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State of the Roster II: Bills Inside Linebackers
2008-05-28 02:42:00 The return of Posluszny solidifies starting LB corps (Photo Source) Prior to the 2008 NFL Draft - in fact, prior to the free agent signing period of this past March - we took a look at the Buffalo Bills' roster position by position, breaking down then-current personnel, finding holes, and building our community needs list. Now that free agency and the Draft have been completed, and the Bills have infused their roster with new talent, it's time to repeat our process. Where has Buffalo gotten better? Where have they gotten worse? How will additions impact which Bills veterans remain on the roster? These are questions that we've been attempting to answer for the past week or so, and will continue to do so. We continue those discussions today with an examination of Buffalo's outside linebackers. To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's OLB situation (pre-off-season), bang it here. Paul Posluszny: If Trent Edwards is the big question mark of the of...
State of the Roster II: Bills Outside Linebackers
2008-05-26 17:43:00 Mitchell adds size to a weak weak-side position (Photo Source) Prior to the 2008 NFL Draft - in fact, prior to the free agent signing period of this past March - we took a look at the Buffalo Bills' roster position by position, breaking down then-current personnel, finding holes, and building our community needs list. Now that free agency and the Draft have been completed, and the Bills have infused their roster with new talent, it's time to repeat our process. Where has Buffalo gotten better? Where have they gotten worse? How will additions impact which Bills veterans remain on the roster? These are questions that we'll attempt to answer over the next week or so. We continue those discussions today with an examination of Buffalo's outside linebackers. To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's OLB situation (pre-off-season), bang it here. Angelo Crowell: Statistically, Crowell had a very solid 2007 season, racking up 126 tackles, two sacks, an ...
Birds? Add Two Linebackers
2008-05-14 20:58:00 The Eagles have signed BYU linebacker Markell Staffieri, and Cal U linebacker Gary Butler. I don’t want to hate on these guys, but can you say camp bodies? >>Eagles sign ex-Norfolk State QB (The News Journal)
2008 Free Agents: Linebackers
2008-02-28 07:27:00 Jim Johnson quietly dropped a bomb while at the NFL’s scouting combine. When asked about the Iggles current Linebacker situation, Johnson said this: “I’m optimistic,” he said. “I felt good at the end of the year. I felt good about our linebackers coming around. Stewart Bradley showed he could play at middle linebacker. Omar can play ...
Packer linebackers report card
2008-01-31 01:18:00 We're getting close to done with our report cards on the 2007 Green Bay Packers. Today we present to you our ratings for the linebackers. Make sure to check back tomorrow to take a look at the defensive backs, and scroll down below for our past positional analyses.Nick Barnett (A-): The 2007 season was Barnett's best season as a pro without a doubt. It's a shame he didn't make the Pro Bowl because he deserved it. He was a tackling machine making plays from sideline to sideline and in the backfield. For the first time, Barnett was really making plays on a consistent basis. His 3.5 sacks and 2 interceptions aren't bad for a middle linebacker either. Fans will be hoping that Barnett plays at this same high level for years to come.A.J. Hawk (B-): Fans are waiting patiently for that breakthrough season for Hawk. Unfortunately it wasn't 2007. That's not to say that Hawk wasn't solid, though. He was definitely solid and reliable, just not spectacular. I personally wonder how he get...
State of the Roster: Bills Outside Linebackers
2008-01-19 00:41:00 Crowell entering the final year of his deal (BuffaloBills.com) It's a position that wasn't overly productive for the Buffalo Bills in 2007, yet is one of the more important positions in head coach Dick Jauron's Cover-2 defense. It's also a position that was hit hard by the rash of injuries that overtook Buffalo's roster last season. It's certainly a position that stands to be upgraded during the off-season. But did you know that it may, in fact, have to be Buffalo's top priority this off-season? That position is outside linebacker. Let's break it down: Angelo Crowell Crowell was arguably Buffalo's most consistent defender in 2007, as he led the Bills with 126 tackles while piling up two sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and a safety. The three-year starter has developed into a nice young leader on a young defense, and once the talent around him can stay healthy (and gets one more upgrade), he's likely to progress into an even more stellar defender. ...
