Official Senior Bowl Thread

[jppaul]

Originally Posted by barrett

a sam is a waste because they are 2 down players who basically just stick their nose in against the run, which makes it an easy role to fill.

If your SAM puts a hand on the ground and rushes the QB he has a 3rd down value and it changes things quite a bit. But this is a far different skill than blitzing. It is actually lining up at end. Very rarely does a guy do both of these things, but if he is good at SAM and great at rushing the QB, he may be worth a 1st.

Lets say you have an SLB who can cover Dallas Clark or Antonio Gates, are they a waste? I understand what you are saying but I think you are wrong about an SLB being a waste. As for SLB as a difference maker, I disagree, they may not be flashy in the way that a MLB is, but if you have ever watched the Texans get torched by a TE, then you can't possibly say that they are not impact players.

Is a CB who blankets recievers but doesn't get a whole lot of picks not an impact player? Impact player encompasses more than flashy stats or topical glory.

I am still hoping we draft Cushing btw, i recognize that that is probably not the course we choose, but there it is.

[Nconroe]

Cushing sounds pretty good. A little injury history. Most currently project him around 23 in draft. Do we take at 15 or hope for a trade down to the likely value position. Sounds like he is a good tackler as well as covers the TE well, and some good size. If we think DL is covered might be good.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by jppaul

Lets say you have an SLB who can cover Dallas Clark or Antonio Gates, are they a waste? I understand what you are saying but I think you are wrong about an SLB being a waste. As for SLB as a difference maker, I disagree, they may not be flashy in the way that a MLB is, but if you have ever watched the Texans get torched by a TE, then you can't possibly say that they are not impact players.

Is a CB who blankets recievers but doesn't get a whole lot of picks not an impact player? Impact player encompasses more than flashy stats or topical glory.

I am still hoping we draft Cushing btw, i recognize that that is probably not the course we choose, but there it is.

No they are not a waste. They are a WLB or a MLB because nobody puts that guy in that position, they put him where he can make plays.

[jppaul]

Originally Posted by barrett

No they are not a waste. They are a WLB or a MLB because nobody puts that guy in that position, they put him where he can make plays.

Is covering Antonio Gates not making a play?

[barrett]

Originally Posted by jppaul

Is covering Antonio Gates not making a play?

That is my point. If a guy is capable of covering Antonio Gates, then he is not playing SLB.

[jppaul]

But if he is at WLB then he is not covering Gates.

[barrett]

Well honestly no LB is covering Gates or the top TEs in man coverage, or at least not well. Those guys are covered by safeties on almost every pass route.

But either way my point is that (1) guys who can cover Antonio Gates 1 on 1 are not playing SLB and (2) NFL teams don't ask their SLB to man up on a TE like gates so its irrelevant. In a 4-3 about %90 of the SLB's job is to fill the hole and tackle in the run game. And they all exit the game in passing situations, and most play less than the nickel corner. They are part time players. It is not a speed position or one that requires huge talent. For the most part it is veteran guys who don't get paid much. Bentley played the role for us very well.

[jppaul]

Originally Posted by barrett

Well honestly no LB is covering Gates or the top TEs in man coverage, or at least not well. Those guys are covered by safeties on almost every pass route.

But either way my point is that (1) guys who can cover Antonio Gates 1 on 1 are not playing SLB and (2) NFL teams don't ask their SLB to man up on a TE like gates so its irrelevant. In a 4-3 about %90 of the SLB's job is to fill the hole and tackle in the run game. And they all exit the game in passing situations, and most play less than the nickel corner. They are part time players. It is not a speed position or one that requires huge talent. For the most part it is veteran guys who don't get paid much. Bentley played the role for us very well.

Barrett, I understand your point, I just disagree with you. A SLB who can cover Gates and does cover Gates allows the safety to stay deep, which is an asset because the CHargers run Gates in the seams and the intermediate middle to get the remaining safety to bite so that they can go over the top to Jackson. Having a SLB who can cover him would not be a waste of resources. Sometimes the Broncos use arguably the top corner in the game to cover Gates, that is not a waste of resources, and the question becomes relevant.