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Linebacker Question? Who starts in th 4-3?

Pigskin Porkers

Pigskin Porkers

Practice Squad
With the Texans switching to a 4-3 formation, Wong being ready for opener, who are the 3 starting LB's? Polk, Greenwood, Cowart, Ryans, Wong? Which three will have the best stats (tackles and sacks) by the end of the season?

Thanks!
 
I`think alot of people are not paying attention to the linebackers on the roster we have some decent guys I would like to see of these two

D.Ryans ,W.Rainer,M.Greenwood
Backups
K.Wong,S.Cowart.B.Green
I like this group but if we want to play cover 2 I would start this group to get my fastest linebackers on the field I would go with

B.Green,D.Ryans,M.Greenwood
K.Wong,S.Cowart,S.Orr

So I say Greenwood,Ryans and who ever at MLB Cowart or Rainer in that order


P.S. I'm hoping for 10-6
Go Texans:fireball:
 
If Wong is truly healthy by the start of the season I'd like to see:

SOLB - Ryans
MLB - Wong
WOLB - Greenwood

With Orr, Cowart, and Green as the primary backups.

Evans and Anderson might still have a chance for special teams, though. It's going to be a dogfight for the roster.
 
With all the LB's in camp, surely Kubiak can find 3 good ones.
I'm looking for Orr, Cowart, Greenwood to start the 1st game, but Ryans will be playing a lot and starting b-4 the season is over.
Backups/S.T.:
Rainier, Evans, Polk, Wong

Just a guess

-( Section 638, last row. "Great seats, eh, buddy?"
 
teamplaya said:
I`think alot of people are not paying attention to the linebackers on the roster we have some decent guys I would like to see of these two

D.Ryans ,W.Rainer,M.Greenwood
Backups
K.Wong,S.Cowart.B.Green
I like this group but if we want to play cover 2 I would start this group to get my fastest linebackers on the field I would go with

B.Green,D.Ryans,M.Greenwood
K.Wong,S.Cowart,S.Orr

So I say Greenwood,Ryans and who ever at MLB Cowart or Rainer in that order


P.S. I'm hoping for 10-6
Go Texans:fireball:
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Barret Green? you're kidding? the guy appeared in one game last year with 0 tackles. i'd be surprised if he's even on the roster at the end of camp.

and where's DaShon Polk? 93 tackles last year? he makes the roster.
 
with wong banged up still I see ryans, cowart, greenwwod starting. unfortunateley we dont have solid backups yet, only orr and rainer. our dline better be the real deal or we suk at stopping the run again. at least until ryans gets into the groove and wong returns. we are still thin though. I hope we can pick up a guy during camp.
 
I'd like to see DeMeco play MLB, but it looks more like he's going to play OLB.

Greenwood..........Ryans
Rainier................Cowart
Orr......................Wong
 
Well the reason I asked....I am in a Clubs Fantasy Football league with individual defensive players. I have the Texans. Linebackers get the most points (tackles). I need to keep 3 of the following group: Greenwood, Cowart, Ryan, or Mario Williams....Can you rank in order of who you all feel will have the most tackles?
 
Pigskin Porkers said:
Well the reason I asked....I am in a Clubs Fantasy Football league with individual defensive players. I have the Texans. Linebackers get the most points (tackles). I need to keep 3 of the following group: Greenwood, Cowart, Ryan, or Mario Williams....Can you rank in order of who you all feel will have the most tackles?
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Keepers? Ryans...easy. No brainer. Cowart will be a PT player IF he makes the team. Williams won't have many tackles compared to any linebacker. Greenwood should have a lot of tackles too...but he is our new Jay Foreman...most of them downfield.
 
I was gonna say someone to consider would be CC if you want points, He could be big in stopping the run game again, and then Ryans (Yea, no brainer there)
 
Pigskin Porkers said:
With the Texans switching to a 4-3 formation, Wong being ready for opener, who are the 3 starting LB's? Polk, Greenwood, Cowart, Ryans, Wong? Which three will have the best stats (tackles and sacks) by the end of the season?

Thanks!
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I would have to go with: Ryans, Greenwood, Wong(if available)...
I like that Polk guy..he has a pretty good motor...Cowart gets hurt too much and prob will again this year also...you really cant count on him...Greenwood really needs to play like he did in Miami....he is a true baller....
 
