Drinking the Eric Norwood Koolaid

[therealmjl]

Ran into him late Sunday night at a gas station here in Columbia....said he was just getting back in town from mini camps. Mentioned that he was lining up at OLB and DE in some situations...

[SorthNarolina]

I think he'll be a stand up rusher and maybe some DE on passing downs. I can't see him being very effective as a DE unless his side is overloaded.

I don't see him a SLB except for rushing downs and redzone.

[HSCBandit07]

quality backup and special teams (he is going to be our next connor if connor is the starter this year. If not then he will be in the same situation as connor

[TerriblePizza]

He can rusher either way. Standing up, hand on the ground. Backwards while doing a handstand, it doesn't matter.

He played at around 270 his first two years and dropped the weight when they asked him to play OLB.

I'd like to see him playing around 255-260 and using him as a rushing LB or DE on passing situations.

He'll make a huge impact on special teams this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had 5 or more sacks this year.

[HSCBandit07]

Beason, Davis, Williams, Connor, Anderson, Norwood,

= sick LB corps

I don't know too much about the rest of the roster but if Williams pans out we have a solid group even if hit by the injury bug.

[pantherclaw]

As others have stated...his impact this year will be special teams, and rushing the passer.

That will be good production for 4th rounder.

[BF91]

Foxy has said he'll compete for the Sam this year, but like everyone else I think his value is as a situational pass rusher and a special teams player this year. If he can improve his coverage abilities he could make his way into the same echelon of players as Thomas Davis, because Norwood has shown he has the ability to get into the backfield and stuff the run and stop the QB.

Davis-Beason-Norwood

God that would be a sick LB corps if everything pans out right.

[Panther59]

While Norwood's not got CB type coverage abilities I think he's very underrated when not rushing the QB, as can be witnessed by the pick six(very smoooooth) in last years Georgia game which can be seen at 1:34 into the video... Norwood's got excellent field vision and is always anticipating making big plays that tend to lead to turnovers more often than not.

[SorthNarolina]

Foxy has said he'll compete for the Sam this year, but like everyone else I think his value is as a situational pass rusher and a special teams player this year. If he can improve his coverage abilities he could make his way into the same echelon of players as Thomas Davis, because Norwood has shown he has the ability to get into the backfield and stuff the run and stop the QB.

Davis-Beason-Norwood

God that would be a sick LB corps if everything pans out right.

i don't think he has any potential to be in the caliber of Thomas Davis simply becaue they are too different. A hybrid SS/WLB and a hybrid DE/SLB don't really belong in the same category of LB.

[BF91]

i don't think he has any potential to be in the caliber of Thomas Davis simply becaue they are too different. A hybrid SS/WLB and a hybrid DE/SLB don't really belong in the same category of LB.

I didn't mean they'd be similar players, just that they'd be similar talents. I'm saying Norwood will be as good at his job as Davis is at his.

[CatMan72]

Sounds like he has allot of potential, but I have to see the kid play a little at the NFL level before I'm willing to drink the kool-aid.

[mmmbeans]

While Norwood's not got CB type coverage abilities I think he's very underrated when not rushing the QB, as can be witnessed by the pick six(very smoooooth) in last years Georgia game which can be seen at 1:34 into the video... Norwood's got excellent field vision and is always anticipating making big plays that tend to lead to turnovers more often than not.

nothin against the guy but if he hadn't caught that ball it would've hit him in the face. that was just bad decision making on the part of the QB.

[Panther59]

nothin against the guy but if he hadn't caught that ball it would've hit him in the face. that was just bad decision making on the part of the QB.

Your right, but 99% of INT's are bad decisions made by the QB for whatever reason(bad protection, WR running wrong routes, throwing of his back foot, etc, etc...) That's the point though, How many LB'ers would have dropped the sh*t or had it bounce off their facemask?

He read and reacted to the play, picked the ball off and took it back for 6. He had the athletism and awareness to make the play, period. Like I said before, of course Norwood doesn't have DB type coverage skills, but to say he can't cover underneath what-so-ever is wrong. People can say what they want about him but "at the end of the day" the kid is a football player that makes big play's, plain and simple.

[[email protected]]

Norwood was the steal of the draft for us. Yes I am a huge Gamecock fan but regardless, this kid has a non-stop motor and he makes plays. If he is used only for ST it will be a huge mistake. I project him being used as a situational pass rusher rotating in with a very solid LB core.

We may even run some 3-4 sets this year with the talent and depth at the LB position. You want your most talented players on the field and the LB core is oozing with talent.