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snora

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Who Will Have a Better CAREER?

'Ey Capernicus said 06/03, 08:25 PM
Keith Rivers or Jerod Mayo?

I believe Mayo will have the better career. Rivers and Mayo were drafted into very different situations. Rivers by the Bengals, Mayo by the Patriots. Rivers went to the better college, USC, than Mayo, Tennessee. Also, it is believed he is a better player. I still think Mayo will be better.

Coaching makes a big difference in whether or not a player turns out well, as do the players around them. The Patriots clearly have better coaches and a better linebacker corps for Mayo to learn from. Mayo can be taught by Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Dean Pees. The players he can learn from are Bruschi, Adalius Thomas, Mike Vrabel, and Seau if he comes back. It would be difficult to find a better group to learn from.

Rivers, on the other hand, is going into the dreadful Bengals who have had a terrible defense the past few years. Their coaches don't seem to be as skilled as the Patriot's and Rivers' fellow linebackers won't live up to the greatness of the linebacker corps of the Pats. He can learn from Landon Johnson, Rashad Jeanty, and Dhani Jones. Not very good compared to Mayo's situation.

snora said 06/03, 09:19 PM
Your argument is flawed, I think, for one fundamental reason. When you say better career, you have to take into account all these players will have accomplished by the end of their career.

There is no doubt Mayo is going to a better team this year. But that does not mean 3 or 4 years down the line that Rivers could be a central cog in a very good defense. Its true that the Bengals have had a terrible defense for the past few years, but Rivers is an EXTREMELY special player who was perhaps the MVP of USC's defense for the past two seasons, even when surrounded by Rey Maualuga, Sedrick Ellis, and Lawrence Jackson.

Lets look at Keith Rivers USC pro day and combine stats. Rivers turned in a 4.54 40-yard dash, a 42 inch vertical, and 24 reps in the bench press. Mayo's turned in the same 40 time with only a 32 inch vertical and 22 reps. They are also around the same size.

Given his raw athleticism and his experience of performing in the brightest college football spotlight for so long to such a high level, Keith Rivers is going to have a better career when ALL is said and done.

'Ey Capernicus said 06/03, 09:52 PM
The coaches of the Patriots and the players he learns from impacts his career. The more he learns, the better he will be. Yes, the Patriots are better this year, but it isn't like the coaches and other linebackers are going to disappear after this season.

Rivers PERHAPS was the MVP, Jerod Mayo WAS clearly the MVP of that defense. Also, he started off his career as a successful weakside linebacker then he moved inside and had even more success. He racked up tackles like crazy and easily led the team in that category.His versatily is a very valuable asset, especially to Belichick.

Rivers will have a harder developing because of his situation. Belichick has been known for utilizing versatility and developing young players. Marvin Lewis has not been a defensive genius. Mayo has better coaches and better players to learn from.

Athleticism is not everything. Tedy Bruschi is not very athletic, but he has had an excellent career. Belichick and Pioli know what they want and what they are getting when they draft someone. They will find a way to use Mayo superbly, despite his athleticism not being as top-notch as Rivers.

snora said 06/03, 10:40 PM
Clearly Mayo is going to have a great opportunity his first few years in the NFL...I obviously can't argue against that. But while you say Mayo WAS the MVP of his team while Rivers MAY have been, I see this as a strong point for a different reason.

Rivers was surrounded by talent in SC's defense these past two years, and although he clearly was helped by his fellow Trojans, he STILL shined as an MVP on a great defense. Think about it...despite all the talent on the field with him and Rivers still proved to be an impact player.

I have no doubts that Mayo will succeed on the Pats, but Rivers is going to have a chance in Cincinnati to be that impact LB who I believe will eventually be racking up over 130 tackles a year. He might not be the flashiest linebacker around, but he is quick, strong, has fantastic instincts, and is going to be an every-down defensive player that is a dependable staple of the defense that inevitably will be built around him.

'Ey Capernicus said 06/03, 11:02 PM
Mayo will have the opportunity to LEARN his first few years and those first few years will help him for the rest of his career. He will be coached to the best he can be and he will be an awesome player.

His success in college doesn't affect what he will do in the NFL. You say that since he shined with great players on his team he is better, but then you say since he will have great stats because there are no other players capable of it he will have a better NFL career?

Mayo will eventually have a chance to be an impact linebacker. We aren't just talking about the first few years, we're talking career. Soon Bruschi and Seau will be gone and not long after Thomas and Vrabel will leave. That leaves Mayo with a chance to become the leader and the player who makes the biggest impact on the Patriots' defense.

Bill Belichick will now exactly what to do. He has shown his expertise in utilizing versatiliy. You need good coaching to become a great player and I'm not sure if Rivers will have that coaching in the NFL. Rivers may have more skill, but Mayo will be better coached and better used in the teams defense.

snora said 06/03, 11:14 PM
I'm not even going to being going into a list of impact linebackers who entered the league with bad teams. Mayo and River's situations are vastly different, but I can only reiterate that while Mayo will have the initial benefit of the Belichick system, Rivers is going to be an instant starter who the Bengals will build around for years to come.

Rivers isn't a "project" OLB...he's not going to depend on great coaching to find success in the NFL. He's going to learn the NFL and its speed with good coaching or bad. While Mayo's coaching clearly gives him an initial advantage, it is not going to be enough to give Mayo a better career than Rivers.

If the argument were to be who is going to have a better first two years in the NFL, you'd probably be wise to pick Mayo. But when all is said and done, I think people are going to look at Rivers as an impact linebacker who was the MVP of his defense.

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Dude they're not even in the same system, how can you compare them?

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Who Will Have a Better CAREER?

The Throwdown ended in a tie, 11 to 11

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