@oldcrow1945 said:

Aggressive and a little weak in pass coverage. Basically the definition of 90% of the Strong Safeties in the NFL!

So maybe he's more than a little weak.

Can't say that I've watched a lot of him, but he was pretty bad in the Denver game. He gave up 2 TD passes: one on which he came down from his safety spot and pulled a BMac go for the ball move, allowing Eddie Royal to get by for 59 yards and a TD. On the other one, he & Ty Law had some trouble sorting out which receiver each was responsible for, resulting in Brandon Stokley slipping past Elam for a 36 yard TD pass.

This scouting report provides some more details:

2008 Scouting Report - Scouts Inc.

Grade: 58 | Key

Alert: None

Comment: Elam is a second-year player who has good size and above-average athletic ability. He plays off the hash or up in the box because the Jets like to disguise their coverages with lots of movement by their safeties. He has an average peddle and appears to have just an above-average burst to close off the hash. He is at his best coming downhill as a run-support defender. He doesn't have great lateral agility or quickness and will overextend at times in space. He has good power and pop on contact and is a sure tackler in a restricted area. Elam is a solid reactor reading route progressions and leveraging receivers. He is effective in short and intermediate-zone coverages, but can be a liability in pure man schemes. He needs to develop his blitz moves and counters because the Jets like to put eight in the box and bring pressure. He appears to be somewhat one-dimensional because he rarely makes many plays in the passing game. Elam must continue to develop and expand his overall game to be a consistent contributor.

I like how strong a tackler he is, but I worry about his athleticism: he looks a little stiff out there.

@sisky-fringo said:

I'd bet you're right. No way they worked that out in 10 minutes. Mangini and Kokinis most likely made several phone calls to NY days ahead of time and had the entire deal worked out provisionally with the Jets before

the draft started. Of course if Sanchez was already gone when the 5 spot came up, the whole deal would have been flushed and we likely never would've heard a word about it.

Aloysius said:

@riffer-x said:

I guess that's possible, though it seems like Mangini could have gotten him without a trade if he'd just upped the money in the offer sheet by about a million or so. Elam was going to be a reserve for the Jets, so there definitely was a limit to how much they'd be willing to pay him. Upping the money would have guaranteed that Elam would have been a Brown even if Sanchez wasn't on the board at #5.

Perhaps Mangini thought that picking a RFA off of the Jets' roster would have poisoned the well between the two clubs, forestalling any potential trade on draft day. Not playing hardball in pursuit of Elam could have been a way to retain the possibility of also acquiring guys like Coleman and Ratliff.

@riffer-x said:

Just speculating, but it makes sense.

i was thinking that too Russ. that sly 'ol dog may have planned to trade the pick the day the Jets matched the offer. a trade like that w/ what, 4 players involved? or was it 5? and the Jets had time to mull over losing those guys and come up with who they want within the time frame on the clock?!? yeah right. i actually believe i recall there being about 5+ mins left on the draft clock when they disclosed the Jets were taking the Browns pick. there's no effing way that all took place that day IMO. it's just too complex of a trade for someone to pull the trigger that quick.

Aloysius said:

Sounds like he's smart, outgoing, aggressive...but a little weak in pass coverage.

Aggressive and a little weak in pass coverage. Basically the definition of 90% of the Strong Safeties in the NFL!

I love the aggressive part of his play. It is easier to teach an over aggressive player to slow down and be in position than it is to try and make a naturally unaggresive player be suddenly aggressive.

Aloysius said:

If I'm not mistaken, the OBR reported that the new regime is planning on signing Elam to a long-term deal. I guess we'll know then how much they value him.

Is it possible that they may have planned on getting him in trade all along?

Just speculating, but it makes sense.

(On how Abram Elam has been fitting in) – “I think Abe has been fitting in really well. You can ask some of those guys that question. From my perspective it looks like he is fitting in great. He has got an excellent personality. He is outgoing. He enjoys working with the group. I have seen him at different points watching film with the defensive backs, either in pre-meetings or post-meetings and that is always good. The more those guys can work together and see things the same way, and really his chemistry, I never viewed as with one other guy, it’s with the whole group.”

(On what Elam brings on the field and why he wanted him) – “One, the person. The value that he brings from a classroom perspective, from a leadership perspective, from an understanding of the system and on the field I think he is a very aggressive player. Sometimes you need to slow him down to make sure that he is in the proper position to make the play. He really has that aggressive mentality. He is good against the run and I think he is a guy that has developed over the course of time that I have been with him. That is what you want to see is that continued development and he has shown that.”

(On if Elam has figured out how to be an impact player) – “The one thing that he figured out and is really important to me is how important it is to make progress every day. How important it is to figure out some things that he can get better at to absorb the coaching, to really do the things he is being asked to do. To carve out a role, to be a complete selfless team player, those things are critical and he has always shown those characteristics.”

(On how Elam is against the pass) – “He has done some good things in the passing game. There have been some plays that he would like back and I would like back.”

Sounds like he's smart, outgoing, aggressive...but a little weak in pass coverage.

It's not impossible. Just highly unlikely that he has suddenly become a potential star safety.

If I'm not mistaken, the OBR reported that the new regime is planning on signing Elam to a long-term deal. I guess we'll know then how much they value him.

