Pierre Woods can become a quality starter at OLB

[spacecrime]

He did...

In 8 games played, he tallyed 2 Total Tackles and 11 Special Teams' Tackles. He made one of the three blocks that sprang Hobbs for his KR TD. His number showed up in the center of the screen in the kicking game blocking or shutting down return lanes more often than not.

Those 11 STs' tackles rank 4th on the team behind Andrews' 15 (15 games played), Hawkins' 15 (14 games played), and Izzo's 14 (16 games played), he finished one ahead of TBC (16 games played) and Alexander (14 games played). It would seem he does alright in the open field. Let's hope he stays ahead of TBC's learning curve and can step it up for the Team this season.

Now this is what I call backing up what you say with data!

 

[BelichickFan]

He did...

In 8 games played, he tallyed 2 Total Tackles and 11 Special Teams' Tackles. He made one of the three blocks that sprang Hobbs for his KR TD. His number showed up in the center of the screen in the kicking game blocking or shutting down return lanes more often than not.

Those 11 STs' tackles rank 4th on the team behind Andrews' 15 (15 games played), Hawkins' 15 (14 games played), and Izzo's 14 (16 games played), he finished one ahead of TBC (16 games played) and Alexander (14 games played). It would seem he does alright in the open field. Let's hope he stays ahead of TBC's learning curve and can step it up for the Team this season.

I meant as a LB, silly

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I meant as a LB, silly

Of our projected starting foursome, only Rosey might be said to have not gotten his feet wet on STs. It's certainly an encouraging start to Pierre's career. Silly, harumph, mumblegrumble%E&*%$*leftcoastwhippersnappersmartbuttockspunk. :enranged:

 

[Remix 6]

As a follow up re: Pierre's maturation, here are some interesting notes from his nfl.com journal: http://www.nflplayers.com/players/player.aspx?ID=39024&section=journal

As an aside, Lamarr Woodley, according to profootball weekly, will be tried out at ILB for the Steelers. I wish him the best, but doubt someone perceived as an elite edge rusher would be tried out at ILB for a 3-4 team, even one that runs a zone blitz scheme. BTW, assuming he keeps his weight below 275 in time Woodley may develop into an impact Trotter style bone crusher at ILB. Still, for the sake of his future IMO a 4-3 team would have been better, instead of being thrust like a square peg into a rd hole, forced to make a risky position change a la Kiwanuka with the NYG.

since you posted the link nflplayers..i looked @ a few

look at Wilfork:

My favorite NFL team as a child was:

Buffalo Bills

yuckkkk

 

[DaBruinz]

Of our projected starting foursome, only Rosey might be said to have not gotten his feet wet on STs. It's certainly an encouraging start to Pierre's career. Silly, harumph, mumblegrumble%E&*%$*leftcoastwhippersnappersmartbuttockspunk. :enranged:

He're is hoping that Woods does make more of an impact than TBC. It would sure make me feel better about losing one of Vrabel or Colvin. It doesn't lessen my concern about the SILB position, but that is another story.

 

[shakadave]

I haven't seen anything from Woods in the base defense thus far to maek me think he is anything other than a ST demon at this point. I'm hoping a year in the system and a year under Woicik will allow him to make a quantum leap next season, but even if he does make that leap his only chance to get on the feild is via an injury to a starter.

In an ideal world, Woods would play a small but significant role in 2007 rotating in at OLB giving Colvin, Thomas, and (I hope) Vrabel some rest.

 

[shakadave]

As a follow up re: Pierre's maturation, here are some interesting notes from his nfl.com journal: http://www.nflplayers.com/players/player.aspx?ID=39024&section=journal

I think I just sent Pierre Woods an email. I was very encouraging and told him his hard work will pay off, and that a lot of us are following his career. I was not familiar with this website before --- neat if it works!

