OLB's: The current state.

[automatic44]

I also think Jeremy Thompson will be a pleasant surprise. The only thing that worries me is Thompson and Kampman in coverage. Most of the time they'll be in zone, but when they do man up it could get ugly.

Thats the great thing about the 'zone' blitz, you wont see very much man coverage at all, especially from any of the linebackers. and i dont think Capers will likely put Kampman/Thompson in man to man situations if he knows they cant handle it, he will utilize their best skills in the scheme, which will be rushing the passer.

[Modern_epic]

I was talking about Hawk's career so far. Too slow to play OLB. It was painfully obvious. I also said I hope Capers can come up with a way to use Hawk effectively. He can't be any worse than he was last year.

It will take time to replace our current linebackers, we have to make do with what we have for now.

As for Kampy as an OLB, Capers has said his main focus will still be rushing the QB. And he's already shown he is very good at that. Hawk hasn't shown he's very good at anything.

Not to be a pedantic bastard (well, not entirely for that reason), but saying that he isn't quick enough, instead of saying he is too slow, would get the point across better.

I don't know where you're going with when you say he's to small to play inside, though. Not good enough? Perhaps. But certainly not too small, as DB pointed out.

[Lippo]

Mickey's arguement was that he to slow to play OLB, so does anyone believe the Kampman(the consensus starting OLB) is faster than Hawk? If you do you are high. Suggs ran a 4.72 vs Hawk's 4.42 that like comparing Chris Johnson to LenDale White in speed. LOL,and Suggs seems fast enough to play OLB.

Where do you come up with these stats? If you look at the SI draft profiles for Suggs and Hawk, they have their 40 times listed at 4.61 and 4.67 respectively. I'm not saying either or any of these times are "official" but they probably used times from the same source. That time for Hawk is different than what I found earlier when I looked it up, but this was the only place I could quickly find that had draft profiles for both. My point - 40 yard dash times from when they were entering the draft are irrelevant and vary from source to source (making them even more irrelevant).

DRUGBUST HAS THE LINK TO HAWKS 4.42 AND 4.47 ON HIS PRO DAY EARLIER IN THE THREAD

SUGGS RAN A 4.86 ON HIS PRODAY
EVEN A 325LB DT WAS FASTER THAN HIM
Dewayne Robertson, DT, Kentucky: Some folks had Robertson penciled in as the No. 2 defensive tackle, behind Penn State's Jimmy Kennedy. Then Robertson worked out for pro scouts in March. Now he's at the head of the class alongside Kennedy. There's a lot to like about this guy. He's 6-1 1/2, 324 pounds, yet he ran a 4.84 at his Pro Day workout in March — faster than defensive end Terrell Suggs, who weighed in at 257 when he ran for scouts last week. Robertson also had a 29-1/2-inch vertical jump, did 30 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press and, according to Kentucky defensive coordinator John Goodner, "can be as good as he wants to be." Known mostly as a run stopper, Robertson models his game after — and the results were similar last year when he produced 48 tackles and five sacks. That has him in top 10 of this year's choices and at the top of his position.

[Lippo]

I was talking about Hawk's career so far. Too slow to play OLB. It was painfully obvious. I also said I hope Capers can come up with a way to use Hawk effectively. He can't be any worse than he was last year.

It will take time to replace our current linebackers, we have to make do with what we have for now.

As for Kampy as an OLB, Capers has said his main focus will still be rushing the QB. And he's already shown he is very good at that. Hawk hasn't shown he's very good at anything.

Not to be a pedantic bastard (well, not entirely for that reason), but saying that he isn't quick enough, instead of saying he is too slow, would get the point across better.

I don't know where you're going with when you say he's to small to play inside, though. Not good enough? Perhaps. But certainly not too small, as DB pointed out.

problem with that statement is that he is quick, his agility,accelation drills where among the best LB numbers in the last 10 years also. Maybe you can say he is indecisive, or hesitates, but phyically he has it all.

