What position?
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DE
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In a 3-4 he isn't a DE.
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Oh, didn't realize you were a coach for the KC Chiefs?
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Do you have any idea what the difference in a 4-3 and a 3-4 are really?
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You don't have to be a coach for the chiefs to understand what prototypical 3-4 ends are, or that Hali isn't one. That's why the thread has been about whether or not people think he can play OLB. He's anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds too small to play defensive end now. 3-4 ends (at least in the Patriots system - Steelers are a little more active) aren't pass rushers, their main job is to occupy space, eat up blocks so the LBs can do their job. Role is closer to 4-3 tackles than 4-3 ends.

Personally I think he's a better fit for DE than OLB, but it's less about being talented at end than not being talented enough for OLB. He's played inside at a higher weight before, in college, and that's exactly what I'd try to do with him now.
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I don't think he can play DE in the 3-4. Even if he adds weight, I think he will get manhandled.

Plus, that takes away from his athleticsm. For all the bashing, the guy ran a similar 40 to Terrell Suggs. He also had a 4.31 20 yard shuttle, which shows good explosion and change of direction.

I can't wait to see him in this defense.

I may be completely wrong. But, I call it like I see it, and I think that Hali will be a good fit in the new defense.
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Agreed almost 100%.

He can't play DE in the 3-4, he's not good at taking on blockers head on. He's not just too light, he's short too.

Forget the 40 and look at the shuttle time. He can close on the ball and that's enough to make him a servicable OLB for situational duty.

I'm not gonna go as far as to say he will be "good" but I don't think he's a lock to get cut like so many think he is.
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I'm glad Parker is back because this is the kind of stuff he brings...to sit here and say Hali is worthless is completely wrong.

It's also "intellectually dishonest" to say Hali can't beat an OT 1-on-1, as Mecca posted. We have seen Hali toast right tackles dozens of times in his career. Dozens. Do you think every sack he got was because of Allen?

At some point he had to make a play himself.

I agree with Parker that he can be a backup OLB/situational pass rusher. And as Parker pointed out, he was doing a ton of standup pass rushing his first year and continued to do it the last two years. He was basically a poor man's "Falcon."
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A 3-4 OLB has a ton more responsibility than just being a standup rusher...

Look I'll give the Cassell thing a chance but if this team is serious about going 3-4 which it appears they are alot of these guys just frankly can't play here anymore.
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They should try him out at cornerback.
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And he'll be a poor man's OLB in a 3-4, too.

But let's not act like he's got NO shot, because he absolutely does.
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know why hali didnt get hardly any sacks last year?


the QB could hear his feet clompin' from 20 paces away.

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While that's true and Hali, I still say that means he can be effective as a rotational 4-3 DE. Realize the skill set for a 4-3 DE--you have to muscle your way through a lot more, since you usually have a TE that helps the RT in chipping at the pass rusher. You can't win on explosion. So Hali would usually get sacks by outworking the blocking and using his high motor to get to the QB. Keep in mind that because Allen was the greater threat, the QB was always flushing right, which moves right toward Hali. Also keep in mind that because Allen was a threat, the QB was never a threat to roll left (which is unnatural for a QB anyway).

Hali is a hard worker who plays to the whistle. But in a 3-4, it's about having the explosion to accelerate into the backfield with his hands off the ground, and Hali isn't that guy. There are linemen a lot faster than he is. While he could do "okay" as a rotational backup, I think if he stays on the roster he's basically just a stopgap until they have the resources to find someone better.
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I absolutely agree with this.
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