I think one thing that the best of the 4-3 MLB's had in common was a D line that kept the O linemen off the MLB. Even Butkus had some tackles in front of him that helped him to jack people up and kept the o linemen off of him so he could roam. Vilma had better protection his first year, and had more big plays as a result... INT's and forced fumbles. It will be interesting to watch how he adjusts to the 3-4, when Mangini runs it.... and we still don't have a clue how much he will do that.
Hes already a beast when it comes to the weightroom, I dont remember where I read this but it was something along the lines of J.V was the first in the weight room and the last out.
In Erik Coleman's weekly diary he constantly mentioned how Vilma was a workout warrior...Always wanting to hit the gym and always asking Erik to go with him.
Nice...Sounded very inciteful. So why are Jets' not keeping John Abraham ? He's one of best pass rushers in NFL ? :breakdance: :lol: :breakdance:
Ray Lewis was the same size as Vilma coming out of college. And people also questioned him, and then when Balt switched to a 3-4 they questioned if he could fit in that scheme too. :wink: So far Vilma has won Rookie of the Year and gone to the Pro-Bowl. What more could we have expected in his first two years... He will be the face of the franchise soon.
The fact of the matter is that size is very overrated. Singletary was tiny, and operated a defense, and Lewis' entry weight into the NFL was roughly 225-230. He put on muscle. That being said, you put a big 305 lbs. guard or center on a middle linebacker and I really don't care who he is, he's not going to be able to shed the block effectively. There are few that can do this and even Lewis struggled with it. The Ravens countered this though by getting two slobs in the middle (Siragusa and Adams) so Lewis could move Boulware and Thomas around to adjust to his capabilities. The best guy at shedding blocks is Urlacher which is why he is such a good player. He is also very big which can be a luxury, but is not needed in our newly found 3-4 defense. Vilma's job is going to be very similar to Bruschi's in New England, except he'll play a bigger role. Drop into coverage and run free on overload blitzes. This means he will need to get depth in coverage however he will be able to make more players if he can run free.
You are a man, right? Men generally get their man's body (Broader shoulders, wider hips, deeper chest) between the ages of 22 and 27... I sure hope you didn't miss out on that part of life...
Yes, it is sad. Line play (offensive and defensive) is the biggest key to success in this sport. Unfortunately, Abraham is not a dependable player and wants out. The Jets can start Ellis and Von Oelhoffen at end this season. They would be well served to draft a good pass rushing outside linebacker. Thomas Howard from UTEP is a player who fits this bill. He should go in round 2 or 3.