@shepwrite said:

Do you really think that? Or are you just hoping for that?

@sisky-fringo said:

I never had a bad opinion of Adams, I just believe he is what he is, a solid backup and I'm glad they resigned him.

@ytownbrownsbacker said:

I'm not down on Adams at all, but I do think Pool and Elam are better and will start barring some injury or other problem. But, you never know when the pads go on Adams might inpress the staff and push Pool for some time, but don't expect to see him covering a slot receiver in a nickle situation, unless that slot guy is a TE.

He (Ivy) is certainly a better option then Adams who may be involved in a cover three, but not in the nickle as long as Pool and Elam are both healthy.

@sisky-fringo said:

Adams was busy filling in at starting safety for the injured Sean Jones and Pool was starting at safety as well, exactly when did you want them to relieve Cousins? when Jones came back? which was when Adams did take over the nickle from Cousins. i watched Adams closely, he sure didn't play like a back-up far as i could tell. he made it into the backfield more than Jones ever did, but i digress, that's another topic.

Pool and Elam candidates for the nickle? to the best of my knowledge Pool played the slot only once as a pro, '06 was it?, against the Falcons while he was still cutting his teeth as a safety. granted it worked well, he shadowed Alge Crumpler and made him essentially a non-factor in that game, but that was his only assignment all game. aside from this showing, why do you feel he's such a candidate for the nickle position? especially a guy you are aware can't take another blow to the head.....covering tight ends and run support is the last place he should be IMO.

i'm very curious who's playing safety then? since you're so down on Adams it surely can't be him. so who's left? Poteat? Cribbs? i really don't see it any other way than Elam and Pool. who am i missing?

MY take is that there will be an open competition at CB. Hood has experience inside covering slot receivers and Ivey also has a lot of experience on the inside. I don't see any of the safties out playing the corners to play against a slot receiver in the nickle. I could see Adams playing some in a cover 3 scheme, but I think Poole and Elam will have to do something to loose their jobs for Adams to get real playing time at safety or even in speciality packages. Now, Pool has a history of concussions and also the NFL is a game of injuries, Adams provides great depth because he can play either safety position and is very good as a special teamer. I don't think they went out on two different occasions to get Elam if they thought Adams was the answer at safety. I also see Cribbs getting some time at safety in some speciality packages.

I'm not down on Adams at all, but I do think Pool and Elam are better and will start barring some injury or other problem. But, you never know when the pads go on Adams might inpress the staff and push Pool for some time, but don't expect to see him covering a slot receiver in a nickle situation, unless that slot guy is a TE.

@ytownbrownsbacker said:

McDonald filled in playing the slot for the Browns in '07. he moved outside and Holly moved in because Bmac was better than Holly at covering elite receivers, not because he couldn't play the slot.

Neither him [Adams] or Pool could beat out cousins last year and we all know how bad Cousins was.

Pool and Elam candidates for the nickle? to the best of my knowledge Pool played the slot only once as a pro, '06 was it?, against the Falcons while he was still cutting his teeth as a safety. granted it worked well, he shadowed Alge Crumpler and made him essentially a non-factor in that game, but that was his only assignment all game. aside from this showing, why do you feel he's such a candidate for the nickle position? especially a guy you are aware can't take another blow to the head.....covering tight ends and run support is the last place he should be IMO.

i'm very curious who's playing safety then? since you're so down on Adams it surely can't be him. so who's left? Poteat? Cribbs? i really don't see it any other way than Elam and Pool. who am i missing?

@shepwrite said:

I know he's never played safety Shep but Mangini says he sees these guys all interchangeable. He wants them to be able to line up anywhere causing matchup problems. So if you can play both positions the better the opportunity to get on the field.

Brilliant.

We needed another guy in the secondary for one having 4 games a season up against good qbs like Ben and Carson.

And with it being a one season deal he's going to play his ass off for a big payday.

We're getting minimum risk with maximum returns, even if he does walk after one season.

And maybe by the time he leaves one of this season's 6th rounders will be able to come off of the practice squad and slip into that role if it's safety.

If we've finaly got a good coaching staff to work with the 2nd day guys, the sky is the limit there.

@danamal said:

He said that while Hood was a great pickup the Browns would use him as a safety rather than mess with two very good young corners ,he said the thought process behind that is if you replace either corner and Hood leaves after one season you have pretty much ruined any relationship you had with that player.

I know its the NFL and a player should be able to be professional but I can see his point and I found myself pretty much in agreement with his assesment of the deal.

I like PK's take most of the time and what he is saying here makes a lot of sense. The one thing that pops to mind though is that when coaches (including Mangini, Ryan et al) look at DBs on tape, I think that it's painfully obvious when someone is not as good as they need to be. I don't mean to minimize the job of a DB but being on an island on the field also translates to film. CB and S are two positions where it's VERY hard to hide a lack of skill or instinct.

@canton-mike said:

Mike

exactly. look at the steelers: they probably don't have many if any hall of famers on that defense in the past 5 years and look what they do every year. if they can keep getting solid guys through free agency and the draft in the years to come, then we will be solid on d for years.

Mike

I love the signing. brings competition and quality across the board now.