Hard-hitting rookie LBs
Tavares Gooden, the rookie and third-round pick out of Miami, has drawn a lot of praise, and rightfully so. This morning during a pass rushing drill, he ran over fullback Le'Ron McClain, no easy task, and also trucked running back Allen Patrick. Gooden has good strength, and is able to work low under the running back's pads. He excels through a hit.
But a linebacker to keep an eye on is Jameel McClain, a rookie free agent out of Syracuse. McClain is 6 feet 1 and 250 pounds. That young man will jack you.







Comments
You know, Mike, thinking about two of your earlier posts (addressing the O-line and changing the culture), and considering the abundance of good young linebackers, including the two mentioned in this post, is it possible Bart Scott could be traded for an offensive tackle? I know you generally don't see player-for-player trades in the NFL, but Bart's in the last year of his contract anyway (hence no big cap hit) and it could send a message that undisciplined nonsense on the field will no longer be tolerated while also filling a position of need. The more I think about it, the more I like this idea if there's some team that has an extra OT but needs a LB.
Posted by: Ray | July 28, 2008 9:08 PM
Great point Ray...and something to think about.
I have to wonder if Prescott Burgess is on the chopping block. I have not heard his name mentioned even once this year.
Posted by: Mike | July 28, 2008 10:50 PM
Somebody said trade Bart Scott? You should open the windows next time you repaint your house.
Posted by: Tony | July 29, 2008 3:37 AM
Look, I was a huge critic of Compu Coach and camp cream puff, but look at camp hardball. The injury list reads like something out of a war zone. Guys are dropping left and right with injuries. Hitting is fine for a few days, but when starters are starting to drop, its time to scale things back. Let the young guys and rookies hit each other, but let the veterans go light for god's sake.
Otherwise, I may have to nickname this training camp " Camp MASH ball"
Posted by: Patrick | July 29, 2008 11:58 AM
If the "indians" are undisciplined most of the time, it is usually the fault of the chief.
Posted by: Chris | August 2, 2008 8:15 PM