http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolp...olphins-linebacker-plans-come-into-focus.html After reading Barry and Armando's articles, I got to see how the fans are feeling on this linebacker news. The plan is not to have Misi as ILB in 2015..... Good The plan is to look in FA specifically at David Harris and Mason Foster.... Why? Misi would most likely move back to SLB.... not terrible but not idea Growing up I was used to Zach Thomas patrolling the middle and since Dansby left you can see how valuable a ILB is. Granted I don't believe it always has to be a 1st round pick or top FA money but it is vital. Last year we tried switching Misi to ILB which in theory was a good idea but health wise he couldn't keep up. Thankfully Jenkins stepped up at WLB which fills what would've been a major need. With Jenkins in the fold we have a rangy cover LB who I think is an ascending player. Misi has played DE, ILB, and OLB. OLB is his best fit but he can never stay healthy and let's be real if he were that good at SLB he wouldn't have been moved to the middle. His contract is also way too much at this point but with Wheeler and Ellerbe as possible cuts it's hard to through Misi in their as well. I do think he should be moved back to SLB but I do NOT think he should be penciled in as a starter.... will touch on this later. The problem I really have is ILB. We traded out Dansby for Ellerbe.... didn't work. We tried to move Misi to ILB.... didn't work. Well, here's a big factor neither had played the middle in a 4-3 and now we want to bring in David Harris to do the same. While I do believe Harris the transition wouldn't be as drastic as the others. The dude is 31, and past his prime IMO. It's a stopgap plain and simple. I get that Tannebaum has ties with him but that was from the 2007 draft...ugh. Th eother rumored is Mason Foster. If you told me pick one with all things considering I'd go Foster due to $$$, and age. But, he isn't the 3 down type we need and living in Tampa I never have been overly impressed with his play. Bucs have a good amount of needs and you'd think they'd want to keep Foster if he were worth it... read into it what you will. I have preferences on positions I'd like to draft or sign players for. LB for me is a draft first position. There are 3 ILB's I'd take in early rounds McKinney, Perryman, or Kendricks. Sorry, Dawson is a WLB and a slow one at that after the combine, we have a faster version in Jenkins. Behind that there are also some good mid round guys like Stephone Anthony, Taiwan Jones, Hayes Pullard, Ben Heeney. I'd much rather us invest in a young ILB who can play 3 downs which I believe all above can do. From there, why in the world wouldn't we try to get Dion or McCain on the field at SLB. We know that DE is log jammed with Vernon/Wake at the top and then Shelby filling in where need be. Get creative Coyle for christ sake and get athletes on the field. My fear has gone from success in 2015 to the reality of another wasted year with this staff that not only ruins the year but potential for future years. Their inability to adapt will be the main theme why they failed in Miami. Interested to hear LB preference or thoughts from the article.....
It's called lazy reporting. Oh we have GM's from the Jets and Tampa...oh we have free agent LB's from both teams so lets do 2 + 2 = 9 here.
Lol, i hope thats the case bud. But, the fact they brought in and made off to D. Jackson last year who is similar to Harris makes me think it's more than just smoke.
You know what they say about old dogs.At this stage of his near ending career its not a good idea to try to fit David Harris into a system he has never played before IMO.
I'm not sure that's it. In this case I think they're actually showing interest in Mason Foster and David Harris. They're being predictable.
My thoughts: 1. Top strategy should be to investigate Patrick Willis' availability from San Francisco. Chris Borland was in the running for DROY and NaVorro Bowman is an All Pro. Willis is expensive and had injury trouble in 2014. Now he's got a new head coach. Sh-t happens. Wouldn't shock me to see him cut. Wouldn't shock me to see him traded for something relatively minor. But I don't think he's done and I respect what veteran linebackers bring to the table from mental, leadership and communication standpoints. 2. David Harris is good but you can't let his $9 million salary in 2014 be the starting point in negotiations. He's worth half that. He'll bring leadership and communication to the table, most likely. But he hasn't been all that great on the field in a while. 3. There's no real reason to go after Mason Foster, IMO. 4. If you get David Harris or Patrick Willis you need to trade either Koa Misi or Dion Jordan. There is no point having a three-way competition with guys as talented as Koa Misi, Dion Jordan and Chris McCain, all of them fighting for a linebacker position that will play 500 to 600 snaps maximum. That's like having Paul Soliai, Danny Shelton and Damon Harrison all fighting for the role of nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. Pointless. Bad business practice. Get on the phones and move Dion Jordan, or move Koa Misi. 5. Not seeing any reason why they shouldn't keep Jason Trusnik. Cheap. Plays all three linebacker spots. You don't want him to be in the way of young players but what if those young players make it onto the field and you discover Chris McCain can't cover a wheel route to save his life or Jordan Tripp can't communicate or process the defense in live fire at all? You need to be able to turn to a guy you can trust until the young player establishes that he's fixed his failings in practice. And since Trusnik is cheap and a damn good special teams player anyway, what's the loss in bringing him back?
