Well the only thing I have to poke at in the OP's first post, is that moving Wright to WILL doesn't make the most sense. WILLs are typically play in more space and are usually faster guys in the 4-3 alignment. I don't claim to be able to predict the mad genius that is our FO and coaching staff, but it seems to go against our FO's tendencies to put speed in space.
That said....most of us knew he was a project. I would disagree with some comments about his instincts. The tape I watched on him at WVU was limited, but what I saw was a guy that made plays against the run. When lining up wide (like he did his 1st year there) and gunning after the QB, you need to use instincts or a quick read to play the run at all, or you're overplayed and out of the picture. Bruce seemed to diagnose those plays pretty quickly. He also flashed that in the NFL, but there were times he misread as well. The NFL is obivously much more complex and it's fooled more than it's fair share of rookies, so I'm not too worried about progression yet.
The LEO plays the run much the same way: we're not talking about stuffing the tackle, it's shedding blocks (technique) and playing well in space, much of which is reading or diagnosing the play. With Irvin's athleticism, it's got to be tougher than hell to block him in space. So it's really come down to him picking up the cerebral side of the game: diagnosing run plays based on formations, getting quick reads, making adjustments to motions, etc. This is where it comes down to intangibles: can the kid learn, how fast can he learn, and does he take coaching well ? So far, it looks like he'll be fine in that department (of course this is an outside observation gleaned from "fluffed" press reports and media).
As for the roids...it certainly looks like he took them. Looking at a picture from this OTA...Clemons is working with Irvin on a hook move and Irvin looks 30% bigger than Clem. Seriously, it's not even close. So, we went from 6 lbs lighter than Clem to what...15 lbs heavier ? Sure looks like it. Now, does that mean he's dumb ? Absolutely not. He takes roids, loses 4 games out of the deal, but can still practice, go to TC, and play preseason. Losing 4 games is better and more efficient than another season of physical and mental development. Get bigger and stronger, hit your targetted size, then work on technique. I would say it's a calculated risk; you have to know in the NFL if you use ANYTHING you're going to get caught. Does it make him a cheater ? Yeah, but a lot of guys cheat. THey still get paid if the produce.
I think we'll see some progression from Bruce this year. How much is up for debate, but I'm guessing a positive progression forward.
