Current LB's

[Goldfield]

3-4:

OLB-Okeafor, Pace.
ILB-Hayes, Beisel.
ILB-Davis, Beisel.
OLB-Dansby, Pace.

It seems we have afew guys that fit the 3-4 LB better than they did the 4-3. Pace will be ok as OLB in the 3-4, also think Okeafor will do OK there also.

4-3:

OLB-Davis, Beisel
MLB-Hayes, Beisel
OLB-Dansby, Beisel

I feel Beisel will be a big part of our depth at LB. IMO this is an ideal role for him.

We still need to upgrade our LB corps, but I think Davis is an upgrade over Huff.


Also, with the addition of Branch to the D-Line, that alone should improve our LB's effectiveness.

 

[BigDavis75]

I think Blackstock will have a big role if we move to the 3-4.

 

[joeshmo]

Dansby is not a 3-4 OLB. The coaches just didnt put him in the inside during the last mini camp for no reason.

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=89994&page=2

Putting Dansby on the outside in a 3-4 would be a complete waste of his talents making him go against far more blockers then he does in the 4-3. The weakside ILB spot is the perfect post for him letting him roam free of blockers sideline to sideline.

Its Berry and Okeafer on the outside with Pace backing them up. Its Hayes and Dansby on the inside with Buster backing them up.

 

[Redsz]

The weakside ILB spot is the perfect post for him letting him roam free of blockers sideline to sideline.

Totally agree. I think Dansby could play OLB, but he is going to be a force at that weakside spot.

 

[Goldfield]

Dansby is not a 3-4 OLB. The coaches just didnt put him in the inside during the last mini camp for no reason.

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=89994&page=2

Putting Dansby on the outside in a 3-4 would be a complete waste of his talents making him go against far more blockers then he does in the 4-3. The weakside ILB spot is the perfect post for him letting him roam free of blockers sideline to sideline.

Its Berry and Okeafer on the outside with Pace backing them up. Its Hayes and Dansby on the inside with Buster backing them up.

Yes except, I dont think Berry can play LB at all... Just my opinion.

 

[Pariah]

I don't think Davis will play outside in a 4-3.

 

[Pariah]

Yes except, I dont think Berry can play LB at all

Agreed. Yes, I know he came into the league as a LB, but that was a long time ago.

...and he almost washed out as a LB--it was putting his hand down that saved him.

 

[Skkorpion]

Agreed. Yes, I know he came into the league as a LB, but that was a long time ago.

...and he almost washed out as a LB--it was putting his hand down that saved him.

Yes, but that's because, unbeknownst to most of you, he played a lot of OLB in a 3-4 system at Notre Dame (as well as a DE in the 4-3) and was asked to be a OLB in the pros in a 4-3.

Be careful about what you assume without full information.

 

[Pariah]

Yes, but that's because, unbeknownst to most of you, he played a lot of OLB in a 3-4 system at Notre Dame (as well as a DE in the 4-3) and was asked to be a OLB in the pros in a 4-3.

Be careful about what you assume without full information.

I'm assuming he was also much lighter at ND in that 3-4? and 10 years younger?

 

[az1965]

Its Berry and Okeafer on the outside with Pace backing them up. Its Hayes and Dansby on the inside with Buster backing them up.

Yes... That's how it seems like it.

 

[Skkorpion]

I'm assuming he was also much lighter at ND in that 3-4? and 10 years younger?

Sure. But I'm too lazy to check that far back. The fact remains Berry has had two bad injuries lately and missed too many games.

 

[lobo]

I Predict

Yeah, we added Davis, a very fine addition. Always thought well of Monty B however I believe somewhere along the line we are going to pick up an outside linebacker. I don't know if it will be on the weak or strong side, but I think we will add a veteran whom we can count on.

 

[Zeno]

Has the coaching staff commented on Davis being an OLB or ILB for this team? I missed all the post draft pressers and such. Is he in the mix for a starting position opposite Dansby or is he thought of as a back-up to Hayes?

I know Davis played both positions at FSU but from what I've read the majority of his playing time was at MLB. He seems to be athletic enough to make the adjustment but I haven't read what the coaching staff thinks.

 

[CardLogic]

See post draft comments here:

http://www.azcardinals.com/news/draft07.php

There are various links on this page to post draft transcripts, bios, articles, etc.

 

[BigRedRage]

Friggin sign James Darling!!!!!

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Dansby is not a 3-4 OLB. The coaches just didnt put him in the inside during the last mini camp for no reason.

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=89994&page=2

Putting Dansby on the outside in a 3-4 would be a complete waste of his talents making him go against far more blockers then he does in the 4-3. The weakside ILB spot is the perfect post for him letting him roam free of blockers sideline to sideline.

Its Berry and Okeafer on the outside with Pace backing them up. Its Hayes and Dansby on the inside with Buster backing them up.

Finally, someone who sees this, the way I see it.

I have been barking up this tree for a while. Dansby is going to be a fantastic WILB. He has speed, tackling ability, and good coverage ability. You need your best all-around LB at the WILB position.

You put those DE/OLB Joey Porter, Greg Loyd, Kevin Greene types at the OLB position.

Pace, Okeafor, Blackstock, even B-Train will work well out there for us.

WOW! I was checking if Blackstock was big enough for the OLB position (he is at 6'3" 240lbs) but he only had 1 stat for ALL of last year? 1 sack. That is it! Ugh. This guy has to be on the bubble or the **** list.

