WHY LVE? Someone please convince me!

[jday]

Is it the elite athleticism? Or the otherworldly stats he put up in his one year of starting?

Whatever the reason, all those reasons are reasons I see as buyer beware. He used his athleticism, not technique, to garner all those stats. And in my experience of watching football tells me you never take that guy in the first round because he is going to have to learn to not rely so much on his athleticism.

Furthermore, the guy has clearly struggled getting off of blocks. If he is to be our new Middle Linebacker, that is something he will encounter on almost every play. I have no questions on his ability to get from sideline to sideline and I will grant you he probably adds something in coverage, which will certainly be useful. But if he can't get off NFL blocks (when he struggled to do so against questionable competition), then he, in my opinion, has the highest bust potential of anyone currently being linked to the Cowboys.

Meanwhile, Rashaan Evans has exhibited the ability to get off blocks and explodes to the ball carrier. I suspect his stats are not all that impressive because he has been sharing a field with several other players slotted to go in the first two days (Minkah Fitzpatrick and Daron Payne, for example). He faced better competition and played with better competition to get to the ball. Between he and LVE, he is by far the most pro ready. So why is LVE being viewed as the better option over Rashaan? Can anyone make a logical argument that makes sense to take LVE over Rashaan?

 

[Teague31]

Floor and ceiling.

And Evans is probably a two down player while they are LVE as never coming off the field

 

[Sarge]

I hope they convince you b/c absent a trade up - he is the pick.

 

[DBOY3141]

position flex......can play all 3 spots.

cowboys love them some position flex.

 

[jday]

Floor and ceiling.

And Evans is probably a two down player while they are LVE as never coming off the field

Hmmm. Interesting argument. I've seen this before.

Let's flesh it out, shall we?

People call Rashaan Evans more of a two-down player because he excels against the run and wasn't used as much in coverage at Alabama. Therein is the conclusion I suspect many have leaped to regarding Rashaan; he wasn't used in that capacity therefore he must not be very good at it. Sound about right?

Meanwhile, LVE put up stupid stats both against the run and showed flashes in coverage. Here's the problem: he did all of that exclusively using his elite (especially compared to that level of competition) athleticism. In the pro's, his athleticism while still on par, will not get him very far if he can't get off blocks. As a MLB, he will be next to useless if he can't get off blocks.

So while his ceiling as result of his athleticism may be higher, the leap many fans are asking him to make is truly unreal. If he can't get off blocks against his current level of competition, how in the heck do you expect him to do it in the pro's?

As many times as we Cowboys fans in particular have seen this story play out, it truly boggles my mind that there are actual people whose opinion I respect are actually hoping for this guy at 19. Our teams history is littered with players who were more athlete than football player and were out of the league within 3 years of being drafted...and we want this guy at 19?

I want defense over everything, but I'd rather have Ridley than LVE if for no other reason at least with Ridley we will get some immediate returns on our investment. I'm not seeing it with LVE.

 

[jday]

I hope they convince you b/c absent a trade up - he is the pick.

BUT WHY????

 

[DBOY3141]

BUT WHY????

Because Sean Lee said so.

 

[Sydla]

I'd rather have Evans.

 

[jujoboys]

BUT WHY????

Exactly!!! I think you can get a couple of LB's later in the draft. I'm not sold on LVE or Evans. I hope they are smoke screens. I think we need to continue building in the trenches (OLine and DLine). My ideal draft would have DLine in the 1st round, followed by OLine in the 2nd round.

 

[Typhus]

Sutton will be the pick at 19 with Ridley already gone, and Jerry having a hypertension attack thinking about no Dez,,,,,,
Not really just bustin your balls, but either pick would be like sucking cow manure through a straw.

 

[Macnalty]

I'd rather have Evans.

I agree but only if he checks out medically, he is reasonable for that pick in the first rd. I would rather have Davenport slip but this logical.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

If the rumors are to be believed then Dallas supposedly sees the next coming of Brian Urlacher in LVE. If their scouting department and coaches truly feel that way then they need to run to the podium if he is there at 19.

 

[jday]

Because Sean Lee said so.

Spssh. What does he know???

 

[Sydla]

If the rumors are to be believed then Dallas supposedly sees the next coming of Brian Urlacher in LVE. If their scouting department and coaches truly feel that way then they need to run to the podium if he is there at 19.

Did Marinelli and Urlacher cross in Chicago?

 

[Typhus]

I agree but only if he checks out medically, he is reasonable for that pick in the first rd. I would rather have Davenport slip but this logical.

Don't get your hopes up too high, and not trying to crush your bubble,, but you really think without a major trade up, that Evans is even a remote possibility?

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Did Marinelli and Urlacher cross in Chicago?

Marinelli was his D-Coordinator for a few years.

 

[jday]

Exactly!!! I think you can get a couple of LB's later in the draft. I'm not sold on LVE or Evans. I hope they are smoke screens. I think we need to continue building in the trenches (OLine and DLine). My ideal draft would have DLine in the 1st round, followed by OLine in the 2nd round.

Oh, I'm absolutely with you there. My dream mock:

1. Vita Vea DT
2. Braden Smith / Austen Corbett OG
3. Anthony Miller WR
4. Genard Avery and Tegray Scales LB (the Cowboys have two picks in the fourth)
5. Akrum Wadley RB
6. PJ Hall DT, Dimitri Flowers FB, Tre Flowers S (3 in the 6th)
7. Daurice Fountain WR (maybe)

So, like I said, I'm absolutely with you. But if they have to take a linebacker at 19, Rashaan Evans over LVE...even if that's still a bit of reach, I don't care, because we all know neither will be there in the second round at 50.

 

[DBOY3141]

Did Marinelli and Urlacher cross in Chicago?

3 years as DC. 2009-2012. urlacher retired in 2013.

 

[Sydla]

Don't get your hopes up too high, and not trying to crush your bubble,, but you really think without a major trade up, that Evans is even a remote possibility?

Are you confusing Evans with someone else? Maybe Edmunds, the LB from Virginia Tech?

Because there's a decent chance Evans will be there at 19.

 

[Sydla]

Marinelli was his D-Coordinator for a few years.

Ugh.