Heath at LB

[BigStar]

I have thought and continue to think that Church could be a very good WLB in Marinelli's scheme. I also think Dixon could if given a chance.

I know it won't happen for either one of them but I think it would be worth taking a look at. There are always big hitting safeties in college that don't quite cover well enough for the pros.

Thomas Davis is the poster boy for the college safety to NFL OLB. He was a big hitting safety at Georgia who was questionable in coverage and the Panthers drafted him and promptly moved him to WOLB. He was a tad slow and not great in coverage for a safety... but he had rare speed and terrific coverage for a LB.

It has always made sense to me to make that move if you run a 43 defense where speed is paramount over just about anything else. Dixon seems like a really good candidate for that move. It doesn't happen very often in the NFL though, so I guess there are more issues with it than I'm seeing, with size being the main drawback. Dixon is 6-0 215, so he would have to put on about 20 pounds eventually, but that is doable for sure.

Anyway, I'm not really banging on my drum for them to make the move, because I know they won't do it. I'm just saying that it has always seemed like a good idea to me when you have a guy like Church or Dixon. It certainly worked extremely well for Carolina with Thomas Davis. I do think that Davis weighed a little more (around 225 IIRC), but not that much more. Like Dixon he was well known for his big hits and toughness.

Coakley was 5 '10 225. They could easily play WLB in this scheme (Church). Before all the "not gonna happen" posts...why exactly? The studs @ LB and our coaching prowess determining it a no-go? C'mon.

 

[The Natural]

If you want a linebacker you draft a linebacker. Historically have there been exceptions? Sure but Y'all kill me with these theories of moving DB's who would get pummeled by opposing offensive lines to LB

 

[BigStar]

Then maybe the GM and Head Coach should do a better job of building roster depth so we don't have to depend on such an untalented player who is in over his head.


The "hate" comes from him 1)being awful and 2) this board's insistence that he was Charlie Waters/Bill Bates.

So obvious

 

[BigStar]

If you want a linebacker you draft a linebacker. Historically have there been exceptions? Sure but Y'all kill me with these theories of moving DB's who would get pummeled by opposing offensive lines to LB

Like the current LB group isn't? (They are the same size) Football isn't advanced mathematics; laughing with the last ranked D?

 

[jobberone]

Then maybe the GM and Head Coach should do a better job of building roster depth so we don't have to depend on such an untalented player who is in over his head.


The "hate" comes from him 1)being awful and 2) this board's insistence that he was Charlie Waters/Bill Bates.

Who is insisting that?

 

[BigStar]

Who is insisting that?

His "potential"? Getting trucked (learning how to fake strip) and he's fast. Keep em on board? A real team would have brought in options that show how laughable this "attempt" really is.

 

[The Natural]

Like the current LB group isn't? (They are the same size) Football isn't advanced mathematics; laughing with the last ranked D?

So we agree that moving church or any other safety to LB does not improve this defense..why again are we discussing this?

 

[BigStar]

So we agree that moving church or any other safety to LB does not improve this defense..why again are we discussing this?

How do we know that? Our big S is terrible @ coverage? The article states the Panthers took Davis and put him @ LB right away; correct move? Yeah, we got it!

 

[jobberone]

His "potential"? Getting trucked (learning how to fake strip) and he's fast. Keep em on board?

Some including the team like his athleticism, ST play, and physicality. It's obvious to anyone he isn't ready to play safety....yet.

On another note I've said Church might be able to play the Will and LB in the nickel. But until they have two other safeties who can play well there then he's going nowhere. Dixon might be able to play nickel LB but I'd like to see how he covers and I can't really see that without the All 22.

I think most Wills need to be at least 225 to play the run.

 

[BigStar]

If you want a linebacker you draft a linebacker. Historically have there been exceptions? Sure but Y'all kill me with these theories of moving DB's who would get pummeled by opposing offensive lines to LB

You don't like Woodson too much huh? But I covered that with the exceptions part! Not really.

