I think he has the atheletic ability to play OLB in a 3-4 defense? He is productive, durable, consistent, hard nose player w/ a nonstop motor. Dare I say a Tangini type guy.
The athletic ability? Has he ever been asked to stand in his career? NO. Has he ever covered anyone? NO. Has he ever proven to be anything more then an average pass rusher? NO.
But at this point getting 3-4 ends and a nose tackle is much more important then getting another pass rusher. Honestly if we went into the season with the same linebackers as last year and we were able to improve the quality and depth of the d line I would not complain at all. Hobson and Thomas both excelled at OLB. While Hobson does not have the speed of a Merriman, Ware or Joey Porter I believe that Mangini wants linebackers who can do more then just rush the passer since it makes it more difficult for the offense to diagnose pre snap what the Jets are trying to do. I expect the Jets to focus on the defensive line, offensive line and tight end on the first day of the draft and in free agency. Once we have the lines in place then we we will have more flexibility to go after skill players and pass rushing specialists.
Mangini craves white ballplayers. And come every White player is said as having a high motor and every black player is touted as being extremely athletic with long arms.
Correct. We are a solid/consistent run defense away from contending for the AFC east and a deep run into the playoffs. We proved that when clicking on all cylinders we can get to the QB via BT, Rhodes and occassionally D rob. What we have no answer for is the run D. We need better depth behind D rob and Ellis for a healthy in game rotation, and we need a full time replacement for Kimo, whom was our defense's weakest link. You can be creative w/ rushing the passer no matter who you have for horses, but when it comes to stopping the run, it's strength on strength.
Nope. Hes not even a good 4-3 DE which is his natural position. If the Bengals are willing to part ways with him even though they need defensive help, what does that say about him?
espn says: Quote: Smith is an athletic, high-motor player. He is competitive and tough. He has good instincts and play recognition. He is quick to get into gaps and can be disruptive. He has some functional strength, maintains pad level and uses his hands well. He is very active and pursues effectively from the back side. He is a good tackler. As a pass rusher, he is quick off the ball and can bend and shorten the edge. He is relentless getting after the quarterback. He has a hard club-and-rip move to get on a blocker's edge. He can translate speed to power. He is active when creating rush lanes off inside games. Smith has added bulk and power since entering the league but still is light. He remains something of a work in progress. He struggles to control the edge when he gets upright coming off the ball. He isn't an explosive stack-and-shed player. He has some trouble disengaging and separating off blocks. He doesn't always redirect well on the pass rush and when reacting to cutback runs. You are right Hobson and Chatham are much more exciting.
Hobson is much better IMO and has a year on his belt in the 3-4. I think that he will be a force at ILB though, and I think we should draft an OLB. Justin Smith would be a decent pickup, but only for depth at this point. Maybe he pans out though, not a bad idea.
:rofl: That's so true it's sad. Every white player is scrappy, hard working, and willing to give everything up on every play because he has a ton of heart. And every black player is extremely talented and athletic but not a hard-nosed and lazy/selfish player, especially at the playmaking positions.
IMO, Hobson will be much better as an ILB. He simply is not the prototypical pass-rusher on the outside who can wreak havoc and make the quarterback's day a living nightmare, something that BT showed flashes of this year. That's why if we add another threat like Moss, Woodley, or Spencer to compliment BT and solidify the D-line, the defense will instantly improve while improving even more in the long run to a Top 5-10 defense.
