Probably Gonna Jinx Iggy With This One, LOL.................
May 1, 2018 19:24:19 GMT -6
AlexM, Whisky Beer Bob, and 1 more like this
Post by Deleted on May 1, 2018 19:24:19 GMT -6
Chicago Bears: Joel Iyiegbuniwe future starter at ILB?
by Khari Thompson1 day agoFollow @kdthompson5
dawindycity.com/2018/04/30/chicago-bears-joel-iyiegbuniwe-2/
The Chicago Bears made a somewhat puzzling pick when they took Joel Iyeigbuniwe in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. But the tape reveals an intriguing, athletic player that could ascend into starting role next to Roquan Smith.
When the Chicago Bears took inside linebacker Roquan Smith with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, fans were both ready and excited for it.
In Smith, Vic Fangio got his new Patrick Willis, a fast, aggressive, sideline-to-sideline monster with the ability to cover dynamic playmakers in today’s pass-happy NFL.
Though the Bears did need edge rushers, they deemed it more important to spend a pick on a man who could become the next great linebacker in franchise history. If Smith turns out to be the defensive cornerstone they’re hoping for, we could be looking back on this pick, along with the Mitch Trubisky move in 2017, that changed everything for the Bears.
But another linebacker the Bears took in this draft, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, could end up being almost as impactful.
Even though no one saw this pick coming — and some of us thought it a poor move — we should all start studying up. Because Iyiegbuniwe can play some football.
PFF CHI Bears @pff_Bears
28 Apr
New #Bears LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe racked up 51 total stops in 2017 at Western Kentuckyhttps://www.profootballfocus.com/news/2018-nfl-draft-live-blog …
PFF CHI Bears @pff_Bears
Joel Iyiegbuniwe had an 85.5 run-defense grade last season, which is among the leaders in this year's linebacker class
11:04 AM - Apr 28, 2018
Of course, admittedly, you have to dig (as I have) to find the film on the redshirt junior out of Western Kentucky, which isn’t exactly playing SEC opponents. But if you can find that, you’ll see another linebacker with the athleticism and coverage ability to make plays in the NFL.
Here’s a preliminary look into what Iyiegbuniwe can offer and whether or not he can eventually team up with Smith to form one of the deadliest linebacker combos in the league.
Player Profile
Strengths
When you look at Iyiegbuniwe’s measurables (6-foot-1, 230 pounds), you can see the makings of a Vic Fangio middle linebacker.
Truthfully, he looks bigger than that on the field; he sports a well-knit, slightly more muscular frame than what you see on Smith.
Due to his more hybrid size, Western Kentucky used him both inside and outside in their defense. He certainly has the speed and athletic ability to play outside, but he doesn’t have ideal size or length. As such, it could be tough for him to disengage from blockers and set the edge against bigger linemen.
When they put him at inside linebacker, though, you can see the possibilities start to open up.
Operating in the middle of the field, he has the range to track down from sideline to sideline with some burst. And when he arrives at the ball, he strikes hard and brings his arms with him to tackle.
And he can hold his own when you drop him in the middle of the field in coverage as well. Here, he manages to slip a screen block on 3rd-and-long to force a field goal.
His instincts in coverage specifically might help him climb up the depth chart a bit and get him on the field in a backup role as a rookie. In that aspect, he comes into the NFL with more natural ability than Nick Kwiatkoski did.
And if you run into a team that sprinkles in the read-option, Iyiegbuniwe has shown that he can play effectively against that and contain some athletic running quarterbacks.
Here, he tracks down Alabama’s Jalen Hurts.
Speaking of tracking people down…is that Calvin Ridley he just hunted 20 yards down the field on this jet sweep? Why, yes it is.
Some of Iyiegbuniwe’s lower draft grade may have been due to his playing out of position on the outside due to his versatility. Given his athletic traits and productivity in his last two seasons (22.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks), it seems like he has a good deal of unexplored upside.
Weaknesses
Naturally, of course, Iyiegbuniwe has some rawness to sort out; what prospect doesn’t?
In particular, he has a tendency to “stay blocked” a bit, especially when engaged with bigger bodies. Again, that occurred most frequently when he played on the outside and tried to set the edge. Despite his solid frame, he doesn’t have great arm length to stack and shed blockers, nor does he always punch blockers first to stun them.
