Why type of prospect is this kid? Obviously he is the #1 IDP off the board this year but is he worth a late 1st in a 12 team PPR with pretty standard scoring? Is he an automatic LB2 this year with LB1 upside? Carolina seems to be a high scoring IDP destination for LB's so is it a good fit? Any thoughts and opinions is welcome. Thank you!!
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Luke Kuechly (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter xtreme11
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cheese
Footballguy
My 2 cents....
Great athleticism and speed to the ball. Very good tackler and underrated power as a hitter. Above average football IQ and energy/effort. Possible 3-down LB at any of the positions.
Like most young LB's, needs to improve on not getting hung up and getting off blocks. Big plays may be limited depending on scheme and role.
He's a really good bet for tackles and a strong football player, but if you're talking about LB1 upside you'd either have to believe the big plays will be there or he can compile a huge tackle count (which might require him winning MLB). I'm more in line with him automatically having value as a LB2 than I am giving him LB1 upside.
Great athleticism and speed to the ball. Very good tackler and underrated power as a hitter. Above average football IQ and energy/effort. Possible 3-down LB at any of the positions.
Like most young LB's, needs to improve on not getting hung up and getting off blocks. Big plays may be limited depending on scheme and role.
He's a really good bet for tackles and a strong football player, but if you're talking about LB1 upside you'd either have to believe the big plays will be there or he can compile a huge tackle count (which might require him winning MLB). I'm more in line with him automatically having value as a LB2 than I am giving him LB1 upside.
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ninerfanatic492000
Footballguy
Beason and Anderson are really active LB'ers that eat up tackles. even if Kuechly wins the MLB job and Beason is shifted over i don't see him reach LB1 or possibly LB2 levels. if Thomas Davis actually plays a few games this year he'll likely see the field in some capacity and make the split even slimmer for everyone. best hope for high production for Kuechly is another rash of injuries to the LB'er core
MAC_32
Footballguy
Low end LB1 ceiling, expect LB2 #'s out of the gate - due to the guys around him. He has an excellent football IQ, is a sound tackler, moves well enough, and never stops going. He doesn't have the elite athleticism to possibly be a top 5 guy though.
I have him 9th in my rookie rankings behind the 3 RB's + 3 WR's + 2 QB's, I'd rather take him than gamble on one of the 4-8 RB's. One of those RB's may end up being more valuable than him, but good luck guessing which one.
I have him 9th in my rookie rankings behind the 3 RB's + 3 WR's + 2 QB's, I'd rather take him than gamble on one of the 4-8 RB's. One of those RB's may end up being more valuable than him, but good luck guessing which one.
Im at the 1.09 out of 16 in the first round in my draft. Im considering taking Luke at that spot, but I think there a few teams who would be more interested in stephen Hill or another offensive skill player at that spot. Im hoping to trade down to 1.11-14 range, and pick up an extra 3rd or second, or move up a few other picks, in order to position my self better to grab Luke....Im not a big fan of him landing in Carolina, but maybe he'll rack up the tackling points...One thing is for certain, all I have at Lb is DQwell, and then Sam Acho and Justin Houstin. So I need to make a move for a LB. I'll be targeting Donta HIghtower as well because I think he'll be all over the place for the Patriots. (I also have VIlma and Rudd, but they aren't look like productive pieces for my team this year)'MAC_32 said:
Young 8
Footballguy
https://twitter.com/#!/josephperson/statuses/201066172479844355
http://blogs.charlotte.com/panthers/
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Kuechly, the team's first-round draft pick, will begin his NFL career at weakside linebacker, allowing veteran Jon Beason to keep his preferred spot at middle linebacker.
“We'll start him on the outside, and then we'll rotate him into the inside. Jon will be on the inside,” Rivera said Friday following the first of three practices during the team's rookie minicamp.
http://blogs.charlotte.com/panthers/
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Kuechly, the team's first-round draft pick, will begin his NFL career at weakside linebacker, allowing veteran Jon Beason to keep his preferred spot at middle linebacker.
“We'll start him on the outside, and then we'll rotate him into the inside. Jon will be on the inside,” Rivera said Friday following the first of three practices during the team's rookie minicamp.
Yea probably a bit, but not definitely. Depends at how many snaps Thomas Davis can handle/take away. Granted it was a different system, I remember 3 years ago when TD was beasting it up along side Beason before his late injury. So IMHO WLB is and can still be a very very productive position.
ninerfanatic492000
Footballguy
Like I stated earlier.......James Anderson has turned into a tackling machine as well. If Davis proves healthy and all 4 talents are there then they may hurt each others fantasy value a bit
Yes, James Anderson has been doing quite well the past two seasons, I don't know when the last time I've seen a team have 3 highly productive LB's in one season, should be extremely interesting to see how things shake out. As for Anderson affecting Kuechly, I could be way off base here, but I wouldn't think Anderson a SLB would make it all the way across the line to steal a tackle before Kuechly get's there. Maybe he wins out and takes nickel snaps over him, that could be more likely, but I thought I heard high regards of Kuechly's pass coverage.
My league values defensive players as much as offensive players. I am at #5 and am debating between blackmon, martin and Luke. They should all be there. Luke is definitely a 3 down lb and is excellent in coverage. The wlb thing concerns me a bit for a redraft league, but I think he will be fine for a dynasty league.
