Will first-round pick Bobby Carpenter be inactive for the whole season?

[joseephuss]

In the end, I think the pick of Carpenter will be compared more to McNeil rather than Lawson. Parcells had an idea that Ellis would be okay at OLB, so Lawson would see little playing time. The O-line was and still is a bigger question mark, concern than the linebacking corp. Over time, it may be proven that Dallas should have addressed the O-line early than adding a linebacker. Right now, it is too soon to tell. I wasn't enamored with the Carpenter pick, nor was I overly dissappointed.

 

[Stautner]

What are you talking about? Why would we sign Akin to a 4+ year deal if we didnt think he would work. Plus we had Singleton and we knew he was pretty good. Plus we had Shanle and Boiman. We had plenty of LB's

Let's all unclutter our minds and think back to draft day for a second.

* Carpenter was drafted as an OLB who could play the run, cover and rush the passer - a well rounded and verstile LB.

* Ayodele was signed to play ILB.

* Burnett was coming off yet another surgery.

* Ellis was a DE who hadn't even been talked about as an OLB yet, much less practiced it.

* Shanle played ILB all year in 2005 and was really borderline anyway.

* Singleton was coming back from injury AND had never been considered suitable for the 3-4 defense.

BOTTOM LINE: We really only had one OLB (Ware) that we felt both fit the 3-4 defense and was healthy at the time we drafted Carpenter.

As for the argument that you can never draft the 2nd best LB on a team, that's so illogical that I hesitate to even mention it. Obviously it is possible to have 2 very good LB's on the same team ....... that one deserves a big DUHHHHHH.

 

[StarAmongStars]

Lawson plays for a team that lacks overall talent of course he is starting there he be on the bench in Dallas behind Greg Ellis and he be learing a new poistion since he was a DE in college.

So whats your point plus Shanle was going to be backup or cut from this team.

Keep throwing those same comments against the wall maybe they will stick one day.

Carpenter should be active and at least playing special teams, regardless of the better players in front of him.

Also the point about Shanle is that he is a better player than Carpenter and is on pace for 95+ tackles in NO. You know he's licking his chops for the game against us so he can prove we made a mistake letting him go, he was an absolute steal for a 4th round pick.

 

[trickblue]

He'll be inactive all season because he's a bust and sucks....should have taken Manny Lawson who's on his way to rookie of the year. Better yet we shouldn't have got rid of Shanle who is currently making a splash with the 2-0 Saints.

How can you make that assumption two games into his rookie season?

Troy Aikman didn't exactly light it up his rookie season, nor did Randy White. As a matter of fact, White came in as a LB which he played fro two years before moving to the DL. Michael Irvin was very average his first year.

Carpenter may very well end up being a bust down the road, but there is no way to tell at this point...

 

[FLcowboy]

What a awful 1st round pick. Hell the guy didnt even play in Ohio St. bowl game against Notre Dame and their defense didnt even miss him.

I guess you win some and lose some with the draft but who drafts a LB in the 1st round when he isnt even the best LB on the team?

Kind of hard to break into the starting lineup that is loaded with talent, but I agree he isn't the impact player everybody thought he would be. I would guess he will start impacting around mid-year, given he is learning a new position, not to mention also learning the NFL. But, he wasn't drafted to be an impact player, since Parcells already had Singleton at OLB, and was thinking of trying Ellis at the same position.

Singleton's value is that of a very steady performer who rarely makes mistakes. I would guess he will not be re-signed after this year, and Carpenter may again be moved to the outside as a backup.

Carpenter's value will mean more next year when the draft will probably concentrate more on offensive players.

 

[Stautner]

How can you make that assumption two games into his rookie season?

Troy Aikman didn't exactly light it up his rookie season, nor did Randy White. As a matter of fact, White came in as a LB which he played fro two years before moving to the DL. Michael Irvin was very average his first year.

Carpenter may very well end up being a bust down the road, but there is no way to tell at this point...

This is so simple and obvious that it makes you question the rationality of anyone who would disagree with it.

This frankly is an indisputable statement.

 

[Phrozen Phil]

Kind of hard to break into the starting lineup that is loaded with talent, but I agree he isn't the impact player everybody thought he would be. I would guess he will start impacting around mid-year, given he is learning a new position, not to mention also learning the NFL. But, he wasn't drafted to be an impact player, since Parcells already had Singleton at OLB, and was thinking of trying Ellis at the same position.

Singleton's value is that of a very steady performer who rarely makes mistakes. I would guess he will not be re-signed after this year, and Carpenter may again be moved to the outside as a backup.

Carpenter's value will mean more next year when the draft will probably concentrate more on offensive players.

Bingo! He was never regarded as a an "impact player", but he is and can be a steady, quality player who will contribute for many years. Lots of folks want the flashy player who is always in the spotlight, but there are players who show up on the stat sheet after a win that nobody notices. Jevon Kearse comes to mind as guy who can play, but rarely stays healthy for any length of time. Our current D-Line is looking like the steady, solid group that will win more games than it loses. Last game: 6 defensive players contributed on 6 sacks. Carpenter looks like the kind of player who will contribute to a defense that dominates as a group, but not as individuals.

 

[zrinkill]

I have never seen such knee jerk remarks about a guy who has played one game.

 

[BigD_95]

First I never said the guy will be a bust and he might be a "quality player who will contribute for many years" but that wasn't a need in the draft and we could have used a player in a different position before we drafted a project in the first rd that someday MIGHT be ok. This team needs immediate help not 3 years from now when Bill will be gone.

You don't draft a 1st rd player as a down the road project.

Even the thought of someone saying that is laughable.

