I am shocked!! Jabrill Peppers stock is falling.

[PennStateNate]

A few NFL scouts say he is overrated, one questioned his physicality, another why he lacked interceptions. I thought ESPiN saw him as a beast

"I'm concerned about the lack of interceptions and his lack of physicality," he said. "He is more of a run-and-chase defender to me. He might have a chance as a 4-3 (weakside) linebacker but I believe he might be better with the ball in his hands." A different AFC college scouting director also had concerns about Peppers' NFL positional fit. "He is a box safety or nickel linebacker. He doesn't play well in the back end and is just OK in man coverage. He does have a knack for blitzing and finding the ball in the box. I think you need to have a plan for him because he is good in the return game and he loves playing football. ... I just struggle with him as a defensive player." NFL Media's Bucky Brooks compares Peppers to Eric Weddle, writing: "I believe Peppers' positional flexibility has hurt his value on some draft boards, but astute evaluators and creative defensive minds will appreciate his multi-faceted game as an intriguing chess piece."

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

This is also the time of year when teams/scouts float a bunch of bullshit in the hopes that their target falls to them.

Don't believe anything you read at this time of year.

That said, it's always been my opinion that Clapper is extremely overrated.

 

[PennStateNate]

I think for him he better off changing his position to offense, Pryor switched and it worked well so far for him. Im hearing a few teams may be offering him huge money this off season.

I don't like Pryor, but he is a freakish athlete and has turned into a good WR.

 

[Cletus11]

Peppers can play. He was overhyped but that doesn't mean he isn't really good. With the modern NFL, everybody is looking for hybrid safety-LB types. This is just GMs throwing crap out there.

 

[tboyer]

It is interesting, these 5 star players sometimes commit to a school after being promised that they can play two ways, they can learn multiple positions and just dominate at the college level. But sometimes that's not in their best interest as far as a pro career.

Lamont Wade will probably try a couple of positions, and maybe he can help the team as a punt returner. But it is probably in his best interest to really focus on corner skills and being a fantastic lockdown cover corner. That's the path to the big NFL paycheck. If he can be a great punt returner that will also increase his value because that is a skill the NFL will pay for.

But just using him on jet sweeps and gimmick plays (and I'm not saying PSU would do that) or creating some kind of freelance defensive position for him -- that's not in his best interest.

I remember when Arrington came to PSU, he didn't really fit the mold of any of the LB positions, and in some ways it was in the team's interest to let Arrington play out of system at least some of the time -- he could pursue so fast that he didn't need to play with the same positional sense as other players (though apparently they wanted him to be more conscious of the structure than he was).

Anyway, I don't know if that served Arrington well because I'm not sure he ever really learned the subtleties of the LB position. He was a fantastic player, he changed the whole defense, but I don't know if it was the best thing for him.

 

[Raffycorn]

It is interesting, these 5 star players sometimes commit to a school after being promised that they can play two ways, they can learn multiple positions and just dominate at the college level. But sometimes that's not in their best interest as far as a pro career.

Lamont Wade will probably try a couple of positions, and maybe he can help the team as a punt returner. But it is probably in his best interest to really focus on corner skills and being a fantastic lockdown cover corner. That's the path to the big NFL paycheck. If he can be a great punt returner that will also increase his value because that is a skill the NFL will pay for.

But just using him on jet sweeps and gimmick plays (and I'm not saying PSU would do that) or creating some kind of freelance defensive position for him -- that's not in his best interest.

I remember when Arrington came to PSU, he didn't really fit the mold of any of the LB positions, and in some ways it was in the team's interest to let Arrington play out of system at least some of the time -- he could pursue so fast that he didn't need to play with the same positional sense as other players (though apparently they wanted him to be more conscious of the structure than he was).

Anyway, I don't know if that served Arrington well because I'm not sure he ever really learned the subtleties of the LB position. He was a fantastic player, he changed the whole defense, but I don't know if it was the best thing for him.

I don't know if it hurt Lavar at all. What hurt Lavar's career more than anything were his knees giving out on him. But he could have very easily been a 10-time All-Pro linebacker if he had stayed healthy, regardless of his knowledge of the intricacies of the linebacker position.

 

[Lion8286]

I don't know if it hurt Lavar at all. What hurt Lavar's career more than anything were his knees giving out on him. But he could have very easily been a 10-time All-Pro linebacker if he had stayed healthy, regardless of his knowledge of the intricacies of the linebacker position.

Didn't his career sort of trend down after the motorcycle accident?

 

[Raffycorn]

Didn't his career sort of trend down after the motorcycle accident?

The motorcycle accident was probably the nail in the coffin, but he started to miss significant time with knee injuries in 2004 after being an All-Pro from 2001-03. The accident was in 2007.

 

[Blueblood4eva]

Good thing Peppers has that O$U degree to fall back on........???

 

[Erial_Lion]

Good thing Peppers has that O$U degree to fall back on........???

Sounds like quite a commute every day...

 

[Blueblood4eva]

Sounds like quite a commute every day...

Just up North a bit...HaHa

 

[Kiber]

Said this before... If Peppers were at Alabama he would have been no better than the 3rd best DB on their team, and no better than the 6th best player on their defense.

 

[doublehaul]

I was surprised at his actual size. Kind of a tweener, who might not be as affective ,if he adds weight to play linebacker. Safety maybe?

 

[bjf1991]

Said this before... If Peppers were at Alabama he would have been no better than the 3rd best DB on their team, and no better than the 6th best player on their defense.

Forget about Bama.....


Peppers was no better than 3rd DB, 6th on Defense......... on last year's Michigan team !!!!!!!

