PatsWin2002
04-12-2005, 07:54 AM
A decent piece from the Miami Herald:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/11371399.htm
(Registration Required)
Posted on Tue, Apr. 12, 2005
NFL DRAFT | LINEBACKERS
'Tweeners' are now a commodity
With the return of the 3-4 defense, athletes who play defensive end and linebacker -- such as Maryland's Shawne Merriman -- are now coveted.
BY ARMANDO SALGUERO
asalguero@herald.com
Shawne Merriman is in limbo now.
For the next couple of weeks, before he is selected in the first round of the NFL draft, Merriman can say he is neither a defensive end nor a linebacker, not big enough to consistently collide with 330-pound blockers, not really fleet enough to keep pace with running backs.
And that's a good thing.
Players such as Merriman, who weighs 272 and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds, were once derided as ''tweeners,'' because in choosing to play them at defensive end or outside linebacker, teams decided they fell somewhere in between.
Players that fell in between often fell through the cracks.
''Some people find that maybe a tweener is not so good, but from what I've seen so far, I find being a tweener is an excellent thing these days,'' Merriman said. ``Every team is trying to convert to a 3-4 [defense]. But I can also play a 4-3. So whatever they need me to play I'll be able to fill those shoes.''
THROWBACK POSITION
The vogue return of the 3-4 defense, the NFL's answer to bell-bottoms, is about to make players such as Merriman a lot of money.
Tweeners such as Iowa State's Tyson Smith, FSU's Eric Moore, Southern Utah's Marques Harris and Troy's Demarcus Ware have found a home in limbo.
''When you talk about players like that, like a Shawne Merriman, he really becomes interesting because he's a versatile guy,'' Buffalo Bills president and general manager Tom Donahoe said. ``And depending on the defense you play, some people will see him as a 4-3 end and some will see him as a 3-4 outside linebacker. But it does put a premium on those types of players.''
A tweener's good-but-not-great bulk and quick-but-not-blazing speed offer exactly what 3-4 teams need to fill that outside linebacker role where players sometimes drop in coverage and sometimes rush the passer.
''I think there is definitely a slot that people would categorize 3-4 outside linebackers because it is a little bit different position in terms of, you would like to have bigger guys,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said. ``Sometimes you give up a little bit of space play and the athleticism for a good rusher. So that does fit a category of guys who really may not be a [4-3] defensive end and really may not be truly a 4-3 linebacker.''
Approximately a dozen teams -- including the Dolphins -- plan to deploy into a 3-4 alignment at least some of the time next season. Such a boon of three-linemen, four-linebacker alignments increases the need for pass-rushing linebackers to enter the league.
That need isn't coming at such a great time, because only two major colleges -- Virginia and Maryland, where Merriman played -- use the 3-4 defense regularly. That creates something of a problem.
Teams are taking college defensive ends and turning them into linebackers. And, they're adapting college linebackers into undersized NFL pass-rushers.
''All those outside linebackers are projections,'' Houston Texans general manager Charley Casserly said. ``Those projections are not easy to get right.''
Can you say draft-day mistakes?
PLAYERS UNCERTAIN
The truth is players themselves sometimes don't have a handle on whether they should be defensive ends, linebackers or what.
''I just want to be in the scheme that uses all of my physical talents,'' Merriman said. ``The best way to help the team would be for me to use the height and the speed and the strength that I have to the benefit of the whole defense.''
Exactly what position would that be from?
''I think I can play an outside linebacker, middle linebacker, defensive end, whatever they need me to play, I can play it,'' Merriman said. ``It all depends on what [teams] project me as and what they need.
``Whatever it is, I can do it.''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/11371399.htm
(Registration Required)
Posted on Tue, Apr. 12, 2005
NFL DRAFT | LINEBACKERS
'Tweeners' are now a commodity
With the return of the 3-4 defense, athletes who play defensive end and linebacker -- such as Maryland's Shawne Merriman -- are now coveted.
BY ARMANDO SALGUERO
asalguero@herald.com
Shawne Merriman is in limbo now.
For the next couple of weeks, before he is selected in the first round of the NFL draft, Merriman can say he is neither a defensive end nor a linebacker, not big enough to consistently collide with 330-pound blockers, not really fleet enough to keep pace with running backs.
And that's a good thing.
Players such as Merriman, who weighs 272 and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds, were once derided as ''tweeners,'' because in choosing to play them at defensive end or outside linebacker, teams decided they fell somewhere in between.
Players that fell in between often fell through the cracks.
''Some people find that maybe a tweener is not so good, but from what I've seen so far, I find being a tweener is an excellent thing these days,'' Merriman said. ``Every team is trying to convert to a 3-4 [defense]. But I can also play a 4-3. So whatever they need me to play I'll be able to fill those shoes.''
THROWBACK POSITION
The vogue return of the 3-4 defense, the NFL's answer to bell-bottoms, is about to make players such as Merriman a lot of money.
Tweeners such as Iowa State's Tyson Smith, FSU's Eric Moore, Southern Utah's Marques Harris and Troy's Demarcus Ware have found a home in limbo.
''When you talk about players like that, like a Shawne Merriman, he really becomes interesting because he's a versatile guy,'' Buffalo Bills president and general manager Tom Donahoe said. ``And depending on the defense you play, some people will see him as a 4-3 end and some will see him as a 3-4 outside linebacker. But it does put a premium on those types of players.''
A tweener's good-but-not-great bulk and quick-but-not-blazing speed offer exactly what 3-4 teams need to fill that outside linebacker role where players sometimes drop in coverage and sometimes rush the passer.
''I think there is definitely a slot that people would categorize 3-4 outside linebackers because it is a little bit different position in terms of, you would like to have bigger guys,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said. ``Sometimes you give up a little bit of space play and the athleticism for a good rusher. So that does fit a category of guys who really may not be a [4-3] defensive end and really may not be truly a 4-3 linebacker.''
Approximately a dozen teams -- including the Dolphins -- plan to deploy into a 3-4 alignment at least some of the time next season. Such a boon of three-linemen, four-linebacker alignments increases the need for pass-rushing linebackers to enter the league.
That need isn't coming at such a great time, because only two major colleges -- Virginia and Maryland, where Merriman played -- use the 3-4 defense regularly. That creates something of a problem.
Teams are taking college defensive ends and turning them into linebackers. And, they're adapting college linebackers into undersized NFL pass-rushers.
''All those outside linebackers are projections,'' Houston Texans general manager Charley Casserly said. ``Those projections are not easy to get right.''
Can you say draft-day mistakes?
PLAYERS UNCERTAIN
The truth is players themselves sometimes don't have a handle on whether they should be defensive ends, linebackers or what.
''I just want to be in the scheme that uses all of my physical talents,'' Merriman said. ``The best way to help the team would be for me to use the height and the speed and the strength that I have to the benefit of the whole defense.''
Exactly what position would that be from?
''I think I can play an outside linebacker, middle linebacker, defensive end, whatever they need me to play, I can play it,'' Merriman said. ``It all depends on what [teams] project me as and what they need.
``Whatever it is, I can do it.''