 

[AzPatsFan]

The blemish on Woods was supposedly his lack of commitment and immaturity, the reported reasons for which Carr benched him as a senior. Prior to that, Woods had registered 7 sacks and 14 TFLs as a junior, leading Michigan in both categories. He was on the Nagurski and Butkus awards watch entering his senior campaign. Normally, but not always, talented players improve production between junior and senior seasons. Hypothetically, if Pierre had merely equalled his junior production his lost senior year, IMO he would have been a 2nd rd pick at a minimum considering his upper tier athleticism and rare size. But his benching led teams to justifiably consider him a problem child. Since then, Pierre has scrapped and clawed his way onto a roster spot as an UDFA, been a good soldier on special teams, and finished the year injury free at a high quality of ST play. He has removed the blemish of his senior season by demonstrating renewed commitment. With his team attitude and commitment to the game now proven commodities, and considering his junior year production + his rare size and athleticism+ performance as a college LBer, IMO Pierre has a higher probability to impact at 3-4 OLB than several of the most talked about prospects in this draft, including J. Moss, L. Woodley, and V. Abiamiri. In this draft, IMO the only prospects who have a higher probability to become quality starters at 3-4 OLB than Pierre are G. Adams and A. Spencer.

Well Reasoned and well said.

Pierre was in the category of a future first rounder after his Sophomore year at Michigan. His triangle numbers put him onto that category as well. He came in as an out-of-favor player blacklisted by his Coach Lloyd Carr. As persona non grata, he went undrafted; and the Pats astute scouting organization picked him up.

He took a job away from a guy drafted above him; he made the active 45, and he finished one ST tackle behind Larry Izzo. Yes, I think he can indeed be a starting caliber OLB, but as to becoming a star player that is entirely up to him and his effort, and not at all certain.

Of all the Patriot LB reserves, I do feel he has the most upside, by a large amount though. Mays and Alexander don't seem like much to me, at this stage.

If Seau rejoins, Pierre and Jr constitute and adequate pair to go with the starting four, three of which can play inside or outside to produce a good starting crew and perhaps adequate depth. I'd rather they signed another ex-vet starter or trade for one, though. Trotter is out of favor in Philly, I'd trade a 3rd or 4th for him...

 

[maverick4]

I just read all the posts. Woods' immaturity image is odd, because in 2003 there was a Michigan article about his "uncommon maturity":

http://www.michigandaily.com/home/i...Story_id=c726f2f9-7921-45d1-8456-2595129ececc

The answering machine message at Pierre Woods' Ann Arbor home is a little different than an average college football player's. Make the call, and you'll be told that you've reached "the Woods family." The junior linebacker doesn't live with his teammates or his buddies. His roommate is his mom.

That might not sound like the ideal living arrangement for a college student, but it's what Woods wants. And besides, Woods says, he doesn't live with his mom - "she lives with me."

Woods moved his mother, Jacqueline Tatum, from Cleveland (where Woods grew up) to Ann Arbor in June. It was something he had vowed to do after he moved out of the dorms, something he saw as his responsibility.

"It's working out well," Woods said. "She's working at K-mart. She's having a good time. (If) she's happy, I'm happy." Woods said his mother, who he called his "hero," gives him freedom: "She doesn't treat me like a little kid or anything like that."

And how could she? Woods, who has uncommon maturity, had to grow up a long time ago. He has a child of his own - four-year-old Pierre Woods, Jr., or P.J. - and, already, a lifetime's worth of pain crammed into just 21 years.

"He's my heart," Woods said of P.J. "When I don't feel like practicing, when I don't feel like doing anything, I just think about him. I go out there, and it keeps me going. "That's my inspiration."

 

[maverick4]

"P.J. lives with his mother in Cleveland, but Pierre had him in Ann Arbor last summer, and he hopes to move him here full-time next year. That's a lot of responsibility for someone who's also trying to balance football and school. But maybe Woods clings so close to his family because he has lost part of it.

Woods runs through the toll matter-of-factly:
When Pierre was in eighth grade, his father died of emphysema.
During his senior year of high school, his eldest brother passed away.
A few months later, his high school basketball coach was gone.

After his father died, Woods "didn't want to live anymore. My father was like my best friend. Anywhere he went, I went. When he passed away, I just wanted to die with him. But I know you have to go on with life and everything like that."

With the help of the rest of his family (there were eight kids) and his coaches, he did go on. And he grew.

"Actually, it made me a better person," Woods said. "Made me a stronger person, better person. I have to take care of the family. I'm the baby of the family, but a lot of people look up to me.

"It was tough, but I made it through, and I'm here."

