Jon Alston -- backup WLB Rams (1 Viewer)

[Chaos Commish]

Alston Puff Piece

Three weeks into the exhibition season, Jon Alston leads the Rams in tackles (with 19). And according to the NFL, he also leads the league in tackles. But Alston isn't impressed.

"I've played probably more than everybody else," Alston said, laughing.

...

"He's really smart," Haslett said. "He's one of the smartest guys we have. It's just playing linebacker. That's the part he's going to have to keep working on, and he will. And being a great (special) teams player because he does have tremendous speed."

Special teams is where Alston must have an immediate impact. But if he keeps improving at linebacker, sooner or later the Rams will have to find a role for him on defense.

Alston was drafted in most dynasty leagues last year, and from what I can tell he was also dropped by many owners. In my league the other owners know I have tried to make space for him, twice picking him up and twice dropping him. As the article explains his schedule was messed up by NCAA rules last year and he missed most of the off-season. He was way behind and barely sniffed the field. Well, he's leading the NFL in preseason tackles and benefiting from extended time with the team now. he is a freak athlete. He is solid in coverage and there was talk of him converting to safety. He is faster than most the starting RBs and WRs in the league, but the real testament to his athleticism may be the fact he was primarily a pass rusher in college playing OLB in a 3-4. So, we have a league leading tackler who can cover and get after the QB here. It's an intriguing package and Pisa Tinoibadshoulder is the obstacle. Just a heads up on a possible pick up if you're weak at LB, have space, and there's little out there in terms of prospects.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

If you remember the draft talk last year, CC, I was excited to see him play. He was a monster at Stanford and I saw an interview with him that really impressed me - sounded very smart and humble.

I was hoping the Vikes would take him in the 2nd last year. Good thing they took Ryan Cook instead.

 

[Bob Magaw]

alston is really smart (went to stanford) & fast... i think he was one of three LBs to clock 4.4 at COMBINE (manny lawson, thomas howard & alston?)...

as mentioned, the problem is tinoisamoa is in front of him... he was injured a lot last year, but the organization nonetheless re-upped him to a long term contract (i think about 5 years for $20-25 mill, similar to deals signed in '06 by EJ henderson & bradie james)...

i put him on practice squad in one league i have him, but if 5-0 plays well, it could be years before he is a starter. could play a role as situational, nickel rusher-type, but he would have to get a lot of sacks to justify rostering, let alone starting.

if something happens to tinoisamoa (he gets hurt a lot but before going on IR last season hadn't missed many games, & led team in tackles three years in a row), it looks he could provide really good depth, which from a team standpoint (& with chris draft backing up chillar, too, & possible starter), the LB positional depth looks the best it has in a few years...

 

[Chaos Commish]

Thanks Bob. Here's some food for thought I've been trying to chew up and digest since Alston was drafted there. I've owned Pisa in different leagues for a long time. Three years ago, healthy, he was a great looking prospect. But, he led the Rams in tackles all those years in fairly unimpressive fashion. It was a bad defense, and by his own admission he was a bad tackler. He's been working on his tackling problems in this camp and openly discussed the many missed tackles that hurt the defense last year. I like Pisa. I still own him on my only dynasty roster, but it's rare that he would get a start. The reason I nab and drop Alston is because I think he can be better than Pisa, quickly. I want that production should it loom imminent. The Rams need a better defense. They need better personnel. I get the feeling Pisa is such a great character guy, so tough, such a locker room favorite and team leader, that he's going to have to get hurt for Alston to get a shot. But he also seems a little fragile. Perhaps Alston can get his shot and never look back.

 

[Bob Magaw]

Thanks Bob. Here's some food for thought I've been trying to chew up and digest since Alston was drafted there. I've owned Pisa in different leagues for a long time. Three years ago, healthy, he was a great looking prospect. But, he led the Rams in tackles all those years in fairly unimpressive fashion. It was a bad defense, and by his own admission he was a bad tackler. He's been working on his tackling problems in this camp and openly discussed the many missed tackles that hurt the defense last year. I like Pisa. I still own him on my only dynasty roster, but it's rare that he would get a start. The reason I nab and drop Alston is because I think he can be better than Pisa, quickly. I want that production should it loom imminent. The Rams need a better defense. They need better personnel. I get the feeling Pisa is such a great character guy, so tough, such a locker room favorite and team leader, that he's going to have to get hurt for Alston to get a shot. But he also seems a little fragile. Perhaps Alston can get his shot and never look back.

thank YOU, CC... i haven't seen alston play a lot, either at stanford or in STL (he didn't play much last year)... i know him more from what i've heard from rams coaches & observers...you are spot on in that tino showed a lot of promise early, & hasn't really fulfilled that potential since... you are also right in that health issues played a role in that decline, at least last few years...other issues may have been a few years in there, he played in what was generally acknowledged as a horriffic scheme by since fired DC larry marmie, a martz cronie...also the overall defensive talent generally and DL talent specifically in martz era (& that is his legacy, though imo linehan is getting things righted on defense & ST) was not all that great, with the exception of leonard little, and that didn't help either... WLBs with good DLs in front of them allow them to be relatively more unscathed by blockers and better freed up to run to the ball...back to tinoisamoa's health issues, that must have affected his tackling... he has had repeat shoulder problems, dislocated his elbow in week 1 or 2 last season, may have broken his hand, so it was amazing that he could tackle at all... he had a reputation for being a good open field tackler in hawaii...its possible he has been misused since his great rookie season... that year he had multiple sacks, INTs & FFs... i've said this before, but he is still i think only prep football player in san diego county history to be all-cif on both sides of the ball... he runs well, is a great athlete, has coverage potential, & could be more of a playmaker if they would turn him loose...IF he can stay healthy (if shoulder problem, which he injured about a half dozen times in '05 & had cleaned up in off-season is chronic, all bets are off), IF the DL talent in adam carriker & james hall is upgrade, i could see him turn things around...OTOH, maybe he just doesn't have the kind of body that can withstand the punishment delivered at the pro level, which could open the door for alston...

