vin.couve12":2q2owxya said:
This Irvin too small stuff is entertaining in a way. I've followed Clem's career for a very long time and he spent most of his career at 240, which is the same as when he was drafted. As a Leo you line up between 7 to 9 like a 3-4 OLB and not a conventional 4-3 DE. Clem put on 15 pounds of weight when he came to Seattle and it's helped him greatly, but the amount of bile I keep seeing about Irvin's size "as a DE" is indicative of the lack of perspective on the LEO position and player progression from rookie to veteran.
Irvin is much, much farther along than Clem was at this point.
I did a Clemons/Irvin comparison pretty much to show where both players were upon their entry level but got lot of hate solely because people were thinking that I was trying to say Irvin was better than Chris Clemons now.
http://seahawks.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=69512
As you said Clemons entered the league at 236 pounds, Bruce Irvin entered at 245. Clemons today is at 254, Irvin today is at least 255+ but I would garner around 260. Irvin said something like he put on 10 pounds in the off-season and was going to try to put on 5 more by training camp.
But people need to realize that if Irvin is going to play SAM, then the need to compare him to DE position is kind of unnecessary.
Irvin already is the biggest LBer at 6-3, 255+, probably still the fastest non-defensive back defender, and compared to 2012 SAM K.J. Wright, 6-4, 246, they have about the same lower body strength but Irvin entered the league statistically stronger than Wright.
Frankly, I think Irvin will be an Aaron Curry like talent at SAM but a much viable pass-rusher and someone who probably is more natural in coverage due to his athleticism although I don't see Irvin getting many coverage snaps.
*edit*
*Also, just so people don't put words in my mouth, I'm not saying Irvin will be a better LBer at SAM than K.J. Wright, only that Irvin is now bigger, stronger, faster, and more athletic than K.J. Wright.
If everything goes to according to the Seahawk's plan in that Dan Quinn can coach these guys up as well as Irvin and Wright putting the maximum effort in their new positions. Seahawks are going to have a crazy breed of defense. I know at least Quinn is loving him some Wright and said nothing but great things about him at WLB. Even calling Wright, one of the best players this off-season, naming him along with Earl Thomas. I really can't say anything negative about Wright's positional move only because I think it will be an upgrade over what LeRoy Hill gave us the last couple of years even though some think Wright isn't suited to play WILL. However, I don't think Dan Quinn is going to hand out false appraisal just because he can... so my optimistic assumption is that Wright will transition well to the Weak-Side.
So its all up to Irvin to put in the work to be prepared physically (which he's already done) and mentally (which remains to be seen) but if Irvin can accomplish what many Seahawks fans doubt, we are talking about crazy big and tall base defense in the making:
Clemons/Avril at LEO (6-3, 254/260 pounds)
Jesse Williams/Tony McDaniel (6-4, 325 pounds/ 6-7, 307 pounds) replacing 6-6, 320 Alan Branch
Brandon Mebane (6-1, 311 pounds)
Red Bryant (6-4, 320 pounds)
Bruce Irvin (6-3, 255-260 pounds) replacing Wright
Bobby Wagner (6-0, 241 pounds)
K.J. Wright (6-3, 246 pounds) replacing 6-1, 238 LeRoy Hill.
Brandon Browner (6-4, 221 pounds)
Earl Thomas (5-10, 202 pounds)
Kam Chanchellor (6-3, 232 pounds)
Richard Sherman (6-3, 195 pounds)
With Antoine Winfield, Walter Thurmond, Michael Bennett, and Jordan Hill waiting in various sub-packages amongst others its going to be legend-wait-for-it-f**king-dary.*