Hypothetical: Rivers - Pollack - Thurman - Maualuga ?! What if...

[UnoCinco]

I have been thinking a lot about how insane our defense would be if Pollack never had his neck injury and Thurman didn't party...

Pollack because of a fluke injury, and Odell because of being a nimrod. Seriously though, Pollack was still learning a new position, and Odell Thurman should have gotten ROOKIE Defensive P.O.T. (I think Texans Demeko Ryan got it). Pollack was just starting to get it to... when he was at Georgia, I would make a point to watch Bulldog games just because of DP... He was insane in college and was about to be here too!

Anyone else ever think about this? I was as excited, if not more, when the Bengals drafted David Pollack, as to when we just got Rey Rey.... If those two would have panned out, we could of had on of the most dynamic and balance set of four LB in a 4-3 around.

Anyone want to talk about it...

[bfine32]

I have been thinking a lot about how insane our defense would be if Pollack never had his neck injury and Thurman didn't party...

Pollack because of a fluke injury, and Odell because of being a nimrod. Seriously though, Pollack was still learning a new position, and Odell Thurman should have gotten ROOKIE Defensive P.O.T. (I think Texans Demeko Ryan got it). Pollack was just starting to get it to... when he was at Georgia, I would make a point to watch Bulldog games just because of DP... He was insane in college and was about to be here too!

Anyone else ever think about this? I was as excited, if not more, when the Bengals drafted David Pollack, as to when we just got Rey Rey.... If those two would have panned out, we could of had on of the most dynamic and balance set of four LB in a 4-3 around.

Anyone want to talk about it...

Seems Rivers would be a better fit for your Hypo than Rey. With Rey-Odell-Pollack you have 2 MLBs and 1 DE playing LB. If david and Odell would have worked out I could see Pollack-Odell-Dhani without Rivers or Rey being in stripes.

[cinc4ever1]

I have been thinking a lot about how insane our defense would be if Pollack never had his neck injury and Thurman didn't party...

Pollack because of a fluke injury, and Odell because of being a nimrod. Seriously though, Pollack was still learning a new position, and Odell Thurman should have gotten ROOKIE Defensive P.O.T. (I think Texans Demeko Ryan got it). Pollack was just starting to get it to... when he was at Georgia, I would make a point to watch Bulldog games just because of DP... He was insane in college and was about to be here too!

Anyone else ever think about this? I was as excited, if not more, when the Bengals drafted David Pollack, as to when we just got Rey Rey.... If those two would have panned out, we could of had on of the most dynamic and balance set of four LB in a 4-3 around.

Anyone want to talk about it...


As interesting as it sounds,we would not have Rey if Odell was still around.Either way I have thought about the what if's to many times.It still hurts to think about David ending his career before it really started.

[bhungwell]

if that was our line backers hines ward wouldn't be smiling when he played us. Pollack would be our Palmer on d

[1whodeybrew]

with Pollack and Thurman there would be no Rivers or Rey Rey. Mixed in with Pollack and Thurman would be a vet such as Dhani so they wouldn't have picked them.

That's one heck of a set though.

[bengaljunky86]

i honestly wasnt that hip to pollack i didnt think he was that good of an LB i loved him on the DE when he got the oppertunity to play that position but the year he got hurt i was thinking man he better have a good year or this guy wasnt worth the draft pick...still it sux he broke his neck

[Joe from Florence]

I have been thinking a lot about how insane our defense would be if Pollack never had his neck injury and Thurman didn't party...

Pollack because of a fluke injury, and Odell because of being a nimrod. Seriously though, Pollack was still learning a new position, and Odell Thurman should have gotten ROOKIE Defensive P.O.T. (I think Texans Demeko Ryan got it). Pollack was just starting to get it to... when he was at Georgia, I would make a point to watch Bulldog games just because of DP... He was insane in college and was about to be here too!

Anyone else ever think about this? I was as excited, if not more, when the Bengals drafted David Pollack, as to when we just got Rey Rey.... If those two would have panned out, we could of had on of the most dynamic and balance set of four LB in a 4-3 around.

Anyone want to talk about it...well if Pollack never got hurt and Thurman never got in trouble then there wouldn't be a Rivers and Rey Rey here in the first place, so to worry think what could of been is silly

[Bech72]

I'm sure it's already been said, but if Thurman and Pollack had worked out then Rivers and Maualuga wouldn't be on the team.

