Vela's Blog - OLB Analysis

[dwmyers]

I will just have to disagree with you here and I think most others will too..

Face it, the only direct comparisons we have at this moment are of a healthy Manny and an injured Bobby, so what anybody says about them become irrelevant once Bobby is fully healthy.

MiStar has pointed out that Bobby ran a 4.53 40 when healthy. That's faster than a lot of running backs.

David.

 

[Smith22]

I like Carpenter in a trade down, IF we think he will still be there. Plenty of teams behind us need help at LB'er, so I'm not so sure. The thing I worry about with Lawson is his frame and whether or not he can keep adding weight, his base is REALLY skinny IMO. Carpenter should be able to step in and play right away, and by the looks of some of our moves, we are looking to win now, not later. Either way, I will be happy as long as the boys have faith that Manny can make the transition, but I'm more inclined to pick Carpenter at this point. Jason Allen WITHOUT the hip injury would have been my pick before.

 

[austintodallas]

I like Carpenter in a trade down, IF we think he will still be there.

He won't be. Carpenter has Pats written all over him.

If we don't take him, he's gone at 21.

 

[AdamJT13]

The predraft Merriman-vs.-Ware debates didn't really get into full swing until after the draft because 1) hardly anyone had ever seen Ware play 2) hardly anyone thought that Ware would be selected early in the first round until a week or so before the draft.

The Merriman-vs.-Ware debates started at least two weeks before the draft when Rick Gosselin projected us to draft Ware at No. 11 in his first mock on April 10. (He projected us to draft Spears at No. 20, too.)

In the days from then until the draft, there were threads on this board titled "Sacks by Game - Ware & Merriman," "Ware OVER Merriman (and MW)," "Merriman over Ware" and "Merriman/Ware Analysis from NFL.com" -- and those are just the threads with both players in the title.

 

[Smith22]

The Merriman-vs.-Ware debates started at least two weeks before the draft when Rick Gosselin projected us to draft Ware at No. 11 in his first mock on April 10. (He projected us to draft Spears at No. 20, too.)

In the days from then until the draft, there were threads on this board titled "Sacks by Game - Ware & Merriman," "Ware OVER Merriman (and MW)," "Merriman over Ware" and "Merriman/Ware Analysis from NFL.com" -- and those are just the threads with both players in the title.

Adam,

Do you have some names that your interested in come draft day? If so, who? Just curious.

 

[speedkilz88]

Are Ohio St. 40 times reliable? Hawk ran in the low 4.6's on the new combine turf, I think that time is more realistic than the Ohio St. times of he and Carpenter that have been thrown at. Not saying Carpenter doesn't have good speed, just not as fast as Ohio St. times.

 

[Vintage]

Remember....

Carpenter did run his 40 at the Combine while still not 100%.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Some nice analysis here from one of Vela's sources regarding Wimbley vs. Lawson vs. Carpenter...

http://theboysblog.com/

reading that bit about Carpenter just put him #1 on my list

 

[theogt]

reading that bit about Carpenter just put him #1 on my list

Wow. Makes me want to start a blog and say everyone should deposit money into my bank account.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Wow. Makes me want to start a blog and say everyone should deposit money into my bank account.

you would need an NFL scout telling us that your bank account was the best

 

[theogt]

you would need an NFL scout telling us that your bank account was the best

I can just put quotes around it and contribute it to Jeff Ireland himself.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I can just put quotes around it and contribute it to Jeff Ireland himself.

Andrew Carnegie reincarnated as theogt?

 

[MiStar]

The Merriman-vs.-Ware debates started at least two weeks before the draft when Rick Gosselin projected us to draft Ware at No. 11 in his first mock on April 10. (He projected us to draft Spears at No. 20, too.)

In the days from then until the draft, there were threads on this board titled "Sacks by Game - Ware & Merriman," "Ware OVER Merriman (and MW)," "Merriman over Ware" and "Merriman/Ware Analysis from NFL.com" -- and those are just the threads with both players in the title.

True. But the Merriman vs. DJ threads started getting really hot sometime around January or February, and continued all the way up to draft day. The whole Carpenter vs. Lawson thing has been going on for a long time. I would say that the recent Wimbley discussion most closely resembles the Ware discussion that we had last year.

 

[Jay9508]

which ever OLB that gets to the QB the most (carpenter) is the player i want on the team.

 

[Wezsh0T]

not having seen any of these guys in games, I went to look at the highlight reels on msn. I have to say that Lawson's highlights remind me a lot of Ware. Carpenter seems solid, but not flashy. This might be obvious, but in the same highlights, AJ Hawk looked alot better than Carpenter.

 

[big dog cowboy]

This might be obvious, but in the same highlights, AJ Hawk looked alot better than Carpenter.

That is why Hawk is a top 5-7 pick.

 

[Vintage]

which ever OLB that gets to the QB the most (carpenter) is the player i want on the team.

I disagree. While I want our SOLB to be able to rush the passer, I don't think we need him to have pass rushing as his strength.

Our SOLB needs to be able to take on blockers, shed blockers, cover TE's, have good speed, etc.

Carpenter is all of that.

And he lined up in dime situations for tOSU as a pass rusher, meaning he can rush the QB just fine.


To me, the aforementioned characteristics are more important (Carpenter) than just having a great speed rusher (Lawson).

 

[theogt]

I disagree. While I want our SOLB to be able to rush the passer, I don't think we need him to have pass rushing as his strength.

Our SOLB needs to be able to take on blockers, shed blockers, cover TE's, have good speed, etc.

Carpenter is all of that.

And he lined up in dime situations for tOSU as a pass rusher, meaning he can rush the QB just fine.


To me, the aforementioned characteristics are more important (Carpenter) than just having a great speed rusher (Lawson).

There's something very peculiar about this post, which leads me to believe you have a bias towards Carpenter.

 

[Vintage]

There's something very peculiar about this post, which leads me to believe you have a bias towards Carpenter.

I don't have a bias towards him as in I back tOSU.

I could care less for tOSU.

But I do believe Carpenter to be the better fit for our defense than Lawson. I have made that statement numerous times. The only bias I have is that I want Dallas to draft the best OLB for our team, if we choose to go OLB in round one. And I believe that to be Carpenter.

 

[theogt]

I don't have a bias towards him as in I back tOSU.

I could care less for tOSU.

But I do believe Carpenter to be the better fit for our defense than Lawson. I have made that statement numerous times. The only bias I have is that I want Dallas to draft the best OLB for our team, if we choose to go OLB in round one. And I believe that to be Carpenter.

I love how people assume that Carpenter is better against the run and shedding blocks, etc. when it's Lawson who played DE in college. Carpenter for the most part was standing up and running at the ball carrier.