Why is everyone bad mouthing Dont'a Hightower?

[patsfanincleveland]

Too funny. He's not any good because I've never heard of him.

That's about right.

Seriously, this makes the past Carlos Dunlap, Matt Forte, and Clay Matthews look threads somewhat intelligent.

At least those "stars" didn't commit unbelievably stupid penalties that are solely cost games.

 

[Brady6]

because he isn't playing well?

Hightower plays much better with Mayo on the field.

I think most people play much better with one of the top 5 all purpose linebackers in the NFL on the field. The Mayo injury has really showed us well me anyway how much he did to cover up the deficiencies of Spikes, Hightower and others in previous season, anybody who questions Mayo’s impact or value to this team should take a hard look at our LB group in his absences it has been night and day.

 

[RayClay]

I haven't checked, but I still don't think they let you redo the draft, so I don't know why people are so obsessed with that.

Fact is, we have five talented linebackers for three spots under contract from very fast to very strong, and the best all around LB is out for the year.

Beeter to have more talent than less, plus contracts end and injuries happen.

Posters lusting to cut talented players at the first hiccup is just bizarre. Why would you like to have no quality depth, plus have the privilege of paying for it due to the dead money?

I haven't checked, but I think this has to be a post bandwagon syndrome. There's absolutely no advantage to cutting players just because of a temorary poor fit. We've got lots of talent under contract at LB. That's going to be an advantage as schemes change and injuries and contracts do too.

Where we lack top end talent is DT. We need young replacements for Wilfork, maybe later, maybe sooner and who knows if Kelly plays again?

Some posters are convinced Vellano, Jones and Sopoaga are going to morph into the equivalent of healthy Wilforks and Kellys and that ain't going to happen no matter how much we applaud their efforts.

 

[Brady6]

I'm guessing Spikes doesn't get resigned next year, and I think Hightower can step in and be much more productive playing the MLB spot then he is on the edge. It's not really fair to compare him to other guys drafted that year that are playing MLB, when Hightower is mostly playing OLB.

Seems to be a common belief around here but I don’t know if I agree with it, if you ask me the thing that is hurting Hightower the most this season is that he is being asked to play the role Mayo plays which is the WILL in a 4-3 and the WILB in a 3-4 which takes Hightower off the line where he was actually most productive last season as a SAM in a 4-3 or a SOLB in a 3-4. In my opinion Hightower’s future is in the mold of Ahmad Brooks, Justin Houston, Lawrence Timmons and others who play close to the line sometimes on the line and can set the edge and pass rush while occasionally dropping into coverage with the tight end or running back.

If Spikes walks next season I would go with:

3-4
SOLB: Hightower
SILB: Fletcher
WILB: Mayo
WOLB: Collins

Or

4-3
SAM: Hightower
MLB: Mayo
WILL: Collins

 

[VrabelJr]

Except for Kuechly, who was drafted ahead of him, I would trade Hightower for any one
of the above LBs drafted behind him, right now, even up.

Of course you would do that, because it's a good deal for you. None of the teams with those players would make that trade though because it's a bad deal for them.

I loved Zach Brown and Lavonte David going into the draft two years ago. They are modern day linebackers in a modern day NFL. The age of slow 255lbs plus LBs is over. The LBs that used to be called tweener safeties are incredibly useful now.

 

[VrabelJr]

Seems to be a common belief around here but I don’t know if I agree with it, if you ask me the thing that is hurting Hightower the most this season is that he is being asked to play the role Mayo plays which is the WILL in a 4-3 and the WILB in a 3-4 which takes Hightower off the line where he was actually most productive last season as a SAM in a 4-3 or a SOLB in a 3-4. In my opinion Hightower’s future is in the mold of Ahmad Brooks, Justin Houston, Lawrence Timmons and others who play close to the line sometimes on the line and can set the edge and pass rush while occasionally dropping into coverage with the tight end or running back.

If Spikes walks next season I would go with:

3-4
SOLB: Hightower
SILB: Fletcher
WILB: Mayo
WOLB: Collins

Or

4-3
SAM: Hightower
MLB: Mayo
WILL: Collins

Did you forget that 3-4 OLBs are actually 4-3 DEs? Ninkovich and Jones would be outside. Mayo and Hightower inside.

 

[Brady6]

Did you forget that 3-4 OLBs are actually 4-3 DEs? Ninkovich and Jones would be outside. Mayo and Hightower inside.

