Do We Really Need To Sign Linebackers?

[Snaggletiger]

YES...YES...YES!!!  A quick look at the current roster and the list of linebackers we have.

Jake Holland  6'1"  241

Kris Frost  6'2"  233

JaViere Mitchell  6'2"  210

Justin Garrett  6'1"  215

Cassanova McKinzy  6'3"  243

Jacob Westrich  6'1"  230

Gage Batten  6'0"  232

That's it.  That's all of them...except some 193 pounder named Van Gorder.  Just sayin'.  I love the prospects of what McKinzy and Frost COULD become.  But neither has been a starter for the most part.  How about a couple of nagging injuries to McKinzy, Frost or Holland?  Do you like the back ups?  I would love to get Rueben Foster in the fold but you still can't count on a true freshman to jump into the SEC West and kick ass right away.  We hit the #1 JUCO running back and #1 JUCO guard.  Do we need to focus on a JUCO linebacker to plug in until we get numbers over the next couple of years. 

Again, I love to think about what McKinzy and Frost might do over the next few years but looking at this roster....damn....just damn.

[djsimp]

Looking at Scouts website, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of JUCO LB's available. I did find this one though that looks to have a previous offer from Malzahn as HC at Ark St.

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=5960486

[djsimp]

Then there is this guy who had an offer from Georgia. Not sure if Garner would have any influence here.

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=6312547

[Snaggletiger]

Okay, Lucy...choo gots some splainin' to do.  Did I see earlier where Johnson runs a 5-2-4?  If so, I'm assuming a combination of McKinzy/Holland....McKinzy/Frost...Frost/Holland.  Out of the remainder, only Garrett and Mitchell have a real shot at playing time.  I've heard first hand that Mitchell is a bad mofo but he came in under 200. He's listed at 210 now on a 6'2" frame.  Still needs to beef up, as does Garrett. 

What do we do when we're trying to get a stop in short yardage/goal line situations?  How about nickle packages?  Any chance of Ladarious Owens moving to LB?  He seems big and fast enough.

[dallaswareagle]

Okay, Lucy...choo gots some splainin' to do.  Did I see earlier where Johnson runs a 5-2-4?  If so, I'm assuming a combination of McKinzy/Holland....McKinzy/Frost...Frost/Holland.  Out of the remainder, only Garrett and Mitchell have a real shot at playing time.  I've heard first hand that Mitchell is a bad mofo but he came in under 200. He's listed at 210 now on a 6'2" frame.  Still needs to beef up, as does Garrett. 

What do we do when we're trying to get a stop in short yardage/goal line situations?  How about nickle packages?  Any chance of Ladarious Owens moving to LB?  He seems big and fast enough.

For all that is holy during this most religious time:

He should never see the field unless we are way up or way down.

[Snaggletiger]

For all that is holy during this most religious time:

He should never see the field unless we are way up or way down.

Good Gawd, I wish that were the case.  This year, even as sorry as we were, we did have "experience" at LB with Holland, Bates and Evans. I'd feel a lot better had they worked McKinzy, Frost and Garrett into the mix more often.  But they didn't.  McKinzy played sparingly, at best.  Frost and Garrett.  Maybe mop up against Alabama A&M and NMSU.  Now, I look at that roster and think, holy fuck, we're one injury away from catastrophe.

[djsimp]

Good Gawd, I wish that were the case.  This year, even as sorry as we were, we did have "experience" at LB with Holland, Bates and Evans. I'd feel a lot better had they worked McKinzy, Frost and Garrett into the mix more often.  But they didn't.  McKinzy played sparingly, at best.  Frost and Garrett.  Maybe mop up against Alabama A&M and NMSU.  Now, I look at that roster and think, holy fuck, we're one injury away from catastrophe.

Sanders and LO, problem solved.

[Snaggletiger]

Just noticed they have Ladarious Owens listed at 6'2" and 260.  Tell him in the spring, "YOU are now a linebacker."  Then put...that....sonuvabitch..in the middle...and turn him loose. 