Lol

 

[psuro]

Didn't his career sort of trend down after the motorcycle accident?

Much like his on field isssues Arrington was not in his required lane. And got licked.

 

[danvillenit]

Given he went to the NYC he is one of the most overhyped players that I remember. Not surprised his stock is falling

 

[4rosco]

I don't know if it hurt Lavar at all. What hurt Lavar's career more than anything were his knees giving out on him. But he could have very easily been a 10-time All-Pro linebacker if he had stayed healthy, regardless of his knowledge of the intricacies of the linebacker position.

What also hurt Lavar was the constant changing of coaches every year and having to learn a new system.

 

[bjf1991]

The revisionist history wrt Arrington is ridiculous. Arrington played 4 healthy years in the NFL, before injuries did his career in.
During those 4 years (and some comparisons to the first name I thought of wrt guys considered "dominant" OLBs - Josh Harrison):


LA was named to 3 straight Pro Bowls

PASS RUSH:
He averaged 5.5 sacks per year (Harrison averaged just over 6)...... and Arrington was not schemed as a "pass rush only" guy - - - but the one year their DefC schemed to use Arrington as a pass rush guy - he had 11 sacks.

PASS DEFENSE:
Arrington was used - depending on the DefC - a lot as a cover guy....... averaging 8 passes defensed per season ( that is a VERY big number - a "pass defended" is a play where you either get a pick, or get your hands on the pass)......the year he was used primarily as a cover guy, he lead the NFL in passes defensed by a LBer with 11 (Harrison averaged 2 passes defensed per year.....and never had more than 4 in a season)

TACKLES:
As an outside guy, playing in space, a guy like Arrington isn't going to have as many opportunities to be in the vacinity of the ball - - - - but he averaged just under 70 tackles per year (fellow edge LBer, and perennial all pro and future HOFer, Harrison averaged just under 45 tackles per season)


As a pro, the guy made plays - he could "do it all", defend the pass / rush the passer / cover a lot of space making tackles / etc etc etc....... just as he did at PSU

He averaged more than TWICE AS MANY tackles per game as Von Miller or Julius Peppers - - - and three times as many passes defended than those guys. Two of the "premier" every down outside linebackers of the current era.

And we still have this sub-culture of folks - who wouldn't have any clue what they were actually witnessing - that will insist LA was a bust (in both the NFL and in college).
Probably because JVP - likely to motivate and keep LA from getting a big head - was prone to underplay his performance.

Anyway, LA doesn't need me to defend his ability/accomplishments ....... it's just kind of an interesting "social psychology" experiment.

 

[psu1969a]

It is interesting, these 5 star players sometimes commit to a school after being promised that they can play two ways, they can learn multiple positions and just dominate at the college level. But sometimes that's not in their best interest as far as a pro career.

Lamont Wade will probably try a couple of positions, and maybe he can help the team as a punt returner. But it is probably in his best interest to really focus on corner skills and being a fantastic lockdown cover corner. That's the path to the big NFL paycheck. If he can be a great punt returner that will also increase his value because that is a skill the NFL will pay for.

But just using him on jet sweeps and gimmick plays (and I'm not saying PSU would do that) or creating some kind of freelance defensive position for him -- that's not in his best interest.

I remember when Arrington came to PSU, he didn't really fit the mold of any of the LB positions, and in some ways it was in the team's interest to let Arrington play out of system at least some of the time -- he could pursue so fast that he didn't need to play with the same positional sense as other players (though apparently they wanted him to be more conscious of the structure than he was).

Anyway, I don't know if that served Arrington well because I'm not sure he ever really learned the subtleties of the LB position. He was a fantastic player, he changed the whole defense, but I don't know if it was the best thing for him.

Arrington sure made a defense different. He cost MN game in 1999 by freelancing.

 

[bjf1991]

Arrington sure made a defense different. He cost MN game in 1999 by freelancing.

Perfect example - Arrington almost won that game by putting that D on his back and making plays........and somehow - and I for the life of me can't imagine how - he is "popularized" as a reason they LOST?


Hint: Look at the play of the back end of the defense - despite Arrington getting great pressure on the QB



FWIW - and you can "look it up":

Arrington - despite playing on the outside, and having UMinn run most of their offense away from him, led the team with FIFTEEN TACKLES that day (middle LBer Brandon Short had 10)
Arrington also had one of PSU's two sacks on the day....... and a handful of "QB Hurries" (though I don't think that was an officially tracked stat)
Meanwhile - Kevin Thompson was 12-27 passing, the O couldn't put the ball in the end zone the entire 2nd half, and couldn't even garner a first down on a couple chances to salt the game away



If Arrington made 50 tackles, 5 sacks, and intercepted 2 passes that day - - - some would say "Yeah, but he didn't block the Minnesota game-winning field goal......... he's over-rated ".

 

[4rosco]

The revisionist history wrt Arrington is ridiculous. Arrington played 4 healthy years in the NFL, before injuries did his career in.

Not sure if you misunderstood what I was trying to imply in my comment. Lavar was a great pro whose career was cut short by injuries. The constant changes of Coaches and DC didn't allow him to get comfortable in any set role. Every year he was used differently depending on who the coach was.

 

[bjf1991]

Not sure if you misunderstood what I was trying to imply in my comment. Lavar was a great pro whose career was cut short by injuries. The constant changes of Coaches and DC didn't allow him to get comfortable in any set role. Every year he was used differently depending on who the coach was.

Oh, I know.

I was replying to all the "LA was an undisciplined detriment to the team" posts......it just so happened that your's was the post immediately before mine (BRING BACK THREAD VIEW!!!!!! )