phins eyeing Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...dolphins-eyeing-georgia-techs-derrick-morgan/
It's an interesting idea if they decide to pursue it. Morgan isn't your Pittsburgh Steeler 3-4 OLB who will float like a butterfly around the field. You play Wake and Morgan together cut the bull****. You're running a 5-2 just admit it. It's really not such a bad idea, if your two ILBs can cover with solid range against the run (they can), your two OLBs hold the edge long enough (Morgan NP, Wake will get better at this). You know KB is right on one thing, Bill Parcells teams are obsessed with the run. They refuse to play light weights especially in the LBing core. The only true downside I can see to the 5-2 would be against the spread unless Morgan and Wake learn to play exceptionally well in the flats. My suggestion is that we run Anderson out there in such a situation if a preffered coverage backer is necessary. Morgan as far as I know is probably quicker than he was during the season right now. He still has weight to lose and is REMARKABLY strong for his size and arm length. Bill would salivate at the idea of this guy on the strong side.
Pay attention the close parallels. The Dolphins want a strong-side complement to their ultra-athletic pass rushing OLB (Dallas-Ware off course). Lamarr Woodley is remarkably similar to Brandon Graham with some slight differences in explosion and lower body vs. upper body strength. Derrick Morgan is unbelievably similar to Anthony Spencer in measurables except he's larger and stronger. The Cowboys chose Spencer over Woodley.
love woodley and spencer. love to have that game changing production all day. graham is that type player wow but morgan is a hand on the ground guy to me 4-3 DE
You know I'm not so sure it's like one of those things where we lambasted Jake Long for being a RT for who knows how long until we looked at how he performed overall, his particular problem (kickslide), his athletic numbers (excellent better than Joe Thomas in a number of areas), and we said **** it. Morgan did struggle to some degree in coverage but it really wasn't something he outright practiced. It's not like he doesn't have the athleticism for it. His hips? They're better than Matt Roth's at moving around or at least that's what it seems like to me. If they make the decision to draft him it wouldn't surprise me. Also it all depends on what role you ask of your SOLBs. If they're asked to cover one-on-one sure they're going to fail. If they're asked to cover the flat, yes I think Morgan can cover the flat well. He can't play SOLB for Pittsburgh but he could certainly do what Roth in 2008 with better pass rush. That in-and-of itself would be a major bonus. LE- Morgan LDE- Langford NT- Soliai RDE- Starks RE- Wake I look at it like that with two LBs a LLB and a RLB with a third LB being Yeremiah Bell in a shorter zone than the FS.
I fail to see how we'd be any worse AT ALL then the 2007-2008 team in pass rushing. Morgan would improve the pass rush and the pass defense.
There is a very good (and long) video of Morgan that is easy to find on Youtube that I recommend to all of you. Talk about tenacity... I would directly link it, but I'm at work and Youtube is blocked.
I think the recent moves in Cleveland may indicate that they are targeting Morgan as well. If I were doing a mock today, I would have Morgan going to Cleveland.
How anybody can say Morgan isn't athletic or fluid enough, and that Kindle or Paul are the benchmark's for said traits is either smoking something or just hasn't done their homework. After watching an equal number of "highlight" plays from each of the above, the only one that makes me say "wow" is Morgan. He's what I would call a quick twitch player, and not just off the snap like many others, everything from changing direction, to getting up off the ground to spinning around blockers is done with an incredible amount of quickness and violence. To me, he's the kind of DE that can mak the transition to OLB b/c his quickness isn't limited to when he's coming out of a 3-point stance, and he looks like a 230 lb player when in pursuit with his ability to redirect quickly. He's just athletic. Pure and simple. Paul looks great on paper and in shorts, and can do some backflips that would make Mary Lou Retton blush, but for me when he's just one of those guys who does everything with long, sweeping movements. Not quick and violent, which is what is needed for an OLB capable of rushing the QB and dropping into coverage. To me, Paul is more of a Jason Taylor type, and better suited as 4-3 DE. Kindle is even less impressive to me on film. Very uninspiring. Looks like a guy with muscles who can run in a straight line, but he just isn't a "football player" in the sense that he's a mad, hungry dog hellbent on destruction. Just doesn't play with enough athletic moves and urgency.