If we can't get Willis how about Vince Williams from the Steelers? They have Timmons and Shazier already, maybe they'd be interested in a swap for Dion Jordan.
1. Would love that scenario if we are going the veteran route. You think there is any chance the 49ers could transition to a 4-3 in next year or so.... Allow Lynch to get more reps at DE? I'd be willing to part a mid round pick with him. 2. The fact he hasn't played 4-3 scares me enough and he isn't getting younger. 3. Don't see much difference in Misi to Foster, injury prone and liabilities in coverage more 2 down than 3 down. 4. I'd prefer to leave McCain at DE as he looks a more natural pass rusher than Jordan. Get Jordan down 15 lbs move to SAM. And yes, trade Misi I'm fine with that but that contract might be tough. 5. See your point just would like to get younger and more dynamic for the "in case of emergencies" situations we seem to find ourselves with LB.
I was a big fan of Vince Williams coming out of Florida State and so at the risk of sounding like I'm sort of giving myself an indirect slap on the back right along with you, kudos for noticing him. He's a good player. That said, I'm not sure I was ever convinced he's an every down guy. I thought of him as like a Brandon Spikes, a Mike linebacker thumper for 1st and 2nd down. Runs a 4.76, that's about how he plays. I don't mean to downplay him, hell there are people that like Denzel Perryman in the 1st round and I think Vince Williams and Denzel Perryman are similar players. But the price they ask for him would have to be low, and I think Dion Jordan could fetch more than that as a #3 overall pick. People are still gonna put on the tape of that guy (Jordan) dropping back into man coverage with Calvin Johnson at 280-285 lbs, breaking up a pass, and say god damn we've GOT to be able to figure out something we could do with him.
Personally I think McCain is at his best playing Sam in base packages and rushing the passer in nickel packages. He is exactly what people want Dion Jordan to be. And honestly, what Dion Jordan still might be. His preseason work as a linebacker was very strong.
I do remember him tearing it up at SAM, wasn't he like top rated Preseason LB or something... that is crazy. All I want is to see some creativity in concepts, schemes and personnel from the defensive side of the ball. (Amazing what one season under Lazor did if only Coyle were open to change) Either way I look at it I see this regime being stubborn enough to make same mistake and attack LB need heavy in FA and sign an aging or mediocre LB. Much rather us go draft and find a suitable player in mid rounds. I'd love to see a unit of Jenkins - Rookie - McCain/Jordan. Cost effective, young, promising, and versatile. But, let's be real none of this matters if we don't fix the need in the middle at DT by adding a run stuffing/blocker eating type.
Maybe, but I'm not sure that's what this scheme needs or wants. Remember it was THEIR choice to allow Paul Soliai to walk for $6 million a year, and then to replace him with Earl Mitchell for $4 million a year. They made a choice to do that, and it wasn't because they couldn't afford those two little extra million bucks. I think they have some ideas on the kinds of players they want playing this style of defensive line and I don't know if the big space-eater really fits.
Very true, have to say that was a good call looking at how Big Paul's play has diminished. Who am I kidding all the ideas I think I have the staff goes opposite route, maybe one day we will get a staff whose competent lol
first time I've seen someone write that, not the first time i'd thought about it..I wanted to go in a different direction from solai myself..I just want a three down defensive tackle..
They already have two defensive tackles that can play all three downs. I guess Earl Mitchell is a third defensive tackle that can play all three downs.
