SmokinHawk":39dtmk77 said:
Not really seeing what you are seeing in him.
In what regards?
I mean, if you had said his 109 tackles would of been 2nd on our team behind Wagner. His 6 PDs as a LB are more then any LB we had this year. His 3 Sacks would be tops on our team as a LB. He compiled these numbers as a Oakland Raider. He seems to match stat wise what our FO is looking for. A rangy LB with cover and Pass rushing ability. at 6ft 2 inch 240lbs he is inline with other Seattle LBs. Just looking for more of a breakdown if anyone knows more about him. Seems to be one of those mid tier guys the Hawks have hit on.
But I guess I can just take you on your time based conversation addition.
Based on the information below the LB/DE could play Leo, although a bit undersized compared to Clem he is comparable to Irvin [6ft 3inch 248] (Minus the Speed I would imagine)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd Round Draft Pick of the Colts 2008
Draft Breakdown NFL.com
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/phi ... ler?id=330
Overview
Considered by scouting experts to be one of the nation's best blitzing linebackers, Philip Wheeler is extremely difficult to knock off his feet.
He was originally recruited as a defensive end, moving to outside linebacker with the Yellow Jackets before shifting inside as a junior.
Despite his erratic play as a senior, he received glowing praise from former head coach Chan Gailey. "Philip has really come a long way since having his hand on the ground (as a defensive end) as a high school senior," said coach Chan Gailey. "You didn't know if he could play 'up' or not. But he has developed into a great linebacker. He had his hand on the ground every snap in high school as a defensive end. You could see his talent, but you didn't know if he could develop into the player he has developed into today."
Wheeler was expected to be a new breed of leader for Georgia Tech's defense under acclaimed defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta. His predecessors, players such as KaMichael Hall and James Butler, tended to be vocal and cerebral, almost extensions of Tenuta on the field. Wheeler neither coaches nor preaches. And on a veteran defense with seven other returning starters, he needed to make plays to lead.
Wheeler has been what safety Jamal Lewis calls a "freakish athlete" since his first day on campus. But he was undisciplined, a pass rusher easily fooled by play fakes and misdirection. He missed more assignments than he nailed. But by his senior season, Wheeler had the linebacker gig nailed.
At Shaw High School, Wheeler was a first-team All-State Class AAAA pick by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and honorable mention All-Region selection by Prep Star. He made 106 tackles with 34 stops for losses and five forced fumbles as a senior defensive end. The team captain and four-year letterman helped his team to state title as a sophomore.
In 2003, Wheeler enrolled at Georgia Tech as a 215-pound rush end, seeing action mostly on special teams. He appeared in 12 games, coming up with six tackles (four solo) and a quarterback pressure. Moved to outside linebacker in 2004 spring camp, the youngster spent the season on the scout team, adjusting to playing outside linebacker.
He returned to the gridiron in 2005, starting 11 of 12 games at weak-side linebacker. Wheeler finished sixth on the team with 64 tackles (36 solo). He had four sacks and 11 1/2 stops for losses, as he caused and recovered a fumble. He broke up four passes and intercepted four others.
As a junior, Wheeler shifted to middle linebacker, bulking up to 225 pounds for the 2006 season. He earned second-team All-American honors from Rivals.com and was a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice by the league's coaches. He ranked second on the squad with 89 tackles (52 solo), as he paced Tech with nine sacks and 14 1/2 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He added two pressures with a pair of fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He also knocked down five passes.
Even with an uneven 2007 campaign, Wheeler garnered All-ACC second-team honors. Now bulked up to 238 pounds, he led the team with 89 tackles (46 solo), including six sacks, nine stops for losses and a pressure. He caused a fumble, recovered two others and deflected five passes.
In 51 games at Georgia Tech, Wheeler started 38 contests. He registered 248 tackles (138 solo), with 19 sacks for minus-137 yards, 35 stops for losses totaling 172 yards and four quarterback pressures. He caused three fumbles and recovered five others, returning two for a total of eight yards. He deflected 14 passes and intercepted four others for 18 yards in returns.
