Could someone explain to me the linebacker position??

[thunderkyss]

In a 4-3............ Sam, Mike, Will..........

What kinda guy should play each position??

What is the primary responsibility for each position??

Name some good examples for each position??

Name our LBs, and state why they would be good fits for the particular position.........

My favorite, is Shantee Orr....... I think he's the most versatile of the bunch.

 

[thunderkyss]

I should look first huh??

From Wikipedia
Types of linebackers
There are typically three designations of linebackers: strongside, middle, and weakside. Sometimes the strongside and weakside are combined under the title outside, and the middle is renamed inside.

[edit]
Strongside linebacker
The strongside linebacker is often nicknamed "Sam" for purposes of calling a blitz. Since the strong side of the offensive team is the side on which the tight end lines up, the strongside linebacker usually lines up across from the tight end. Often the strongside linebacker will be called upon to tackle the running back on a play, because the back will be following the tight end's block. He is most often the strongest linebacker: mostly rushing the quarterback or stopping runs, allowing the weakside linebacker to drop into pass coverage.

Famous strongside linebackers include Jack Ham, Shawne Merriman, Bill Romanowski, Willie McGinest, and LaVar Arrington.

[edit]
Middle linebacker
The middle linebacker is dubbed "Mike", and is the "quarterback" of the defensive team. Typically the middle linebacker is responsible for calling the play, or communicating with the coach on the play to be chosen. "Mike" must be versatile in his assignment, since he may be called upon to stop a run, or drop back into coverage on a pass play.

Famous middle linebackers include Mike Singletary, Dan Morgan, Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, Sam Mills, Willie Lanier, Zach Thomas, Jonathan Vilma, Tedy Bruschi, Ray Nitschke and Jeremiah Trotter.

[edit]
Weakside linebacker
The weakside linebacker, or "Will", must be the fastest of the three, because he is often the one called into pass coverage. Despite this, he will be called in to stop the run if the defense is certain that the offense will run the ball. He is given the freedom to roam the open field because the strongside linebacker ("Sam") is playing the line tight.

Famous weakside linebackers include Lawrence Taylor, Junior Seau, Takeo Spikes, Julian Peterson, Derrick Brooks, Demarcus Ware, Will Witherspoon and Joey Porter

[edit]
Roles of linebackers
As referenced above, linebackers must often be the most versatile players on the defensive team. While the linemen's sole job is to shoot the gap and break up the offense, and the defensive backs cover the receivers and stop pass plays, the linebackers must do both. For this reason, quality linebackers are highly sought-after players.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linebacker"

 

[Grid]

Orr at Sam, Ryans at Mike, Greenwood/Wong at Will.

(Greenwood at Will until Wong comes back..then I think Wong will win that spot)

 

[Marcus]

Me thinks Mario could play a good Will.

 

[Grid]

if I was gonna line up a 300 pound, 6'7" lineman at an LB spot..id have to make him the sam

 

[aj.]

Wong won't win the Will. Why? Wong is not Weak.

 

[Headlights of a Carr]

Wong won't win the Will. Why? Wong is not Weak.

bananasplit:

 

[Grid]

Wong won't win the Will. Why? Wong is not Weak.

I dont follow.. he seems like a good choice to me. Hes good in space, hes capable of bringing pressure, and he has shown the ability to step up and stuff the run. With Ryans locked at Mike, Wong at Will seems like the best place for him imo.

I dont see Wong as a Sam.. Orr seems a much better fit for that to me.

 

[texanfan2100]

Orr at Sam, Ryans at Mike, Greenwood/Wong at Will.

(Greenwood at Will until Wong comes back..then I think Wong will win that spot)

I have to disagree. Wong is coming off a major knee surgery, and you're asking him to play the linebacker position where you have to cover rb's and chase down plays on the backside. It usually takes a player a full season to come back from an ACL surgery anyway.

I'm not expecting much from Wong this season. Greenwood is another story. Everyone is down on him based on last season, but he was playing out of position inside. He had a good game last week, and I'm interested to see what he can do at his natural position.

 

[Grid]

hmm.. i hadnt heard a lot about his injury..just that he would be back for the first week. I assumed that meant he would be back at 100%.

Makes me wonder if we will be keeping him on the roster if that is the case.

 

[aj.]

I dont see Wong as a Sam.. .

Wong was a Sam at Minnesota before he came here. He played Sam here in '02 and '03. The only weakside action he ever saw in recent history was in '04 after they drafted Babin and moved him to the right side. They moved Wong back inside to Buc in '05.