But was that Kevin Coyle, or Dennis Hickey? Coyle has misused a lot of front seven guys, but acquitted himself pretty well with Soliai. He wasn't playing the position like Starks and Mitchell did this year, it was much more of a straightforward space-eater role. Hickey's the guy who has spent pretty much his entire pro career scouting Tampa-2 style players. I'd tend to think that would have a pretty big impact on what he'd think a 1-technique would look like.
Would the type of linebacker we are looking for, a 3 down guy who can help stuff the run, be the hardest position for a rookie to play on D as opposed to a DT or CB?
Willis, while he has been on a declination in the last couple of years partly due to injury, is still a pretty damn fine option. He has a probable 1st ballot HOFer career, and it it no surprise that LBers around him play pretty damn well in their own right. HE makes the team better, and has zero problem taking the backseat. I think some dead 49er fabs would flip in thier graves, but they did get rid of one of the best QBs of all-time in favor of another. It happens. I don't see Willis lasting more than a few years given his physical manner of play. But an older, wiser, less speedy Patrick Willis is better than most LBers out there anyway. And he makes plays: FFs, INTs, big hits. He's pretty much done it all. This guy exudes "team play", and would be a huge addition to any potential suitors. I wanted him back then when we stupidly drafted the Ginn family, and not because of my ties to the school. There are some players who are damned special, and I knew from watching him at Vaught-Hemingway, he was going to be one of them. He has always had ticky tack injuries, even from his college days. I read an article where Orgeron inadvertently had Willis injured during an Oklahoma drill. Anyway, the guy still comes back to play hard. I remember the days when he'd run down Darren McFadden (the McFadden who was one of the best and faster RBs in the country at Arkansas). I remember the 4.39 Pro Day forty. Then, to prove it wasn't a fluke, he ran it again, only this time it was a tick faster! I remember the big hits on Jamarcus Russell. The cast that made him look like a damned warrior out in the field. Patrick Willis in a Dolphins uni, regardless of how, would make this century, (save maybe a Super Bowl win) for me. He should have been here in the first place! Better late than never.....
It's a fair question but I expect that given Coyle's scheme he made pretty clear what kind of defensive tackles he likes in his system and it wouldn't shock me at all if, much like his safeties will look the same, his defensive tackles can look similar as well.
I do not think that we need to go Heavy Defense..our players need to do their jobs. We always go Heavy Defense..let's go Heavy offense for once and get playmakers around Tannehill where the offense can score more and keep the Defense on the Bench..put the pressure on the opposition..We need a few defenders but while healthy last year they were playing well.When Delmas went down the wheels really fell off.
And I think this is what is going to happen this offseason. I think everyone from Philbin to Ross got a glimpse of what Lazor's offense can accomplish even if it was the first year, and are excited to see it in full force. I think the offensive line and most of the defensive needs will be addressed through FA, while overhauling the WR unit will be prioritized in the draft. If we let go of Hartline, Wallace and etc., we'll have plenty to spend on quality (but not flashy) free agents, and re-signing a few key guys like Odrick, Clay and Delmas. We then bring in outside guys to address the OG, CB and LB positions. If we do that we will have a lot more flexibility in the draft and can prioritize drafting playmakers at the WR and RB positions (strengths of this draft).
Draft Mike Hull from PSU. He will help this unit due to instincts and smarts. Something we need more of along with athleticism.
I remember the draft with Posluzny and Willis. I obviously pulled hard for Willis, and I was right in those little comparisons. I usually do not pull hard for a player unless I know. I think Posluzny got released?
AJ Hawk? No idea what he's got in the tank, but at least he has lots of experience and he is going to be on the field. I think he missed 2 games in 9 years.
Hey, the school produces intelligent players at that position - Lavar Arrington excluded. They usually perform well enough, albeit they are not the biggest or most athletic, but they know how to play the game, and at worst he'd be an upgrade to Jordan Tripp. No bias there - o.k. maybe a small mountain but you get the idea.
Barry reported this morning there is interest in Dan Skuta. Don't really know much remember him playing some last year but Borland always stuck out when watching them. Anyone know anything on Skuta, besides another 3-4 guy who would have to make the transition.
He's played all three linebacker positions as well as DE and ST in this defense in Cincinnati. He's Jason Trusnik 1.5
I agree with everything you said, except for #5 Where you referring to Trusnik ? You made him sound like a Pro Bowl LB. You left out his greatest asset of being on ST.
