Lawrence Taylor was a scary dude on the field. If you don't believe me just ask Joe Theisman . The 80's and early 90's were the decades where linebackers like "LT" flourished. The running game was much more important those days in the league and you needed to have good backers that could both stuff the run at the line of scrimmage and rush the passer.
The NFL has transitioned to a passing league over the past seven years. Premium's have been placed on drafting a franchise quarterback and being able to rush the passer with the defensive line. As teams move to more 3 and 4 wide receiver sets, there is a need for cornerbacks to cover on the field. Since 11 players are allowed on either side of the ball at a time it means that someone must come off the field when an extra DB enters the game. The position being effected is the linebacker position. Most linebackers weight between the 240-270 pound range. This is a great weight to play at if you're making your bread and butter at the line of scrimmage. Playing in space is a whole other story though. Big linebackers have a hard time covering athletic tight ends or small and quick slot receivers.
With the retirement of future hall of fame linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher this offseason, one has to wonder if we will ever see a linebacker play as an important roll on their team as these two players did. These two were game changers at the position. Opposing offenses feared Ray Lewis, and Urlacher always had to be accounted for when playing the bears defense. I can think of only a handful of inside backers (Pat Willis of the 49ers is one) that teams must really account for when game planing. I'm not counting Aldon Smith and Clay Matthews in this argument, I view both players more as pass rushers than I do traditional linebackers. Traditional linebackers are not placed high on teams draft need lists. Because there is such a de-emphasis on the position most players are drafted in the later rounds and are relatively unknown.
The future of linebacker is a hybrid position. The New York Giants drafted a player in the 4th round during this years draft named Cooper Taylor. Taylor's position is listed as safety, but at 6-4 and 228 pounds he looks more like the new age linebacker, having the speed of a defensive back and the physicality of a linebacker. This league is shaping up to be suited for players that fit Taylor's profile. If he and the Giants are successful it will bring league wide change to the way teams play defense. This change could have an effect all the way down to pee-wee football. The intricacies of playing linebacker will change. Colleges will be searching for players that fit the safety mold rather than the linebacker mold.
The changes to the league mean there will be a rebirth to the safety position. It's already being seen as safeties are being drafted ahead of linebackers in the first and second rounds of the NFL Draft. Of course with every rebirth comes a death.
RIP to the traditional linebacker. I'll miss your bone crushing hits.
Great post! Sean Lee is a traditional linebacker haha. When he got injured last year the Cowboys defense fell apart. I agree with you though, there isn't any linebacker in the league now that scares the opposing team. I really enjoyed the paragraph on Cooper Taylor. I am huge Giants fan. Your knowledge of the NFL is really good and it showed through this post.
ReplyDeleteThe Devil’s assignment stresses writing to think and drafting your work. Writing a counter-argument before you write your argument is a lawyer trick. They prepare for the opposition. They write entire drafts destined for the trashcan in preparation for writing a final one. So can you, to strengthen your ideas.
ReplyDeleteWriting to think is what writers do. When I tell people who usually don’t write to sit down and try, it is the same advice a veteran writer would give him or herself. You can discover what you want to write about just by writing. The ideas that are on your mind produce better writing too.
I find many great ideas and sentences lost in the last paragraphs of student work. Some essays are a single sentence or idea written thirty ways looking for the right expression. Looking back at a first draft and rewriting involves extracting the great sentences, building on the sentences that do not say enough, and throwing the clutter away.
The ability to publish instantly encourages instant writing. Overcome that impulse. Take the time to refine your ideas and post your best work.
I see improvement Paul. There are fewer errors in your more recent pieces. But let me extract a few of your sentences and make them stand alone. Then look at the clarity of my rewrites.
The NFL has been incorporating instant replay into the game since 1986.
The NFL incorporated instant replay in 1986.
There is nothing left for coaches to challenge because it is being done for them.
Coaches no longer challenge plays because the league mandates reviews in almost every case where they might.
This is a case where technology is a detriment to the sport.
Technology is ruining the sport.
Or
The instant replay is ruining football.
Questions about balls and strikes makes the game no fun
Questioning every ball and strike would ruin baseball.
Therefore, I like instant replay and a proponent of its usage.
The above sentence is just missing a word, but that is unacceptable.
And your linebacker piece, while a great argument, really needs a rewrite.
The future of linebacker is a hybrid position. The New York Giants drafted a player in the 4th round during this years draft named Cooper Taylor. Taylor's position is listed as safety, but at 6-4 and 228 pounds he looks more like the new age linebacker, having the speed of a defensive back and the physicality of a linebacker. This league is shaping up to be suited for players that fit Taylor's profile. If he and the Giants are successful it will bring league wide change to the way teams play defense. This change could have an effect all the way down to pee-wee football. The intricacies of playing linebacker will change. Colleges will be searching for players that fit the safety mold rather than the linebacker mold.
“The safety is the football position of the future. The New York Giants’ 4th round draft pick for safety, Cooper Taylor, is 6’4” and 228 pounds. He is a hybrid of the linebacker’s physicality tempered with the defensive back’s speed. If the Giants have a good year with Taylor, it will change how the game is played all the way down to the pee-wee leagues.”
This is still your work and words, but it reads faster and clearer. Everything I took out is excess.
Good work.