Does anyone think Merling can become our UT?

[bucjoe]

I don't think Merling's motor comes anywhere NEAR Laws!  Mike Mayock of the NFL Network calls Laws the Energizer Bunny!  Note that he doesn't call Merling that.

I like Merling, but as an outstanding all-around DE.  I would live to have him to play LDE for us....but not UT.

Imvho, Laws at 304 lbs, and a 5.1 40 with 112 tackles last year, 43rd in the nation in tackles, the ONLY defensive lineman in the entire nation even in the top 100!  Ellis was not, Dorsey was not, Long was not! Golston was not! Interesting?  I'll say.  I didn't say they didn't have as many tackles as he did.  I said NONE of them were in the top 100, and he was 43rd!  He had more tackles than many outstanding linebackers!

If you can't tell, I love Laws, and I want the Bucs to get him.

By the way, in Mayocks listing of players, he lists positives and negatives.  For his negative, he said "his height".  When Lawrence Jackson, a DE from USC asked him about that, saying, "why did you say that was a negative when he is actually taller than Ellis and only about 1/2 inch shorter than Dorsey?"  He said "I couldn't find a single negative thing to say about him or his play and I had to come up with something so I said his height"!!!  Mayock's positive was "Energizer Bunny", and said about him, "his motor NEVER stops" and he NEVER quits on a play until it is over...and he NEVER takes a play off".

I want Laws to play UT with Haye!!!

[zed]

Ok, you convinced me.

[Timbuc2]

At the senior Bowl, you saw Sedrick Ellis dominate but the next best thing to him on that same D-line was Laws. He has that non-stop motor, pit bull attitude that you rarely see. They never played together in that game as I can remember so you got a chance to evaluate them separately. I would not be mad if we picked him in the first and I don't think it would be a reach, considering how high the other two are going.

[dbucfan]

Laws is a fifth year senior, Merling is a junior entry.

Laws played with a very unsuccessful independent team who plays the service academies

Merling played with a middle of the road ACC conference.

Hard to compare - hard to say first round success guaranteed with either. 

[Feel Real Good]

Peterson had 14 tackles last year. Let's wait til he does more than that before we anoint him anything. Regarding Haye, he played very well at UT but if we had a shot at Kevin Williams, Tommie Harris, Amobi Okoye, etc., he'd be on the bench in a second. What it comes down to is when you deal with mid-to-late round prospects, you either get size or speed. In the cases of Peterson and Haye, the Bucs chose speed. When you get a 1st round player, you demand size AND speed. That's why I'd be against making Merling a DT.

[bucjoe]

Both Peterson and Haye are bigger than Merling. 

Also Laws team does play the Service Acadamies, but they also play USC and many other good teams. 

Laws had the 43rd most tackles in the nation last year, and was the ONLY d-lineman in the top 100!  Long wasn't, Ellis wasn't, Dorsey wasn't, Gholston wasn't.  Say it again, NO OTHER D-LINEMAN WAS IN THE TOP 100!  He had 112 tackles, more than some outstanding linebackers!

[Feel Real Good]

Both Peterson and Haye are bigger than Merling. 

Also Laws team does play the Service Acadamies, but they also play USC and many other good teams. 

Laws had the 43rd most tackles in the nation last year, and was the ONLY d-lineman in the top 100!  Long wasn't, Ellis wasn't, Dorsey wasn't, Gholston wasn't.  Say it again, NO OTHER D-LINEMAN WAS IN THE TOP 100!  He had 112 tackles, more than some outstanding linebackers!

As I said in the other thread, tackles are a reflection of how much a defense is on the field. Kenyon Coleman lead the NFL in tackles for defensive lineman. Is he better than Richard Seymour?

[John Galt?]

The difference between Merling and Jovan Haye is that Haye was not a first round top 5 DE.  You don't take one of the BEST DEs and turn him into the 10th or 15th best DT.  Experimenting with second day picks is one thing, but if we need a LDE and he is one of the top DEs why risk making him an average/undersized DT, not utilizing his talent off the edge, and still have a need at LDE?

[bucjoe]

He certainly was this year.  Seymour was recovering from an injury and didn't play a full season and when he did, he did NOT play the way he has in the past.

Pardon me, but isn't the ultimate purpose of defense to make the tackle?  As I said in the other thread, how does that explain the fact that he tied for the most tackles in the Senior Bowl when he was in a rotation?  How often have you EVER heard of that happening in the Senior Bowl?  He had more than Ellis, but I guess that doesn't matter, somebody ELSE can make the tackle, right?

[bucjoe]

I agree John.  Merling is a talent at LDE...keep him there and have him cover it beautifully for the next 10 years!

[Feel Real Good]

The Senior Bowl? Seriously? The game means nothing. Do you remember when Bill Swancutt was the Defensive MVP in 2005? Barrett Ruud was in that game as was Leroy Hill, Corey Webster, Carlos Rogers, Michael Boley, Demarcus Ware, and Mike Patterson. Swancutt's performance meant nothing. Look, I like Laws, but the Senior Bowl game is a horrible argument.

[bucjoe]

Well FTG, we'll just agree to disagree.  I do NOT think the Senior Bowl is a horrible arguement.  It's very interesting, if you don't agree, number of tackles mean nothing, performance in the Senior Bowl means nothing, what does FTG?  How about the Senior Bowl practices?  Does his performance there mean anything, or do all those coaches and scouts go there for a vacation?  Does their performance in games mean anything?  Or no, that's right tackles mean nothing.  So I guess you have to make decisions about talent by ......what? Gut instinct?  Flipping a coin?  Bro, you are not talking sense.

[goobtube]

Well FTG, we'll just agree to disagree.  I do NOT think the Senior Bowl is a horrible arguement.  It's very interesting, if you don't agree, number of tackles mean nothing, performance in the Senior Bowl means nothing, what does FTG?  How about the Senior Bowl practices?  Does his performance there mean anything, or do all those coaches and scouts go there for a vacation?  Does their performance in games mean anything?  Or no, that's right tackles mean nothing.  So I guess you have to make decisions about talent by ......what? Gut instinct?  Flipping a coin?  Bro, you are not talking sense.

That was your 666th post...scary.

[bucjoe]

It would be scary if it WAS my 666th post, but it was the 669th!  I missed noticing the 666th.

[noopy2237]

I'll throw my 2 cents in and remind everyone that Adam Carriker was also a DE at Nebraske and now plays DT for the Rams.  However, he was a really big DE so switching to DT was not that difficult size wise.