Speedy Ellison fits Bills new mold of linebacker

[patmoran2006]

August 8, 2007) — PITTSFORD — Keith Ellison of the Buffalo Bills has a problem that the majority of us would love to have: He has a devil of a time gaining weight.

Some guys have all the luck.


However, in Ellison's business — playing outside linebacker in the National Football League — gaining weight and maintaining it is critical to his performance and well-being.

"It's not a good thing in this profession to have a fast metabolism," the 230-pound second-year player said the other day.

NFL players seem to be getting bigger and bigger every year, but the Bills have made a conscious decision to field a trio of speedy linebackers who are fleet enough to drop into pass coverage and hopefully stout enough to stuff the run or rush the passer.
They believe Ellison fits that bill, based on how he played last season as a raw rookie who was thrown into the starting lineup for a pair of lengthy stints, first when Takeo Spikes was injured and later when Angelo Crowell went down. MORE (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070808/SPORTS03/708080315/1007/SPORTS)

[patmoran2006]

He's gonna be great in pass coverage, but how can you not worry about the Bills undersized LB's (Ellison at 230, Poz at 238) against the run?

[HHURRICANE]

He's gonna be great in pass coverage, but how can you not worry about the Bills undersized LB's (Ellison at 230, Poz at 238) against the run?

Because we have size at the Ends. Schobel is almost 243 pounds. The Bills getting smaller on D makes sense because when teams are running on us they could poetentially trip over our players instead of getting tackled.

[OpIv37]

"hopefully" stout enough to stop the run?

Undersized DL's and LB's that are the size of other teams' safeties and then people wonder why we can't stop the run.

God I hate the Cover 2.

[Dr. Lecter]

Yeah, there are planety of 238 lb safeties out there.

And, like it or not, Cover 2 was the defense used by both SB teams last year. I know you have 20 reasons why it does not matter, but it actually does mean something.

[OpIv37]

Yeah, there are planety of 238 lb safeties out there.

And, like it or not, Cover 2 was the defense used by both SB teams last year. I know you have 20 reasons why it does not matter, but it actually does mean something.

Chicago has the PERFECT personnel for it (or they did before Tank went off the deep end). We don't.

Indy has an offense that's good enough to force opponents to pass. We don't.

But hey, those are distinctions. We can't make distinctions at Billszone- all situations are exactly the same and if it worked somewhere once, it will work here now.

[Dr. Lecter]

Or we can base our approach on what works elsewhere and BUILD to it.

I don't think either team got there overnight or were born that way.

But heaven forbid these team actually try and build to something good.

[OpIv37]

Or we can base our approach on what works elsewhere and BUILD to it.

I don't think either team got there overnight or were born that way.

But heaven forbid these team actually try and build to something good.

it's not that they're trying- it's what they're trying to build and how they're trying to do it. The goal isn't the problem- it's the method.

[BuffaloBillsStampede]

If you see POZ in person you will understand that he will have no problem being stout against the run. He is a lot bigger than I thought he was and he moves really wuick for a guy that is built as solid as he is. I know Shaud Williams isnt huge, but POZ put him on his ass with about 10% effort at camp Monday night. I am really looking forward to seeing what he can do on Friday night.

[Dr. Lecter]

it's not that they're trying- it's what they're trying to build and how they're trying to do it. The goal isn't the problem- it's the method.

How do we know the method is the problem after one season?????

[OpIv37]

How do we know the method is the problem after one season?????

one, that season wasn't good enough and we didn't do anything to get better on D.

two, the cover 2 is fundamentally flawed unless you can get the perfect personnel. When it comes to that, see #1.

three, we have no experience and by the time we get it, positions that aren't currently problems will become problems.

fourth, how many times in the past have you heard this building for the future crap, and then the future never got here?

[Dr. Lecter]

one, that season wasn't good enough and we didn't do anything to get better on D.

two, the cover 2 is fundamentally flawed unless you can get the perfect personnel. When it comes to that, see #1.

three, we have no experience and by the time we get it, positions that aren't currently problems will become problems.

fourth, how many times in the past have you heard this building for the future crap, and then the future never got here?

1. Well duh. It was the first season in the scheme. And, as you said, the offense can help this defense work and they did improve the offense.
2. And that is why bad fits (Spikes, Fletcher) are gone. Poz and Ellison are better fits for this style of defense.
3. Well we can't get experience without playing. That is what they are trying to do.
4. Here you go again. The past errors should not be applied to this administration, but you are again doing that. It looks as if Levy and crew are building for a future. Multiple picks every draft, for example.

[OpIv37]

1. Well duh. It was the first season in the scheme. And, as you said, the offense can help this defense work and they did improve the offense.
2. And that is why bad fits (Spikes, Fletcher) are gone. Poz and Ellison are better fits for this style of defense.
3. Well we can't get experience without playing. That is what they are trying to do.
4. Here you go again. The past errors should not be applied to this administration, but you are again doing that. It looks as if Levy and crew are building for a future. Multiple picks every draft, for example.

