Cowboys Interview Tamba Hali of Penn State at combine

[StanleySpadowski]

Lets just say I trust the scouts more than stanleyspadowski on cowboyszone.com. Teams are olny allowed so many interviews at the combine. So I doubt they are wasting interviews on people they do not think could play for their team. Second if they were doing "due dilligence" why would they do it with someone who obviously can not play 34 DE? Maybe they were checking in to see his interest in 34 OLB

Then find one scout, one internet prospect site, one anything that suggests that Hali has the ability to switch to OLB.


Teams interview formally or informally almost every player projected to be within their range. I don't remember but I don't believe that Dallas had a formal interview at the combine with a single player they drafted last year. It's a chess game although some people think it's checkers.

 

[Silverstar]

Maybe they just want more info on Hali, because they already have plenty on Hawk, Lawson, Carpenter etc.

I wouldn't get too excited about it anyway.

For all we know, Chad Jackson might be the player Dallas wants at #18.

 

[Silverstar]

Personally, I'm much more excited about this and for good reason.


Cowboys | Team talks with M. Lawson
Sun, 26 Feb 2006 14:27:27 -0800
During his NFL Combine interview, North Carolina State DL Manny Lawson said he interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

what does that even mean..

That means, I'd take him at 18 and feel like I got away with something.

 

[Clove]

Personally, I'm much more excited about this and for good reason.


Cowboys | Team talks with M. Lawson
Sun, 26 Feb 2006 14:27:27 -0800
During his NFL Combine interview, North Carolina State DL Manny Lawson said he interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Highfive

 

[InmanRoshi]

I know its such a change of thought from what we are used to, but I think some Cowboy fans are going to have to get over the idea that a strongside OLB in the 3-4 is a taller version of Vinson Smith. There isn't a drastic set of criteria different from the ROLB and the LOLB. There better not be, because the defense can always just motion a TE from one side to the other. Every team in the NFL that runs a 3-4 is running it with two former college DE's as their starting LB's, and not all of them are phenomenal athletes.


Hali is just a great football player. He could fit in any system. I would love to have him at #18.

 

[trueblue1687]

Lets just say I trust the scouts more than stanleyspadowski on cowboyszone.com. Teams are olny allowed so many interviews at the combine. So I doubt they are wasting interviews on people they do not think could play for their team. Second if they were doing "due dilligence" why would they do it with someone who obviously can not play 34 DE? Maybe they were checking in to see his interest in 34 OLB

Just FYI. Teams can interview ALL prospects if they want to devote their time and resources to interviews. The Combine is a meat market put on FOR the teams...not the players. I know of two regional scouts (Texans and Titans) who say access is unfetered to players (or Prospects). The only thing limiting access is the limited number of personnel most teams have there (that are qualified to evaluate). Simply talking to a prospect means NOTHING either way. Remember, there is some degree of strategy involved here too (faining interest to disguise REAL interest). Of course that doesn't mean a team is not interested either - goes both ways.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

I'll trust the scouts because they didn't exactly screw it up when it came to drafting D. Ware did they??

I agree......Jeff Ireland .....speak up!

 

[StanleySpadowski]

r. Every team in the NFL that runs a 3-4 is running it with two former college DE's as their starting LB's, and not all of them are phenomenal athletes.
.

I don't believe there is a single 3-4 team that has both OLBs former college DEs. Pittsburgh - nope, San Diego - nope, Dallas - nope...............

 

[junk]

I know its such a change of thought from what we are used to, but I think some Cowboy fans are going to have to get over the idea that a strongside OLB in the 3-4 is a taller version of Vinson Smith. There isn't a drastic set of criteria different from the ROLB and the LOLB. There better not be, because the defense can always just motion a TE from one side to the other. Every team in the NFL that runs a 3-4 is running it with two former college DE's as their starting LB's, and not all of them are phenomenal athletes.


Hali is just a great football player. He could fit in any system. I would love to have him at #18.

And some need to abandon the idea that every DE that isn't prototypical weight would be a great SOLB in the 3-4.

A look at Parcells' history of 3-4 SOLB is different than most coordinators as well. Heck, Parcells' 3-4 is different than other 3-4 defenses as well.

 

[JIGGYFLY]

I don't believe there is a single 3-4 team that has both OLBs former college DEs. Pittsburgh - nope, San Diego - nope, Dallas - nope...............

Both Porter and Haggans were DE in college the steelers have been standing up small de for years now.

 

[tyke1doe]

huh? they talked to him.

the scouts are going to talk to as many guys as they can.

that's "scouting"

Thank you.

At least someone gets it.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I don't believe there is a single 3-4 team that has both OLBs former college DEs. Pittsburgh - nope, San Diego - nope, Dallas - nope...............

San Diego? Yep. Merriman was a true LB early at Maryland, but moved to the left end position his final year. Shaun Phillips was DE at Purdue who ran a 4.7+ leading up to the draft.

