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#2073368 07/15/24 03:11 PM
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I figured it's worth starting a thread on just the LB core.

I am concerned about who our starters and depth will be unless we go with a 5-2 defense or a ton of nickel defense.

Our FO seems to devalue the position compared to other units on the team.

Currently, we have 9 LB's and we will probably keep 6

likely starters
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (returning starter Likely WOLB)
Jordan Hicks (likely MLB starter)
Devin Bush (we took a flier on him - SOLB)

Backups
Tony Fields II (returning backup probably SOLB)
Mohamoud Diabate (probably special teams/MLB backup)
Nathaniel Watson (rookie drafted in 6th likely WOLB)


Other Backups
Caleb Johnson (likely special teams/MLB)
Charlie Thomas III (practice squad guy more of a WOLB)
Winston Reid (UFDA Probably SOLB)


What are the odds we go after another LB?

Here is a list of some of the better available LB's
Shaq Leonard
Zach Cunningham
Kwon Alexander
Josh Woods


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Tony Fields II (returning backup probably SOLB)
Mohamoud Diabate (probably special teams/MLB backup)
Nathaniel Watson (rookie drafted in 6th likely WOLB)

These three guys can improve their position with a good Camp.

Fields has improved. Many like Watson because he was a machine in college.

Diabate showed up well in ST last year. He has good speed and length.

They will be guys to watch in Camp.

Bush is a wild card. High draft pick that has done little.

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He had a great Rookie year, but he has not been the same since he got hurt playing against the Browns.


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Our LB group, IMO, has the potential to be good. Between JOK, the FA guys we signed, continued improvement of the young players from last season and Nathaniel Watson the abilities are there. What will make it better for them is that we have talented player groups both in front and behind them. I swill be interested to see how they improve.

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I still think the LB group is still by far the weakest, we didn't really do much in the offseason but buy some lottery tickets and hope they can hit. I agree Bush is a wildcard, if he can get back to rookie form we may have something, but thats a big if. All the others returning outside of JOK don't really move the needle. Hoping with another year under schwartz and his aggressive mentality, we can erase the couple years they had under a tentative Woods. I think we did well on the Dline and thats going to be key for the backers as well. Its going to be fun to watch this defense in year 2 under schwartz. I don't see why they can't lead the league again. I do think we need to make sure we keep garrett healthy. He got dinged and it affected him down the stretch. The dline was alot of fun to watch last year


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Much of the younger LB'er talent is unproven so I'm not sure how they will develop or perform this season. What I do feel is safe to say with confidence is that whatever talent they have Schwartz can get the most of it out of them.

I know some of us, bone being the most outspoken, promoted drafting JOK for his superior abilities and skill set. Then we witnessed Woods totally misuse those talents getting only a fraction of JOK's abilities out of him on the field. It appeared Woods had no idea how to harness JOK's abilities and put him in position to make the most of them.

Then Schwartz came in and changed all of that. He diagnosed JOK's skills right away and put him in the position to succeed. It seems that is one of the things Schwartz does best. Get the most possible out of his players. That's why I'm very hopeful this bunch will perform better than most are expecting.


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But isn't the key to our defense the strength of our line? I thought our defense was such that we could afford to be a little lacking there.

Honest question.


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I think we should keep an eye on Diatabe, he showed instincts and athleticism as a rookie. I recall a bunch of us liking him in the pre-season.


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The Browns LBs are indeed weaker compared to traditional LBs.

That said, the group depends on the DL, mostly the DT, to occupy the OL.

The key to today's LB is speed. They serve both in coverage and gap containment.

A weak DL will expose this group.

I think fans need a better understanding of the role of today's LBs.

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Don't sleep on Fields either.


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I think both Fields and Diabate have the ability to show up much more with year in the Schwartz D I also like Watson, but he is a rook so it will take another year to really know how he is going to turn out.

I don't know if the group in weak....maybe more unknown, which makes people think they are weak. We also go with 2 backer sets a good deal of the time with a player like Delpit or Harrison playing more or less as a backer, so when they make plays, people credit the secondary when it might be more like a play made by a backer.

I also think the backer position has changed yet people are thinking of guys like Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher.


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I read somewhere that the coaches feel good about Fields.

Camp will tell how players improve or not.

Diabate is starting his second year. Last season he flashed on special teams. Year two is where coaches look for growth. Second year players now know what to expect. They know the coaches and what they want to see. It makes sense that they are way more comfortable.

