Where the Hunt begins on Defense at Training Camp
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Most interesting questions your wife won't ask you all week
Bless ya Flug, YES honey i was cleaning The Man Cave 
Great job with that Gumby. Did I ever tell you what the 2 most important words after "I do" are? "Yes dear."
Do you want to know another potential pleasant surprise joining our rookie LB class? Dominique Alexander, may sound more like a female stripper but he's actually our undrafted ILB out of Oklahoma - the 3rd highest rated ILB in Lindy's Draft Guide.
Great job with that Gumby. Did I ever tell you what the 2 most important words after "I do" are? "Yes dear."
Do you want to know another potential pleasant surprise joining our rookie LB class? Dominique Alexander, may sound more like a female stripper but he's actually our undrafted ILB out of Oklahoma - the 3rd highest rated ILB in Lindy's Draft Guide.
Put the damn ball on the Tee & let's Go..Camp in July & August is like Christmas opening new gifts. These bitches our still wrapped
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A Happy Wife is a Happy Life. And a Happy Football team is a group of guys who love the game,
are smart and talented, and want to WIN, with no soap opera crap, from players or anybody else.
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A Happy Wife is a Happy Life. And a Happy Football team is a group of guys who love the game,
are smart and talented, and want to WIN, with no soap opera crap, from players or anybody else.
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One Post From the Truth said:
The Browns Safety position is so young. I was looking for them to pick up a vet during FA. Either a star emerges or they get burnt. Better have some pressure is all I can say.
They signed a 26 year old veteran Free Safety - Rahim Moore. That doesn't change the experience level at Strong Safety though.
Someone brought up moving Mingo to Safety before. That can be a bad idea and it can be a good idea. The worry with putting him in the back tier of defense is he's not a very good tackler for a few reasons: 1) he's got the instincts of a raccoon crossing a highway at night time, 2) has piss poor fundamentals (partly from playing through a painful shoulder injury and partly from not being in enough control to square up to form tackle people, 3) he doesn't always keep his head up in pursuit often leading to over-pursuit or vulnerability to change of direction. A lot of his issues can be solved with coaching, repetition, and weekly preparation for tendencies...
The positive is he's got long levers to go with his 6'4" frame and ideal fitness which could all come in handy in coverage. He's always hustling, which shows me a work ethic an innovative mind coordinating our defense might be able to tap. Oh yeah, back to a zone blitz scheme that likes to blitz it's Strong Safety in a variety of ways ranging from x-stunts to delayed x-stunts to an anticipated vulnerable gap of a protection up front your central intelligence/coaching staff identified preparing for an offense's tendency. One of the best blitzes I ever saw from Mingo was a delayed x stunt from the outside and as soon as the OG locked up on someone - Mingo closed at the speed of light and sacked the QB.
Why all that? I thought I remembered hearing Horton say he had a different plan for Mingo this year than he had the last time. It could be that kind of thinking outside the box that puts Mingo at SS. The Dick LeBeau defense not only loves to blitz the SS, but he also likes his SS to camp out in the box after the snap.
On the other hand, Mingo finally bulked up to about 260 lbs this off-season so he might have Taylor Mays'd himself out of any thoughts of playing Safety. Stay tuned...
They signed a 26 year old veteran Free Safety - Rahim Moore. That doesn't change the experience level at Strong Safety though.
Someone brought up moving Mingo to Safety before. That can be a bad idea and it can be a good idea. The worry with putting him in the back tier of defense is he's not a very good tackler for a few reasons: 1) he's got the instincts of a raccoon crossing a highway at night time, 2) has piss poor fundamentals (partly from playing through a painful shoulder injury and partly from not being in enough control to square up to form tackle people, 3) he doesn't always keep his head up in pursuit often leading to over-pursuit or vulnerability to change of direction. A lot of his issues can be solved with coaching, repetition, and weekly preparation for tendencies...
The positive is he's got long levers to go with his 6'4" frame and ideal fitness which could all come in handy in coverage. He's always hustling, which shows me a work ethic an innovative mind coordinating our defense might be able to tap. Oh yeah, back to a zone blitz scheme that likes to blitz it's Strong Safety in a variety of ways ranging from x-stunts to delayed x-stunts to an anticipated vulnerable gap of a protection up front your central intelligence/coaching staff identified preparing for an offense's tendency. One of the best blitzes I ever saw from Mingo was a delayed x stunt from the outside and as soon as the OG locked up on someone - Mingo closed at the speed of light and sacked the QB.
