carolinatony
In the Starting Line-Up
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.I do really like DE/OLB Andre Branch, though. Smart, savvy football player with good run defense, great sense of positional responsibility, and the versatility to line up inside or outside, left or right, as well as on his feet. In fact, due to injuries in the LB corp, Clemson moved him to 43 OLB in a couple different games, and he fared decently well in coverage--and that's impressive for a 6'4 #265 defensive lineman. He can rush the passer, but he's never a fly-off-the-ball-with-no-awareness sort of player; he honors his responsibilities, and then collapses the pocket. Still, that was enough for double digit sacks this year. In the one game he did relentlessly pass rush without regard for the run, he picked up 4 sacks. Should be available in the second, for some odd reason. Good player, even better value.
No Aldon Smiths in this draft. One person to keep an eye on next year would be Nick Perry of USC. He has comparable speed to Smith but a little smaller. Smith is a scary beast. Something Vernon Gholston could have become. Brady sure is glad he didn't.
Can you image if we had someone like him?
Few were talking about aldon smith at this time last year
Its hard to tell. Early in the season last year a few including me had their eye on A Smith as a possible pick for the pats. He was pushed aside by Watt, Kerrigan, and a couple of others. He never did anything to make anyone think he would be as good as he is now.Can you image if we had someone like him?
Few were talking about aldon smith at this time last year
I will say that Sam Montgomery intrigues me. If he declared, I would seriously consider drafting him on upside alone, even though I tend to be risk-averse.
For those looking for this years Aldon Smith, how about Shea McLellin of Boise St.?
6'3, 255ilb's
18.5 career sacks
4 interceptions
4.74 40 time according to CBSsports
NFL mocks compares him to Mike Vrabel, so if he's not the next Aldon Smith, I'll take the next Mike Vrabel
To be fair, I've not watched the 49'ers this year so cannot comment on his resemblance to Aldon Smith, but McLellins versatility (experience standing up, can drop into coverage) makes him sound more like a potential Patriot than Aldon Smith was going to be.
Really like him as Ninkovich's long-term replacement. More of an all-around guy than a stud pass rusher.