Luke should be plug and play for 12 years. I like being able to secure a position like that. I think he is safer than martin or blackmon.
Luke should be plug and play for 12 years. I like being able to secure a position like that. I think he is safer than martin or blackmon.
Is there a possibility Carolina switches to a 3-4 scheme?
They experimented with the 3-4 last year.
Rivera was the defensive coordinator in SD and ran the 3-4 there (but, admittedly, was a 4-3 guy when DC in CHI before that).
Their first round pick was a guy who seems better suited as an inside LB, when they already have a top tier MLB in Beason. Hmm, perhaps they plan to pair them as ILBs?
They ignored their most glaring need in the draft: DT. Hmm, the 3-4 doesn't use DTs...
I have heard no mention of it, but this all seems to hint that a scheme conversion is coming, IMO.
They experimented with the 3-4 last year.
Rivera was the defensive coordinator in SD and ran the 3-4 there (but, admittedly, was a 4-3 guy when DC in CHI before that).
Their first round pick was a guy who seems better suited as an inside LB, when they already have a top tier MLB in Beason. Hmm, perhaps they plan to pair them as ILBs?
They ignored their most glaring need in the draft: DT. Hmm, the 3-4 doesn't use DTs...
I have heard no mention of it, but this all seems to hint that a scheme conversion is coming, IMO.
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Shane Falco
Footballguy
but they don't really have anyone that fits the OLB mold. And I think Vince Wolfork may argue that 3-4 D uses a nose tackle. In fact they use big ones and they really don't have one. They still move that way but to me it doesn't look like they have moved to get the personnel they need
Um, NT <> DT is all I was implying. I do realize they are similar roles, just being facetious.No doubt they aren't there yet in terms of personnel. Just seems that the 3-4 is where they're heading either this year or next, otherwise as a Panthers fan I don't see any way to rationalize their moves of late.
I would agree the key to the 3-4 is a mountain in the middle, like Wilfork, and they don't have that, but please note I never said they'd be a good 3-4.
As for OLBs, I do think James Anderson and Thomas Davis, if healthy (yes, that's a big if there), could both successfully make that transition. Or they might try converting a DE (Charles Anderson, Greg Hardy). Yes, it rarely works, but that doesn't seem to stop somebody from doing it seemingly every year (Mario Williams, Elvis Dumervil, Aaron Kampman, etc).
Anyway, sorry to sidetrack this thread. Good luck Kuechly, have fun warming the bench or playing out of position at OLB in a 4-3. :(
Edit: Just found this link, which hypothesizes a 4-3 base with 4-4 looks and on occasion running the 46, a blast from Ron Rivera's past as a player for the 1985 Bears. Hmm, very interesting...
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J Giles Band
Footballguy
WLB is by no means out of position for Kuechly. Some draft evaluations had him an even better fit there. And while MLB may be preferable for his long term fantasy performance, WLB in Carolina has proven to be equally productive in recent years (see Thomas Davis, when healthy).
JOBOOZOSO
Footballguy
My Rookie LB Production comes out next week (see first link in signature).Sneak peek: Over the past six season, 1st Rd rookie LB end the season 50% of the time as fantasy starters, and 18% of the time as fantasy backups.Also over the past six season, no 3rd Rd-or-lower LB, EVER, has finished the season as a fantasy starter. Are you finally gonna learn Mason Foster and Phillip Dilliard pre-season backers?
JOBOOZOSO
Footballguy
msommer
Footballguy
Hope you caught a few z's!Now, I am not sure I understand your assertion that no rookie linebackers drafted after the 3rd became fantasy starters in 2011.
Colin McCarthy made 50 solo tackles and 13 assists in the last 8 games. In one league I particiate in that was LB6 in that stretch.
I am pretty sure he'll be LB1 on a number of teams this year.
I agree that until Ruud went down with an injury, his stats were pretty much zero.
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JOBOOZOSO
Footballguy
I got stuck watching Sunny until 2:30am EST, so I didn't get enough.As for LB Report, it's only for a player's rookie season. I collected the stats and determined the odds so you know which 2012 rookie has the best chance of succeeding.
I also do a Third Season Report which comes out after the Rookies. Same concept, but with third year players.
Crazysight
Footballguy
How exactly do you figure that he doesn't have the elite athleticism to be a top 5 guy? Compare his combine numbers to Patrick Willis: They're pretty darn similar, and Kuechly did better on more drills than Willis:http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=17257&draftyear=2007&genpos=http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/profilexnews.php?pyid=90802&draftyear=2012&genpos=ILB
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MAC_32
Footballguy
Based on what I saw in games, Willis has better range
steelcityman
Footballguy
Paul Poz IMO. But would keep an eye on Beason and Thomas Davis in Carolina. I dont think CAR spends a top pick on him and not start him day 1. If he starts, on that team, could chas 100 tackles this year.
Keep in mind that at BC, he was the only NFL talent player on that defense. BC was awful. He was on the field a lot and had the best skills by a mile. He mad tackles cause he had to, and had plenty of chances.
Keep in mind that at BC, he was the only NFL talent player on that defense. BC was awful. He was on the field a lot and had the best skills by a mile. He mad tackles cause he had to, and had plenty of chances.
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Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
From Rotoworld:
