Wade Phillips Blitz Packages

[76Texan]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

That would really explain:
1) The Mercilus Pick
2) The Demeco trade

If they're planning for a future with Barwin and Mercilus on the outside and Cush and Reed on the inside, it makes a lot of sense. That, and picking up Bradie James as a transition player until Reed can transition to the middle. That would give us an entire starting LB corps drafted in the last few years instead of 3 OLBs and a looming hole in the middle.

Unless they saw Sharpton as the future in the middle... which I'm starting to doubt.

There's a reason why I projected Sharpton as a 4th rounder instead of where he was drafted (3rd round).

He's a bit too small to be "great" in the 34 as a SAM.
He was pretty good in coverage in college against TEs and RBs, but it's hard to say how that would translate to the next level.

Sharpton is a guy with a quick first step and a quick short burst.
His 10-yd split is 1.58 compared to 1.56 for Morris Claiborne, a first round CB.
(J. Jo, Kareem Jackson, Brandon Harris and Cushing all checked in at 1.53; Demeco was at 1.64.)

I agree that Sharpton is really stretching it at either ILB in the 34.
But he did well last year though; he was the first man in (and not Dobbins).

Sharpton is a hell a lot stronger than most people think.
I had mentioned him taking on Iupati to a draw.
And this guy is what? 331 lbs, and he was a first round draft pick for the Niners.

The injury might do him in - a very good possibility.
Still, I thought I'd remind folks about certain of their concern that might have been a bit too harsh.

Sharpton's ability and skill sets should be good at least good enough as a back-up in the 3-4 from everything I've been seeing.

P.S. - I liked Sharpton out of college due to his versatility; he played all 3 LB positions in the 43 and played them well (at the collegiate level, at Miami). Also, he was a decent pass rusher when put on the LOS as an OLB (there weren't enough snaps to realy tell the story there.) He can rush better from the inside (it doesn't have to result in a sack or a QB hurry, just the fact that he beat his man in a certain amount of time to be considered "effective").