I think that’s where Hightower fits best in my opinion as a SOLB in a 3-4 who plays at or around the line.

 

[patfanken]

Some comments on the comments:

1. Clearly after not playing past the 2nd quarter, questions have to be asked about Hightower. I have been a constant critic in a lot of my "idle thought" post all year. HOWEVER, I think the criticism has gone too far. Way too far. My major critique of Dant'a is his lack of big or impact plays. He just hasn't looked like the explosive #1 draft pick that I expected

2. There could be two good reasons for this problem. One is that like Dobson and Dennard, he didn't play in the 2nd half because of an injury, not that he was benched. Second, is the most likely. I think he's been given too much to do with Mayo out, and I think that's effected his execution and explosiveness.

I mentioned in another post that next year he should be asked to do less, but do it better. BB should narrow his roles. For example replace Spikes in the middle and only worry about being a run stopper inside blitzer for the most part, and when asked to drop back, be asked to do something very specific. He wasn't as bad in coverage last season IIRC.

Bottom line it looks to be like he's got too many responsibilities and its effecting his execution.

3. I think overall he's been decent and only a disappointment in that there are too few "big explosive plays" by him. As to the list that Brady6 put up, there is one guy I'd absolutely grab if I had a do over. That's laVonte David. In the game the way its played to day, having a side line to side line LB, who can excel in coverage and run with the running QB's is a distinct advantage. Normally BB would have considered him too small, but the game is changing and there is a place for David, and he's excellent in his role

 

[RayClay]

As far as not playing much against Manning (if healthy)...why does that matter? Is there another team in football we're going to play the pass all three downs even if we have to give up a 200 YD runner?

Currently, our two fastest LBs are reserves. Why not use them? This is silly IMO.

The only LB guaranteed to play all downs is Mayo and he's injured. I doubt we're going to spend top of the first round picks on the other 4, so we have LBs with different strengths we can work in different gameplans.

If Collins works his way into the rotation, maybe hightowers strengths become more valuable.

I'm glad that BB and the players are willing to play roles if it helps the team. Other teams can dump players if they don't play 90% of snaps or make the Pro Bowl, in fact I'm glad if they do.

How can you look at a team like ours with all our injuries and a team like Texas, which posters here were calling the best and has some injury problems too and not see who is the better team?

Clue, we ain't 2-9. We don't dump valuable players, we use them. We dump players we want to. Schemes and personnel change. I'm glad Nincovich, Spikes, Collins, McCourty, Gregory etc. weren't dumped.

BB's dumped players that stink or weren't team players or fits and he's usually right.

 

[randomk1]

That's the guy who make completely bone headed plays that cost teams wins.

So what? Hightower looking silly against some teams certainly helps us to win. David is a stud

 

[Huckleberry1]

As far as not playing much against Manning (if healthy)...why does that matter? Is there another team in football we're going to play the pass all three downs even if we have to give up a 200 YD runner?

Currently, our two fastest LBs are reserves. Why not use them? This is silly IMO.

The only LB guaranteed to play all downs is Mayo and he's injured. I doubt we're going to spend top of the first round picks on the other 4, so we have LBs with different strengths we can work in different gameplans.

If Collins works his way into the rotation, maybe hightowers strengths become more valuable.

I'm glad that BB and the players are willing to play roles if it helps the team. Other teams can dump players if they don't play 90% of snaps or make the Pro Bowl, in fact I'm glad if they do.

How can you look at a team like ours with all our injuries and a team like Texas, which posters here were calling the best and has some injury problems too and not see who is the better team?

Clue, we ain't 2-9. We don't dump valuable players, we use them. We dump players we want to. Schemes and personnel change. I'm glad Nincovich, Spikes, Collins, McCourty, Gregory etc. weren't dumped.

BB's dumped players that stink or weren't team players or fits and he's usually right.

There was a big outcry on this board to get rid of both McCourty and Gregory. It's all the same syndrome.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

A few fans on every board for every team want to get rid of every player. This isn't a revelation. And that isn't what is being discussed in this thread.

 

[RayClay]

There was a big outcry on this board to get rid of both McCourty and Gregory. It's all the same syndrome.

I named five, I'm sure i could have named 10-15.

 

[unoriginal]

The search turned up a fair amount on Mayo from back in 2010, during and after his second year. Feel free to nod your head sagely as you agree with our collective wisdom. Enjoy:

Mayo's regression is certainly disturbing. We can only hope it's fully explained by his coming back too early off the knee injury, but he was a below-average ILB this year for whatever reasons. He's now unfortunately a question mark for next year.

