May 25, 2013

Jauron: I have a lot of admiration for Buster Skrine

October 12, 2012 by 22 Comments

I just have a lot of admiration for the way [Buster Skrine] plays, the toughness he plays with. Clearly he’s learning a lot. He’s getting schooled at times and he’s making plays at time also. I have a lot of respect for his toughness. Clearly his speed and his quickness are things you can’t teach. He’s gifted in that regard and he’s a guy that he really does want it badly. He prepares as well as you can prepare, he works so hard in practice every day and he listens. He listens and with Tim (Hauck) and Ray (Rhodes), he’ll keep developing. He’s going to get penalties, clearly we can’t have as many as he’s gotten, but guys that battle like that and are willing to go up and press like that, they’re going to get called so we’ve got to clean that up and he’s got to clean that up. I have a strong in belief in him. He’s a terrific young man too on top of all the other stuff, but he’s just a tough player that likes the game and is going to get better and better.

– Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron, Thursday, on cornerback Buster Skrine who has sustained two consecutive weeks of spotty play in the defensive backfield. He will be counted on to do more this Sunday due to the ankle injury sustained by cornerback Dimitri Patterson. The return of Joe Haden will allow Skrine to play mostly in the slot, a position Jauron states is “more familiar” to second-year defensive back.

[Related: What should the Browns do with receiver injury situation?]

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  • JK

    I don’t…..

  • BenRM

    It’s hard to be too upset with Skrine. B/c of Haden’s suspension, injuries, and Sheldon Brown’s being Sheldon Brown, he was relied upon more far more heavily than expected.

    Hopefully, this “trial by fire” will be beneficial later in the season.

  • mgbode

    he’s a slot-DB that’s been forced into the CB1 duty. he isn’t going to be able to cover those guys who are just too big and physical for him.

    i applaud the effort and the fact he kept coming at them. i hate the results, but it’s not like they weren’t expected.

  • JK

    So. Basically.. You applaud that he’s trying..? Cuz he’s not any good. So, I guess I can agree I appreciate that he’s trying I guess, I mean that’s what he’s supposed to do. But. Yeah, Buster thanks for at least trying hard.

  • Garry_Owen

    So who should be playing instead of him?

  • Harv 21

    That’s just what a DC should say about him. He was a great value pick where they drafted him, but as others have said his size probably puts his ceiling as a slot/nickel guy, with maybe (maybe) some potential to eventually cover the #2 receivers if he learns perfect technique and sneaky old-pro tricks to go with that speed. But it’s hard for 5’7″ guys to cover this era’s receivers who tower over him and can also run. Frank Minnifield was an aberration 20 years ago when the receivers he covered were just 3-4″ taller.
    If he works as hard as Jauron suggests he’ll be plenty valuable, what with the number of three and four-receiver sets offenses use. Right now he’s fine covering opponent’s versions of field stretchers like Travis Benjamin.

  • JK

    When did I say someone else should be playing? This is the Browns. Players who aren’t capable of playing on NFL teams is not only accepted but now it’s “admired.”

  • mgbode

    well said. and I do think that he has the potential to cover specific WRs against certain teams. Torrey Smith, Mike Wallace/Emmanuel Sanders, Hawkins – the deep threat where the important part is more about staying with the WR and cutting off the angle on the ball.

    In fact, you have given me an idea for where Buster truly belongs. He can be our version of Jim Leonhard (poor-man version of Bob Sanders).

    Buster Skrine for safety! (once we have enough CBs to allow him to move)

  • Garry_Owen

    You didn’t. That’s my point. I just get so tired of hearing complaining (not you, necessarily) when there are no other or better solutions.
    Skrine is trying, and he’s working hard, and he’s getting better. What’s wrong with this, exactly? Particularly when, as you note, there’s no better solution. The more he plays, the more experience he gets, the better he will be. Last week, the Giants receivers made some great catches – which is typical of them – but Skrine and Patterson both were covering pretty well for much of the game. They just got beat (as do most CBs that play against that offense). This week, he won’t have to do as much. This really can be okay.

