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Our lack of LB depth and playing against passing teams
Posted on 10/1/15 at 10:45 am
Posted on 10/1/15 at 10:45 am
This has been somewhat mentioned in other threads. But the three teams we've lost to prefer to pass and have had running QB's. The weakest position on our team is linebacker, a position crucial in defending the pass and a running QB.
Until we build up LB depth or our current players improve throughout the season, our weakness there will continue to be exploited. Of course depth at all positions needs to be built up more. Second worst depth on the team is probably offensive line. We have freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and sophomores in the 2 deep oline depth chart
Until we build up LB depth or our current players improve throughout the season, our weakness there will continue to be exploited. Of course depth at all positions needs to be built up more. Second worst depth on the team is probably offensive line. We have freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and sophomores in the 2 deep oline depth chart
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Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:07 am to hawgfaninc
I think talent and depth is a problem all over. Take our DL for example. Sure we are considered deep on that side of the ball but how deep are you really when there's not a starter amongst them.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:08 am to hawgfaninc
Not sure why recruiting LBers is so hard for us.
Get running backs with low end offers and convert them.
Get bigger corners and safeties that probably lack speed and convert them.
It really cannot be that hard to find freaking bodies. Especially when we're runnning guys like Otha Peters out the door.
Sorry that lots of us see a shite ton of Nuttin but fun in this staff. Starting to look more and more like that each day.
Our O line recruiting looks like Derek Dooley.
Get running backs with low end offers and convert them.
Get bigger corners and safeties that probably lack speed and convert them.
It really cannot be that hard to find freaking bodies. Especially when we're runnning guys like Otha Peters out the door.
Sorry that lots of us see a shite ton of Nuttin but fun in this staff. Starting to look more and more like that each day.
Our O line recruiting looks like Derek Dooley.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:09 am to BurtReynoldsMustache
quote:
not a starter amongst them.
There was def. a starter among them.
We just made him really fat and ineffective in the off season.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:14 am to STLhog
I'm starting to wonder if Philon made Taiwan look better than he actually was. That doesn't seem to really be considered and everyone does straight to weight.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:19 am to TheCheshireHog
quote:
I'm starting to wonder if Philon made Taiwan look better than he actually was.
I mean I guess? Why not throw Spaight and Flowers in there too. Nothing wrong with improvable speculation.
The bottom line is he gained a lot of weight in the off season and has been ineffective this season. That is what I see, and that is what I'm going with.
Maybe Robb Smith's lucky play calling last year made him look better than he is? Maybe the blood moon ruined his season?
Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:23 am to STLhog
I imagine it's a combination of weight and no longer having two NFL draft picks on the line that commanded double teams at times.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:37 am to TheCheshireHog
I never thought I'd say this but Nutt has some good LBs during his tenure. 
Posted on 10/1/15 at 11:53 am to boogiewoogie1978
Bert gets a 5 year pass on LB's.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 12:02 pm to STLhog
quote:
Get running backs with low end offers and convert them.
If it's one thing the state produces it's a lot of running backs.
Why not give it a shot instead of a bunch of walk-ons?
Posted on 10/1/15 at 12:28 pm to STLhog
quote:
Not sure why recruiting LBers is so hard for us. Get running backs with low end offers and convert them.
Hell, looks like we have a hard time getting good RB's, too.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 1:36 pm to STLhog
quote:
Get bigger corners and safeties that probably lack speed and convert them.
Petrino and Nutt did this and got dinged for it, mostly because our LBs lacked the physicality to play in the SEC before it got pass-happy. We did it with guys like Matt Hewitt, Anthony Leon, Jerico Nelson and Jerry Franklin.
However, that might be the route we have to go with more and more teams in the conference going to the pass or spread to run concepts. We're doing it now with Greenlaw, who will be a player in due time.
The problem is that this state does an horrendous job producing D1 linebackers, so we either have to target conversion players or out of staters, and we've never been that successful at recruiting OOS linebackers.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 1:50 pm to STLhog
We've got bodies...problem is you're a LB or you're not
Posted on 10/1/15 at 1:55 pm to Feral
quote:
Anthony Leon, Jerico Nelson and Jerry Franklin.
Dinged?
Those 3 were freaking studs. Took Leon a little while but he was a pretty damn good player once he settled in.
I'd punch my sister in the face for Jerico Nelson and Jerry Franklin to be on this team.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 2:17 pm to STLhog
I'd give my right pinky finger for a Sam Olajubutu right now.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 2:37 pm to beebefootballfan
quote:
I'd give my right pinky finger for a Sam Olajubutu right now.
Hell Tony F-ing Bua.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 2:50 pm to STLhog
Only Nelson would have been able to cover the spread teams we've played to date. You want run stoppers when it's a different game...
Ellis is pretty good in 4-3 in the middle
Ellis is pretty good in 4-3 in the middle
This post was edited on 10/1/15 at 2:50 pm
Posted on 10/1/15 at 7:15 pm to sugatowng
Loved Jerrico Nelson's game.
Posted on 10/1/15 at 7:41 pm to STLhog
quote:
Dinged?
Those 3 were freaking studs. Took Leon a little while but he was a pretty damn good player once he settled in.
I'd punch my sister in the face for Jerico Nelson and Jerry Franklin to be on this team.
I didn't phrase my point that well. My point was that people are calling for Bert to recruit oversized safeties and convert them to LB, while Petrino (and Nutt, for the most part) were criticized for not recruiting "SEC linebackers." I was just referencing guys like Nelson and Franklin talking about the fact that we've used converts before, and it worked.
And I agree, I'd give anything for a guy like Nelson or Franklin right now, considering the two things we need to combat spread offenses are an athletic OLB and a physical MLB who can run sideline to sideline.
This post was edited on 10/1/15 at 7:42 pm
Posted on 10/1/15 at 7:56 pm to Feral
quote:
I didn't phrase my point that well. My point was that people are calling for Bert to recruit oversized safeties and convert them to LB, while Petrino (and Nutt, for the most part) were criticized for not recruiting "SEC linebackers." I was just referencing guys like Nelson and Franklin talking about the fact that we've used converts before, and it worked.
It did work, however, the criticism always started about this when they got trucked on goal line stands.
The problem with the prototypical HiV 6'2 250 4.45 40 LBs is the spread offenses are designed to exploit this by moving players into areas normally assigned to the LBers, like the speedy WR lining up in the slot or the RB lining up wide with the true WRs to the inside.
It sounds like a simple fix, swap the position of the CB and LB on the field pre-snap, move your guys to counter their guys moving, but apparently its more difficult that it sounds because ever week you either see the match up exploited by play makers or the lining up by the offense creating enough confusion on defense to cause blow assignments and big plays.
Having a "small" "undersized" "speedy" LB isn't a bad thing for Arkansas, but the entire corp can't be composed entirely of them.
Patterson has made a living converting HS RBs into LBs at TCU.
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