He also needs to keep his motor running a bit hotter, with some tendency to loaf when plays run away from him.
Sometimes, he gets it going to run down a ball carrier as with the Ridley play above. But other times, especially when there’s a lot of traffic to pick through, he coasts to the play in pursuit.
Though he eventually makes this play — also, this cutback isn’t solely his fault — he could have been more aggressive to attack the ball carrier and possibly limit this play. Instead, he has to scramble to make the tackle 15 yards later.
Also, though he has solid natural ability has a cover man, he can still learn how to pick through traffic better there as well. Here, he gets slowed down just enough by this route combination for the running back to separate from him on the wheel route.
The Chicago Bears will be able to teach him how to defend the pass or anchor as a run defender better. And hopefully, playing in the NFL and having to rise to the competition level will raise his level of play.
But he’s going to need to bring the fire himself on every play. Fangio can’t do that for him. The mentality is there for him to be a very good football player, but it has to be consistent.
Outlook
As a rookie, Iyiengbuniwe will almost certainly see a huge role on special teams. He has the perfect size, build and athleticism to make a difference on coverage units and as a blocker.
Plus, as he’s shown on the field a few times, he has a knack for separating the football from ball carriers. (The Iggy Pop)
Even if he doesn’t play that much on the base defense, that alone can provide a significant impact for the Chicago Bears next season.
That said, given how injury-plagued the Bears’ linebacking corps has been the past two seasons, one might almost have to expect that Iyiegbuniwe will take the field for the defense at some point.
Maybe, he’ll just take the field occasionally in sub packages as a coverage linebacker, though Smith and Danny Trevathan also cover well.
Or maybe the injury bug will bite again and force Iyiegbuniwe into service as with Christian Jones last year.
If that happens, he could well get a chance to audition for Trevathan’s job in 2019 and beyond.
Trevathan actually entered the very “cut-able” portion of his contract with the Chicago Bears beginning this season. If the Bears wanted to cut him before 2018 — they don’t — they could save almost $5 million. Next year, they could save more than $6 million if they release him.
As such, this year could very well be the time for the Bears to see if Kwiatkoski or Iyiegbuniwe can step into that starting role next to Smith. And though Kwiatkoski has the experience and has played solidly thus far, the rookie may have the greater upside.
by Khari Thompson1 day agoFollow @kdthompson5
dawindycity.com/2018/04/30/chicago-bears-joel-iyiegbuniwe-2/
The Chicago Bears made a somewhat puzzling pick when they took Joel Iyeigbuniwe in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. But the tape reveals an intriguing, athletic player that could ascend into starting role next to Roquan Smith.
When the Chicago Bears took inside linebacker Roquan Smith with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, fans were both ready and excited for it.
In Smith, Vic Fangio got his new Patrick Willis, a fast, aggressive, sideline-to-sideline monster with the ability to cover dynamic playmakers in today’s pass-happy NFL.
Though the Bears did need edge rushers, they deemed it more important to spend a pick on a man who could become the next great linebacker in franchise history. If Smith turns out to be the defensive cornerstone they’re hoping for, we could be looking back on this pick, along with the Mitch Trubisky move in 2017, that changed everything for the Bears.
But another linebacker the Bears took in this draft, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, could end up being almost as impactful.
Even though no one saw this pick coming — and some of us thought it a poor move — we should all start studying up. Because Iyiegbuniwe can play some football.
PFF CHI Bears @pff_Bears
28 Apr
New #Bears LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe racked up 51 total stops in 2017 at Western Kentuckyhttps://www.profootballfocus.com/news/2018-nfl-draft-live-blog …
PFF CHI Bears @pff_Bears
Joel Iyiegbuniwe had an 85.5 run-defense grade last season, which is among the leaders in this year's linebacker class
11:04 AM - Apr 28, 2018
Of course, admittedly, you have to dig (as I have) to find the film on the redshirt junior out of Western Kentucky, which isn’t exactly playing SEC opponents. But if you can find that, you’ll see another linebacker with the athleticism and coverage ability to make plays in the NFL.
Here’s a preliminary look into what Iyiegbuniwe can offer and whether or not he can eventually team up with Smith to form one of the deadliest linebacker combos in the league.
