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The Random Thought Thread

JoeyFlex5

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
Willbacker said:
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When a qb identifies the mike, he’s only doing it for the OL so they know who to anticipate when it comes to gap assignments, and that guy can change on every single snap.

Now if you wanna separate a true, classic Mike from all other off ball LBs, you’re talking about a thumper who maintains gap integrity on every play, essentially, and that gap integrity is primarily for run defense, and thus, a “true mike” is in essence a 2 down LB. In todays league, 2 down is a vague term indicating that this guy offers very little in pass defense, since 2 out of 3 downs aren’t running plays or even using base formations. Now you’re worried about getting reps for your first round LB and if he’s a 2 down LB, is he going to be a constant liability on money downs?

You want to spend a top 20 pick on that? Shit, I would never, idc what our roster needs are. I’ll take a nose over a classic mike backer so that nickel can be your base package and you have enough speed and range without sacrificing the occasional run up the gut.
 
Willbacker

Willbacker

Ravens Ring of Honor
JoeyFlex5 said:
When a qb identifies the mike, he’s only doing it for the OL so they know who to anticipate when it comes to gap assignments, and that guy can change on every single snap.

Now if you wanna separate a true, classic Mike from all other off ball LBs, you’re talking about a thumper who maintains gap integrity on every play, essentially, and that gap integrity is primarily for run defense, and thus, a “true mike” is in essence a 2 down LB. In todays league, 2 down is a vague term indicating that this guy offers very little in pass defense, since 2 out of 3 downs aren’t running plays or even using base formations. Now you’re worried about getting reps for your first round LB and if he’s a 2 down LB, is he going to be a constant liability on money downs?

You want to spend a top 20 pick on that? Shit, I would never, idc what our roster needs are. I’ll take a nose over a classic mike backer so that nickel can be your base package and you have enough speed and range without sacrificing the occasional run up the gut.
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Ray Lewis, CJ Mosley and Patrick Queen were 1st rd choices to man the mike and not one was just a 2 down player. A mike to me is the general of the defense and believe me it was killing me to see Chuck Clark doing this while we were flip flopping thru Bynes, Fort, Queen the last 4 yrs trying to get this position figgered out and to me Roquan is that guy doing the directing. Lining up in the 2nd tier inside the box in between the tackles. What's going on is the mike position is getting smaller and more quicker since we're a hell of a lot more nickels and dimes but to me guys like Bobby Wagner, Fred Warner and Logan Wilson are mikes and they're not coming off the field. All I know is our defense got a hell of a lot better. Maybe my priorities are diffrent but I want my leading tackler not doing it 5 yds down the field like Anzalone for instance.
 
JoeyFlex5

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
Willbacker said:
Ray Lewis, CJ Mosley and Patrick Queen were 1st rd choices to man the mike and not one was just a 2 down player. A mike to me is the general of the defense and believe me it was killing me to see Chuck Clark doing this while we were flip flopping thru Bynes, Fort, Queen the last 4 yrs trying to get this position figgered out and to me Roquan is that guy doing the directing. Lining up in the 2nd tier inside the box in between the tackles. What's going on is the mike position is getting smaller and more quicker since we're a hell of a lot more nickels and dimes but to me guys like Bobby Wagner, Fred Warner and Logan Wilson are mikes and they're not coming off the field. All I know is our defense got a hell of a lot better. Maybe my priorities are diffrent but I want my leading tackler not doing it 5 yds down the field like Anzalone for instance.
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Technically mike just means middle. So it doesn’t indicate a “general” on defense at all, just positionally the middle LB, and back in the day when every team ran a 4-3 mid=mike and that guy typically took on those “field general” responsibilities, then the 3-4 became more prevalent, and the mike callouts came to be as there were now 2 MLBs and the OL has to know what guy is gonna be coming downhill to plug the interior gap. That’s literally all it is. Mike backer as your “field general” just stems from old tradition that isn’t a major deal in football anymore, that’s why the “general” is just referred to as the green dot now.

In short, football is an entirely different sport than it was 15 years ago and statistically putting a player out in space who is large and powerful is usually a losing recipe, so taking a big swing at such a player is a dated strategy. All those LBs you named as Mikes are fast and rangy players who are at their best when they’re NOT taking on blocks and can cleanly roam, which was the exact case for ray Lewis as well. Jack Campbell doesn’t appear to have a skillset like any of those guys, he’s more like a benardrick mckinney or malik Harrison as a prospect.
 
JO_75

JO_75

Hall of Famer
Happy June 1st.... where companies and sports teams will change their logo to make you think they care. Only to stop caring on Midnight on July 1st.
 
