Bengals releasing AJ Hawk

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(04-26-2016, 07:42 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: Hawk was not the only variable from their D over each of those years, run defense is based on the whole D or at least front 7, so those stats show little to nothing about hawk. He is a solid tackler but was not nearly as good in coverage as many said he was before we signed him. I tried my best to temper peoples expectations for him but it was an impossible battle. Dude got way more hype than he deserved, and now is getting more hate than he deserves. Anyone who knew much about him the last few years should have expected him to be about what he was, and I don't think the FO regrets signing him, I'm sure they didn't think he was going to come in and be a star, and it's not like he hurt the team. 

Never claimed he was the ONLY one, but you're telling me that the middle linebacker on a defense doesn't have a large impact on a team's run defense? They started phasing him out in the final 5 games of 2015 because they were truly terrible against the run.

First 11 games: 136.7 ypg
Final 5 games: 83 ypg

Less Hawk made a big difference. Much like how Maualuga playing 95.8% of the defensive snaps in 2012 made him the worst linebacker in football, but had a decent year in 2014 when he played less than 40% of the defensive snaps.

No hate, he was what I expected him to be, not good. I'm sure he's a good dude, but not a good LB anymore.