I think this might be our answer for OLB... (Greg Ellis?)

Here's Stats, Inc. take on Greg Ellis. While I'm not advocating for him (for a trade at least, since he will most likely be released) just wanted to add this to this discussion. Also, someone mentioned him being injury prone, well he played all 16 games last season, only missed 3 in 2007, and it was only in 2006 when he missed 8 games.

2008 Scouting Report - Scouts Inc.
Greg Ellis #98 LB
Grade: 75 | Key
Alert: None

Comment: Ellis is 10-year veteran with very good size and adequate speed and quickness. He reacts quickly to the run. He has good size and strength to maintain effective hand use. He has long arms to stack and shed. He will get upright with his pad level, but has good strength and balance to keep his feet. He's a former defensive end who understands leverage. He can play physical and get off blocks with good timing. He is still quick enough to work his feet and re-gain outside leverage. He is also quick enough to contain and force running backs back inside. He has adequate acceleration in space with good effort to pursue from behind. As a pass rusher, the Cowboys will bring him off the edge from a three-point stance where he has good success recording sacks when his hand is on the ground. He has strength in his upper body to re-work his hands inside then react off of the offensive tackle's technique. He's physical with his hands and works to finish. He is also strong with the ability to rip inside-out. He has a variety of pass-rush moves including spins and counters. He does a good job turning speed to power. He will get upright on counter moves, but comes hard inside and has strength into traffic. He has some limitations in coverage due to his lack of burst in space. He will stall changing direction and lack the quickness to break down consistently, when isolated.

You want to trade with the god damn cowboys?

we dont trade with them we never have never will

we dont trade with them we never have never will

Actually we have before.

Redskins general manager Charley Casserly decided he wouldn't risk losing Johnson. He gave the Dallas Cowboys a third round pick to move up from the 7th spot on the second round to the 30th spot on the first round and grabbed Johnson.

It was noteworthy that Jerry Jones, the Dallas owner, traded his first round pick to the Redskins, a division rival. The Redskins also traded with the Cowboys in 1989, 1991 and 1992. When Casserly was asked what his mentor, the late George Allen, would have thought about trading with the Cowboys, Casserly said, "First of all, George wouldn't have had the second and third (round picks) to trade because they would have been gone four years ago.''

WebSkins : Redskins Draft 1996 (Level 2) (http://www.webskins.org/draft96.html)

In our 4-3 he would be more suited for the DE spot instead of SLB.
you honestly think he can cover guys like Witten and Ingram?

In our 4-3 he would be more suited for the DE spot instead of SLB.
you honestly think he can cover guys like Witten and Ingram?

I agree hes a DE in a 4-3 defense but if the price is right I wouldnt mind giving him a shot at OLB. Hell id put Orakpo at DE, Ellis at WLB, and move Rocky to SLB.

I know the odds of this happening are slim to none but I think it would be a upgrade over playing Orakpo out of position and two old DEs at LDE.

No cowboys

I got a better OLB option, Brady popinga of the packers, cause thyre switching to a 3-4 and they don't think that he'll fit in it, and he's a great 4-3 OLB, I think theyll cut him by training camp

New rule: if we're going to suggest players who would make sense at OLB in our 4-3 defense, they have to be a better player than Marcus Washington. Who is still a free agent.

Pisa Tinoisamoa was an interesting case, because he is a great player. He's just very, very lanky, and almost exclusively needs to be in a cover two defense to be great. I think Poppinga would be worth a look. But the Greg Ellis' of the world...we can do better.

Also, SLB is a position that is very much a two down position in the NFL, so it makes sense to hand the job to Orakpo as a rookie, if just to get him onto the field and tackling NFL RBs. We're not lacking in nickel linebackers with Blades and Fletch, and the team appears to be happy with Rocky Mac as a two down weak-side linebacker, which is a place I think a move would make sense. So given that, maybe we don't have a need at LB.

I dont like when people take stats and break them down.

I will only have reactionary posts from here on out.

My take on LBs is that you get the fastest, best motor guys available, preferably young and you let them run to the ball. Vets are good as situational guys, they know the drops, etc, but Ellis, to me, was always a bit stiff.