Vinny said:
I think it ends up Greenwood, Ryans and Wong weak to strong side.
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I'd think that would be the way that might go but I'm awfully uncertain about Kailee playing early, despite all the stuff that came out in the paper. That was a pretty serious knee injury, and it is one thing to get a knee in workout shape and another to get it to the point where he can do explosive movement. Part of it is physical and part of it is mental.

He's spent a lot of his rehab muscling up (which is what you do when your ability to do cardio is limited), but geez, knees are squirrely.
 
Ryans is being talked of as an outside LB by the coaches, why is he being projected as a Mike here? He seems to be a weakside LB, why not move Greenwood, and let Ryans play his best position?
 
painekiller said:
Ryans is being talked of as an outside LB by the coaches, why is he being projected as a Mike here? He seems to be a weakside LB, why not move Greenwood, and let Ryans play his best position?
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The coaches have had Ryans working at all 3 LB positions--we'll have to see where he gets reps in TC. He played two years of Sam in college.
 
I'm going greenwood:cowart:ryans. I think Ryans will eventually run our defense in a year or two. Orr could very well replace Greenwood, as I think he's over-rated. :spy:
 
I see a lot of love for Shante Orr on this board. I think the guy definately has some pass rush skills, but that is really all he did last year (why have him do anything else?). Do you guys think he has the ability to be a starting LB in a 4-3? I see him as pass rush specialist coming in on third downs.
 
TexanBacker93 said:
If Wong is truly healthy by the start of the season I'd like to see:

SOLB - Ryans
MLB - Wong
WOLB - Greenwood

With Orr, Cowart, and Green as the primary backups.

Evans and Anderson might still have a chance for special teams, though. It's going to be a dogfight for the roster.
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i agree with this.
 
Vinny said:
Keepers? Ryans...easy. No brainer. Cowart will be a PT player IF he makes the team. Williams won't have many tackles compared to any linebacker. Greenwood should have a lot of tackles too...but he is our new Jay Foreman...most of them downfield.
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Hey Vinny what have you heard about Cowart???? He was one of the big acqusitions of the offseason. Are you serious, he is in danger of not even making the team?
 
With all the guys we have at d line, how would Derrick Johnson look on the roster over T. Johnson?

:fireball:
casserly.gif
 
Zac said:
Hey Vinny what have you heard about Cowart???? He was one of the big acqusitions of the offseason. Are you serious, he is in danger of not even making the team?
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He can't cover and he is a liability in zones. He is past his prime and doesn't move like he did years ago.
 
Vinny said:
He can't cover and he is a liability in zones. He is past his prime and doesn't move like he did years ago.
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He was definantely known as run stopper more than a cover linebacker in the league during his prime. Being slower now than before he is a liability.

We need DeMeco to start at MLB. Wong should play SLB when he gets back. We've got Orr that could share some time at SLB. Greenwood plays WLB.

But since we could have injuries, or they would rather have Rainer or Cowart at the mike, DeMeco should get some time in SLB with Orr and Wong. If Greenwood got hurt I'd think that we would play DeMeco there. He provides great depth for us if we do not start him.
 
According to Kubiak in his interview just released on main site, Ryans will get plenty of time in the middle. Since Cowart will be limited, Ryans will have a big chance to earn the starting job at the Mike.
 
It looks like Greenwood is a lock for the Will linebacker spot. The Mike backer usually goes to the most athletic linebacker on the team in the 4-3. Sam Cowart is a solid back, but he's going to be coming in slow off of his injuries. Normally I would have penciled him in as the starter if we wasn't banged up, but you have 2-3 guys behind him that are decent. Wali Rainer should be a career backup guy, but he does provide solid depth. So that leaves either Wong or Ryans. Wong is going to have to overcome some major obsticles to be named the starting MLB. First he is coming of reconstructive surgery. It may not be strong enough for a full throttle camp so it's going to be a tough choice to keep him and his salary. So you have 3 guys that have issues; Cowart and Wong are coming off injuries, and Rainer is not an overpowering force. That leaves the job to Ryans and it's his to take. It all depends on how fast he can adjust to our scheme and pick up the conversion to the NFL, he could be the most athletic linebacker on the team.

