Rey Maualuga Starts week 1

[volcom69]

I hope they are smart enough to rotate the LB's early and often. There is no reason to play only Rey, Dhani and Rivers with the backups that are available this season. Keep everyone fresher longer with the depth they have.

Same here. I'd be telling these guys to hit it hard every play, because if they get winded there's a solid player behind them. Should help *immensely* in the 4th quarter.

I'm more worried about D-line depth, the running offenses in the AFC North have traditionally gassed our front 4. I'm particularly hopeful that they can get an effective 3-man DT rotation going at least. Also need somebody to step up as backup DEs.

I still think Jeanty gets out there on certain plays, and the D-Line i think will rotate pretty much this year, we have a good couple of guys on the D-tackle, and Frostee can play both, and Micheal Johnson is hear now, so i see them rotating pretty often.

[Pidge]

Falling to the second round with his talent is nuts for some character issues.

Well, there was once this fellow named Odell Thurman, see.........

So, Rey had the same sort of character issues? Not disputing it, just didn't hear anything about them.

[Thurmanation]

Falling to the second round with his talent is nuts for some character issues.

Well, there was once this fellow named Odell Thurman, see.........

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

So, Rey had the same sort of character issues? Not disputing it, just didn't hear anything about them.

He beat the crap out of some guy his freshman year, supposedly got into another fight or two, some public drunk pissing. Other than the beat-down he issued (supposedly unprovoked), I'm not worried about it. Looks like that crap was largely confined to the early part of his career.

I've got no problem with drafting him, and if teams dropped him, what, 20-25 picks compared to where he should have gone because of that then they're morons. From everything I've read that he's said, he seems to be a kid who really gets it. He expects to earn his place on the team, he's worked hard, and he plays hard.

This isn't the same as Odell. I'd be shocked if he falls into that sort of garbage. I'm by no means condoning what he did as a freshman, but his issues got rarer and less significant as time went on, while Odell clearly was having some persistent problems.

I still can't believe it - NFL GMs believe Rey Maualuga was the *worst* starting LB on his college team? Really? Man, I remember guys talking during the college season last year about drafting Rey in the *first* round. I recall people actually talking about taking him at #6. I remember thinking it was nuts when folks started hoping he'd fall to #38 because there was no chance in hell...right? Well, sometimes the NFL hands you a gift.

I absolutely cannot WAIT to see him start blowing up the AFC north.

[Pidge]

So, Rey had the same sort of character issues? Not disputing it, just didn't hear anything about them.

He beat the crap out of some guy his freshman year, supposedly got into another fight or two, some public drunk pissing. Other than the beat-down he issued (supposedly unprovoked), I'm not worried about it. Looks like that crap was largely confined to the early part of his career.

I've got no problem with drafting him, and if teams dropped him, what, 20-25 picks compared to where he should have gone because of that then they're morons. From everything I've read that he's said, he seems to be a kid who really gets it. He expects to earn his place on the team, he's worked hard, and he plays hard.

This isn't the same as Odell. I'd be shocked if he falls into that sort of garbage. I'm by no means condoning what he did as a freshman, but his issues got rarer and less significant as time went on, while Odell clearly was having some persistent problems.

I still can't believe it - NFL GMs believe Rey Maualuga was the *worst* starting LB on his college team? Really? Man, I remember guys talking during the college season last year about drafting Rey in the *first* round. I recall people actually talking about taking him at #6. I remember thinking it was nuts when folks started hoping he'd fall to #38 because there was no chance in hell...right? Well, sometimes the NFL hands you a gift.

I absolutely cannot WAIT to see him start blowing up the AFC north.

Ah OK. Nothing in the past few yrs then. I thought I would have seen the threads on here if they were serious ongoing issues. I also remember all the talk about taking him at 6. I would have been fine with that. He seems a typical Samoan guy to me when I listen to him and now that includes the very occasional habit of getting handy with his fists when having had a few. Other than that, pretty quiet, laid back and religious etc.