Why all that? I thought I remembered hearing Horton say he had a different plan for Mingo this year than he had the last time. It could be that kind of thinking outside the box that puts Mingo at SS. The Dick LeBeau defense not only loves to blitz the SS, but he also likes his SS to camp out in the box after the snap.
On the other hand, Mingo finally bulked up to about 260 lbs this off-season so he might have Taylor Mays'd himself out of any thoughts of playing Safety. Stay tuned...
Mingo anywhere in the secondary would be nothing short of an unimaginable disaster.
As for 'strong safety'... keep in mind there really isn't such a thing with Horton. The backend DB's in his defense are to be interchangeable (per his own words)
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They signed a 26 year old veteran Free Safety - Rahim Moore. That doesn't change the experience level at Strong Safety though.
Someone brought up moving Mingo to Safety before. That can be a bad idea and it can be a good idea. The worry with putting him in the back tier of defense is he's not a very good tackler for a few reasons: 1) he's got the instincts of a raccoon crossing a highway at night time, 2) has piss poor fundamentals (partly from playing through a painful shoulder injury and partly from not being in enough control to square up to form tackle people, 3) he doesn't always keep his head up in pursuit often leading to over-pursuit or vulnerability to change of direction. A lot of his issues can be solved with coaching, repetition, and weekly preparation for tendencies...
The positive is he's got long levers to go with his 6'4" frame and ideal fitness which could all come in handy in coverage. He's always hustling, which shows me a work ethic an innovative mind coordinating our defense might be able to tap. Oh yeah, back to a zone blitz scheme that likes to blitz it's Strong Safety in a variety of ways ranging from x-stunts to delayed x-stunts to an anticipated vulnerable gap of a protection up front your central intelligence/coaching staff identified preparing for an offense's tendency. One of the best blitzes I ever saw from Mingo was a delayed x stunt from the outside and as soon as the OG locked up on someone - Mingo closed at the speed of light and sacked the QB.
Why all that? I thought I remembered hearing Horton say he had a different plan for Mingo this year than he had the last time. It could be that kind of thinking outside the box that puts Mingo at SS. The Dick LeBeau defense not only loves to blitz the SS, but he also likes his SS to camp out in the box after the snap.
On the other hand, Mingo finally bulked up to about 260 lbs this off-season so he might have Taylor Mays'd himself out of any thoughts of playing Safety. Stay tuned...
Mingo anywhere in the secondary would be nothing short of an unimaginable disaster.
As for 'strong safety'... keep in mind there really isn't such a thing with Horton. The backend DB's in his defense are to be interchangeable (per his own words)
As for 'strong safety'... keep in mind there really isn't such a thing with Horton. The backend DB's in his defense are to be interchangeable (per his own words)
I did keep that in mind. Horton keeps his SS cheating up in the box on the occasions he isn't blitzing the SS.
Otherwise, having a guy with bad instincts and suspect tackling skills in the back tier at a more conventional type of Safety could be a disaster. I don't think they would have wanted him bulked up over 260 lbs if the plan was in the back tier though.
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Here's a look at our roster on Defense heading into training camp where we can expect good competition for starting jobs, situational roles, and active roster spots. I'll apologize in advance for the crappy job I did with specifying what roles I see for some guys.
Defensive Line:
Danny Shelton DT/NT
Jamie Meder DT/NT
John Hughes III DT
Xavier Cooper DE/5 Tech
Desmond Bryant DE/5 Tech
Carl Nassib DE
Dylan Wynn DE
Nile Lawrence-Stample DL
Rose Kyle DL
Cam Johnson DL
Linebacker:
Demario Davis ILB
Christian Kirksey ILB
Scooby Ruh-Wright ILB/OLB - They are already talking about using him on STs
Joe Schobert OLB/ILB - I'm also hearing about a potential role on STs with him
Nate Orchard OLB
Emmanuel Ogbah OLB
Barkevious Mingo OLB
Paul Kruger OLB
Tank Carder ILB - Good special teams player with upside on trial
Armonty Bryant OLB - Very disappointed in the trouble he couldn't resist off the field
Dominique Alexander LB
Justin Tuggle LB
Jackson Jeffcoat LB
Defensive Backs:
Joe Haden CB
Tramon Williams CB
K'Wuan Williams CB
Jamar Taylor CB
Justin Gilbert CB - Offers STs ability. How will he respond to changes and experience as a Corner?
Pierre Desir CB
Charles Gaines CB
Ibraheim Campbell SS
Jordan Poyer FS
Don Jones FS
Rahim Moore S
Derrick Kindred S
A.J. Stamps DB
Tim Scott DB
Eric Patterson DB
If I left anyone out or kept somebody on that's already departed - please let me know. Since the goal here in the doldrums of summer is discussion - here's some questions you can feel free to answer as many as you want or share something else on your mind.
