NFL Top 10 Series: Inside Linebackers Honorable Mentions

With the 2012 NFL season steadfast approaching, it’s time to continue an original Garden State Sports Guy production: The NFL Top 10 Series. As the Top 10 countdown approaches for each position, we’ll be looking at honorable mentions for each position as those steadfastly approach. The linebacker position may have taken a bit of a hit what with the switch to a passing league over the last few years, but make no mistake about it if you have great linebackers it is considered a luxury. Especially inside and/or middle linebackers, depending on your scheme, because those are the players who really help out in snuffing out the run game, as well as covering tight ends. And in this new NFL where tight ends rule, they are a crucial piece of the puzzle in stopping them. Here are some players who just fall short of the Top 10, or had spectacular seasons worth mentioning. 

Honorable Mentions for the Inside Linebacker Position

Karlos Dansby: Karlos Dansby can be one of the best inside linebackers in football when he wants to be. He has even said that he is the best insid e linebacker in football. And while he has played up to a very high level in his career, that is his problem. He has not backed up his play and has played far from the level of the best inside linebacker in football. (That title goes to … well, you’ll find out later on in this series) Now do not turn this around into me not saying Dansby is good, because he is. Last year proved just that as he wrapped up 89 tackles, 16 assists and came away with 5 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles and two sacks on the season. Dansby has been consistently good over the years with his 2008 campaign being his best, but he is nowhere near the best linebacker in football, and probably not worth all the money Miami signed him for either.

Pat Angerer: Was Pat Angerer the brightest of stars on last year’s dreadful Indianapolis Colts team? The Garden State Sports Guy says: yes, absolutely. Angerer was a terror on the field at all times, while of course not being totally complete (since just making a ton of tackles isn’t what makes a linebacker good) he racked up 146 tackles, 70 of them being on his own. Angerer came away with two forced fumbles and looked his best against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. According to ProFootballFocus it was the best performance by a 4-3 middle linebacker all season, with seven defensive stops, forcing a fumble, picking off a pass and breaking one up as well. Angerer that week also picked up the best coverage performance out of any inside linebacker all season according to PFF, too. Angerer is definitely someone to look out for in Chuck Pagano’s 3-4 defense in 2012 and there is a lot to wonder whether or not Angerer will continue to develop into one of the better linebackers in football.  

Sean Lee: Linebacker U picked up yet another powerful, pulverizing presence in 2011. Sean Lee had a great 2011 season, one worth mentioning in this post and his potential is through the roof. He played a lot as the weakside middle linebacker in 2011, a player who generally runs free around the field, shoots inside to make the tackle but also is not appearing to be a target ins pace nor in coverage. Lee picked up PFF’s top 3-4 inside linebacker performance against Arizona in Week 13, as well as the best run defense rating for an inside linebacker all season (tied along with James Laurinaitis and Colin McCarthy), and it was a performance that was graded higher than performances by David Harris, Lawrence Timmons, London Fletcher, and Patrick Willis. He generated three pressures off of eight blitzes, had five defensive stops and broke up a pass in coverage. Lee is one hell of a player and there is no telling how well he is going to do in 2012 and beyond. 

Desmond Bishop: Despite the fact that the Packers’ defense was rather mediocre last season, don’t tell that to Desmond Bishop. Bishop has dramatically improved since being drafted in 2007 and had his breakout year last season where he was on the field for 121 tackles, 95 of them being on his own, and racked up 5 sacks. He is an integral part of the Packers’ defense and showed why even in defeat in the Divisional Playoff Game against the Giants. He put a lot of pressure on Eli Manning, hitting him twice, and hurrying him three times on nine pass rushes, picked up two tackles for loss and two for short gains, and also came away with a pass deflection. Bishop is a great player for the Packers’ defense that is definitely worth the mention on this post and going forward will continue to be an important piece on the Packers’ defense. 

