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LaRon Landry IS NOT Sean Taylor


KDawg

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This thread isn't being created with the intent to knock Landry. Landry is a very good up and coming safety and his upside is through the roof. But the comparisons between Landry and Sean are a bit on the ridiculous side.

They are different safeties. Sean Taylor was a ballhawking, free lancing head hunter. He was all over the field because he took risks, most of which were well calculated. He tried to be in places he wasn't supposed to be in anticipation of the play and he made receivers pay. He was an excellent safety, but sometimes those risks resulted in big plays. The reason he took those risks is debateable. It could have been that he was trying to make up for the rest of the secondary's poor performance, or that may have just been the way he played. He had great range, and I loved the fact that he wasn't afraid to take a risk.

LaRon Landry is different. People like to say he's a big hitter. I half agree. He's a much smaller safety than Sean Taylor. Landry is sitting at about 210, Taylor was 235. Landry will have a tough time hitting those bigger receivers like Sean did. Those smaller guys he can crush with no problem. What Landry does differently than Sean is he plays his 1/11th. Meaning he does his job. He doesn't worry much about anyone else's responsibilities, he trusts they'll get to them. That's why you don't hear his name. He takes away the deep ball to his area or man nearly every play. But you're not going to see him streaking across the field to cover someone else's man. Which is great fundamental football.

The two have two entirely different styles of play. Neither style is necessarily bad, but they are NOT the same player. Get used to Landry not laying out bigger receivers, but you can bet he'll be there to make a tackle.

These two would have been a great tandem because they compliment each other well, but unfortunately we didn't get to see too much of it. LaRon is LaRon and Sean was Sean. Let them be different.

Different isn't necessarily a bad thing :)

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Good thread, but the title will bring some heated posts.

Well, so be it then. Excellent thread, KD. Very much on point. I try not to hop on the what-if train as much as possible, but I still struggle with that re: the duo of ST and LL. Who knows how they might have re-shaped the way secondary coverage was game-planned had they been able to play together for any length of time.

<sigh>

I suspect so many here try so hard to see ST in LL because we all miss him so much. You're right, though. Two different players; two different STYLES of play.

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He is as good as the pick we took him at...

He is better than we are paying him...

So he works damn good for me...

ST was damn good for what...3 years ? If Landry is as good as he is now...For 6 years...???

Its all perspective. I just want the guys to be as good as we expected/paid for them.

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Good post man.

Landry is a very good safety but I just don't see him there at the ball at the end of every play like Taylor was. Funny thing is, Chris Horton reminds me of a young ST more than Landry does.

Horton isn't making giant hits like ST did but wherever the ball is, Horton is there. He has an incredible instinct to find the football the same way Taylor did and the same way London Fletcher does.

And I also see Horton playing every play at 100 percent.

I'm not saying "OMG Chris horton is the next ST!!!!" but there are some similarities.

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I'm with you man, I'm tired of hearing people say "sean was better," when the fact is that we haven't seen enough of Laron to know who is better, and Taylor had not even reached his full potential yet. Impossible to draw accurate comparisons. The only thing we know for sure is that Sean Taylor was one of the most naturally gifted athletes ever to play for the Redskins. Can't really say the same for Laron, although he is stronger and faster than Taylor was. Maybe what he lacks in natural ability and size he can make up for with strength and speed, and maybe he can become a big hit threat like Sean was.

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I think people make too big a deal out of the Jacobs hit. Let's not forget that it was Landry's hit on Jacobs that caused Jacobs to go down; he was already on his way down by the time the next guy got there.

Since that game he has been going for people's legs. Even smaller receivers haven't been laid out. I'd like to see a hit like he made on Burress last year. I am not saying he isn't playing well, but the extreme hits have been lacking.

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It'd be interesting to see who really was stronger between the two. I wish we had more access to things like workout numbers. Max Bench, Squat, Deadlift, Power Clean, etc. :)

I would be interested to see the rest of their workout numbers, but LaRon did post a much better 40 time and repped 225 ten times more.

LaRon at combine: 4.35 40 time

37 1/2 inch vert

21 reps of 225 on the bench

Sean at combine: 4.51 40 time

39 inch vert

11 reps on the bench

The thing is though, Sean always played better than these numbers. I can't explain how he covered the field so well, but I think his weight gave him the force he needed to lay people out. I must say though, LaRon is a monster in the weight room.

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Agreed, comparing them is comparing Riggins to Portis. Two completely different styles.

And no knock on Landry, he's my favorite current Skin, but Taylor was one of the greatest football players, let alone safeties, to ever play the game.

This isn't a fair comparison at all.

Sean was rapidly progressing into an All-Pro caliber player, but I wouldn't have him as one of the greatest ever.

But back to the OP, yes, you are absolutely right...two totally different players and they should both be appreciated for what they do. It's unfair to make Laron into Sean II.

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I hate these "sean taylor compared to laron landry threads." They are so unfair to Landry. We all know that Laron Landry is no Sean Taylor, Yet...Hell he may never be, but lets not forget, Landry is only in his second year, and with Sean we didn't really start to see part of Sean's real potential till his 4th and last year. Landry may not be as good as a hitter as Sean Taylor(cmon who was!?) but can still lay the wood. Sean may have been one of the most athletically gifted players in NFL history, and to make all these comparisons with Landry just isn't fair.

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God we are torturing ourselves. Taylor is gone and will never come back. He was my favorite Redskins ever and probably always will be but we have to move on. We have Landry now who is playing great football and Horton is amazing everyone. Time to talk about them and let Taylor rest in the past.

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