State of the Roster: Bills Middle Linebackers
2008-01-18 14:38:00 Poz returns full throttle in '08 (BuffaloBills.com) Offense has been the main focus of the past couple of days regarding the Bills; we'll be talking much more about the offense next week, but today, we're going to shift our attention back to the defense. In continuing with our positional reviews, we're ultimately working toward building a needs list on both sides of the ball, with community consensus the (unlikely?) goal. That will help us as we break down all of the available players this off-season; it will also help yours truly as I prepare for the second annual SB Nation NFL Mock Draft this off-season. I digress. Here's a breakdown of Buffalo's inside linebacker situation (and in case you missed it, here's our discussions on the ends and tackles): Paul Posluszny None of Buffalo's 17 injuries was more detrimental than the season-ending loss of rookie Paul Posluszny after just the first 10 quarters of his NFL career. Posluszny is now forced to take the John M...
Broncos down to five Linebackers
2007-09-05 16:39:00 With the announcement today that the Broncos have released LB Wesly Mallard (to make room for Simeon Rice), the Broncos are officially down to just five linebackers on their roster. Those remaining LB’s are starters D.J. Williams, Ian Gold and Nate Webster and backups D.D. Lewis and Lous Green. Shanahan’s teams normally carry ...
By: BroncoTalk
Middle linebackers shine
2007-08-24 16:29:00 It didn't matter who was playing middle linebacker last night for the Green Bay Packers. Whoever it was was making plays.Starting "Mike" linebacker Nick Barnett was seemingly everywhere on the field. He excelled both against in the run and in pass coverage."On Jacksonville's second drive alone, Barnett sniffed out an end-around and dropped Reggie Williams after a 1-yard gain; stuffed Maurice Jones-Drew on third-and-1; then ended the drive by wrapping up Jones-Drew off the left edge for no gain on fourth-and-1," according to Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.And his backup, rookie Desmond Bishop, is getting a lot of media attention for his play on Thursday. His highlight reel hits were getting plenty of airtime on ESPN and Fox Sports last night and this morning.The one getting the most attention was his hit of Jaguars wide receiver Reggie Williams that took off his helmet in the process."The play was the highlight of a strong overall game by Bishop, the sixth-round draft...
Linebackers Trotter, Singleton work out for Bucs
2007-08-23 18:49:00 Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter worked out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, two days after being released by the Philadelphia Eagles. Read More: Associated Press
By: NFL Connection
Position analysis: Linebackers
2007-08-23 18:17:00 Our position by position analysis continues today with the linebackers. This is the seventh in a nine part series in the run up to roster cutdowns following tonight's game. Who's going to make it and who is not? Look for yourself ...A.J. Hawk - Ron Wolf recently compared Hawk to Hall of Famer Jack Ham. Based upon his play this exhibition season, Hawk is ready for prime time. When he just blew away Seattle's fullback last week to get a sack on a blitz, that was the type of play that got Reggie White remembered. Hawk will still have to do it on as big a stage as White did to earn All Pro status, but Hawk is just about ripe to pick.Nick Barnett - Surprisingly little has been said about Barnett's night club escapade during the offseason now that training camp is underway. If things continue to stay that way, Barnett (pictured) should find few distractions, and he can focus on winning football games. He's been a Pro Bowl alternate. Now can he take another step and play in the game a...
Looking at the linebackers
2007-07-26 15:10:00 As you prepare for training camp, here's some help for you.The Green Bay Press-Gazette previews the linebacker position today with emphasis on second-year man A.J. Hawk.The Wisconsin State Journal also looks at the linebackers in today's issue.
Santana Moss and the linebackers moderately praised
2007-07-25 17:54:00 Santana Moss barely sneaks into this Real Football 365 The top 20 wide receivers in the NFL: 20.) Santana Moss, Washington Redskins : The 5-10, 200-pound Moss is a poor man's Steve Smith. Although the 28-year-old isn't big, he can still out-muscle opposing cornerbacks for the ball. Moss had a career year in '05, catching 84 passes for 1,483 yards, then fell off last season because of the Redskins' general instability on offense. If QB Jason Campbell gets going in '07, Moss should once again be a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout. Here we are at Fox Sports with a top 15 linebackers unit: 14. Washington Redskins (18) According to our metrics, Washington's defense was the NFL's worst in 2006, but the problems were primarily with the linemen and defensive backs. Strong-side linebacker Marcus Washington was a bright spot for the Redskins, finishing seventh in the NFL in Success Rate against the pass. Lemar Marshall was decent in the middle last year, but his spot has been taken by London ...
