Good point. I agree that DOG seems like the best use of Jaylon.
People, including myself, are just trying to get all 4 potential LBs from this class on the field at once. Mattingly seems too thin to play inside, so that seems to mean that Jaylon gets bumped to WILL.
CAT: Muhammed/other
MIKE: Anzalone/Deeb
WILL: Smith
DOG: Mattingly
If we add Anzalone and Muhammed (Grace and Anzalone on the inside, Jaylon at DOG, Williams/Muhammed at CAT), I would not be suprised to see Mattingly play TE down the road --he reminds me of Shark and Eifert for some reason and you want to get the ball to those kind of kids.
I would almost bet everything that Smith will never end up inside. He alows
a team to save one whole defender playing that away side OLB. That is the most tremendous advantage you can hope for on defense.
His skills are awesome as a pass rusher, in coverage, and he is hard to get a hat on, so he is pretty unblockable. Granted, that may sound good inside, but it is all about space. He runs a 4.4ish 40!
Finally, I have yet to see this point anywhere. I think from what film I have seen, and from the interviews and everything available, Jaylon is going to adjust to the speed of the game better than any linebacker since Manti. (And he may challenge Manti, speed of adjustment only.)
I guarantee that coaches will do things their way. I am not trying to suggest that I know better or more than them; so where they play I truly don't know. But there are rules that everybody follows, gravity, etc., I am just pulling this out of past experience and what has happened before.
All these linebackers in this class will need to bulk up a little. Except Deeb, but he probably will, too.
Your best LB on the team which of the four spots would you want him to play? Which of the spots is never taken off the field no matter what down it is?
Sherm, what kind of linbacker? Do you think Manti would be dominant outside? With the troubles we have had, well documented for the last three seasons, (not so much last year), do you really think they wouldn't have moved Manti outside, if it was possible? Conversely, do you see them playing Slaughter inside? I mean he is a hybrid OS linebacker, db. No, you would never play him insided.
The only problem with our inside linebackers, that I can see is that they have been a little weak in coverage, Manti will come out trimmer,(maybe 255-260), I think he was close to 270 last season, and Fox has it. (The young guys Moore, Rasaba, Grace all seem to be getting it.) And I believe Justin Utupo could play almost any D-line or linebacker position, exept dog.
