View Single Post
Old 08-31-2009, 03:13 PM   #10
SC Skins Fan
The Starter
 
SC Skins Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1,555
Re: Still Don't get why Move Orakpo to LB

Quote:
Originally Posted by D'BOYZ View Post
Brian Cushing taken (15), Clay Matthews taken (26) and probably Robert Ayers taken (18)
Ayers is a converted DE too and is not as talented as Orakpo so I fail to see how he fits. I am so glad they did not draft Cushing. He lacks pass rush skill and was already hurt and missing games early this preseason (not sure if he is still out or not, but the guy is a walking triage unit). Really can't speak much on Matthews except to say that he is not as talented a player as Orakpo either.

You have to understand the scheme, though, to understand why Orakpo actually fits nicely in both the short and long-term plans of the Redskins. Blache likes to rush the SLB and does so a lot. So you are actually looking at a player who is actually closer to a 3-4 OLB (think Demarcus Ware) than a straight 4-3 SAM. He will find himself in space at times, of course, and have to cover the occasional tight end, but really what Blache is looking for in that player is someone who can rush the passer. Plus, in the long-term Orakpo is the replacement in waiting for Andre Carter. He really is not a scheme fit for the LDE in the Redskins scheme and it is too easy to nullify the pass rush that player with offensive sets anyway. The Skins prefer to play bigger, run stoppers (Daniels, Wynn, maybe Jarmon some day) at that position. But the bottom line is that 1) Orakpo is actually a good scheme fit for what the Redskins want to do right now (whether you agree with that scheme or not), 2) he provides a long term solution at RDE, 3) he was far and away the most talented defensive player on the board at #13.

I am not sure about him looking lost on Friday because I did not single him out on most plays that I watched. I would have to go back and look again. But I would not be surprised if he did at times. I know he did appear to be looking for players rather than "feeling" them against Pittsburgh. But at other times he looked fluid in space so I actually think he will improve and is actually better right now than we had the right to expect. He certainly is a good enough athlete in space to do the things that the Redskins want him to do right now. Kiwanka looked bad when he first made the switch in 2007, but he improved and was playing well prior to his injury (and subsequent switch back to DE last year). So basically I think your analysis of Orakpo is off-base and ultimately short-sighted.
__________________
It has taken a long time, but I have finally realized that nothing I say about the Redskins will have any effect upon anything the Redskins do.
SC Skins Fan is offline   Reply With Quote

Advertisements
 
Page generated in 0.59744 seconds with 10 queries