the offense downfield or generate touchdowns is how.Mariota must demonstrate his decision making has improved.New Year, New OffenseMariota - in typical Mariota fashion - took all of the blame for the loss and cited making “bad decisions”. The third preseason game is holds the most weight in terms of importance. Not in terms of points, but in terms of reps. The starters typically see the most action in the third week of the preseason.Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsMariota has played a total of three series. He marched the team down the field on the opening possession against Green Bay. It took him 12 plays against Tampa Bay to put points on the board. Overall, Mariota has looked like a quarterback who is finding comfort in the execution of a new offense, but still has room for improvement. Some of his passes have sailed and there may has been some miscommunication with his receivers, but overall I’d say his progress is natural.As Dan Orlovsky has already pointed out the process will take time, but once everything begins to click for Mariota, a “meteoric takeoff” should take place. This week, Mariota hopes to make some plays and more positive memories at Heinz Field. HC Mike Vrabel has indicated we may see more from the running game this week, but expect Mariota to have his share of opportunities to make plays through the air.