Updated: Brandon Wilson listed as S, Carl Lawson as LB

[Luvnit2]

(05-02-2017, 11:21 PM)PDub80 Wrote:
I don't think he's going to play the traditional linebacker role in the sense that Burfict, Vigil, Minter, and Rey will. I think he is going to be more of a rush end/LB in special packages and passing situations.

James Harrison is 2" shorter and about 15-20 lbs heavier and rushes the QB in a similar fashion. Peter Boulware was a linebacker/DE of similar size, as was Adalius Thomas. Although, Thomas was insanely fast. Both of the former Ravens players played LB/Rush DE/LB in 4-3 and 3-4 schemes with huge success. This just gives the Bengals options.

James Harrison's type of violent play style is exactly what I see when I watch Lawson. While I know the Bengals play a 4-3, they sometimes play with 5 linemen and 2 LBs quite a bit as well. There's plenty of opportunity for the "Law Dog", as I nicknamed him in another thread, to line up at OLB and then move up to the line of scrimmage and rush.

I see Lawson as more of that disrupting, rushing LB who can rush upright or with his hand in the dirt. He lined up both ways at Aurburn and did well. He's athletic enough to do so and this gives the Bengals a nasty option and a real different type of player to build certain packages around.

He is in no way big enough at 6-2 255-260 to play DE in a 4-3. His arms aren't quite long enough and his build looks to be different than a guy like Wallace Gilberry. They have the same size and weight, but Gilberry is built much differently and I think Lawson runs much better and is a better athlete.

They can always move him, too. We'll see!

This sums up my thoughts. We did have one tweener type LB on his way to success years ago named Pollack who unfortunately suffered a career ending injury. I love to hear guys like Lawson have a passion for the  game. It think passionate players make it, even when they are too small or too slow compared to others with work ethic and that last longer because it gets very hard, they won't quit.