Linebacker

In years past, a "tweener" in the NFL draft was most often a player of compromising size, dual positions and suspect potential. It was a dismissive term at best. Now comes Shawne Merriman. And David Pollack. And Demarcus Ware. And Erasmus James. And Justin Tuck. And maybe a half-dozen others. Call them tweeners and congratulate them. Their time has arrived in the NFL. In a season when as many as 12 teams may employ a 3-4 defensive alignment - the league's newest trend - the hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker is suddenly in demand.

The presence of Pro Bowlers like inside linebacker Ray Lewis (12 times), free safety Ed Reed (seven), outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (four) and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (two) tends to dominate the headlines. Outside linebacker Jarret Johnson elbowed his way onto center stage when he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. In Sunday night's 34-17 victory over the New York Jets, Johnson scooped up a fumble caused when Ngata slammed into quarterback Mark Sanchez, and Johnson returned it 26 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Although the Ravens failed to reach an agreement with free-agent linebacker Jamir Miller last night, team officials remain optimistic they can sign the former Pro Bowl player before the draft. Both Ravens officials and Miller's agent, Leigh Steinberg, had hoped to get a deal done by the end of this week. The sides will continue with negotiations into next week. Miller also has not ruled out re-signing with the Cleveland Browns, who cut Miller on Feb. 27 for salary cap reasons. The Browns still do not have enough cap room to sign Miller.

Since the Ravens drafted Terrell Suggs in the first round in 2003, the organization has qualified for the postseason in five seasons prior to the current campaign. But unlike the squads in those years, the outside linebacker thinks this current team has the weapons on offense to cut a deep swath in the playoffs. “You look around, and there are just so many special people in so many special places,” Suggs said Wednesday. “And what's really unusual, for us, is that we have a lot of those special guys on offense. We had [running back]

Outside linebacker Sergio Kindle was active for the first time this season in the Ravens' 34-17 victory over the New York Jets Sunday night. “It's the best feeling in the world,” said Kindle, who missed last season after fracturing his skull while falling down stairs at a friend's house during the summer. “It's been a long time coming as you and everybody else knows. Words can't even explain it. I've been waiting on this for a long time, and it's finally here. So I've got to take it and run with it.” Kindle played primarily on special teams, but got to rush Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on the defense's final two plays of the contest.

ASHBURN, Va. -- The mouth doesn't stop. And neither does Marcus Washington. The Washington Redskins linebacker is renowned for his non-stop chatter in the locker room and on the field - a talent that he has used for comic relief with his teammates or blistering criticism with their opponents. "He never shuts up," defensive end Phillip Daniels marveled. "He's always talking trash to the other team and making them mad. You try to calm him down, but I don't know. You may need to get some help to calm him down."

When Navy linebacker Ram Vela took a flying leap over a Notre Dame blocking back with less than a minute to go in regulation of Navy's 46-44, triple overtime victory last Saturday, he became a YouTube star and a role model for an NFL linebacker. It isn't what he planned. "I just wanted to make the play," Vela said. "I had missed a sack [by inches] earlier in the game. I felt like I'd let the whole team down. I thought I had lost the game for us and the weight of the world was on my shoulders."

In an era when defensive specialists grab so many NFL headlines, Jacksonville Jaguars rookie outside linebacker Kevin Hardy has yet to encounter a task he cannot handle.Need a pass rusher? A run stopper? Someone to drop back and cover a tight end, a running back, even a slot receiver? How about that type of linebacker who is becoming extinct -- a four-down performer?Hardy is an all-of-the-above player, and his command of the position is a major reason the Jaguars will play the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game Sunday, looking to reach the Super Bowl in just their second season.

COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland senior linebacker Mike Jarmolowich lived in a nearby off-campus boiler room this summer. There were sleepless nights as toilets flushed constantly. Crickets and spiders were his roommates. He often smelled like a musty basement.But he kind of liked it."The rent was cheap in The Dungeon," Jarmolowich said. "It would have been easy to go home and train, you know, run less sprints and do less reps, but I needed to be here where I could get the competition, where someone would push me. I know I have to have a very good season.

COLLEGE PARK -- When Aaron Thompson walked out of the Maryland locker room Saturday night to meet his family and friends, he truly realized how much fun it could be playing major college football close to home."