He'll be fine

Speaking of USC LBs - Cushing seems to have his buds developing. Somebody should buy him a training bra or something.

[jrandom42]

So, Rey had the same sort of character issues? Not disputing it, just didn't hear anything about them.

He beat the crap out of some guy his freshman year, supposedly got into another fight or two, some public drunk pissing. Other than the beat-down he issued (supposedly unprovoked), I'm not worried about it. Looks like that crap was largely confined to the early part of his career.

I've got no problem with drafting him, and if teams dropped him, what, 20-25 picks compared to where he should have gone because of that then they're morons. From everything I've read that he's said, he seems to be a kid who really gets it. He expects to earn his place on the team, he's worked hard, and he plays hard.

This isn't the same as Odell. I'd be shocked if he falls into that sort of garbage. I'm by no means condoning what he did as a freshman, but his issues got rarer and less significant as time went on, while Odell clearly was having some persistent problems.

I still can't believe it - NFL GMs believe Rey Maualuga was the *worst* starting LB on his college team? Really? Man, I remember guys talking during the college season last year about drafting Rey in the *first* round. I recall people actually talking about taking him at #6. I remember thinking it was nuts when folks started hoping he'd fall to #38 because there was no chance in hell...right? Well, sometimes the NFL hands you a gift.

I absolutely cannot WAIT to see him start blowing up the AFC north.

A number of these issues arose in his freshman year with the death of his father by cancer. Former USC players and Pete Carroll took Rey under their wings, helped him out and challenged him to do better than coasting on just talent.

All the stuff the pundits were saying about him ("not smart enough", "two down linebacker", "wild and undisciplined") were also said about another USC linebacker named Junior Seau. He proved them wrong and had the last laugh, and I think Rey will have the same opportunities to prove them wrong and have the last laugh as well.

[ArmyBengal]

The worst USC linebacker last year ?? Just stupid right there. There were many analysts saying how appreciative the other LB's from USC should be for having a MLB like Rey playing inbetween them. He was the one making sure that defense was lined up the way it was suppose to be and making the plays. That defense got recognition from the play of Rey. I'm not saying the others weren't good linebacker, because that would be an equally stupid comment to make, however, to simply overlook his on field production, say he had concerns, and then claim the other LB's are better is crazy.

Yeah, I'm happy as hell he fell to us in the 2nd. Gift from God !!!

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

. I'm not saying the others weren't good linebacker, because that would be an equally stupid comment to make, however, to simply overlook his on field production, say he had concerns, and then claim the other LB's are better is crazy.

Yeah, I'm happy as hell he fell to us in the 2nd. Gift from God !!!

Yup. And think, there are NFL GMs making millions who can't figure that crap out. Go figure.

[Sea Ray]

I don't think it was so much Rey's violent past that caused him to drop but I heard some folks described him as an "airhead" and someone who scored very poorly on the Wonderlic test. Folks questioned whether he'd ever be able to make defensive calls, something MLBs usually do

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I don't think it was so much Rey's violent past that caused him to drop but I heard some folks described him as an "airhead" and someone who scored very poorly on the Wunderlic test. Folks questioned whether he'd ever be able to make defensive calls, something MLBs usually do

That's interesting and somewhat surprising. He seems very attentive on the field, seems to have an instinct for making reads that is much better than expected for a rookie. He's also given great interviews where he seems to have a pretty good grasp of, well, English.

Both things that you don't tend to see from airheads that score single-digits on the Wonderlic. Certainly not impossible, but you wonder if there wasn't a team trying to spread disinformation to get him to drop.

If I found out Mikey or Katie did it, my esteem for them would increase quite a bit. But I doubt it.

[Sea Ray]

This site reported the following on Wonderlic:

A few other fools include linebacker Rey Maualuga, who scored a 15, and O-lineman Andre Smith, who continued his epic draft stock slide by posting a 17.

