Quote Originally Posted by run pMc View Post
Do you think NFL OC's will figure out how to scheme against the quick ILB's like Telvin Smith, Deone Buchannon and Thomas Davis? Seems like running at them with a lead block from a FB or G would give them trouble. I have to think this is a fad that will get outschemed...but I could be wrong. Telvin has been pretty good for 2 seasons with the Jags.
Sure the hybrid LB's will be schemed against by the OC's. But then the DC's will scheme against the OC's and so it goes. LOL

The things I don't see as a fad are big/fast TE's, RB's who are just as much pass catchers as they are runners and speedy running QB's like Wilson and Bridgewater. To me, that means you need speed on the defensive side of the ball to counter them. Now, you might find a big, traditional MLB with SS speed (Urlacher 6'4" 258) but two things: 1) Urlachers are few and far between; and 2) faster, traditional ILB's (Shazier 6'1" 230, Mosley 6'2" 235, Kendricks 6'0" 232) are in all reality not much bigger than a SS/hybrid LB (Smith 6'3" 223, Bucannon 6'1" 210). The guys in the draft this year who could be considered hybrid ILB's are Miles Killebrew 6'1" 219, Jeremy Cash 6'0" 212, Darian Thompson 6'1" 215).

I think what these guys lack in weight they make up for in speed, attitude, tackling ability and coverage skills.