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Building The Dallas Cowboys Roster: 2015 Middle Linebacker Prospects
By rabblerousr @rabblerousr on Jul 23 2014, 9:30p 10
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014...wboys-roster-2015-middle-linebacker-prospects
The Cowboys frequently drafted Miami LBs in the 90s; will they go back tothe well in 2015? - Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Our offseason series on top collegians at deep positions in the 2015 draft concludes with a look at some of the top-rated inside linebacker prospects.
As I noted in earlier installments of this series, it can be of great benefit to begin studying college players at what are likely to be the deepest positions in the next year's draft. When a position is strong, and the majority of teams are drafting for need (which they are), it means that players at these strong positions will fall. When pursued over the long term, therefore, a strategy of drafting to positional strength yields greater value. And, in recent years, the Cowboys appear to have pursued this strategy, targeting players at deep positions, with the thought that they can accrue value by doing so.
In this series, we are taking a longer look at the top candidates at the 2015 selection meeting's perceived positions of strength: running back, quarterback, defensive end, inside linebacker. Last time around, we offered a list of defensive ends for your delectation; today, it's inside linebackers, a position that may prove to need replenishing, depending on how the Cowboys feel about Sean Lee's ability to stay healthy. And, given the interchangeability of linebackers in the modern NFL, there's no reason to think that one of these guys couldn't be the future answer at one of the (still uncertain) outside spots.
This brings me to a proviso: many of these prospects have either played outside linebacker as collegians or are projected to move outside in the pros. The age of the massive but athletically limited two-down thumper is all but over, with NFL offenses featuring three-wide sets with such frequency. So, the distinction between MLB and OLB, I realize, is a tenuous one - and is made even more tenuous by the premium the Cowboys' system places on an middle 'backer's athleticism. Remember that what distinguished the "Tampa-2" is that the MLB must be capable of covering the deep middle, running down the seam with the likes of Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham. Okay, let's go...
Note: Juniors are designated with an *
By rabblerousr @rabblerousr on Jul 23 2014, 9:30p 10
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014...wboys-roster-2015-middle-linebacker-prospects
The Cowboys frequently drafted Miami LBs in the 90s; will they go back tothe well in 2015? - Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Our offseason series on top collegians at deep positions in the 2015 draft concludes with a look at some of the top-rated inside linebacker prospects.
As I noted in earlier installments of this series, it can be of great benefit to begin studying college players at what are likely to be the deepest positions in the next year's draft. When a position is strong, and the majority of teams are drafting for need (which they are), it means that players at these strong positions will fall. When pursued over the long term, therefore, a strategy of drafting to positional strength yields greater value. And, in recent years, the Cowboys appear to have pursued this strategy, targeting players at deep positions, with the thought that they can accrue value by doing so.
In this series, we are taking a longer look at the top candidates at the 2015 selection meeting's perceived positions of strength: running back, quarterback, defensive end, inside linebacker. Last time around, we offered a list of defensive ends for your delectation; today, it's inside linebackers, a position that may prove to need replenishing, depending on how the Cowboys feel about Sean Lee's ability to stay healthy. And, given the interchangeability of linebackers in the modern NFL, there's no reason to think that one of these guys couldn't be the future answer at one of the (still uncertain) outside spots.
This brings me to a proviso: many of these prospects have either played outside linebacker as collegians or are projected to move outside in the pros. The age of the massive but athletically limited two-down thumper is all but over, with NFL offenses featuring three-wide sets with such frequency. So, the distinction between MLB and OLB, I realize, is a tenuous one - and is made even more tenuous by the premium the Cowboys' system places on an middle 'backer's athleticism. Remember that what distinguished the "Tampa-2" is that the MLB must be capable of covering the deep middle, running down the seam with the likes of Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham. Okay, let's go...
Note: Juniors are designated with an *
