I guess sooner ot later the "AJ Hawk will be replaced" threads will be correct.
I look foward to another 3 years of them.
Laughs, shake my head, and leaves.

Originally Posted by: buckeyepackfan 

But where they were just people shouting the last few years, there's actually something to be said for Hawk being replaced this time around.

Not this year, I reckon. Especially not on 1st and 2nd down. Even if it will be this year, it won't be 'till very late in the season.

That said, next year a couple of things come together. Williams having another year under his belt in our system, Manning having played out his rookie season, Hawk's contract going over $5 million a year...

It's not an amazingly high investment, especially since he was on schedule to make $10 million before the restructuring, but if the young guys play as well or better than him, you're not going to keep him around as a situational or back-up player at that price.

We'll see what happens. Hawk's far from terrible, but also from elite. He's one of those guys who you always can upgrade, but never need to upgrade.

Originally Posted by: Rockmolder 

I think Manning is a "thumper" as well. D.J. Smith's main advantage is leverage, as he's 5'11, 239 lbs. Manning is 6'2, 237 and can get stood up at times. I expect his weight to increase slightly as he bulks up in the coming year. Desmond Bishop is listed at 6'2, 238. Smith is a tackling machine, and I really like the guy, but I think overall Manning will have a much more significant impact on this team than Smith, especially considering Dom's desire to get to sub packages as quickly as humanly possible. As mentioned, his flexibility will force Caper's to put him on the field as he equilibrates to the NFL. We could be seeing some amazing zone blitzes next season . . .

Originally Posted by: doddpower 

You bring up a good point with Manning bulking up. I consider Smith a better early down player, right now, but Manning’s potential is obviously quite high. If he puts it together, he could be a real weapon inside. He reminds me of Dont'a Hightower as a rusher. If he plays more discipline and bulks up, as you say, he’ll push for a starting job. The odds of that happening immediately seem slim, though.

Originally Posted by: porky88 

Not really, even if Hawk is better than Bish in coverage it isn't a significant difference while Bish is much better at tackling and making plays than Hawk is.

Originally Posted by: Stevetarded 

Eh, Bishop is more than serviceable in coverage when he doesn't have to cover forever. He's capable of sitting in zones being the underneath guy for a few seconds. But sure, leaving him out to dry with no pass rush is a horrible idea, just like it would be for Hawk, Smith, Manning, or any other LB on our team. We don't have a 'study' MLB that can play really well in space and is fast. Yet another reason why the pass rush is so important to this team. The Packer's MLB's are an obvious weakness but until we upgrade the position, we must hope the pass rush has an indirect positive effect on them (and I think it will). Either way, they're not going to be great in coverage. It's just not Hawk's or Bishop's game.

Originally Posted by: doddpower 

I think there is too much invested in both players, and that they were made to look like chumps like anyone else in the secondary. I agree with those who point out that this has more to do with pass rush than anything else. The play of both Hawk and Bishop will improve with better DL play in getting after the QB. Manning looks like he might be able to come in and be a good backup on the inside, which is good to have. He'll have a lot to prove. Bouncing one of those defensive team leaders from their starting spot will be a tall order.

Originally Posted by: play2win