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YS: LB rankings: The NFL’s weakening strongside

Chachi

By Chachi
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Chachi

Chachi

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I did the obligatory search...blah blah blah...

I found this interesting tho - take a look and let me know what you guys think... It's interesting that the analysis for us is already focusing on the 3-4

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AoL3_VkUAiufLLD3qRvOwBVDubYF?slug=jc-lbrankings071210

There’s something really fascinating about rating the various linebacking corps in the NFL. Just as the fullback has generally disappeared from offensive football with so many offenses going with three-, four- and five-receiver sets, the strongside linebacker has also started to fade into oblivion.

The fade is not as drastic as with the fullback because there are still tight ends to be battled in the running game and covered in the passing game. Still, a position that was once second only to defensive tackles in terms of toughness is now a spot full of faceless players who don’t remind anybody of Andre Tippett.

As with the defensive line rankings, the prevalence of the 3-4 defense made ranking the league’s linebackers difficult. Teams with four-linebacker sets, as you will see, tend to get ranked much higher because they have the pass rushers.

Here’s the rundown:

...

2. Dallas: Critics of DeMarcus Ware(notes) like to point out that his sacks (11) dropped by nearly 50 percent last season from 2008 and that his total tackles also saw a precipitous lag, dropping all the way to a career-low 57. Unfortunately, those critics also don’t draw up blocking schemes to deal with Ware, which is why he continues to be considered one of the most dynamic forces in the game. On the other side, Anthony Spencer made progress last season, collecting six sacks, mostly during an impressive run during the second half of the season. Inside linebackers Bradie James(notes) and Keith Brooking(notes) are solid, but the depth is untested.

8. Washington: As the Redskins switch to a 3-4 defense, they appear to have a great combination of outside linebackers on paper with Brian Orakpo(notes) (11 sacks) coming off a terrific season and veteran Andre Carter(notes) (11 sacks) on the other side. The problem is that the 3-4 also requires at least some semblance of pass coverage skills for its outside linebackers to go from very good to great. Carter, who is going into his 10th season, has never really played standing up. He has been an end for almost his entire career. As smart as he is, that’s a troubling situation. In the middle, London Fletcher(notes) and Rocky McIntosh(notes) are solid. Don’t buy the hype of Fletcher being some great player because he’s coming off a Pro Bowl season. Fletcher is just a plugger – a good one, but a plugger nonetheless. Bottom line, this group could be great or it could be average.

19. Philadelphia: If Ernie “Cinnabon” Sims can get back to being the 100-plus tackle a year defender he was for the first three years of his career, the Eagles will have gotten a bargain for the fifth-round pick they gave up in the trade for him. Sims never developed into the dynamic player the Lions expected when they took him in the first round in 2006, but the Eagles aren’t looking for that. Likewise, if middle linebacker Stewart Bradley(notes) returns to full health after missing last season, the Eagles are solid there. The weakside spot is still in question with Moise Fokou(notes) looking like the starter, but the depth is good with Omar Gaither(notes) and Akeem Jordan(notes).

30. New York Giants: The disintegration of Antonio Pierce(notes) was both sad and fascinating to watch last year. After helping the Giants to a Super Bowl title in the 2007 season, Pierce was still solid in 2008. But by 2009, his series of injuries caught up to him and forced him to retire. Now, the Giants must not only rebuild, but replace the most focused, dutiful leader the team had. Ouch. Outside linebacker Michael Boley(notes) was pretty good last year when he was healthy, but the rest of the group is a collective question mark with the likes of Clint Sintim(notes), Jonathan Goff(notes) and Chase Blackburn(notes).

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Truant

Truant

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Uh, that's one of the main things that MLBs do, they plug. Fletcher has also been a beast when dropping back into coverage.

If that illicits "hype" than than let's not buy into the hype on Singletary, Willis, Seau, etc as well.

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darklight1216

darklight1216

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That is absolute garbage. Naturally, I skippped to the team that I care about, but they don't even have the projected starters and there is no mention of Sergio Kindle.

