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Giants 2015 Positional Breakdown: Linebackers

Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/30/2015 10:19 am
New positional article...
Giants 2015 Positional Breakdown: Linebackers - ( New Window )
Optimistic  
SGMen : 6/30/2015 10:36 am : link
i concur with the write-up so long as the group stays healthy, of course.

Beason could really be the key as he is a bonanza-fide leader with the experience required to lead the new defense. With safety so young and inexperienced we need a leader somewhere on D.

Thomas could be a good fit in Spags defense. I'll trust we made a good decision until proven otherwise.

In general, this group may be the most talented one we've had since 2008.
LB  
stretch234 : 6/30/2015 10:37 am : link
We all know Beason dictates everything.

Having more athletic LB is a huge deal. While Williams was athletic, he really did not have good football sense. Both of the guys they signed are faster and have an idea how to play.

Kennard has pass rush ability and also has blitz ability - keep letting him do so

Dallas is saying the same thing with S. Lee as we are with Beason
head & shoulders  
area junc : 6/30/2015 11:07 am : link
best linebacker group we've had since '06.
Have to agree with Eric  
BillT : 6/30/2015 11:14 am : link
This unit has talent and is much more athletic than in the past. It certainly has better talent than we've seen here in quite a while. Combined with what I think will be a very good DL it's a potentially very tough front 7.
now that's confidence  
giants#1 : 6/30/2015 11:24 am : link
Quote:
Contrary to popular belief, this unit could be one of the better ones in the NFL if Beason stays healthy and Kennard develops.


I think it's the best LB talent they've had in years (not saying much), but I think their ceiling is as a middle of the pack group. Kennard would have to develop into a top 5 OLB for this unit to be one of the best in the NFL.

I do like the Thomas/Casillas signings (especially Thomas), but I'm not confident that Beason will play 16 games.
RE: now that's confidence  
SGMen : 6/30/2015 11:31 am : link
In comment 12349118 giants#1 said:
Quote:


Quote:


Contrary to popular belief, this unit could be one of the better ones in the NFL if Beason stays healthy and Kennard develops.



I think it's the best LB talent they've had in years (not saying much), but I think their ceiling is as a middle of the pack group. Kennard would have to develop into a top 5 OLB for this unit to be one of the best in the NFL.

I do like the Thomas/Casillas signings (especially Thomas), but I'm not confident that Beason will play 16 games.
Admittedly it is hard to be confident in Beason's ability to stay healthy but you have to stay positive and hope this team's injury history turns for the better.

My question is can Thomas blitz well? Kennard's game will be attacking and he could really be a force in this area.
Someone like Jacquian Williams...  
Randy in CT : 6/30/2015 11:49 am : link
His agent can't put together a highlight reel that focuses on those forced fumbles helping us get to the Super Bowl, and then NO team would bring him in for at least a spot on Specials?

I wonder if there's a health issue?
Have to wait and see. A lot of ifs.  
Victor in CT : 6/30/2015 12:01 pm : link
New players, new defense, Beason always a ? Kennard also has injury issues.
Meh  
JerseyCityJoe : 6/30/2015 12:25 pm : link
Still more questions than answers with this group. They can't be much worse than we've seen the last half dozen years.
This LB group reminds me of the old Dusty Springfield song.....  
Red Dog : 6/30/2015 1:21 pm : link
Wishing and Hoping.
that's 2 "ifs" and using Jordan Raanan's basic roster math equation  
gidiefor : Mod : 6/30/2015 2:54 pm : link
(eliminate ⅔'s of all roster question marks) 1 "if" out of 2 will not come to fruition
I'm really looking forward  
WeatherMan : 6/30/2015 3:18 pm : link
to seeing Kennard as a pass rusher in Spags scheme.
That's the problem....  
Doomster : 6/30/2015 3:29 pm : link
"Coach Jim Herrmann says this is the most talented group of linebackers he has had with the Giants since he joined the team in 2009."

I really don't see much here, so it makes that statement even more damning....

