Could We Mix Up Our Front 7???

[NW Steeler]

Re: Could We Mix Up Our Front 7???

I agree that Timmons was drafted as an OLB. We still didn't know what we had in Harrison at that point. Then Harrison has a very good year in Timmons rookie season, and an MVP season the next. They had to get Timmons on the field, so it was at ILB. Exactly the same scenario when we had Lloyd, Greene and Chad Brown....there was no place for Brown on the outside, but he had to be on the field, so he was put in a t ILB. Switching Timmons' and Harrison's positions would be interesting. But you still need to do something about Farrior. If nothing else, he should not be on the field on third down.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Could We Mix Up Our Front 7???

While I'm not a big fan of moving Harrison I agree.. he has one move and if it's not getting called he needs to work on a spin or an inside move.

Send Harrison to Rashard Mendenhall's Spinderella 101 course.

[steelblood]

Re: Could We Mix Up Our Front 7???

Sure I threw some crazy ideas out to try to generate discussion, but I think there's a couple of important points worth looking at:

1. Smith, Keisel, and Ziggy are 3 potential starters for 2 positions. Does one become a backup? Do you use him another way? Or do you cut his big salary?

2. Lawarence Timmons was drafted to play OLB. He may be better rushing from the outside. But we've pigeon holed him inside. Does this make sense? Could we get more out of him? Are we maximizing his ability. He's shown so many flashes, but can't seem to put it all together. On the outside, I think his burst could help us generate more of a pass rush. The other thought with Timmons would be to put 2 big DTs in front of him to free him up to use his athleticism to make more plays.

3. This is probably not a popular thought, James Harrison impressed me 2 years ago. Not as much in the last year. Has he peaked like others like Gildon, Porter, etc? He gets held regularly and easily. He doesn't have pass rush moves other than a bull rush and I don't see it changing. If you're not going to get calls, you've gotta develop pass rush moves and he hasn't. That said, he's tough and just might fit inside. OLBs are the most important players in a 3-4 and I think it's time to start thinking about his successor. It may not be Timmons. If not, I think we should look at drafting another Woodley type player.

While I'm not a big fan of moving Harrison I agree.. he has one move and if it's not getting called he needs to work on a spin or an inside move.

However at this point I don't think moving Timmons outside helps... he will get better inside. I didn't expect Jack Ham inside his first full year.. he is not a weakness..

Put Fox in where the elder was and you have a beast LB core...

Keisel.. maybe I'm bias but he doesn't live up to the boards athletic hype.. I think Hood and Eason are in the mix now.. I know we like vets but the young guys have more hunger and more energy..

Harrison has one move? I think that may be an oversimplification. He could use a few new ones, but he certainly has a few others. I've seen him get sacks with straight bull rushes, inside moves, and arm overs.

[feltdizz]

Re: Could We Mix Up Our Front 7???

Sure I threw some crazy ideas out to try to generate discussion, but I think there's a couple of important points worth looking at:

1. Smith, Keisel, and Ziggy are 3 potential starters for 2 positions. Does one become a backup? Do you use him another way? Or do you cut his big salary?

2. Lawarence Timmons was drafted to play OLB. He may be better rushing from the outside. But we've pigeon holed him inside. Does this make sense? Could we get more out of him? Are we maximizing his ability. He's shown so many flashes, but can't seem to put it all together. On the outside, I think his burst could help us generate more of a pass rush. The other thought with Timmons would be to put 2 big DTs in front of him to free him up to use his athleticism to make more plays.

3. This is probably not a popular thought, James Harrison impressed me 2 years ago. Not as much in the last year. Has he peaked like others like Gildon, Porter, etc? He gets held regularly and easily. He doesn't have pass rush moves other than a bull rush and I don't see it changing. If you're not going to get calls, you've gotta develop pass rush moves and he hasn't. That said, he's tough and just might fit inside. OLBs are the most important players in a 3-4 and I think it's time to start thinking about his successor. It may not be Timmons. If not, I think we should look at drafting another Woodley type player.

While I'm not a big fan of moving Harrison I agree.. he has one move and if it's not getting called he needs to work on a spin or an inside move.

However at this point I don't think moving Timmons outside helps... he will get better inside. I didn't expect Jack Ham inside his first full year.. he is not a weakness..

Put Fox in where the elder was and you have a beast LB core...

Keisel.. maybe I'm bias but he doesn't live up to the boards athletic hype.. I think Hood and Eason are in the mix now.. I know we like vets but the young guys have more hunger and more energy..

Harrison has one move? I think that may be an oversimplification. He could use a few new ones, but he certainly has a few others. I've seen him get sacks with straight bull rushes, inside moves, and arm overs.

I know he has more then one move... but looking back we saw the outside, I'm being held move way too much... way too many games he kept at it and it wasn't working...
I was being oversimplicated....

I meant it in a Spindenhall kinda way.. Mend has moves.. but he was spinning like Michael Jackson for a while..

[Oviedo]

Re: Could We Mix Up Our Front 7???

How about Keisel for Gay?

I think you're on to something.

Then, maybe Gay can play Center?!?

Bravo. Well played, sir, well played.

In passing situations, sure, a line of Smith, Ziggy, and Keisel, with Woodley and Harrison at OLB as pass rushers, could be interesting.

But shifting a guy one year removed from the D-MVP to another position, or moving a nearly 300 lb DE to inside LB, doesn't make a whole lot of sense at all, IMO.

The problem is that you are questioning how St LeBeau does defense and that is not permitted because he has done it for years that same way and therefore it should never change.