Position Changes

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

With a new philosophy comes different needs. I think that we have had a few players out of position, primarily because we were a running attack. So thare are a few changes that I'd like to see at least considered.

Dominique Green - Cornerback to Wide Receiver

Green was a nice two-way player in high school so it was natural that since we didn't throw very often (and had some established talent there) that the need was much greater on the defensive side of the ball. Mostly, he has performed well but now the needs will be different. Dominique was a Class 6A all-state performer in Oklahoma at wide receiver. Since we graduated our top two/three receivers this year I think that it's time that he be tried at that position to fill a need.

Adam Venegas - Offensive Guard to Defensive Tackle

Here's another case where an all-state player on defense was asked to play out of position because we needed size on the offensive line. Venegas was also an all-state wrestler and should have developed some good escape moves which are more suited to defense than offense. He was perhaps the weakest link on the offensive line last year but I believe that he has talent; it just needs to be utilized on defense.

Korey Washington - Cornerback to Running Back

I could easily be wrong here. Korey developed into a decent cornerback last year and his speed makes up for mistakes. I just feel that Korey is an offensive player. He rushed for nearly 300 yards in each of his two playoff games as a high school senior. His 4.4 speed would be a real plus on offense. I'm not sure if he has the hands to be a wide receiver but if he does, consider that too.

Kelvin Drake - Center to Offensive Guard

Since there will be deeper snaps in the spread formation and Drake is the least experienced at center, I think that he needs to start on the offensive line. He is simply too good to be a backup.

It's all speculative since we don't know what type of defense we'll run or who the coaches will be but I think that it's fun to talk about. Anyone have opinions about these and/or others?

[DeepGreen]

Adam Venegas - Offensive Guard to Defensive Tackle

Here's another case where an all-state player on defense was asked to play out of position because we needed size on the offensive line. Venegas was also an all-state wrestler and should have developed some good escape moves which are more suited to defense than offense. He was perhaps the weakest link on the offensive line last year but I believe that he has talent; it just needs to be utilized on defense.

I never could figure out why Venegas was not on defense. Yes, we needed to beef up the offensive line, but the Green Team proved we had adequate OL backups "riding the pine" for most of the season. What a waste of good talent.

Edited December 23, 2006 by DeepGreen

[emmitt01]

Dominique Green - Cornerback to Wide Receiver

Green was a nice two-way player in high school so it was natural that since we didn't throw very often (and had some established talent there) that the need was much greater on the defensive side of the ball. Mostly, he has performed well but now the needs will be different. Dominique was a Class 6A all-state performer in Oklahoma at wide receiver. Since we graduated our top two/three receivers this year I think that it's time that he be tried at that position to fill a need.

I disagree on this one. I think Dom was one of our best DB's this past season. I would gladly trade depth at WR before I'd trade depth at DB.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I never could figure out why Venegas was not on defense. Yes, we needed to beef up the offensive line, but the Green Team proved we had adequate OL backups "riding the pine" for most of the season. What a waste of good talent.

Wonder if Coach Dodge will try to have an expanded "walk on" program?

Hey Deep Green, quite teasing us with that white helmet in your above post and that most unique (and IMHO, very marketable) version of "N T"..............

...........I like it more every time I see it and for the first time in a long time, might we have letters on a UNT football helmet that can even be recognizable from a distance? So in essence, the fewer the letters on any helmet the larger you can make those letters as to make them more visible?

Edited December 23, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[Texas Stranger]

You don't move 4.4 CB's unless you find some 4.3's somewhere.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I disagree on this one. I think Dom was one of our best DB's this past season. I would gladly trade depth at WR before I'd trade depth at DB.

Sorry, I hadn't realized that I didn't reply to Emmitt's post.

I would normally agree with you about the depth at DB vs. the depth at WR. But, in this case, there virtually is no depth at wide receiver. I believe that we have a total of five on the roster and two of them were walkons. One of those, Fitzgerald, looks like a comer but the only established receiver that we have is Brandon Jackson. Realize, that in our spread offense we will have four receivers. Okay, one may be an A back. which is a fullback, tight end type. But the others need to be speedy, pass-catching types and we are woefully weak at that position. Unless Stickler, Stubblefield and Smith are hiding some ability that we've not yet seen, we are in a world of hurt. Under Dickey's offense we'd be alright but not under Dodge's. Dom Green is needed at WR.

The dropoff at Green's CB position would probably be to Chatman. That's still pretty strong. Plus you have Robbie Gordon coming in. The dropoff at WR is to one of the S guys. Where would you say that Green is most needed?

