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Message: <blockquote data-quote="easyk83" data-source="post: 500770" data-attributes="member: 8895">HRE, My disagreement is partial. I'll reference the following link to 2010 highlights (when both players were at their best) in my comments: I actually think that Hawk's best season was his last year. In 2010 he still played the position like a converted outside linebacker, too passive, too timid and too conservative. Last season he actually played like a proper Buck and it showed up on film. Even Bob McGinn had to give him some praise, must have stuck in his craw. To your point, the play at 2:10 in that clip is a representation of Hawk doing the job you attribute to him. Unfortunately, it's hard to find the low light clips. This isn't the role I attribute to Hawk, this is the text book definition of a Buck linebacker in a fire zone defense. The Buck fires first leaving the Mack to make the play. It isn't just at 2:10, he also fires first at 1:27 among other plays. You cannot deny that in a Capers scheme the Mack is going to make more plays than the Buck. Indeed everyone who plays at that position winds up looking like a good player. Barnett looked good, Smith looked good, and Jones was on pace to put up 120+ tackles and 3+ sacks last season, if we extrapolate his 10 game stats to a full season. Unfortunately, it's hard to find the low light clips. Too frequently, Hawk does not get off the blocker as well as we see in that play. As a consequence, when you see Hawk at the second level it's too frequently chasing from behind or late. He scores a lot of irrelevant assists. Too often.... the primary role of the Buck is to stop his man in the hole and prevent the lead blocker from expanding the rush lane. For the Buck getting off a blocker is like a DB jumping an underneath route. Its a gamble and if it doesn't work out bad things happen. If the Buck tries to slip his blocker, let's say to the weak side of the formation and the back sees it happening there's a chance the back simply cuts strongside and stays with his blocker slipping both the Buck and the Mack, and letting a runner and a lead blocker crashing into the secondary. Generally if AJ Hawk is pursuing at the second level there's a good chance that one of 3 things happened 1) The Mack whiffed, got ran over or jumped the wrong gap (Barnett used to love doing this), 2) The SS whiffed, got ran over or jumped the wrong hole, 3) the OLB was blown up. You may wonder why I didn't include a mistake by Hawk, probably because if a player in Hawks position get's blown up he wont be making a pursuit, nor will he be in position to chase down the ball carrier if he jumps the wrong gap. As far as long speed is concerned, Bishop's better than the 4.8 you cite. He pulled a muscle at the Combine which is why he did not run the 40 there. I suspect he was not fully recovered two weeks later at his Pro Day. To illustrate, see the Bishop pick at about 1:06 in the above clip. Note the additional gear he kicks in at the 20 yard line when he senses a tackler closing on him. That ain't a 4.8 guy. Compare the speed evident in that Bishop pick to the Hawk pick at 0:40 in that clip...there's no Hawk juice, no next gear, turning the corner. By 2010, Hawk could not recapture that Combine number. You can't compare a player running in a straight line with a player cutting and changing directions. Bishop's pulled muscle may have been an issue but his lack of top flight top end speed was evident even back in college and it was one of the reasons why he was a 7th round pick. However, like I said he does have tremendous burst and acceleration, he probably Matches Matthews in his first 10 steps. As for Hawk his speed has depended on his weight. When he was playing at a hair under 260 he couldn't run but last season playing between 240-245 he looked more like the player they drafted. Bishop is not without blemishes, but when you watch the above clip it is clear he's the more dynamic player. Don't get me wrong I love Des Bishop, but I have misgivings about him in that position. To me his best position is as a 43 Mike where his coverage responsibilities require less range. I wouldn't be opposed to giving him snaps at the Buck with Jones on the field, but I have some serious concerns over his durability. He's never lasted an entire season. He's OK at best in the run and cover games though his ball skills leave something to be desired, and he is not an effective blitzer.  He has great hands for a linebacker and he does show some good man cover ability, not many players at his position will turn around to play the ball with the confidence he shows. HOWEVER, he's awful in zone coverage... no feel no instinct. In conclusion, I believe the general perception that Hawk is not carrying anybody's water is correct. You can believe what you want, but carrying the mack's water is what the Buck does. As for taking a pay cut, how much do fullbacks get paid on average again?</blockquote>

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