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David Pollack sounds like our kinda guy

Physical talents yes,

But he doesn't know the playbook Bruschi was a weakside linebacker before he became an inside linebacker. That is why if we drafted him he would be another OLB for our Defense.
 
Well, Pollack is a smart guy, and has a great attitude.. I think if you drafted him and said "your an ILB".. he would make it work. But like I said, i like the guy so my opinion is a bit bias :).

I think with his quickness, he will be great in coverage. A guy that quick and instinctive... he SHOULD be a good cover LB. And like I said, he played DT.. he is strong against the run.. and with his size and speed.. he would be great at ILB I think.

I mean what more can you ask for in an ILB? Size AND quickness? A run stuffer AND coverage ability? a great work ethic AND a headhunter personality on the field?


I really hope we grab this guy :)
 
where is this "coverage ability"? I havent heard anyone even mention that when they talk about him. Are you assuming with his quickness and ability to sniff out the ball? He's got quickness but that quickness may be lost when he has to react to the ball in the air not when the ball is snapped.

Last time i checked Bruschi was a smart guy too it is still an adjustment you dont want to put a rookie college DE through. Having to recognize formations and know your coverage duties in each formation. Maybe after 2 years he can move inside after playing at NFL speed and has a definitive grasp on the playbook.
 
I get the coverage ability from what I know about him.. not from any hard evidence.

he is very quick. he has great football instincts. he does a great job of following the ball. he makes good decisions on the field. All of this leads me to beleive that he will be good in coverage. That doesnt mean it is not possible that he could suck in coverage.. but when you also take into consideration that he is driven and has a strong desire to succeed and dominate and prove himself.. I dont think he would settle for being bad in coverage.


As for throwing him right in.. Babin was a DE in college, and he came in as a starter immediatly. he struggled in coverage at some times.. but for the most part he did well. I think Pollack could come in and do the same thing.. possibly even better than Babin.
 
that also why pollack and bruschi are so similar because both were college DE's and both might have to make the same adjustment in the pros

ask yourself this is bruschi good in coverage? was he when he first got into the NFL? how will pollack do versus bruschi? those are the questions
 
Babin came in at OLB! Its a lot easier at OLB because you just have to know your position not your other LB positions and if needed pick up the slack of your other ILB!

Im saying give the kid a year or 2 at OLB then make the switch if he shows to be an excellent inside guy. Bruschi didn't play inside until his 5th or 6th year in the NFL.

The reason im saying don't put him inside is not because he isnt smart id rather my top selection get a good grasp on the NFL game speed then let him learn inside LB slowly. That way hes seasoned has a little bit of veteran in him and have a better understanding of what he will need to change. Anf if he can't then he can still be a qulaity OLB
 
Thats a good idea outofhnd.. and we have Wong for another year so its not like he would HAVE to be put immediatly at ILB because of a need. he could play OLB and learn the system.. then we could put him at ILB next year. Course that would leave us without an OLB (this is assuming Peek just isnt starter material)

As for him compared to Bruschi.. they are very similar it seems.. but I think Pollack might have the edge on him because of his quickness. Thats why I think he would be better in coverage.
 
Bruschi is 15-20 pounds lighter than Pollack. I am not sure I'd like to see Pollack in space covering running backs and TE's like Winslow, Gonzales and Gates. If you thought Foreman got lit up just wait to see the slower Pollack cover these types.
 
Would he really be slower though? for one.. im betting that Pollack could lose 10 pounds and not lose any production. He kept his weight up to play DE.. if he didnt need that weight I bet he could drop it and probably become MORE productive as an LB.

secondly.. at 4.79.. is he slower than Foreman anyway? That aint exactly SLOW. And when you factor in that he is probably QUICKER and could possibly have better instincts than foreman (cause ive heard Pollack has great football instincts).. he could potentially be ALOT faster than Foreman. I mean.. when you are in space.. coveringTEs and slot receivers.. you dont need to really be fast enough to run with them stride for stride.. you need to be intelligent/observant enough to spot where the ball is going.. and quick enough to make a break on the ball before the play develops. It seems that Pollack would have the tools to do that, and do it well.
 
Quick but not fast guys like Pollack has a skill that is used for trench fighting taking on 300 pounders and beating them with superior quickness. You need more straight line speed to cover backs and TE's. He may work out in the middle, but I don't think he is fast enough in our scheme. Capers wants to get faster in the middle. Thats one reason we are moving Sharper and Foreman out in the first place.
 