Putting the Redskins that high is just ridiculous when you look at his reasoning. They could be great or average? Then they shouldn't be 8th on the list! I'm not even going to waste time on Chicago.

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MattFancy

MattFancy

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London Fletcher makes more tackles 8 yards up the field than anyone I've ever seen. He doesn't cause much in the way of turnovers and he doesn't sack the quarterback. Great leader, great guy, but he is overrated if you think he's an elite MLB in the NFL.

He may not be elite, but he is certainly more than "just a plugger"

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HEavyJumbo85

HEavyJumbo85

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He may not be elite, but he is certainly more than "just a plugger"

Yeah the plugger thing is too much, but the folks talking about his "great" career and how he's been "overlooked" are as wrong as the guy who wrote this piece.

He's had a solid career. Always kept himself in healthy enough to play and has never missed a game, that's hard work in itself. I won't lie, I thought it was a little ridiculous that a guy who always was near the top/leading the league in tackles could be "snubbed" for pro bowls every year...until I saw him play for the Redskins.

He "collects" tackles. By no means am I suggesting that this is an easy thing to do, especially since somebody has to tackle someone every play, or else, but he lets the play come to him more than he dictates it. He plays as deep as some safeties and allows guys to run to him. It takes a smart player to know that this approach is going to lead to a lot of tackles if you read the play well, but it does take a bit of the shine off of his numbers when you see the majority of his tackles coming well down the field. It's not like he's consistently shooting gaps and stuffing running backs in the backfield or around the line of scrimmage; it's not like he's pressuring the QB on a regular basis when he does try to rush the passer.

He's done tremendously well, considering his stature and where he came from (D3). He carved himself a niche and a role that's allowed him to play this game for over a decade and be productive doing it. Somebody has to tackle somebody and he said "why not me?" Great leader and a guy that's always done his job, but he's not a playmaker; he's not one of the "great" or "complete" MLBers. He's a solid pro; there's no need to elevate him to a tremendous status simply because he plays for the Redskins.

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jkypoo

jkypoo

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Alright. Which one of you guys hyped Fletcher?

You better come clean. Because this is serious business.

I will not tolerate hype for one of the most consistent and consistently underrated players in NFL history. He is, after all, just a plugger.

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Chachi

Chachi

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I get what you are saying. However, if you stop and think about it, Fletch doesn't make the highlight reels within the actual role he fits and his playmaking, which is a solid tackler, but maybe...just maybe, he is actually preventing the opponent from making the highlight reel on their own...

How do you put a price on that?

Just a thought.

Yeah the plugger thing is too much, but the folks talking about his "great" career and how he's been "overlooked" are as wrong as the guy who wrote this piece.

He's had a solid career. Always kept himself in healthy enough to play and has never missed a game, that's hard work in itself. I won't lie, I thought it was a little ridiculous that a guy who always was near the top/leading the league in tackles could be "snubbed" for pro bowls every year...until I saw him play for the Redskins.

He "collects" tackles. By no means am I suggesting that this is an easy thing to do, especially since somebody has to tackle someone every play, or else, but he lets the play come to him more than he dictates it. He plays as deep as some safeties and allows guys to run to him. It takes a smart player to know that this approach is going to lead to a lot of tackles if you read the play well, but it does take a bit of the shine off of his numbers when you see the majority of his tackles coming well down the field. It's not like he's consistently shooting gaps and stuffing running backs in the backfield or around the line of scrimmage; it's not like he's pressuring the QB on a regular basis when he does try to rush the passer.

He's done tremendously well, considering his stature and where he came from (D3). He carved himself a niche and a role that's allowed him to play this game for over a decade and be productive doing it. Somebody has to tackle somebody and he said "why not me?" Great leader and a guy that's always done his job, but he's not a playmaker; he's not one of the "great" or "complete" MLBers. He's a solid pro; there's no need to elevate him to a tremendous status simply because he plays for the Redskins.

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