Should AJ get some work at DE?

#51
#51
Smokefatty said:
He's a 2-down LB being forced to play 3 downs because we don't have anyone else to do it right now. Hopefully, Jancek will find a way to get him some rest on third and long, so he doesn't keep getting exposed in the passing game.
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I agree with this.:good!:
 
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#53
#53
Sarms58 said:
He's quick but not really fast so I doubt he'll ever play LB in the NFL. But he has such natural football instincts...he could be a killed DE on the pass rush.

Just an off season thought...
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Ask John Chavis if he could get a do-over for 1997 if he would still move Leonard Little from DE to LB.

Gotta say no way.

Take an all-Conf player and make them learn a new position in their SR year. Not a good idea
 
#54
#54
AJ is a helluva MLB but he had no supporting cast. That made him try to make up for their deficiencies thus looking slow. Give him the supporting cast and watch him tear it up. By the way wasn't he for two years in a row in the top 3 tacklers in the SEC? No need to move that productivity.
 
#55
#55
I'm not sure why everybody on VN seems obsessed with moving our 6'1" 240 pound LB to a position he's never played before on the DL where he would be absorbed by 300 lb OTs.

Sure, AJ is a little slow for a LB by SEC standards, but who else are we going to put in at MLB? He does a great job defending the inside run, we just need to get him off the field on 3rd down more. We should have a few guys who will be able to sub in for him in passing situations this year, so I think AJ will had a great season most likely.
 
#56
#56
DaddyChad said:
Johnson is better than people give him credit for but let's not be ridiculous. He is a liability in coverage right now and would be lucky to get drafted period unless he improves there.
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So we have people saying he's. pro bowler, he won't get drafted, and he might make special teams for two years. Is it possible he's an really good MLB vs the run and bad in coverage and will probably be a second or third round pick play in the nfl a while and probably start a few years?
 
#57
#57
Vols188 said:
He's had over 100 tackles in the SEC the last two years. So heck no!
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Almost none from behind theline of scrimmage. When I think middle linebacker, I think of big hits. When I think of AJ, I think of four yards down the field and jumping on their back or pulling them down. I'm not ripping him, I just don't see those bone crushing hits from him in my mind. Last year was better because he had a few but still not enough to get the image of AJ running sideways and catching a guy 4 yards down field and riding him to the ground.

I believe Coach Jones mentioned that last year, that AJ needed more tfl's. So, it's not just me who notices this problem.
 
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#58
#58
Yes, he could be our outside rusher in Nickel. AJ is just a football player who can play linebacker but not a linebacker. He tackles like a DE. I wish we could of saw him at DE all four years. He would of been greater.
 
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#59
#59
PerneVedisUncool said:
So we have people saying he's. pro bowler, he won't get drafted, and he might make special teams for two years. Is it possible he's an really good MLB vs the run and bad in coverage and will probably be a second or third round pick play in the nfl a while and probably start a few years?
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Not in the new NFL, players like him are finding less use. Linebackers his style who are a lot better are second rounders. AJ is 5th or below. He's not all that good in the run since he gets people 5 yards downfield.
 
#60
#60
Gruuden said:
. Liabiliy? All sec all American. 109 tackles. Plays EVERY down defensively. Yea I guess your right. He can't cover the fastest guy on fla or the fastest guy on bama but he is far from a liability. Nobody on our damn team in the past ten years at linebacker could cover half of those guys. He's a stud and when he gets 100 plus tackles again this year he will be top 20 pick
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He was a liability in pass coverage last year. He's great vs the run tackle to tackle, is pretty good sideline to sideline vs the run.... he was poor in pass coverage..... one of the reasons why his draft grade was poor and why he came back for his senior year.
 
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#61
#61
smokey0625 said:
Almost none from behind theline of scrimmage. When I think middle linebacker, I think of big hits. When I think of AJ, I think of four yards down the field and jumping on their back or pulling them down. I'm not ripping him, I just don't see those bone crushing hits from him in my mind. Last year was better because he had a few but still not enough to get the image of AJ running sideways and catching a guy 4 yards down field and riding him to the ground.

I believe Coach Jones mentioned that last year, that AJ needed more tfl's. So, it's not just me who notices this problem.
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Running guys down and jumping on their back, and yet he is slow.
Does. Not. Compute.
 
