Outside Linebacker (1 Viewer)

With Tez there are people in here naming him a starter but so far he hasn't shown the instincts on the field to be a starter.

I don't know where you got that from..his instincts are not a question..Wilson along with Galette are reasons why this witch is being made...Payton has been on record saying meaning times in the beginning if this process that getting guys like Galette and Wilson on the field are reasons for this move (personnel fits a 3-4) and like Galette, Wilson has shown the ability in his limited snaps to warrant this promotion and opportunity. Butler was signed to compete not start..his contract does not reflect a player who was given a spot but a player who needed to prove worth a big pay day hence his 2yr $7mill deal...he's here to prove himself.
 
I don't see Smith making the move to OLB. He is too big and slow. He has been on the decline last few seasons. Plus, he makes too much money. He is better suited as a DE. I think we should purge the defense and bring in almost an entire new defensive squad. Saints need major changes after last seasons debacle.
 
I would absolutely love to see Galette OLB, Lofton ILB, Wilson ILB, Butler OLB. If that could play out.. Good Lord...

Looks like they want Tez strongly, on the strong side OLB spot though.. Which I don't necessarily have a problem with, that could work out fantastic if he's what we think he is. However if Butler shines and commands time at the LOLB spot.. How can we bench Tez? As long as he can perform at the ILB position then he needs to be there.. The guy can cover, shoot gaps, and thump the run. I just think that line up would make a QB **** bricks on a all out blitz... To add onto the all out blitz, it would be unpredictable for the most part, If these guys are all on the field the majority of snaps.

I miss seeing extra pressure shooting through gaps.

My fantasy isn't likely to play out..but fingers crossed..

I have to think we're looking at Galette, Lofton, Vilma, Wilson.


Anywhom.. Championship :hihi:
 
Well, the starters are named based on their pre-season, and TC performances. And Will Smith is better than any player on D, when it comes to showcase his talent in TC & preseason. I have no doubt Will Smith will be the starter at OLB. You can make an argument that its not that Will Smith is better than his competition....it is a combination of how bad his competition performs IN TC, and preseason.

However, by week 3 or week 4 there will be, or should I say it should be a complete reassessment of Will Smith, considering his production. By then it will be quite evident that W Smith is done. Who is going to be the next starter is hard to predict. I have a feeling that both Galette & Wilson disappoint the coaches, who were hoping that both of them can beat out W Smith in TC. If they can't, that will affect their status a great deal in the future.......they might start this year replacing Smith, but I don't see much future for any of them making it, or starting, with the Saints after this season.
 
I know we have a lot of football guru's here and I am completely surprised that no one is thinking in terms of scheme packages and the players ability to fit into multiple schemes. Ryan has already made comments about players being able to play multiple positions. If WS can pick up the OL spot it places him in a spot to play both LB and DE so he may well be used more in the OL spot on running downs as apposed to passing downs. While I have seen him drop back in coverage from time to time I do not remember him doing it great or getting burned either. If we go up against a heavy running team (Atlanta and Stephen Jackson) we may use more of WS.

I think WS will not be used as a OL to rush the passer but he will most likely get his chance if he makes the team.

I do not see why WS gets so much hate on here. Until CJ came along he was our best DL period. While not great, he had to try to do his best with many unqualified players on the line with him. He had always held his own though and was a very good player.

No he will not be the starter unless we are going against a good running team. I do not know how so many fans are ready to put players on the 1st team that have not earned a starting position yet. WS earned his starting position from day one. If he is the starter come game one it will be because he earned it and not that it was given to him.
 
meily said:
Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightshade

With Tez there are people in here naming him a starter but so far he hasn't shown the instincts on the field to be a starter.

I don't know where you got that from..his instincts are not a question..Wilson along with Galette are reasons why this witch is being made...Payton has been on record saying meaning times in the beginning if this process that getting guys like Galette and Wilson on the field are reasons for this move (personnel fits a 3-4) and like Galette, Wilson has shown the ability in his limited snaps to warrant this promotion and opportunity. Butler was signed to compete not start..his contract does not reflect a player who was given a spot but a player who needed to prove worth a big pay day hence his 2yr $7mill deal...he's here to prove himself.

His "instincts" dropped him from a 1st rounder to the 3rd and was his biggest knock coming out of college.

I'm not saying he is dumb but his read/react skills lack a lot to be desired and go back and look the past 2 years he's been a sub package player so when he hit the field he east being asked to diagnose anything, something a starter has to do.

I'm not saying he can't start or develop his read/react skills but some on here are anointing him the starter when he still has yet to prove he's ready for it.


Posted from Saintsreport.com App for Android
 
Victor Butler is the most likely starter on the Strong side. They brought him in to win that job. Tez has a shot, but he doesn't have any more "experience" than Butler does. They were both backups. The difference is that Butler played in this scheme before.

Not every guy who we've drafted has to end up being a starter, if they can carve out a good spot as a backup / part time starter, that's great.

Until Will Smith either fails or is cut, he's likely starting at the weak side OLB. Maybe Junior can over take him, maybe not. That's THE camp battle other than maybe LT and CB (oh, and S).

Everyone other than Smith, Butler, Galette, Tez are fighting for a roster spot. Not sure if we'll have 4 or 5 OLB's. The other kids might end up being PS players for all we know. And if they can't crack the top 4, that's where they deserve to be, unless they are ST aces. But then you're talking about losing a DL, an ILB, or CB/S.

