Footballoutsiders.com has a game-charting program where they chart "untraditional" stats such as dropped interceptions and the like. In their recent profile of the AFC East, they had this to say about our ILBs: "The Dolphins need linebackers. One of last year's outside starters is already gone (Porter) and the other is too old to play every down (Taylor). The situation at inside linebacker is also a problem; Akin Ayodele, long a solid but unspectacular player, had a tough 2009. This year we tracked broken tackles for the first time as part of the FO game charting project; the numbers are still very preliminary, but right now we have Ayodele with the worst "broken tackle percentage" among all inside linebackers, 16 percent. (That's broken tackles divided by tackles + assists + broken tackles.) Channing Crowder comes in third at 11.5 percent, behind Ayodele and the Chiefs' Corey Mays." link: http://footballoutsiders.com/four-downs/2010/four-downs-afc-east I knew those guys sucked, but that's pathetic!!! Its not like they were any good in coverage, either. I don't think we can "overpay" for Dansby. Not with Ayodele and Crowder as our current starters.
So basically Crowder and Ayodele tackled like pee wee football players? Nice. We need an all new Lb Corps...
I don't think our dire need for an ILB this off season was a secret for anyone on these boards. I think Crowder might be decent if his game comes back to 2008 form and we put a serious ILB next to him. Problem is: who? Dansby I hope!
I've been saying our linebackers suck now everyone is starting to get it. and people still want jt back. we need to purge this group and start over wake is the only guy who sticks and he is a project/ hasn't played linebacker anderson and moses are okay depth maybe the inside linebackers are garbage sign dansby and draft 2 or 3 olb's
Still would not be enough, as we would also need to ILB's, one to replace Akin Ayodele and one to replace Reggie "toast" Torbor. That is 4 new Lb's.
If we spent our first 4 draft picks on LBs (inside and outside), I wouldn't be shocked and I wouldn't question the judgment.
Not really news to some of us that watched closely. Adell is simply HORRIBLE. Crowder was very mediocre, is slow and takes very bad angles.
Well, we could just as easily sign two FA's and bump Wake and Anderson up into larger roles and use later picks for the ILB need, a cat like Joe Pawalek would make sense in the 6th rd.
Yeah, I don't think you'll get much of an argument (supporting any of our LB's) on this board. There pretty much needs to be a complete overhaul of the LB corp. Sign Dansby, draft Graham at #12, hope like hell one of Hughes, Weatherspoon or Spikes is there at #43. Then take best BPA (with an emphasis on D, especially LB's) the rest of the way. Not to get off topic, but if we were to follow that strategy, then the question becomes how do we go about upgrading WR/TE? And, what about FS?
He did ask a legit question, if we pour draft picks into the LB position it would not make the problems at Wr and Te go away..do try to keep up KP..
i was telling you at the end of the season how bad the linebackers were and you kept on defending them now you say we need new ones now you tell me to keep up nice lift there pod
Tsk tsk, for myself I defended JP and JT, never was a fan of Crowder or Akin A, not after last season. And do keep up with the question Gmen asked, namely drafting all Lb's does not address other needs, but signing Watson and Bryant would..
yeah I got it and not a bad answerer just saying why is it that all the threads here get sidetracked quicker than poo through a goose. who really sees us going four straight lb's anyways
I still don't think tight end is a "problem", sure we could always upgrade and if Ben Watson were to be signed I'd be happy about it but I think Fasano will have a good rebound year. TE is certainly a better situation than ILB, OLB and FS.
We need 4 imho, two Ilb's and 2 OLB's, Torbor and Akin A really should be leaving, and JP will be leaving and even if JT stays he clearly is not a 900 snaps per yr player anymore. Now if Dansby is signed that removes one need, but there are three more legit needs to be met moving forwards.
yes and yes draft young players and play young players. the one thing with dansby is the rumors are swirling he will be SOLB on 1st and 2nd down an move inside on 3rd down. (did dumerville do the same?) which still dictates ilb help needed and replace the dinosaurs on the outside still so yeah we are on the same page linebackers on this team have to be addressed immediately because they are the weakest area jt is an afterthought
Disagree about JT, imho he can be a valuable role player on the nickel passrush line, may be 250 snaps, sort of "our" 07 Mike Strahan.
