Who's your favorite SAM?

[Natikid873]

Once we get them safety issue worked out, this will be our biggest defensive need (if we move Burfict to MIKE)

I feel that Arthur Brown could turn into a good SAM but his coverage skills make him an asset at WILL.

My top 2 are Hodges and Collins. What's your top 3?

[berserkerone88]

Originally Posted by Natikid873

Once we get them safety issue worked out, this will be our biggest defensive need (if we move Burfict to MIKE)

I feel that Arthur Brown could turn into a good SAM but his coverage skills make him an asset at WILL.

My top 2 are Hodges and Collins. What's your top 3?

I don't see Brown at SLB at all.
We used a SLB on less than 50% of defensive snaps.
I don't see it as a huge need unless you get a game breaker type like Jones.

[crazymad]

Originally Posted by berserkerone88

I don't see Brown at SLB at all.
We used a SLB on less than 50% of defensive snaps.
I don't see it as a huge need unless you get a game breaker type like Jones.

if jones slides all the way to us, then that says something about his lingering injury issues

[OchoCincos]

Not that I wish it, but I have a feeling our starting SAM is already on the team as either Maybin, Moch, or Joiner.

As for the draft, Collins looks to be a good fit.

[fredtoast]

[DWright]

Originally Posted by fredtoast

I would have to agree with this lol. SAM linebacker is probably the hardest linebacker position to project because of their responsibilities. They have to be able to line up on the line of scrimmage and wrestle with 260lbs TEs, but they must also be athletic enough to slide in the flat and blow up screens and cover RBs

[NATI BENGALS]

Originally Posted by OchoCincos

Not that I wish it, but I have a feeling our starting SAM is already on the team as either Maybin, Moch, or Joiner.

As for the draft, Collins looks to be a good fit.

ditto

[crazyjdawg]

I think re-signing Lawson and keeping Lamur on staff is good enough for SLB.

We just need to replace Burfict at WLB.

Howard would be a good re-sign but I still think we need a LB in the first three rounds to contribute early to our LB corp.

I like Brown if he's available in the second round to play WLB.

[OSUfan]

Gerald Hodges in this class. However, would rather see them try to sign DeAndre Levy from Detroit to play SLB.

[Lawless_1]

Maybin will be our SAM backer and I have a feeling he will be an upgrade.

[D.Boon]

nah...probabably Sam Cooke or Sam Kinison

[Jasonew6]

[McC]

My favorite SAM. He has lost a step or two though.

mtw.jpeg

[Pezmerga]

How about Arthur Brown at WLB AND Manti Te'o at SAM! :) Or Burfict at SAM and Te'o at MIKE.
If possible it would take our first two picks, but LB would look pretty good IMO.

Something like...

1 Arthur Brown - LB (Kansas State - 6'1" 228lbs., 4.62 40 Time) One of the top LBs available. Plug him into WLB.

2a. Manti Te'o - LB (Notre Dame - 6'2" 255lbs., 4.75 40 Time) If he slides this far, it would be hard to not take him. Put him at MLB. Burfict can handle SAM. Or Vice Versa. I know this won't happen, but It would not be the worst situation in the world to potentially fix our LBers!

2b Joseph Randle - RB (Oklahoma State - 6'1" 200lbs., 4.5 40 Time) The more I read and see, the more I like him.

3 DJ Swearinger - FS (South Carolina - 5'11" 210lbs., 4.56 40 Time) Hard to change this pick.

4 Chris Harper - WR (Kansas State - 6'1" 228lbs., 4.46 40 Time)

5 Rick Wagner - OT (Wisconsin - 6'6" 310lbs., 5.32 40 Time)

6a Sanders Comings - CB (Georgia - 6'0" 223lbs. 4.54 40 Time)

6b Michael Williams - TE (Alabama - 6'6" 269lbs., 5.02 40 Time)

[50yarder]

Originally Posted by Jasonew6

Hottie!

[50yarder]

Originally Posted by OchoCincos

Not that I wish it, but I have a feeling our starting SAM is already on the team as either Maybin, Moch, or Joiner.

As for the draft, Collins looks to be a good fit.

Have you seen Moch play because I haven't.

[Bull Durham]

Originally Posted by berserkerone88

I don't see Brown at SLB at all.
We used a SLB on less than 50% of defensive snaps.

First of all, this is not true. We almost always had a LB on the TE side.

Second, the player who normally lined up at SAM (Manny Lawson) was on the field less than 50% of the snaps or whatever not because of defensive ideology, but because he wasn't very good. If our SAM LB was really good, he would have been on the field more.

Your logic is backwards.

[Burma]

Jamie Collins is my favorite prospect right now for SAM. Can be had later in the draft as well.

#8 Jamie Collins Southern Miss DE/OB 6034/240/4.65

Background: Jamie will turn 24 years old as an NFL rookie in 2013. He was selected All-State and participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game as a
quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back at Franklin County High School (Meadville, MS). He also played basketball and lettered in track and field. He did not redshirt and saw action in all 13 games (6 starts) as a true freshman in ’09. In ’10, he started 10 of 13 games as an outside linebacker and recorded 71tt/2.5 sacks, while earning honorable mention All-Conference USA honors. In ’11, he moved to the “Bandit” position, started 14 games and finished the year with 98tt/19.5tfl/8pbu/int and 6.5 sacks and again was named to the All-CUSA team. He is a criminal justice major who is scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2013.

