[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ad0Famkaas&feature=related"]YouTube - NIU DE Larry English Career Highlight Video (Part 1)[/ame] This is one guy whom I think the team should seriously consider taking with the 1st. pick this year, if possible. From watching the last few games this season, you can see we had no pass rush and when you give any QB that much time, he will eventually pick you apart and make the big play. We've seen that happen to us way too many times. You can see from the Ravens game how important it is to have really good, aggressive LBs. I think this guy really fits the mold of that type of player IMO. One thing that sucks is that Boomer had mentioned recently that the Pats have been talking with him a lot and are supposedly very high on him. There's other good players out there, but the more I see of this guy, the more I really like him.
i've seen two games of s ill.... and noticed this guy right away, and kept focusing on him. he is side a side runner as well as a pass rusher, good nose for ball good tackler, and on the pass rush has a plethora of moves. if Parcells has plans for him in the defense, then i wouldn't mind this pick at all.... but, i wonder because of the recent signing of Cam Wake if we'll go OLB, especially for more of a pressure guy.
I hear Ya'. Regarding the signing of Wake, I don't think that signing will effect the decision to take an OLB/pass rusher. First of all, we don't know how good Wake will turn out to be. He may turn out great and I really hope he does, but some people act like we just signed the second coming of LT. I pray to God that he is, or anywhere near as good as LT. I know a rookie is also unproven, but you can never have enough talented pass rushers IMO. You could see the desperate need for more pass rushers in the last few games this year.
Been my favorite prospect for a while now, he's damn good. Only issue with him is that he doesn't set the edge very well, which is why he'll probably be a situational pass rusher if he was to be drafted by us. I would think that he would eventually take over for Porter.
My thoughts exactly! I know you have been high on him for awhile now and the more and more I see of him, I can see why. I agree, use him on passing downs opposite Porter and have Roth in on the run downs to set the edge and then, as you said, have him eventually replace Porter, hopefully. We really need pass rushers as evident in the last few games this year. You give any QB enough time in the pocket and he will eventually pick you apart and hit the big play. We've seen that happen to us way too many times. Thanks.
He's someone I really like and he seems to be placing himself in the 1st round at the Senior Bowl practices. He seems like someone this FO would target and could certainly be the guy at 25. Unfortunately he also seems like a guy NE could target and could go a couple picks before us.
Since he is basically a DE in college, who reminds me of Robert Mathis btw, we really don't know how he'll project to a full time 3-4 OLB, especially if on the strong side. His job in college was mostly attacking up the field.
A week ago around here when Clint Sintim was the OLB de jour on everyone's wish list, the concern was the Pats liked him and pick ahead of us. Well, they can't take both Sintim and English, and I have to believe one of them at least will be available for us if that is the direction we decide to go in round 1. Trying to get a handle on the way we'll go in round 1 or 2 at this point is basically just for sh its and giggles until we see how free agency goes anyway. Last year at this time, the favorites on this forum were Dorsey, Chris Long and even Gholston. Jake wasn't held in high favor by many. Then along came free agency where we ignored our glaring OT need and addressed primarily defense, except for Smiley. This made it blatantly obvious that Jake was the guy we most had our eyes on.
That's true. However, in the bowl game against Lousiana Tech, he played stand up rusher and did an awful job of setting the edge.
I hear ya', but I started a thread in the club forum about how I thought Sintim has not looked so good at the Senior Bowl practices. It was just my opinion, as well as, I thought English looked really good. If I'm right then the Pats probably saw the same thing, which would make them more hot for English as well. I hope not, but it's just my opinion. Regarding Jake last year: I was very, very high on Jake and was one of his most die-hard advocates. It was mostly on the "other" site before I found my way here.
i am back in this conversation cause Sintim came up... i agree... not overly sure how fond i am of him. he hasn't overly impressed me as much as English has in any way. English could definitely work out for us (as well as a Cushing maybe)... but main reason is brought up Wake too was because we did sign him and have high hopes with him, do you think we are gonna go pass rushing OLB in the 1st round right off the bat???? i do like Englsih though... not trying to down him
English, after a great week of practice, was almost totally neutralized in the game. Partially by Michael Oher and partially because his MO was almost entirely a hard up field charge, running himself out of some plays.
Yeah I watched the Senior Bowl and English didn't look that great. I think he was facing tougher competition than he faced at Northern Illinois ......that is why you have to be careful about getting overly excited about seeing a guy on video. I'd rather go after some top name guys at schools like USC who faces tough competition every week.
English was also playing a position he wont play in teh pro's. He will be a rush LB, mainly because of what you saw here. But because teams have to run a 4-3 he was basically playing out of position. I will be more interested in his combine and pro day workouts.
