Boccal

Why don't we try putting Will Smith in the middle. He runs a 4.5 and has played LB before. He can't be any worse than what we already have. Play Coby and Courtney on the outsides.

4saintspirit

Interesting idea -- might as well try it - not like we hve anything to lose

shadowdrinker_x

i\'m not trying to be mean bro....but thats the type of logic that has gotten us into the situation we are in now...smith doesn\'t know how to spy a qb...he can\'t cover an nfl wide reciever..or a tight end for that matter..he is a lineman..thats what he did in college..and why he was drafted so high..he was the best pash rushing lineman in the draft...when the saints and haslett came together..we still had st. louis in our division...and the rams lived and died on speed...so..haslett followed suit..and gave this team speed as well..and then vick came..and he really had to focus on speed in the defense..especially linebackers...and defensive ends...i guess he figured..if you can contain vick...you could contain just about any qb in the league...and we all know how that\'s turning out...the true test will come this week..when haslett\'s designed vick stopping defense is put up against the man it was designed to stop..and that is really what he has been doing..trying to run the division..by sweeping atlanta...we have managed in the past to dominate t.b...and hold our own vs.carolina..although last year..they made us look like fools...but i myself have heard him time and time again say he wanted to contain vick..and was going to get speed to do so...well..lets just see how that ends up this week..but..as far as smith playing mlb...they would have to transition him all of next year..he would be another project player...and we have a team full of those

Boccal

Well you say that he can’t spy a QB and can’t cover a WR or TE. But he is faster than most of our starting LB’s and a whole lot bigger. Isn’t the whole problem with our LB that they are undersized and can’t fill the holes in the middle to make the RB try to break a run outside? So you mean to tell me that It would not interest you for them to stick him in the middle on maybe 1st and 2nd down to have a big guy in the middle to try and shut the between the tackles run down? Our LB are dumb and are not big enough to even get in the way. The talk at the beginning of the season was for them to put him at LB on some plays…. Remember?

WhoDat

That\'s a great idea... if you\'re trying to get him hurt and force us to franchise Howard for another season. Grant and Smith will start at DE next year. Howard will be gone and hopefully the 7 mil or whatever we paid him this year will go to a stud MLB. Are there any available? Are the lists of next year\'s FAs out yet?

Boccal

Julian Peterson is a free agent again. they never got his deal done right? and by the way I\'m just trying to Provoke something new here in the forum its time for a different thought process than we suck and we need new coaches

BlackandBlue

Peterson will get hit with the franchise tag until they free up some old money, from the ghosts of contract\'s past. He\'s that good.

shadowdrinker_x

yeah..you are absolutley right..lets get this kid..who has never started lb in the nfl..throw him into a dysfunctional venturi proofed defense...and let him ruin his natural skills by coaching him to play stupid...no man..there\'s no salvaging any part of this season man...it\'s a bitter pill to swallow..but...to take this kid..and try to get him to correct what is obviously one of our biggest weaknessess alone..no..we don\'t even have a lb that is favorable to start on any day..for any team...for any reason...nah..keep this kid rookie like..for the next coach to come in and mold..if the next coach feels lke smith can play mlb..or whatever..let him mold him out over the course of the off season..to throw him in now is like a suicide mission..and while i know you are grasping at straws...that one is a bit far fetched to really even consider as a viable option..

JKool

I\'ve got to agree with sdx on this one.

No way should Smith be asked to play a position that he isn\'t trained for. Ruff has plenty of size for the MLB and he\'s trained there. He just stinks in pass coverage (where I suspect Smith would suck even more, at least in the middle of the field) and is a bit on the slow side.

I think a bigger question for me is this: why isn\'t Watson playing at all. Last week Knight and Buckwoldt played; why couldn\'t Watson have taken some reps at WLB? Is he that far in the dog house? Someone who knows something about this better help me make sense of it.

"... I was beating them with my eyes the whole game..." - Aaron Brooks

WhoDat

He may stink in coverage in the middle of the field, but not for want of speed or skill. The guy played safety and I think some CB at OSU... he could handle a TE in the middle.... I think. Still, it\'s a real bad idea to put him at MLB.