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Jets Linebackers


Maxman

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The only one that didnt suck last season is most likely on his way out. So we are pretty much destined for doodoo again at the LBer position.

I really hope that the Ryan system will get Harris, Gholston and Thomas to play at an almost elite level. Imagine Gholston and Thomas actually earning the money they are currently being paid!!

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I really hope that the Ryan system will get Harris, Gholston and Thomas to play at an almost elite level. Imagine Gholston and Thomas actually earning the money they are currently being paid!!

I hope the Ryan system allows for a LB to blitz even when a tight end is on the field. If I have to watch Pace in coverage all year again, that won't be good.

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I really hope that the Ryan system will get Harris, Gholston and Thomas to play at an almost elite level. Imagine Gholston and Thomas actually earning the money they are currently being paid!!

I sure hope so.

I wont lie, David Harris has me nervous. He looked like absolute **** last season. Nobody wants to admitt because he of that first year, but he was absolutely terrible.

I dont expect anything from Thomas anymore, I gave up on him. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt...but he just stinks.

And it would be a miracle if Ghoston becomes a player.

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wouldn't it be cool if next season they didn't suck?

Crazy concept I know.

This is where the advent of Ryan should make a big difference. Better for this group to attack than 'read and react.' Harris, Pace, Gholston are not readers and reactors. If anything, they are attackers, as are virtually all NFL LBs.

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I sure hope so.

I wont lie, David Harris has me nervous. He looked like absolute **** last season. Nobody wants to admitt because he of that first year, but he was absolutely terrible.

I dont expect anything from Thomas anymore, I gave up on him. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt...but he just stinks.

And it would be a miracle if Ghoston becomes a player.

I am more than willing to give harris a pass due to injuries, and willikng to give the whole group a little slack due to coaching last year. Now we have a cs that we have seen knows how to get the lb's in the game, lets see what they do with our guys.

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For the first 2/3s of the season they did what they were supposed to do. Helped the Jets become one of the toughest teams in the NFL to run against and they put pressure and got a lot of sacks against QBs. Then three things happened. Jenkins hurt his hip against Tenn and was never the same, which took away their bodyguard on runs. Teams started attacking the Jets with spread offenses, which Mangini/Sutton did not know how to adjust for. Finally, Mangini/Sutton decided to reduce what they did well (rush the passer) and ask them to do more of what they do not do well (pass coverage).

A healthy Jenkins and a HC/DC that know how to run a defense should take care of this and we should get value from Harris, Pace and even Thomas. Gholston? We will see.

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I am more than willing to give harris a pass due to injuries, and willikng to give the whole group a little slack due to coaching last year. Now we have a cs that we have seen knows how to get the lb's in the game, lets see what they do with our guys.

Im more than willing to give them a break, still doesnt make me feel better about their overall ability.

Coaching can only do so much...

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Here's the deal.

Harris had no business trying to cover RB's, TE's and WR's running short crossing routes. Period. Mangini insisted that all LB's be "well rounded" instead of using their strngths to our advantage. If Harris' first step is always towards the line whether defending the run or rushing the passer he is a beast. If he plays a Zone passing coverage he can be ok in the sense that he will light up any receiver that catches the ball in his area. But under no circumastance should he have been covering guys man to man the way he was last season.

Pace is our best all around LB. He is a guy who can rush, cover, and defend the run quite well. He is the guy that should always be the question mark for offenses when they line up because they should never know exactly what he's doing.

Gholston/Thomas should be primary pass rushers. I look forward to what Rex has in store for Gholston this year. Thomas should be in for obvious run plays and the in between's, Glholston should be in for obvuious pass plays until he shows he can be a force against the run.

The vacant spot left by Barton should be filled with a LB that has solid coverage skills and good speed. If so we will always have at least 2 LB's that can rush and 2 that can cover.

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Here's the deal.

Harris had no business trying to cover RB's, TE's and WR's running short crossing routes. Period. Mangini insisted that all LB's be "well rounded" instead of using their strngths to our advantage. If Harris' first step is always towards the line whether defending the run or rushing the passer he is a beast. If he plays a Zone passing coverage he can be ok in the sense that he will light up any receiver that catches the ball in his area. But under no circumastance should he have been covering guys man to man the way he was last season.