  • kyle

    someone urinate in your milk this morning?

  • JK

    I think you may be taking me a little wrong here. I don’t really have a problem w/ Skrine per se. But the defensive coordinator is praising him for “trying hard” which is what I thought the players were supposed to be doing. My issue is more or less the state of the team and that we are talking about a guy who by all accounts shouldn’t even be playing. When you’re a Browns fan, you accept players who aren’t as good, but I’m not sure I’m down with admiring the guy. He’s out there making a lot of money to “try hard.” That’s great.

  • mgbode

    the DC also likely sees that he is one of the hardest workers in practice and wanted to reward him by giving him some praise in the media.

    honestly though, saying you admire someone for how hard they work is sort of a back-handed compliment into saying that they don’t have the talent. i say this as i was one of these “hard-workers” that usually had my no-talent butt properly nailed to the bench.

  • Garry_Owen

    I probably am. I’ve been abnormally grumpy this week. I think our collective mental health could benefit tremendously from a win this weekend.
    (I would note, though, that the NFL is filled with supremely talented players that don’t try hard. It doesn’t always work well. In the absence of a roster filled with those guys, I’ll glady take a very talented guy that also works very hard. In many ways, that can be better than the former condition.)

  • Harv 21

    Think you’re overreacting here.

    - No one suggests Skrine isn’t an NFL-caliber player who would be cut by other teams. The question is what role he’s playing, given his size, strengths/weaknesses, stage of development and talent level: covering one of the two top receivers, slot, special teams? They have been forced to play him in a role that he may never be suited for.

    - Skrine is young and had a rough week. Corners, like QBs, play a confidence position and need short memories. He’s probably too young to have a developed a lot of scar tissue and his coordinator is bucking him up. It’s not a celebration of bad play – Jauron has a deserved rep as a good coordinator. He’s doing what good coaches do to keep a young player who’s trying from losing confidence.

    Your complaints are very Clevelandcentric. Our being fed up with losing and bad play has zero to do with how Jauron should handle it. What he’s doing with this player would be good coaching (or bad if that’s your view) regardless of where he and the player are located.

  • http://twitter.com/ericvsthem Eric B

    I too have a lot of admiration for burn victims.

  • JK

    Only your last paragraph is relevant to what I’m saying as I completely agree with your first two.

    I’m speaking on the state of the Browns, which I mentioned ^^, more specifically the fact that Skrine really isn’t that good & we’re praising him for doing something that he’s supposed to do (even though I understand not everyone does). Skrine is just your typical NFL DB, there are hundreds of them, the fact that he tries hard is great, the fact that he’s not very talented & that he’s undersized/whatever else is.. well.. unfortunate I suppose.

  • Dee P

    Win is coming in a BIG way this weekend. It will be a no doubt type of win. Inspired, ticked off, quality football from the Brownies this week. Rack it.

  • Harv 21

    maybe I misunderstood you, as my whole comment was directed toward why Jauron is praising him with those words and how to interpret that, not how “we” (fans) should react. Obviously, we expect players to work. We also understand that at times coaches amplify their messages to players thru the media, as Byron Scott did with Waiters this week. Jauron needs to put his player in a mental place to be encouraged and ready to go this week and feel like his work in practice is paying off despite a bad result last week. He’s not trying to convince fans that they should be grateful that a player is working hard.

  • mgbode

    I hope so. We need it.

  • Harv 21

    Most def.

    Of course, I say that every Friday. The Ravens loss almost felt like a win to me. How I look forward to the days when we shall complain about ugly wins.

  • Dee P

    I hear you….in my delusional mind, Little caught the pass and we held on for the win.

  • NoVA Buckeye

    Unfortunately, the times he’s getting schooled are the times when he’s giving up touchdowns. Bleh.