Dre Mont Jones to OLB/Edge?

[River_Dog]

It looks like a position switch is on the horizon for Dre’Mont Jones.

Initially signed as a major addition to the Seattle Seahawks’ interior defensive line, Jones’ future on the roster may be tied to what he can do as an edge rusher. As shown in this Instagram reel by Jones’ trainer, Jackson Hayes, Dre’Mont is getting in some offseason EDGE/OLB reps.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/vi ... ngNewsSerp

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. Jones ran the 40 in 5.12, so he doesn't seem like he'd be cut out for a position that requires a little more athleticism. Nick Bosa, for example, ran it in 4.79, Miles Garrett 4.64, Maxx Crosby 4.66, TJ Watt 4.69. Admittedly, those are some of the top edge rushers in the game and might not be a fair comparison, but it's still one helluva gap.

But, I'll defer to Macdonald. It will be an interesting experiment.

[NorthHawk]

It might be a good move for him with Macdonald having a different eye for traits in his Defense.
I’m not concerned with his 40 time but I think the more valuable time would be his 10 yard split which shows quickness and power. If that’s mediocre then he might have some difficulty making the adjustment.

Edit: He had a 1.4 10 yard split at his combine which is very fast so he might be able to make an impact.

[River_Dog]

It might be a good move for him with Macdonald having a different eye for traits in his Defense.
I’m not concerned with his 40 time but I think the more valuable time would be his 10 yard split which shows quickness and power. If that’s mediocre then he might have some difficulty making the adjustment.

Edit: He had a 1.4 10 yard split at his combine which is very fast so he might be able to make an impact.

The 10-yard split might be a little more relevant than the 40 as far as rushing the passer goes, but if he's going to be asked to play some OLB, it's not going to help him in pass coverage or cutting off runners on end sweeps. But we'll see.

Macdonald is supposed to like players he can line up in multiple positions, so maybe he's just getting him some experience out there so he can switch things up in certain situations, that he's not necessarily considering a full time move to the position.

[Aseahawkfan]

Likely just to set up the ability to drop back if needed for manipulation of defensive formations. I think he will still line up at DE the majority of the time, but might be asked to drop back on occasion to disguise the defense and where the pass rush is coming from while not leaving the defense completely vulnerable.

[c_hawkbob]

Two things; 1- The QB is virtually never 40 yards in the backfield on a pass rush. 2 - If he has to go 40 yards downfield into coverage we lost that play at the play call.

[River_Dog]

Two things; 1- The QB is virtually never 40 yards in the backfield on a pass rush. 2 - If he has to go 40 yards downfield into coverage we lost that play at the play call.

I'm going to respond by asking a rhetorical question: So why do they even bother making defensive linemen run the 40 at the combine?

[c_hawkbob]

For the show. The 40 yard dash is the biggest 'draw' the combine has.

[River_Dog]

For the show. The 40 yard dash is the biggest 'draw' the combine has.

So if it's all for show, then why do defensive linemen run the 40-yard dash at their pro days? Is that for show, too?

The 40 is relevant for every position save kicker and punter. It's one of the most commonly used metrics in football and they use it for every position on the field save kicker and punter. It's one of several metrics they use to gauge a player's general athletic ability. I can assure you that JS took note of Byron Murphy's 4.88, which is very good for a defensive tackle. Same with offensive linemen. They aren't required to sprint 40-yard sprints very often, either, but they make them run it. They also measure quarterback's vertical leap, even though there aren't many situations where they need to be able to jump high.

[c_hawkbob]

No it's not, it's never been relevant to linemen on either side of the ball.

It's really a lot less relevant for every position now that prospects are training strictly how run a faster 40 to get the extra money a few draft positions is worth. It's been less and less relevant to actual football speed at any position for a long time, but has always been that way for linemen.

[River_Dog]

No it's not, it's never been relevant to linemen on either side of the ball.

It's really a lot less relevant for every position now that prospects are training strictly how run a faster 40 to get the extra money a few draft positions is worth. It's been less and less relevant to actual football speed at any position for a long time, but has always been that way for linemen.

You didn't answer my question, so I'll ask it again:

So if it's (the 40) all for show, then why do defensive linemen run the 40-yard dash at their pro days? Is that for show, too?