Cushing did not look good at all... One play sticks out where half the play was fantastic the other half was terrible. He took on the OG out in the flats shook him off and then whiffed on the tackle
i agree, magnificent athlete is what i kept saying to myself, great finisher, check out his stance when he lines up wide right on the dline, gotta stance like a race horse. I also loved the way he came off the field after making the sack, forced fumble and td recovery. Really cool and in control, showed nice leadership.
Quinn Johnson layed several nice blocks on Mr. English. He took him out of at least three plays that I saw one of which was a TD run. I still like Larry English a lot just not in the 1st round. With the signing of Wake and the rising stock of Ayers I think it's very likely the Dolphins wait until #44 before drafting an OLB if they choose to go in that direction. Who knows? We might have our choice of English, Ayers, or Sintim. Although I wouldn't be surprised if we drafted Sintim to play ILB.
Exactly! In the NFL he's purely a rushing OLB and not DE, which is what he played the whole game and he did drive his guy back 3 to 4 feet almost every time, which shows he also has good strength. If you watch that video you can obviously see the guy is a 3-4 OLB in the pros. The actual game is pretty useless and meaningless. It's the practices and the individual match-ups that actually show you more than the game. The game was incredibly boring and vanilla. IMO.
I love Ayers. I just honestly don't know if he could play OLB in the pros. I will definitely start looking into him. If he can and he has the speed to do so, than he too would be a very interesting prospect, but I do not know much about him. If he can be that big D. Ware type of guy then, sign me up now!
I don't think anyone would complain too loudly if English is the pick. He's a heck of a prospect that you don't have to make very many excuses for
the thing is people do speak of him as being overrated at this time, especially coming from s. ill. experience against top teams and players is lacking there. and for Ayers, i like him too... he made Oher look like a foolio at times.
How is he overrated? He's a fine player who came from Northern Illinois. He has all the things you look for in a pass rushing outside linebacker. That's impossible as they were on the same team.
some scouts have been stating that English may be overrated due to him not palying top notch schools throughout his career... and i believe him only being a pass rushing LB. who was the LT #79 from Oklahoma.......... Loadholt.... my bad, he mad that guy look like a cplete foolio. Loadholt was a Load of poop!!!
I don't buy that. Are these the same scouts who said he was a fourth round pick only a month ago? McShay wrote a piece last week about how English has made it in to the first day of the draft lol.
Over rated is in the eye of the beholder. If he can come in and give you 8 sacks is he worth the 25th pick? If he forces teams to play more conservative on passing downs for fear of sacks is he worth it? I think the guy can come in this season and contribute as a pass rusher opposite Porter. I also think that given teh proper coaching he may be able to play every down in a year or two. His first step is as good as anyone, and at 25 you arent going to get a polished product, so you take teh best player you can. I personally have said I like Mack, but English is quickly becoming my 1a. I cant wait till the combine. I think that will determine alot.
no no, during senior bowl some were saying (not all obviously) that he is electrifying in drills but be careful because in game situations he will struggle often, especially against the run and in coverage... and obviously mentioned his lack of experience against top tier teams
i agree with you. he has so much potential, so many moves, and is non-stop... and in time can become a great OLB (not strong side though i dont think) in the NFL.... but i think more second round to get him.
How can they make a statement about him in coverage when he's a defensive end in their system and all he does is go downhill? He does struggle setting the edge but his quickness off the edge and pass rushing skills make him a first round pick. Every player has flaws and English's is that he struggles to set the edge. Yeah, his level of competition is a question. I wouldn't call him overrated because he's still a late first rounder to early second. His potential is there and quite frankly, when you see a guy like Michael Johnson being considered a top fifteen pick then you can place Larry English in the first round. Overrated is what Michael Johnson is, I'm not ready to put Larry English in that category.
i dont know, ask them... lol. i jsut saying what i heard from some scouts... i go through many sources and try to take in everything, then weed it out with my own eyeballs they prob saying he struggles in coverage, which i noticed in some drills actually during senior bowl. i liked him against the run in n. ill., and i love the plethora of pass rushing moves he has.... he's a prospect to me.
Which drills were those? I recall him doing many things, but I didn't see him dropping into coverage too often. Maybe I missed it? I have all of them recorded - maybe I need to watch them again.
RB drills into patterns... there was a lot of space, so it was very hard especially for those not used to it (like DE converting to OLB).
You know it's not that bad CK, I mean it's not a slamming pick but honestly how much more could they want in an ILB with the ability to play some OLB for the team? I'd prefer English and Mack but that's just me. At least with all likeliness the pick will come at ILB, OLB, C, FS, or CB with the likeliness in the front considering the talent and the amount of scouting they've sent towards that goal.
It wont matter, english will be gone by #25 after the combine..the kid is a freak athlete...perfect body.