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| Cleveland Plain Dealer |
"Etienne Sabino" sounds more
likely to be the answer to "Who are you wearing?" than
"Who's that at linebacker?", but Sabino's designs are
indeed on playing LB for the Rams, who signed him as an unrestricted
free agent March 24.
Just 23 years old, Sabino's a rookie
for all intents and purposes; the 6'3" 237 LB didn't play last
season after the Giants cut him in training camp. He had been
projected as a 6th-round pick in the 2013 draft but was signed as an
undrafted rookie free agent. He ran a 4.75 40 at the 2013 Combine,
with 24 bench presses and a 9'6" broad jump. He recorded a 34"
vertical and a 4.41 shuttle at Ohio State's pro day.
Sabino's Ohio State career sounds like
a lot of unfulfilled promise. He actually backed up James Laurinaitis
in 2008, coming to Columbus as the #1 high school inside LB in the
country. He was a special teams ace as a freshman and sophomore,
winning one game by returning a punt he'd also blocked for a TD. He
didn't start for the Buckeyes until 2011, though, earning all-Big Ten
honorable mention in 2012, getting 45 tackles in only 8 games,
missing the rest of the season due to a broken fibula.
Scouts like Sabino's smarts, his
athletic frame and excellent range. He covers sideline to sideline
and can run people down from behind. He's an effective downhill
player, an athletic blitzer who's hard to keep out of the backfield
on A-gap blitzes. He has strength, length and violent hands to shed
blockers and fight through blocks, along with a powerful punch that
can disrupt pulling blockers. He doesn't miss tackles, always hustles
to the ball and has enough speed to string out outside runs. He's got
the potential to help the Rams at Mike LB or at Sam.
There are serious concerns both with
Sabino's short-area quickness and instincts, though. He doesn't have
good change of direction or burst and has to think way too much out
on the field, all of which consistently leaves him a step behind in
coverage. He doesn't move well laterally and doesn't have a good feel
for pass coverage. He needs to play with better balance and take
better angles. He tends to leave his hands down when attacking
blockers, but otherwise plays too high and doesn't break down well
against runners in the hole.
Sabino sounds like a very good athlete
who just lacks the instincts to be an elite player. Theoretically
he's taking over Will Witherspoon's vacated roster spot (the Rams
have not shown any interest in re-signing Will), and has a chance to
contribute on special teams and back up Laurinaitis. Realistically,
he'll be challenged again to make it past training camp, where he'll
be at best the 6th LB, with Jo-Lonn Dunbar the first LB off the bench
and Daren Bates and Ray Ray the Penalty Machine likely to be in line
to play on the 2nd unit defense. Sabino also likely will have to beat
out practice squadder Caleb McSurdy and a draft pick. He has a lot of
flaws to fix, but he's got a good chance to develop under the Rams'
excellent defensive coaching staff. It's an opportunity he'll have to
make the most of.
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