Tapes Viewed: 2011-Marshall, Virginia, SMU, Nevada
Practice Exposure: Friday, August 10

Summary: Jamie is a 4th year senior and three and a-half year starter on the Southern Miss defense. A versatile athlete who played “everything” in high school, he began his college career as a defensive back before moving to outside linebacker and, ultimately, ending up at the hybrid “Bandit” position in the Golden Eagles’ scheme. He aligns as a DE in their standard 4-2-5 Even look, moves around in 2- and 3-point stances in their Nickel 3-3-5 package and stands up as a “box” linebacker in their Dime Odd 3-2-6 arrangement. He is capable of rushing or dropping and can play either on the left or right sides. He has an angular, smoothmuscled build with long arms, athletic legs and a bubble. He has consistently gained weight during his career and should end up around 250 lbs as a pro outside linebacker. Athletically, he displays a base, balance and leverage. He has movement skills and gives glimpses of better-than-average burst. He is more slippery than stout, but needs to get stronger in his upper body and more explosive with his hands.

Against the run, when he shoulders off a block, he will get washed one way or the other. When he uses his hands, he displays the ability to shed and then accelerate down the line-of-scrimmage. He makes a number of plays when chasing from the backside of the formation. Jamie has a knack for avoiding blockers in space and using his long arms to wrap tackle, even though he does not have a ton of experience as an off-the-line defender.

Versus the pass, he is fluid in his drops and under control in the hook and flat zones.
As a pass rusher, he has some bend to him, uses his hands well and tries to finish at the QB. He is not overly sudden off the mark, but is active with his hands and takes advantage of matchups with running backs and tight ends. Although he is not assigned to rush all the time, he consistently threatens the pocket and does a good job of getting his hands up in disrupting the quarterback’s vision and throwing lanes.

Overall, Jamie is an interesting prospect, particularly for the NFL teams using the 3-4 front, who can fill up a stat-line. USM has produced Adalius Thomas/Ravens and Pats and Michael Boley/Falcons and Giants in the past, and Jamie fits somewhere between the two in terms of his playing style. He does not have the raw power and straight speed of Thomas nor does he have the “air” skills of Boley, however, he is a potential starter candidate as a flexible linebacker who can play on all four downs in the future.

[berserkerone88]

Originally Posted by Bull Durham

First of all, this is not true. We almost always had a LB on the TE side.

Second, the player who normally lined up at SAM (Manny Lawson) was on the field less than 50% of the snaps or whatever not because of defensive ideology, but because he wasn't very good. If our SAM LB was really good, he would have been on the field more.

Your logic is backwards.

Or (and this is just you know a hunch) we ran the nickle package out there the majority of the time because teams are running more 3 WR sets meaning someone has to sit (the SL. So yeah we didn't use one very much.

Of course he was really good he would have played more. Our LBs ****** in 2012 overall. So all he would have to do is be better than bad in coverage and he would have played more.

[OchoCincos]

Originally Posted by 50yarder

Have you seen Moch play because I haven't.

No, I really haven't. That's why I started with "Not that I wish it", because I don't trust Moch or Maybin to be our starting SAM. Joiner could be, but we have seen nothing of him yet.

What I wish and what the Bengals actually do does not always coincide.

[OchoCincos]

Originally Posted by berserkerone88

Or (and this is just you know a hunch) we ran the nickle package out there the majority of the time because teams are running more 3 WR sets meaning someone has to sit (the SL. So yeah we didn't use one very much.

Of course he was really good he would have played more. Our LBs ****** in 2012 overall. So all he would have to do is be better than bad in coverage and he would have played more.

Bingo. If we had a halfway decent SAM that could cover, play the run, and occasionally rush the passer with success, we would see our SAM used more often. Lawson was terrible in coverage, and thus was never used on obvious passing downs. He was subbed out for someone that could cover better. I do recall seeing Lamur put in there, as he is much better in coverage, but bad in run defense. We essentially went with an extra WILL.

[XenoMorph]

Originally Posted by OchoCincos

Bingo. If we had a halfway decent SAM that could cover, play the run, and occasionally rush the passer with success, we would see our SAM used more often. Lawson was terrible in coverage, and thus was never used on obvious passing downs. He was subbed out for someone that could cover better. I do recall seeing Lamur put in there, as he is much better in coverage, but bad in run defense. We essentially went with an extra WILL.

I thought Lumer came in for Burfict on passing downs...

[berserkerone88]

Originally Posted by OchoCincos

Bingo. If we had a halfway decent SAM that could cover, play the run, and occasionally rush the passer with success, we would see our SAM used more often. Lawson was terrible in coverage, and thus was never used on obvious passing downs. He was subbed out for someone that could cover better. I do recall seeing Lamur put in there, as he is much better in coverage, but bad in run defense. We essentially went with an extra WILL.

The league is changing. Guys who can cover will get more playing time. Taking a SLB who comes off the field during Nickle formations early is not a smart move.

Sign a guy in FA if anything. Draft a WLB. A lot of talented cover LB this year.

[Bull Durham]

Originally Posted by XenoMorph

I thought Lumer came in for Burfict on passing downs...

Since Burfict was on the field for about 90% of all defensive snaps for the season, and he didn't play the first couple games until Howard was injured, he couldn't have been substituted for very often. I would double check your info.

[berserkerone88]

Originally Posted by XenoMorph

I thought Lumer came in for Burfict on passing downs...

Most nickle formations have the MLB and WLB with the SLB off the field.
So yeah he replaced Burfict in coverage. But it speaks volumes two UDFA were ran out there over Lawson.