Pace is our best all around LB. He is a guy who can rush, cover, and defend the run quite well. He is the guy that should always be the question mark for offenses when they line up because they should never know exactly what he's doing.

Gholston/Thomas should be primary pass rushers. I look forward to what Rex has in store for Gholston this year. Thomas should be in for obvious run plays and the in between's, Glholston should be in for obvuious pass plays until he shows he can be a force against the run.

The vacant spot left by Barton should be filled with a LB that has solid coverage skills and good speed. If so we will always have at least 2 LB's that can rush and 2 that can cover.

Nice breakdown. The thing that was most concerning about Harris was his inability to wrap up the ball carrier. He didnt have a problem with this at all during 07, so maybe it was his injuries.

But, overall, I think you are right. A ILB that can cover is going to make this defense much stronger.

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Try and Draft this guy...

17. NYJ: Rey Maualuga, LB, USC,

The Hamlet-esque drama that is Brett Favre - will he or won't he return - will have the Jets pondering taking a signal caller with this slot. Assuming the top two arms are long gone and the likes of Josh Freeman are too early to be picked, grabbing an inside linebacker like Maualuga makes perfect sense in new head coach Rex Ryan's 3-4 attack. The ferocious tackling dynamo will be an instant star for the green and white as they head into a new stadium and is one of the safest plays on the board.

Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC

Maualuga reminds many of another former USC linebacker, Junior Seau. Maualuga has great size and power. He may lack sideline to sideline speed, but does have good short-area quickness. He is surprisingly smooth for such a big linebacker. Maualuga has improved his instincts as a blitzer. Maualuga is a great middle linebacker prospect and in the right system could emerge as an even better pro than college player. Maualuga finished the 2007 season as USC's leading tackler with 79 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for a loss and 6 sacks. Maualuga had a great game in the 2008 Rose Bowl, including 3 sacks and an interception. He was named the game's "Outstanding Defensive Player." Maualuga is the most instinctual linebacker college football has seen in the last 5 years. He has shown an incredible knack for finding the ball early in the 2008 season. Maualuga sprained his knee in the fourth quarter of Southern California's loss to Oregon State. If he recovers from the injury and can remain productive without losing a step, he will be a top five selection in the 2009 draft.

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I hope the Ryan system allows for a LB to blitz even when a tight end is on the field. If I have to watch Pace in coverage all year again, that won't be good.

Why did Mangini go out and get Pace only to not let him do what he's best at?

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Why did Mangini go out and get Pace only to not let him do what he's best at?

Mangini was not a personnel coach... Tanny went and got Pace... Mangini could not use any of the great pieces they handed him last season...

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I liked what we saw from Trusnick at the end of the season.

He may be one who benefits the most from the addition of Ryan and pettine. JMO

I forget which game, I think it was the last one, but Trusnick really stood out in coverage. I walked away very impressed with his potential.

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I forget which game, I think it was the last one, but Trusnick really stood out in coverage. I walked away very impressed with his potential.

It was the last game, Miami. He looked very, very good. I don't know anything about his background, but he deserves a very long look in TC.

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Calvin Pace is a stud IMO. I think he's only going to improve under Ryan, no concerns with him.

Barton and Harris were both average at best. Harris can't cover but makes up for it by being exceptional against the run. He has talent to burn and again I think Ryan will get the best out of him.

Bryan Thomas is simply a terrible football player - An absolute ghost on the field.

Gholston is a complete unknown at this point. I love to think he could develop into a top pass rusher but it's hard to imagine at this point given just how bad he's been up to this point. Regardless of the CS the guy was simply a failure last season. I'm hoping more than anyone that Ryan can develop him but there's still a huge question mark surrounding him.

I honestly don't think it's a terrible group and far from our primary weakness right now, especially when you factor in what we're like at WR, DE, CB, FS etc. BUT I wouldn't complain if we went out and got an upgrade even if that meant drafting one high (Rey Maualuga) or signing a big name in free agency (Bart Scott). It's not something we desperately need iun comparison to some other position but it would certainly improve the defense drastically.

