Do We Really Need Linebackers?

[ghst187]

I say either Manny Lawson or Bobby Carpenter in 1

ditto

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Absolutely--a smart one who can recognize the offensive formations and then make the important defensive call to his team mates......

 

[Doomsday101]

If your going to run the 3-4 then yes LB is a must. Fowler and Shanle are good backups and role players but Dallas needs to add more talent to the LB core

 

[Hostile]

If your going to run the 3-4 then yes LB is a must. Fowler and Shanle are good backups and role players but Dallas needs to add more talent to the LB core

If Burnett can't jump up and take the SOLB or the ILB next to James then we need 2 starting LBs, 1 inside, and 1 outside. I really like Fowler and I really like Fujita, but you nailed it.

 

[junk]

If Burnett can't jump up and take the WOLB or the ILB next to James then we need 2 starting LBs, 1 inside, and 1 outside. I really like Fowler and I really like Fujita, but you nailed it.

Ware is a weak side OLB. Dallas needs a guy for the strong side.

 

[DLCassidy]

Thats why the Pats are so successful on D. Even with all their Injuries, they have always had strong linebackers.

Bruschi
Vrabel
Johnson
McGinnest

all good- to great linebackers

not to mention Colvin another very good player

Only McGinnest the pass rusher was a 1st round pick. Good linebackers are frequently found in later rounds. Bruschi and Vrabel were 3rd round choices. Colvin a 4th rounder. The retired Johnson was a 2nd round choice.

I think we should/need to draft an OLB. But I have seen nothing from the group of choices that could be available to us to indicate any of them are worth a mid first round selection. If OLB is our top priority, and IMO it isn't, I think we could move down 10-12 slots and still get the same/similar quality player.

 

[rexrobinson]

if Dallas drafts a Ware type OLB in Lawson or Carpenter, then I think we will see Ware and whomever they pick swap Weak side, Strong side often to mix stuff up. We will finally see exotic packages that dont always involve 3 down lineman and bookend LBs always in the same spot

Look what Ware did when the swapped him on the Strong Side all of a sudden. That RT didnt know what steam rolled him.

I mean imagine this. DeMarcus Ware can be effective rushing the QBs blindside, and also effective on the strong side because the QB is constantly seeing him and thinking...good God is he getting blocked or not?

 

[Hostile]

Ware is a weak side OLB. Dallas needs a guy for the strong side.

Correct, my bad.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Yes, Ware plays on the Weak-Side aka the playmaking side. We need a Strong Side Linebacker who can do all the things a Sam linebacker can do like stop the run, cover Tight Ends but I think we need one that is agile enough to get after the Quarterback as well.

I think Right Tackle is more pressing though. We gave up some huge yards late in the Season to Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis, but those guys were playing at an extremely high level late in the season and was running on just about everybody.

 

[Hostile]

Yes, Ware plays on the Weak-Side aka the playmaking side. We need a Strong Side Linebacker who can do all the things a Sam linebacker can do like stop the run, cover Tight Ends but I think we need one that is agile enough to get after the Quarterback as well.

I think Right Tackle is more pressing though. We gave up some huge yards late in the Season to Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis, but those guys were playing at an extremely high level late in the season and was running on just about everybody.

I'm going to agree with you that OL is a pressing need, but disagree that it is more pressing.

Let's say we draft McNeil in round 1 and put him at RT and get Flo back. How much will our offense improve? Even if Julius is healthy all year.

If we can get a solid season out of Burnett at SOLB or ILB and add whichever spot he doesn't occupy how much will our defense improve? I'm going to say it will make a big jump forward. Especially if we also address FS.

You can win it all with a dominating defense and a steady offense. We can fix OL without reaching in round 1 for a RT.

 

[DLCassidy]

You can win it all with a dominating defense and a steady offense. We can fix OL without reaching in round 1 for a RT.

The operative word there is reach. If we don't trade down, I don't want to see us REACH for anything. That includes reaching for a OLB or FS.

 

[junk]

Yes, Ware plays on the Weak-Side aka the playmaking side. We need a Strong Side Linebacker who can do all the things a Sam linebacker can do like stop the run, cover Tight Ends but I think we need one that is agile enough to get after the Quarterback as well.

I think Right Tackle is more pressing though. We gave up some huge yards late in the Season to Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis, but those guys were playing at an extremely high level late in the season and was running on just about everybody.

The YPC against the defense were actually high all year. Teams just didn't really seem to try to exploit until the year wore on.

It'd be hard to pass a top notch tackle prospect if one was available. Need some youth on the OL as well.

I agree with your thoughts on SOLB, but I think its a big of a need as tackle and you might get better value in the draft. I expect the team to get a vet for RT.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

I'm going to agree with you that OL is a pressing need, but disagree that it is more pressing.

Let's say we draft McNeil in round 1 and put him at RT and get Flo back. How much will our offense improve? Even if Julius is healthy all year.

If we can get a solid season out of Burnett at SOLB or ILB and add whichever spot he doesn't occupy how much will our defense improve? I'm going to say it will make a big jump forward. Especially if we also address FS.

You can win it all with a dominating defense and a steady offense. We can fix OL without reaching in round 1 for a RT.

True. I respectfully disagree though : .

Keep in mind, my thesis is placed knowing full well there will be no Dat, Glover, and Singleton. Also, we are both going to assume that the Tackle works out (not a bust) as well as your linebacker is not a bust. Let's just also assume that we dont get a Top Tackle in Free Agency.

Facts
*Rob Petitti gave up 13.5 Sacks last year and when Flozell Adams went down, Torrin Tucker gave up 12.5 in 11 Games.

*The offense struggled greatly when Flozell Adams went down because you had to protect your Right and Left Tackle.

*More than likely, the in-effectiveness of your offense may have put a strain on your defense ala field position, time on the field, etc etc.

*Jason Witten still had a nice year but his true destructive nature was never really unleased on the opposition because he was either kept in to block on the line or was at Fullback and was lead blocking or getting crack blocks before going out on routes.

*Bledsoe is one of the most immobile Quarterbacks in the game but can absolutely carve a Defense up for Thanksgiving Dinner if you give him the time.

*Having to always leave an extra blocker in to help your Tackle out limits some of your play calling and one weak Domino on the Offensive Line can be a negative chain reaction for the other comrades.

Benefits of Drafting a Tackle

*Any player can be a bust, Tackle, Quarterback, Linebacker etc etc, so there are always risks.

*If this Tackle pans out, you not only get Flozell Adams back, but you get the Right Tackle position finally settled for years. Which is a position that has plagued Parcells from Day 1, ala Ryan Young, Torrin Tucker and Robert Petitti.

*If this 1st Round pick works out, you Neutralize menaces like U and Strahan (they move these guys around alot) and Jevon Kearse, which is a serious blow to the teams these players play for.

*Now that you have good tackles, you can open up the offensive playbook, maybe Petitti and Johnson play better as the line has been upgraded and your Running Game has improved. I dont care which Tackle we get, but I know Mcneil's best asset is his runn blocking ability.

*This upgrade could keep the offense on the field longer, put up more points by keeping Bledsoe upright, possibly make the running game more effective, and all of this would improve the defense greatly.

Those are the reasons I want to draft a Tackle instead of a Linebacker. Me and you have went round and round on this for about a month now, you have a good thesis and I think I have a good thesis. I really dont think you can go wrong going either way.

But of course Hostile, I am willing to debate with you about anything and everything because you always bring good arguments to the table, facts, etc etc and you dont just respond with



and

:jerk:

When you dont agree with somebody : .

- Mike G.

 

[Qwickdraw]

:stupid:

oops, wrong one.:

:signmast:

 

[Clove]

If you have Ware and Lawson/Carpenter or Jeremy Mincey coming off of that edge at the same time, unless you have 2 Pro Bowl Tackles or double both of them, you are in serious trouble as an offense.

Also, those LB'rs I mentioned, you cannot stand them up at the point of attack. So when you try to run wide, (just like Ware finally stop letting teams do on his side) you can't run wide with those big LB'rs standing up TE, FB, and Linemen.

Fujita is too slow footed and not nearly as strong of either of the 3 I mentioned. Thronton is not agile enough to cover out of the back field.

Burnett is not a pass rusher type.

 

[Sasquatch]

cover Tight Ends but I think we need one that is agile enough to get after the Quarterback as well.

Yeah, I'd take LB with the first pick in a heartbeat, not only for QB pressure but to shore up coverage in short over the middle routes which was a weakness.

 

[snapper]

Benefits of Drafting a Tackle

*Any player can be a bust, Tackle, Quarterback, Linebacker etc etc, so there are always risks.

*If this Tackle pans out, you not only get Flozell Adams back, but you get the Right Tackle position finally settled for years. Which is a position that has plagued Parcells from Day 1, ala Ryan Young, Torrin Tucker and Robert Petitti.

*If this 1st Round pick works out, you Neutralize menaces like U and Strahan (they move these guys around alot) and Jevon Kearse, which is a serious blow to the teams these players play for.

*Now that you have good tackles, you can open up the offensive playbook, maybe Petitti and Johnson play better as the line has been upgraded and your Running Game has improved. I dont care which Tackle we get, but I know Mcneil's best asset is his runn blocking ability.- Mike G.

Unless that #18 pick is the second coming of Anthony Munoz, I don't see how taking an offensive tackle will improve the offensive line right away. I think it would be best to look for a tackle in FA to compete with Petitti and Tucker and try and find a promising prospect in the later rounds.

Besides FS, drafting a LB would have the greatest immediate impact in 2006.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

The 3-4 is built on disguising your 4th rusher...you can't do that when everyone knows it's DeMarcus Ware

how many times are you going to have to say that before people get it?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

The operative word there is reach. If we don't trade down, I don't want to see us REACH for anything. That includes reaching for a OLB or FS.

the deepest positions in the draft are OT, OLB, and S

we won't be reaching at 18 if we choose a top player from any of those 3 positions

 

[superpunk]

But of course Hostile, I am willing to debate with you about anything and everything because you always bring good arguments to the table, facts, etc etc and you dont just respond with



and

:jerk:

When you dont agree with somebody : .

- Mike G.

:jerk: