Spaulding Roundup: Good News From The Defensive Front

Looks like the job for UCLA DC is about to get more enticing. Brian Dohn is reporting that both Carter and ATV will most likely be returning to Westwood next season:

UCLA middle linebacker Reggie Carter said he never filled out paperwork to have his draft status evaluated and will stay for his senior season in 2009, and added cornerback Alterraun Verner said he planned to remain in school for his senior season.

Verner, though a UCLA spokesperson, said he was going to speak with his family this weekend before publicly stating what he would do. He filled out paperwork to have his NFL draft status evaluated.

"I've talked to him a few times (this week), and he's in school and he said, `Yeah,' he was (coming back)," Carter said Friday. "I know he got his (NFL evaluation) papers back." [...]

"I knew (the NFL) wasn't going to say anything that made my day, but I was going to do it more to get a perspective," Carter said. "I can get that from the scouts. I really want to know what I need to get better at. (Scouts) said I need to improve in my pass coverage, and shedding blocks. Things like that. That all comes with strength and gaining a little weight."

Having Reggie Carter's senior leadership next season will be a huge plus. Now if we can ATV to make things official that will be another huge boost.

Meanwhile, on the DC front wanted to make sure you note Kevin Cosgrove (who wasn't exactly a mind blowing choice) is off the board.

It seems like some of us not so hot about Greg Robinson either. Our gbruin who is a huge Denver Broncos fanatic and hails from Colorado gave a huge thumbs down to Mr. Robinson:

Whoa, let’s not say Denver fans were high on Robinson. Before his college days, Robinson was DC for for the Denver Broncos in the late 90’s (and I was a season ticket holder in the South Stands). Robinson ran a very gimmicky gap control defense that had little to no room for error and was maddeningly prone to giving up numerous big plays. It was the same story every week: if a single player missed an assignment, esp near the point of attack (i.e. filled the wrong gap, missed a tackle, blitz got picked up), there was no one else available to stop the play. The defense was repeatedly burned for big yardage plays several times a game.

The weakness of his scheme was hidden somewhat by the fact that he had guys like Steve Atwater (future HOF), Alfred Williams, Bill Romanowski (I hated the freak but he does have like 4 rings), Mike Lodish (Bruin who played in like 6 Super Bowls), Neil Smith (future HOF), and several other very good players, but was mostly covered up by the fact that John Elway (HOF), Terrell Davis (HOF if not for injury), Shannon Sharpe (soon to be HOF), Rod Smith (deserves HOF), and Gary Zimmerman (HOF) and the best OL in the NFL were putting up 35+ points a game and other teams were forced to play catch up. Robinson has 2 Super Bowl rings, but it was NOT a Super Bowl worthy defense in any way.

Greg Robinson coming to Westwood would be a disaster. We do not have (and cannot ever reasonably expect to have) the talent on either side of the ball to cover up for his “bend and break several times” defense. His “success” in Denver is an illusion. His days in Syracuse tell the truth.

Tell us how you really feel gbruin!

In all seriousness, right now I don't feel strongly either in a positive or negative way about any of the candidates whose names have surfaced in this coaching search. My gut tells me that we could end up with Chuck Bullough has the new DC, which would be more than fine because he will most likely continue the current system with better athletes to work with in the coming years.

I guess what I am really looking for in our next DC is someone who will be totally committed to the prorgram and someone who relishes living in Los Angeles and being a Southern Californian. I get the sense that Chow is pretty happy in Westwood and looking at his current opportunity as possibly his last assignment before heading off to a glorious retirement. I'd like someone similar in a DC who would be CRN's partner in this UCLA project just like Chow.

Either way I have confidence that Nehueisel will make a good choice givent the way he has managed this program on coaching personnel and recruitng front to date. As rye said below things are looking up in Westwood.

GO BRUINS.