There's lots of tests that do not apply directly to the position or even the sport itself, the Wonderlic being one such test, that the NFL uses to evaluate a player. They may put different values on the results according to the position, but that doesn't mean that they're irrelevant. They help in painting a picture of just who that person is.

[c_hawkbob]

I have answered it. "to get the extra money a few draft positions is worth" absolutely applies to pro days as well.

[River_Dog]

I have answered it. "to get the extra money a few draft positions is worth" absolutely applies to pro days as well.

So the scouts do use it, and it's not just for show.

Sorry about that, you did answer my question after all. I thought that when you said for the show and that it was the biggest draw at the combine, that you meant it was just for the media circus that surrounds the combine. Thanks for clearing that up.

[NorthHawk]

It's relevant for the skill positions and LB in some schemes, but the main benefit of those times is knowing how well they stack up against their opponents.
For years we didn't draft a WR who ran less than 4.4, but that didn't matter for the players at the LoS like DL and OL where explosion is more important than speed (as shown in the 10yd split times).
The 40 for the Linemen is probably more for show as it attracts a bigger audience when a 350lb man gets rumbling to a 4.8 40. Most scouts don't use it as it almost never happens in a game or a career for those players.
But they do pay attention to the explosive tests like broad jump, how high they can jump, and 10 yd splits.

[River_Dog]

It's relevant for the skill positions and LB in some schemes, but the main benefit of those times is knowing how well they stack up against their opponents.
For years we didn't draft a WR who ran less than 4.4, but that didn't matter for the players at the LoS like DL and OL where explosion is more important than speed (as shown in the 10yd split times).
The 40 for the Linemen is probably more for show as it attracts a bigger audience when a 350lb man gets rumbling to a 4.8 40. Most scouts don't use it as it almost never happens in a game or a career for those players.
But they do pay attention to the explosive tests like broad jump, how high they can jump, and 10 yd splits.

I agree that it's not as relevant as other positions, but I doubt that all the GM's decide to go to the bathroom when linemen are running the 40. They'll certainly look at the 10-yard split.

Anyhow, we're getting into a circular argument. My point is that Dre Mont Jones doesn't seem to be cut out for an OLB. Edge, maybe, but if he's going to be given pass coverage responsibilities like a traditional OLB, I think we're in for trouble.

[NorthHawk]

I'm not sure that I really understand what MacDonald wants to do. I hear a lot of things like simulated blitzing, lots of stunting, Defensive looks that are meant to confuse the other Offense and so forth.
So maybe playing OLB for Jones is part of a deception or maybe the scheme is he is to only cover a short area and a CB/Safety would cover the TE down field as they switch off for coverage responsibilities.
I don't worry about him not being able to set the edge because he's had to do that fairly often in his career in Denver and it's where the 10yd split is important to get off blocks and attack the ball carrier.

[Oly]

I'm not sure that I really understand what MacDonald wants to do. I hear a lot of things like simulated blitzing, lots of stunting, Defensive looks that are meant to confuse the other Offense and so forth.
So maybe playing OLB for Jones is part of a deception or maybe the scheme is he is to only cover a short area and a CB/Safety would cover the TE down field as they switch off for coverage responsibilities.
I don't worry about him not being able to set the edge because he's had to do that fairly often in his career in Denver and it's where the 10yd split is important to get off blocks and attack the ball carrier.

My thoughts exactly. All we really know—or at least have good reason to believe—about Macdonald is that he likes flexibility and adapts his scheme to his players rather than vice versa. I'd be pretty surprised if Macdonald even knows exactly what this defense will look like before camp. I think he is satisfied that Williams, Murphy, Reed, Young, and Morris give him good options in the interior but that his DE/EDGE/OLB/Whatevertheftheyarecallingitnow options aren't as flexible. Nwosu, Mafe, Taylor, and Hall are a bit more limited. They have some decent speed rush ability, but none are elite and none are big enough to set the edge reliably or make offenses wonder if they'll move inside. Of all the IDL, Jones is most likely to be a tweener. I wonder if Macdonald sees him as having Mike Bennett potential in terms of positional flexibility. I wouldn't be thrilled at seeing Jones in coverage, but if this is about Macdonald setting up creative stunts and blitz packages, I could get excited about this.