[GangGreen]

But, in this case, there virtually is no depth at wide receiver.

This is one thing that drove me absolutely nuts about DD's recruiting. It's like the year we graduated our top four LB and had nobody waiting in the wings.

The next season we lost our entire secondary with no experience to step in. Last year we recruited nothing but OL & DL players. What positions did we neglect that will bite us later on? Did he not have the foresight two years ago to see we would need to replace our once great OL & DL?

[mad dog]

I would normally agree with you about the depth at DB vs. the depth at WR. But, in this case, there virtually is no depth at wide receiver. I believe that we have a total of five on the roster and two of them were walkons. One of those, Fitzgerald, looks like a comer but the only established receiver that we have is Brandon Jackson. Realize, that in our spread offense we will have four receivers. Okay, one may be an A back. which is a fullback, tight end type. But the others need to be speedy, pass-catching types and we are woefully weak at that position. Unless Stickler, Stubblefield and Smith are hiding some ability that we've not yet seen, we are in a world of hurt. Under Dickey's offense we'd be alright but not under Dodge's. Dom Green is needed at WR.

The dropoff at Green's CB position would probably be to Chatman. That's still pretty strong. Plus you have Robbie Gordon coming in. The dropoff at WR is to one of the S guys. Where would you say that Green is most needed?

Brandon Jackson is a proven commodity. Zach Muzzy is dependable, and we may get to see how good he really is in an offense that plays to his strengths. Brock Stickler is a guy in the physical mold of T.O.: he's not going to run the most precise routes and he might not have top flight hands, but he's big and has great speed for his size. Casey Fitzgerald has good hands, runs pretty good routes, and has shown surprising escapability after the catch. Arthur Stubblefield has great speed and really came on towards the end of two-a-days this past fall. Isaiah Smith has shown a true warrior mentality going over the middle and making great catches in traffic.

Robbie Gordon was playing WR last I saw.

Green, Chatman, Bush, and Washington all have the makings of great cover corners, and they are all fairly young still.

Venegas to DT would be the only one of those I could see, and even then, that's a stretch, considering he was running a lot of first team at OG.

[UNTLifer]

Sorry, I hadn't realized that I didn't reply to Emmitt's post.

I would normally agree with you about the depth at DB vs. the depth at WR. But, in this case, there virtually is no depth at wide receiver. I believe that we have a total of five on the roster and two of them were walkons. One of those, Fitzgerald, looks like a comer but the only established receiver that we have is Brandon Jackson. Realize, that in our spread offense we will have four receivers. Okay, one may be an A back. which is a fullback, tight end type. But the others need to be speedy, pass-catching types and we are woefully weak at that position. Unless Stickler, Stubblefield and Smith are hiding some ability that we've not yet seen, we are in a world of hurt. Under Dickey's offense we'd be alright but not under Dodge's. Dom Green is needed at WR.

The dropoff at Green's CB position would probably be to Chatman. That's still pretty strong. Plus you have Robbie Gordon coming in. The dropoff at WR is to one of the S guys. Where would you say that Green is most needed?

Here's what I see returning at WR based on the roster posted on MeanGreenSports.com

Casey Fitzgerald JR.

Brock Stickler JR.

Isiah Smith JR.

Brandon Jackson SR.

Zach Muzzy SR. (granted redshirt year)

Arthur Stubblefield So.

Korey Washington So.

Green needs to stay at DB, IMHO, based on his production. Cover corners are more difficult to find than WR's, and Green has the potential to be great.

[SilverEagle]

Here's what I see returning at WR based on the roster posted on MeanGreenSports.com

Casey Fitzgerald JR.

Brock Stickler JR.

Isiah Smith JR.

Brandon Jackson SR.

Zach Muzzy SR. (granted redshirt year)

Arthur Stubblefield So.

Korey Washington So.

Green needs to stay at DB, IMHO, based on his production. Cover corners are more difficult to find than WR's, and Green has the potential to be great.

I totally agree with this. I believe that TD (or one of the assistants) will not have a very hard time finding people to play WR in thier offense.

[medpilot21]

Good changes suggested so far. If we moved Venegas to DT, I would want to go back to the 4-3. The front four could be very good. (rotating Chapman, Burruss, and Gilmore at DE, and Thomas, K-Ridge, Miller, and Venegas at DT) I would offer a few more position changes that could help immediately... and you guys wont like a couple of them.

