How did we get here,LB help please

saint5221 · 04-17-2003, 02:05 PM

Right now the LB's are the weakest unit on the team. Hard to swallow here, I know its been a while but we did used to have the best LB corps in the game and we now have a former LB for a coach. We do not have one LB on the team to get excited about. Hodge is small does'nt hit and for all his speed, he just uses it to run quickly by the play. Allen may yet become something, its to early to tell what he will be. He has the size and seems to have some good instincs to get to the ball, but he is a pretty much a untested second year player. Not the stuff alot of confidence is made of. Smith is warror, savy and tough, but unfortunately also older and slower. Yet he will be platooning with Ruff at the middle spot, which means the coaches do'nt think either is good enough to hold the spot full time.Situational players tip your hand and are'nt what we need now. I want to be fair to Ruff and give him a chance but he could not start inSD what is suddlenly going to make him so much better here. Its not that Ruff is bad but the LB position and middle LB in preticular is a spot from which a top tier player can strongly influence, even take over a game. Does anyone see anyone in uniform now who can do this? We are striving to win it all and we seem to be getting close to having the talent to do it, very close. But not at LB, so what are we going to do about it?

[Edited on 4/17/2003 by saint5221]

[Edited on 4/17/2003 by saint5221]

BlackandBlue · 04-17-2003, 02:15 PM

Hodge is small??? He\'s 6\'4\" 245lbs- he\'s one of the biggest LB\'s we have on the team. He\'s an inch or so taller than Ruff, but gives up a couple of pounds to Ruff in weight. He\'s built like weightlifter. His problem is he doesn\'t always have his head in the game.
The coaching staff is sold on Allen, so I\'ll take the wait and see approach on him. However, I will agree with you that our linebacking crew does not excite me in the least, and is in my opinion, the weakest link on defense.

saint5221 · 04-17-2003, 02:57 PM

I guess I should not of said small he is tall but he sure doesnt look 245 out there. I have\'nt put him on a scale if he is that big he sure does\'nt play it, he just did not look that big on the field. Thanks for the correction on size and glad you agree with the main point of the post, I hope we get some help at LB, really do see this as the only serious weakness right now. Sure there several areas we can still improve talent at ,but none seem as glaring as this. This is a young powerful offensive team that hopefully will take us to the elite hight of the league with some playmakers on D. Could you imange this team with one of the premire LB\'s on it, again How do we acomplish this?

[Edited on 4/17/2003 by saint5221]

JOESAM2002 · 04-17-2003, 06:53 PM

Amen B&B! I can\'t get excited about them either. I\'d be for drafting both Bailey and Henderson. LOL.

[Edited on 17/4/2003 by JOESAM2002]

04-17-2003, 02:05 PM	#1
saint5221 500th Post Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 598	How did we get here,LB help please Right now the LB's are the weakest unit on the team. Hard to swallow here, I know its been a while but we did used to have the best LB corps in the game and we now have a former LB for a coach. We do not have one LB on the team to get excited about. Hodge is small does'nt hit and for all his speed, he just uses it to run quickly by the play. Allen may yet become something, its to early to tell what he will be. He has the size and seems to have some good instincs to get to the ball, but he is a pretty much a untested second year player. Not the stuff alot of confidence is made of. Smith is warror, savy and tough, but unfortunately also older and slower. Yet he will be platooning with Ruff at the middle spot, which means the coaches do'nt think either is good enough to hold the spot full time.Situational players tip your hand and are'nt what we need now. I want to be fair to Ruff and give him a chance but he could not start inSD what is suddlenly going to make him so much better here. Its not that Ruff is bad but the LB position and middle LB in preticular is a spot from which a top tier player can strongly influence, even take over a game. Does anyone see anyone in uniform now who can do this? We are striving to win it all and we seem to be getting close to having the talent to do it, very close. But not at LB, so what are we going to do about it? [Edited on 4/17/2003 by saint5221] [Edited on 4/17/2003 by saint5221]
saint5221 500th Post Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 598

04-17-2003, 02:15 PM	#2
BlackandBlue Kinder, gentler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,889	How did we get here,LB help please Hodge is small??? He\'s 6\'4\" 245lbs- he\'s one of the biggest LB\'s we have on the team. He\'s an inch or so taller than Ruff, but gives up a couple of pounds to Ruff in weight. He\'s built like weightlifter. His problem is he doesn\'t always have his head in the game. The coaching staff is sold on Allen, so I\'ll take the wait and see approach on him. However, I will agree with you that our linebacking crew does not excite me in the least, and is in my opinion, the weakest link on defense.
	The waiting drove me mad.... I don't want to hear from those that know... Everything has changed, absolutely nothing's changed Eddie is a....draftnik?

04-17-2003, 02:57 PM	#3
saint5221 500th Post Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 598	How did we get here,LB help please I guess I should not of said small he is tall but he sure doesnt look 245 out there. I have\'nt put him on a scale if he is that big he sure does\'nt play it, he just did not look that big on the field. Thanks for the correction on size and glad you agree with the main point of the post, I hope we get some help at LB, really do see this as the only serious weakness right now. Sure there several areas we can still improve talent at ,but none seem as glaring as this. This is a young powerful offensive team that hopefully will take us to the elite hight of the league with some playmakers on D. Could you imange this team with one of the premire LB\'s on it, again How do we acomplish this? [Edited on 4/17/2003 by saint5221]
saint5221 500th Post Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 598

04-17-2003, 06:53 PM	#4
JOESAM2002 1000 Posts + Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: CRYSTAL BEACH TEXAS Posts: 4,100	How did we get here,LB help please Amen B&B! I can\'t get excited about them either. I\'d be for drafting both Bailey and Henderson. LOL. [Edited on 17/4/2003 by JOESAM2002]

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