 

[HMH]

Thanks Bob. Here's some food for thought I've been trying to chew up and digest since Alston was drafted there. I've owned Pisa in different leagues for a long time. Three years ago, healthy, he was a great looking prospect. But, he led the Rams in tackles all those years in fairly unimpressive fashion. It was a bad defense, and by his own admission he was a bad tackler. He's been working on his tackling problems in this camp and openly discussed the many missed tackles that hurt the defense last year. I like Pisa. I still own him on my only dynasty roster, but it's rare that he would get a start. The reason I nab and drop Alston is because I think he can be better than Pisa, quickly. I want that production should it loom imminent. The Rams need a better defense. They need better personnel. I get the feeling Pisa is such a great character guy, so tough, such a locker room favorite and team leader, that he's going to have to get hurt for Alston to get a shot. But he also seems a little fragile. Perhaps Alston can get his shot and never look back.

thank YOU, CC... i haven't seen alston play a lot, either at stanford or in STL (he didn't play much last year)... i know him more from what i've heard from rams coaches & observers...you are spot on in that tino showed a lot of promise early, & hasn't really fulfilled that potential since... you are also right in that health issues played a role in that decline, at least last few years...other issues may have been a few years in there, he played in what was generally acknowledged as a horriffic scheme by since fired DC larry marmie, a martz cronie...also the overall defensive talent generally and DL talent specifically in martz era (& that is his legacy, though imo linehan is getting things righted on defense & ST) was not all that great, with the exception of leonard little, and that didn't help either... WLBs with good DLs in front of them allow them to be relatively more unscathed by blockers and better freed up to run to the ball...back to tinoisamoa's health issues, that must have affected his tackling... he has had repeat shoulder problems, dilocated his elbow in week 1 or 2 last season, may have broken his hand, so it was amazing that he could tackle at all... he had a reputation for being a good open field tackler in hawaii...its possible he has been misused since his great rookie season... that year he had multiple sacks, INTs & FFs... i've said this before, but he is still i think only prep football player in san diego county history to be all-cif on both sides of the ball), runs well, is a great athlete, has coverage potential, & could be more of a playmaker if they would turn him loose...IF he can stay healthy (if shoulder problem, which he injured about a half dozen times in '05 & had cleaned up in off-season is chronic, all bets are off), IF the DL talent in adam carriker & james hall is upgrade, i could see him turn things around...OTOH, maybe he just doesn't have the kind of body that can withstand the punishment delivered at the pro level, which could open the door for alston...

Not sure Alston will get a shot this year, unless the Rams get devastated by injury at LB. That's the reason Chris Draft was brought in to back up all three LB spots. For the record, I'm extremely high on Alston and have been since he was drafted by the Rams. But, he will most likely only see time at ST, and have to wait for his opportunity. It's really too bad, Pisa is oft injured, but with the lucrative contract he just signed, it could be a while until Alston gets his shot. On a side note, didn't Pete Carrol say Jon Alston was the best LB he had ever seen? Sorry if Im all over the place, Ive had two shots of Double Espresso this morning and my mind is racing.

 

[Lash]

i think the biggest question is what does eiher one have to do to get an assisted tackle in st louis home games?

seriously, i own both so always looking for news on either

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

alston was one of the rams cuts

 

[Chaos Commish]

alston was one of the rams cuts

 

[Andy Dufresne]

The line between making it and not making it must be super-thin in the NFL.

Some of these cuts are baffling. I half hope that the Vikings give him a chance as he seems athletic enough, definitely speedy enough, to be a Cover/Tampa 2 type linebacker.

This cut makes me sad. I've seen this kid interviewed and was really rooting for him.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

September 3, 2007, 19:28 Raiders :: LBRaiders Sign LB Alston To Practice SquadJim Thomas, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - [Full Article]The Oakland Raiders signed LB John Alston to their practice squad on Monday.

:confetti:

 

[massraider]

September 3, 2007, 19:28 Raiders :: LBRaiders Sign LB Alston To Practice SquadJim Thomas, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - [Full Article]The Oakland Raiders signed LB John Alston to their practice squad on Monday.

:confetti:

Well, it might be a good place for him to make the 53, but I really don't see him taking a WLB job anytime soon, not with Howard in front of him.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

September 3, 2007, 19:28 Raiders :: LBRaiders Sign LB Alston To Practice SquadJim Thomas, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - [Full Article]The Oakland Raiders signed LB John Alston to their practice squad on Monday.

:confetti:

Well, it might be a good place for him to make the 53, but I really don't see him taking a WLB job anytime soon, not with Howard in front of him.

The Raiders just signed him to the active roster. FWIW