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After one of my favorite podcast "around the NFL" surprisingly got dumped, and still no explanation on why it was dropped after running for nearly 12 years straight, I avoided going to nfl.com for sometime to get news and updates. However, I recently caved and was checking out the top 100 list, which we all know is voted on their peers and by NFL players alike.

I was actually quite shocked to see Tariq Woolen sitting at #91. This is a pecking order of players that performed in the prior season, and I feel like Woolen who at times was benched and was looking at times at losing his starting role, would never be on this top 100 list. Well I guess this is how the other players see it.

Julian Love came in at #95, hmm I guess that is warranted as he came into his own later in the year.

DK Meltcalf came in at #84.

I would have thought that Jaylon Johnson or Breece Hall would have been on this list over Tariq Woolen, but again just quite surprising.

4XPIPS wrote:After one of my favorite podcast "around the NFL" surprisingly got dumped, and still no explanation on why it was dropped after running for nearly 12 years straight, I avoided going to nfl.com for sometime to get news and updates. However, I recently caved and was checking out the top 100 list, which we all know is voted on their peers and by NFL players alike.

I was actually quite shocked to see Tariq Woolen sitting at #91. This is a pecking order of players that performed in the prior season, and I feel like Woolen who at times was benched and was looking at times at losing his starting role, would never be on this top 100 list. Well I guess this is how the other players see it.

Julian Love came in at #95, hmm I guess that is warranted as he came into his own later in the year.

DK Meltcalf came in at #84.

I would have thought that Jaylon Johnson or Breece Hall would have been on this list over Tariq Woolen, but again just quite surprising.

I hadn't seen that, but it surprises me, too, that Woolen is ranked that high. I don't even think that he has a starting position locked up. It really makes you question that source. The other two aren't as big of a shock.

I haven't re-upped my PFF subscription yet, but plan to once the season begins. Once I do, I'll see where Woolen and the others ranked last season. As I recall, he was rated pretty low. I don't think Metcalf was rated in the top 10 of WR's, either.

Apparently Woolen is doing better this year. I'm thinking that maybe it's because the coaching is more rigid in their ways and also because with the releases of Adams and Diggs the 'business decisions' that they seemed to make are no longer influencing him. He has all the talent required to be a very good CB, but he has to be guided in the right direction.

NorthHawk wrote:Apparently Woolen is doing better this year. I'm thinking that maybe it's because the coaching is more rigid in their ways and also because with the releases of Adams and Diggs the 'business decisions' that they seemed to make are no longer influencing him. He has all the talent required to be a very good CB, but he has to be guided in the right direction.

Weak play from our front 7 exposed players like Woolen. His big problem, and the reason why he was benched last season, was his tackling, which is more of a fundamental taught at the high school and college level than it is a skill that can be coached up in the NFL. Old habits are hard to break. But we'll see.

Team leaders like Adams and Diggs set a bad example of not tackling properly last year. I think it rubbed off on Woolen to a point.

NorthHawk wrote:Team leaders like Adams and Diggs set a bad example of not tackling properly last year. I think it rubbed off on Woolen to a point.

I'm not sure if I go along with that theory. Here's one of the scouting reports, this one from Walter Football, from when Woolen was coming out of college:

Weaknesses:

Extremely raw
Only two seasons at corner
Needs a lot of development
Lacks instincts
Poor technique
Poor route recognition
Gets out of position in zone
Not a contributor in run defense
Not tough
Terrible tackler

Not only does his tackling form need improvement, but he needs to show more attitude and become willing to tackle. Woolen will be a big-time project for his NFL defensive backs coach, and he is going to need a red-shirt season to develop before he should be trusted to cover pro receivers.

https://walterfootball.com/scoutingrepo ... woolen.php

Those comments about his tackling really concern me. If a respected scouting service has such critical remarks when he was in college, it's not something that's going to be easily corrected at the next level.

In my mind, this is Woolen's make-or-break season. It will be his third year, and if he doesn't show some signs of improvement from the regression that occurred last year, it might be time to cut bait with him.

NorthHawk wrote:Team leaders like Adams and Diggs set a bad example of not tackling properly last year. I think it rubbed off on Woolen to a point.

Diggs, I would say was more of the team leader than Adams. However, Diggs was just playing to lay the big hit, but wasn't that great at tackling either. Well glad they are both gone and hopefully Riq is renewed and can be the dominant DB we need him to be.

4XPIPS wrote:Diggs, I would say was more of the team leader than Adams. However, Diggs was just playing to lay the big hit, but wasn't that great at tackling either. Well glad they are both gone and hopefully Riq is renewed and can be the dominant DB we need him to be.

There were times that Diggs acted like he didn't want to be here. Hopefully better play out of our safeties will help guys like Woolen.

It's also interesting to note that Diggs signed with the Titans, so him and Adams will be reunited. It will be sort like the Russell Wilson saga, an intriguing drama to watch play out.