 

[Duckjake]

WOW! I was checking if Blackstock was big enough for the OLB position (he is at 6'3" 240lbs) but he only had 1 stat for ALL of last year? 1 sack. That is it! Ugh. This guy has to be on the bubble or the **** list.

Blackstock did play OLB in a 3-4 at Virginia.

 

[JeffGollin]

From everything I read, the toggling back and forth between 3 - 4 and 4 - 3 will involve a lot of disguised coverages and false-looks.

Which, as I see it, suggests that whomever is on the field in a scheme that looks 4 - 3 but actually turns out to be 3 - 4 will be the guys who play the various positions. For example,

Suppose you have a base 4 - 3 package consisting of Okeafor-Dockett-Branch-Berry backed up by Dansby-Hayes-Willis at the three LB spots and Rolle-Green-Wilson-Francisco in the secondary. It walks like a 4 - 3; it talks like a 4 - 3; but it's actually a 3 - 4. How do we do that?

You probably can't - because you have one too few big DE's; so you'd probably have to have a front four consisting either of Cooper-Dockett-Branch-Berry or Okeafor-Dockett-Branch-Cooper. For the sake of this example, let's assume it's Okeafor-Dockett-Branch-Cooper.

Except that the assignments will be 3 - 4 assignments. Okeafor will actually be assuming a SLB role. Dockett will assume the LDE role. Branch remains the NG. Cooper remains the RDE. Dansby stays at WLB. Davis joins Hayes inside. And, as we said, Okeafor becomes the WILL.

This is only one of probably a dozen different examples of a 4 - 3 look actually being a 3 - 4 (or it could be a 3 -4 actually being a 4 -3) depending on who's on the field at the time.

The idea is to make it difficult for opposing blockers to know whom to block or opposing receivers to know who'll be covering them.

The reason I bring this up is because I believe it will pretty much render the concept - of certain guys becomeing "starters" in either of the two schemes - obsolete.

 

[kerouac9]

Who's Willis?

Rugby, I disagree with you about Blackstock being big enough to take on blockers as a 3-4 OLB. He's 240, but so is Karlos Dansby. The Chargers' OLBs are 260 (Foley) and 270 (Merriman). DeMarcus Ware is 257 and Brady James is actually undersized at 250 on the other side for Dallas.

Blackstock will have to put on 10-15 pounds of weight to add depth at OLB in a 3-4 alignment. Can he do that without sacrificing his speed? I don't know.

 

[Pariah]

Can he do that without sacrificing his speed? I don't know.

Even if he remains at the same weight, it's not a given he can play football at this level. We've seen (nor really heard) anything to give us a lot of hope. Adding a bunch of weight isn't going to make him a better player if he's not a good player at a more natural weight.

 

[kerouac9]

Even if he remains at the same weight, it's not a given he can play football at this level. We've seen (nor really heard) anything to give us a lot of hope. Adding a bunch of weight isn't going to make him a better player if he's not a good player at a more natural weight.

That's sort of the same caveat that I almost added. Really, it's possible that Pendy's defenses are too complex for Daryl. If he can function on the outside, he may just be able to be a windup pass-rush specialist, and can worth that way.

Man, 2005 was a dreadful draft year, and we had a good number of picks in that draft. When people crow about how much Graves has improved the talent on the team, they should remember Rolle, Arrington, Green, Blackstock, Brown, Mitchell, and McCoy.

Certainly glad we collected all those picks.

 

[CardLogic]

Man, 2005 was a dreadful draft year, and we had a good number of picks in that draft. When people crow about how much Graves has improved the talent on the team, they should remember Rolle, Arrington, Green, Blackstock, Brown, Mitchell, and McCoy.

I see your seven and raise you nine: Cardinals 1996 draft

1 - Simeon Rice
2 - Leeland McElroy
3 - Johnny McWilliams
4 - Aaron Graham
5 - James Dexter
5 - Harry Stamps
5 - Dell McGee
6 - Mike Foley
7 - Jarius Hayes

 

[BigDavis75]

Who's Willis?

Rugby, I disagree with you about Blackstock being big enough to take on blockers as a 3-4 OLB. He's 240, but so is Karlos Dansby. The Chargers' OLBs are 260 (Foley) and 270 (Merriman). DeMarcus Ware is 257 and Brady James is actually undersized at 250 on the other side for Dallas.

Blackstock will have to put on 10-15 pounds of weight to add depth at OLB in a 3-4 alignment. Can he do that without sacrificing his speed? I don't know.

James plays as a MLB for Dallas.

 

[JeffGollin]

Who's Willis?
Ooops! I meant Buster Davis (he reminds me of a 1 - 2" shorter version of Willis).

 

[Scot1]

Originally Posted by kerouac9
Man, 2005 was a dreadful draft year, and we had a good number of picks in that draft. When people crow about how much Graves has improved the talent on the team, they should remember Rolle, Arrington, Green, Blackstock, Brown, Mitchell, and McCoy.

Didn't we get A grades for that draft? I know there was praise for getting Blackstock, Brown, and Mitchell far later than the predicted spots from draft gurus--I was excited myself by the apparent upgrade (though I was worried about slow Roller--but didn't want Jones, even then).

Back to the thread--is Darling signed by someone else yet? If not, I don't know why we're waiting.

Why isn't Blackstock played more in obvious passing situations? Is his one obvious talent from college--rushing the passer--pro-level? If not, just cut him. If he can do that, let him sometimes, with a really limited alternate role like cover the TE, that he could do to be a little unpredictable.