Dan Connor

[Vagrant]

We can argue all day about who is athletic and who is not, but the truth is that Dan Connor slipped into the second round of the draft because his hips are too tight, he lacks lateral agility, and he is not the quickest guy out there.

Saying he's the least athletic linebacker we've ever had was hyperbole, admittedly, but to compare him in the athleticism department to Dan Morgan is also hyperbole.

Connor is SMART. He's a smart football player and that's what we wanted for his position. He was the all time leader in tackles at Penn State not because of superior athleticism, but because he knew the opposing playbook better than the guys running the routes. He's dedicated to the game and he knows his assignment.

I am not judging this on combine numbers or anything ridiculous like that. Just watch the man play. He puts himself in good position 9/10 and that results in being in the right place to make the tackle. That is an invaluable asset for a LB to have, but athletic he is not.

[Punisher]

Connor kinds of reminds me of Zach Thomas.

[Gman was right]

Dan Connor's talent is so badly being wasted on ST's when he should be a full time starter. Why John Fox is so stubborn and stays so loyal to his has been players is such a head scratcher especially when you have a beast like Dan Connor sitting on the bench.

[Cyberjag]

We can argue all day about who is athletic and who is not, but the truth is that Dan Connor slipped into the second round of the draft because his hips are too tight, he lacks lateral agility, and he is not the quickest guy out there.

It was his lack of straight-line speed and poor hands. He has very fluid hips and excellent lateral agility. In fact, Connor was particularly impressive in in individual agility drills at the combine. Here are his numbers:

Measurements: 6-foot-2 5/8, 231 pounds

40-Yard Dash: 4.67, 4.71 seconds

Vertical Leap: 35 inches

Long Jump: 9-foot-7 inches

Short Shuttle: 4.25 seconds

Cone Drill: 6.78 seconds

225 Bench Press: 21 reps

Beason's for comparison. Beason didn't do agility drills.

Measurements: 6-foot-0, 237

40-Yard Dash: 4.64, 4.85 seconds

Vertical Leap: DNP

Long Jump: 9-foot-3 inches

Short Shuttle: DNP

Cone Drill: DNP

225 Bench Press: 19 reps

[Cyberjag]

For more comparison, Patrick Willis had a shuttle of 4.37 and a cone drill of 7.10.

Amazing straight line speed though...

This stuff is all out there and easy to find. Do you people just spout off stuff because it sounds right? Try research, it's easy and fun too!

[Mother Grabber]

I am very interested to see him play against the 1s this week. It's a great oppotunty for him to show his stuff.

[Panthersfan105]

Not to be that guy but the general consensus when Connor was in the draft is scouts were saying his hips were too tight and he had lateral speed issues as well as being shaky in pass coverage at times. Not saying I necessiarially agree but...

He'll get his shot once he proves he knows the playbook well and he can outperform a current starter. The guy was out all year last year so he has some ground to make up.

[Jackofalltrades]

I really like Conner and feel pretty good with him in the starting mix in Beason's stead.

Lehman also impressed me and I dismissed his combine speed when he was running step for step with on of the Dolphins RB's. I really like both of these guys.

[SMACKDAB]

I agree, they are both impressive.

I know I have seen quite a few Connor cards on Ebay selling at ridiculous prices.

Haven't seen any of Lehman yet, but if he keeps it up, I'm sure it's just a matter of time. :cheers2:

[Vagrant]

For more comparison, Patrick Willis had a shuttle of 4.37 and a cone drill of 7.10.

Amazing straight line speed though...

This stuff is all out there and easy to find. Do you people just spout off stuff because it sounds right? Try research, it's easy and fun too!

Those numbers tell nothing of what I was talking about. They're basic drills and even if they did directly correlate to what was supposed to be excellent agility and acceleration from Connor, it's his play speed that matters and his play speed is what caused him to slip. You guys are proving my point for me with all these stats from the combine. They ALL look good. You know what looked bad? Dan Connor on tape in pass coverage and Dan Connor on tape in pursuit.

They even outlined it on draft day when we drafted him. They talked about his hip swivel being WAY too tight to stick long term in the middle and that his future was probably at WLB as opposed to MLB for that very reason.

Again, I am not trying to trash the guy. I think he makes up for what he lacks in speed and agility with smarts, but don't act like it's not there. A guy that posted the kind of numbers he did in college does not slip for no reason. There are flaws there and they've been accentuated by his knee injury and recovery.

