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+---- Thread: *LB Bakshi shows versatility on road to draft (/showthread.php?tid=12494)
*LB Bakshi shows versatility on road to draft - Player1 - 03-11-2019
The Tijuana Times
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Tijuana's Sandip Bakshi Shows Uncommon Versatility on the Path to Championship, Draft
The road to the NSFL draft is a long and winding one for most prospects, but for Luchadores' linebacker Sandip Bakshi it took one extra turn that few saw coming. Tijuana's season was a bumpy one from the get go, they snuck into the playoffs as the lowest seed but coming off a hot end to the season. GM Brian Mills had an extra problem on his hands, if you can really call it a problem. The Luchadores began the season with almost no linebackers, but due to a flood of defensive prospects on the waiver wire they ended it with too many. Mills, a grizzled veteran linebacker himself, had to make a position switch himself and it wouldn't end there.
Sandip Bakshi joined the Tijuana Luchadores in Week 7 of the regular season, but he wouldn't get on the field until Week 9. Sandy spent his regular season predominantly at middle linebacker, where he played sideline to sideline as a tackler and occasionally blitzed for added pass pressure. He filled that role quite well and led tackles and sacks among players with 6 or fewer active games. When playoff time came, though, Sandy got the word that his job was switching. The LB would be putting his hand in the dirt and playing a Defensive End.
The switch came as Tijuana faced a monumental challenge on the road against a dominant San Antonio Marshals team. San Antonio's not-so-secret weapon was their strong running game which leaned on the ability of RB Fast Boija. In response, Tijuana schemed its defense to contain Boija and stop him in the backfield in the hopes that the Marshals would be unable to adapt. It would be hard to argue that anyone had a bigger impact on that than Bakshi himself. Sandy terrorized Boija in the backfield, recording 4 tackles for a loss including a monumental third down stop that stalled the Marshals' last real chance to get back in the game. Bakshi's performance in the championship game was somewhat less impressive, he did have a sack but also two costly penalties.
Heading into the draft, Sandy looks to be on the cusp of the first round. He has showed some real ability at the position, but this year's draft is deep in defense and Bakshi's teammate Corvo Havran and Marshals QB Cooter Bigsy are almost certain to split the top 2 picks. Bakshi will have to stand out against other talented linebackers like Gekyume Stokeley and Leighton Lee. One thing Bakshi has shown that may draw some eyes is versatility. We'll find out on draft day if that's enough to entice a GM.
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Where can I find some of this tequila?!?
*LB Bakshi shows versatility on road to draft - PaytonM34 - 03-11-2019
Bakshi on the Dline was huge for stopping that SA run game, great write up! Defense wins championships