We are counting on a MLB, that can't stay on the field....and if he does, he is average at best.....rewatched some of the 2013 season....yes he made plays....plays that an average LBer should make....an average play by him, looked like a highlight reel when compared to what the other linebackers were doing...an average linebacker is a commodity, the Giants haven't had for years....

Kennard had his moments last season...he also had a lot of lowlights to go with them.....injured early in the year, whatever he accomplished was against easy opposition.....now he is being counted on to perform...will he be another JW, or will he take that next step? He has a year to show us....

McClain is just plain slow....Thomas and Casillas? Hard to judge them until they get into Spags' system....but any unit, that still has Herz on it, is wasting a roster spot.....

If Beason can stay on the field, if Kennard progresses, and one of the new linebackers pans out, then the linebacking corp has definitely strengthened itself.....only time will tell...
Doomed!  
BCD : 6/30/2015 4:15 pm : link
....
One of the best  
Joey in VA : 6/30/2015 4:35 pm : link
LB Groups in the league if they stay healthy? We don't even have the best LB unit in the NFC East and in honesty it's probably dead last in our division.

Beason playing for more than a few games will shock me, but let's assume he stays vertical for the season. Casillas and Thomas are career backups whose previous teams did nothing to retain. Are they potential upgrades over JW and SP? Sure, I would say probably yes but that's not heaping praise on anyone.

McClain is not good, period. He's the definition of JAG and maybe is a notch below that talent wise. He's a great quote and seems to like the game but he stinks. Kennard maybe, he's not this wonderful talent at LB, he's just not as horrible as what we've had recently but to suggest he and Beason will form 2/3 of one of the best LB groups in the league is not only ridiculous but deluded.
Joey  
Matt M. : 6/30/2015 4:39 pm : link
I agree. But, in the recent past we have been able to hide sub-par LBs by having a dominant DL and very good DB play. On paper, we may not be dominant in those regards. But the combination of talent and aggressive play could have a similar effect.
Joey in VA  
Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/30/2015 4:58 pm : link
We'll see. If Beason stays healthy, he could vie for a Pro Bowl spot. If Kennard has a 10-sack-type season in him, he could also be another Pro Bowl-type LB.
Great to hear what Beason said  
mrvax : 6/30/2015 6:19 pm : link
about Kennard. The kid looked good last year for a rookie. He was the only guy that had a chance of getting home/being disruptive when blitzing, IMO.

Does anyone know if Thomas or Casillas are starter quality. I see neither has had a role as full time starter. That would be fantastic is Thomas was fast enough to contain a much older but still good Jason Witten.

On paper, the linebackers seem to have improved and that's a good thing. We sucked at stopping the run last year.
Joey-  
mrvax : 6/30/2015 6:30 pm : link
Some of your comments surprise me. I thought McClain would be a JAG when he was signed. However I thought he played much better than expected last season. Good enough to call him "NFL starter average" or better. He did lead the team in tackles even if they were a bit late.

I suppose I liked Kennard's rookie season more than you did also. I felt like he played well enough to pin some hope on him of becoming a very good LB for a change. His ability to blitz is something Fewell's defenses never had (or were taught).


Beason: When he played in 2013, the defense was markedly better. I think he's at least a little better than an average MLB when healthy. He'd better be with the Giants paying him an average of $5.67M per.

Other than that, I agree with every word you posted! lol
A  
AcidTest : 6/30/2015 7:24 pm : link
pedestrian group that depends on the oft injured Beason and Kennard staying healthy.
quality of LB play  
bc4life : 6/30/2015 9:45 pm : link
will be determines to a significant degree by improvement on the DL.

One of the best in the NFL - I'd be shocked to see that happen. Worst in the league - don't see how anyone can argue that given they are on a new team, new system, improved DL.

We don't need them to be the best in the league. What we need from these guys is B grade play, meaning they make the plays they are supposed to make and once in a while go above and beyond. Certainly this group can play at that level.

Keys: Beason staying healthy. Injury history and lots of collisions. I don't know - my biggest fear is that he makes it through the season but is hobbled for too many games. If that happens - he's not someone you would want starting. Who can replace him - McClain - more than tough/physical enough just not athletic enough. Don't want him starting either.