As for the Sam linebacker spot, Shante Orr had a career year last year in the 3-4, but he lacks the speed on the outside to chase down runners or cover. Anderson has anoutside shot, but he's also got a banged knee. We acquired Barrett Green for one year who is a fast LB, but is a tad on the smallish side and tends to go blank a few times in thinking during a game. This is our weakest position in the linebacking corps so if there are other linebackers on our team whose play deserves to be acknowledged, this is the spot to play them. As I see it our best linebackers on paper are these:
Wong, Ryans and Greenwood. Wong needs to prove that he's recovered, however to maintain a starting spot.
 
I was among those who was happy to see the Texans grab him in the 2nd Round. Being a Gator grad, I follow SEC football and was impressed with his physical ability but much more his head for the game. I'm not sure if he'll be the opening day starter but I sure am anticipating him being a starter eventually. I think he has pro bowl ability.

As it stands, I think Cowart and Greenwood are your likely starters. Not sure about the WIL (that is, the #3 backer) unless Greenwood gets put there instead of the SAM, in which case I'd have no real idea about who'd go there.
 
TransplantTexan1 said:
I was among those who was happy to see the Texans grab him in the 2nd Round. Being a Gator grad, I follow SEC football and was impressed with his physical ability but much more his head for the game. I'm not sure if he'll be the opening day starter but I sure am anticipating him being a starter eventually. I think he has pro bowl ability.

As it stands, I think Cowart and Greenwood are your likely starters. Not sure about the WIL (that is, the #3 backer) unless Greenwood gets put there instead of the SAM, in which case I'd have no real idea about who'd go there.
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I think you are confused. Greenwood will be the starting will (he is certainly no sam backer) and the Sam is really the only position up in the air due to Wong's knee. Ryans will start in the middle unless he falls totally apart or gets injured. Cowart may not even make the team imo.
 
Vinny said:
I think you are confused. Greenwood will be the starting will (he is certainly no sam backer) and the Sam is really the only position up in the air due to Wong's knee. Ryans will start in the middle unless he falls totally apart or gets injured. Cowart may not even make the team imo.
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Thanks for clearing that up RE: Greenwood. And, yeah, I expect Demeco to be in the middle. I was just under the impression that Cowart was pretty much inked in as the starter. While he may underwhelm and end up not starting, I'd be shocked if he didn't at least make the team.
 
TransplantTexan1 said:
Thanks for clearing that up RE: Greenwood. And, yeah, I expect Demeco to be in the middle. I was just under the impression that Cowart was pretty much inked in as the starter. While he may underwhelm and end up not starting, I'd be shocked if he didn't at least make the team.
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Just FYI (not saying he plays better at Sam and there hasn't been a whiff of anything from the Texans about him other than Will), but Greenwood has played more there than any other position--3 years at Sam, 1 year at Will and then 1 year at MLB in a 3-4.
 
infantrycak said:
Just FYI (not saying he plays better at Sam and there hasn't been a whiff of anything from the Texans about him other than Will), but Greenwood has played more there than any other position--3 years at Sam, 1 year at Will and then 1 year at MLB in a 3-4.
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Just because he played there does't mean he is any good at it (he lacks the bulk/run stopping characteristics the sam needs imo)....but yeah, your point is a decent one and I probably shouldn't discount him at the sam.
 
Morlon doesn't look like a particularly comfortable run stopping linebacker. I think it's a big reason why Saban and company were so willing to let him roll...
 
Thanks everyone....very impressed with everyone's breakdown.

I think I am going to protect Cowart, Greenwood, and Ryans.......I don't think anyone will grab Wong or Orr in the draft.
 
Vinny said:
the Sam is really the only position up in the air due to Wong's knee.
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Not to go against THE Vinny, but... I really think Sam is the one postion with a lot of canidates. Except for Babin and Peak I really think the rest of the OLBs from the 3-4 will play Sam. So Anderson and Orr until Wong is healthy. The dude from Grambling, Pettway I think, also could be a Sam.

The coaching staff made a comment about not seeing any current LBs as Mikes, then Cowart and Rainer were signed. So I see Ryans as the third Mike, right now. Who knows how camp will change things.

Will is the one postion, I do not see a lot of canidates other than Ryans and Greenwood. Polk had a lot of tackles last year but I think that was just because of the system. If Ryans is one of the top 2 Mikes, I think Green would be a nice devolpmental LB because of his raw speed and atheltic ability.

Orr...Anderson (practice squad when Wong is healthy)
Cowart...Ryans
Greenwood... Green

Orr and Ryans off the bench for the nickel package:drool:
Houston, we have a pass rush:yahoo:
 
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