OLB CONNOR BARWIN: the next Urlacher?? better than curry???!!!! (1 Viewer)

[NOFALCONS10]

Let me rephrase then, he is not explosive off the ball but he has top gear speed.*Sacks has nothing to do with strength.*The kid looks strong too but he's not Orakpo is all.*I see him as a DE not an OLB.*So for him to be a dynamo at DE he needs strength and explosiveness.* He looks like a hybrid which works well in the 34 defense.*If we ran a 3-4 he would likely be more valuable but a DE like Ayers is what the Saints need. If he is going to play OLB then he'll need time to learn and develop.*Rookie season would see him used as a buck LB like someone else said.*Charlie Clemons' old position, basically a LB who rushes like a DE off the edge.

Keep in mind measureables aren't everything and don't always equate to being able to change positions.

OMG, clemons was so unbeilvably stiff i could never understand why haslett stubbornly played him at MLB. he was one of biggest liabilities in coverage at linebacker that i have ever seen on this team.

clemons in coverage = sedrick hodge in run support!

i shook my head the day we signed him. i already knew how stiff his game was because i watched him on the rams!


athletically, he posted a better 3-cone than keith bulluck

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=256&draftyear=2000&genpos=OLB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=256&draftyear=2000&genpos=OLB


and watching him bat that ball down and chase down plays were things that clemons could not even dream of doing in space.


and don't try to compare him physically to jason babin either.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=58213&draftyear=2004&genpos=DE

. he smokes that kid in terms of talent.

 

[butkus]

Similar story to Matthews except this guy actually started the whole year and was MUCH more productive. He's also faster. If you're gonna take a shot on a project who has flashed some serious potential I think you gotta go with Barwin over Matthews.

I just can't see Matthews being great (or Cushing for that matter). Barwin could be great. With the 14th pick, I think you swing for the fences. You can get average to solid starters elsewhere but great players percentage wise come within the 1st round of the draft. Urlacher was a huge risk pick at the time but the bears would be a bad team without him. Anyway, its LB not QB if you miss then it doesn't really hurt you much. But if you hit it out of the park then you can change the whole way your defense performs. How much potentially better than our current OLB's are Matthews and Cushing. Just saying.

 

[butkus]

OMG, clemons was so unbeilvably stiff i could never understand why haslett stubbornly played him at MLB. he was one of biggest liabilities in coverage at linebacker that i have ever seen on this team.

clemons in coverage = sedrick hodge in run support!

i shook my head the day we signed him. i already knew how stiff his game was because i watched him on the rams!


athletically, he posted a better 3-cone than keith bulluck

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=256&draftyear=2000&genpos=OLB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=256&draftyear=2000&genpos=OLB


and watching him bat that ball down and chase down plays were things that clemons could not even dream of doing in space.


and don't try to compare him physically to jason babin either.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=58213&draftyear=2004&genpos=DE

. he smokes that kid in terms of talent.

Haslett was not innovative. Clemons made the probowl because of wreaking havoc on the QB. He just like Barwin should never be dropping into coverage. You don't drop pass rushers of that caliber into coverage. Full speed ahead only.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Haslett was not innovative. Clemons made the probowl because of wreaking havoc on the QB. He just like Barwin should never be dropping into coverage. You don't drop pass rushers of that caliber into coverage. Full speed ahead only.

i only propose the possibility of drafting barwin on the assumption that he can cover.

my though process is to replace shanle

greg williams, when he has drafted LBs has been known to draft freaks...

roger mcintosh
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=11029&draftyear=2006&genpos=OLB

bullock
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=256&draftyear=2000&genpos=OLB


barwin could fit the bill.

 

[Jubilee Dunbar]

Good thread. I wasn't that aware of this kid. Looks like a Payton kind of player too.....

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Good thread. I wasn't that aware of this kid. Looks like a Payton kind of player too.....

no problem!

consider this as well, he could be a nightmare on third downs a rush end.


in many ways he compares favorably to demarcus ware who skyrocked up draft boards in march of 2005

his workout numbers are almost identical to ware's

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=55196&draftyear=2005&genpos=OLB


and just like ware posted 10 sacks as a senior on a line where he didn't have much help.

Ware dominated the lower Division IA collegiate competition his final three seasons at Troy, as he finished his sophomore season with 19.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks, his junior season in 2003 with 16 TFL and six sacks and his senior season in 2004 with 18 TFL and 10 sacks

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft05/tracker/player?id=8210&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfldraft%2fdraft05%2ftracker%2fplayer%3fid%3d8210

 

[wbbigtymer]

Looks good on paper, but what you're suggesting in your title is absolutely rediculous. There's a reason he's not a top ranked OLB.

But he is ranked the #4 OLB, and could probably be had with one of out 4th round picks....I wouldn't complain.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

But he is ranked the #4 OLB, and could probably be had with one of out 4th round picks....I wouldn't complain.

if keith rivers got picked 9th overall last year primarily because of his workout #'s (because his play certainly didn't warrant it) i shudder to think of how high barwin might go.

either in the 4-3 or 3-4 he will never be a full time defensive end in the pros.

we might as well have him in our 4-3.

to continue name-dropping, compare him to keith rivers and shawn merriman if you like......

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=33617&draftyear=2008&genpos=OLB (faster and better shuttle than rivers)

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=10961&draftyear=2005&genpos=DE (faster and better shuttle than merriman)


it doesn't seem to matter much because he stacks right up there physically with any of the 1st rd. lbers of the past 10yrs.


that's what kind of specimen he is.

 

[wbbigtymer]

If you are suggesting he won't be there for our 4th round pick, how would we be able to draft him at all?

 

[NOFALCONS10]

If you are suggesting he won't be there for our 4th round pick, how would we be able to draft him at all?

do we have a first?

 

[Galbreath34]

I'm betting Fields beat all of those stats, LOL

 

[NOFALCONS10]

I'm betting Fields beat all of those stats, LOL

nice grain of salt.


he was the most "cut" linebacker that i'd ever seen on airline drive.
he played well for the panthers though a couple of times, went to two probowls.


fields had some talent, but just never realized it here except maybe 3 good years. it didn't help that ditka was his coach for three seasons and our line and secondary sucked for most of his career either.

 

[PaulinP]

why pick him at 14 when no one else even has him on their boards?

 

[NOFALCONS10]

why pick him at 14 when no one else even has him on their boards?

derrick harvey, vernon gholston, jerod mayo.....seems like every year some LB that no one see's coming is finding his way into the top ten. i honestly didn't even project keith rivers going #9.

i'm not saying for sure take him at 14, but i am pointing out that he is a very tantalizing talent.

personally i'd prefer barwin over matthews in hypothetical trade-down like the one in the "experts" draft over clay matthews at picks 20-25.


if we could pick up an extra second rounder and get a top corner or a safety along with barwin i'd be stoked..

 

[manny43076]

Urlacher played Safety & linebacker in college. And even if he was solely an in the box safety that's pretty much a middle linebacker .

Shouldnt this dude be compared to Vernon Gholston and not Urlacher.