 

[BigStar]

Some including the team like his athleticism, ST play, and physicality. It's obvious to anyone he isn't ready to play safety....yet.

On another note I've said Church might be able to play the Will and LB in the nickel. But until they have two other safeties who can play well there then he's going nowhere. Dixon might be able to play nickel LB but I'd like to see how he covers and I can't really see that without the All 22.

I think most Wills need to be at least 225 to play the run.

So we wait around for a potential starter @ S? How many seasons...sad. He needs to learn a new position to impress (it aint S)

 

[jobberone]

So we wait around for a potential starter @ S? How many seasons...sad.

I didn't say that. They have several safeties on the team with a couple of guys who look like they may be able to play.

Unless you draft a S high then you are really rolling the dice on finding an immediate starter. This team continues to have holes and depth issues because of poor drafting and cap problems. You can argue they should have drafted one S from the last two drafts but they are plugging the right holes IMO. If Romo has 3+ years left then you want him on his feet and playing.

Hopefully Wilcox, Hamilton or Dixon or even player X can play with Church. Then you need some depth.

 

[BigStar]

I didn't say that. They have several safeties on the team with a couple of guys who look like they may be able to play.

Unless you draft a S high then you are really rolling the dice on finding an immediate starter. This team continues to have holes and depth issues because of poor drafting and cap problems. You can argue they should have drafted one S from the last two drafts but they are plugging the right holes IMO. If Romo has 3+ years left then you want him on his feet and playing.

Hopefully Wilcox, Hamilton or Dixon or even player X can play with Church. Then you need some depth.

One SS replacement for Church is not applying resources to the position no matter our team speak. We lost on Roy!

 

[RS12]

I'd rather see Heath at BK

Maybe the greatest sig of all time.

 

[jobberone]

One SS replacement for Church is not applying resources to the position no matter our team speak. We lost on Roy!

My point was you can't expect a starting S unless you draft one high generally in the first although the first two days. We are drafting some to play S but not anyone you'd generally expect to start. You get what you pay for....if you're careful and lucky. Church wasn't a high draft choice IIRC.

 

[the_h0wey]

Draft status buys him another year.

Just like Danny Coale...

 

[AsthmaField]

If you want a linebacker you draft a linebacker. Historically have there been exceptions? Sure but Y'all kill me with these theories of moving DB's who would get pummeled by opposing offensive lines to LB

I understand what you're saying and typically I agree with you at most positions... but Dixon wouldn't get pummeled by OL any more than Will Smith, who nobody has a problem with Marinelli putting at LB.

Dixon is a good football player but if he isn't good enough in coverage, a player like him won't even make the team these days. I'm saying that if he isn't going to make the team because he gets exposed against WR's too much, then try the guy at WOLB where his speed and coverage will be above average for his position. The WOLB is pretty protected in this scheme anyway.

If Dixon is good enough at safety to play, then by all means leave him there.

 

[Texas_Pete]

Yes, in the Nickel defense a LB is replaced by a DB.

Yo X - what about Church replaces Carter (or Durant) while Dixon replaces Church at S? This is assuming Dixon continues to make progress.

 

[casmith07]

Re-watched 1st defensive series. Wilbur played 1st snap and last snap ( fumble). After the first play, Dixon came in at safety and Heath played lb with Durant and Carter. Is that a possible future for Church? What was up with that?

Does LB mean "left bench?"

 

[xwalker]

Yo X - what about Church replaces Carter (or Durant) while Dixon replaces Church at S? This is assuming Dixon continues to make progress.

Yes, it's possible that Church could be a Nickel LB in some situations. They didn't use a Safety that way last season, but they didn't have anybody to replace Church at the Safety position.

I expect the Nickel LBs to be Holloman and Carter or Durant.

The hype for Dixon might be a little premature. We need to see him in more coverage situations which was expected to be his weak spot. He was a know big hitter which is primarily what he did in the preseason game.