Name: Mike Jones
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 203 lbs.
High School: Edgewater High School in Orlando, FL
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey Number: #27
2008 High School Statistics: 60 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 blocked kicks
Prediction for 2009: Backup SAM linebacker
A recent article about Greg Robinson suggests that the safety/linebacker hybrid doesn’t really exist. So instead of calling him a backup “Spinner,” I’ll just call Jones the backup strongside linebacker (SAM). Jones will battle Brandin Hawthorne to back up Steve Brown at the position, and the lead backup will be your likely SAM in 2010.
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Everyone keeps saying that the D this year will be a 3-4 but with a LB weighing just over 200 lbs aren't we really running a 3-3-5 with a S moving up into the front 7? Having a guy like Brown or Jones (both around 200-210) up front doesn't "make" them a LB, they really are a S, right? I have no problem with the 3-3-5 but shouldn't we call this defense what it is?
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A position depends on its responsibilities. If a 200-pound guy has LB responsibilities, then he's a LB. If a 250-pound guy has safety responsibilities, then he's a safety.
Brown (and his backups) will assume the duties of a strongside outside linebacker. So depending on how you look at the Quick position, this defense is either a 3-4-4 or a 4-3-4, but it's definitely not a 3-3-5.
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