Barrett Ruud - NFC Defensive Player Of The Week

In a well deserved honor, Barrett Ruud was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance against the Saints. Watching the past two games, and despite not turning to defend the ball in the Seahawks game, it's becoming clear to me that Ruud is going to be a top linebacker in this league. Just how good he'll be is hard to tell, but he seems to have all the traits that Quarles had, but he's a little bigger and stronger, which will allow him to handle the power runners a little better.

I'm pretty good at spotting great linebackers (it's the position I enjoy watching the most), and I see Pro-Bowl written all over his future. Getting that award will cause people to wonder who he is. So if he continues to have similar performances, we'll see him in the Pro-Bowl either this year or next. Whether he can keep playing like this, and do it over the long haul, is still to be seen, but everything I've seen and know about him, makes me believe that he will do it all. Watching him play out there, he actually reminded me more of Hardy than Quarles. Of course, that's one helluva high standard to live up to, and I'm certainly not expecting him to, but I do see the potential. It's clearly there.

In any case, good job Ruud. The award is well deserved, as I think McAllister and Bush are still trying to ease the pain of the hits you put on them.