Brooking moves back to WLB Thank God!!

[ATLien_]

Maybe I can stop bashing Brooking for getting pancaked 7 times a game. Finally Brooking is being moved back to his natural position. Brooking is fast strong guy but is weak at the point of attack, so he always disapointed me at MLB.

Kudos to the Falcons coaching staff for not being as dumb as Dan Reeves and co. Maybe we can stop being last in the league against the run now. Here is the article.

This from the AJC:

Brooking moves out, Duncan moves in

By MATT WINKELJOHN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 4/30/04

Flowery Branch -- Something was different about Keith Brooking Friday.

He was still wearing No. 56, but on the first day of the Falcons' mandatory minicamp, he lined up in a new -- or, more accurately, old -- spot.

Coming off consecutive Pro Bowl seasons as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, Brooking moved back to the weakside in the 4-3 (with four down linemen and three linebackers), the same spot where he began his career.

Brooking's position change was one of many adjustments the team made in an effort to repair a defense that allowed 6,108 yards last season, the most in the NFL.

Although Brooking is the team's biggest linebacker at 6 feet 2, 245 pounds, he also moves as well if not better than all of them. Simply put, the league's worst defense is moving its best defender into its most important spot.

"Basically, it's going to allow me to run to the ball a little more, and I think that's my strength, my speed," Brooking said. "I love the move, I really do. I played the middle in a 3-4, which is very similar to the [weakside] in this defense."

Meanwhile, the Falcons' No. 1 middle linebacker was their newest player. Seven-year veteran Jamie Duncan, who was cut by the Rams earlier this week, signed a contract Friday morning. Then, he replaced Chris Draft in the middle because Draft was limited by a strained thigh muscle.

Brooking, who led the Falcons in each of the past two seasons with 212 and 207 combined tackles and assists (fourth- and fifth-best in team history) will man one of the two most important positions in the scheme of new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. The other is the "under" tackle spot.

"You want [weakside linebackers] with great speed and quickness who can chase," Donatell said. "They're put in more positions to make plays and blitz. They do a little bit of everything.

"It's a guy who's covered by the [defensive tackle lining up outside the guard while the end is head-up or outside the offensive tackle]. He has a lot of plays where other [defenders] are taking up blockers, and he's allowed to run. He gets opportunities [to make plays]. He'll be single-blocked, or non-blocked."

At a minicamp four weeks ago, Draft was on the weakside, Brooking in the middle. But Draft and Brooking expressed an interest in changing positions, so the Falcons decided to do it, coach Jim Mora said. "A couple weeks ago, we felt like we weren't going to have a chance to make the move in free agency [to add a super fast weakside linebacker] so we did it," Mora said.

In other changes:

Rod Coleman, the former Raider, was at under tackle less than two months after signing a big contract that included a $6 million signing bonus and a $3.75 million option bonus for 2005.

Cornerback Jason Webster, the former 49er who in March got a $7 million signing bonus as an unrestricted free agent, was at right cornerback.

Left corner was manned by Derek Ross and first-round draft choice DeAngelo Hall because last year's right corner, Tod McBride, was out with a strained hamstring.

Matt Stewart remains the starting strongside linebacker, but Draft, second on the team last season with 178 combined tackles and assists, will have to fight to keep his spot in the middle.

Duncan, 6-1, 238 pounds, was a reserve in St. Louis last season, but Falcons president/general manager Rich McKay and the Bucs drafted him in the third round in 1998.

"He's in the competition right there. He's played a couple of the spots, more [middle] than anything," Donatell said. "What [Mora] wanted to do . . . was create as much competition as we can. Let the guys go to camp and the best things will happen, and it will protect us on injuries."

[cyman3]

sounds good to me...

[TROUBLEMAN69]

The problem with Brookings in the middle had nothing to do with an inability to shed blocks, it had more to do with the Falcons lack of size to play the 3-4 defense.

The Falcons had nobody among their front three that demanded a double or triple team. Defensive linemen are like their offensive counterparts, they are supposed to hold the line so that the playmakers can make plays. Brooking had the same problem that Urlacher had last season with the Bears. The Bears lost space eating Ted Washington, and Urlacher was not nearly the same dominate force.

Notice anything about the Ravens? They always have beef in the middle to protect Ray Lewis. If Lewis played behind the Falcons front three last season, he would not have been able to stop the run either.

The Falcons still have a small defensive line, but they have more ability than the Bears front four. The move to a 4-3 will help the Falcons because it allows Jasper and Coleman/Johnson to take on the center and guard, which will help the Falcons linebackers. I like the move for Brooking, but I think the criticism of Brooking was very undeserved.

TROUBLEMAN

[ATLien_]

I would agree with you if Brooking was only getting pancaked by huge lineman, but that was not the case. He gets pancaked far fullbacks and TE's. He is just not strong at the point of contact. Thats just not his strong suit and I can respect that. Thats why I'm glad he and Draft decided they wanted to switch. It takes a smart man to recognize his own strengths and weaknesses, and Keith Brooking has just gained that much more respect from me.

Now Keith can be free to run and not have to worry so much with holding down the middle. He is much better suited to do this. Just as he proved when he was in his first years spying Marshall Faulk.

However, you are correct in saying that are personel was very poor for the 3-4 defense. We had small lineman who are penatrators, when you need big lineman that maintain gap responsiblities in the 3-4. But what can you expect from Dan Reeves and Co? Always trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. Stubborn!!!

However, I really did want to see what Brooking could do at the MLB position in the 4-3. I still don't think he would be as good as he can be at WLB.

[Traceman]

I too give kudos to Brooking for recognizing that his strength is using his speed and quickness to make plays. He has NEVER been a guy who comes up and fills the hole and drops the ball carrier in his tracks. He certainly won't drive a guy back on impact. My biggest pet peeve with him is that it seems like he always makes tackles 3 yards down the field rather than at the line of scrimmage. He never had Jessie Tuggle's instincts or aggresiveness as a MLB. People talk about our small DTs but Jessie was effective playing behind Dronett and Hall and neither of them are very big. Keith has the potential to be one of the best weakside linebackers in the league and I think he'll make a lot of plays from that spot, probably more than ever. I just hope that Draft (or Jamie Duncan) can get it done in the middle. Neither of them are very big for MLBs.

[TROUBLEMAN69]

Quote:

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People talk about our small DTs but Jessie was effective playing behind Dronett and Hall and neither of them are very big.

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Tuggle never played in a 3-4 defensive scheme either. You can get away with smaller defensive lineman in a 4-3 defense. In today's NFL, it is impossible to have a small nose in the 3-4 defense.

TROUBLEMAN