Jeremy Thompson

[Partial]

Scouting Report from last year:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/31930279.html

I wonder if they'll have him bulk or since he is so thin, or perhaps slim him down to try to get his speed a little better.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Hunter and Thompson = 3-4 OLB

Senior Bowl report from last year:

http://www.nfl-draft-site.com/2008/01/franks-2008-senior-bowl-report.html

DE Jeremy Thompson. More than likely an OLB on 3-4 defense teams...showed good speed and quickness.

[bobblehead]

Come on, I was first on the Jason Hunter Bandwagon, now you and nutz...damn it, I can't have one role player to myself like Ballhawk had.

Mad, if you read this could you find a Jason Hunter bobblehead for my new avatar :P

[SkinBasket]

Come on, I was first on the Jason Hunter Bandwagon, now you and nutz...damn it, I can't have one role player to myself like Ballhawk had.

Mad, if you read this could you find a Jason Hunter bobblehead for my new avatar :P

If it makes you feel better, I think Hunter will suck ass in the new system just as much as he sucked ass in the old system.

[hoosier]

Come on, I was first on the Jason Hunter Bandwagon, now you and nutz...damn it, I can't have one role player to myself like Ballhawk had.

Mad, if you read this could you find a Jason Hunter bobblehead for my new avatar :P

I don't think they make those--yet. But here's a Torii Hunter bobblehead:



Or a drunken Irishman bobblehead (it's supposed to be a hunter but after looking carefully I have my doubts):

[Harlan Huckleby]

I'm baffled at the theories I see in the forum. The change in scheme will turn Kampman into a bum, and J. Thompson and J. Hunter are going to be gangbusters.

I get it, there are obviously differences between being an upright rush linebacker and a defensive end. But its still football, and they are generally matched up against the same offensive players. Poppinga was not much better when they put him in a three point stance than he performed as a blitzer.

I don't believe being a DE in a 3-4 is drastically different from the responsibilities of a 4-3 DE. The experts here are greatly exaggerating a small kernel of truth.

[Bossman641]

Come on, I was first on the Jason Hunter Bandwagon, now you and nutz...damn it, I can't have one role player to myself like Ballhawk had.

Mad, if you read this could you find a Jason Hunter bobblehead for my new avatar :P

If it makes you feel better, I think Hunter will suck ass in the new system just as much as he sucked ass in the old system.

I agree with the Basket

[Zool]

I'm baffled at the theories I see in the forum. The change in scheme will turn Kampman into a bum, and J. Thompson and J. Hunter are going to be gangbusters.

I get it, there are obviously differences between being an upright rush linebacker and a defensive end. But its still football, and they are generally matched up against the same offensive players. Poppinga was not much better when they put him in a three point stance than he performed as a blitzer.

I don't believe being a DE in a 3-4 is drastically different from the responsibilities of a 4-3 DE. The experts here are greatly exaggerating a small kernel of truth.

Really? What did Corey Williams play when he got to Cleveland? And what did he play in GB?

[Harlan Huckleby]

you got me there, Zool. Corey Williams played both DT and DE in GB. Not sure where he played in Cleveland.

Better tie this all together for me, you lost me with the part about the 4-3 and global warming.

[Waldo]

Actually a 3-4 DE is much more similar to a UT in a 3-4 than a 4-3 DE. 3-4 OLB's are the equivalent of 4-3 DE's.

With some differences. Clogger UT's (Cole, Jolly) don't make the best 3-4 DE's (slow). Penetrator UT's fare better (Jenkins, Williams). Big strong 4-3 DE's that are better run defenders (Jenkins, Montgomery) make poor 3-4 OLBs (too slow). Faster pass rushers (Kamp, KGB, Thompson) make better 3-4 OLB's.

Kamp, Thompson, and Hunter are prototypical 3-4 OLB's, Poppinga could do it but is small. Jenkins is a prototypical 3-4 DE.

Hunter is not good. He is fast in straight line speed, but isn't explosive, and just isn't a very good defender. He isn't a very instinctual football player and doesn't have a natural ability to get past OT's. He is a serviceable backup and good ST player.

Thompson is somewhat explosive and a fine athlete. He isn't very instinctive either, but has more potential than Hunter. Hunter doesn't have the really long arms and "bend" that Thompson has. Thompson has a fair amount of coverage experience.

Kamp is somewhat explosive and an accomplished pass rusher. He has outstanding technique. He is not a natural pass rusher though, but is very strong, and a fine athlete.

We don't have a WOLB. Thompson and Kamp could play it, but both are better suited on the strong side as SOLB's over the TE. Physically Thompson is closer to a WOLB than Kamp, and will probably play that side, unless he somehow gets good enough to push Kamp to the bench on the strong side (doubtful). Kamp could dominate at 3-4 SOLB, as he will face single blocking from a TE much moreso than he did as a DE. KGB was a prototypical WOLB.

Sanders/Bates scheme as we ran it occasionally was not that dissimilar from a 3-4. A line of Kamp-Pickett-Jenkins-KGB.....shift the interior line a half gap toward KGB (Pickett heads up on the C, Jenkins in the B gap between the G and tackle), then swap Poppinga for Williams and put him in the B gap between Kamp and Pickett, and we have a 3-4. Kamp would have to drop into coverage occasionally on passing downs (zone not man, unlike Sanders the SS or ILB covers the TE, not the SOLB), as would KGB, but that group are all prototype 3-4 players, and probably a fairly elite bunch.

[Zool]

Williams rarely if ever played DE in GB. He was signed by Cleveland specifically to be a 3-4 end. 3-4 ends are generally larger dudes.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Williams rarely if ever played DE in GB. He was signed by Cleveland specifically to be a 3-4 end. 3-4 ends are generally larger dudes.

I see. And ya, I know the DE's have more run responsibility it 3-4. But usually the first down DE in 4-3 has some heft, the smaller DE's are rotated in on passing downs.

The differences are not great.

Williams played more DE in GB than you remember.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Kamp, Thompson, and Hunter are prototypical 3-4 OLB's .

Kamp is excellent against the run. HE is fine as a 3-4 DE. (perhaps you don't disagree.)

I get that the DE has to hold contain in 3-4, but it is not drastically different from the starting DE responsibilities in 4-4.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Thompson is somewhat explosive and a fine athlete. He isn't very instinctive either, but has more potential than Hunter. Hunter doesn't have the really long arms and "bend" that Thompson has. Thompson has a fair amount of coverage experience.

I agree with you here. Thompson looks much more hopeful than Hunter.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Hunter is not good. He is fast in straight line speed, but isn't explosive, and just isn't a very good defender. He isn't a very instinctual football player and doesn't have a natural ability to get past OT's. He is a serviceable backup and good ST player.

Thompson is somewhat explosive and a fine athlete. He isn't very instinctive either, but has more potential than Hunter. Hunter doesn't have the really long arms and "bend" that Thompson has. Thompson has a fair amount of coverage experience.

I'm not ready to say this. Hunter was raw when he came to the Packers. I've seen improvement from him every year in the little time that he has played. He was a prototypical 3-4 OLB when he came into the league, and making him bulk up to play 4-3 DE was probably a stretch. Some can do it (KGB). Some don't. I think Hunter has a great deal of potential as a 3-4 OLB. Will he become a good one? I don't know, but you don't find many guys that are 6'4" 270 that run a 4.55 40 very often. Thompson is pretty fast, but 4.75 might not translate as well at 3-4 OLB.