Rogers to play OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

[PonyPride]

"And --let's keep my notes here so I have them in order-- we picked up [Justin] Rogers, outside linebacker from SMU, a big physical kid who gives us, again, anytime you get depth on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the latter rounds of the draft, that is hard to pass up. "
- Bill Belichick on Justin Rogers

[Corso]

Good luck, Justin - couldn't happen to a better guy.

Good thing NE carries a lot of linebackers, including some good ones to learn from (Junior Seau, Audelius Thomas, Tedy Bruschi -- who also made the switch from college DE to pro OLB in New England).

[ponyfan84]

Should be a good fit for him. Not the built to play DE in the pros, and with a lot of OLBs on the roster who are aging, I am sure he'll see some PT. Probably rotate them in an keep 'em fresh. I am a New Yorker, so I am a Jets fan, but I will def. be following this team to see what he does.

Is anyone excited for pre-season? I hope some Pats games are one so I can see him come in for the second half.

[Horseshoe]

He'll play special teams. He'll run into traffic if they ask him to -- that's the kind of guy Justin is.

Other than the fact that he'll be playing in a stand-up position, rather than lining up with his hand down, what are the differences in terms of TECHNIQUE that Justin will have to master to make the switch from DE to OLB?

Go get 'em, Justin!

[mrydel]

He will need to learn backward to go with the forward and sideways he already knows.