Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

Back around draft time, I wondered if Brian Orakpo would turn out to be a great pick for two reasons:


1. If the Skins wanted to play him at DE full time, they had to worry that he did not play the run very well in college. To be sure, one reason for that is that the offenses in the Big-12 South last year tended to throw the ball 75% of the time so his"assignment" was to get to the QB because the odds are that is where the ball was going to be.

2. If the Skins wanted to play him at OLB full time, they would have to teach him a new position and new skills - - like pass coverage. He did none of that in college...


The risk in taking a physically gifted athlete and trying to change his position is that he may not be able to - or amenable to - learning the new skills and techniques needed for that position. Often, top-flight athletes resist "teaching" and rely on what got them notoriety in the first place - - their athletic abilities.

Scouting a player's willingness and ability to be coached up quickly into a new position is much harder than scouting a player's strength or speed or "nose for the football".

Well, the Skins hit the jackpot with Orakpo. He is learning his new position and he is learning fast. He is [U]significantly better now than he was in September[/U] in terms of his technique of playing in space and in terms of his ability to stay with tight ends when the defense calls for him to cover instead of rushing. He was as rough as an abused mule at those things in the Exhibition Season and he has gotten significantly better.

Given that it appears as if he has the head for the NFL game in addition to the physical skills for the NFL game, the likelihood is that Brian Orakpo is destined to be a complete player - - not just a pass rushing specialist - - for the future.

Imagine, the Skins being able to leave Orakpo and Fletcher out there on defense on every down in every game. That has to help...

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

Is this a positive thread from sportscurmudgeon?

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

I quick ran a scan on my pc. I thought I had a virus?

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

As much as Oher would have helped the line, it is hard to hate on the Rak pick. That guy is going to be an elite beast for years to come.

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

I actually think in today's game, it's easier to play the run from the DE position than the OLB position. A lot of the time, the DE gets the TE or FB one on one. Linebackers either have to take on offensive lineman, or they get a free run if the guys up front win their battles.

A linebacker who can't shed a guard and make a play is basically useless, but if a DE can rush the passer, you can work him into your defensive scheme, even if he simply takes a blocker out of the play against runs.

3-4 schemes are the other way around. But DE's in the 4-3 tend to become OLB's in the 3-4, so if you look at it that way, I think this analysis still holds.

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=Lotus;632463]As much as Oher would have helped the line, it is hard to hate on the Rak pick. That guy is going to be an elite beast for years to come.[/quote]Like I said at the draft: I would have taken Oher in Vinny's position. But simply by not trading up for Sanchez, we landed our defensive superstar of the next 10 years. That's just as valuable as a great OT, and actually, a lot riskier to find in future drafts. Knowing what we now know, I would have taken Orakpo there over Oher.

The problem all along was that we spent the second round pick on Jason Taylor, which would have been an issue even if JT was a resounding success.

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

I blame the defense for making him have to do this!

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=SmootSmack;632429]Is this a positive thread from sportscurmudgeon?[/quote]
I guess sc felt he needed to "make up" for getting everyone's panties in a bunch for "blaming the defense" last week ;)

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

gotta wonder if he will play at d end a little bit more with jarmon done, anyone know who we might be getting for the roster spot? wynn?

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=BDBohnzie;632504]I guess sc felt he needed to "make up" for getting everyone's panties in a bunch for "blaming the defense" last week ;)[/quote]

I got SC's back... his thread last week was right on or at least not far off.

Did anyone think we would hold that 8-point 4th quarter lead? Didn't think so...

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=mlmdub130;632553]gotta wonder if he will play at d end a little bit more with jarmon done, anyone know who we might be getting for the roster spot? wynn?[/quote]

Rob Jackson.

Isn't Wynn on our roster already?

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=CrazyCanuck;632555]I got SC's back... his thread last week was right on or at least not far off.

Did anyone think we would hold that 8-point 4th quarter lead? Didn't think so...[/quote]

You know.......that's a REAL shame when you KNOW your team is going to tank the lead at the wire........but totally correct!

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=SmootSmack;632557]Rob Jackson.

Isn't Wynn on our roster already?[/quote]

i have no idea i stopped trying to keep track, we keep cutting and signing guys, he might be

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=SmootSmack;632557]Rob Jackson.

Isn't Wynn on our roster already?[/quote]

More playing time for Lorenzo Alexander as well.

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

And Chris Wilson

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

[quote=CrazyCanuck;632555]I got SC's back... his thread last week was right on or at least not far off.

Did anyone think we would hold that 8-point 4th quarter lead? Didn't think so...[/quote]

I just thought that the timing of last week's thread was off. It is a lot easier to make that argument about the defense this week rather than after a 7-6 game.

And, yes, in the fourth quarter this week I feared the seemingly inevitable 4th quarter defensive demise as SC chronicled.

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

i love me some rak. im constantly watching him, when he lines up with both hands on the ground

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

When the Skins get something right, I am perfectly willing to say they got it right. (Go and check and see that I said that the signing of Jeremy Bridges was a good one this summer because it was low risk with potentially high payoff. And would that the Skins had decided to keep Bridges instead of Batiste - - but that is another decision...) I happen to believe that the Skins have gotten far more personnel decisions wrong in the last decade than they have gotten right.


They reached a bit on Orakpo deciding to change his position especially since they had no 2md round pick. If that had not worked out, they would have been behind the eight ball worse than now. But they got it right and Orkapo is getting better game by game by game.

Re: Orakpo - - A Star in the Making
 

They took the player with the higher ceiling. Given that this team isn't nearly as good as the FO thought it has ended up being the right long term pick. I think they maybe lucked into it a tiny bit. I do believe they had Rak properly evaluated but I also think they had Oher rather underrated. At least that makes sense to me because the need on the Line was so obvious it would have required that the player they took over a supposed OL standout had to be massively better. Either we got a stud and something to be happy about.