I to am a fan of David Pollack and would love to have him playing ball
here in Houston in a Texans uniform. I remember when he came to town
last year and accepted the city's Lombardi Award by the Rotary
Club by beating out several other prominent college D players. He was very gracious and classy in his acceptance remarks and I remember thinking
he would instantly be a fan favorite here in town.
And he has got to be one of the most decorated and awarded players
in recent years in college football: won SEC defensive Player of the Year
twice , just won the award as MVP in Bowl game vs. Wisconsin, and of course the Lombardi. With that much success in what is arguably the best
football conference in college - you know he will do well at the next level.
He will probably be there at 13 and we probably won't take him. Afterall,
how many downlineman-to-LB transitions involving a first rounder (let alone our overall top pick), do the Texans want to go thru.
But then again, if a team really embraces the concept of BPA and if that concept doesn't mean best athlete as much as it means "Best Football Player
Available" - hey, David Pollack is probably the purest and best football
player in the whole 2005 College Draft.
 
Here are Babin's agility numbers from the combine:

Timed at 4.69 in the 40-yard dash … 460-pound bench press … 540-pound squat … 383-pound power clean … 405-pound incline press … 34-inch vertical jump … 9-foot-8 broad jump … 4.03 in the 20-yard shuttle … 33 1/8-inch arm length … 9 7/8-inch hands … Right-handed.

Saw reports of low 4.6's at his school.

Here are Peek's:

CAMPUS AGILITY TESTS
4.54 in the 40-yard dash (4.63 hand-held) … 2.57 in the 20-yard dash … 1.56 in the 10-yard dash … 36-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-5 broad jump … 1,625-pound leg press … 775-pound squat … 375-pound bench press … Bench presses 225 pounds 24 times … 370-pound squat … 6.7 percent body fat … Right-handed.
COMBINE AGILITY TESTS
ARM HAND TEST 40 20 10 225 VJ BJ SHUTTLE CONE
32 9 3/8 13 4.67 2.69 1.54 21 37 10'5" 4.35 7.07

Basically they are both 4.6'ers.
 
Interesting that Greenwood ran a 4.6's (and better) also it seems. Here is what the late Joel Bushbaum said about Greenwood when he came out...
OLB Morlon Greenwood (6-0, 237, 4.6) Syracuse

Notes: Has run under 4.5 on Syracuse's very fast timing surface. =
New York State 215-pound high school wrestling champion. Redshirted at =
Syracuse in 1996 and has started every game the past four years. Also =
was a Defensive MVP and the leading tackler in the Blue-Gray Classic. =
Had 64 tackles and 1=BD sacks in '97, 54 tackles and two sacks in '98, =
91 tackles and one sack in '99 and 98 tackles in 2000. Has not picked =
off a pass during a regular-season game in his college career, but he =
did break up seven passes in 2000.=20

Positives: Hard worker. Team oriented. Very durable and reliable. =
Can be counted on to answer the bell and to play the assigned defense. =
Excellent speed. Very good athletic ability. Smooth and fluid. =
Aggressive. Should do well on special teams. Very good pursuit and =
hustle. Top chase-down player who is very hard to run away from.

Negatives: Short and not as powerful as you would like. Struggles =
to take on blockers. Does not do a good job of shedding and generally =
has to run around blockers or he will be blocked out of the play. Most =
of his tackles come down the field. Average pass rusher. May be too =
disciplined. Will not take a calculated risk to make a big play. Has =
made very few big plays during his career. Does not appear to be overly =
instinctive.=20

Summary: Very fast, very durable and very disciplined, but he is =
basically a by-the-numbers, assignment-type player who does what he is =
coached to do but rarely makes a big play.
Click to expand...
 
infantrycak said:
Here are Babin's agility numbers from the combine:

Timed at 4.69 in the 40-yard dash … 460-pound bench press … 540-pound squat … 383-pound power clean … 405-pound incline press … 34-inch vertical jump … 9-foot-8 broad jump … 4.03 in the 20-yard shuttle … 33 1/8-inch arm length … 9 7/8-inch hands … Right-handed.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure those are from the combine, because they don't perform the squat, clean, or incline press lifts & the bench press is reps of 225 lbs. Here's what I have from last year on Babin:

Ht - 6'1.5"
Wt - 260 lbs
BF% - 15.6
Bench - 28
40 (1st) - 4.64
40 (2nd) - 4.60
No obstacle course numbers
 
Come on. No linebacker in the league can cover Gates or Gonzales, so that's clearly not the issue. If he turns out not to be able to cover good-but-not-great players, like Randy McMichael or Marcus Pollard, maybe that's more of a problem. I agree that he wouldn't be an instant starter at ILB, whereas he probably would be on the outside, but that doesn't mean it won't eventually be his best position. I would be very, very happy if we drafted this guy.
 