Mayo took a step back. I think that was due to the injury and due to the health and performance of the defensive line. In that system, the LB has no chance to flourish if his best defensive linemen are missing or injured.

Mayo is at best, a poor SILB in our defense. He needs protection to run around and make tackles. (He is not a playmaker by any stretch of the imagination.)

Look at Mayo lined up beside Seau. Notice how much thicker Seau is through the truck, thighs, arms and calves. We need a young Ted Johnson or a young Seau type to man the SILB. Move Mayo to SILB and give him one season to actually make a play. If he can not do it, then draft Hightower in the 2011 class and send Mayo to ST or Detroit

Winning ROTY doesn't guarantee you will have a good career. This is the year where he needs to step up.

Also Mayo has not 'dominated' any situation lately...likely he bounces back just fine from a injury plagued year, but besides being quick to the ball, he has not really dominated against guards, or in pass rush, or in big plays. Again this could change, and he is a great talent.

Spikes appears to dominate everything in his path. Perhaps this is simply preseason hype...but there it is.

He did well in his first year because they kept it simple for him.

Now as they unveil more sophistication, the kid may not be picking it up.
Is he a dum dum? Hes having trouble and getting fooled a little too much, like in last years playoff game vs. Balt.

Someone mentioned his responsiblity of shedding guard blocks. BINGO, WE HAVE A WINNER ! That's his main problem right now. He can't shed a guard to save himself, never mind trying to drop back into coverage, his second biggest weakness.

It's fair I think for us to expect more out of the 10th overall pick in the draft when we see others taken in rounds 2-4 outperforming him.

My big thing with watching Mayo is that it looks like he is trying to not make a mistake rather than trying to make a play. The same can probably be said for the entire back eight starters, but with Mayo he generates nothing for the others to feed off of. (no FF, TFL, Int's, PD's etc. etc. etc.)

Oh boy, look, Tedy was a 3rd round pick, the 86th overall pick in the 96 draft. Mr. Mayo was the 10th overall pick. I think it is quite fair of us to expect a little bit more from this football player, it's that simple.

He's not making plays, it's not that hard to see or figure out.

Can't shed guards, can't cover TE's or RB's and even when there is a tackle, it's a typically an assisted tackle or a tackle after the LOS damage has been done. We need more, that's not cutting it.

I'm glad to see this thread and see a lot on posters who actually watch what the players do instead of getting their opinions from the media. Mayo is overated he routinely gets blocked and isn't very instintive. He's an average player that's all.

In the preseason watching how Spikes routinely takes the first step towards the play before Mayo has really shown this

EDIT: After further research, I am confident in calling the above post sarcastic. I leave it in because it's mocking the tone of the thread I pulled it from.

why is everyone throwing mayo under a bus? he was defensive ROY. he got hurt week 1 last year and was a shell of himself. he's healthy now, so let's see if he can produce. At the same time, Spikes has not even played an NFL game yet. This is a thread better left for the end of the season.

Not quoted was a lot of pining over Curtis Lofton.

 

[Huckleberry1]

well done................

 

[Brady6]

He's one of the best 4-3 OLBs in the league, taken after Hightower and Wilson. He was a late 1st LB but fell due to size nonsense. He had the best film out of any ILB/OLB besides Kuechly. He was a forum favorite too.

This guy is an absolute stud, probably the best 4-3 OLB in the game other than Von Miller who is more of pass rusher in my opinion. Great pick by Tampa.

 

[Brady6]

Posters lusting to cut talented players at the first hiccup is just bizarre. Why would you like to have no quality depth, plus have the privilege of paying for it due to the dead money.

Who said anything about cutting Hightower?

 

[Froob]

He'll play much better with Mayo back imo. Just a poor fit at that spot. Remember, there were a lot of complains about Mayo back in 09 after a rough start.

 

[JMC00]

I think he'll look a lot better playing along side Mayo and Collins next year.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

So what? Hightower looking silly against some teams certainly helps us to win. David is a stud

So the third stooge surfaces.

Yeah...who cares if he makes stupid plays that cost plays. What matters is the clowncar at patsfans.com likes him.

Considering TB is 3-8 and they were blown out by Carolina it's really interesting where exactly the concepts come from.

That's why thinking helps.