By: Hogs Haven
Packers linebackers rank as NFL's 13th best
2007-07-25 15:10:00 The Green Bay Packers linebacking corps is ranked as the 13th best unit in the entire NFL by Doug Farrar for Fox Sports.According to Farrar, "Weak-side linebacker A.J. Hawk (pictured) could be the Next Big Thing. In his rookie campaign, the fifth overall draft pick was durable, reliable and productive. He may not have had the numbers of Ryans and Wimbley, and he's not an elite defender against the pass, but he's a great bet to blow up in his second year. Hawk is already a top 20 run-stopper and he led his team in Defeats. Brady Poppinga starts on the strong side, which means that he'll need to bump up a 56 percent Stop Rate against the run (Rank: 80th). Nick Barnett mans the middle for a group that could surprise a lot of people this year, especially with a very solid front four."Farrar uses a statistical analysis of terms such as "defeats" and "stop rate" to rank the units. Definitions of these terms can be found by clicking the above link.Second year man Abdul Hodge and newly d...
Training Camp Positional Preview: Linebackers
2007-07-25 07:05:00 Now it's time to look at the strongest unit of the 2007 Miami Dolphins: the linebackers. Without question, this starting group is among the best in the NFL. And keep in mind that I included both Jason Taylor and Abe Wright in my look at the defensive line, though both are also LBs in the Dom Capers 3-4 defense. Oh, and yet again you need to click the "read more" to see the entire article, as I just couldn't stop myself from writing: Zach Thomas: 5'11, 228, 12th year Well what more can I say about Thomas that hasn't already been said in the past, either by me or by anyone else who watches professional football. Thomas could very well be the best "undersized" linebacker to ever play the game. Either way, he's probably the been the best linebacker in the game in terms of production and consistency for the past 5 to 10 years. And when people think he's finally going to lose a step, he steps up and plays as well as he ever has. This season, Thomas anchors a group of li...
By: The Phinsider
Satire: Parenting for Dummies and/or Middle Linebackers
2007-07-14 01:18:00 As you may have heard, Brian Urlacher has picked up a bad habit from Elijah Dukes, using the text messaging feature on his cellular device to send inappropriate messages to Tyna Robertson, the mother of his 2-year-old son. Supposedly, she returned the favor as both burned up the cellular towers with their tête-à-tête.- As an indirect reaction to the pettiness, a Will County judge has ordered both of them into parenting class as per county law. This three-hour class is intended to "lessen the negative emotional impact of the (custody) process on the children, and maximize the children's healthy psychological and social development." It has not been reported, however, that the teacher of that class has been named. Yours truly has been pegged to administer the seminar, as I have experience in child psychology, pre-prenatal development, and advanced slothery. (Also, I work cheaply.) To help others suffering through this unfortunate situation, I have...
Lombardi era linebackers among all-time best
2007-07-03 15:48:00 The Fourth of July brings connotations regarding baseball to mind, but if you're like most readers of Railbird Central, you might want to spend the Fourth reminiscing about football instead.On July 4 at 8 p.m. CST, the NFL Network is revealing the Top 10 linebacker groups of all-time. In the running is the Lombardi era linebacking crew of Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, and Lee Roy Caffey.According to the Packers official website, "The three were Green Bay's primary starters at linebacker from 1964 to 1969, helping lead the Packers to three straight league championships, including Super Bowls I and II. In those two Super Bowl victories, the Packers' linebackers combined for 38 tackles, and during that six-year span each of the three was named All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl at least once."
