My Cowboys Linebackers Rankings

[AsthmaField]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread but if you guys haven't watched Denzel Perryman play LB, you need to go watch some tape of him. He is going to be a fantastic LB in the league for a long, long time and I would not mind adding him to the LB mix at all.

Normally, if you run a 43 defense, I don't really like to draft LB in round 1 because you can find really good ones in later rounds... but I would not be upset if Dallas used the #27 on that guy. He could play any LB spot you wanted him to. He flies around and when he gets to the ball, the runner goes down in a hurry. He'll run right through you.

I'd rather have DE or DT but if there are none we like at 27 and no corners we like... I would be on board with Perryman and he likely could be the BPA at 27.

Just a really, really good football player with terrific instincts. Reminds me a lot of London Fletcher actually. Short but not small at all.

A mix of Perryman, Lee, Hitchens, McClain, Durant and Wilber would be a great LB corps. I know Perryman is a MLB but he has played some outside too and could play either WLB or SLB.

WLB - Lee
MLB - McClain
SLB - Perryman

Marinelli would be able to use any combination he wanted to at LB.

 

[EST_1986]

When HEALTHY...

If* with most of those guys

 

[StarBoyz83]

Need to draft and get fa lbs for sure. durant will be cheap but will most lijely get hurt. Lee will get hurt. We dont even know if romac will play. If carter wants more than 3-4 million hes gone.

 

[BAT]

Lee
McClain
Durant
Hitch
Carter
Wilber

I put Hitchens above Carter because more versatile

Hitch is only better than Carter at WILL, Carter is much much better than Hitch at both MIKE and SAM. For now anyway.

 

[Everson24]

Count me on the Hitchens bandwagon I think he's going to be a big time player for us moving forward

I love Hitchens' game. He is just the type of player we need to keep drafting. Smart, instinctive, tough, hard hitter, good tackler and just loves to play the game. Great pick by the Cowboys front office.

 

[LatinMind]

This is my list when all are HEALTHY. I know they line up differently and this is based on my opinion....Just bored I guess. Oh, yes I think Durant is that good!

1. Sean Lee
2. Rolando McClain
3. Justin Durant
4. Bruce Carter
5. Anthony Hitchens
6. Kyle Wilber

Sean Lee
Bruce Carter
Rolando McClain
Anthony Hitchens
Kyle Wilber
Cam Lawrence

I didnt add Durant because i think with the addition of Hitchens i think Durant is expendable. Out of all the FA LBers i still think Carter is the most important. He is the better playermaker of the 3 FAs and he makes the most plays. Dallas has 3 starter types that can play the WILL (Lee,Hitchens, and Durant). They also have 3 who can start at the MIKE (Lee, McClain, and Hitchens). But they only have 1 who has been effective starting at the SAM and thats Carter. Durant was horrible there and Hitchens couldnt play the run as good with the heavier guys beating on him.

Of the 3(Carter, McClain, Durant) IMO the easy choices should be Carter and McClain because of Hitchens. Hitchens and Durant are basically the same player but one is alot younger. Allow hitchens to back up all 3 spots and play in packages and to give some breathers. Dallas knows what they have in Hitchens. But at this Point in time Carter McClain and Lee are all better.

Carter: Athletic freak who can play the run or drop in coverage, can come up with turnovers.
McClain: Physical guy in the middle and can get turnovers awell when needed.
Lee: Best all around LBer probably in the NFL. You took at his turnovers and he has more then any LBer in the NFL over the last 4 yrs in half the games.

 

[Wood]

This is my list when all are HEALTHY. I know they line up differently and this is based on my opinion....Just bored I guess. Oh, yes I think Durant is that good!

1. Sean Lee
2. Rolando McClain
3. Justin Durant
4. Bruce Carter
5. Anthony Hitchens
6. Kyle Wilber

I am assuming this is based on Carter good games because for long stretches of season he would be accurately switch ranking with Hitchens.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

1. Lee
2.Durant
3.McClain
4.Hitchens
5.Carter

 

[Derinyar]

Cowboys linebackers right now are
Lee
Hitchens
Wilber
Watson
Keith Smith

They can keep Cam Lawrence if they want to with little he can likely say about. I think we have to sign at least one and more likely two starting level, or very high level backup, guys.

 

[jobberone]

That list is when they're going in to camp.

It will look like this after the first week in Oxnard:

1. Anthony Hitchens
2. Kyle Wilber
3. Justin Durant (day-to-day with hamstring)
4. Bruce Carter (demoted for missing assignments)
5. Rolando McClain (missing for personal reasons [under suspicion of sabotaging the Space Shuttle])
6. Sean Lee (missing and presumed dead after spontaneously combusting in first half hour of camp)

Your song is now 'Helplessly Hoping'.

