Maybe Lansanah Should Be Worried?
May 15th, 2015
Bucs OLB Danny Lansanah may have competition this summer.
Joe remembers the immediate moments after the Bucs selected LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander in the fourth round. Bucs starting strongside linebacker Danny Lansanah Twittered, “KEEP DOUBTING ME!!!”
Later, when Joe went back to use it for a story, the Twitter post was gone.
Instead, Lansanah claimed it had nothing to do with the draft and he wasn’t paying attention to the draft.
(If it had nothing to do with the draft and was purely innocent, why delete it?)
It seems the numberscrunchers over at Pro Football Focus think Lansanah might just have reason to worry. Thomas Maney is of the mind that Alexander may have the skills to push Lansanah at linebacker.
Round 4: Kwon Alexander, LB, LSU
Not someone who graded incredibly well overall, with a pair of particularly rough games against Auburn and Notre Dame. But Alexander still finished positive in run defense after collecting 37 stops – that figure tied for the most among eligible SEC linebackers.
Depth Chart Fit: On special teams and as linebacker depth to start.
No, Joe doesn’t think Alexander will start right away. But, hey, if this is motivation for Lansanah to get his rear in gear, Joe is all for it. Nothing like motivating borderline starters in May.
May 15th, 2015 at 5:22 am
May the best player for the Bucs defensive scheme win the starting job and get the majority of the playing time. Lansanah probably needs some one to push him and keep him from being too complacent. The deleted tweet shows that he is very aware that the LSU kid could take away playing time….
May 15th, 2015 at 5:32 am
In any case if Alexander gets the nod, I would expect Lansannah would still be on the team. Orie Lemon’s (he made a really nice onsides kick recovery) roster spot should be secure too, unless someone new comes up the ranks.
May 15th, 2015 at 6:25 am
After last year no job should be gifted.
May 15th, 2015 at 6:35 am
So Lansanah had a decent few games last year. He was gifted a starting role because of injuries so it looks like this year he may have to earn it. He has never been good enough to win a starting job and has not been good enough to even stay on other teams. Lansanah was a undrafted free agent signing of Green Bay but didn’t make it and since then he has been a member of the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Hartford Colonials, Las Vegas Locomotives and New York Jets. I doubt he will be the next LVD.
May 15th, 2015 at 6:44 am
I really like Lansannah. Kwon is a nice addition but it was a value pick at 4th rnd. Now we have some depth at at least 1 position
May 15th, 2015 at 6:50 am
The way I see it, Bruce Carter takes over for Mason Foster and Kwon takes over for the white dude (his name escapes me) that was the band aid for Dakota Watson. I just hope that we cut these athletic linebackers loose on the QBs please blitz a little. Lavonte and others can get sacks if you blitz from time to time…
May 15th, 2015 at 8:09 am
If you look up his measurables, he fits more as a safety.
May 15th, 2015 at 8:17 am
I know a guy who knows a guy who says this guy is pretty good. Just sayin…
May 15th, 2015 at 9:00 am
If his tape is any indication of his play at linebacker, you can expect the Bucs to be losers for sure if Alexander starts !! I just hope he is a special teams demon because he looks like he is “lost in space” as a linebacker !!
May 15th, 2015 at 9:33 am
Great topic!
I’d like to see kwon work-out at Safety. 6’1″ 225 4.55 speed screams NFL safety to me. If he was 30lbs heavier then ILB but I think Lansanna played very well last year and lemon wasn’t complete garbage either unlike fletcher.
With swearinger and Alexander playing center field maybe we can break the will of rcvrs with some punishing (legal) hits. Of course not one of our safeties on the roster are better than Barron or Tandy but I digress.
May 15th, 2015 at 10:00 am
i think they made a decision as a coaching staff to continue adding LB depth after that tweet. which makes picking up swearinger (who seems to have similar entitlement issues when it comes to playing time) all the more unusual
May 15th, 2015 at 10:30 am
Dreambig I know you think every player was gifted their job under Loive, but Lansanah beat out Tony Casillas for the position.
Lansanah was suspended for the final game of the season I think for undisclosed reasons so their goes your theory of Lovie playing favorites.
Whatever the case, if this lights a bigger fire under Lansanah, great. Competition is good.
May 15th, 2015 at 10:36 am
Whatever it takes to get everyone ready to play hard week one. Now Lansanah has to bring it all August. He probably thought he was going to be the starter and sleep through training camp and try to pick it up come September. Well guess what? Now he has to work his @ss off in camp if he wants to start. He needs to come out with a little juice in preseason.
Im all for competition. The last two seasons we came out flat in August and nobody cared because it was “just preseason” but sure enough, it carried into the regular season! I stress this because we are better than Tenessee! We need to come out ready to hit them hard. Im going to be p!ssed if we lose that game because we are stuck in first gear!
So yeah, I love that Lansanah has to put up or shut up. I wish we could do that to more players from last year.
May 15th, 2015 at 11:11 am
Its like i said when we drafted the kid, he’ll have a chance to start, maybe his rookie season. Lansanah is not good enough where nobody could beat him out.
May 15th, 2015 at 11:19 am
As I said before. Alexander reminds me of Quincy Black. Danny better not get complacent though.
May 17th, 2015 at 1:42 pm
We don’t do depth on this team. One or the other of them should be sent to the Patriots ASAP.