He's built for the strong side and never really had the 'quickness' to be a 4-3 Sam. He has a thick lower trunk and is better at taking on a TE than following him or RBs into coverage. His smarts made up for what he lacked in burst and he was able to put himself in good position most of the time, but it's not his ideal position, especially now after the knee.

 

[Grid]

wow.. ok ill shut up then. Im gonna have to go find some info on the 4-3 or something

 

[aj.]

hmm.. i hadnt heard a lot about his injury..just that he would be back for the first week. .

Wong is headed for the PUP. He hasn't put on a pad in preseason and preseason is done in less than a week.

 

[Grid]

You are the cap guru aj... would cutting Wong hurt us or help us at this point?

 

[thunderkyss]

Makes me wonder if we will be keeping him on the roster if that is the case.

No, you don't just keep cutting players because they had knee surgery. Not being 100% doesn't mean that he is useless....

Physically the knee is as good as it's going to get..... the extra time to get to 100% is usually getting the player to trust that it is 100%. That he can cut like he used to, that he can push it like he used to, that he can explode like he used to....

After surgery like his, players usually think about that knee every time they push on it.... he's not as aggresive, explosive or powerfull as he used to be, and won't be until he trusts it again.

 

[Grid]

No, you don't just keep cutting players because they had knee surgery. Not being 100% doesn't mean that he is useless....

Physically the knee is as good as it's going to get..... the extra time to get to 100% is usually getting the player to trust that it is 100%. That he can cut like he used to, that he can push it like he used to, that he can explode like he used to....

After surgery like his, players usually think about that knee every time they push on it.... he's not as aggresive, explosive or powerfull as he used to be, and won't be until he trusts it again.

Have we cut someone else cause they had knee surgery?

I figure we have a new staff here, we are trying to start over, and Wong isnt a spring chicken. If he is ready to play I could see him getting a starting spot, if he isnt, I wonder if we would let him go in favor of keeping another player on the roster... we have alot of tough cuts to make.

I figured Wong had a couple more seasons with us.. but it seems to me that a lingering injury to an older player, combined with his large cap hit and a new staff.. and our desire to sign more players.. that could cut his stay here short.

 

[Kaiser Toro]

You are the cap guru aj... would cutting Wong hurt us or help us at this point?

My own opinion is no given the Walker and Wade cap hit next year and by all accounts he should come back and be a prospective fresh body at one of our weaker positions. There is more value to keep than to cut and replace.

edit: actually I would like to hear from AJ as it appears Wade's hit will alll be this year, but most of Waker's being next year.

 

[aj.]

...would cutting Wong hurt us or help us at this point?

$4.8 to cut (which can be spread over two years) and $3.2 to keep this year. They could also reach some kind of injury settlement in which case I'm not sure if the entire $4.8 applies. Capwise, it hurts either way when you have a guy who counts over $3 million and isn't playing or if you have to release him and deal with the dead money. It's a lose lose.

Orr and Anderson should be able to hold the SLB fort down this season. You can bet Kubiak and Smith will be scouring the upcoming waiver wire for another weakside LB.

But, it all depends on what the real prognosis is for Wong's knee and none of us knows what that is. His comments are always upbeat but you can kind of read between the lines when he's talking - he's only 10 months out from the patella tendon surgery and 7 months out from the ACL repair. I see PUP and a mid '06 return at best.

 

[Grid]

$4.8 to cut (which can be spread over two years) and $3.2 to keep this year. They could also reach some kind of injury settlement in which case I'm not sure if the entire $4.8 applies. Capwise, it hurts either way when you have a guy who counts over $3 million and isn't playing or if you have to release him and deal with the dead money. It's a lose lose.

Orr and Anderson should be able to hold the SLB fort down this season. You can bet Kubiak and Smith will be scouring the upcoming waiver wire for another weakside LB.

But, it all depends on what the real prognosis is for Wong's knee and none of us knows what that is. His comments are always upbeat but you can kind of read between the lines when he's talking - he's only 10 months out from the patella tendon surgery and 7 months out from the ACL repair. I see PUP and a mid '06 return at best.

thanks for the info aj.

 

[aj.]

edit: actually I would like to hear from AJ as it appears Wade's hit will alll be this year, but most of Waker's being next year.

What you see on hpf re: W & W's dead money is an educated guess on Keith's part. Last time I talked to him about it, he didn't have any real data on it but you can assume that they will split the total of their dead money pretty much down the middle between this year and next.