1. Woody Wilson to DB. I know this is not a popular suggestion, but look at what we get? Arkansas wanted him to play there for the same reasons. Woody has recovery speed and moves well in traffic, as we have seen. He has the size to play corner, and can certainly read routes. He would know where the ball is going, and talk about potential excitement after he intercepts a ball? We havent had that in the defensive backfield since "Neon" Don McGee roamed the secondary. I see a play-maker in Woody Wilson at corner.

2. Danny Meager to WR. We have noticed two things about Danny that are obvious talents? He has amazing run speed (he caught a DB from behind after throwing a pic in the spring game...and prevented the touchdown), and he knows wide receiver routes and timing. I think Meager would be a great addition at receiver, but we need to be sure the shoulder is okay.

3. Brock Stickler to LB. Okay, before you get a rope... here's the deal. There are no TE's in TD's offense. Brock is a good receiver, but we need WR speed from the 3 and 4 wide reciever sets. Brock is more of a possession guy, which is why Dickey was toying with the idea of moving him to H-back. At 6-3/ 220lbs, he would give us size and speed at LB. He has always been a physical player, and could be a blitzing stand-out like Graves was. Imagine a Taylor Casey type player with Brock's size and speed? Kind of makes you stop and wonder?

4. And finally... Gary Obure to WR. He is a tiny little guy (5-8/ 150lbs soaking wet) who plays with a big heart, then gets over-powered and beat or blocked out of the play. We have seen Obure has speed, we just watch him get pushed around on D. He might be a perfect receiver in Todd Dodge's system. Why not put him in a position where he may help this team? He obviously has talent or he wouldnt be here. Give the kid a chance to use his speed catching passes. He may be too small for the defense, but he could find his spot on offense.

Again, these are just "what-if's"... and we all have our opinions. I will trust TD to do what is needed to fix this mess. I suspect lots of players will get their chance now that Ramon Flannigan is gone. There should be wide open try-outs at ALL postions.

Spring Ball will be fun this year. I'm ready.

GMG!!!

[GreenBat]

I agree with Med on all but Meager. I think Danny is the perfect QB for DodgeBall.

I think the rest make since, especially Oubre.

[adman]

Good changes suggested so far. If we moved Venegas to DT, I would want to go back to the 4-3. The front four could be very good. (rotating Chapman, Burruss, and Gilmore at DE, and Thomas, K-Ridge, Miller, and Venegas at DT) I would offer a few more position changes that could help immediately... and you guys wont like a couple of them.

1. Woody Wilson to DB. I know this is not a popular suggestion, but look at what we get? Arkansas wanted him to play there for the same reasons. Woody has recovery speed and moves well in traffic, as we have seen. He has the size to play corner, and can certainly read routes. He would know where the ball is going, and talk about potential excitement after he intercepts a ball? We havent had that in the defensive backfield since "Neon" Don McGee roamed the secondary. I see a play-maker in Woody Wilson at corner.

2. Danny Meager to WR. We have noticed two things about Danny that are obvious talents? He has amazing run speed (he caught a DB from behind after throwing a pic in the spring game...and prevented the touchdown), and he knows wide receiver routes and timing. I think Meager would be a great addition at receiver, but we need to be sure the shoulder is okay.

3. Brock Stickler to LB. Okay, before you get a rope... here's the deal. There are no TE's in TD's offense. Brock is a good receiver, but we need WR speed from the 3 and 4 wide reciever sets. Brock is more of a possession guy, which is why Dickey was toying with the idea of moving him to H-back. At 6-3/ 220lbs, he would give us size and speed at LB. He has always been a physical player, and could be a blitzing stand-out like Graves was. Imagine a Taylor Casey type player with Brock's size and speed? Kind of makes you stop and wonder?

4. And finally... Gary Obure to WR. He is a tiny little guy (5-8/ 150lbs soaking wet) who plays with a big heart, then gets over-powered and beat or blocked out of the play. We have seen Obure has speed, we just watch him get pushed around on D. He might be a perfect receiver in Todd Dodge's system. Why not put him in a position where he may help this team? He obviously has talent or he wouldnt be here. Give the kid a chance to use his speed catching passes. He may be too small for the defense, but he could find his spot on offense.

Again, these are just "what-if's"... and we all have our opinions. I will trust TD to do what is needed to fix this mess. I suspect lots of players will get their chance now that Ramon Flannigan is gone. There should be wide open try-outs at ALL postions.

Spring Ball will be fun this year. I'm ready.

GMG!!!