Breaking Down The Roster -- Part 6 -- Linebackers
2007-06-22 18:37:00 Williams Will Dive Head-First Into His New Role The Linebacker position has long been a strength of the defense and the team. Throughout the team's history, names like Jackson, Mecklenburg, Simon Fletcher, Bill Romanowski, John Mobley, and of course Al Wilson. The release of Wilson, a 3-time Pro Bowl selection, this off-season due to injury left a huge hole for the Broncos to fill on and off the field. It also signaled a changing of the guard in the middle of the defense, with D.J. Williams taking over for Wilson. How Williams progresses, as well as who else from a cast of veterans and unknowns steps up to replace Williams outside will have a huge impact on the Broncos success this season. Let's take a look at the cast of characters and who I think might make a name for himself in 2007 -- Ian Gold(6'0, 223) -- Gold has been a solid contributor for the Broncos in both his stints in Denver. While he has never really regained ...
By: Mile High Report
Linebackers, L. Walker Getting Media Attention
2007-06-13 16:08:00 Crowell is the elder LB in Buffalo Angelo Crowell, John DiGiorgio and Langston Walker are all the subject of some interesting stories this morning... Angelo Crowell, for better or worse, is now the elder statesman in Buffalo's linebacking corps: Crowell's abilities and experience aside, the Bills are making sure not to put too much of a burden on his shoulders. That was evident during minicamp practices this past month. Crowell has stood to the side in the huddle while the middle linebacker calls the plays, as Fletcher did last year. "I think the important thing for Angelo is for him to play ball and not try to do something that is out of character for him," Fewell said. "Yeah, he is the older guy now. But he leads better by example. ... He is one of the guys that is a proven playmaker for us, and we just want to use the most that he can offer." I like the fact that the middle 'backer is still calling the defensive plays, but Crowell in my mind does need to be a bit mo...
Draft Fallout - Rookie Linebackers
2007-05-25 22:58:00 Rookie linebackers you need to know: Lawrence Timmons (Pittsburgh, 15th overall) - Timmons is in a great situation with the Steelers. He has a starting position waiting for him with the departure of Joey Porter and the Steelers defense is experienced and stacked with quality players from front to back. Timmons will play right away and should see a large number of tackle and sack opportunities. Jon Beason (Carolina, 25th overall) - The word scouts use to describe Beason is "intelligent" which isn't as common as you might think. Beason doesn't have a starting spot right now, but the Panthers go through linebackers the way Jack Bauer goes through ammo so it shouldn't take long before Beason's on the field. Even without an injury, Beason will probably work his way into some playing time. He won't be worth a draft pick unless Dan Morgan or Thomas Davis gets hurt in camp, but keep an eye on him for when you need a waiver wire pickup. Paul Posluszny (Buffalo, 34th o...
By: The RotoFeed
Looking at Linebackers
2007-04-27 20:14:00 BroncoTalk takes a closer look at Patrick Willis, David Harris, Paul Posluszny, Jon Beason, and my guy, Lawrence Timmons. Look for the Broncos to look linebacker early tomorrow in the NFL Draft.
By: BroncoTalk
Broncos add veteran linebackers Holdman, Lewis
2007-04-26 20:19:00 The remaking of the Denver linebacker corps, which could move into this weekend’s NFL draft, continued on Thursday as the club signed unrestricted free agents Warrick Holdman and D.D. Lewis to contracts of undisclosed terms. Read More: Len Pasquarelli
By: NFL Connection
Broncos Linebackers, Who The Hell Is Left?
2007-04-14 18:59:00 We've had nearly 24 hours to digest the fact that Al Wilson will not be wearing #56 for the Broncos next season, or any other season. While the reasons for that swirl, the Broncos have to move forward, and in the NFL if you are looking back you're not moving forward. No matter what our feelings today, we have to look forward, and it starts with what's left of the Broncos linebacking corp. Losing a player like Al Wilson is going to leave a void, both on the field and off. Wilson was the emotional leader of the team and someone else is going to have to take over that role. There is plenty of leadership on the team, between Rod Smith and John Lynch that the Broncos shouldn't be without a solid voice. On the field, it gets a bit more complaicated to replace a 3-time Pro Bowler at middle linebacker. RIght now D.J. Williams seems the most logical to replace Wilson inside. There are others that will have to step up if the denfese is going to...
By: Mile High Report
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