Now after we draft the guy and realized he isn't what he was cracked up to be.

Then we can hope & pray that down the road he will be a "quality player who will contribute for many years' is ok.

But don't tell me they drafted him with that in mind. That's a joke!

 

[TNCowboy]

Why was this even posted? He's already played, so no, he won't be inactive for the entire season.

 

[dogberry]

Fox has Lawson as an inside backer on its depth chart(3-4) and in the write up as a weak side 4-3 backer. CBS has him as the right outside backer in a 3-4. NBC shows Lawson as an inside linebacker. The official site has him as a ROLB in a 3-4. Looks like he would be competing with Ware for a job.

 

[junk]

How can you make that assumption two games into his rookie season?

Troy Aikman didn't exactly light it up his rookie season, nor did Randy White. As a matter of fact, White came in as a LB which he played fro two years before moving to the DL. Michael Irvin was very average his first year.

Carpenter may very well end up being a bust down the road, but there is no way to tell at this point...

Unfortunately, we're not dealing with any sort of logic here. This is either trolling or agenda driven. Perhaps both.

The unfortunate thing is that many fans will throw a guy under the bus in order to prop up some guy they liked. Every junior GM wants to be right these days.

 

[junk]

Things worked out well for Dallas at LB this offseason. I've said this before, I'll say it again. Consider the alternate scenario:

Ellis fails/quits in the move to OLB.

Dallas drafts someone other than Carpenter.

Your OLB depth chart is as follows: Singleton, Boiman.

That is Singleton/Fujita all over again. I'll support Singleton to the bitter end, but I still wanted an upgrade at the position. OLB has to be a playmaker in this defense.

I do think this board needs to look into it's banning enforcement. You're getting the same two or three idiots coming on here spewing the same rhetoric. There can't be that many people out there that think Shanle is a good player.

 

[blindzebra]

What are you talking about? Why would we sign Akin to a 4+ year deal if we didnt think he would work. Plus we had Singleton and we knew he was pretty good. Plus we had Shanle and Boiman. We had plenty of LB's

Plenty of crappy LBs is more like it.

Plus one thing I forgot to bring up...when we drafted Carpenter we did not know if we'd be able to re-sign James, so once again a big, versatile LB WAS A DRAFT PRIORITY.

To think otherwise and to throw the name Shanle into the mix only shows a complete lack of credibility.

 

[tomson75]

http://i85.***BLOCKED***/albums/k68/thompson75/gay_thread.jpg

AHHHH!!! Blindzebra!!! Why oh why did you have to do it! This thread was so close to extinction. Well, since its back up here...

This topic is seriously getting old.

1. - The whole thread is pointless becasue he WAS active this past week.

2. - We drafted him because we needed OLB help AT THE TIME OF THE DRAFT.

3. - The same people calling him a bust are no doubt the same people that called James a bust...What happened yesterday?

4. - ANYONE whom thinks Shanle's perfermance in N.O. has been anything but mediocre is an idiot.

5. - Its too bad the Moderators on this board aren't as quick to judge as some of the "talent scouts" on this board. It would be a far better place without you...and you know who YOU are.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

You're getting the same two or three idiots coming on here spewing the same rhetoric. There can't be that many people out there that think Shanle is a good player.

Isn't that the truth...

 

[peplaw06]

You don't draft a 1st rd player as a down the road project.

Even the thought of someone saying that is laughable.

http://img.***BLOCKED***/albums/v348/BPMdotEXE/Random/O_RLY.jpg

 

[Cowboys&Caps]

What are you talking about? Why would we sign Akin to a 4+ year deal if we didnt think he would work. Plus we had Singleton and we knew he was pretty good. Plus we had Shanle and Boiman. We had plenty of LB's

wow listen to yourself man....he is already better than Shanle (traded), Boiman (cut), Singleton (less playing time than carp).

your whole arguement was wrong

congrats

 

[baj1dallas]

No I didn't. We didn't take him in the 1st round in a area that we already had plenty of help. The problem with Carp is he wasn't the best LB on his team and how do you reach for a guy in the 1st rd where we already had enough players at that spot.

We needed help else where and should have drafted for those positions or traded down and then drafted for those positions. Instead of reaching for someone because someone knew his dad.

How many guys off that NC State front got drafted in the first round?

How much has Mario, the #1 pick, contributed so far? Hell even Reggie Bush's numbers aren't anything spectacular.

 

[Verdict]

I am not ready to throw the baby out with the bath water, but in an ideal world, you would like to see an immediate dividend from your first round pick. The other side of that coin is that if he does not contribute right away, then it is usually because he is either not as good as advertised, or because of team depth he just doesn't have the experience to crack the starting lineup. Time will tell us which it is.

I am not sold on Ellis yet at OLB. I know everyone is drinking the kool aid on Ellis' move to OLB, but I'm not sure that this experiment is going to pay out long term. I think Ellis is going to be a liability in pass coverage from his OLB position. The only way I see Ellis succeeding at OLB is allowing him to rush the passer and give someone else pass coverage responsibility.

A common thread to many of the posts calling Carp a bust are pointing to the fact that he is not starting. I understand that thought process, but what is more perplexing to me is moving Carp to the inside. He was supposedly drafted to wreak havoc opposite Ware. I admit that I am not a football guru, but it would seem to me that Ellis could be a real run stuffer inside with his size, and with Carp on the outside that his speed could be better utilized in rushing the passer.

I would like someone with real football knowledge to explain to me why they think Ellis is such a success at OLB so far and why Ellis is so superior to Carp that Carp has been moved inside. Drafting an outside pass rusher and moving him inside seems to be a waste of talent, if he has the talent.

Thoughts?