Keith Butler
RE: THADDEUS GIBSON
Outside Linebacker - Ohio State
4th Round – 116th Overall
So Gibson is an outside linebacker and not a defensive end?
Yes, outside linebacker. He played some defensive end like a lot of the guys we take at outside linebacker. He stood up some for Ohio State. They do some similar things to what we do. It's not like we're seeing him at the position for the first time. Somebody like the kid from Michigan, Daniel Graham, who never stood up, this guy, Gibson, stood up in their package and so he's done some of the things we're going to ask him to do.
Was he a late bloomer at Ohio State? Did he play early in his career there?
He played a little bit, but Ohio State has a good football team and they are going to try and play as many players as they can. He really developed into a good player this year.
How much experience does he have on special teams?
You have to ask the special teams guys. I don't watch special teams unless one of my guys in messing up. Then I might go in there and watch a little bit, so I know what I'm talking about when I get on his butt a little bit.
Why two outside guys in four picks?
Well anytime you can get a good player, you take him. I don't think you have too many good players, and what we do defensively and on special teams, otherwise you got to have those types of bodies, the 6'4", 250 pound bodies, there's never too many of those guys on your team, they could always help you. On game day you want to have them dressed out there helping you in terms of special teams and in terms of resting maybe the outside guys you got in there, of course we've got two Pro Bowlers in, and it's hard to beat those guys out. You know it's always good to have depth at that position.
What did you like about this guy on tape?
Initially when I started watching him, when we grade or evaluate we usually try to watch a game early, a game in the middle of the season, and a game late. And a thing that stood out to me more than anything was his improvement over the year. He really improved as a player, in terms of rushing and getting to the ball carrier and getting to the quarterback, as the year went along. I was kind of disappointed when I first started watching him and then the more and more I watched him, the more and more he grew on me a little bit, because he played better than he played at the beginning of the year. So he got better, so we look for him to improve more than he did this year, when he gets here.