Analysis
Strengths
Positives: Not muscle-bound but has the potential to carry more bulk with the thick lower body and wide shoulders, along with large hands you look for in a middle linebacker...Can track the ball quickly vs. plays in front of him (struggles to see the ball with his back to the quarterback in passing situations)...Smart player, but is better diagnosing vs. the run than pass...When he is able to locate the ball, he reads and reacts quickly, making good adjustments on the move...Shows decent awareness and instincts to locate the ball on inside runs and has good quickness to shoot gaps and disrupt plays...More of a downhill guy that diagnoses plays quickly, but has just adequate speed to chase the ball outside...Must do a better job feeling block pressure, as he does get covered up working inside. He can strike and bounce off a lineman when he keeps them off his body...Not really a stacker, especially vs. bigger linemen, but when he plays at a good pad level, he will stall a fullback and not hesitate to attack the rush lanes...Gets fooled on play action, but has better instincts vs. the run...When he stays in position and plays square, he can fill the inside holes...Does not have the range to get wide for an outside running play, but keeps his feet on the move and can strike with good pop on contact in the open...Has just enough change-of-direction agility to get through some traffic jams...Struggles to break down, but when he keeps his pads down, he can push back and drive through the ballcarrier...Times his blitzes well and shows good awareness to shoot gaps and apply pressure...Has just adequate speed, but flashes some burst to close on the quarterback and finish his rushes...Shows the anticipation off the snap to find a clean rush lane and bring heat to flush the quarterback out of the pocket. Negatives: Has wide shoulders, but is not really muscular and could use further upper-body development to add strength...Because of his lack of strength, he struggles to defeat blocks when working in-line, especially vs. double teams...A bit stiff in his hips, failing to open them properly when dropping back in pass coverage and struggling to break down and tackle in space...Has just adequate speed and change-of-direction agility, appearing a step behind, at times, when chasing the ball and navigating through traffic...Has good arm length, but does not reach into blocks well, causing him to get engulfed the offensive linemen...Gets too reckless in his play, especially when trying to recover after out-running the play...Adequate worker in the offseason and needs to be monitored in the weight room...Will get too tentative when he can't find a clear lane and lacks the strength to clear his own lane when trying to blitz...Not a vocal leader. That role seemed to affect his performance as a senior, and some believe he's better when he doesn't have to think so much...Must show a better feel for blocking schemes, as he will generally be covered up on inside runs...Has only adequate strength to take on blocks and doesn't use his hands well, causing him to struggle to separate from blockers when playing in a phone booth...Can mirror short-area receivers, but needs to get more aggressive with his hands in attempts to reroute them, as he allows too many easy short throws to be caught...Must improve his hand placement and punch, or he will continue to struggle to shed tight ends...His tight hips contribute to his issues tackling in space and he shows just adequate straight-line speed to flow to the ball, looking stiff when trying to redirect or move laterally when trying to navigate through traffic...A hard hitter who knocks ballcarriers back on contact, but struggles to break down, as he leaves his feet often...Must show better cutting ability from his breaks, as he will take false steps in transition, especially when he is forced out of his pedal too early by a receiver eating up his cushion and getting behind him...Shows adequate ability to turn, open, and get depth in his pass drops, but is too rigid in his movement and has only adequate quickness and hip snap to cover ground in a hurry...Although he can make plays on passes he has a shot at, he lacks natural ball skills or hands...Poor playmaker in zone coverage...Started developing a bad habit of throttling down when not involved in the play and showed marginal desire in his long pursuit during his senior year. Compares To: WILL WITHERSPOON-St. Louis...Wheeler is not the second coming of Keith Brooking. He is an efficient blitzer who does a nice job of keeping plays in front of him, but he is too inconsistent in reading keys and his penetration skills might be better suited for the outside. However, he lacks the range to make plays in long pursuit, is a bit stiff in his hips and can be exposed when he comes out of his backpedal. He has some decent value forcing the run, but he fails to use good punch or hand placement vs. tight ends and is marginal in coverage. If some team can be happy with a two-down player, Wheeler might fit their needs, but he's not an every-down contributor based on his play in 2007.
-Cheers
