Linebacker is a difficult position to judge, but certain players brought high expectations into Season Two and have failed significantly to live up to them. Sim Football Focus gives you out list of the 5 most disappointing linebackers in the NSFL.
Jaylon Lee 38 tkl, 1 sack, 1 PD 16th
Admittedly, it's a rough start to the list, as Jaylon Lee is on track to be on of the league leaders in tackles this year, surpassing his numbers from Season One. However, the rest of his contributions seem to be disappearing, and there is growing concern that Lee is less aggressive about preventing plays and more concerned with just getting the tackle after they develop, as indicated by his almost complete lack of tackles for loss and passes defensed. Remember, Lee was voted the 19th best player in the league last year. The bar was high for him in Season Two.
Stephen Harrison 30 tkl, 1 sack 22nd
Last year, Harrison was playing for the worst defense in the league, to include a weak defensive line, so his relatively low number of plays in the backfield could easily be excused. This year, however, Harrison has players who can plug running lanes, so shouldn't the powerful LB be breaking through more? Also, as with Jaylon Lee, where are the pass breakups? Last year he had 4, often from just laying huge hits on the intended receivers. Has Harrison lost that instinct?
Ian Bavitz 18 tkls, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PD 23rd
Like Jaylon Lee, Bavitz was voted on to the top 50 list in Season One, ranking in at number 43. While that wasn't nearly as high as Lee's ranking, Bavitz has definitely fallen further since then, averaging only 4.5 tackles per game, which is 2.6 fewer per game than in Season One. To his credit, he is making plays all around the field, so maybe Orange County is simply experimenting early in the season. We'll definitely have to keep an eye on him.
Kevin Cushing 24 tkl, 1 sack 25th
It may seem cruel to put a rookie on this list, especially so close to the "top" spot, but Cushing's play has fallen far too short of his hype. Cushing is 25th among linebackers in "playmaker points," which says a lot given that there are only 24 LBs in a 4-3 league. To make matters worse, Cushing, who was the highest-drafted LB of Season Two, is 4th in those same points among the linebackers of his OWN team, even falling behind that of Reginald Hampshireton, who is seeing fewer snaps. While his underwhelming number of tackles is easy to forgive, how does such a highly-touted coverage LB manage ZERO passes defensed and ZERO interceptions over his first four games?
Brady Stropko 16 tkls, 1 TFL, 2 PD 26th
If ever a player has been exposed by being moved out of a system, it's Brady Stropko. Last year in Arizona, Stropko finished 5th in tackles, 7th in tackles for loss, and 15th in sacks. He was voted to the top 50 (at 26th) AND made the Pro Bowl. That was as a ROOKIE. It seems Arizona knew a lot more than the rest of us did when they traded him as part of a package deal to the newly forming Las Vegas Legion. Since then, Stropko has fallen to 26th among LBs in playmaker points. While only 4 games into Season Two, Stropko is averaging only half the tackles he had on a per game basis last year, and less than one fourth the plays behind the line of scrimmage, and that's why Stropko is the most disappointing linebacker of Season Two.
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Graded
Jaylon Lee 38 tkl, 1 sack, 1 PD 16th
Admittedly, it's a rough start to the list, as Jaylon Lee is on track to be on of the league leaders in tackles this year, surpassing his numbers from Season One. However, the rest of his contributions seem to be disappearing, and there is growing concern that Lee is less aggressive about preventing plays and more concerned with just getting the tackle after they develop, as indicated by his almost complete lack of tackles for loss and passes defensed. Remember, Lee was voted the 19th best player in the league last year. The bar was high for him in Season Two.
Stephen Harrison 30 tkl, 1 sack 22nd
Last year, Harrison was playing for the worst defense in the league, to include a weak defensive line, so his relatively low number of plays in the backfield could easily be excused. This year, however, Harrison has players who can plug running lanes, so shouldn't the powerful LB be breaking through more? Also, as with Jaylon Lee, where are the pass breakups? Last year he had 4, often from just laying huge hits on the intended receivers. Has Harrison lost that instinct?
Ian Bavitz 18 tkls, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PD 23rd
Like Jaylon Lee, Bavitz was voted on to the top 50 list in Season One, ranking in at number 43. While that wasn't nearly as high as Lee's ranking, Bavitz has definitely fallen further since then, averaging only 4.5 tackles per game, which is 2.6 fewer per game than in Season One. To his credit, he is making plays all around the field, so maybe Orange County is simply experimenting early in the season. We'll definitely have to keep an eye on him.
Kevin Cushing 24 tkl, 1 sack 25th
It may seem cruel to put a rookie on this list, especially so close to the "top" spot, but Cushing's play has fallen far too short of his hype. Cushing is 25th among linebackers in "playmaker points," which says a lot given that there are only 24 LBs in a 4-3 league. To make matters worse, Cushing, who was the highest-drafted LB of Season Two, is 4th in those same points among the linebackers of his OWN team, even falling behind that of Reginald Hampshireton, who is seeing fewer snaps. While his underwhelming number of tackles is easy to forgive, how does such a highly-touted coverage LB manage ZERO passes defensed and ZERO interceptions over his first four games?
Brady Stropko 16 tkls, 1 TFL, 2 PD 26th
If ever a player has been exposed by being moved out of a system, it's Brady Stropko. Last year in Arizona, Stropko finished 5th in tackles, 7th in tackles for loss, and 15th in sacks. He was voted to the top 50 (at 26th) AND made the Pro Bowl. That was as a ROOKIE. It seems Arizona knew a lot more than the rest of us did when they traded him as part of a package deal to the newly forming Las Vegas Legion. Since then, Stropko has fallen to 26th among LBs in playmaker points. While only 4 games into Season Two, Stropko is averaging only half the tackles he had on a per game basis last year, and less than one fourth the plays behind the line of scrimmage, and that's why Stropko is the most disappointing linebacker of Season Two.
((612 words))
Graded
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