Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell spoke with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Sunday, and spoke very highly of the linebacker crop working out this week.
With a few of the linebackers on their free agent board being retained by their current teams, Fewell had some interesting things to say.
"I don't mind going youthful, and looking in the draft at a linebacker, also. I've had an opportunity to interview several linebackers. I'm really impressed with the quality of people they are, with some of the knowledge they've displayed in that fifteen minute interview about football. I've watched some tape on a lot of the linebackers that we have interviewed, or that we will be interviewing at the combine and I like the talent level that's here. The youth part doesn't bother me because this is a young man's game, this is a big man's game, and we have some linebackers here that have some nice size."
With several intriguing prospects at both the outside and inside linebacker positions, the flexibility of current middle linebacker Paul Posluszny came in to the equation. Posluszny played the outside linebacker role at Penn State and was then moved to the middle linebacker spot. The idea of him switching back to an outside role had Fewell saying, "If we had to move him out I would speak to Paul first about that," later adding, "that's not 'Plan A', but it's an option."
As far as taking a high profile middle linebacker and switching them to the outside role, the defensive coordinator said, "I get good feedback from those players in our interviews on whether they've played another position besides the Mike. Then we go back and we put our heads together and we say 'Hey, well he's played outside linebacker even though he's only played middle linebacker.' So that leads us to the assessment, do we have to move someone or do we have to move a Paul if we draft this particular person? Or do we move the person that we draft? We're trying to gather that information in order to make that assessment when that situation arises."
Addressing the defensive end position, Fewell said that the team needed a situational type to come in and put pressure on the quarterback in passing down or long yardage situations. That same player will be someone the team molds in to an every down player. "Football is such a situational game that sometimes you can pick a situational player."
Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin came in to the conversation. When asked if Maybin could play defensive end in a 4-3 system, Fewell responded, "Haven't watched enough tape yet." He did add Maybin was an intriguing prospect, however.
Still speaking on defensive end he said, "When you pick a guy high, he needs to be first, second and third down. I don't disagree with that, but sometimes you need to pick a guy that really helps your team and gives your team some uniqueness."
On the safety position, "We need to address the safety position just from this standpoint: If there's a safety out there, a ball-hawking safety, so that we can get the interceptions up and have more productivity, then we can move people around to fit our needs. If there's a safety out there that's more of a box guy, that can do a good job in zone coverage and man coverage versus tight ends and that type thing, then we can add that person to our mix and move people around. Again, we're looking for the best talented person to fit our scheme."
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