Film watchers - can you assess LVE play?

[AKATheRake]

LVE looks like he’s making business decisions on the field.

 

[Seven]

You seem jealous. So sad.

Brilliant!!! Absolutely brilliant!

Why would one expect anything more profound from the "ninja".......

I'm honored.

 

[VaqueroTD]

I think it’s the same as it was Jaylon and more going on with those serious injuries then letting on.

 

[Cebrin]

Between injury, and a new DC every year or other I think he has struggled to find his space. He'll have a productive career barring injury, but at this point I think he's just sick of being everything he is not.

 

[Cmac]

I still haven’t gotten my “What is LVE doing?” thread started by CalPoly.

We're waiting.

 

[Jfconrow]

He lost the edge he was holding on too tight

 

[JohnsKey19]

Slow and tentative. It's remarkable to see given how young he still is...
I can make sense of the tentative play given his neck issues, but why he's lost his agility and speed seemingly overnight is a mystery.

 

[McKDaddy]

I know he has a neck thing but what the heck is wrong with his legs? looks slow and suspiciously like Jaylon out there.

Someone posted yesterday that mentally he is protecting himself rather than playing full out. I think this is accurate.

 

[Vinnie2u]

I call him Jaylon Lite… Literally

 

[McKDaddy]

Simplier assignments his Rookie year, this is the third defense he has had to learn in 4 years.

Also, I guess you can't discount that the previous regime propped up Jaylon's play as outstanding. It may be that bad influences have confused him about what is expected.

 

[JohnsKey19]

Someone posted yesterday that mentally he is protecting himself rather than playing full out. I think this is accurate.

Get Cox in there. Even if Cox is making mistakes, a fast and aggressive player trumps slow and tentative all day.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

I don't watch film and wouldn’t really be able to assess in a non-fan way anyway, so would appreciate if anyone that does could give thoughtful descriptive analysis of his play this year?

Like I know to me he seems nothing like his rookie year in terms of movement and taking on blockers, but would be cool to hear an educated take. Thanks.

Other than the Giants game, Leighton has been the worst LB on the team and that included when Jaylon Smith was still here.

 

[morasp]

We need another LB like Lee with outstanding play recognition from film study. He used to call the offenses play at the line of scrimmage.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Also, I guess you can't discount that the previous regime propped up Jaylon's play as outstanding. It may be that bad influences have confused him about what is expected.

Overall this season Jaylon Smith has played better than Leighton so i disagree with your comment.

Leighton telling Parsons to stop trying to make every play tells you his mindset where as Jaylon at least hustled to the ball every play and gave effort.

 

[McKDaddy]

Overall this season Jaylon Smith has played better than Leighton so i disagree with your comment.

Leighton telling Parsons to stop trying to make every play tells you his mindset where as Jaylon at least hustled to the ball every play and gave effort.

I don't know that Jaylon has played better than anyone in the league in the last few years. I mean he is beyond terrible.

LVE is generally in the right place, he just isn't playing loose to finish the play forcefully. As my other post said, I think its mental to protect his neck. While I can understand, to be a professional athlete you need to be all in or all out. Looks like he needs to be out.

 

[HowardC]

I think back to that scene in hard knocks where he was trying to give Parsons advice about making plays on the field. It's showing up on his part now.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

LVE struggles getting off blocks. He’s not physical at the point of attack when he takes on a blocker or has to fill a lane. A technique I noticed he and Jaylon like to do is this olay bull fighting move where they engage with the blocker get pushed back, and then try to use the blocker’s momentum against him by side stepping past him. It’s lame. I’ve literally seen them take themselves out of plays doing this.

I was rewatching the Pats game and that first big run they had on their opening drive was largely on him. He was slow in stepping into the hole that he was directly in front of; the play was there to be made. Instead, he waited, which allowed the OG time to engage him and then LVE made a weak attempt at the tackle.

I also believe the neck injury has impacted him physically. He looks really rigid and stiff when trying to breakdown to make a tackle. That wasn’t the case in 2018. Every LB will miss a tackle on occasion but that missed tackle he had in the open field against the Pats was Jaylonesque.

 

[INCowboysFan]

@vlad I don't think he is a fit for the system the Cowboys are running on defense this year. Quinn's defense wants fast LBs who can cover. Looks like Quinn is taking a LB or two off the field and replacing with one or two safeties or a safety and light DE.
LVE knows his responsibility on every play and seems to miss few tackles.
His ceiling looks to be solid but nothing spectacular in this system.

I doubt the Cowboys want to re-sign him and I highly doubt he wants to come back. He will be leaving in FA.

His 15.6% missed tackle rate suggests he is missing more than a few tackles.

 

[kskboys]

Injuries.

Yet another example of why you don't take injury prone players. Especially w/ 1st/2nd round picks.

 

[Bluedocd]

LVE struggles getting off blocks. He’s not physical at the point of attack when he takes on a blocker or has to fill a lane. A technique I noticed he and Jaylon like to do is this olay bull fighting move where they engage with the blocker get pushed back, and then try to use the blocker’s momentum against him by side stepping past him. It’s lame. I’ve literally seen them take themselves out of plays doing this.

I was rewatching the Pats game and that first big run they had on their opening drive was largely on him. He was slow in stepping into the hole that he was directly in front of; the play was there to be made. Instead, he waited, which allowed the OG time to engage him and then LVE made a weak attempt at the tackle.

I also believe the neck injury has impacted him physically. He looks really rigid and stiff when trying to breakdown to make a tackle. That wasn’t the case in 2018. Every LB will miss a tackle on occasion but that missed tackle he had in the open field against the Pats was Jaylonesque.

Glad to see I'm not the only one watching tape. On one play, LVE whiffed on a tackle at the line of scrimmage that should have prevented a big gain by NE running back. While LVE is not a liability like Jaylon was, he's far from being a superb or best linebacker. At this point I would say he's just a guy. It's more likely than not that he will be gone via free agency next year.