'14 TX DB Nick Watkins (Notre Dame Signee)

[Luckylucci]

This is not how you properly get to 85. This is a terrible job by somebody, at managing this situation.

 

[longliveautrydenson]

I am not a fan of this method of getting down to 85. This defense could’ve used Hayes and Watkins.

 

[Luckylucci]

Only at ND do we lose 5th year contributors and co-starters, in order to get down to 85. Meanwhile, we have other guys on scholarship who will never play.

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

Yeah I don't get this either def could have used Watkins if we lose Love to Pride to injury we are screwed. Now freshman will have to play some here and there

 

[BobbyMac]

They still have 4 vet corners in Love, Pride, Crawford and Vaughn but you don't lose one of your 3 best CB's (#1 big CB) over who is the starter and who's expected to get the most snaps.

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

vaughn did look pretty good in the spring game tho

 

[dad4aa]

This is not how you properly get to 85. This is a terrible job by somebody, at managing this situation.

I am not a fan of this method of getting down to 85. This defense could’ve used Hayes and Watkins.

This was the player’s decisions. They weren’t going to start and want to try and start someplace else. Not sure why the thought is anything else. This makes total sense for guys who believe they can still make it to the league. Will miss them both and wish them the best.

 

[BobbyMac]

This was the player’s decisions. They weren’t going to start and want to try and start someplace else. Not sure why the thought is anything else. This makes total sense for guys who believe they can still make it to the league. Will miss them both and wish them the best.

Of course it's Watkin's decision but the staff shouldn't have put him in a place where he thought going elsewhere was better for his NFL aspirations. I'd let him start every game and made sure Pride was out there a lot. Pride can't leave and he's a guaranteed starter next year.

Of course if no one gets hurt and Vaughn plays up to his capability and surprises, it'll be ok but it's a head scratcher.

 

[Luckylucci]

This was the player’s decisions. They weren’t going to start and want to try and start someplace else. Not sure why the thought is anything else. This makes total sense for guys who believe they can still make it to the league. Will miss them both and wish them the best.

Watkins is leaving because of playing time, agreed. Which falls under roster management. CB is a very competitive situation, by all accounts. One that Watkins was the top dog, at times. You make sure that player is comfortable with his spot on the team.

 

[stlnd01]

This was the player’s decisions. They weren’t going to start and want to try and start someplace else. Not sure why the thought is anything else. This makes total sense for guys who believe they can still make it to the league. Will miss them both and wish them the best.

He can make it to the league from Notre Dame. He was going to play a bunch, even if not a starter. Same as Hayes. Going somewhere else to “try and start” - from scratch, post spring ball - doesn’t lead to glory all that often. Ask Malik Zaire, among many others.
Wish him well, but this feels like a lose-lose.

 

[Wingman Ray]

Of course it's Watkin's decision but the staff shouldn't have put him in a place where he thought going elsewhere was better for his NFL aspirations.
.

If you arent starting in college, what is the chances of making it pro? Get your degree and join the rest of the workforce

 

[kenthehobo]

was this unexpected?

 

[NewBrunswickIrish]

In the GT era it appears sometimes you don't start your best two, you start the two that keep your best 3 on the roster.

Jay Hayes doesn't hurt ya, this does. Could of said they were starting the senior and just rotated everyone. It's not like Troy Pride was going to transfer if he wasn't the starter.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Its been real Irish Nation.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreJuice?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreJuice</a> ������ <a href="https://t.co/h11h3ZdT7Z">pic.twitter.com/h11h3ZdT7Z</a></p>— Nick Watkins - N.C.W (@WhippinTheNick_) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhippinTheNick_/status/989606556084920320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How do you know that?

 

[BobbyMac]

If you arent starting in college, what is the chances of making it pro? Get your degree and join the rest of the workforce

Normally that's a reasonable statement but in this case Nick has a legit shot at being an NFL draftee but sitting behind a 2nd team All American and one of the fastest CB's in the country, who has a zero doubt NFL skill set is reason enough for him to head to Elko / Texas A&M where he's a guaranteed starter IMO.

 

[stlnd01]

Has anyone ever seen data on what percentage of grad transfers get drafted?

 

[BobbyMac]

How do you know that?

Experienced opinion.

 

[T-Boone]

that blows

 

[dad4aa]

The best players start and play. I would never start my 3rd or 4th best corner just so he doesn’t transfer. See Malik Zaire. Not going 100% out of the gate with DeShone cost us the Texas game and set the tone for the season.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

This is not how you properly get to 85. This is a terrible job by somebody, at managing this situation.

Didn’t you post earlier that he had been killing it this spring and clearly was the best corner? If so I’m very confused now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

1) Why are people acting like this is the end of the world?
2) Why are people surprised that a grad student isn't content starting on the bench?

I see nothing out of the ordinary here.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[IrishLax]

In the GT era it appears sometimes you don't start your best two, you start the two that keep your best 3 on the roster.

Jay Hayes doesn't hurt ya, this does. Could of said they were starting the senior and just rotated everyone. It's not like Troy Pride was going to transfer if he wasn't the starter.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Its been real Irish Nation.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreJuice?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreJuice</a> ������ <a href="https://t.co/h11h3ZdT7Z">pic.twitter.com/h11h3ZdT7Z</a></p>— Nick Watkins - N.C.W (@WhippinTheNick_) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhippinTheNick_/status/989606556084920320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yes, rather than start the better player we should've lied to a senior with NFL aspirations in order to get him to stay for depth. That would've been the morally correct way to approach things, and would've also been the best for team unity/culture/morale in the fall.

 

[BobbyMac]

Yes, rather than start the better player we should've lied to a senior with NFL aspirations in order to get him to stay for depth. That would've been the morally correct way to approach things, and would've also been the best for team unity/culture/morale in the fall.

He wouldn't have been depth. He would've been the starter.

 

[Naz2002]

He wouldn't have been depth. He would've been the starter.

Incorrect. Staff did the right thing, they didn’t want Watkins to leave and didn’t force him out but they were honest with him and that honesty led him to find the best path for himself. There’s some hurt feelings on both ends but at the end of the day everyone did what’s right. ND didn’t mislead Watkins, they informed him his role would be a little different and Nick decided that it would be better to find a more permanent role elsewhere. Pride is ready to take a huge step forward, Vaughn will be a great #3 and Crawford is all the way back and dynamite in the slot. ND will be in very good shape at Corner and hopefully Watkins has a great SR year elsewhere and realizes his NFL dreams. You don’t mislead trick guys into mortgaging their future to make you team a little better. That will ultimately have serious long term negative ramifications.

 

[EddytoNow]

Watkins will have his ND degree, correct? Both he and the university have honored their 4-year commitment. Any decision to stay for a fifth year has to be mutual. If Nick wants to go elsewhere for an opportunity to see more time on the field, then I have no problem with that. Every year we see a couple of players go elsewhere for their fifth year. Sometimes the coaching staff decides it's time for the younger players to see the field and does not offer a fifth year. Sometimes the player decides to go elsewhere for an opportunity that just isn't being offered at Notre Dame. We see offensive linemen playing their fifth year elsewhere on a regular basis. Nick Watkins is no different. I wish him well.

 

[stlnd01]

Watkins will have his ND degree, correct? Both he and the university have honored their 4-year commitment. Any decision to stay for a fifth year has to be mutual. If Nick wants to go elsewhere for an opportunity to see more time on the field, then I have no problem with that. Every year we see a couple of players go elsewhere for their fifth year. Sometimes the coaching staff decides it's time for the younger players to see the field and does not offer a fifth year. Sometimes the player decides to go elsewhere for an opportunity that just isn't being offered at Notre Dame. We see offensive linemen playing their fifth year elsewhere on a regular basis. Nick Watkins is no different. I wish him well.

All true. And certainly wish him well. The guy earned his degree and played some quality football for us. God bless.

I just think - having watched this play out several times now - it can be hard to win a starting spot at a quality program if you're transferring in after spring ball, when a lot of roster spots are largely set. Most of the O Linemen who've left Notre Dame for a 5Y elsewhere got to their new program in January. Also, I'm all for a guy chasing his NFL dreams, but if he can't win a starting spot at Notre Dame, I'm a little dubious he's going to get to the NFL from anyplace else either. He'll either wind up starting at a lesser program, or fighting for playing time at a comparable one. I'm not sure either scenario is really better than what he'd have here. Meantime we lose a solid player and a potential leader. I feel the same about Jay Hayes.

 

[Irish#1]

Hate losing him, but if the staff has him on the second team, it has to mean others are performing better. This isn't BVG's D anymore.

 

[ulukinatme]

The best players start and play. I would never start my 3rd or 4th best corner just so he doesn’t transfer. See Malik Zaire. Not going 100% out of the gate with DeShone cost us the Texas game and set the tone for the season.

I thought abysmal defense and a poor running game cost us the Texas game, but it's nice to see people want to blame all of 2016 on Zaire still. A few series are a drop in the bucket when your defense gives up 50 points in a single game. Keep in mind that was largely the same Texas team that Malik had thoroughly dismantled the year before, yet we lost some weapons like Fuller/Prosise and the young defense was still under BVG.

 

[NDohio]

I thought abysmal defense and a poor running game cost us the Texas game, but it's nice to see people want to blame all of 2016 on Zaire still. A few series are a drop in the bucket when your defense gives up 50 points in a single game. Keep in mind that was largely the same Texas team that Malik had thoroughly dismantled the year before, yet we lost some weapons like Fuller/Prosise and the young defense was still under BVG.

I think the point is that Kelly tried to placate Zaire and not just come right out and name a starter is what he is getting at. That fits more with the theme of the thread. BK needed to just be honest with Zaire and make DK the starter. The handling of this situation is the correct way to do this.

 

[dublinirish]

I think the point is that Kelly tried to placate Zaire and not just come right out and name a starter is what he is getting at. That fits more with the theme of the thread. BK needed to just be honest with Zaire and make DK the starter. The handling of this situation is the correct way to do this.

MZ would have acted like an even bigger malcontent then and ruined the team chemistry more.

 

[IrishLion]

Wasn't it common knowledge at the end of '17 that "Nick is rehabbing the knee still, so Troy Pride is starting" was just a polite way of saying that Pride had passed Watkins on the depth chart, regardless of injury?

Like, at one point, Watkins was legit hurt, and that's why Pride stepped in. But then once Watkins was healthy, the staff thought Pride was still the better option?

That's how I understood it, and so I'm kind of glad the staff wasn't promising time to Watkins that might not truly be there if Love and Pride are both healthy all year.

I also think that Houston Griffith has a greater chance of spelling Crawford in the slot now, depending on who we're playing and how the game is going, ala Shumate in '12.