If not Weatherspoon, then...
by saipol on Apr 3, 2010 9:06 PM EDT
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PrintAlright guys, this is my first post so here goes:
I know a lot of us on the Falcoholic (including me) want TD to draft Sean Weatherspoon at #19 to meet our need at LB. However, I was wondering which LB the Falcons would pick if Weatherspoon is not there when we pick because we would still need to find one in this draft. We could pick another LB at #19 or we could pick one in the later rounds. So my question is, if Weatherspoon is not there at #19, which LB would you want TD to pick, in which round, and why?
This FanPost was written by one of The Falcoholic's talented readers. It does not necessarily reflect the views of The Falcoholic.
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My take on Spoon: Lets not get the Oneitis on this guy because the Giants are eyeing him!
if we dont get weatherspoon at #19 we may do one of 2 things.
1: draft brandon graham or another need fullfilling prospect at #19 and pick up one of my sleepers in Dekoda Watson in the 4th round.
2: trade down to get two picks in the 2nd round and then possibly pick up one of the following depending on availibility Daryl Washington, Jerry Hughes, Eric Norwood…i personally really like Hughes.
love the "oneitis"
I think this is sensible. I’ve been pulling for Hughes given his coverage and run stopping abilities in addition to being an insanely good pass rusher. I doubt we could swing two 2nd rounders for our mid-late pick, but maybe a high 2nd and high 3rd would do the trick.
I hope we avoid Eric Norwood…there’s a story (AJC?) about how many times it took him to gain admittance to South Carolina, and only then he got in when a committee bent the admission rules. Having close experience teaching USC undergrads I can say that their standards are really not that high, so this is a huge red flag for me.
by TheAreopagite on Apr 5, 2010 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I personally believe
We should go best available. If the guy TD wants isn’t there at 19 then get the one who can make the most impact at whatever position. We are finally at a place where we could do that and be safe. We need impact players, game changers not just guys who fill a need at this point need is a relative term. We don’t really need that much but whoever we get needs to be a star.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Apr 4, 2010 12:43 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
mike lipata
Guard/Tackle offensive line. We have our entire line either unrestricted free agrents or about to retire next year …we need the best possible additions now not later
We have our entire line either unrestricted free agrents or about to retire next year
McClure is the only imminent retiree, unless you want to count Romberg. I’m all for drafting McClure’s heir, but Lupati projects as a guard or tackle in the NFL. I’d rather they take Pouncey (at 19) or Erik Cook (in the later rounds).
Dahl and Clabo are the only RFA OL right now. Even if one or both bolt next year, we have another off-season between now and then to procure a replacement.
Bottom line: the O-Line situation takes a back seat to improving our pass rush.
"There's a little sound off the bat," Cox said.
Wow I guess your right.
So O line and TE big needs next year, what to do.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Apr 4, 2010 9:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Either player from TCU
Jerry Hughes is first round material for sure. I think he could be a fit in a 4-3 scheme.
If not him, trade down to get Daryl Washington in the 2nd.
Or if there’s a good RB (like on the off chance Spiller is on the board) take him
"That's my teammate, man... That's my quarterback"
game changer
how many OLB’s are game changers? I really cannot think of many in a 4-3 (quite a few in a 3-4, but totally different needs). a pass rusher? game changer. Take the Michigan DE or trade down, pick up a 2nd rounder.
by Spencaman on Apr 4, 2010 5:06 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
hmm ...
What about a pass rushing OLB?
Orakpo, Cushing, Curry, or Hayes. I’d call them game changers.
"There's a little sound off the bat," Cox said.
Franky I'm dissapointed
Those are 3/4 guys of course they are sack masters.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Apr 4, 2010 8:58 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Huh?
They were all 4-3 backers last year.
Orakpo: Redskins are switching to the 3-4 this year.
Cushing: Houston’s base D is the 4-3.
Curry: Seattle’s base D is the 4-3.
Hayes: TB “Tampa 2” is run out of the 4-3 D.
