After one more private workout, USC's Rey Maualuga will be packing his bags
for a lengthy road trip that will span seven cities over a two-week
period.
According to a source, the tenacious linebacker will be working out for the Atlanta Falcons on April
4 before heading for a visit with the San Francisco 49ers on April 6. That stop
should create an interesting moment when Maualuga sits down across from
49ers head coach Mike Singletary, a man who knows plenty about playing middle
linebacker at the pro level.
Then, as Scout.com's Chris Steuber reported earlier this month,
Maualuga will head to Miami to visit the Dolphins.
From there, a source tells Scout.com, he'll wrap up the first week of
his visits by flying back to California to visit the San Diego Chargers.
The 6-foot-2, 254 pound linebacker will get a chance to catch his breath over
the weekend before he begins the second week of his tour, which includes stops
in St. Louis to visit the Rams and Cleveland to check out his opportunities with
the Browns. He'll wrap-up his visits that week by meeting with the Tennessee
Titans and the New Orleans Saints.
Jeff Golden/Getty Images |
Clearly one of the top linebackers in this year's draft class, Maualuga's
instincts, speed and physical style of play will be a real asset in the NFL. And
he's versatile enough to play in any defensive scheme.
"I played the whole season with a hybrid, Clay Matthews, being a standup
outside linebacker and a hand-down defensive end. I’m familiar with both
schemes," he said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
"Whichever team I get picked to go to, whether it be 3-4 or 4-3, I think I’ll
fit in really well."
At USC, Maualuga loomed large even though he was surrounded by plenty of
talented players. And he admires players in the NFL who have that same type of
field presence.
"I look up to guys who are my heritage, like Lofa Tatupu and Junior Seau,"
he said. "But I’m a big fan of Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis, guys who
bring intensity and can change the whole scheme of a defense and impact a game
because of who they are and what they bring to the team."
In less than a month, Maualuga will learn which team will use a top pick to
add him to their roster. From that moment on, expect to hear his name often as
he begins to establish his presence in the NFL.
Read more about him through the links on his Scout.com
profile page.
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A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, Ed Thompson's player interviews and NFL features are published across the Scout.com network and at FOXSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Or contact him by email
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