Chiefs sign Zach Thomas

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by lostcause

Believe it was a 3-4 in 90 and 91.

True, but he ALWAYS lined up on end.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by lostcause

Derrick Thomas?

It's probably one of the closest examples you can find, but DT was also a Defensive End at Alabama. So he had significant experience in college. And even though he was a 4-3 LB, he was an untraditional LB--the Falcon position, as it came to be known.

[TheGuardian]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I'll say it again, I dare anyone to point to me a 3-4 OLB that played traditional LB and never played end.

Kevin Green played outside linebacker at Alabama and played outside backer his whole career.

Greg Lloyd was an outside linebacker at Fort Valley State and never played end. He was an outside backer his whole career.

Chad Brown started as an inside backer with the Steelers then moved to outside once Lloyd left I believe. He was never an end until he went to Seattle.

James Harrison never played end in the NFL. Not sure at Kent State. He was an outside backer from day 1 both with the Steelers and the Ravens.

Cornelius Bennett never played end in college or in the pros. He was an outside linebacker his whole career.

That is just off the top of my head. Either way, if the point you are trying to make is that only ends can play outside linebacker, then you don't have one. Gusy like Green, Lloyd, Bennett, etc are not anomalies in a 30 front. Lots of traditional linebackers play outside in 30 fronts.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by TheGuardian

Kevin Green played outside linebacker at Alabama and played outside backer his whole career.

Greg Lloyd was an outside linebacker at Fort Valley State and never played end. He was an outside backer his whole career.

Chad Brown started as an inside backer with the Steelers then moved to outside once Lloyd left I believe. He was never an end until he went to Seattle.

James Harrison never played end in the NFL. Not sure at Kent State. He was an outside backer from day 1 both with the Steelers and the Ravens.

Cornelius Bennett never played end in college or in the pros. He was an outside linebacker his whole career.

That is just off the top of my head. Either way, if the point you are trying to make is that only ends can play outside linebacker, then you don't have one. Gusy like Green, Lloyd, Bennett, etc are not anomalies in a 30 front. Lots of traditional linebackers play outside in 30 fronts.

To the extent that it's possible, I'd be interested to know how many of those college teams ran 3-4 defenses and how many of those guys actually transitioned from 4-3 LB to 3-4 LB.

[htismaqe]

I wonder if he even realizes how stupid of a comparison it is between Curry and Terrell Suggs? Are we going to compare him to Dwight Freeney next?

I mean, after all Curry isn't a LB, he's an undersized DE, right?

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Wow. "Just Fisting Myself" is really drawing the love today!

[Just Passin' By]

As one league source explained it, there are three issues making the top-ten teams want to get out, and keeping other teams from wanting to get in.

First, the money paid at the top of the draft has gotten out of hand. Even hard-core agent types who previously have argued with us about this issue are now admitting that the values of the contracts at the top of the process are too high.

Second, there’s no “bell cow” in the draft — no must-have player in the view of one or more teams.

Third, there’s no real separation between the top players at each position. For example, Michael Crabtree isn’t $20 million better than Hakeem Nicks. But if Crabtree goes within the first seven picks of the round and Nicks goes in the last ten, the dollar value of their respective contracts will entail a gap potentially that large, if not larger.

Ditto for the tackles and the quarterbacks.

So why take a guy at No. 2 when a comparable player can be gotten — for much less money — at No. 20?

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/...f-the-top-ten/

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/...f-the-top-ten/

Wow, so they agree with me. Imagine that.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Wow, so they agree with me. Imagine that.

What are you talking about? Other than including the tackles, that's basically word-for-word what I've been saying.

[bdeg]

But I bet if you look at percentages most 3-4 olb's, especially those used primarily to rush, especially those who had an immediate impact, played some DE in college.

I realize that isn't exactly the point he was making, but it shouldn't be entirely dismissed.

edit: or they at least had sacks in college like Sintim.

[TheGuardian]

Originally Posted by bdeg

But I bet if you look at percentages most 3-4 olb's, especially those used primarily to rush, especially those who had an immediate impact, played some DE in college.

I realize that isn't exactly the point he was making, but it shouldn't be entirely dismissed.

edit: or they at least had sacks in college like Sintim.

Most college players, esp defensive players, line up all over the place. Lots of NFL players do as well. A few years ago the Saints used their middle linebacker at the time, Charlie Clemons, as their hybrid rush end on passing downs. THEIR MIDDLE LINEBACKER. He had 14 sacks doing it. He was the teams leading tackler as well.

The point is, if you want to draw a line in the sand and say "name me a guy that never put his hand in the dirt" then it is possible that NO one can be listed. Because at some point most linebackers played a few downs with their hand in the dirt at some level. However rushing from the outside spot in a 30 front where the tackle is covered up by an end or guard isn't the same as rushing with your hand in the dirt. So a guy can come in as a traditional linebacker and become a good pass rusher from the stand up position without ever having played most of his time at end. Why? Because it's two different animals. James Harrison could not line up in a 40 front defense and collect 15 sacks a year. Write that down. Wouldn't happen. Jared Allen on the other hand, doesn't have the quickness off of a 9 technique to get 15 sacks either. He does it from the end postion because his is a grinder with great leverage and long arms. Jared has the ability to beat guys from up close. He would not be as effective lining up wide like a linebacker in a 30 front. Harrison uses his short leverages to beat guys from a wide position, and because he's very explosive in that short distance.

It's really apples and oranges. Some guys can do both. Some can't. It's really about the player and not his position.

[jidar]

This clearly means they are taking Crabtree at #3