Originally Posted by :
Bolton played in all 13 games as a true freshman (22 tackles, one sack) after earning Dallas Morning News first-team all-state honors at Lone Star High School (130 tackles, 16 for loss, five interceptions). He went from promising youngster to SEC star in 2019, earning first-team all-conference honors after leading the league with 8.9 tackles per game (107 total, 7.5 for loss), intercepting two passes and breaking up eight others in 12 starts. He was named second-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-SEC and a Butkus Award finalist in 2020, leading his defense with 95 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss (including two sacks), while breaking up five passes in 10 starts. Bolton's father, Carlos, played football at Louisiana Tech. -- by Chad Reuter
Overview
When you think about strong, forceful inside linebackers, Bolton is the type of player you might be envisioning. He's going to fall below typical NFL starter standards from a size standpoint, but his rugged frame and forceful demeanor help make up for it. Play recognition and pursuit instincts help carry him to the football and he's a message-sending striker when he gets the runner squared up. He has functional short-area burst between the tackles but will struggle to run down the outside run if he's not close enough to the action. He will need to lean heavier on his instincts to help speed him up because of size and speed limitations. Bolton plays with good field recognition when dropping into zone and has a history of making plays on the football in coverage. He's a three-down linebacker who can make an immediate contribution on special teams and has the potential to become a future starter. Strengths
Very tough with a physical edge.
Plays with demeanor teams look for in the middle.
Field-savvy with instincts to diagnose misdirection.
Identifies and communicates.
Heavy hands with good pop to take on blocks.
Pursues ball-carrier with patience and leverage.
Fluid alterations to his pursuit angles.
Excellent feel for attack timing downhill.
Meets runners with violent collisions in the hole.
Strikes like he's trying to send a message.
Great awareness and ballhawking as spot dropper.
Has enough man-cover talent to play on all three downs.
Thrived on kick- and punt-cover teams early in his career.
Weaknesses
Average lateral quickness traps him behind climbing blocks.
Inconsistent to strike and separate from blockers.
Needs to improve angles to elude box traffic.
Might need to take a few more chances as a pro.
Top-end speed appears below average.
Loses ground when pursuit flows wide.
Below-average lateral agility as open-field tackler.
Will have to play quicker to deal with NFL slashers.
I don't know if he can actually beat up Sewell, but by God he believes he can.
PSA: Don't fuck with Bolton. Fucking Christ.
That looked like a real not fun time.
Get punked by a dude you have 100 lbs on, stand up thinking you're gonna bow up on him and he's happy to stand chest to chest with you. Then his bigger, crazier brother gets in your grill as well.
Yeah, it's time to live to fight another day at that point. Bolton vs Sewell might be interesting. Sewell vs Bolton AND Gay? That's a bloooooooodbath. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
That looked like a real not fun time.
Get punked by a dude you have 100 lbs on, stand up thinking you're gonna bow up on him and he's happy to stand chest to chest with you. Then his bigger, crazier brother gets in your grill as well.
Yeah, it's time to live to fight another day at that point. Bolton vs Sewell might be interesting. Sewell vs Bolton AND Gay? That's a bloooooooodbath.
Agreed. Somehow I missed all this Sewell stuff in the game. I watched him beat Montgomery like a rented mule, but missed the Sewell stuff.
Oh yeah, Sewell better make his peace if he throws down with both those dudes. Gay was on his ass before he even bowed up to Bolton. And hell, from the looks of the scrum, Bolton may not have needed any help.
All this reminds me that I'm a giant fucking pussy. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
So Bolton can probably come ask for what Roquan Smith got right?
Everyone good with that?
I don’t think Bolton is that guy in terms of forcing his way out to a place with the bag.
I think he’s a guy you extend early with a Snith type extention added to the end of his rookie deal so you get him paid while also getting ahead of contract inflation. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BossChief:
I don’t think Bolton is that guy in terms of forcing his way out to a place with the bag.
I think he’s a guy you extend early with a Snith type extention added to the end of his rookie deal so you get him paid while also getting ahead of contract inflation.
Everyone always says this. These guys have very short careers and all want to maximize their earning potential. I can't beleve how many times we hear every offseason "If _____ wants to win they'll take less to play with Mahomes." No one takes less unless they are already set with other streams of income. Bolton will want as much as he can get just like everyone else. [Reply]
Originally Posted by raybec 4:
Everyone always says this. These guys have very short careers and all want to maximize their earning potential. I can't beleve how many times we hear every offseason "If _____ wants to win they'll take less to play with Mahomes." No one takes less unless they are already set with other streams of income. Bolton will want as much as he can get just like everyone else.
They also have wildly different situations. Mahomes grew up (assuming) upper middle class as the son of a journeyman major-leaguer. He might not have many close or extended family members that are living in poverty or barely getting by.
Another player might have a giant family, all of them expecting him to stabilize them financially.
Originally Posted by :
Then, when you go off to college, everything will snowball fast. While you’re doing your thing at North Carolina A&T, Tyrell and Dante are both going to drop out of school. It’s going to eat at you when you’re older. The guilt. The knowledge that if you’d been around, you never would’ve let them drop out. Once they do, though, run-ins with the law are going to become common — fighting, stealing Jordans, weed. You’ll try to send home what little money you have, hoping it will stop them from stealing, but it won’t.
When you reach your wits’ end, and can’t think of anything else to do, you’re going to sit them down and … I don’t want to say beg them, but, like … you’re basically going to plead with them.
“Just give me a little more time. Lay low. Don’t get in any big trouble for a bit more, and I’ll make everything right for all of us once I get to the league. I got y’all. I promise. I’ll buy you all the Jordans you want. Just give me a few years.”
The thing is: You won’t have a few years.
Originally Posted by :
When you sign that first contract, it’s going to feel like a huge weight being lifted off your shoulders. The day before your signing bonus hits, you won’t have a cent to your name. In fact, it’ll be even worse than that. You’ll be in the red. You’ll even take a screenshot to remember it.
Originally Posted by :
It’s not going to last, though. The money won’t even be enough to buy a place in Chicago for yourself, much less set up your whole family. And your brother Dante, when he realizes that it won’t all of a sudden be Easy Street for him with you in the league … he’s gonna feel that. He’ll be 18 at that point, and he’ll start hearing it from his friends.
Your brother’s in the NFL, why aren’t you driving a Benz? Why are you still wearing those old-ass sneakers? Why can’t you pick up the tab?
He’s going to respond by diving headfirst into drug dealing. And it’s not just going to be a little thing on the side anymore, Tarik. It’ll be serious dealing. Hard drugs. Real volume. Lots of money changing hands.
Mom evicted from different places because of weed smell, noise violations, police visits, you name it.
By that point, you’ll be playing a ton for the Bears and putting up numbers — rushing, receiving, returns, even throwing passes for TDs. You’ll be all over SportsCenter. People will be adding you to their fantasy teams like crazy.
But you’ll also be living in a rented apartment on the outskirts of Chicago and sending money home to Mom after the latest eviction notice, so she can rent a new house.
Cohen blew out his knee in 2020, luckily for him after he got paid. He has no stats since then, but reportedly this week is in talks to sign on the Panthers practice squad. [Reply]
