Kirk Morrison given 3rd Round Tender

[SuperSpck]

It's a deep draft... an amazingly deep draft, so the pick is worth a lot in my mind.
Is Morrison worth consideration?
Here's the Football Focus breakdown of Morrison, as compared to Dansby:
http://profootballfocus.com/by_player.php?tab=by_player&season=2009&page=5&surn=M&playerid=2295
http://profootballfocus.com/by_player.php?tab=by_player&season=2009&page=&surn=D&playerid=1754

Keep in mind differences like pass rush and rush defense of the D line and roles within scheme, but it is an interesting idea.
Al Davis has taken conditional future picks before.
Does that kind of thing apply here?

 

[Shzm13]

Does he want a new deal? I always thought he and Howard were a good pair of LBs

 

[Arizona's Finest]

The question is, are we going to find a better ILB in the 3rd round???

Prolly not. I guess it depends on what kind of deal he wants. Might be worth a shot to see how desperate he is to get out of Oakland.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Do IT NOW Graves!!!

 

[kerouac9]

Morrison would make good competition for Hayes, but would be almost as bad a replacement for Karlos Dansby as Paris Lenon. Look at the stats; he's strictly a run-stopper. In coverage and in pass rush he's below average.

I think that a guy like Navarro Bowman or A.J. Edds would be superior ILB prospects in the third round to Morrison, but I don't think we'll take an ILB there. More likely, we'll take a WR/PR or CB/PR, or an O-line prospect, or a tight end to compete with Becht and Spach/Byrd.

 

[DoTheDew]

Morrison would make good competition for Hayes, but would be almost as bad a replacement for Karlos Dansby as Paris Lenon.

Morrison is quite a good LBer but I don't see him as a pass coverage guy or a blitzer. That said, I'd still give up a 3rd for him. Hayes is getting old and starting to get some tread on that tires. It'd be great to get a proven replacement for a 3rd round pick.

 

[WarnerHOF]

Morrison would make good competition for Hayes, but would be almost as bad a replacement for Karlos Dansby as Paris Lenon. Look at the stats; he's strictly a run-stopper. In coverage and in pass rush he's below average.

I don't know about that. Raider fans call this guy extremely "soft" and weak at the point of attack which isn't a TED LB IMO.

 

[kerouac9]

I don't know about that. Raider fans call this guy extremely "soft" and weak at the point of attack which isn't a TED LB IMO.

Well, he had 1 pass defensed in 16 games last season and 0 INTs. So it's not like he's a great pass defender, either. He had one season three years ago where he had 4 picks and 10 PDs, but it's been a pretty dry creek since then.

 

[Monty]

I think that a guy like Navarro Bowman or A.J. Edds would be superior ILB prospects in the third round to Morrison, but I don't think we'll take an ILB there. More likely, we'll take a WR/PR or CB/PR, or an O-line prospect, or a tight end to compete with Becht and Spach/Byrd.

Im not sure how Bowman would transition to ILB. I remember he played there a bit for Pitt in 08 when Sean Lee was out. He is very good against the run but i havent seen anything to suggest how he'd do in coverage and pass defense. Id be happy with Edds in the third though.

 

[Monty]

Oh and in regards to Bowman i also dont think itd be wise for us to switch him from OLB to ILB in his first year in the NFL and then back to OLB after that when we have a bigger need there. It is a very tough move from college to the pro's as it and doing complicated transitions like that are only bound to undermine a young players development.

 

[kerouac9]

Oh and in regards to Bowman i also dont think itd be wise for us to switch him from OLB to ILB in his first year in the NFL and then back to OLB after that when we have a bigger need there. It is a very tough move from college to the pro's as it and doing complicated transitions like that are only bound to undermine a young players development.

Whatever. LBs transition smoothly to the NFL all the time. It's probably the easiest position to transition in. The responsibilities at WILB are the same as a 4-3 OLB. I wouldn't ever move Bowman back to the outside. Why would you? He's too small to play out there.

Bowman's strength is in pass defense.

It's moot anyway; we'll take an ILB with one of our first two picks.

 

[187]

Morrison would make good competition for Hayes, but would be almost as bad a replacement for Karlos Dansby as Paris Lenon. Look at the stats; he's strictly a run-stopper. In coverage and in pass rush he's below average.

I think that a guy like Navarro Bowman or A.J. Edds would be superior ILB prospects in the third round to Morrison, but I don't think we'll take an ILB there. More likely, we'll take a WR/PR or CB/PR, or an O-line prospect, or a tight end to compete with Becht and Spach/Byrd.

Morrison isn't a run stomping thumper like Hayes, all the Raiders fans say he has trouble shedding blocks and gives up a lot of of big runs because he's out of position a lot. The stats can be deceiving.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Bowman is a guy no one is talking about and generating very little buzz. He was pretty good at PSU. I wonder if his off field activities have really made him that risky a pick. He has 1st round talent but may slip all the way to round 4. I'm with K9, I think LB's can change positions relatively easy.Obviously there are exceptions but,to me, the only time there are big questions is when you're taking strictly a pass rushing DE in college and trying to convert him to a complete 3-4 OLB. Their only skill may rushing the passer.

 

[kerouac9]

Morrison isn't a run stomping thumper like Hayes, all the Raiders fans say he has trouble shedding blocks and gives up a lot of of big runs because he's out of position a lot. The stats can be deceiving.

So if he isn't a run stopper (and the ProFootballFocus stats would disagree with you there), and he isn't a pass rusher or a coverage guy (and the ProFootballFocus stats agree with me there), then why would anyone want this chump on our team?

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Bowman is a guy no one is talking about and generating very little buzz. He was pretty good at PSU. I wonder if his off field activities have really made him that risky a pick. He has 1st round talent but may slip all the way to round 4. I'm with K9, I think LB's can change positions relatively easy.Obviously there are exceptions but,to me, the only time there are big questions is when you're taking strictly a pass rushing DE in college and trying to convert him to a complete 3-4 OLB. Their only skill may rushing the passer.

Then why was Johnathan Vilma a bust when the Jets moved to a 3-4, and once again found his legs when he was sent to NO?

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Then why was Johnathan Vilma a bust when the Jets moved to a 3-4, and once again found his legs when he was sent to NO?

That would be covered where i said there obviously are exceptions.

 

[kerouac9]

Then why was Johnathan Vilma a bust when the Jets moved to a 3-4, and once again found his legs when he was sent to NO?

It's possible because Vilma was asked to play out of position at SILB in Mangini's 3-4 defense, where he's asked to regularly take on a blocker and clear the way for the WILB, who I think was Eric Barton.

And he wasn't a bust when the Jets moved to a 3-4 defense. He had 113 tackles in 2006 in the 3-4 before rupturing his Achilles in 2007. He just wasn't the playmaker that he was in the 4-3 defense when he was protected by 2 DTs.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

It's possible because Vilma was asked to play out of position at SILB in Mangini's 3-4 defense, where he's asked to regularly take on a blocker and clear the way for the WILB, who I think was Eric Barton.

And he wasn't a bust when the Jets moved to a 3-4 defense. He had 113 tackles in 2006 in the 3-4 before rupturing his Achilles in 2007. He just wasn't the playmaker that he was in the 4-3 defense when he was protected by 2 DTs.

or this .

 

[JC_AZ]

So if he isn't a run stopper (and the ProFootballFocus stats would disagree with you there), and he isn't a pass rusher or a coverage guy (and the ProFootballFocus stats agree with me there), then why would anyone want this chump on our team?

Cuz people are desperate for FOOTBALL NEWS and someone's name popped up that plays a position we hope to improve upon...regardless of the quality?