the_idle_threat
07-28-2006, 06:32 AM
Position-by-position: Linebackers
Hawk's rookie season figures to go well
By BOB McGINN
Green Bay - Most linebackers drafted in the first round have had immediate impact and the Green Bay Packers certainly don't expect A.J. Hawk to be the exception.
Hawk was the first linebacker (fifth pick overall) selected in the 2006 draft just as Nick Barnett was the first taken (29th choice) in 2003. If the Packers' scouting department is on point, Hawk will emerge immediately to join Barnett and reverse five or six years of stagnant if not declining performance by the linebacking corps.
"Everything you hoped he'd be, he is," defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said, referring to Hawk. "And a phenomenal person as well."
With Hawk installed on the weak side, the Packers will enter training camp with former Brown Ben Taylor as the nominal starter on the strong side. That would give Green Bay new starters at two of three positions.
Just six linebackers played from scrimmage last year. Holdovers Barnett (987 snaps), Brady Poppinga (99) and Roy Manning (176) accounted for 51.7% of the playing time compared to 48.3% for the departed Paris Lenon (583), Robert Thomas (345) and Na'il Diggs (251).
The Packers made little or no attempt to re-sign the 28-year-old Lenon before he signed an unexpectedly lucrative free-agent deal with Detroit. Diggs, 28, and Thomas, 26, signed modest deals with Carolina and Oakland, respectively, after being released.
"In my estimation I think we have upgraded our defense," Sanders said. "At linebacker, I feel like we've made some strides. We're trying to get better against the run. The run is a concern."
Critical factors will be getting Hawk into camp without much delay and keeping him healthy. If his rookie season goes as planned, history indicates that the Packers should prosper.
In the last decade, there were some players drafted in the first round as linebackers that struggled after having had played a portion of their collegiate careers as defensive ends. But when it comes to the traditional first-round linebacker drafted into a 4-3 defense, the success rate has been high.
From 1996-'05, some of the rookie first-rounders that enjoyed tremendous first seasons were Jon Vilma with the New York Jets in 2004, D.J. Williams with Denver in '04, Takeo Spikes with Cincinnati in '98, Kevin Hardy with Jacksonville in '96 and Ray Lewis with Baltimore in '96.
Solid years were turned in by Derrick Johnson with Kansas City in 2005, Barnett in Green Bay, Brian Urlacher with Chicago in '00 and Reggie Brown with Detroit in '96.
Although held back by holdout and/or injury, these players all had their moments as rookies: Dan Morgan with Carolina in 2001, LaVar Arrington with Washington in '00, Julian Peterson with San Francisco in '00 and Anthony Simmons with Seattle in '98.
Some others, such as James Farrior with the Jets in '97 and John Mobley with Denver in '96, were good enough to start every game. Others, like Keith Bulluck with Tennessee and Keith Brooking in Atlanta, developed later and were in the Pro Bowl by their fourth seasons.
Against the run, new linebackers coach Winston Moss expects Hawk to stuff and chase with equal effectiveness.
"He has great play speed," Moss said. "I love his intensity. If a guy gets on him he's violent trying to get him off him. He never likes giving himself up one for one."
At least initially, Hawk will back up Barnett in the dime defense while joining him in the nickel. Moss said Hawk wasn't asked to cover man-to-man like he will be in the National Football League.
As for the fact Hawk stands just 6 feet 1 inches on the nose, Moss said, "It doesn't matter. I don't think his height is relevant. He definitely has the talent to be everything that is talked about him."
Five of the unit's eight turnover-related plays were turned in by Barnett. Hawk had 12 of those plays in four seasons for the Buckeyes, including two touchdowns. He also should increase the linebackers' paltry 13 1 /2 tackles for loss, their lowest total since '99, and 14 1 /2 pressures, their lowest total since before '98.
"What this personnel department has brought in, it's a very, very solid unit to work with," said Moss, an NFL linebacker from 1987-'97 and linebackers coach since '00.
Barnett isn't as heavy or speedy as Hawk but has good skills and is a strong competitor. Sanders will be his fourth coordinator in four years.
"That's a big deal," said Moss. "He will get better running the defense. We will lean on him more to be a leader-type guy."
Taylor started 16 games for the Browns in '05 but they wanted him back only as a backup. The Packers preferred Taylor to Lenon and Diggs on the basis of speed, athleticism and knowledge, and got him for just $50,000 in signing bonus.
He scored 28 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test in 2002, ran 40 yards in 4.77 seconds and had a 35½-inch vertical jump.
"He's a consistent role player guy opposite two very high-profile guys," Moss said. "Fluid player. Has some savvy to slip blocks. He's not that guy who will be up-tight. He doesn't look chaotic when he plays. That's a good quality."
Sanders, however, pledged to be starting the third-best linebacker by opening day and didn't rule the possibility that it might be third-round pick Abdul Hodge, a tackling machine at Iowa from 2003-'05. Still, Sanders isn't excited about moving a rookie from his natural position. Thus, Hodge will start out in the middle behind Barnett.
"What I saw at Iowa was that true middle linebacker, being close to the ball and being very physical," Moss said. "Now he's going to have to cover down the field. He is all business, just like Hawk."
Primarily a defensive end in college, Poppinga is bigger and more aggressive than Taylor but nowhere near as savvy at linebacker. He has made a rapid recovery from reconstructive knee surgery and, when ready, should have a chance to start.
"You see an edge in him," Moss said. "You know you're going to get a very physical football player."
Manning and Tracy White, a four-year veteran with generally a special-team background, are straight-line speed guys. Manning is bigger. White is faster.
"(White) has a big upper body and is very strong," Moss said. "Once that ball declares he does have that quick burst.
"You can have a lot of different type players but the one constant is you want a fast football team. All of these guys can run."
*************************
At a Glance
Strongside Linebackers at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
BEN TAYLOR
6-1 1/2
236 27
UFA-'06
Virginia
Fourth-round pick by Cleveland in ’02. Played 39 of a possible 64 games (26 starts), missing 25 games with hamstring, back and elbow injuries. Started in ’05.
BRADY POPPINGA 6-3 245 26 D4-'05 Brigham Young
Played 220 snaps on special teams and 99 snaps from scrimmage during first 13 weeks. Suffered torn anterior cruciate knee ligament while making first start Dec. 11.
TRACY WHITE 5-11 1/2 236 26 FA-'06 Howard
Reunited with GM Ted Thompson, who signed him as an undrafted free agent for Seattle in May 2003. Backup for two years, then backed up for Jacksonville in ’05
KURT CAMPBELL 6-1 231 23 D7-'05 Albany
Blew out his ACL in fifth day of training camp. Started three seasons at cornerback and ’04 at rover (strong safety) but had just one interception in Division I-AA ranks.
KURT SCHIMMELMANN 6-2 1/2 233 23 FA-'06 Stanford
Blew out his ACL in fifth day of training camp. Started three seasons at cornerback and ’04 at rover (strong safety) but had just one interception in Division I-AA ranks.
Middle Linebackers at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
NICK BARNETT 6-1½ 232 25 D1-'03 Oregon State
Played 87.1% of the snaps in ’03, 99% in ’04 and 97% in ’05. Set club record with 194 tackles last season but also led team in missed tackles with 20.
ABDUL HODGE 6-0 1/2 236 23 D3-'06 Iowa
Three-year starter in the middle with 453 tackles, seven sacks, six fumbles forced, six fumbles recovered and no interceptions. His 31-inch vertical jump ranked 32nd among 33 linebackers testing at the combine. Had scores of 17 and 22 on the 50-question Wonderlic test.
TIM GOODWELL 6-0 237 22 FA-'06 Memphis
Backup in 2002-’03 and starter in 2004-’05, finishing with 249 tackles and seven sacks. Natural middle linebacker with in-the-box explosiveness and better than average speed.
Outside Linebackers at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
A.J. HAWK 6-1 246 22 D1-'06 Ohio State
Put on great show at the combine with 40-yard dash time of 4.59, vertical jump of 40, broad jump of 9-7, 20-yard shuttle of 3.96 seconds, 225-pound bench press of 24 times and Wonderlic score of 27. Later ran the 40 in 4.52 at campus workout
ROY MANNING 6-2 248 24 FA-'05 Michigan
Played extensively alongside Barnett in the nickel and also made two starts on the strong side, finishing with 176 snaps and 20 tackles. Basically, never made a play all year.
BYRON SANTIAGO 6-1 242 23 FA-'06 Louisiana Tech
Two-year starter who took part in 15 turnover-producing plays. Better at the line of scrimmage. Will need work in coverage. Possesses adequate speed.