And at one point, it looked as if TD and co were building for the future but it never came. If you don't see some similarities, I can't help you.

Poz and Ellison may be better fits, but they're completely unproven. So if the FO is wrong on their talent, the future ain't coming anytime soon. What's wrong with players who have proven themselves in Cover 2 defenses? We've got too much riding on players who haven't proven ****.

[hydro]

And at one point, it looked as if TD and co were building for the future but it never came. If you don't see some similarities, I can't help you.

Poz and Ellison may be better fits, but they're completely unproven. So if the FO is wrong on their talent, the future ain't coming anytime soon. What's wrong with players who have proven themselves in Cover 2 defenses? We've got too much riding on players who haven't proven ****.

And yet that is how the Pats got where they are today. Most of their talent has come threw the draft, and look where they are.

Buying talent can be as much of a crap shoot as drafting sometimes. Would you rather the FO bought a SS last year and either drafted Whitner for the bench or not drafted him at all? Either way who knows what would have happened. There is no exact formula to win, its that simple.

[OpIv37]

well of course there's no exact formula to win- if so, it wouldn't be so damn difficult.

Most of the Pats' talent came through the draft, but they never had a year where they depended almost entirely on 2nd year guys and rookies. And they weren't afraid to fill in holes with FA's.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

I for one looking for Ellison to be the Bills top linebacker this year, especially early on. Reason: Smarts and speed. Pretty much everyone watched him last year concluded that he almost never makes a mental mistake. If you know what's going on and has the wheels, you are guaranteed to put yourself in a position to make plays.

For Ellison, the problem is that he can't always make the play because of his size or the strength to fight off the blocker to make the play.

This is his second year, I expect him to sharpen his recognition and re-act based he learned last year (what he can and can't do) that much better.

Not everyone can be Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher. Of the 3 qualities (football mind, speed and strength), if you are top shelf on two of them, you should be pretty good.

[mysticsoto]

He's gonna be great in pass coverage, but how can you not worry about the Bills undersized LB's (Ellison at 230, Poz at 238) against the run?

We'll be bigger than we were last year. Ellison was at 220 last year and played significantly and reasonably well. Most of what he added this year was muscle. Kyle Williams has also added 10 lbs to his weight frame to be stronger and McCargo has done some significant upper body conditioning while his leg was healing. Of course, he may have other health issues...but that's besides the point. So front and middle we will be bigger and stronger. Tim Anderson looks bigger also - but he got fatter so I'm not going to count him. And Poz is 238...I think that's a good size for a rookie. He'll likely get bigger (more muscle) and heavier as his years in the NFL progress.

[Mitchy moo]

.
4. Here you go again. The past errors should not be applied to this administration, but you are again doing that. It looks as if Levy and crew are building for a future. Multiple picks every draft, for example.

:bf1:

[HHURRICANE]

Sorry, but everytime I hear "undersized and fast", I think "not big enough or talented enough."

I think back to the Pittsburgh game where their second team dominated our first string and cost us a playoff birth.

I'm not *****ing because it is what it is but let's not kid ourseleves that talent isn't our biggest issue on D.

[PECKERWOOD]

Naw, I don't care if our LB's are undersized I think they'll get the job done. Poz is actually a pretty good size for a rookie like mystic pointed out and it wouldn't be much of a leap to think that he could add on an extra 5 - 7 lbs next offseason. Crowell is also a pretty colossal size for a LB as well (246 lbs.) The only starting LB that is undersized in my estimate is Keith Ellison but I don't think it matters completely because we are going to use him mostly in coverage and obviously he will help in the run game as well. If you want to talk about lack of depth at the LB position, I would certainly agree with you there though.

[PECKERWOOD]

Sorry, but everytime I hear "undersized and fast", I think "not big enough or talented enough."

I think back to the Pittsburgh game where their second team dominated our first string and cost us a playoff birth.

I'm not *****ing because it is what it is but let's not kid ourseleves that talent isn't our biggest issue on D.

We've made some strides.. DT/CB is our weakness on defense, not LB. We have Schobel locked up to a multi year contract along with Kelsay as well. We have Tripplett who is serviceable and Kyle Williams who has done nothing but play his ass off and I can't say enough good things about this guy and it's even more comforting to hear that he added another 10 lbs to his frame this offseason. It's not that our defense isn't "good" we just don't have alot of depth. I'm worried about our second DT rotation, I'm hoping that McCargo will step up but as of so far he to me looks like Tim Andersons black twin. Then ofcourse there is Ashton Youboty. I remember starting a thread dissing this guy last year because he got no game time action and so far my hunch appears to be right, seeing how he can't even beat out a journeyman CB in Jason Webster, very very disappointing so far. If We could just have some of the rookies from last year step up like: Youboty, McCargo, Williams, Whitner and Simpson then our defense will actually be in pretty good shape. We need to look for last years draft to pull their weight this year and for the most part I think Williams, Whitner and Simpson all will do that.