[Cyberjag]

Not to be that guy but the general consensus when Connor was in the draft is scouts were saying his hips were too tight and he had lateral speed issues as well as being shaky in pass coverage at times. Not saying I necessiarially agree but...

He'll get his shot once he proves he knows the playbook well and he can outperform a current starter. The guy was out all year last year so he has some ground to make up.

How about finding me an example? All of those articles are still out there on the web--go find me a professional talent evaluator who thought that was an issue. I'm serious, because I never saw one and I've read a lot on the kid.

Those numbers tell nothing of what I was talking about. They're basic drills and even if they did directly correlate to what was supposed to be excellent agility and acceleration from Connor, it's his play speed that matters and his play speed is what caused him to slip. You guys are proving my point for me with all these stats from the combine. They ALL look good. You know what looked bad? Dan Connor on tape in pass coverage and Dan Connor on tape in pursuit.

They even outlined it on draft day when we drafted him. They talked about his hip swivel being WAY too tight to stick long term in the middle and that his future was probably at WLB as opposed to MLB for that very reason.

Again, I am not trying to trash the guy. I think he makes up for what he lacks in speed and agility with smarts, but don't act like it's not there. A guy that posted the kind of numbers he did in college does not slip for no reason. There are flaws there and they've been accentuated by his knee injury and recovery.

Who is this they you speak of? Southern newspaper columnists speculating on why a northern school linebacker slipped to the top of the third round? The same crowd that insisted Carolina was in the running to sign Michael Vick? Go find a pro that said it.

What do you have against the guy anyway? Everything concrete about him says he's great, you insist there are these "people" who say he's not and you caution us that they may be right.All of Connor's measureables said otherwise, and the notion that he played slow is just so much bullshit. I've NEVER heard that, and his numbers really beg the question of how someone so slow on the field breaks records at a school like Penn State. His play speed was better than Poszlusny, who ran right next to him for a couple years before being taken in the first round himself.

And yes, his straight line speed wasn't great (neither was Beason's) and he had bad hands, and there were some character issues, that along with the run on offensive linemen is probably why he went to the top of the third round. But he has outstanding agility and quickness, and is rated as someone who's great at shedding blocks, escaping the pile and working his way down th line (which was a knock on Beason, so keep an eye on his numbers now that Kemo's gone).

Bottom line: keep Connor out of the secondary, and you've got one of the best linebackers in Penn State history stuffing runners at the line all day. A man who has potential to be as good as or better than the all-pro he's replacing for the next two games.

Go read up on Connor and his accomplishments. You'll feel a lot better about having him on our team when you do. Here's a simple link to help you start your research: http://www.nfldraftscout.com/.

[Zod]

He reminds me of a slightly taller London Fletcher

[CatMan72]

FWIW, here's the scouting report on Conner from ESPN.com:

Penn State LB Dan Connor Scouting Report

Height: 6-3, Weight: 233, Draft Grade: 91

Strengths: Extremely productive collegiate player with 145 tackles as a senior…physical player with underrated athleticism…has speed to cover from sideline to sideline…adequate when asked to help in pass coverage…a ton of experience against top notch competition…team leader…hard hitter…does a great job reading the play and attacking the ball carrier…has experience playing in the middle and outside…

Weaknesses: Will struggle to disengage from bigger blockers…needs to add strength and bulk…not fluid through the hips and should not be asked to cover better tight ends or running backs in man coverage…minor character concerns…

Overall: Connor is one of the most productive linebackers to enter the draft in recent years, on par with former teammate Paul Posluszny. Some may question his athleticism, but they would be incorrect. He may be able to play inside at the next level, but he best projects to a weak side linebacker who is able to run free and make plays.

[Cyberjag]

Reading that I can see where some people would seize on the "not fluid through the hips" comment and characterize his entire physical make-up through that lens, but when they're doing that how do they miss the statements on his athleticism? Also, the measureables at the combine should have put to rest the concerns about fluidity.

One thing I've seen elsewhere but not in what you posted is concerns about his leg strength. I don't worry about any of those types though, not at his position. Like Beason and so many others, he will only get stronger in the next few years.

This guy will be a star for us someday, and when combined with Davis and Beason he'll elevate our unit to one of the league's best. And for what it's worth (before people start harping on his supposed inability to play outside), he played outside at Penn State until he was a senior.