I do not get it. He is the perfect size for a 3-4 OLB, which is his natural position. He is not going to play end for us if we draft him.
How is he the perfect size for OLB? He has the right height, but he is 280 lbs. with room to grow most likely. Unless he can still run a 4.6 40 yard dash at that weight then he is not a good OLB prospect. Show me some evidence that shows he is a comparable size with 3-4 OLBS in the NFL. The only OLB that is over 270 lbs is Tully Banta-Cain for the 49ers and he is not that great of a player.
http://www.nfl.com/players/shawnemerriman/profile?id=MER568200 Shawn Merriman is 272. Please do not tell me that 8 pounds on a 6'4" frame is at all meaningful. He varies that much in a single practice day. Vrable is 261. Long's "knock" in college has been that he is an undersized end, and has put on some weight. He can easily play OLB at 270-275 in the NFL. I stand by my statement.
Shawn Merriman ran below 4.7 in the 40. Its not the actual numbers of his weight, it what it does to his speed. Right now it looks as if Chris Long will run a high 4.7 or even a 4.8 We really cannot make a decision until his official numbers come out during the Combine. I would love Chris Long on our team because he is one of the best players in the draft however I do not want to force him into our defensive scheme. If he can run NO MORE than a 4.7 and weigh under 280 then maybe we take him as an OLB. The thing is I don't like spending a high draft pick on him because he really is NOT a perfect fit. A player on the border like that really is not perfect and worth our top 5 pick. A player like Vernon Gholston is much more promising to fit as an OLB.
If Long is slow, then I would agree that maybe he is not the best choice for us. I heard he would run around a 4.6, but I agree that it is important. But if he runs 4.7 then his explosion numbers will be very important. Trading down is our best option, but I do not see it happening in the current draft climate. We may actually be "forced" to take McFadden in the long run, though I am not personally sure he is better than his teammate Felix.
He probably would actually. And I don't see him running a sub 4.7, anyway I'd prefer Gholston, who is a much safer pick, and a better fit.
You're right, Long would play end, but we could also line him up at rush OLB some too. Gholston's stock is on the rise and I would love for us to trade down, just a little bit and take him. He knows how to kill the quarterback. I still like Chris Long, but Gholston is the safest pick for us -- even over Run DMC.
Natural position? What? He plays 3-4 end in college...besides for NT thats the furthest you could get from DE/OLB. He's going to have to blow away at the combine to be considered a top 5 pick as a DE/OLB. I still think his best pro position is as a 4-3 end.
DWare, this johnnysd guy obviously doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to Chris Long, especially if he thinks Long is a linebacker.
Maybe not. Just going by what I have heard on NFL Network and Sirius radio several times that they think that Long is most suited as a 3-4 OLB/DE hybrid, not as a 4-3 end.
Link? Did they give a reason as to *why* they think this at least? He'd have to be absolutely amazing at the combine to be considered a DE/OLB prospect IMO...and even then this draft is full of DE/OLB prospects that he'd have to pass.
