| eazyb81 |
03-11-2009 05:47 PM |
Looking at how the 2nd round unfolded, I am very happy I made my decision to wait on addressing this position later rather than in the 1st round.
Ken Whisenhunt has made it no secret that he wants to transition to a 3-4 base defense like they ran in Pittsburgh during his tenure there. He has said they may try a hybrid scheme, but reading between the lines I think he's just saying that because he knows they currently don't have the personnel.
Looking over the roster, I feel the largest need by far to successfully make the move is OLB. Travis Laboy can probably be counted on, but the other side would be embarrassing if Chike Okeafor or Bertrand Berry are out there trying to run in space.
Before the combine, I felt this kid was an intriguing pick. But after he put on a show by running a 4.5 40 and 260+ pounds, I was sold. He has the pass rush moves you need for this role, and at the combine he showed he had the speed and athleticism. The Pittsburgh scheme has always utilized short and stocky OLBs that can rush rather than obsessing about size, but I think this kid has the best of both worlds.
With the addition of this player, Arizona will finally be able to make the full transition to running Pittsburgh's version of the 3-4 that Whisenhunt has been clamoring to do.
For the 63rd pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select........Lawrence Sidbury, OLB, Richmond
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