DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns sign LB Zach Diles

This somewhat got overlooked with the QB signings. He's an option for ILB2, has started over 30 games in the NFL

http://www.ohio.com/blogs/cleveland-brow...ksEnabled=false

The 6-foot, 245-pound Diles, 28, is a veteran of seven NFL seasons. A seventh-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2007, he spent the past two years with the Titans. He has started 31 of the 69 regular-season games in which he has appeared.

I think that we might yet remove the word "dire" from our need at ILB.

*Edit: I might have been thinking of someone else. This guy tried out in the camp we just held, and got a deal. He has hardly played in the past 3seasons.

Veteran of seven NFL seasons.... yet I've never heard the name before.

Special teamer maybe?

i was surprised by this. I have absolutely no association with his name, didn't recognize it. This has to be a depth signing, I presume. Anybody pimped this one in the past. I have nothing to go on. Let me know if I should be excited.

It's just like the Young and Thigpen signings...

You bring a guy into camp, try him out, if he doesn't look terrible, you sign him to a no risk deal...

If someone beats him out before the season you cut him.

If he does anything of significance, it's a huge bonus.

Thanks! That helps. So is he ST? Or is he eligible for practice squad if we get longer in the position, say in draft. I am trying to get at this: Are we talking a starter here?

no chance at the practice squad, the guy is a long-time veteran.
if he is our starting ILB, then we have major issues.

he is competing for a spot on ST and last ILB on the squad. and, likely long odds to even get to that point.

JC

Alright, we need the depth. ILB and secondary, especially.

I wish that we had kept DQ (and signed Dansby). That would be 2 solid starters and good mentors for a draftee/Robertson.

He's pure depth, though he does have numerous starts under his belt. He looked good enough in camp to earn a deal though ..... but those guys just as often get cut before training camp as not.

Keeping DQ would have done nothing for us, because he does not fit this defense. He is nowhere near as effective when he has to shed blocks on his own. When he can have a 4 man mine in front of him keeping him clean, he can play well ....... but in the 3-4, he has trouble making an impact.

Frankly I have a hard time believing that he went to another 3-4 team, because he has been at his best when he can play clean.... and that's not going to be the case in Indy.

Thanx, No Logo. Hope he can help us. Seems we are increasing the quality of our second shelf talent.

Last year when Robertson went down we had NO Depth at all - I do blame again the FO on that as they didn't do their due diligence to give some veteran depth in a one and done year. I was ok with the UDFA rookies on the team - until our staff got fired. Then I was PO'd at all the lack of depth.

Proof that this year is a year that they are looking to win and grow for the long term. Diles is no impact player but when the time of need is there is a heck of a lot more knowledgeable then a rookie UDFA!

jmho

That's a fine observation Ballpeen. You hope not to need to do so, but the bottom stringers may be starting when you have at least games, if not the season, on the line especially later in the season. These guys are equally important to how bad you need them to fill in and play well. If he has started and not given up the farm, good enough. I like that bottom up observation; think it is true enough.

Exactly, peen. If he is better than the bottom LB on our final roster, then we improved.