Latest news with #linebackers
National Post
29-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Linebackers in Calgary Stampeders camp: 'Standard' starts with veteran Marquel Lee
It's not just the personnel that's different these days among linebackers of the Calgary Stampeders. Article content Article content And … wow … there's lots of it with this bunch. Article content Take it from Marquel Lee, who's been a pro football talent for enough years to know the enthusiasm is running higher than it was with the 2024 edition on the Canadian Football League team. Article content 'The energy is way different around this team this year,' said Lee, who spent six years on NFL rosters and another spring with the United Football League's Arlington Renegades before signing with the Stampeders in September. Article content 'Our vibe is we want to play for each other,' continued Lee, who fits the bill as the Stamps' middle linebacker for the 2025 CFL campaign. 'We want to play for our defensive coaches. Want to play for defensive coordinator Bob Slowik, and we want to play complementary football for the teammates on special teams and offence. Article content 'We want to bring a toughness, grit …' added Lee. 'We want to be some bad mofos at the end of the day. We want to be a part of the bad mofo club. So anybody that steps on our turf in our home and any turf that we step on, we want to show those guys that we can't be messed with.' Article content The players Article content 10 Nicky Farinaccio 6'1, 205 lb. 25 Montréal 18 Deshawn Pace* 6'2, 220 lb. 23 Central Florida 42 Micah Teitz* 6'0, 229 lb. 29 Calgary 48 Jacob Roberts* 6'1, 233 lb. 23 Wake Forest 50 Marquel Lee* 6'3, 234 lb. 29 Wake Forest 51 Kelechi Anyalebechi* 6'0, 240 lb. 24 Incarnate Word 53 Trey Kiser* 6'0, 224 lb. 24 South Alabama 56 Gary Johnson Jr.* 6'0, 230 lb. 28 Texas * — denotes American Article content Article content Article content The linebacker corps is definitely a revamped unit with the Stamps having parted ways with a handful of veteran CFLers, including former league all-stars Micah Awe and Cam Judge. Article content Judge, of course, was traded to the Toronto Argonauts in exchange for high-profile rush-end Folarin Orimolade, in one of the many key transactions made by the Red and White in the off-season. Article content The Stamps also brought in Fraser Sopik for a second tour of duty after making him a fourth-round selection in the 2019 CFL Draft. But he abruptly retired ahead of training camp because of an off-season injury to throw a wrench in the team's plan at linebacker. Sopik was to be a key member of the corps.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indianapolis Colts' OTAs: The big question at linebacker
The Indianapolis Colts will begin Phase III of the offseason programs on May 28th, which means the start of voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Rather than only doing individual drills as the Colts have been doing, they will now be permitted to do 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 team drills, although no live contact is allowed. Advertisement So with this important part of the offseason schedule about to begin, I wanted to highlight one big question facing each position group. Up next are the linebackers. Below you can find our previous position previews. Do the Indianapolis Colts have enough depth at linebacker? This was a position where throughout the offseason, I kept waiting for an addition to be made. That didn't mean I was expecting a high-profile addition, but I thought there would be some competition brought in for Jaylon Carlies. However, the only outside additions included signing Joe Bechie after the draft, who has mostly been a special teams player, signing UDFA Solomon DeShields, and perhaps drafting Hunter Wohler, although he is listed on the team site as a defensive back. Advertisement Carlies put together a very solid rookie season as the Colts' third linebacker in their 4-3 scheme at that time, along with making two starts. He was a very reliable tackler and limited YAC in the passing game. As a former college safety, he can add some needed coverage abilities to the position. With that said, Carlies has 242 career defensive snaps. Assuming he can step into a full-time starting role seamlessly comes with some risk. Also, behind him and Zaire Franklin on the depth chart, there is very little defensive experience. 'It's a position we've been pretty good drafting and developing. I give our coaches and scouts a lot of credit for that," GM Chris Ballard said via the Indy Star. "Don't forget now, E.J. Speed, it wasn't like he came on right away. No, it took him a little time. Zaire Franklin did not come on right away. Great special team player but eventually became a linebacker that was a good player." In Lou Anarumo's scheme, we are going to see more blitzing from the linebackers, not to mention there will be more disguising of coverages at the second and third levels. In this defense, there will be a greater reliance on the defensive backs than the linebackers. Advertisement But even so, the Colts are going to enter the 2025 season with question marks at this position--until shown otherwise--given the lack of experience around Franklin. This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts' OTAs: Is there enough linebacker depth beyond Zaire Franklin?
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Inside the Eagles Most Drastic Position Group Change
It's crazy to think how much can change in a single year or two. In 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles had one of the worst linebacker rooms in the league. Things weren't expected to be much better in 2024. Not only did the team sign unproven players like Zack Baun to lower-level deals, but they didn't address the position in the draft at all. Advertisement A football miracle happened, though. Thanks to the development of their coaching staff with coordinator Vic Fangio leading the way, the Eagles had not just a good linebacker room, but the best in the league. Leading the way was Baun. A former pass-rushing specialist from the New Orleans Saints, Baun became an off-ball linebacker in Fangio's system and ended up as a first-team All-Pro for the Eagles in 2024. Not only was Baun a defensive player of the year finalist, but he also received a hefty three-year extension worth over $17 million annually over the length of the deal. Yes, the Eagles - a team known for their penny-pinching at the linebacker position - paid big money for the best one in the league last year. Advertisement It shows that the linebacker room in Philadelphia isn't the only thing to have changed, The Eagles' mindset in the building for the position has altered since Fangio was bought in. They even drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round of the 2025 draft in April. Campbell is the first linebacker drafted in the first round by the Eagles since 1979. It's just another reminder of how things have changed for the organization - massively - this offseason. Related: Eagles Most Massive Loss Ranks As Surprise
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NCAA transfer portal: Why James Franklin, Penn State football want a new linebacker now
STATE COLLEGE — Coach James Franklin has issued an advertisement for linebackers. The Penn State football head coach wasted little time after the Saturday Blue-White Game in stumping for all-talented, available linebackers to seek employment with his Nittany Lions, preferably through the NCAA transfer portal. Advertisement While the Lions may rely more heavily on using just two linebackers at a time this coming season under new coordinator Jim Knowles, they still have depth concerns. They lost middle linebacker leader Kobe King to the NFL. They also lost promising redshirt freshman Ta'Mere Robinson, who recently transferred to USC. They are thin in numbers, even more so with experience. They return starting material in Tony Rojas and captain Dom DeLuca and a bunch of unproven backups. When asked about his young linebackers after the Blue-White Game, Franklin praised two, Anthony Speca, who didn't come off the field Saturday, and Kari Jackson. Then he launched into his plea for more help there. "So if there's a linebacker out there who wants to come and be a part of our program and play for LBU, the most historic linebacker program in the history of college football, there's an opportunity here, to join the room and compete. Advertisement "We will look at that. I think we've got enough in the room, but to get through an entire season, if we get some injuries, it could get challenging. So we're going to look in the portal to see if we can find a solution." Penn State, meanwhile, landed its only transfer addition of this spring portal period a few hours before the Blue-White Game in senior receiver Trebor Pena. While the transfer portal closed to new entrants 14 hours before the Blue-White Game, teams like Penn State can still recruit players who have already entered. Also, players who have earned their undergraduate degrees can transfer at any time. The top transfer portal linebackers still available include Amare Campbell (from North Carolina), Andrew Simpson (Boise State) and Shay Taylor (Ohio University). Advertisement Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState. This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football, James Franklin want a transfer portal linebacker
