Thread: Stability at linebacker a Bears' strength in

In his return, Urlacher once again led the defense with 146 tackles and averaged one stop every 7.01 snaps, tops among linebackers on the roster. Here is a breakdown of playing time for the linebackers (out of a total of 1,038 plays):

Brian Urlacher: 1,023 snaps, 98.6 percent

98.6% of snaps for url pretty amazing, guess he is far from "over-the-hill" , and IMO has at least 2 good years left, which was what 2010 showed. And id' say either Pisa is abck on anothe 1 yr deal if can't find a place or Roach takes over at SS, and will go LB deoth looking later in draft

We tendered Roach didn't we? While it would be nice to have both he and Pisa back I'm guessing that we won't. Drafting some LB help around the 4th-5th round is probably as good idea. What do you think about Casey Matthews 54? I like what I saw of him in the BCS Game but lsox doesn't think he's all that great. To me he looks like a guy without great measurables but he seems very instinctive and he comes from a great footbal family.

Not getting many east coast games out here I haven't seen Irving play so I have nothing firsthand to go on. If he and Matthews are both 4th round material and Irving is the more complete player then we should try and get him. We need a guy who can play SLB and backup the middle. A guy who plays both run and pass equally well so it's up to JA and Ruskell to find the best mid-round guy they can who does it.

Another Lance Briggs would be nice, LOL.

His size, 6' 1"/230lbs, is exactly the size of Pisa and only 5lbs lighter than Roach and neither of them has any problem playing SLB. I don't think he's the ideal size for the middle but he seems to have all the other talents in place. Urlacher has always been a freak of size and speed as a MLB but neither of his backups, Hilly 6'4"/235lbs or Wilson 6'2"/230lbs are monsters size wise.

The fact that his college career was marred by injuries will probably cause him to fall to the mid rounds and to me he looks like he may be a bargain there.

Originally Posted by soulman

His size, 6' 1"/230lbs, is exactly the size of Pisa and only 5lbs lighter than Roach and neither of them has any problem playing SLB. I don't think he's the ideal size for the middle but he seems to have all the other talents in place. Urlacher has always been a freak of size and speed as a MLB but neither of his backups, Hilly 6'4"/235lbs or Wilson 6'2"/230lbs are monsters size wise.

The fact that his college career was marred by injuries will probably cause him to fall to the mid rounds and to me he looks like he may be a bargain there.

yep that's why he shoudl be there- and the car accident a freak thing, not a football injury is also in his favor

a real good story on the crash and recovery if interested:

http://www.starnewsonline.com/articl...CLES/100909818

And Another interesting LB , if want a bruiser/size guy may be ayers depending on how far falls:

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...day-steal.html

"Ayers: "draft class steal?

Much like Brandon Spikes last year, could a team like a Patriots find another gem in Ayers? Wes Bunting

As soon as the 4.84 40-time popped up under UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers name, you could instantly hear the mummers of his draft stock falling. Ayers is an imposing 6-3, 254-pound backer who displays an impressive blend of power and explosion at the point of attack. He’s the one linebacker this year on tape who had the physical capability of not only destroying opposing pulling linemen in the hole, but showcased the range to make plays in pursuit as well. Plus, for his size he exhibited impressive fluidity and balance when asked to change directions and demonstrated the straight-line speed to close quickly on the ball.

Therefore, should his slow 40-time really hurt his draft stock? In my view… no.
On tape he plays like a guy who runs 4.6 and even when watching him during his Combine workout, directly following his 4.8+ 40, he still looked very fluid for a big guy, was explosive out of his breaks and based off his workout alone, I would still say he could run in the 4.6 range.
contin n link

Bears to take a look at Syracuse linebacker Hogue

March 16, 2011 12:45 AM | 1 Comment

By Brad Biggs

With only two veteran linebackers under contract, the Chicago Bears need to not only find a starter but rebuild depth at a position the team said had five or six starters at the past two seasons.
It's expected that will require a mixture of free agents and rookies. The Bears are set to take a look at one prospect on Wednesday. They are scheduled to put Syracuse's Doug Hogue through a private workout along with the Philadelphia Eagles. Hogue's agent David Canter reported the news on his Twitter account.


Hogue was an all-Big East selection this season and is considered a potential mid-round selection. He converted to outside linebacker in 2009 after playing running back for the Orange so he's still a little raw at the position. In just two seasons, he recorded 26 ½ tackles for loss, good for ninth in the program's history.

Hogue is a shade over 6-2, 235 pounds, and he was clocked at 4.62 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. He did 18 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds. His athletic ability makes him an interesting project and immediately he could be a candidate to stand out on special teams, something the reserve linebackers have to do.