Originally posted by tjd808185:
Just so people get the point of possibly trading him. AA can be a valuable asset and still be an undesirable Leo. Just because he plays well does mean he's a good fit there. He could find himself having say a 5 sack season playing Leo, rotating behind Solly, Buckner with most of his success coming at his natural spots. He's not going to be our long term Leo though so if someone did call us next year with a good offer yeah you take it. The only way I see Thomas, Buckner, AA working is if Solly becomes the Leo, Buckner 3, AA 5. The fact that we're playing him at Leo really says he's a square in a round hole. Sooner or later he's gone. If you can get a pick for that you do it.
I really want it to work out that Saleh figures out a way to get all three - Buckner, Thomas and AA - as very successful at sacking and pressuring the QB while on the field at same time rushing as a trio. But when you look at the way a 4-3 typically works on passing downs - no NT - it means one of those guys would have to play Leo for all three of them to rushing at the same time. The coaches have evidently decided that Buckner and Thomas are going to be playing the strong side DE and weak side tackle position (maybe flip-flopping regularly) on passing downs. That leaves the Leo for AA. And it sure seems like you are right that AA is too much of a square peg for a round hole. I think AA is a very good square peg but the problem is that there are only two square peg holes and there are two better square pegs to go into those holes.
I think you are right that if AA plays the Leo the way it is typically played and doesn't get at least somewhere around maybe 8-10 or more sacks and pretty consistent quick pressure on the QB then the coaches will probably be looking for a replacement Leo. If that happened, then next year it's likely the staff would look at the possibility of a trade because that may offer more value to the team than having AA as a backup. It's not hard to see him playing well enough that another team would give a third round (maybe even second) draft pick to acquire him. If AA isn't impressive at playing Leo the way it is typically played then that seems to be the more likely thing to happen.
But... there is a less likely thing that could happen. It's probably not likely, but Saleh may "flex" the 4-3 passing defense where the Leo doesn't play in the typical spot for edge rushing - on the outside shoulder of the OT and back off the line a bit. If he can figure out a way to work it, he may be able to get all three of those guys, including AA, to rush the passer from spots where there talents are best utilized. In my fevered imagination I keep trying to figure out how Saleh could do that, but the ideas I come up up with seem too radical to be likely to work. I hope Saleh can figure it out, though.
It is not beyond the realm of possibility that AA could turn into a very good Leo as it is typically played. He is smart and a hard worker and so he may be able to pull it off. But based on what we have seen of his play so far, it sure feels less likely than more likely.