[Lippo]

http://www.thehogs.net/Draft2006/combin ... sults2.php

results from 2006 LB's, he had best 60yd cone and best shuttle and ran a 4.42 at proday, faster than Sims, and same as Thomas Howard, who projected as a safety back then.

Hell theres only 2 players at the whole combine that had better 20 yd shuttles (agility/acceleration) and they were all wr/cb's. Chad Jackson and Jason Allen

http://www.nfl.com/combine/story?id=090 ... nfirm=true

[ReasonablySober]

I remember the Suggs draft well.

All year he was considered a top five, maybe top three, pick. He tested out to be a somewhat average athlete and the forty-yard was part of the reason. It may not seem like much but dropping to 10 was a bit of a shocker that season. We're talking about a kid that as a junior had 24 sacks in the Pac 10.

[ReasonablySober]

Yea, there's no way anyone can make an argument that Hawk doesn't have the size or athletic ability to play any of the traditional linebacker positions. Pass rushing OLB in a 3-4 is a different story. I'd prefer a converted DE.

[MickeyDavis]

Lippo I appreciate your opinions and you often make good points. But you are too hung up on combine numbers. 40 times and shuttle runs don't automatically translate to the football field.

[Lippo]

I never said Hawk is good.. I just said he is not slow or small. Those ARE NOT THE REASON he doesnt translate well to OLB or ILB

combine #'s do prove his speed , acceleartaion and agility..
scaled and measuring sticks do prove his size and weight (size)

Now he appears slow and small on the field because he is soft. He cant fight through blocks because he is a bit unsure and timid. His short comings are purely mental. In the initial thread I stated he has very little pass rushing skills atm, and can only play the WILB position same as Barnett. One of the has to go if Hawk can't learn to rush the passer. Kampman/Bishop/Hawk/Poppinga IMO, with Barnett getting traded would be my route. Draft Curry/Brown to either take Bishop or Poppinga spot.

[Wade-A-Holic]

If you guys think Hawk isn't slow on the field you're dillusional. I guess if you compare him with Chillar and Poppinga he may have the illusion of speed. But that's all it is. An illusion. I don't care what he ran in shorts 3 years ago. The guy has below average football speed.

Hawk never admitted it but a lot of media types who had sources inside the organization said Hawk was playing hurt this year and was never near 100%, and he definitely looked a lot slower this year than in the two years prior, although he has never looked like the heat seeking missile he was at OSU.

[El Duderino]

If you guys think Hawk isn't slow on the field you're dillusional. I guess if you compare him with Chillar and Poppinga he may have the illusion of speed. But that's all it is. An illusion. I don't care what he ran in shorts 3 years ago. The guy has below average football speed.

.

I question if it's a speed reason for the lack of playmaking by Hawk since he became a Packer. When i watch him, i see more a lack of quickly diagnosing plays after the snap and thus he's late getting there.

Watch say Ray Lewis play linebacker, he's no speed demon, but the guy simply has great instincts. After the ball is snapped, he's quick to diagnose what's going on and thus, he makes plays. Linebackers often have to make a decision in a split second after the snap and if they make the wrong decision or there is indecision, they are going to be late getting into the plays, regardless of how fast they are. Hell, look at Desmond Bishop. He didn't get a ton of snaps at LB and he did make some mistakes, but he also made more big plays behind the line of scrimmage than Hawk in far less snaps because he sniffed out those plays at the snap and quickly reacted. Bishop is no special athlete.

This is why over the years in the NFL many linebackers without special athletic ability/size have been able to be better playmakers than other guys who are much better athletes, but those athletes are slower at diagnosing what's going on. Instead of right after the snap these good athletes just firing to a gap that they see the play is heading to, they to often freeze for a second or split second and by then, it's to late and a blocker is on them. I've seen that a lot from Hawk. To much indecision. To many stutter steps. Slow to read where his man in coverage is going. All i hope for is that part of his slow reactions was the scheme Sanders ran, but i also know i'm probably grasping at straws a bit there.