/>http://www.faniq.com/blog/2009-NFL-Wonderlic-Scores-Matt-Stafford-Impresses-Blog-20999

Here's another site that talks about it:

/>http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-22-pompei-scout-mar22,0,7151782.story

[ArmyBengal]

So there were concerns with him being able to call plays as a MLB, but he did just that in USC's pro style defense they run ??

Um, ok...

[Kazkal]

<3 <3 <3

[Kazkal]

This site reported the following on Wonderlic:

A few other fools include linebacker Rey Maualuga, who scored a 15, and O-lineman Andre Smith, who continued his epic draft stock slide by posting a 17.

/>http://www.faniq.com/blog/2009-NFL-Wonderlic-Scores-Matt-Stafford-Impresses-Blog-20999

Here's another site that talks about it:

/>http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-22-pompei-scout-mar22,0,7151782.story

I thought you were talking like Vince Young SIngle Digits So maybe if Maualuga retested he'd get higher

Dan Marino - 16

Donovan McNabb - 14

2 very successful QB's who scored pretty low

The lowest score we know of remains Nicks, but so far it seems only Wonderlic scores for top prospects are out.

Most productive WR in preseason at a very hard position to learn as a rookie,From what I'm gathering is Wonderlic doesn't effect how you play football

[7/11]

the question marks that seemed to surround rey prior to the draft were:

-his seeming lack of intelligence

-overaggressiveness

-coverage skills

what i like about this is that there was another LB who came out of USC with similar "red flags".

although he was drafted fifth overall (or 6th or something around there), JUNIOR SEAU shut mouths quickly and became one of the best in the biz.

we can only hope rey rey overcomes his question marks in a similar manner..

[volcom69]

/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfSsetj_LAk&feature=related

<3 <3 <3

This was a good video, and i remember watching it live when they did this. If he is half as good as Ken Norton then we got ourselves one heck of a LB, and i cant wait to see this all start this Sunday. By the end of the year we could have ourselves one of the best LB corps in the league.

Oh and i hope he decides not to wear those pink "thong" over his football pants this sunday lol lol.

[jonahdsage]

I don't think it was so much Rey's violent past that caused him to drop but I heard some folks described him as an "airhead" and someone who scored very poorly on the Wonderlic test. Folks questioned whether he'd ever be able to make defensive calls, something MLBs usually do

I've heard so many strange things about that test. All I know is that on last week's episode of hard knocks fitzgerald addressed that. He said something like "I sat Rey down to talk about his test score -- he said he didn't know about that test but he knows football. So i started asking him defensive assignments. When a guy can come in and after two weeks tell you what the safeties, cornerbacks, and other two linebackers all do on a play, it doesn't much matter what his wonderlic was."

Rey is going to drop bombs on the AFC north.

[HAPPYJAQ]

I don't think it was so much Rey's violent past that caused him to drop but I heard some folks described him as an "airhead" and someone who scored very poorly on the Wonderlic test. Folks questioned whether he'd ever be able to make defensive calls, something MLBs usually do

I've heard so many strange things about that test. All I know is that on last week's episode of hard knocks fitzgerald addressed that. He said something like "I sat Rey down to talk about his test score -- he said he didn't know about that test but he knows football. So i started asking him defensive assignments. When a guy can come in and after two weeks tell you what the safeties, cornerbacks, and other two linebackers all do on a play, it doesn't much matter what his wonderlic was."

Rey is going to drop bombs on the AFC north.

I didn't want Rey at #6, but I never dreamed he'd be still available at #38. In my mind, and outside of his Top 5 salary on the team, getting Rey makes whatever Andre Smith adds to the team a bonus...and a potentially huge one at that. I also think we got 2nd round talent in both MJ and Coffman, although Coffman might not be a real contributor until 2010. Factor in that Huber is the biggest game-changing punter we've had since Lee Johnson, and this class is easily a strong A, and that's not even counting Trent and Scott, who could eventually be starters on this team. From top to bottom, this has easily been the team's best draft in recent memory.

As far as Rey goes, in two seasons, Rey, Rivers and MJ will be one of the most dynamic and dominating LB units in the league.