Opinion on Manny Lawson

for those who mere watch stats the obvious conclusion is that Manny has been bust. However, I don't believe this is the case. I believe he has become a very good football player and has improved a lot of different aspects of his game. He is rarely called upon to rush the QB. The 9ers have many blitz packages, but have used safeties, CBs and other LBs as well as Lawson in this regard... he has been primarily used in contain and coverage where he has excelled. He is also pretty dominant on special teams with blocks and what not.

He reminds me of Julian Peterson who was drafted to be a big pass rusher but was seldom used in anything but coverage and contain. If you look at his 9ers career he averaged just .27 sacks per appearance. In Detroit he is averaging .39 in a very weak D and in Seattle he averaged 1.96 sacks per appearance. He was often used as a rush end there in their shifting 4-3 front and regularly blitzed. In three seasons he averaged more than 8 sacks there... but always disappointed 9ers fans with a lack of sack stats. It is very difficult to hit the QB when you are in the flat or 20 yards deep in your defensive backfield. If the 9ers chose to let Manny go 3 out of 4 downs I'm confident he'd be putting up big sack numbers...

Originally posted by Micky6:
for those who mere watch stats the obvious conclusion is that Manny has been bust. However, I don't believe this is the case. I believe he has become a very good football player and has improved a lot of different aspects of his game. He is rarely called upon to rush the QB. The 9ers have many blitz packages, but have used safeties, CBs and other LBs as well as Lawson in this regard... he has been primarily used in contain and coverage where he has excelled. He is also pretty dominant on special teams with blocks and what not.

He reminds me of Julian Peterson who was drafted to be a big pass rusher but was seldom used in anything but coverage and contain. If you look at his 9ers career he averaged just .27 sacks per appearance. In Detroit he is averaging .39 in a very weak D and in Seattle he averaged 1.96 sacks per appearance. He was often used as a rush end there in their shifting 4-3 front and regularly blitzed. In three seasons he averaged more than 8 sacks there... but always disappointed 9ers fans with a lack of sack stats. It is very difficult to hit the QB when you are in the flat or 20 yards deep in your defensive backfield. If the 9ers chose to let Manny go 3 out of 4 downs I'm confident he'd be putting up big sack numbers...

No one is looking at stats. We are merely rating Manny on his pass rushing ability. We know he has been money for us just about everywhere else but we need him to be money on rushing the passer. His OLB position in a 3-4 defense isn't very important if he can't rush the passer. It is vital for that position in a 3-4.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by Micky6:
for those who mere watch stats the obvious conclusion is that Manny has been bust. However, I don't believe this is the case. I believe he has become a very good football player and has improved a lot of different aspects of his game. He is rarely called upon to rush the QB. The 9ers have many blitz packages, but have used safeties, CBs and other LBs as well as Lawson in this regard... he has been primarily used in contain and coverage where he has excelled. He is also pretty dominant on special teams with blocks and what not.

He reminds me of Julian Peterson who was drafted to be a big pass rusher but was seldom used in anything but coverage and contain. If you look at his 9ers career he averaged just .27 sacks per appearance. In Detroit he is averaging .39 in a very weak D and in Seattle he averaged 1.96 sacks per appearance. He was often used as a rush end there in their shifting 4-3 front and regularly blitzed. In three seasons he averaged more than 8 sacks there... but always disappointed 9ers fans with a lack of sack stats. It is very difficult to hit the QB when you are in the flat or 20 yards deep in your defensive backfield. If the 9ers chose to let Manny go 3 out of 4 downs I'm confident he'd be putting up big sack numbers...

No one is looking at stats. We are merely rating Manny on his pass rushing ability. We know he has been money for us just about everywhere else but we need him to be money on rushing the passer. His OLB position in a 3-4 defense isn't very important if he can't rush the passer. It is vital for that position in a 3-4.

Especially on 3rd downs when our defense needs to get off the field. Having that great passing rushing OLB is so vital.

I know he's still a rookie but...

Michael Johnson of the Bengals looks like the player Manny Lawson should have been.

Originally posted by doc_brown_:
I know he's still a rookie but...

Michael Johnson of the Bengals looks like the player Manny Lawson should have been.

Is that the kid out of South Florida?

Wow, most of ppl are talking about Manny Lawson? Lawson is not very popluars of Football player.. He look still ok to played of the field football.. I think, Spike, Brigg and Wihlhem #57 are better than Lawson's LB..

Originally posted by BuZzB28:
Wow, most of ppl are talking about Manny Lawson? Lawson is not very popluars of Football player.. He look still ok to played of the field football.. I think, Spike, Brigg and Wihlhem #57 are better than Lawson's LB..

think me talk you no clue about football. Lawsone be beast one OLB against the run year 2009. He do good job taking edge away from running guy with football.

Originally posted by backontop:

Originally posted by BuZzB28:
Wow, most of ppl are talking about Manny Lawson? Lawson is not very popluars of Football player.. He look still ok to played of the field football.. I think, Spike, Brigg and Wihlhem #57 are better than Lawson's LB..

think me talk you no clue about football. Lawsone be beast one OLB against the run year 2009. He do good job taking edge away from running guy with football.

Pretty much anybody can play the run. In 3-4 defense the OLB MUST get to the QB.

Originally posted by susweel:

Img fail.

Originally posted by backontop:

Originally posted by BuZzB28:
Wow, most of ppl are talking about Manny Lawson? Lawson is not very popluars of Football player.. He look still ok to played of the field football.. I think, Spike, Brigg and Wihlhem #57 are better than Lawson's LB..

think me talk you no clue about football. Lawsone be beast one OLB against the run year 2009. He do good job taking edge away from running guy with football.

Me Tarzan.

Originally posted by susweel:

Pretty much anybody can play the run. In 3-4 defense the OLB MUST get to the QB.

This. Since a 3-4 has no DE to provide the outside rush the OLB has to get the job done. Ours aren't. Both of them are adequate, but the only time we can get real pressure on the outside is if we blitz.

I'd like to see us get some great OLBs next year and a great safety to elevate the D to number 1.

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by backontop:

Originally posted by BuZzB28:
Wow, most of ppl are talking about Manny Lawson? Lawson is not very popluars of Football player.. He look still ok to played of the field football.. I think, Spike, Brigg and Wihlhem #57 are better than Lawson's LB..

think me talk you no clue about football. Lawsone be beast one OLB against the run year 2009. He do good job taking edge away from running guy with football.

Pretty much anybody can play the run. In 3-4 defense the OLB MUST get to the QB.

I understand that, but another key part in the 3-4 for the OLB is to not give up the edge. Lawson has been if not the best pretty damn close to being the best OLB this year at not giving away the edge to a RB. Just look at what happened against Ten with harolson

Originally posted by backontop:

I understand that, but another key part in the 3-4 for the OLB is to not give up the edge. Lawson has been if not the best pretty damn close to being the best OLB this year at not giving away the edge to a RB. Just look at what happened against Ten with harolson

Haralson is bad at the edge. I think he's better at pass coverage than is Lawson.

Originally posted by smileyman:

Originally posted by backontop:

I understand that, but another key part in the 3-4 for the OLB is to not give up the edge. Lawson has been if not the best pretty damn close to being the best OLB this year at not giving away the edge to a RB. Just look at what happened against Ten with harolson

Haralson is bad at the edge. I think he's better at pass coverage than is Lawson.

WHAT!! no way in hell Harolson is better in coverage.