Make no mistake Texans- David Pollack is no tweener he is a hybrid 3-4 OLB pure & simple. draft him, plug him in at ROLB and watch the defense tighten its teeth around offenses jugular.

some say its too early to take him (#13) that we need to trade down, pick up an extra 3rd (we already have two) then select him. what happens if he's gone when its the Texans turn to make that latter pick, I'm sure another player that could help improve the Texans would be available but would he be as high on Casserly's draft board?

about the only way I could live with this move (missing on Pollack or another highly rated prospect @ #13) would be rating David Baas high enough to take him latter in the 1st. these kinda players are instant starters from day 1 and generally its not a good idea to get cute and project everyone else to pass given the chance.

other people want Peek to be the starting ROLB. this is where as fans I think we lose the game planning, exacution of assignments & details we are not privey too. if Cappers & his staff feel he is ready then so be it, if not it sure seems the Texans Linebackers have been a major focus of change this off season and if Pollack is clearly the final piece of the puzzle then drafting him makes sense.

one last thought..... in the 3-4 you want to invest your money to get the most bang for the buck in your OLB's. as we've seen the shift to this scheme throughout the NFL it becomes apparent these guys are invaluable to the success of this alignment. guys like Pollack & Babin are ideal for this position, will be drafted higher and get paid better than most defensive positions (besides CB).
:)​
 
beerlover said:
watch the defense tighten its teeth around offenses jugular.
:)​
Click to expand...
Colorful language Beerlover, sounds like you're focused and ready for the season to start tomorrow.
 
let's just put it this way if we end up with pollack no one i think can argue that it is a bad move...i'll go with capers where ever he puts him...i believe pollack can play a number of positions on our defense...he's a great kid...he's a great leader, and he's a great emotional pumping player to watch

as for peek i believe he can come in and start at ROLB...i've said that before...with that being said what do you see us doing with him after this year when he's contract is up if we do select pollack and he takes over the starting job moving wong inside next to greenwood?
 
keyfro said:
let's just put it this way if we end up with pollack no one i think can argue that it is a bad move...i'll go with capers where ever he puts him...i believe pollack can play a number of positions on our defense...he's a great kid...he's a great leader, and he's a great emotional pumping player to watch
Click to expand...
:thumbup​
keyfro said:
as for peek i believe he can come in and start at ROLB...i've said that before...
Click to expand...
I would be more than willing to see him given every opportunity, in my opinion he plays more like a undersized DE, no doubt he could be a dominant pass rusher the only problem is teams take advantage of that and he hurts the team in space he cannot cover. this maybe better addressed with more speed ILB's like Greenwood but play action and screens are his weakness.
keyfro said:
with that being said what do you see us doing with him after this year when he's contract is up if we do select pollack and he takes over the starting job moving wong inside next to greenwood?
Click to expand...

excellent question :confused: this is why the Texans front office makes the big money. really plain and simple if the Texans draft Pollack they really don't need to pay a big free agent contract to keep Peek & while Pollack has the flexibilty to "play a number of positions on our defense" Peek does not and will be limited to the OLB position and therefore expendable. although there is nothing wrong in having a little depth & who knows maybe Pollack could become the our ILB given his football knowledge & attributes.
 
This is why Ive been thinking maybe Pollack in the first.. and Demarcus Ware, Darryl Blackstock, Barret Ruud, or Channing Crowder in the second.

THat would tie up alot of money in our LBs though. I think Pollack in the first would be enough. We let Wong go next year.. possibly keep Peek.. but either way we can look at FA to maybe grab another Morlon Greenwood.. but cheaper hopefully :P

Im kinda liking the thought of grabbing Matt Jones in the second. He looks like quite the prospect.. though hes a bit of a risk.. he really isnt any riskier than our past 2nd and 3rd round selections :P.. and if he didnt pan out it would not be any big shocker for us.

