What about Sam Williams at LB?

[AsthmaField]

Based on... ?

No offense, but how would one even evaluate that for a guy who, from the snap of the ball, is far more often than not immediately engaging a blocker?

While those are legitimate concerns to examine, it makes no sense to me that anyone from the outside thinks they know "absolutely" anything about how he grades in those respects.

But, feel free to educate me. Maybe I'm just ignorant.... it happens.

You can see he doesn’t have the side to side quickness to play a 43 off ball LB where a good portion of what he’d be asked to do is coverage. He doesn’t have the hips and quickness for coverage, or to change directions quickly enough when a RB cuts back, etc.

Very good straight line speed but not the movement skills to be a 43 LB. That is my opinion, and I think it would be shared by most coaches, but if you want to disagree, feel free to do so.

Now, use him to clog a hole in short-yardage / goal-line situations? Sure, he would probably be fine at that… but I’d be pretty shocked if Quinn wanted him to play LB down-in and down-out for his defense.

I’ll stand by what I’ve already said: if you feel like you need big-time help at LB, then you plug Williams in on the edge and let Micah get snaps at LB. I can’t imagine they would want to do the opposite of that.

If they play Williams at LB consistently, feel free to throw a told-you-so my way. I’ll take it like a big boy.

 

[phildadon86]

Was just listening to a radio show and it was mentioned about Sam being a LB. Is it something he could do, something he could learn this sudden, something he'd want to risk for the betterment of the team.

If anything it would get him on the field more often. He has great speed, but speed isn't anything if you can't process what's happening and get to the ball! Please give your thoughts

First thing to do is take him off special teams. Hes a penalty magnet.

 

[Cowboyny]

Was just listening to a radio show and it was mentioned about Sam being a LB. Is it something he could do, something he could learn this sudden, something he'd want to risk for the betterment of the team.

If anything it would get him on the field more often. He has great speed, but speed isn't anything if you can't process what's happening and get to the ball! Please give your thoughts

It is that simple, playing linebacker is about seeing the play before it happens then attacking the runner before a blocker gets on you. Also, I haven't see him much in coverage.

 

[charron]

Not really because it limits what DQ has his linebackers do coverage wise. They'd have to change things to limit his exposure in coverage. It's something they should have experimented with in pre-season.

 

[Rockport]

Was just listening to a radio show and it was mentioned about Sam being a LB. Is it something he could do, something he could learn this sudden, something he'd want to risk for the betterment of the team.

If anything it would get him on the field more often. He has great speed, but speed isn't anything if you can't process what's happening and get to the ball! Please give your thoughts

What about leaving the defensive players decisions up to Dan Quinn. I think he might know a little more than you do.

 

[erod]

I have no clue how one would even begin to discern this. But please, educate me. How would one know with any certainty what exact coverage assignment Sam had on a given play, short of being able to hear the defensive call from DQ, and knowing how to interpret the vocab they use in their calls?

Not to call you out specifically, but I get the feeling we're a little too eager to presume that the occasional boneheaded penalty... be it Sam or anyone else... necessarily has some ubiquitous implication to the given player's intelligence overall... and thus, capacity (in this case) to learn coverage assignments.

Those are different things, though. Some things are just a matter of enough practice/experience. Some things are as much or more a matter of higher IQ. But regardless, those things are beyond our capacity on the outside to assess with any degree of objective, statistical confidence.

Have you not followed the history of Sam Williams?

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Exactly. How about we allow #11 to play some LB?

Exactly.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Our defense I think would be better having micah playin LB on 1st downs.

Shoot me.

I understand the coaches being enamored with Micah as a pass rusher but it still feels like a mistake not developing him as an LB.

 

[Bagman]

Anything to keep him from lining up offsides. In fact, offer the MLB job to Fowler, he's another guy who can't stay onsides.

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

Always nice to learn, a week or two or three after I'd proposed X, that X ends up being an idea others with bigger megaphones endorse.

Yes. Actually some of his draft scouting reports suggested he might find a better home as a LB... this one, for instance...

"Williams would be best as a heavy outside linebacker on a defense that likes to move its pieces around up front often to give him chances to win inside."


Have also proposed, given his freaky traits, you might just find out he's an excellent short-yardage rusher if you gave it a look in practice. Just might.

Great find Sturt, I am certainly no draft guru but I thought I had remembered this being talked about. Thanks for taking the effort to find it.

Don't think now is the time to find out if he can play, but people a lot more football-smart than myself would be making that decision.

 

[Roadtrip635]

The only way I'd want to see him at LB this season is if he were playing LB to stop a Tush Push.

 

[AKATheRake]

I think The rotation of Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams and Donte Fowler opposite side of Demarcus Lawrence is an option that can still create viable pass rush.

Micah Parsons at MLB but being moved around like last last year continues his proper necessary snap count and may even keep him fresher. Damone Clark remaining where he is and Rashan Evans on earlier downs and Marquise Bell in on passing downs is a very viable LB corps for running and passing downs.

 

[OGSixshooter]

I see a guy with supreme athletic ability but sometimes he makes boneheaded decisions. Another thing that disappoints me is that he can't win consistently when Micah is getting triple-teamed. Given his ability he should be cleaning ala Tony Tolbert.

I do think he can tackle Deebo though... if he's not on the other side of the field...

 

[_sturt_]

people a lot more football-smart than myself would be making that decision

I just love it when I discover intellectual humility on an internet sports forum. Too infrequent if you ask me.... and you didn't, of course.




That's all. As you were.

 

[Jarv]

I'd love to see Sam get more snaps. He seems to spell Parsons most of the time so it might be cool to see him attack over center like Parsons does sometimes.

 

[noshame]

Quinn uses the regular season to experiment with players, positions, and schemes. As the playoffs approach, he will have everybody dialed in like he did last year.

 

[OGSixshooter]

Quinn uses the regular season to experiment with players, positions, and schemes. As the playoffs approach, he will have everybody dialed in like he did last year.

I hope that's the case. I'm giving this defense the side-eye. I will say...we played SF really well on defense last year in the playoffs. It was our offense...

 

[Runwildboys]

They are lacking a tough MLB. Maybe lateral isn't as important as toughness in this case.

For stopping the run, lateral agility is definitely important.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Exactly. How about we allow #11 to play some LB?

If we do we have NO pass rush at all

 

[Big D]

If we do we have NO pass rush at all

We have to pick our spots. Use him as a pass rusher in obvious situations.