MrBigglesWorth

Have we as a franchise been too picky when it comes to picking a linebacker?

At what point does speed and youth outweigh the intelligence of a savy veteran? Speed can make up mistakes and experience can prevent them. Where's the middle ground?

Lance Briggs was a third rounder.
Vrabel a third rounder
AD a sixth rounder
Demeco Ryans in the early second
Zach Thomas a 5th rounder
David Harris- 2nd round
Karlos Dansby- 2nd round

If we never draft linebackers we can never find a diamind in the rough and never develop this player.

Are we just bad at drafting linebackers?

I get kind of sick of hearing the "we need big linebackers that fit our system"

We need speed and become an attacking defense.

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"There are two categories of superbowl participants that nobody remembers:

The team that lost the game and the team that only won one." Dwight White- Steelers

chunkypony

I'm all for drafting Jonathan Goff in the later (3rd, 4th) rounds and see how he works out.

Not to mention Oscar Lua. I still want to see something out of him. He was a late round pick.

BostonBullit

now list all the LBers drafted in later rounds who have been complete busts. you can run down the list of later round draft gems at almost any position but you have to keep it in perspective - for every gem there where probably 15 JAGs and a couple total duds

SeanBruschi54

Thats really not the later rounds. 2nd and 3rd rounds are techinically still really good players who just need some work.

Zach Thomas and Adailius were both diamond in the rough players because after round 4 anything you can get that can become a starter is gravy.

Keegs

a perfect example of this would be Monty Beisel, who was drafted in the 4th round (pick 107) out of Kansas State.

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MrBigglesWorth

you can list busts for every position in the NFL. how come you cann find a jarvis green or a kacur or a o'calloghan but why have they stayed away from linebackers?

some may say they haven't by having woods and lua on the roster.

I think it comes down to BB having trust in some of these guys to give them legit snaps.

__________________
"There are two categories of superbowl participants that nobody remembers:

The team that lost the game and the team that only won one." Dwight White- Steelers

upstater1

Why are Kaczur and O'Callaghan listed there? They seem like average types, if that. We got as much from Gorin and Ashworth as we have from Kaczur and O'Callaghan.

We've drafted a lot of LBs over the years. And cut a lot of them too.

That being said, last year's draft was annoying because the Patriots showed complete disregard for the value of their picks, and meanwhile, we could have used a guy like Ahmad Bradshaw.

SeanBruschi54

Woods and EA have been big pickups for our team and both went undrafted.

Last year we tried to draft Stewart Bradley but was taken by the Eagles a few picks earlier. Same with several other LB's. They find players who they like and stick to their guns. Jeremy Mincey we drafted and although he didnt make it here has caught on well with the Jaguars.

FarScapeR

Don't forget Justin Rogers, whom we lost on waivers.

AndyJohnson

We need speed and become an attacking defense

That statement contradicts the defensive philosophy of Bill Belichick.
You will never see BB fielding a team with small fast linebackers, or playing and attacking style of defense.
You either need to accept that you will not get what you want or start calling for BBs firing.