I reaaaalllllyyy hope that we break our habit of making "eh" to bad selections in the 2nd and 3rd round. If we could have a good draft this year.. it would set us up nicely for the next few. This is the first draft where we have no GLARING needs.. we have some big needs.. but nothing that we cant function without.
 
Yeah, #1 Pollack and #2 Jones sounds good to me (although not the combination likely to have most immediate impact - both have some element of "project" about them). That's ok - we're not going far into the playoffs (if we get there at all) this time around.
 
Well i am hearing that The Green Bay Packers want to move up and select their replacement for Brett Farve. Alex Smith will be there at #13. We can move down to 24 pick up a 2nd and 3rd. Then we can use those to trade up. I have to believe we can get a real OLB in Darryl Blackstock or Kevin Burnett right there.
 
we wont get a 2nd and 3rd to move down to 24.

I think we are more likely to make a trade with San Diego, Dallas, or Minnesota.. since they all have 2 picks in the first.

OR.. I would like to see us trade down with Philly for the #31 and #35.. then attempt to move up to #18 or #20 with a packaged #2 and both #3s.

That would give us two picks in the first.. and a high second on day one. we could get 3 starter quality players on day one.. and still grab a good DT or interior OL in the 4th.

We could grab David Pollack and Anttaj Hawthorne with our #1s.
 
if we move down i think we go Clayton with that pick
then we can get an OLB, CB in the 2nd
then with the 3rd rounders we could go OL and DE

I dont think we will draft DT. I think end is more of a good pick for us. I think their is a possibility Walker wont be back. I think we might try to draft a replacement for him. There is good talent at End in this draft.
 
royce1054 said:
if we move down i think we go Clayton with that pick
then we can get an OLB, CB in the 2nd
then with the 3rd rounders we could go OL and DE

I dont think we will draft DT. I think end is more of a good pick for us. I think their is a possibility Walker wont be back. I think we might try to draft a replacement for him. There is good talent at End in this draft.
Click to expand...


But Walker just signed a pretty nice contract not to long ago, so he'll be back.
 
TexansTrueFan said:
But Walker just signed a pretty nice contract not to long ago, so he'll be back.
Click to expand...

If he has another season like last year he will end up the same way that Sharper and Foreman did.
 
Walker just signed a big contract and I am unsure of the ramifications of releasing him, as I have been unable to find the exact details of his contract...I'd venture to say releasing him after two years of his contract would result in plenty of dead cap space...Anyway Royce, don't be so negative...I fully believe Walker will have a rebound season this year...He seemed to play better later in the season, he'll be further removed from injury, and he won't be coming off of signing a new contract, which seems to make players less inclined to push themselves...I'm almost positive G-Funk will make an impact this season...
 
D-ReK said:
Walker just signed a big contract and I am unsure of the ramifications of releasing him, as I have been unable to find the exact details of his contract...I'd venture to say releasing him after two years of his contract would result in plenty of dead cap space...Anyway Royce, don't be so negative...I fully believe Walker will have a rebound season this year...He seemed to play better later in the season, he'll be further removed from injury, and he won't be coming off of signing a new contract, which seems to make players less inclined to push themselves...I'm almost positive G-Funk will make an impact this season...
Click to expand...

just being honest. Not negative but he needs to improve. We are allowed 1 off year and that was his.
 
what about a trade with Cincy or New orleans. We could pick up an extra 3rd rounder and then trade two of our three third rounders for a high 2nd rounder to a team like the niners or Browns who need depth picks. That way we could have 1 first rounder,
two seconds, two thirds and so on.with that we could get something like:
1. David pollack, 2a. Baas, 2b.Matt Jones, 3a.CB, 3b.DL OR
1. williamson/Clayton 2a.baas, 2b.Chowder, 3a.CB, 3b.DL
 
canadiantexan said:
what about a trade with Cincy or New orleans. We could pick up an extra 3rd rounder and then trade two of our three third rounders for a high 2nd rounder to a team like the niners or Browns who need depth picks. That way we could have 1 first rounder,
two seconds, two thirds and so on.with that we could get something like:
1. David pollack, 2a. Baas, 2b.Matt Jones, 3a.CB, 3b.DL OR
1. williamson/Clayton 2a.baas, 2b.Chowder, 3a.CB, 3b.DL
Click to expand...

sorry I meant crowder not chowder it must be time to sleep
 
this guy's motor is just a great intangible. experts are saying hes undersized and too slow, but werent those the same knocks on dwight freeney? hes gunna be a great pickup for a 43 team. if only we had a 4-3 and could trade down a couple of spots.
 