[RoadHazard]

with Pollack and Thurman there would be no Rivers or Rey Rey. Mixed in with Pollack and Thurman would be a vet such as Dhani so they wouldn't have picked them.

That's one heck of a set though.

I think we may have still picked up Rivers, He was probably the best player on the boards since there was no DL rated high enough for the pick left. I personally thought they coulda went OL with the pick our line was old and beat up before last season.

IMO Pollack and Thurman set our D back 2 or 3 years.

[FletcherSmith]

I have been thinking a lot about how insane our defense would be if Pollack never had his neck injury and Thurman didn't party...

Pollack because of a fluke injury, and Odell because of being a nimrod. Seriously though, Pollack was still learning a new position, and Odell Thurman should have gotten ROOKIE Defensive P.O.T. (I think Texans Demeko Ryan got it). Pollack was just starting to get it to... when he was at Georgia, I would make a point to watch Bulldog games just because of DP... He was insane in college and was about to be here too!

Anyone else ever think about this? I was as excited, if not more, when the Bengals drafted David Pollack, as to when we just got Rey Rey.... If those two would have panned out, we could of had on of the most dynamic and balance set of four LB in a 4-3 around.

Anyone want to talk about it...

If Thurman and Pollack were here and working out, the Bengals probably wouldn't have drafted Rivers and Maualuga. I can only get so misty-eyed about Pollack because he wasn't around long enough to show a whole lot.

[MaineBengal]

I dunno. Everyone talks about Thurman and Pollack like they were Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor. I never saw that.

Pollack only showed anything close to greatness on a few plays, though he did have a ton of potential and was starting to come into his own before his injury.

Thurman showed more his rookie season, but he was still very inconsistent and out of position a lot. He arguably gave up as many big plays by being out of position as he made on the field.

Honestly, I think if you were to throw both of these guys into the 2009 fold (as they were in 2005), I'm not even sure either one would start.

[Headless Horseman]

Our LB corps are better now then they have been in years. Everyone else already said it if Pollack and Thurman were still here we wouldn't have Rivers and Rey Rey. Rivers/Maualuga>>>Pollack/Thurman so i'm looking forward, not backwards.

[CaptainCanada]

I have been thinking a lot about how insane our defense would be if Pollack never had his neck injury and Thurman didn't party...

Pollack because of a fluke injury, and Odell because of being a nimrod. Seriously though, Pollack was still learning a new position, and Odell Thurman should have gotten ROOKIE Defensive P.O.T. (I think Texans Demeko Ryan got it). Pollack was just starting to get it to... when he was at Georgia, I would make a point to watch Bulldog games just because of DP... He was insane in college and was about to be here too!

Anyone else ever think about this? I was as excited, if not more, when the Bengals drafted David Pollack, as to when we just got Rey Rey.... If those two would have panned out, we could of had on of the most dynamic and balance set of four LB in a 4-3 around.

Anyone want to talk about it...

Hindsight is 20/20, as for defensive rookie of the year, Ryans came into the league a year after Odell and absolutely killed Odell's rookie stats. Shawne Merriman was the defensive rookie of the year in 2005, and his 10 sacks won him the award, even though Odell had the better year overall and should have won it.

[UnoCinco]

I dunno. Everyone talks about Thurman and Pollack like they were Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor. I never saw that.

Pollack only showed anything close to greatness on a few plays, though he did have a ton of potential and was starting to come into his own before his injury.

Thurman showed more his rookie season, but he was still very inconsistent and out of position a lot. He arguably gave up as many big plays by being out of position as he made on the field.

Honestly, I think if you were to throw both of these guys into the 2009 fold (as they were in 2005), I'm not even sure either one would start.

Dude that is absolutely ridiculous, I am not looking at the numbers but I am pretty sure Odell had about 150 tackles and 5 INTS.... Pollack was forced into changing positions, obviously there was a learning curve, and some blame the injury switch as an attributing reason why he broke his neck (claim he didnt understand how to control oppositional impact as a LB/ or understand the differences between DE and LB tackling stance).

Nobody ever said they were Ray Lewis and LT, but I am saying Pollack could have been similar and better than Vrabel, and Odell should have been the in Pro-Bowl his first season.

[tdlong85]

If we had all of those guys we would be running a 3-4 definatetly!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :tiger:
I mean holy crap!
Rivers-Odell-Rey-Pollack
Tank Sims Peko
HOLY TOLEDO!!!!! We'd be unstoppable, yes our line would be a lil slow but wit those guys you have speed evrywhere! Oh man i cry thinking about it