I disagree with Woody to DB. I say if he doesn't win the QB competition this year then WR might be the place for him. Imagine the fun wrinkles TD could conjour up with a WR that can throw. I think it boils down to: Where do you get the greatest rate of return from WW? I say offense simply because anytime he touches the ball he could score, plus he's the type of player that teams have to respect thereby opening up things for others such as Jamario.

Meager to WR is a bad move simply because I think he is one concussion away from having to seriously consider giving up football. Mind you I'm not wishing nor predicting injury on the kid. I'm only saying that last season he missed a lot of time with serious head injuries. One route over the middle could be bad news.

Stickler to LB is intriguing. Very.

[elliot]

I agree with Med on all but Meager. I think Danny is the perfect QB for DodgeBall.

I think the rest make since, especially Oubre.

I'm sorry you but you sir must be blind. Meager can not play quarterback for a pop warner team let alone a Division 1. Sir I can get you some game film if you would like to debate me further.

[GreenBat]

I'm sorry you but you sir must be blind. Meager can not play quarterback for a pop warner team let alone a Division 1. Sir I can get you some game film if you would like to debate me further.

Please Elliot, get me some game film!

I have been a sportswriter for 20+ years and probanly have covered more football games for pay than you have attended. I've forgotten more college qbs names than you've probably seen play.

Meager has the ability and talent to play at the DI level, he just needs a decent some coaching and a system that he can be successful in. If Dodge is going to move Meager to WR, I hope he utilizes him like SLC did No. 8.

DEEP BALL after DEEP BALL.

[elliot]

I see you have been a sportswriter for all of the "B" teams in the 6th and 7th grade football teams, but at the level that Dodge wants his players to perform you can't be serious in your last statement about #7.

[LittleMeanGreenMan]

How did Muzzy get a redshirt?

[SilverEagle]

How did Muzzy get a redshirt?

He injured his knee against Arkansas (game #4 in 2003), and was out for the rest of the year. It's taken the NCAA all this time to finally grant him the redshirt year. It's up to him to come back in 07. I haven't heard that he is going to, but I certainly hope that he does.

[the green rokemi]

Please Elliot, get me some game film!

I have been a sportswriter for 20+ years and probanly have covered more football games for pay than you have attended. I've forgotten more college qbs names than you've probably seen play.

Meager has the ability and talent to play at the DI level, he just needs a decent some coaching and a system that he can be successful in. If Dodge is going to move Meager to WR, I hope he utilizes him like SLC did No. 8.

DEEP BALL after DEEP BALL.

There's no reason to get personal, especially when you are so wrong...I would rather take my chances with a young QB like Tune. Mayday is still having the same problems, same injuries...next!

[Got5onIt]

There's no reason to get personal, especially when you are so wrong...I would rather take my chances with a young QB like Tune. Mayday is still having the same problems, same injuries...next!

And that's the biggest concern I have. Yes, I do believe the guy is the worst QB on our roster, but you have to look at his injury history. It doesn't take a rockte scientist to see that his durability is a severe problem.

I'm still grasping at the potential WW showed us early on in the season at QB. I think he has the most talent and potential. A coach like Dodge could work with that, IMO.

[the green rokemi]

I'm still grasping at the potential WW showed us early on in the season at QB. I think he has the most talent and potential. A coach like Dodge could work with that, IMO.

I agree, WW could actually flourish in Dodge's system...too bad he will be a senior. I think with more time Dodge could have groomed him into a better passing Senaca (sp?) Wallace when he played for Iowa St.

[Got5onIt]

I agree, WW could actually flourish in Dodge's system...too bad he will be a senior. I think with more time Dodge could have groomed him into a better passing Senaca (sp?) Wallace when he played for Iowa St.

Actually, I remember reading that El Presidente had 3 years of eligibility remaining when he came to NT. I don't remember the specifics but he will have 2 years remaining to pick up the Ol' Dodge's system.

[El Paso Eagle]

I agree, WW could actually flourish in Dodge's system...too bad he will be a senior. I think with more time Dodge could have groomed him into a better passing Senaca (sp?) Wallace when he played for Iowa St.

I might be wrong, but I think WW still has 2 years of playing time

[GreenBat]

There's no reason to get personal, especially when you are so wrong...I would rather take my chances with a young QB like Tune. Mayday is still having the same problems, same injuries...next!

I did not attack elliot personally. And it is YOUR opinion that Meager can't play QB. It is my opinion that he CAN.

Neither opinion matters. The only one that matters is Coach Dodge.

I agree that Danny has had injury problems, but that comes from having the desire to make something happen.

[LittleMeanGreenMan]

woody does have 2 years left.