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We need an ILB to team with David Harris, we really do. I don't care if its Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, Ray Maualaga or whoever. Just someone. Eric Barton was a decent player but is better suited as a 43 OLB and probably will not be brought back.

I truly believe that with Rex Ryan, Calvin Pace is going to be just as good as Terrell Suggs.

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I hope the Ryan system allows for a LB to blitz even when a tight end is on the field. If I have to watch Pace in coverage all year again, that won't be good.

I do not watch Bryan Thomas every play--if I did I would probably give up football. But when I do watch him I see a guy who is not a very good tackler, not very decisive, and not aggressive. Now I don't think, after hearing him speak, that he is a very bright guy. And Maybe Mangini's system gives him 5 things to think about every play before he does something. Perhaps Rex Ryan gives him 2 things to think about. It stands to reason that a guy will be a lot more aggressive on the ball if he can come to some conclusion about his responsibility sooner. That would probably help Gholston as well. I think Pace is good. I think moving him around and letting someone else worry about the tight end could really help. He had good pressure the first half of the season.

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We need an ILB to team with David Harris, we really do. I don't care if its Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, Ray Maualaga or whoever. Just someone. Eric Barton was a decent player but is better suited as a 43 OLB and probably will not be brought back.

I truly believe that with Rex Ryan, Calvin Pace is going to be just as good as Terrell Suggs.

+1

Under Mangini I thought Pace would become our Vrabel. The guy is just a good all around player, and during his time here people are going to know Calvin Pace.

I like Gholston under Ryan too. It might fit his style of play or development more, because as a player he does reminds me alot of Suggs.

Honestly, if we get a really good ILB in there plus some depth our LBers have just as much talent as the Ravens. The big difference maker in the two units is Ray Lewis.

The way I see it...Pace will play Suggs, Thomas is Johnson without the aid of being white and a late round draft pick, and Harris is at least the equivalent of Scott when he's healthy. The huge thing in the Ravens favor is Lewis. We have a sick wild card in Gholston.

Oh...this is if we're just talking starters. Their depth is sick...Barnes, Burgess, and McClain are talented young backups.

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We need an ILB to team with David Harris, we really do. I don't care if its Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, Ray Maualaga or whoever. Just someone. Eric Barton was a decent player but is better suited as a 43 OLB and probably will not be brought back.

I truly believe that with Rex Ryan, Calvin Pace is going to be just as good as Terrell Suggs.

We had a chance to get one, his name is Jerod Mayo.....

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For the first 2/3s of the season they did what they were supposed to do. Helped the Jets become one of the toughest teams in the NFL to run against and they put pressure and got a lot of sacks against QBs. Then three things happened. Jenkins hurt his hip against Tenn and was never the same, which took away their bodyguard on runs. Teams started attacking the Jets with spread offenses, which Mangini/Sutton did not know how to adjust for. Finally, Mangini/Sutton decided to reduce what they did well (rush the passer) and ask them to do more of what they do not do well (pass coverage).

A healthy Jenkins and a HC/DC that know how to run a defense should take care of this and we should get value from Harris, Pace and even Thomas. Gholston? We will see.

Agreed. And good post.

It was not all doom and gloom for this defense.

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But zomg he was the best rookie defensive player and he was born to play LB for Bill "Da God" Belichick!!!

I bet Gholston ends up a better player than Mayo.

Time will tell.

It is why you cannot evaluate a player after one season. Two or three years from now we can look back and decide who was the better decision and who is looking to become the better of the two.

I'll tell you what though, I think selecting Matt Ryan would've been nice. Too bad the only people who thougt the same (at the time on JN) were myself, Gainzo and IrishJet.

Stupid us.

;)

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Time will tell.

It is why you cannot evaluate a player after one season. Two or three years from now we can look back and decide who was the better decision and who is looking to become the better of the two.

I'll tell you what though, I think selecting Matt Ryan would've been nice. Too bad the only people who thougt the same (at the time on JN) were myself, Gainzo and IrishJet.

Stupid us.

;)

Hey, now, I was on board with Ryan, simply out of Pennington hatred.

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