Chiefs Linebackers are ?

[Iluvhouse24 1,808]

1 hour ago, liquidfriend said:

He was incredibly god awful in terms of the amount of plays he was in position to make and completely blew.

 

Can't think of another LB that did worse so often.

Not just that it was almost like the guy was taking himself out of plays. Like he was running TOWARD the blockers. He was so damn lost last year, I really felt bad for him. Suttons defense did a number on him. I remember watching him in Dallas. The dude was a beast. Really good athletes, flying to the ball. He will get back to that.

[liquidfriend 1,151]

10 minutes ago, Iluvhouse24 said:

Not just that it was almost like the guy was taking himself out of plays. Like he was running TOWARD the blockers. He was so damn lost last year, I really felt bad for him. Suttons defense did a number on him. I remember watching him in Dallas. The dude was a beast. Really good athletes, flying to the ball. He will get back to that.

Yeah, he really was drawn a shit hand.

Firing Gary Gibbs early in 2017, upon reflection, was totally idiotic.  They should have put him in charge of just the inside backers and grabbed a pass-rush specialist for the outsiders.  The fat guy and werthers trying to coach them out was a total flop.

First year in a totally new system, around quite a few guys that had minimal effort, running bizarro assignments for a coach that has zero feel for the game.  The inside guys in werthers system were asked a whole hell of a lot more than linebackers from pretty much any other Defensive scheme there is.

That's why everything was humming when DJ was flying around and used his instincts to correctly guess what gaps to fill before the play bubbled to it vs a slow DJ that couldn't make it there in time or a Hitchens that was clearly overmatched for everything they wanted out of him.  His role will be much simpler this year.

[jetlord 10,210]

Last season the ILB and S groups were disasters.  HB and Thronhill should do a lot to fix the S position group.  I'm counting on Sutton to fix the LBs.  Using Hitchens and Ragland better and adding Wilson and Lee will hopefully make the group close to average which is a huge improvement.  Having better D line play rather than just rushing the passer should also help.  Hitchens will play okay this year.  Ragland may finally be 100% healed.  Wilson brings some talent.  Lee and DOD will have roles.  

[Mloe68 1,521]

12 hours ago, liquidfriend said:

Yeah, he really was drawn a shit hand.

Firing Gary Gibbs early in 2017, upon reflection, was totally idiotic.  They should have put him in charge of just the inside backers and grabbed a pass-rush specialist for the outsiders.  The fat guy and werthers trying to coach them out was a total flop.

First year in a totally new system, around quite a few guys that had minimal effort, running bizarro assignments for a coach that has zero feel for the game.  The inside guys in werthers system were asked a whole hell of a lot more than linebackers from pretty much any other Defensive scheme there is.

That's why everything was humming when DJ was flying around and used his instincts to correctly guess what gaps to fill before the play bubbled to it vs a slow DJ that couldn't make it there in time or a Hitchens that was clearly overmatched for everything they wanted out of him.  His role will be much simpler this year.

Good read there. DJ and EB were smart and athletic enough to make Sutton’s system thrive early. But when they weren’t there or hobbled the whole thing sank fast. 

In Dallas Hitchens played a diverse role but wasn’t asked to be everything at once as he was last year here. Simplify his role on game day and just let him mostly attack downfield to help run defense. 

Not sure how losing Gary Gibbs impacted overall scheme. But he’s been a competent  defensive coach all the way back to his days at OU

[liquidfriend 1,151]

10 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

Good read there. DJ and EB were smart and athletic enough to make Sutton’s system thrive early. But when they weren’t there or hobbled the whole thing sank fast. 

In Dallas Hitchens played a diverse role but wasn’t asked to be everything at once as he was last year here. Simplify his role on game day and just let him mostly attack downfield to help run defense. 

Not sure how losing Gary Gibbs impacted overall scheme. But he’s been a competent  defensive coach all the way back to his days at OU

Gibbs did a decent job spinning linebackers into adequate players.

Sutton's system relied heavily on individual players doing their jobs well and most of the guys did not do that for the last few years.

[DieHard 2,061]

I think all the LBs looked like they were on their heels reacting instead of on the balls of their feet pursuing. I like we see better play from all of them when we are not living in a constant prevent approach. I have no worries about Hitchens. Rags is a question mark to me. DOD is a question mark to me. He looked like a typical rook last year, but now he has some experience and a better scheme. Lee should be solid with some explosive plays mixed in. I think he ends up the starting Will with Hitch at Mike. No idea about the new Sam. 

[Calichief 3,025]

Rags is a cookie short of 300 pounds 

[xen 1,010,220]

2 hours ago, Calichief said:

Rags is a cookie short of 300 pounds 

Chris Jones to MLB and Rags is your new 0 tech DT.