Acquisition categories: D1 means first-round draft choice, FA means free agent, UFA means unrestricted free agent
Hawk's rookie season figures to go well
By BOB McGINN
Green Bay - Most linebackers drafted in the first round have had immediate impact and the Green Bay Packers certainly don't expect A.J. Hawk to be the exception.
Hawk was the first linebacker (fifth pick overall) selected in the 2006 draft just as Nick Barnett was the first taken (29th choice) in 2003. If the Packers' scouting department is on point, Hawk will emerge immediately to join Barnett and reverse five or six years of stagnant if not declining performance by the linebacking corps.
"Everything you hoped he'd be, he is," defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said, referring to Hawk. "And a phenomenal person as well."
With Hawk installed on the weak side, the Packers will enter training camp with former Brown Ben Taylor as the nominal starter on the strong side. That would give Green Bay new starters at two of three positions.
Just six linebackers played from scrimmage last year. Holdovers Barnett (987 snaps), Brady Poppinga (99) and Roy Manning (176) accounted for 51.7% of the playing time compared to 48.3% for the departed Paris Lenon (583), Robert Thomas (345) and Na'il Diggs (251).
The Packers made little or no attempt to re-sign the 28-year-old Lenon before he signed an unexpectedly lucrative free-agent deal with Detroit. Diggs, 28, and Thomas, 26, signed modest deals with Carolina and Oakland, respectively, after being released.
"In my estimation I think we have upgraded our defense," Sanders said. "At linebacker, I feel like we've made some strides. We're trying to get better against the run. The run is a concern."
Critical factors will be getting Hawk into camp without much delay and keeping him healthy. If his rookie season goes as planned, history indicates that the Packers should prosper.
In the last decade, there were some players drafted in the first round as linebackers that struggled after having had played a portion of their collegiate careers as defensive ends. But when it comes to the traditional first-round linebacker drafted into a 4-3 defense, the success rate has been high.
From 1996-'05, some of the rookie first-rounders that enjoyed tremendous first seasons were Jon Vilma with the New York Jets in 2004, D.J. Williams with Denver in '04, Takeo Spikes with Cincinnati in '98, Kevin Hardy with Jacksonville in '96 and Ray Lewis with Baltimore in '96.
Solid years were turned in by Derrick Johnson with Kansas City in 2005, Barnett in Green Bay, Brian Urlacher with Chicago in '00 and Reggie Brown with Detroit in '96.
Although held back by holdout and/or injury, these players all had their moments as rookies: Dan Morgan with Carolina in 2001, LaVar Arrington with Washington in '00, Julian Peterson with San Francisco in '00 and Anthony Simmons with Seattle in '98.
Some others, such as James Farrior with the Jets in '97 and John Mobley with Denver in '96, were good enough to start every game. Others, like Keith Bulluck with Tennessee and Keith Brooking in Atlanta, developed later and were in the Pro Bowl by their fourth seasons.
Against the run, new linebackers coach Winston Moss expects Hawk to stuff and chase with equal effectiveness.
"He has great play speed," Moss said. "I love his intensity. If a guy gets on him he's violent trying to get him off him. He never likes giving himself up one for one."
At least initially, Hawk will back up Barnett in the dime defense while joining him in the nickel. Moss said Hawk wasn't asked to cover man-to-man like he will be in the National Football League.
As for the fact Hawk stands just 6 feet 1 inches on the nose, Moss said, "It doesn't matter. I don't think his height is relevant. He definitely has the talent to be everything that is talked about him."
Five of the unit's eight turnover-related plays were turned in by Barnett. Hawk had 12 of those plays in four seasons for the Buckeyes, including two touchdowns. He also should increase the linebackers' paltry 13 1 /2 tackles for loss, their lowest total since '99, and 14 1 /2 pressures, their lowest total since before '98.
"What this personnel department has brought in, it's a very, very solid unit to work with," said Moss, an NFL linebacker from 1987-'97 and linebackers coach since '00.
Barnett isn't as heavy or speedy as Hawk but has good skills and is a strong competitor. Sanders will be his fourth coordinator in four years.
"That's a big deal," said Moss. "He will get better running the defense. We will lean on him more to be a leader-type guy."
Taylor started 16 games for the Browns in '05 but they wanted him back only as a backup. The Packers preferred Taylor to Lenon and Diggs on the basis of speed, athleticism and knowledge, and got him for just $50,000 in signing bonus.