Player Profile
Strengths
When you look at Iyiegbuniwe’s measurables (6-foot-1, 230 pounds), you can see the makings of a Vic Fangio middle linebacker.
Truthfully, he looks bigger than that on the field; he sports a well-knit, slightly more muscular frame than what you see on Smith.
Due to his more hybrid size, Western Kentucky used him both inside and outside in their defense. He certainly has the speed and athletic ability to play outside, but he doesn’t have ideal size or length. As such, it could be tough for him to disengage from blockers and set the edge against bigger linemen.
When they put him at inside linebacker, though, you can see the possibilities start to open up.
Operating in the middle of the field, he has the range to track down from sideline to sideline with some burst. And when he arrives at the ball, he strikes hard and brings his arms with him to tackle.
And he can hold his own when you drop him in the middle of the field in coverage as well. Here, he manages to slip a screen block on 3rd-and-long to force a field goal.
His instincts in coverage specifically might help him climb up the depth chart a bit and get him on the field in a backup role as a rookie. In that aspect, he comes into the NFL with more natural ability than Nick Kwiatkoski did.
And if you run into a team that sprinkles in the read-option, Iyiegbuniwe has shown that he can play effectively against that and contain some athletic running quarterbacks.
Here, he tracks down Alabama’s Jalen Hurts.
Speaking of tracking people down…is that Calvin Ridley he just hunted 20 yards down the field on this jet sweep? Why, yes it is.
Some of Iyiegbuniwe’s lower draft grade may have been due to his playing out of position on the outside due to his versatility. Given his athletic traits and productivity in his last two seasons (22.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks), it seems like he has a good deal of unexplored upside.
Weaknesses
Naturally, of course, Iyiegbuniwe has some rawness to sort out; what prospect doesn’t?
In particular, he has a tendency to “stay blocked” a bit, especially when engaged with bigger bodies. Again, that occurred most frequently when he played on the outside and tried to set the edge. Despite his solid frame, he doesn’t have great arm length to stack and shed blockers, nor does he always punch blockers first to stun them.
He also needs to keep his motor running a bit hotter, with some tendency to loaf when plays run away from him.
Sometimes, he gets it going to run down a ball carrier as with the Ridley play above. But other times, especially when there’s a lot of traffic to pick through, he coasts to the play in pursuit.
Though he eventually makes this play — also, this cutback isn’t solely his fault — he could have been more aggressive to attack the ball carrier and possibly limit this play. Instead, he has to scramble to make the tackle 15 yards later.
Also, though he has solid natural ability has a cover man, he can still learn how to pick through traffic better there as well. Here, he gets slowed down just enough by this route combination for the running back to separate from him on the wheel route.
The Chicago Bears will be able to teach him how to defend the pass or anchor as a run defender better. And hopefully, playing in the NFL and having to rise to the competition level will raise his level of play.
But he’s going to need to bring the fire himself on every play. Fangio can’t do that for him. The mentality is there for him to be a very good football player, but it has to be consistent.
Outlook
As a rookie, Iyiengbuniwe will almost certainly see a huge role on special teams. He has the perfect size, build and athleticism to make a difference on coverage units and as a blocker.
Plus, as he’s shown on the field a few times, he has a knack for separating the football from ball carriers. (The Iggy Pop)
Even if he doesn’t play that much on the base defense, that alone can provide a significant impact for the Chicago Bears next season.
That said, given how injury-plagued the Bears’ linebacking corps has been the past two seasons, one might almost have to expect that Iyiegbuniwe will take the field for the defense at some point.
Maybe, he’ll just take the field occasionally in sub packages as a coverage linebacker, though Smith and Danny Trevathan also cover well.
Or maybe the injury bug will bite again and force Iyiegbuniwe into service as with Christian Jones last year.
If that happens, he could well get a chance to audition for Trevathan’s job in 2019 and beyond.
Trevathan actually entered the very “cut-able” portion of his contract with the Chicago Bears beginning this season. If the Bears wanted to cut him before 2018 — they don’t — they could save almost $5 million. Next year, they could save more than $6 million if they release him.
As such, this year could very well be the time for the Bears to see if Kwiatkoski or Iyiegbuniwe can step into that starting role next to Smith. And though Kwiatkoski has the experience and has played solidly thus far, the rookie may have the greater upside.