[djsimp]

Just noticed they have Ladarious Owens listed at 6'2" and 260.  Tell him in the spring, "YOU are now a linebacker."  Then put...that....sonuvabitch..in the middle...and turn him loose.

I wish so bad that they would........with Craig Sanders right next him along with Cassinova and Frost.
That would be one bad ass fn LB corp.

[Townhallsavoy]

Just noticed they have Ladarious Owens listed at 6'2" and 260.  Tell him in the spring, "YOU are now a linebacker."  Then put...that....sonuvabitch..in the middle...and turn him loose.

You say turn him loose like that solves it.  Jake Holland was turned loose.

If you saw this 260 lb guy, would you say put him at middle linebacker and turn him loose?

[Snaggletiger]

You say turn him loose like that solves it.  Jake Holland was turned loose.

If you saw this 260 lb guy, would you say put him at middle linebacker and turn him loose?

Apples and polmegranites.  Owens is a physical specimen and has played some from a stand up position at DE.  May be wrong but I think he was a LB in HS.  Anyone...anyone?  Not saying the transition would be easy.  I recall in his senior season, they tried Quentin Groves at outside LB for a game or two and he was obviously lost as hell.  But, that was a mid-season move after he was coming off an injury.  Just saying you could take a big, fast athlete like that in the spring and give him reps at LB.  Lord knows, it looks like we'll need the numbers. 

[dallaswareagle]

You say turn him loose like that solves it.  Jake Holland was turned loose. A blocking dummy.

If you saw this 260 lb guy, would you say put him at middle linebacker and turn him loose?

I'd trade some inexperience for some meanness out there.

[jmar]

Just noticed they have Ladarious Owens listed at 6'2" and 260.  Tell him in the spring, "YOU are now a linebacker."  Then put...that....sonuvabitch..in the middle...and turn him loose.

You're right Snags. Owens might be a good move to LB, just as I thought Lemonier would have been. And even if Frost and McKinzy turn out to be Karlos Dansby and Aundray Bruce we still need help at linebacker.

[Snaggletiger]

copyin' all up in yo pasta. The bio for Owens from Auburn University Athletics site.


HIGH SCHOOL -- High School Coach: Billy Woodham ... Ranked 128th on the Rivals.com Rivals250 ... No. 8-ranked outside linebacker and No. 4 player in Alabama by Rivals.com ... Ranked No. 138 in the ESPNU 150 ... No. 14-rated defensive end by ESPN.com/Scouts Inc. ... No. 17-rated outside linebacker by Scout.com ... Named an All-American, the No. 7 linebacker and the No. 4 player in Alabama by SuperPrep ... Named to the PrepStar All-American team ... 2009 EA SPORTS Third-Team All-American ... Participant in the 2010 Under Armour All-American game ... Was a 2009 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game participant and had two sacks in the game ... Was an honorable mention selection to the Class 6A All-State Team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior and junior ... Ranked No. 4 on the Mobile Press-Register's 2009 Elite 18 ... No. 13 on the Birmingham News' list of the Alabama Super Seniors ... No. 46 on the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120 ... Honorable mention member of the Orlando Sentinel's 2009 All-Southern football team ... Finished senior season with 80 tackles, 20.5 sacks and two forced fumbles ... Recorded 92 tackles and 18 sacks as a junior.
 

[oldautiger]

I'll take DL's, LB's CB's Safties - Anybody that can fucking TACKLE

[AWK]

I'll take DL's, LB's CB's Safties - Anybody that can fucking TACKLE

What this guy said.

[WiregrassTiger]

Without immediate help at LB, we are in for another long season. I don't care if Knute, Bear and Shug were to come back to life and coach the team. We couldn't score enough.

[The Prowler]

JUCO LB Antonio Longino 6'3” 235lbs. (same JUCO as Auburn's OL Davonte Danzey) will be visiting in January.

[Saniflush]

I'll take DL's, LB's CB's Safties - Anybody that can fucking TACKLE

Jay Jacobs have any eligibility left? He can stop a program in it's tracks.

[bottomfeeder]

All the coaches need to do to recruit these guys is show a short film of Jake Holland not being a linebacker. Immediate playing time is not only a possibility, it's a necessity.