#62
#62
KBVol said:
He was a liability in pass coverage last year. He's great vs the run tackle to tackle, is pretty good sideline to sideline vs the run.... he was poor in pass coverage..... one of the reasons why his draft grade was poor and why he came back for his senior year.
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He doesn't make many tackles within 5 yards of the LOS. He got out ran on side to side runs also. Remember Nick Marshall? He needs to take people head on before I'd ever take him. AJ catches people when they have to slow down. Otherwise Sapp gets them.
 
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#63
#63
Rudy123 said:
A.J. should get some work at running the stadium stairs! Drinking, underage people drinking, smell of marijuana at the scene, etc.etc.

He should have known better!!!!!!!!!!!
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He would have to transfer to play for a Seminary to avoid that.
 
#64
#64
Doyle Hargraves said:
Running guys down and jumping on their back, and yet he is slow.
Does. Not. Compute.
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I agree. He's not a 4.5 guy, but dang if AJ didn't track runners all the way to the sidelines, I tremble to think how bad our D would have been the last two years.

Brandon Spikes was no burner and hes done well for himselfbin the league. AJs numbers do not lie IMO.
 
#65
#65
livefaith said:
I agree. He's not a 4.5 guy, but dang if AJ didn't track runners all the way to the sidelines, I tremble to think how bad our D would have been the last two years.

Brandon Spikes was no burner and hes done well for himselfbin the league. AJs numbers do not lie IMO.
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It amazes me how people rip on the one solid rock that our defense has had the past couple of years.
 
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#66
#66
smokey0625 said:
Almost none from behind theline of scrimmage. When I think middle linebacker, I think of big hits. When I think of AJ, I think of four yards down the field and jumping on their back or pulling them down. I'm not ripping him, I just don't see those bone crushing hits from him in my mind. Last year was better because he had a few but still not enough to get the image of AJ running sideways and catching a guy 4 yards down field and riding him to the ground.

I believe Coach Jones mentioned that last year, that AJ needed more tfl's. So, it's not just me who notices this problem.
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So even though he's out best LB you dont like the way he tackles so we should move him? Who cares if he doesn't light people up. He makes good tackles. Thats what we need on this team
 
#68
#68
K-town Vol Fan said:
So even though he's out best LB you dont like the way he tackles so we should move him? Who cares if he doesn't light people up. He makes good tackles. Thats what we need on this team
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He doesn't make good tackles. He flings people around like a defensive lineman. It gives up vital inches.
 
#70
#70
K-town Vol Fan said:
So even though he's out best LB you dont like the way he tackles so we should move him? Who cares if he doesn't light people up. He makes good tackles. Thats what we need on this team
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Coach Jones didn't like the way he tackled. He tackles four yards down field. So no, I do not like that and I agree with the hc. I would like his numbers better if he had more tfl's.
 
#71
#71
Burger said:
Not in the new NFL, players like him are finding less use. Linebackers his style who are a lot better are second rounders. AJ is 5th or below. He's not all that good in the run since he gets people 5 yards downfield.
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You know a 3-4 is a very common scheme in the NFL right?
 
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#72
#72
in a nickel, dime, or zone blitz, you guys wouldn't like to see AJ at DE or a hybrid position picking a spot and rushing the passer?

Why not? I guess you would rather him covering the middle of the field on a TE? Or the back out of the backfield.

Absolutely, in situations, play AJ on the DL if he shows he can get in the backfield.
 
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#73
#73
Vol865 said:
You know a 3-4 is a very common scheme in the NIL right?
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I don't think it'll be the case much longer. We're going back to a 4-3 football world. AJ would not be worth a roster spot since he'd only play 2 downs.
 
#74
#74
Doyle Hargraves said:
Why didn't the corner
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I change my opinion, you can't be valedictorian because you're still in high school. I'm done with you after this point. Corners cover, backers tackle. If you ever get the two confused or switched then your defense sucks and Sunseri is your d coordinator. Now maybe you confused Safeties for corners, then you would be right. But I've never heard anybody say," man that corner can tackle, but he sure sucks at pass coverage." The reason we don't hear anybody say that is because if you have corner like I previously mentioned, then he isn't playing on Saturdays or Sundays.

Now I'm done.
 
#75
#75
Coleman can tackle as a corner, but pretty much struggles in pass coverage, especially tracking the ball, reading routes, and anticipating throws. He played on Saturdays against 5 top 10 teams in a 6 week period.
 
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