Daryl Washington: The second year man out of TCU flourished last season for the Arizona Cardinals on a part of a defense that I had questioned going into the season, but upon further review, they are steadily improving and do have quite a lot of pieces and Washington is definitely one of them. He picked up 94 tackles, along with 12 assists and racked up five sacks busting through the middle, and two interceptions along with seven pass deflections. Washington looked his best in Week 1 against Carolina, and Week 9 against St. Louis according to PFF. Washington picked up two of his five sacks against the Panthers and one of his interceptions. The other interception was called back for a penalty. He looked great in the run game, and then against St. Louis he looked even better, with two pass deflections, nine tackles with five of them counting for defensive stops and came away looking great in coverage. If he puts it all together for an entire season he can easily become one of the best 3-4 inside linebackers in the NFL.

NaVorro Bowman: Someone who can very easily be out of the HM page and onto the Top 10 next season enters this post. NaVorro Bowman did something last year that not a lot of people probably expected: he played better than his teammate, Patrick Willis. Unfortunately for Bowman, one great season can’t vaunt you over someone who has been elite ever since stepping on the field, but Bowman has the kind of talent to be elite as well. Another Linebacker U product, Bowman put it all together last year finishing with 140 tackles (acquiring them himself on 113 of them) and had eight pass deflections and two sacks. Bowman had his best performance in the run game against Baltimore in Week 10 accoring to PFF which was tied for 10th in run defense performances. Bowman looked like he was a special kind of talent, enough to be named to the All-Pro team in fact, and we’ll see how he continues to blossom on the best defense in the NFL as the years go on. 

James Laurinaitis: “Little Animal” checks in first in this honorable mentions post and his pedigree is only matched by his good buddy Chris Long’s is on the St. Louis Rams defense. The son of wrestler Joe Laurinaitis, better known by wrestling fans as Road Warrior Animal, James plays with the kind of ferocity that Animal imposed on his foes. His back-breaking doomsday device-like tackling almost, and by the slimmest of margins ALMOST made me want to put him in the Top 10. His 2011 season was wildly inconsistent though, and I would like to believe that that’s the reason why he is on the outside looking. Still though, when Little Animal has put it all together and played consistently, he has looked damn good. He’s wrapped up 100+ tackles ever since getting in the league and has been exceptional in coverage, averaging no less than five pass deflections since entering the league and has gotten at least one interception in each of his three seasons. He was a beast this year against Seattle namely, picking up the highest grade given to an inside linebacker in run defense by PFF with a TFL and six tackles for less than two yards. We will see what Laurinaitis can do under his new coaching staff and, well, possibly feel a rush. 

Curtis Lofton: The Atlanta Falcons middle linebacker traded in red and black for black and gold this offseason, perhaps a cardinal sin according to Falcons fans. But some Atlanta fans may not realize that this could have been a great thing for the Falcons going forward. Sure, Lofton’s tackling numbers have made the Dirty Birds incredibly stout in the run defense department and one of the reasons why he is on this post. Lofton’s 2011 season was exceptional in itself with 133 tackles (riding solo for 96 of them) and his two interceptions and seven pass deflections were high marks, but he has shown some incredible liability in the pass coverage game. Go watch some film if you don’t believe me. Really. He has been wildly inconsistent, if not dreadful for Atlanta since getting there and this isn’t just someone saying that because he has left the team. It’s something that I have noticed, and that I was never too fond of. Akeem Dent will most likely step in and do well surrounded by the likes of Sean Weatherspoon and Stephen Nicholas, so whether or not the Falcons will miss Lofton is up for debate. Still though his stoutness in the run game is worthy of recognition.

D’Qwell Jackson: I’m not sure if D’Qwell Jackson will ever perennially be a Top 10 linebacker or good enough to be mentioned honorably amongst his peers, but his story and his 2011 season were too good to ignore. After playing six games in 2009 and being sidelined with a shoulder injury, Jackson missed the rest of 2009, and all of 2010. He came back in 2011 within the Cleveland Browns’ new 4-3 defensive scheme and needless to say he absolutely flourished. He racked up 156 tackles while having more room to move around and make a play after being restricted within the 3-4 scheme for many years. Perhaps more astounding about the 156 tackles was that he was riding solo for 115 of them. He also picked up three pass deflections and 3.5 sacks in 2011 and in my opinion should have been Comeback Player of the Year. Jackson’s bounceback season in 2011 should bring him back to form and perhaps one day can be continually considered a very good linebacker.