Bengals working out Freeney

[*ochocincos*]

(06-01-2016, 07:13 PM)Vanilla Heat Wrote: Harrison did exactly what the bengals signed him for. Too many fans who didn't know any better thought they brought him in to be a pass rusher. Wrong.

After guys like Manny Lawson and Lamur at the SAM spot who got pushed around and blocked by WRs, they needed someone physical who would set the edge in the run game. That's why they signed James Harrison. And he excelled at that. But lots of ignorant people thought the signing wasn't successful because he didn't rack up sacks.

Obviously a 4-3 SAM in a Mike Zimmer defense isn't going to rack up sacks. Maybe the way I phrased my last statement was misleading...I meant to say that Harrison's specialty was be a 3-4 OLB that could get at the QB. You're right that he was used as planned, but he would have been better utilized as an edge rusher (at least IMO).

Freeney wouldn't be brought in to be a 4-3 SAM, he'd be brought in to be a 4-3 rotational DE. There would be no confusion about his role.