We know what we have now in Jim Schwartz. The players know what to expect from him.

I think we will be fine at linebacker. JOK, with Walker gone will become the leader. He is an ascending player.

Injury can always set a team back. Hopefully we don't lose key guys from team units.

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Originally Posted by bonefish
I read somewhere that the coaches feel good about Fields.

Camp will tell how players improve or not.

Diabate is starting his second year. Last season he flashed on special teams. Year two is where coaches look for growth. Second year players now know what to expect. They know the coaches and what they want to see. It makes sense that they are way more comfortable.

We know what we have now in Jim Schwartz. The players know what to expect from him.

I think we will be fine at linebacker. JOK, with Walker gone will become the leader. He is an ascending player.

Injury can always set a team back. Hopefully we don't lose key guys from team units.

No doubt injury is always a concern at any position. It's a variable I know is there, but I don't dwell on it.


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Injury is something nobody wants to think about.

However, if there is one factor that can determine a season. It is injury.

No team escapes injury. You know it is going to happen. Coaches know and accept it.

If any team loses key players to injury most likely they will not win a Super Bowl.

Obviously your starting quarterback. But if you lose a Myles Garrett or a top number one receiver or a Travis Kelce type. Big trouble.

The worst of it is; all you can do is hope.

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I read this article about Bush.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...vastating-injury-changed-his-career.html


After reading it I had mixed feelings. This guy was on a fast track to be a force.

Now he sounds like a guy who just wants to hang on to a roster spot. Like special teams is a goal.

Maybe I am wrong. But from what he was quoted on. He doesn't sound like a confident player.

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On the other hand, I’d rather they stay humble and hungry. Over-confidence in one’s ability sends a lot of players back home early.


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Originally Posted by bonefish
I read this article about Bush.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...vastating-injury-changed-his-career.html


After reading it I had mixed feelings. This guy was on a fast track to be a force.

Now he sounds like a guy who just wants to hang on to a roster spot. Like special teams is a goal.

Maybe I am wrong. But from what he was quoted on. He doesn't sound like a confident player.

I don't think he wants, or is satisfied to be a hang on player, but I do think he understands the situation.

Not sure what caused this. Was his knee wrecked to the point it just never worked the same? Was it a mental block? I guess we will find out over the next month or two. This is a good example of why I am very cautious when thinking about Chubb. Everything is looking good but you just never know.


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When you don't walk in someones shoes it is hard to say where he is both physically and mentally.

He did not sound like players who are trying to make their mark.

He sounds like a guy who is trying to hang on.

Maybe the injury took his cutting edge tools. He will have a lot to prove in camp.

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As Schwartz has shown, it's sometimes true that a coach simply has trouble identifying a players strengths and weaknesses so said player can be used to to their full capability on the field. None of these guys are JOK but we see the stark contrast on the field from when he wasn't used properly by Woods to how he is now used properly under Schwarz coaching.

To a lesser extent this may also hold true for Bush. We'll see. Schwartz must have seen something in Bush that his former DC didn't or I don't think he would be here.


Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.

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Hicks has lots of experience with Schwartz.

Fields has shown continued growth.

Watson although a rookie might be good because he was a good college player. He will be a guy to watch in Camp

Diabate has good skills and may get more chances.

Then there is Bush. He is with his third team in three years.

JOK is clearly the best we have.

Our linebackers are small. The heaviest guy is 235. We may miss Taki.

My guess is when we play a 4/3 the starters will be JOK, Hicks and Fields. Depth inside means Bush would be second string unless Watson beats him out.

We should be ok at linebacker not great. The defense is based upon the DL and secondary. JOK will be the linebacker most relied upon.

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Just watch JOK in this drill:

https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2024/...-day-2-chubb-getting-work-after-practice


Then watch Quincy's JOK breakdown.


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JOK is so impressive as an athlete.

Amazing quickness and explosion.

I love watching him play football.

Here is his Notre Dame pro day

[video:youtube]https://www.giants.com/video/notre-dame-lb-jeremiah-owusu-koramoah-s-pro-day-highlights[/video]

Last edited by bonefish; 07/26/24 07:22 PM.
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j/c

signing JOK is very needed. I would like him to become our "green dot" guy and really stay on the field all game.

He's such a versatile and explosive guy


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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