He'll have to survive in the NFL on his quickness becuase his arms aren't long enough to allow him to get leverage on bigger OTs...I think the best chance he has of being a star is in a 3-4 as an OLB where he won't have to go head up on an OT every play...
 
Pollack will be a serious asset in the 3-4. I really hope we sign this guy because he will impact the pass rush big time. Reminds me of the Terrell Suggs situation about all the knocks on him...and look what he's done. I bet we pass on him though and I just hope no AFC South team gets him.
 
ocd said:
I bet we pass on him though and I just hope no AFC South team gets him.
Click to expand...

I can't see us taking him at 13, but he'd be a good trade down prospect...If any AFC South team takes him, it would be Jacksonville, who has a need at DE and the 21st pick...
 
D-ReK said:
If any AFC South team takes him, it would be Jacksonville, who has a need at DE and the 21st pick...
Click to expand...


And I absolutely despise the Jags. That would be my 2005 NFL Draft nightmare.
 
i figure C.C will suprise us with some of the picks they select, they seem to have the nose for sniffing out draft talent, cause most of our draft picks have made an imediate impact, they know who and what will be best for this team, and if they feel he is one of the people we will trade down to get him.
 
Grid said:
We could grab David Pollack and Anttaj Hawthorne with our #1s.
Click to expand...

Looks like we may very well be able to get Hawthorne with our 2nd or one of our 3rds, though I'm not sure we'd take him after he tested positive for marijuana at the combine...


PFW has learned that four players have tested positive for marijuana use, including one potential first-round pick. DT Antaaj Hawthorne was one of two Wisconsin players, along with OG Jonathan Clinkscale, to have tested positive for the drug at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in late February.

Hawthorne, whom scouts have graded anywhere from the first to fourth round, could be the most adversely affected by the results. One of the biggest knocks on Hawthorne is that he plays lazy, takes snaps off and does not give great effort on every down, despite his natural physical talent. The test results could give scouts a reason to explain his effort.
Click to expand...
 
If the Texans stay at 13, which I don't think they will, David Pollack sounds like a player that could fit in perfect at OLB rushing the passer, and with his heart and attitude it could spiral him into a leadership roll in the future.

I am a Marine stationed in Japan with a similar situation. We got a new guy who was raw but with talents. We threw him in some situations that winners just find a way to win. Guess what, he won, and won the respect from the others. He has turned into one of our finest leaders, and still works with guys who have been around longer than him. They respect the hell out of him.

My point is, we need OLB help, this guy is a fireplug, and a natural born leader from every article I have read. From my own personal experiences, his attributes could set a fire into this defense that other teams may fear.

He is my BPA at 13, if the draft goes as everyone seems to think it is.
 
Been hearing that the Texans might like David Pollack, DE Goergia. He has good stats. What do y'all think?
 
DocBar said:
Been hearing that the Texans might like David Pollack, DE Goergia. He has good stats. What do y'all think?
Click to expand...
I saw that the ESPN draft "experts", or at least one of them in the mock draft, picked David Pollack for the Texans. Humerously not only was Demarcus Ware available at 13, so was Mike Williams, Carnell Williams and Adam Jones. Shows you the qaulity of thier little mock.
 
I've seen a few of his college games and he's very good...I'm not sure how that translates to the pro game but he was outstanding in college. Always around the ball and he seems to have leadership qualities. He'll be a very nice pick for some team.
 
TigerBait said:
I saw that the ESPN draft "experts", or at least one of them in the mock draft, picked David Pollack for the Texans. Humerously not only was Demarcus Ware available at 13, so was Mike Williams, Carnell Williams and Adam Jones. Shows you the qaulity of thier little mock.
Click to expand...
I was thinking along those same lines. I think we're out of the matkey for a CB though. LOL I just looked at that draft and HMMMMM. These guys are smoking drugs!! I would hope we would at least take BPA. Mark Clayton and Erasmus Jones should rank well ahead of Pollack, IMO.
 
Carnell Williams was gone.

They werent High on Pac Man or Williams.. so its not surprising that both of them slid.
 
I would love to get this guy, he was one of the most exciting players in all of college football thru out his career. I think that he would become the leader of the d in his first year. I mean just watching him when he did that interview for the ESPN draft special, you can tell he has a love for the game and is full of energy.
 
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