There is honestly a possibility that if one of the young guys impresses and can play the Strong side well, Tez might be the odd man out. The saving grace for Tez is that he can also play the ILB spot, so he may stick around for versatility.
 
Saint_Ward said:
Victor Butler is the most likely starter on the Strong side. They brought him in to win that job. Tez has a shot, but he doesn't have any more "experience" than Butler does. They were both backups. The difference is that Butler played in this scheme before.

Not every guy who we've drafted has to end up being a starter, if they can carve out a good spot as a backup / part time starter, that's great.

Until Will Smith either fails or is cut, he's likely starting at the weak side OLB. Maybe Junior can over take him, maybe not. That's THE camp battle other than maybe LT and CB (oh, and S).

Everyone other than Smith, Butler, Galette, Tez are fighting for a roster spot. Not sure if we'll have 4 or 5 OLB's. The other kids might end up being PS players for all we know. And if they can't crack the top 4, that's where they deserve to be, unless they are ST aces. But then you're talking about losing a DL, an ILB, or CB/S.

There is no need to take away from another spot to have 5 OLBs I expect it and to say if a guy isn't top 4 he deserves go go on the PS is really short sighted.
Last year Tyrunn Walker, 10th Dlineman and Travaris Cadet 5th RB were luxuries but it was either keep the on thr 53 or watch them get claimed off waivers were perfect examples.

The norm for a 3-4 team is to keep 7 Dline 9 LBs and 9 DBs in the 4-3 you swap Dline and LB counts.

The best 53 will make roster and if it means extra at a position and less at another then that's what happens.



Posted from Saintsreport.com App for Android
 
There is no need to take away from another spot to have 5 OLBs I expect it and to say if a guy isn't top 4 he deserves go go on the PS is really short sighted.
Last year Tyrunn Walker, 10th Dlineman and Travaris Cadet 5th RB were luxuries but it was either keep the on thr 53 or watch them get claimed off waivers were perfect examples.

The norm for a 3-4 team is to keep 7 Dline 9 LBs and 9 DBs in the 4-3 you swap Dline and LB counts.

The best 53 will make roster and if it means extra at a position and less at another then that's what happens.



Posted from Saintsreport.com App for Android

Isn't that how I finished that sentence??? Where is the argument?
 
JR Gallette is the shinny new toy and Will Smith is the old beat up plow horse... But if you're talking "starter" then it's almost surly Will Smith mainly because 1st down comes befor 3rd down and smith is the stronger player against the run... They will both play plenty but JR is the more active pass rusher but smith will start because he's more then likely to be the run down guy...

This post is a year late. We no longer run a 4-3 defense and we switched to the 3-4.

Smith was the starter last year and as Canton Legend loves to points out in our sub packages Smith would move inside to let Wilson and Galette take the field at DE. Since Galette and Wilson were undersized for the 4-3 defense they weren't given snaps in our base defense but whenever we needed a pass rush their names were called.

Now that we run the 3-4, Galette is no longer undersized for the position while Smith is the largest OLB in the NFL. In space, Smith's one advantage at DE over Galette, his weight, now hinders his movement and his lack of explosion won't help us defend the perimeter. So in our new defense Galette is not only better suited to rushing the passer but also run defense.
 
This post is a year late. We no longer run a 4-3 defense and we switched to the 3-4.

Smith was the starter last year and as Canton Legend loves to points out in our sub packages Smith would move inside to let Wilson and Galette take the field at DE. Since Galette and Wilson were undersized for the 4-3 defense they weren't given snaps in our base defense but whenever we needed a pass rush their names were called.

Now that we run the 3-4, Galette is no longer undersized for the position while Smith is the largest OLB in the NFL. In space, Smith's one advantage at DE over Galette, his weight, now hinders his movement and his lack of explosion won't help us defend the perimeter. So in our new defense Galette is not only better suited to rushing the passer but also run defense.

Galette may very well be. But he still has to win the job.

Can we just wait until Training Camp to see who wins?
 
1. Will Smith
2. Martez Wilson
3. Junior Galette
4. Victor Butler
5. Chase Thomas
6. Rufus Johnson
7. Eric Martin

But the competition at the two OLB positions will be interesting and--my prediction--will produce a surprise or two.


When you have 7 very talented athletes competing, a surprise or 2 wouldn't be a surprise. When I look at highlights, Galette and Thomas stand out to me. For the first time in a good while, it will be more fun to watch the defense in training camp than the offense.
 
Galette may very well be. But he still has to win the job.

Can we just wait until Training Camp to see who wins?

He will and so will Will Smith. Smith has the label of incumbent but he hasn't played OLB in our 3-4 alignments since 2009, GW used him as a DE in 2010 and 2011 in our 3-4 alignments.

TC is 2 months away... I hate the offseason.
 
He will and so will Will Smith. Smith has the label of incumbent but he hasn't played OLB in our 3-4 alignments since 2009, GW used him as a DE in 2010 and 2011 in our 3-4 alignments.

TC is 2 months away... I hate the offseason.

I agree.

Yeah, it's just getting to the point that the "Smith can't play OLB" argument is getting old. I think it has been played out. It's a legit argument, but until we get some new data, much like politics, both sides are well entrenched.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Users who are viewing this thread

    Back
    Top Bottom