So, if Beason falters we wind up with the "career backups" and one guy stepping up. At this point seems like Herzlich is the most likely replacement, but someone might steal that ;last spot - Unga is as good a guess as any to do just that.
In the last five years, Jon Beason has appeared in 24 games.  
Klaatu : 7/1/2015 7:37 am : link
11 of those came in 2013. To expect him to miraculously stay healthy this year is unrealistic, in my opinion. Sure, it could happen, but I'd say the odds are pretty heavily against it. If Plan B (for Beason) begins with Jameel McClain and ends with Mark Herzlich or Cole Farrand, we're in deep kimchi. J.T. Thomas might be a better option at MLB, which would most likely press Jonathan Casillas into service as the starting WILL. I don't think the Giants would move Devon Kennard to MLB, since that would negate is effectiveness as a pass-rusher, but you never know.

I cut Jerry Reese a lot of slack - probably more than most - for some of his more questionable personnel moves. I believe that more often than not he's been a victim of circumstance (read career-ending injuries), not incompetence. But I can't ignore the way he treats his linebacking corps. They seem to be an afterthought with him, and the way he's blithely dismissed them in the past is incomprehensible to me. I understand that in a 4-3 defense they're less important than a strong front four, but it's not like they don't matter at all. The Giants seem to be unique in that regard compared to other 4-3 teams who have no problem making significantly stronger investments - particularly in the draft - in their linebackers.

I was hoping to see JR's philosophy regarding linebackers change in this year's draft, much like his philosophy regarding offensive linemen has for the past couple of drafts. Sadly, that was not the case. His UFA investments might pay off, but again, the odds are long. Expecting career backups to become productive starters doesn't seem like a formula for success to me; more like a exercise in wishful thinking.
Heaping an awful lot of praise on guys who have not done  
Curtis in VA : 7/1/2015 9:56 am : link
very much.
Better  
Percy : 7/1/2015 10:22 am : link
Is an improvement over not better or worse. I'll take it.
Well,  
Doomster : 7/1/2015 12:16 pm : link
Joey in VA
Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/30/2015 4:58 pm : link : reply
We'll see. If Beason stays healthy, he could vie for a Pro Bowl spot. If Kennard has a 10-sack-type season in him, he could also be another Pro Bowl-type LB.

There is wishful thinking, and there is wishful thinking.....what I just read involves drugs...
so does depression =  
bc4life : 7/1/2015 12:58 pm : link
an overly negative perception of everything
I like the youth and overall potential of this group  
Torrag : 7/1/2015 6:03 pm : link
There is legitimate upside with some of these young men. We all need to pray for a healthy Jon Beason.
I think our dominating LBers went away when we switched from a 3/4  
Jersey55 : 7/2/2015 10:35 am : link
defense to a 4/3 and we haven't been able to put decent LBers on the field since..
Good read  
DavidinBMNY : 7/3/2015 7:17 am : link
I hope Eric is right! Definitely optimistic after reading that.
RE: Good read  
SGMen : 7/3/2015 9:44 am : link
In comment 12354938 DavidinBMNY said:
Quote:
I hope Eric is right! Definitely optimistic after reading that.
Optimism is infectious. I hope the Giants locker-room feels the same way.

I don't see (or rather hear) of too many "bad eggs" with attitudes on this team. The psyche may just be right for moving forward and working hard.

We really need to just stay healthy. Nothing has hurt this team more the last 2.5 seasons (we collapsed end of 2012 due to injury) than the plethora of injuries.

I love our LB's right now because I see a good mix of veterans, speed (special teams), and pass rush (Kennard). If Beason can put together one more solid season; if Kennard can become that pass rush LB we've missed since the days of glory; and, if we stay healthy we'll go far.

I feel like we are due a good year on the injury front. I know life doesn't work like that but I have to believe we'll be healthier this year than the last 2.5 where we were near the top of the league in man games down. Oy!
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