And that list wasn’t based entirely on their sack totals (although Orakpo had 12 last year). They had the top four rushing values of 4-3 OLBs that played 50 percent of their teams defensive snaps (according to Pro Football Focus).
Full list can be found here.
Guess who had the 6th highest rushing value according to PFF? Stevey Nicholas. Gotta love that.
"There's a little sound off the bat," Cox said.
Well right you are sir.
Peterson was atrocious, huh.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Apr 4, 2010 9:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeeeeeeeeeah ... about that
He/Tye Hill are my second and third least favorite falcons this year. Clabo is my least. No real logic there, I just don’t like his face.
"There's a little sound off the bat," Cox said.
by FrankyWren on Apr 4, 2010 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
maybe...
Orakpo yes, Cushing yes… but thats it. Curry’s not a playmaker… yet. only 61 tackles last year. Hayes, nope. Still though… 2 or 3 OLB difference makers in the NFL? There are always a few, in this case, very few,…
agree to disagree ...
Curry and Hayes will be difference makers, and isn’t that what really counts? How many DEs come in and dominate in their first campaign? It doesn’t seem like that happens more often than what I’m proposing.
"There's a little sound off the bat," Cox said.
Orakpo doesn’t really count in this discussion (to me) because he was used as a pass rusher first, not a traditional 4-3 OLB: he had 341 snaps Rushing the Passer and only 189 in Pass Coverage; Cushing was 128 Rush & 491 Coverage; Curry was 99 Rush & 315 Coverage; Hayes was 74 Rush & 401 Coverage.
It’s all about positional value, though. If you draft a 4-3 OLB in the first round, he’s going to be one of the highest paid players at his position (even near the end of the 1st). He would need to step in right away and perform like one of the best (like Cushing did). A DE at #19 – given the same contract that a OLB at that spot would get – wouldn’t be anywhere close to the highest paid DE.
Basically, I agree with Spencaman’s main point: pass rusher = game changer. In our 4-3 the pass rushers are the DE’s.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
... hmm
I like how you broke it down, but why couldn’t we, in theory, use an OLB like Orakpo was used?
It seems like you’re being fiscally-minded, whereas spencaman is arguing that game-changing OLBs are pretty much non-existent.
"There's a little sound off the bat," Cox said.
In theory, sure...
But in reality I don’t think Smith and VanGorder want to change the defensive philosophy – they want the players that fit into their plan.
And yeah, I think I’d generally agree w/Spence that traditional 4-3 OLB’s aren’t game changers. Cushing last year, Thomas Davis and Lance Briggs in previous years… that’s about it on my list. I don’t think I’d count guys like Hayes, Curry, Keith Rivers, Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, etc as “game changers”.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
whoa there ...
I feel ya, and we might just have to agree to disagree on our bottom lines, but you can’t throw Hayes in with the like of Julian Peterson.
Good Vishnu man!
"There's a little sound off the bat," Cox said.
Sorry if all of my list didn’t make sense – it was intended to be 4-3 OLB’s that were 1) fairly young guys that had shown flashes of big potential, 2) highly drafted players, and/or 3) highest paid guys.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
TD playing it close to the vest
I stated that I do not think there are many linebackers that should be taken in the 1st round in the 4-3 (obviously a few, not arguing that), but now it seems as if TD is happy with his current crop of DE’s or maybe has his eye on the young man from Troy State a little later on in the draft
WE DONT NEED A RUNNING BACK
If not Weatherspoon the Pouncey/Iupai in the first. To fill the LB need Watson or Norwood in the 3rd or 4th
yeah
if you don’t get a game changing D guy like Spoon or Graham(just saying i think both of them are going to be good in the league) then trade down or go O line, this draft is really deep on D talent and its not worth it to reach on a OLB or a DE
Linebackers
Rolando McClain, Brandon Spikes, Sean Witherspoon, Navarro Bowman, Sean Lee, Daryl Washington are Graded Over 7.0 by the NFL 75th Aniv on NFLCOM.
Other good Linebackers are Rennie Curran, Pat Angerer, Rodderick McElroy, Ryan Stamper ,Joe Pawelek.
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