Name:Caleb McSurdyPosition: LinebackerHeight/Weight:6-1, 248Age: 23College: MontanaNFL Exp:RookieHow Acquired: D7 for '12Hometown:Boise, Id.
Fitting in:McSurdy joins an already somewhat deep linebacker core. He led his team in tackles his senior season with an impressive 114 tackles. McSurdy will be looking to prove that he can be a force on special teams in order to make a contribution this season.
So Far:The majority of the reps where McSurdy has looked good have come on special teams where he has played with high intensity. On defense he will have to learn how to read plays better and react quicker in order to make up for the fact that he is smaller and less athletic than most NFL linebackers.* *
Best Asset:NFL.com's scouting combine claims that McSurdy is a "very instinctual linebacker who relies on his play recognition and pre-snap keys to put himself in a strong position to make plays."
You Should Know:The transition from college to the NFL is an even bigger leap for McSurdy who played at Montana, which is not a Division 1 school. He says, of the talent discrepancy, "This is the NFL and everyone here is super talented. I think there will be an adjustment period and I just got to focus on working as hard as I can and getting used to it."
Talking Points:Knowing that he was joining a very established linebacker core,* *McSurdy was still surprised by the level of talent and knowledge by his new peers. "You just try to be a sponge when you're around those guys," says McSurdy. "All of them, athletically and intelligence-wise these guys are off the charts and I just hope I can keep up with them."
