Getty Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates with Cam Brown #6 of the Penn State Nittany Lions after the Nittany Lions beat the Memphis Tigers 53-39 at AT&T Stadium.
The New York Giants suffered a crushing blow to their defense this past Sunday when starting outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter went down with a season-ending Achilles injury. While Carter has yet to prove himself as a bonafide sack artist throughout his three-year pro career, the loss of the former Georgia standout strips a vastly versatile skillset from Big Blue’s lineup.
While the likes of Markus Golden and Kyler Fackrell will be called upon to pick up the bulk of the workload in Carter’s absence, this may also prove to be the time New York chooses to finally unleash one of their more physically gifted linebackers to the rest of the world.
Cam Brown ‘Has $70 Million Walking Around Inside of Him’
Cam Brown has yet to log a single defensive snap since the Giants snagged the wiry built Penn State specimen in the sixth-round of this past April’s NFL Draft. However, don’t let his limited usage thus far discourage you, as Brown is oozing with talent and his coaches are quick to point that out.
“Cam is smart, first of all. He’s 6-foot-5, he’s 235-240 pounds and he can run like a deer. He has great length and speed, he’s smart, he’s physical. He’s very physical,” special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey told reporters this week. “He plays every snap full speed. He is wide open every single time down the field. He’s a high-energy kid, he loves football, and he wants to learn. Those things, those attributes, just having that size and length and being physical. Then couple it with being able to run like he can, that’s just God-given.”
If that wasn’t enough praise to heap on a 22-year-old with just two combined tackles over his NFL career, McGaughey didn’t stop there, proclaiming Brown has the type of abilities that could one day land the linebacker a massive payday.
“He’s a big, strong, physical kid who has a special skillset. I think the more plays he makes, the more confident he’ll get,” McGaughey said. “The game will slow down for him. Once the game starts to slow down for him, it’s already starting to slow down on special teams. Once it starts to slow down on defense, I think the sky is the limit for the kid. The kid has a big upside. He’s a good kid and he works his tail off. I tell him all the time, I think he has $70 million walking around inside of him. It’s up to him to tap it.”
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Brown Has Caught the Eye of Giants D-Coordinator
While McGaughey may have Brown’s next five years mapped out in his head, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham kept things slightly more relative to current-day, praising the rookie’s tenacity on special teams.
“Cam stands out to me in terms of kickoff. We talk about all the time, kickoff, punt coverage, that’s really the first play of a defensive possession,” Graham said. “The contribution there, I’ve seen him split double teams making a tackle. You know that tackle counts for defense, alright thanks, you just saved us a first down.”
It’ll be interesting to see how Brown is used moving forward. He has the movement skills to play inside in New York’s 3-4 scheme, but the length to potentially serve as a difference-maker on the edge.
With the emergence of Tae Crowder in recent weeks, as well as David Mayo returning from injury, Brown’s clearest path to playing time will likely be at outside linebacker, with Carter and Oshane Ximines out of the lineup. If McGaughey’s outlook on Brown’s future holds weight, he may just cash in on the opportunity.