 

[maverick4]

This is from Pierre Woods' blog on NFLplayers.com:

" Maintaining Productivity
05/04/07

This season, I want to establish myself in this league; I want to be well respected. I started this mission off by building a foundation from the basics. I have been spending most of my time studying game film and going over all of my notes--just trying to stay prepared and ready. I understand that there is more to being a player; I have to study the game and listen more than I talk. The veteran players having been doing a great job with me, keeping me focused on how to be better. I want to keep an open mind and learn everything I possibly can."

 

[psychoPat]

"P.J. lives with his mother in Cleveland, but Pierre had him in Ann Arbor last summer, and he hopes to move him here full-time next year. That's a lot of responsibility for someone who's also trying to balance football and school. But maybe Woods clings so close to his family because he has lost part of it.

Woods runs through the toll matter-of-factly:
When Pierre was in eighth grade, his father died of emphysema.
During his senior year of high school, his eldest brother passed away.
A few months later, his high school basketball coach was gone.

After his father died, Woods "didn't want to live anymore. My father was like my best friend. Anywhere he went, I went. When he passed away, I just wanted to die with him. But I know you have to go on with life and everything like that."

With the help of the rest of his family (there were eight kids) and his coaches, he did go on. And he grew.

"Actually, it made me a better person," Woods said. "Made me a stronger person, better person. I have to take care of the family. I'm the baby of the family, but a lot of people look up to me.

"It was tough, but I made it through, and I'm here."

Heaven knows what went wrong his senior year.
But something tells me
this young man is going to stay.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Wrong again,in the only game he started he had very good stats of tackles,1 FF and 1 sack.What else do you expect from a first start LB i wonder.

Also, he played the first half too when he had good safety help in sanders and hawkins and manning scored 6 points.The drop off started with baker in safety and another guy i have never heard off. a ILB in 3-4 is bigger and need safety help for coverage .

Actually, the 50 yard completion (or whatever it was) to Clark occurred when Hawkins failed to pick up the TE running a post after Alexander released him. Further, the FF and the sack are statistical gifts. The FF happened when the rusher knocked the ball against Baker's helmet trying to gain extra yards when Baker was down on the ground and totally taken out of the play. Oddly, the FF was credited to EA. The sack was Manning scrambling to elude pressure and going down on his own accord one yard behind the LOS with EA touching him down for a sack. Thus, stats are hardly indicative of his play.

Said this, I also think people are really overstating how much Alexander sucked in the game. I just don't recall EA being beaten by Moorhead. And if he were beaten by Moorhead, I'm not so sure it's a knock on Alexander's poor coverage skills given Moorhead's a WR and a WR matched up against a LB is the sort of a mismatch that offenses should look to exploit. Yes, EA was beaten a couple times, once long, by Clark, but in another completion, he had solid coverage, had Clark well covered, but Manning just threaded a hell of a pass for a completion. It should really be noted that Alexander wasn't covering Clark man-to-man all game. Clark also beat Tully for a long gain.

Obviously, EA isn't the answer to step in and start at ILB. But given his play against the Colts, there enough there for guarded optimism that he'll develop into a better player this season.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

After the half, 2 of the 5 passes in the 1st drive were to players that Alexander was supposed to be covering.

I actually counted six pass attempts in the opening drive of the second half:

-Two completion to Harrison on Asante
-One attempt to Wayne nicely broken up by Hobbs
-One completion to Moorhead on Colvin (strong side)
-One completion to Wayne on Brushi going over the middle
-One completion to Rhodes on Bruschi (strong side)

Alexander was playing mostly the weak side throughout this drive and had one snap where he blitzed the QB. It was half-assed attempt at a blitz, but nevertheless an attempt to pressure the QB.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

This is from Pierre Woods' blog on NFLplayers.com:

" Maintaining Productivity
05/04/07

This season, I want to establish myself in this league; I want to be well respected. I started this mission off by building a foundation from the basics. I have been spending most of my time studying game film and going over all of my notes--just trying to stay prepared and ready. I understand that there is more to being a player; I have to study the game and listen more than I talk. The veteran players having been doing a great job with me, keeping me focused on how to be better. I want to keep an open mind and learn everything I possibly can."

Nice and football's obviously important to the kid. I just hope he keeps developing and I've always liked this signing by BB as I've always liked the signing of Alexander. But as much as I think both pick ups were great value additions, they're both currently nothing more than back ups at the LB spot who offer more to the team for their special teams prowess.