LB James Laurinaitis (St. Louis Rams)

[Buckeyecty4]

Originally Posted by sepia5

Peter King might want to consider some Buckeye backers that have been relative bargains or at least solid picks given where they were taken in the draft, like Matt Wilhelm and Na'il Diggs. It's a little early to call Hawk a complete disappointment, but he admittedly hasn't lived up to the #5 billing.

Neither of those players have been anything to write home about.

[TheIronColonel]

I don't understand that line of thinking at all. How does a guy who left school 10 years ago have any impact on James? It's just a psych-out bull[censored] move by some self-important scout to try and knock him down a couple pegs.

[SEREbuckeye]

Originally Posted by Buckeyecty4

Neither of those players have been anything to write home about.

Really, nothing to write home about?

Diggs: over 100 tackles in 3 consecutive seasons with Green Bay, Hawk cant even claim that. He also started 62 consecutive games with Green Bay, and tied for the team in in sacks with the Panthers in 2007.

I'd say anytime you are able to start 62 consecutive games, that shows a lot of durability and respect from your coaches.

After Edwards left, Wilhelm became a starting Linebacker with the Chargers in 07 and showed a drastic leap in his production with 97 tackles (more than AJ Hawk this year). For him to stay with a team from 2003 and garner a starting role years later, thats pretty darn good for a 4th round draft.

Neither of these two are a Ray Lewis, but they have had steady careers.

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State football: Laurinaitis, Freeman post 40 times
by Doug Lesmerises
Monday February 23, 2009

Here are some unofficial 40 times from the NFL Combine, according to the NFL Network, and Ohio State's James Laurinaitis did not blow away the field. But he did run faster than Rey Maualuga. The official leaders in all the drills are posted at NFL.com as they become available.

Laurinaitis ran a 4.80 and a 4.81. The fastest time for USC's Maualuga's was 4.83, according to the Network. Maualuga aggravated what he said had been a lingering hamstring injury running the 40. Those two are expected to be the first two inside linebackers taken, and they are very different animals than the outside linebacker prospects who put up faster times.

Ohio State's Marcus Freeman ran a 4.67 and a 4.70, his fastest time putting him eighth among the linebackers. Wake Forest outside linebacker Aaron Curry, who could be on the radar of the Browns if he's still around at No. 5, ran well, posting a 4.54 to rank third among the linebackers.

A couple of Maualuga's USC teammates ran well, with Clay Matthews running a 4.59 and Brian Cushing posting a 4.64.

As a point of comparison, A.J Hawk ran a 4.65 at the combine three years ago before he became the No. 5 pick in the draft.

As for Laurinaitis, some of the NFL Network analysts said what we said earlier in the year. Charles Davis, one of those analysts, we know is a fan of Laurinaitis. But former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden put himself in the Laurinaitis camp as well.

"I think sometimes these guys that play four years and have great success as freshmen and sophomores and you sense a little decline there, sometimes overanalysis hurts these guys," Gruden said during the NFL Network's coverage this afternoon. "I would love to have Laurinaitis on my team. He's going to be a factor for you."

Ohio State football: Laurinaitis, Freeman post 40 times - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

[OregonBuckeye]

Originally Posted by Buckskin86

Posted: Monday February 23, 2009
Peter King > MONDAY MORNING QB





Ray Lewis?a Cowboy? Matt Cassel a Chief? Free agency thoughts - Peter King - SI.com

That's his favorite story? Prick.

[bukIpower]

better yet, what kind of person ask's that question.

[BuckeyeMike80]

Originally Posted by Buckskin86

Posted: Monday February 23, 2009
Peter King > MONDAY MORNING QB

Ray Lewis?a Cowboy? Matt Cassel a Chief? Free agency thoughts - Peter King - SI.com

1. Peter King was a jackass before this little blurb and will continue to be afterward.

2. The 3 people who still read this fat [censored]'s columns can get much better information that is actually ACCURATE from profootballtalk.com

3. One of the handful of things I ever agreed with Tibs about was the time he sent Fat[censored]head an email blasting him for writing about his daughter's softball excursions like anyone gives two [censored]s (or even one) and his inexplicable need to tell us about how much of a coffee snob he truly is....

4. His English isn't much better than mine. That's not a good thing for a "journalist". His facts are dubious at best.

[Buckskin86]

3 Cone Drill
Name Time
Cushing, Brian 6.84
Matthews, Clay 6.90
Laurinaitis, James 6.93
Freeman, Marcus 6.98
Maiava, Kaluka 6.98
McKillop, Scott 7.00
Ellerbe, Dannell 7.00
Brinkley, Jasper 7.03
Fokou, Moise 7.09

20 YD Shuttle
Name Time
Freeman, Marcus 4.12
Matthews, Clay 4.18
Maiava, Kaluka 4.20
Cushing, Brian 4.22
Ellerbe, Dannell 4.23
Laurinaitis, James 4.24
Fokou, Moise 4.28
Phillips, Jason 4.32
Brinkley, Jasper 4.32

NFL Events: Combine Top Performers

Sliders

James Laurinaitis/ILB/Ohio State: Little Animal looked like anything but an animal on Monday at the combine. He was slow in the 40, timing in the mid 4.7-second area, then looked sluggish in drills. His bench press result of 22 reps was also on the bottom tier of the linebacker list.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...isers.sliders/

[bucknut11]

Originally Posted by OregonBuckeye

That's his favorite story? Prick.

In context, it was his "favorite story" about how teams were trying to push players out of the comfort zones these agents & acting coaches build...

But agents have worked so hard to make their players presentable that teams now have to do things to get players out of their comfort zones. This year, I heard more and more stories about teams challenging players instead of simply interviewing them or exchanging niceties. My favorite story ...

[RhodeIslandBuck]

I saw on CFN that they have JL ranked as the 4th ILB behind Scott McKillop and Jasper Brinkley. Maybe CFN should stick strictly to College Ball.

[jwinslow]

Jasper Brinkley

[TheIronColonel]

When an official upstages you with a brutal forearm shiver, don't you kind of fore go any kind of top 5 positional draft ranking?

[bukIpower]

Well when Animal goes in the top 20 Before Ray Ray and is the first MLB taken all of these draft experts can SO suck a dick.

[3074326]

Did Rey beat JL in anything other than the bench press? And he didn't get him by much in that, either, if I'm not mistaken.

I've seen Rey being taken as high as 5th in some mock drafts, and from what I've seen he hasn't had an impressive workout at all.

Maybe I missed something.

[jwinslow]

He has big hair and big hits. America doesn't have the attention span to notice the mistakes inbetween.