 

[jobberone]

It will be difficult to keep Durant's snap count low. Right now I'd consider playing Carter at Mike, Lee at Will and Ro at Sam with Durant and Lee in the nickel. Carter plays well at Mike and I'd like him there on the field. Hitchens will get snaps filling in for injuries. That's likely to be wrong but what I'd do.

 

[LatinMind]

It will be difficult to keep Durant's snap count low. Right now I'd consider playing Carter at Mike, Lee at Will and Ro at Sam with Durant and Lee in the nickel. Carter plays well at Mike and I'd like him there on the field. Hitchens will get snaps filling in for injuries. That's likely to be wrong but what I'd do.

Why would you switch Carter and McClain spots?

 

[cowboys2233]

What makes you think that Durant is going to be able to make it through a season? He and Lee are incredibly injury prone to this point in their careers. All manner of leg problems.

I'll take 15 games from Hitchens Carter and McClain over 6 from those two any day and twice on Sundays.

So he clearly makes the point that this is his list when all players are healthy (even typing it in all caps), and you turn around and start questioning his list because of injury-prone players? Really? Reading comprehension isn't a crime, you know.

 

[cowboys2233]

Lee
McClain
Durant
Hitch
Carter
Wilber

I put Hitchens above Carter because more versatile

This is the right answer.

 

[cowboys2233]

This is my list when all are HEALTHY. I know they line up differently and this is based on my opinion....Just bored I guess. Oh, yes I think Durant is that good!

1. Sean Lee
2. Rolando McClain
3. Justin Durant
4. Bruce Carter
5. Anthony Hitchens
6. Kyle Wilber

Almost perfect. Just need to switch Carter and Hitchens. Hitchens is clearly the better football player,

 

[cowboys2233]

1. Lee
2.Durant
3.McClain
4.Hitchens
5.Carter

I could get on board with this list as well. That's probably the toughest choice, Durant or McClain at #2.

 

[cowboys2233]

That list is when they're going in to camp.

It will look like this after the first week in Oxnard:

1. Anthony Hitchens
2. Kyle Wilber
3. Justin Durant (day-to-day with hamstring)
4. Bruce Carter (demoted for missing assignments)
5. Rolando McClain (missing for personal reasons [under suspicion of sabotaging the Space Shuttle])
6. Sean Lee (missing and presumed dead after spontaneously combusting in first half hour of camp)

This is pretty funny, in a very sad and distressing kind of way. LOL.

 

[jobberone]

Why would you switch Carter and McClain spots?

Because Carter actually performed better at Mike than Sam this year. In fact he had some very strong games. I've always though Ro was better at Sam. You could switch them and it might make no difference or they may both be better there. Carter had some strong games at the Sam and seemed to find a home there at one time. A lot of it depends on how comfortable the player is at a position.

Heck, one or both may not even be with the club so this is all an exercise in possibilities.

A take home lesson is we are in good shape with Carter, Lee, Durant, Hitchens and Ro. Three of those have to be resigned so....

 

[Brooksey]

Because Carter actually performed better at Mike than Sam this year. In fact he had some very strong games. I've always though Ro was better at Sam. You could switch them and it might make no difference or they may both be better there. Carter had some strong games at the Sam and seemed to find a home there at one time. A lot of it depends on how comfortable the player is at a position.

Heck, one or both may not even be with the club so this is all an exercise in possibilities.

A take home lesson is we are in good shape with Carter, Lee, Durant, Hitchens and Ro. Three of those have to be resigned so....

I'm not sure about that. I thought Carter had his best games at Sam, although Carter played OK at the middle a few times and had a big drop off at Will. For some reason he hates playing the Will, those were the Bruce Carter "lazy games". I think Carter is turning out to be a great Sam linebacker, has nice speed off the edge, supports the run , good in coverage. Rolando seems like a natural at Mike, and Lee could be a terror at the Will, IMO.

 

[jobberone]

I'm not sure about that. I thought Carter had his best games at Sam, although Carter played OK at the middle a few times and had a big drop off at Will. For some reason he hates playing the Will, those were the Bruce Carter "lazy games". I think Carter is turning out to be a great Sam linebacker, has nice speed off the edge, supports the run , good in coverage. Rolando seems like a natural at Mike, and Lee could be a terror at the Will, IMO.

Carter has played well at Sam and Mike. I still don't know what to make of him. I'm happy with Hitch, Ro, Carter, Lee and Durant. Bring another guy in and let them compete.