He scored 28 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test in 2002, ran 40 yards in 4.77 seconds and had a 35½-inch vertical jump.
"He's a consistent role player guy opposite two very high-profile guys," Moss said. "Fluid player. Has some savvy to slip blocks. He's not that guy who will be up-tight. He doesn't look chaotic when he plays. That's a good quality."
Sanders, however, pledged to be starting the third-best linebacker by opening day and didn't rule the possibility that it might be third-round pick Abdul Hodge, a tackling machine at Iowa from 2003-'05. Still, Sanders isn't excited about moving a rookie from his natural position. Thus, Hodge will start out in the middle behind Barnett.
"What I saw at Iowa was that true middle linebacker, being close to the ball and being very physical," Moss said. "Now he's going to have to cover down the field. He is all business, just like Hawk."
Primarily a defensive end in college, Poppinga is bigger and more aggressive than Taylor but nowhere near as savvy at linebacker. He has made a rapid recovery from reconstructive knee surgery and, when ready, should have a chance to start.
"You see an edge in him," Moss said. "You know you're going to get a very physical football player."
Manning and Tracy White, a four-year veteran with generally a special-team background, are straight-line speed guys. Manning is bigger. White is faster.
"(White) has a big upper body and is very strong," Moss said. "Once that ball declares he does have that quick burst.
"You can have a lot of different type players but the one constant is you want a fast football team. All of these guys can run."
*************************
At a Glance
Strongside Linebackers at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
BEN TAYLOR
6-1 1/2
236 27
UFA-'06
Virginia
Fourth-round pick by Cleveland in ’02. Played 39 of a possible 64 games (26 starts), missing 25 games with hamstring, back and elbow injuries. Started in ’05.
BRADY POPPINGA 6-3 245 26 D4-'05 Brigham Young
Played 220 snaps on special teams and 99 snaps from scrimmage during first 13 weeks. Suffered torn anterior cruciate knee ligament while making first start Dec. 11.
TRACY WHITE 5-11 1/2 236 26 FA-'06 Howard
Reunited with GM Ted Thompson, who signed him as an undrafted free agent for Seattle in May 2003. Backup for two years, then backed up for Jacksonville in ’05
KURT CAMPBELL 6-1 231 23 D7-'05 Albany
Blew out his ACL in fifth day of training camp. Started three seasons at cornerback and ’04 at rover (strong safety) but had just one interception in Division I-AA ranks.
KURT SCHIMMELMANN 6-2 1/2 233 23 FA-'06 Stanford
Blew out his ACL in fifth day of training camp. Started three seasons at cornerback and ’04 at rover (strong safety) but had just one interception in Division I-AA ranks.
Middle Linebackers at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
NICK BARNETT 6-1½ 232 25 D1-'03 Oregon State
Played 87.1% of the snaps in ’03, 99% in ’04 and 97% in ’05. Set club record with 194 tackles last season but also led team in missed tackles with 20.
ABDUL HODGE 6-0 1/2 236 23 D3-'06 Iowa
Three-year starter in the middle with 453 tackles, seven sacks, six fumbles forced, six fumbles recovered and no interceptions. His 31-inch vertical jump ranked 32nd among 33 linebackers testing at the combine. Had scores of 17 and 22 on the 50-question Wonderlic test.
TIM GOODWELL 6-0 237 22 FA-'06 Memphis
Backup in 2002-’03 and starter in 2004-’05, finishing with 249 tackles and seven sacks. Natural middle linebacker with in-the-box explosiveness and better than average speed.
Outside Linebackers at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
A.J. HAWK 6-1 246 22 D1-'06 Ohio State
Put on great show at the combine with 40-yard dash time of 4.59, vertical jump of 40, broad jump of 9-7, 20-yard shuttle of 3.96 seconds, 225-pound bench press of 24 times and Wonderlic score of 27. Later ran the 40 in 4.52 at campus workout
ROY MANNING 6-2 248 24 FA-'05 Michigan
Played extensively alongside Barnett in the nickel and also made two starts on the strong side, finishing with 176 snaps and 20 tackles. Basically, never made a play all year.
BYRON SANTIAGO 6-1 242 23 FA-'06 Louisiana Tech
Two-year starter who took part in 15 turnover-producing plays. Better at the line of scrimmage. Will need work in coverage. Possesses adequate speed.
Acquisition categories: D1 means first-round draft choice, FA means free agent, UFA means unrestricted free agent