New England? Yep. Both McGinnest and Vrabel were hand on the ground DE's in college. Vrabel is Ohio State's all time sack leader and Big 10 Defensive Lineman of the year. Vrabel was also bigger (6'4" 270) and less athletic than Hali. Rosie Colvin was a 4-3 defensive end at Purdue.

Pittsburgh? Yep. Porter and Haggans were bookend DE's at Colorado State. Haggans, who plays the so called 'SOLB' at Pitt, is Colorado State's all time sack leader. Haggans ran a 4.97 in his 40 time. Let me repeat that ... a four nine seven.

Baltimore ran the 3-4 with Suggs, Boulware and Adalius Thomas all making the Pro Bowl. All three 4-3 DE's in college.

Houston? Antwan Peek and Jasin Babin. Yep, both pure DE's in college.

Is there really ANY team in the NFL that has run a 3-4 in the past couple of years with outside linebackers who played a true OLB in college? I just listed off about 5 teams and 12 players, and the only player who even comes close is Merriman.

 

[AbeBeta]

Just FYI. Teams can interview ALL prospects if they want to devote their time and resources to interviews.

I believe this is correct -- teams can only bring a certain # of players to their facility for interviews but at the combine anything goes. and we certainly don't hear about every guy that a team interviews.

 

[Clove]

I promise folks, it won't be so bad to bring in another tweener. As long as you have a guy like Parham on the inside, and some meat at NT.

 

[InmanRoshi]

And some need to abandon the idea that every DE that isn't prototypical weight would be a great SOLB in the 3-4.

A look at Parcells' history of 3-4 SOLB is different than most coordinators as well. Heck, Parcells' 3-4 is different than other 3-4 defenses as well.

The fact that people still use the 'SOLB' reference says a lot about how people just haveing gotten past the 4-3. There is no strongside linebacker like there is in the 4-3. There is a left OLB and a right OLB, and they don't switch sides if the team motions the TE to the other side. The inside LB's do, but not the outside guys.

 

[junk]

The fact that people still use the 'SOLB' reference says a lot about how people just haveing gotten past the 4-3. There is no strongside linebacker like there is in the 4-3. There is a left OLB and a right OLB, and they don't switch sides if the team motions the TE to the other side. The inside LB's do, but not the outside guys.

But teams primarily line a TE up to that side as opposed to the other.

And since Parcells himself still references it as the "strong side", I'll stick to my guns that it is a SOLB.

Thanks for the football lecture though.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Hali cannot play SOLB it's that simple. He's nowhere near agile enough to stand up.

you can only make that assertion after hearing how said player does in LB drills, which I'm sure teams have asked him to perform...

 

[StanleySpadowski]

San Diego? Yep. Merriman was a true LB early at Maryland, but moved to the left end position his final year. Shaun Phillips was DE at Purdue who ran a 4.7+ leading up to the draft.

New England? Yep. Both McGinnest and Vrabel were hand on the ground DE's in college. Vrabel is Ohio State's all time sack leader and Big 10 Defensive Lineman of the year. Vrabel was also bigger (6'4" 270) and less athletic than Hali. Rosie Colvin was a 4-3 defensive end at Purdue.

Pittsburgh? Yep. Porter and Haggans were bookend DE's at Colorado State. Haggans, who plays the so called 'SOLB' at Pitt, is Colorado State's all time sack leader. Haggans ran a 4.97 in his 40 time. Let me repeat that ... a four nine seven.

Baltimore ran the 3-4 with Suggs, Boulware and Adalius Thomas all making the Pro Bowl. All three 4-3 DE's in college.

Houston? Antwan Peek and Jasin Babin. Yep, both pure DE's in college.

Is there really ANY team in the NFL that has run a 3-4 in the past couple of years with outside linebackers who played a true OLB in college? I just listed off about 5 teams and 12 players, and the only player who even comes close is Merriman.

Foley is the starter in SD not Phillips but even if he was, he played a hybrid type position in an unusual defense at Purdue same as Colvin in NE.

Porter played both LB and DE in college so I wouldn't label him as a pure hand on the ground DE.

I'll give you Houston, but why would anyone want to copy that pitiful franchise?



Besides, most of those that have made the transition from DE to OLB were speed rushers at DE, I'd bet that Freeney or Kearse could have made the transition also, not power rushers like Hali.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Foley is the starter in SD not Phillips but even if he was, he played a hybrid type position in an unusual defense at Purdue same as Colvin in NE.

Porter played both LB and DE in college so I wouldn't label him as a pure hand on the ground DE.

I'll give you Houston, but why would anyone want to copy that pitiful franchise?



Besides, most of those that have made the transition from DE to OLB were speed rushers at DE, I'd bet that Freeney or Kearse could have made the transition also, not power rushers like Hali.

No, actually Porter and Haggans were pure DE's. Porter never played LB. He transfered positions, but it was from TE to DE. Just because you're asked to occasionally fall back into a zone blitz doesn't make you a hybrid. If so, Marcus Spears was a hybrid in college.

Do you notice any current OLB starting in the 3-4 in the NFL that was actually a pure OLB in a 4-3 in college? You would think there would be at least one, seeing as how important "playing in space' supposedly is.