Tuesday, July 8, 2008

More Long

Some "experts" are still questioning this pick over Dorsey, but my take on Chris Long is that he will have an immediate impact. He's had a hall of fame dad work with him his whole life, and what kid doesn't want to outdo his own father? He has a great motor and is an advanced pass rusher, unlike most kids who come straight out college knowing nothing about how to truly rush the QB.

On the other hand, being from such a highly skilled background is going to put tremendous pressure on him to prove not only to us but to his dad that he belongs in the NFL and was worth the #2 pick. I for one think that he will respond to this pressure in a hugely positive way.

His worth will be tested right off, since he will have plenty of opportunities to not only get to the QB but also to stop the run. My guess is that we will be behind at the end of games for most of the first half of the season and we will be looking uphill at these teams as they steamroll their running game at us. There will be a pressing need for Little to return to his pass rushing form so that Long can concentrate on the rush. And with Carriker there to help out with both, hopefully the results will be much better than last year's debacle.

No comments: