Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Anyone else think Woodley could eventually move to the 3-4 DE position as he gets older and slower? Not in a year or two but say 5-6-7 years down the line? I swear I read somewhere that Woodley was up near 275 at one point, which is around where Brett Keisel was at one point.

[Chadman]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

In a word- no.

He's too short, at 6'2" to be effective.

His weight might be about Brett Keisel's was, but Keisel is 6'5".

Woodley could be a DE in a 4-3 however.

[Oviedo]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

In a word- no.

He's too short, at 6'2" to be effective.

His weight might be about Brett Keisel's was, but Keisel is 6'5".

Woodley could be a DE in a 4-3 however.

Woodley would be an All Pro DE in a 4-3 where all he had to do is pin his ears back and go after the QB. As good as he was last year he would IMO be even better in the 4-3.

[WoodleyofTroy]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

Yes as Chad and Oviedo pointed out, definitely in a 4-3, but would be a total waste as an End in a 3-4.

[Captain Lemming]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

Dominant LB in a 3/4
Dominant End in a 4/3
Kinda like Kevin Greene was effective at either position.

Just as Greene was not a 3/4 end, it would be a bad fit for Woodley

[Northern_Blitz]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

In a word- no.

He's too short, at 6'2" to be effective.

His weight might be about Brett Keisel's was, but Keisel is 6'5".

Woodley could be a DE in a 4-3 however.

Just like Harrison is too short to be an effective OLB in a 3 - 4. Some guys can just play ball.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

This isn't something you even want to think about as he looks ready to explode. It is like asking if you think a stud outfielder can play first base one day when he gets old, or if your ace starter will be a good long reliever one day.

Woodley is just beginning what we all hope will be a dominant career as a pass rusher. Lets not put him out to pasture before we get to enjoy the glory days.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

I didn't say we SHOULD put Woodley at DE in the 3-4, I said COULD he play there. I read somewhere along that he was up to 275 at one point this season. Keisel only tips the scales at 285. In 5 or 6 years of wear and tear if Woodley gets a little too slow in coverage and we have some young stud behind him why wouldn't you think of making that switch? Over a couple of inches?

An OLB his size is going to slow down later in his career and our OLB are requested to drop into coverage.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

I didn't say we SHOULD put Woodley at DE in the 3-4, I said COULD he play there. I read somewhere along that he was up to 275 at one point this season. Keisel only tips the scales at 285. In 5 or 6 years of wear and tear if Woodley gets a little too slow in coverage and we have some young stud behind him why wouldn't you think of making that switch? Over a couple of inches?

An OLB his size is going to slow down later in his career and our OLB are requested to drop into coverage.

Tim Ryan on Sirius NFL Radio talked about how former Bear Chris Zorich (Height: 6-1 Weight: 278 lbs.) was solid as a DT in a 4-3, but had difficulty playing 3-4 DE because he had to be able to see in the backfield in order to make sure he was keeping contain. A guy of his height had to extend his legs much more than a guy who was 6'5" or 6'6" would, in order to peer into the backfield. Since d-line play is all about leverage, having to stand almost straight up allowed the o-lineman to easily get under him and push him back. Since Woodley is essentially the same size as Zorich was, I'd imagine he would have the same problem.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

I didn't say we SHOULD put Woodley at DE in the 3-4, I said COULD he play there. I read somewhere along that he was up to 275 at one point this season. Keisel only tips the scales at 285. In 5 or 6 years of wear and tear if Woodley gets a little too slow in coverage and we have some young stud behind him why wouldn't you think of making that switch? Over a couple of inches?

An OLB his size is going to slow down later in his career and our OLB are requested to drop into coverage.

Tim Ryan on Sirius NFL Radio talked about how former Bear Chris Zorich (Height: 6-1 Weight: 278 lbs.) was solid as a DT in a 4-3, but had difficulty playing 3-4 DE because he had to be able to see in the backfield in order to make sure he was keeping contain. A guy of his height had to extend his legs much more than a guy who was 6'5" or 6'6" would, in order to peer into the backfield. Since d-line play is all about leverage, having to stand almost straight up allowed the o-lineman to easily get under him and push him back. Since Woodley is essentially the same size as Zorich was, I'd imagine he would have the same problem.

And if you chose who stepped on the field due to their measureables James Harrison would be selling cars right now.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Anyone else think Woodley could eventually.....

[quote=Mister Pittsburgh]

I didn't say we SHOULD put Woodley at DE in the 3-4, I said COULD he play there. I read somewhere along that he was up to 275 at one point this season. Keisel only tips the scales at 285. In 5 or 6 years of wear and tear if Woodley gets a little too slow in coverage and we have some young stud behind him why wouldn't you think of making that switch? Over a couple of inches?

An OLB his size is going to slow down later in his career and our OLB are requested to drop into coverage.

Tim Ryan on Sirius NFL Radio talked about how former Bear Chris Zorich (Height: 6-1 Weight: 278 lbs.) was solid as a DT in a 4-3, but had difficulty playing 3-4 DE because he had to be able to see in the backfield in order to make sure he was keeping contain. A guy of his height had to extend his legs much more than a guy who was 6'5" or 6'6" would, in order to peer into the backfield. Since d-line play is all about leverage, having to stand almost straight up allowed the o-lineman to easily get under him and push him back. Since Woodley is essentially the same size as Zorich was, I'd imagine he would have the same problem.

And if you chose who stepped on the field due to their measureables James Harrison would be selling cars right now.[/quote:40p51oll]

Fair enough...but if you have a guy who excelling at one position, why would you even consider moving that square peg over to a round hole? The required skill sets may be somewhat similar, but why not get a real 3-4 DE to play at DE, and let Woodley excel as a 3-4 OLB? Dude is a pass-rusher and a playmaker...why put him in a position where his job is to eat up blocks in order to free up the guys behind him to rush the passer and make plays?

It reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg bit: "When you're in Hollywood and you're a comedian, everybody wants you to do things besides comedy. They say, 'OK, you're a stand-up comedian -- can you act? Can you write? Write us a script?'... It's as though if I were a cook and I worked my ass off to become a good cook, they said, 'All right, you're a cook -- can you farm?'"