we'll see what the fo thinks but we aren't going to the SB anyways this season i was leaning more towards the long term future of the defense where jt has no importance time to get younger and better plus you did say earlier in the thread we need an all new lb corps. just saying :P
Well, the role JT would have wouldn't interfere with a younger player's snaps, it is basically Wake's role from 09, but he may not sign on for it so he could be leaving anyway.
wakes role in 09 could be wakes role in'10. we heard Ireland say he has improved but we don't know how much he has developed from having his hand on the ground 99.9 % of the time. That intrigues me quite a bit.
Wake is the new #2...JT is now #6.... Wake is going to fill the Dumevil role KP, basically rush the passer 70% of the time..
I have been saying that for some time. Our lb situation has to be among the worst in the NFL. If the fins sign Dansby they are still going to need another Cole and at least one other inside backer.
ah the speculated mike nolan plan. I see where you are coming from pod but things can change before last season roth was penciled in as a starter and JT a situational pass rusher sometimes plans go south
Ck did one heck of a breakdown of "what" exactly Ted nolan did in Denver: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/spo...log/2010/03/analyzing_the_draft_week_6_1.html
This doesn't surprise me at all...I was kind of hoping we would let Crowder go instead of offering him a nice deal a year or so ago. You rarely saw Zach Thomas let guys slip past him if he got his hands/arms on someone, but our LB's just seem to be soft and lazy and they can't wrap a guy up.
Don't forget that we are probably going to need a NT somewhere in the draft especially if Ferguson doesn't come back. If Ferguson does come back then NT wont be a critical need and they might wait another year. I agree that we definitely need both inside and outside linebackers though and it is a critical need.
Let's see here: 1. 3-4 WOLB – This job requires you to rush the passer about 70 percent of downs. - JT/Wake 2. 3-4 WILB – A banger that can plug the run and rush the passer from ILB 1 out of 3 downs. - Crowder 3. 3-4 SILB – A smart, athletic player that can rush 1 out of 4 downs from ILB and collect tackles. - McClain? 4. 3-4 SOLB – Needs to be good in coverage and on the TE, only rushes 50 percent. - Dansby? 5. 2-4 WOLB – Optional to be a hand-on-ground guy, is the primary pressure guy on pass downs. - JT/Wake/Anderson/Moses 6. 2-4 WILB – Must be very smart, and good in coverage, backing up and keeping things in front. - McClain/Crowder/Torbor 7. 2-4 SILB – Must be athletic enough to run with players in coverage.- Dansby/McClain/Crowder/Taylor 8. 2-4 SOLB – Must be a dynamic pass rusher and be able to do damage from an up position. - Wake/Taylor/Moses/Anderson Sounds good to me.
If anything, I'd say it's the other way around. Ayodele is garbage and Crowder is average. Only difference is Crowder is a loudmouth overpaid average player tricking many of us into thinking he's garbage
Same here, Channing just is what he is, a mediocre ILB who rarely makes a play, and is injured every year save his FA yr. He really needs to step his game up because his contract is not that large..he could take I-95N at any moment.
They were both garbage but I have to take you to task with Ayodele was AVERAGE... Akin had 10 missed tackles tied for first for most missed tackles on the dolphins. Akin allowed 24 of 28 passes thrown his way for a 85.7% completion % allowed which only 5 linebackers in the NFL had worse completion percentages. Akin had one of the highest QB ratings against in the NFL with an astronomical 128.4. Akin allowed a total of 335 yards in receptions for an average of 14 yards per reception which only 3 safeties in the NFL were worse. Akin was beaten like a drum in running and passing plays all season as his lack of speed was showcased on numerous occasions. Akin was one of the 3-5 worse Linebackers in football with Crowder trying to join the club and not that far off.
face it people ayodele and crowder both suck bad linebackers across the board = bad defense thus the 390 points that we surrendered
Get Dansby, and if McClain drops to 12, get him too. Then get an OLB or two in the later rounds. Just to re-state the popular saying with 3-4 defenses, you can't have too many good linebackers.