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Shaq Thompson is not an undersized linebacker

Jeremy Igo

By Jeremy Igo,
in Carolina Panthers

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PizzaTheHutt Rising Star

PizzaTheHutt

Posted
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is there any chance he will get a few snaps at running back? After watching the highlights....dude certainly knows how to find the hole and punch through it. He's got a very long stride. Looks like he's decent catching screens too.

 

And I can see him jumping over the line to swat a field goal down just like Chancellor did to us last year.

 

he's just a weapon. I'm definitely excited.

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Bartin Collaborator

Bartin

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Shaq is an undersized LB. Derrick Brooks was also an undersized LB. Lavonte David is an undersized LB.

 

Just because he is the same size as someone else who played the same position and was really good doesn't mean he isn't undersized.

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teeray Rookie

teeray

Posted
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is that the official unofficial name for Shaq's hybrid position? the Bandit defensive back?

truly curious here.

In college several teams run a 4-2-5 defense. One of those 5 defensive backs is called the bandit and he is a safety/linebacker hybrid.

Even though we run a 4-3 we can utilize some of those looks because of his flexibility

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Bartin Collaborator

Bartin

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is that the official unofficial name for Shaq's hybrid position? the Bandit defensive back? 

 

truly curious here. 

 

Rover, bandit, joker. There's a bunch of names for it. Depends on the team/coach as to what it's called.

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LinvilleGorge Grand Master

LinvilleGorge

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Listening to the Gettleman/Rivera presser, I feel better about the pick.  Last night, I was looking at the pick as it applied to last year's team.  Last year, we only ran with three LBs on the field a little over 30% of the defensive snaps.  Adding another LB in the 1st round when we only run three LBs 30% of the time and we know we're not pulling Luke or TD off the field for a rookie didn't make any sense.  But, basically what Gettleman and Rivera were saying is that they didn't have a third LB who fit a lot of looks that opposing teams were giving them.  They didn't necessarily want to pull the third LB out of the game, but due to fit and match ups they were basically forced to do it.  If Shaq acclimates quickly, I think we'll see a lot more true 4-3 looks on D next season.  Last season, even though we run a 4-3 base, we were in the nickel package most of the time.

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Snake Grand Master

Snake

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What most avg fans are not getting is that Shaw allows us to run a base 4-3 and still have speed to cover on passing downs. This allows us to stop the run on all 3 downs while protecting against the pass. Not only that but it give us 3 LBs to blitz on any down. Think Colin Jones role with a guy as gifted as Peppers was. A guy that can run Russle Wilson down and stop lynch

At any point and time we will have a LB to spy,drop,or blitz in a zone. Oh and he's not a bad RB as well.

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Sloth Apprentice

Sloth

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He's the definition of an undersized LB. Short, small frame, actual playing weight in the Safety range (about 10 - 15 lbs lighter than his combine weight). Just have to hope he can add more muscle without slowing down too much, or he's going to get eaten alive by blockers and trucked by bigger backs. Safety would be interesting to consider but unfortunately, he hasn't actually played the position since HS, so that's probably not happening any time soon, especially since he's going to miss OTAs his rookie season.

 

He's never been a tackling machine (52 last season, 146 over 3 years) and had almost no TFL (2.5 all season, 15 career total) or sacks (1 all season, 3.5 career total). Ints he had 5 career total and a whopping grand total of 1 last season. 3 forced fumbles last year, which is very nice, but none his previous two seasons. So a good coverage backer who was not a great tackler or pass rusher while at UW.

 

His UW page if anyone's interested.

 

On a side note, and not that it matters, but his highlights are awesome/hilarious because there's not enough footage of him doing much defensively, so it's 50-60% him subbing in at RB. Highlight cut-ups are crap and not saying to put any importance there, but just kinda funny.

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heel31ok Experienced

heel31ok

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Gman did exactly what he said he was going to do and not reach for a player to fill a need.  

 

Sounds like they've got a plan and the kid looks supremely athletic and very versatile. 

 

I don't have a problem with it.

 

they just reached for a player to fill BPA, it 's all relative.

 

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