Overnight, Oakland is suddenly quick at linebacker

By Anthony Carroll  |   Tuesday, May 02, 2006  |  Comments( 12 )

Oakland Raiders
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In April, it was Danny Clark, Kirk Morrison, and…some defensive ends.

Heading into May, it's Danny Clark, Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard, and Darnell Bing.

And “some defensive ends” implies a hodgepodge of unspectacular names including Tyler Brayton, Grant Irons, and DeLawrence Grant.

Tyler Brayton, listed at 6-6, 280 pounds, ran a 4.75 in the 40-yard dash back in 2003. Four years ago, 6-6, 285-pound Grant Irons ran a 4.96 in the dash. To cap it off, back in 2001, 280-pound DeLawrence Grant took 4.77 seconds to sprint a 40-yard path.

These were guys who over the last three seasons tried desperately to shadow players like Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates.

For both tight ends, that’s like taking candy from a defensive end, literally.

The experiment ended on Saturday, continuing into Sunday, with two major draft acquisitions: linebacker Thomas Howard of Texas-El Paso in Round Two and safety Darnell Bing of USC in Round Four—who is expected to make a transition from safety to linebacker.

At 6-3, 240 pounds, Thomas Howard was among the fastest linebackers in his 2006 class—running a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. To name just a few wideouts, that’s a faster recorded time than Oregon’s Demetrius Williams, Notre Dame’s Maurice Stovall, Michigan’s Jason Avant, Greg Jennings of Western Michigan, and Greg Lee of Pittsburgh.

At the linebacking position, speed—an inherent attribute on the playing field—is something that the Oakland Raiders have lacked for several years. Even during the playoff-laden years of the early 2000’s, Oakland was filled with solid, but below-average pace players like Greg Biekert, Eric Barton, and Bill Romanowski.

With already two proven tacklers across the row in Danny Clark and Kirk Morrison, Howard will bring a novel playmaking dimension to the defensive unit. Maybe even some interceptions; you know…those things that cornerbacks and safeties try to get?

Safeties like Darnell Bing.

In many pre-draft reviews, Bing’s player description often included the phrase “hits like a linebacker.” Next season, the Oakland Raiders will see just how accurate of a judgment this really is.

After starting three years at USC, the 6-2, 228-pound strong safety is ready to make a transition closer to the line at linebacker. Team officials have reportedly asked Bing to beef up to fit his new role by adding an extra ten pounds, which would make his frame almost identical to Howard’s current mold. In response to the request, the fourth-rounder commented, “I am sure if I gain a few pounds it won’t hurt my speed.” Oakland certainly hopes he can walk this talk.

But even packed with this extra ten pounds, Bing would be 42 pounds lighter than Tyler Brayton and DeLawrence Grant, and 47 pounds lighter than Grant Irons. It’s even hard to merely imagine any of the above “linebackers” jumping on the Atkins diet to drop ten pounds and make a move to safety.

At the NFL combine, Bing ran the 40-yard dash in a middling 4.55 seconds; however, he showed throughout his collegiate career that he inhabits the ability to quickly close on wide receivers to make plays. At linebacker, Bing will boast above-average speed and, alongside Howard, will help to alleviate the previous demands placed on Clark and Morrison.

However it may turn out, as long as the regular-season game film is free from the massive neck roll of “linebacker” Grant Irons, progress has been made.

—Anthony Carroll can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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