Willbacker

Willbacker

Ravens Ring of Honor
JoeyFlex5 said:
Technically mike just means middle. So it doesn’t indicate a “general” on defense at all, just positionally the middle LB, and back in the day when every team ran a 4-3 mid=mike and that guy typically took on those “field general” responsibilities, then the 3-4 became more prevalent, and the mike callouts came to be as there were now 2 MLBs and the OL has to know what guy is gonna be coming downhill to plug the interior gap. That’s literally all it is. Mike backer as your “field general” just stems from old tradition that isn’t a major deal in football anymore, that’s why the “general” is just referred to as the green dot now.

In short, football is an entirely different sport than it was 15 years ago and statistically putting a player out in space who is large and powerful is usually a losing recipe, so taking a big swing at such a player is a dated strategy. All those LBs you named as Mikes are fast and rangy players who are at their best when they’re NOT taking on blocks and can cleanly roam, which was the exact case for ray Lewis as well. Jack Campbell doesn’t appear to have a skillset like any of those guys, he’s more like a benardrick mckinney or malik Harrison as a prospect.
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In a 3-4 base you do have 2 MLB's but there more known as ILB's with one being a mike and the other a will but I totally get what you're saying. Roquan is the green dot now which now makes him the MLB field general which we haven't had since Mosley therefore the mike and we needed that desparately. He replaced Bynes who was considered the mike but he wasn't the green dot so therefore not the general. I mean we've had great veteran presence on this team but Ray was always the general. Then it was Daryl Smith. Then Mosley. We just use diffrent terminology when it comes to the mike. That's all. Ever since Zach Orr I've considered the will the chase guy. Orr. Patrick O and Queen. Lots of tackles being freed since the QB is more focused on getting the mike blocked which yes sometimes it could be Queen. Depends on how they line up.

With Campbell idk. All I know is he was a damn good player. At the time I was surprized too but tbh I was just thinking that another player was falling down to us.. Time will tell since I believe he will be an instant starter so maybe we can revisit it.
 
Willbacker

Willbacker

Ravens Ring of Honor
Tank said:
I always thought the mike was the middle linebacker, and just another trendy synonym.
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Yeah it is but it's not as cool as the Willbacker name. I don't know where I get that from but man that name just sounds so cool.
 
JoeyFlex5

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
Willbacker said:
In a 3-4 base you do have 2 MLB's but there more known as ILB's with one being a mike and the other a will but I totally get what you're saying. Roquan is the green dot now which now makes him the MLB field general which we haven't had since Mosley therefore the mike and we needed that desparately. He replaced Bynes who was considered the mike but he wasn't the green dot so therefore not the general. I mean we've had great veteran presence on this team but Ray was always the general. Then it was Daryl Smith. Then Mosley. We just use diffrent terminology when it comes to the mike. That's all. Ever since Zach Orr I've considered the will the chase guy. Orr. Patrick O and Queen. Lots of tackles being freed since the QB is more focused on getting the mike blocked which yes sometimes it could be Queen. Depends on how they line up.

With Campbell idk. All I know is he was a damn good player. At the time I was surprized too but tbh I was just thinking that another player was falling down to us.. Time will tell since I believe he will be an instant starter so maybe we can revisit it.
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Yes you have 2 ILBs, but I think you’re missing the point. There is an actual definition to mike LB, and that is just the middle LB. In a 3-4 the difference between mike and will isn’t the field general vs the chaser, it’s the thumper vs the chaser, the chaser is VERY often the field general you speak of because that’s the guy that doesn’t come off the field, because they have the range to survive against the pass, which would in theory make the mike, the 2 down backer in a 2 ILB defense.

And again, this is mostly a moot discussion because 4-3 and 3-4 isn’t even a base defense anymore, most teams employ nickel as their base now, and you maintain gap integrity with a DL capable of it. Jack Campbell doesn’t look like the kind of guy you leave on the field in nickel and dime
 
JAAM

JAAM

Hall of Famer
I like how @Deebo813 ’s boy popped up outta nowhere lmao

 
Willbacker

Willbacker

Ravens Ring of Honor
JoeyFlex5 said:
Yes you have 2 ILBs, but I think you’re missing the point. There is an actual definition to mike LB, and that is just the middle LB. In a 3-4 the difference between mike and will isn’t the field general vs the chaser, it’s the thumper vs the chaser, the chaser is VERY often the field general you speak of because that’s the guy that doesn’t come off the field, because they have the range to survive against the pass, which would in theory make the mike, the 2 down backer in a 2 ILB defense.

And again, this is mostly a moot discussion because 4-3 and 3-4 isn’t even a base defense anymore, most teams employ nickel as their base now, and you maintain gap integrity with a DL capable of it. Jack Campbell doesn’t look like the kind of guy you leave on the field in nickel and dime
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Oh I know Mike means middle linebacker like Will is for weakside but you can be a thumper and a 3 down player too.
 
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