Leigh The Vander Esch Down at Middle Linebacker

I saw the short training camp footage of the one from or out of the meadows (that is what the name Leighton Vande Esch means). Leighton was winded and had trouble covering one on one. However, it was explain on DC.com that it was his first padded practice. The first thing that came into my mind seeing him struggling to carry coverage on the RB/TE and huffing for breath was Randy White.

Randy White was a 5-2 Defense middle linebacker drafted to replace the great Lee Roy Jordan. As White said in an interview, after trying to cover Tony Dorsett out the backfield, he knew he was not going to be a linebacker in the NFL. Even though Vander Esch is similar to White in height and weight when he came out of Maryland, there are no worries. When I watched him a Boise State, he is a game player MLB. Once he gets over the rookie "oohs", he will turn into the player that impress on the field at Boise State and off the field with that great NFL combine workout at 6-4-250. Although a one year wonder, he was also a special teams Dynamo

The issue with Vander Esch both Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith are middle linebackers. Lee is usually unavailable with injuries so he will not stop Vander Esch development. However, Smith is a different story. He was a top 5 draft pick at MLB for Notre Dame before the knee injury. If he beats out Vander Esch at MLB can Vander Esch play OLB (strong or weak). Yes. He played some OLB at Boise St. even though Vander Esch is a Urlacher style and build MLB. He played a lot of LB that carried the RB in coverage. So we should not have a Randy White situation. If the Cowboys get Lee, Smith and Vander Esch to stay healthy all season (especially Lee), the Cowboys LB will be as special as the Bob Beurnig, Mike Hegman and Hollywood Henderson during the Doomsday days.

Good grief

We haven't played Sean Lee at MIKE in what, three years now?

As usual, you don't even have basic knowledge.

eromeopolk said:

even though Vander Esch is a Urlacher style and build MLB.

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I really dont get the Urlacher comps. Urlacher physically grew out of being a safety, but more importantly starting out as a safety gave him a leg up in coverage. OTOH coverage seems to be the biggest question about LVE. If the comp is they both big white LBs its kind of a stretch.

theoneandonly said:

I really dont get the Urlacher comps. Urlacher physically grew out of being a safety, but more importantly starting out as a safety gave him a leg up in coverage. OTOH coverage seems to be the biggest question about LVE. If the comp is they both big white LBs its kind of a stretch.

Keep reading...

Who's been questioning his coverage skills? His ability to play in space and move downfield is always cited as a strength.

He was described by many of those draft gurus as the perfect style of MLB for todays NFL.

Bottom line. As usual Lee will get injured. The way Vander Esch looks in coverage in practice. They can not play him at weak or strong side OLB. He is a pure MLB. He is a little slower than Urlacher out of college but he has size instincts and athletic abilities that will take time to develop during his rookie campaign.

When Lee came out of Penn St. he was a OLB that could play all the 4/3 LB positions. But he stays injured(even at PSU) which limits the pounding he can take at MLB and SLB. The injuries have slowed him which makes him a liability long term at WLB. The key to the Cowboys LB corp will be Jaylon Smith becoming that generational Cowboys LB in the mold of Jordan, Breunig, and Norton, and either Pickins, Lillard, or Johnson coming out of no where. This is under the assumption that Sean Lee will get hurt.