Any positions excite you in particular?
What players are you most intrigued by?
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts about the Defense...
Here's a look at our roster on Defense heading into training camp where we can expect good competition for starting jobs, situational roles, and active roster spots. I'll apologize in advance for the crappy job I did with specifying what roles I see for some guys.
Defensive Line:
Danny Shelton DT/NT
Jamie Meder DT/NT
John Hughes III DT
Xavier Cooper DE/5 Tech
Desmond Bryant DE/5 Tech
Carl Nassib DE
Dylan Wynn DE
Nile Lawrence-Stample DL
Rose Kyle DL
Cam Johnson DL
Linebacker:
Demario Davis ILB
Christian Kirksey ILB
Scooby Ruh-Wright ILB/OLB - They are already talking about using him on STs
Joe Schobert OLB/ILB - I'm also hearing about a potential role on STs with him
Nate Orchard OLB
Emmanuel Ogbah OLB
Barkevious Mingo OLB
Paul Kruger OLB
Tank Carder ILB - Good special teams player with upside on trial
Armonty Bryant OLB - Very disappointed in the trouble he couldn't resist off the field
Dominique Alexander LB
Justin Tuggle LB
Jackson Jeffcoat LB
Defensive Backs:
Joe Haden CB
Tramon Williams CB
K'Wuan Williams CB
Jamar Taylor CB
Justin Gilbert CB - Offers STs ability. How will he respond to changes and experience as a Corner?
Pierre Desir CB
Charles Gaines CB
Ibraheim Campbell SS
Jordan Poyer FS
Don Jones FS
Rahim Moore S
Derrick Kindred S
A.J. Stamps DB
Tim Scott DB
Eric Patterson DB
If I left anyone out or kept somebody on that's already departed - please let me know. Since the goal here in the doldrums of summer is discussion - here's some questions you can feel free to answer as many as you want or share something else on your mind.
Any positions excite you in particular?
Yes, I really believe we may have a solid LB core for once. I was happy they drafted so many- Schobert and Scooby should push the vets.
What players are you most intrigued by?
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
Yes. Hopefully immediately, but it may take a bit of time to develop.
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts about the Defense...
So many new faces, and a new staff, but I like the plan. Horton's been around, with his experience I'm hopeful the D will produce. My only concern is with so much youth, will they grasp the scheme(s)?
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Safety:
- I'm OK with Poyer. He had some good starts in relief of Gipson.
- Mingo? Questionable agility for the position prior to latest bulk-up...
Ogbah:
- seems a natural to push Kruger for time, but also expect to see him opposite Krugs.
- have a feeling will see a lot of him in packages; seems ideal for rush/drop options out of sets where 9+ are in 2-point stances.
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Any positions excite you in particular?
Pass Rush - Orchard and Ogbah could be on to something special.
What players are you most intrigued by?
Ogbah, the new look Shelton and Nassib.
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
Tramon Willams - as #2 corner he's solid.
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Schobert. Might not see much immediate playing time on D, but should do well on ST.
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
Probably not. We're a 3-13 team that lost/cut three of our better defenders.
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
Shelton, Mingo.
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Orchard, Shelton
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
More? Sure. Enough? ...
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
Mediocre at best. But I'll take that after all this time.
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
Decent.
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Dylynn winns back on tje roster?
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It will be fun to watch a defense evolve from one of the worst in the league to maybe average. Most want to see how the blend of old and new players evolves through the season. Can't play any worse so it should resemble a real D team for a change. Not sure I can say the same for the O.
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Here's a look at our roster on Defense heading into training camp where we can expect good competition for starting jobs, situational roles, and active roster spots. I'll apologize in advance for the crappy job I did with specifying what roles I see for some guys.
Defensive Line:
Danny Shelton DT/NT
Jamie Meder DT/NT
John Hughes III DT
Xavier Cooper DE/5 Tech
Desmond Bryant DE/5 Tech
Carl Nassib DE
Dylan Wynn DE
Nile Lawrence-Stample DL
Rose Kyle DL
Cam Johnson DL
Linebacker:
Demario Davis ILB
Christian Kirksey ILB
Scooby Ruh-Wright ILB/OLB - They are already talking about using him on STs
Joe Schobert OLB/ILB - I'm also hearing about a potential role on STs with him
Nate Orchard OLB
Emmanuel Ogbah OLB
Barkevious Mingo OLB
Paul Kruger OLB
Tank Carder ILB - Good special teams player with upside on trial
Armonty Bryant OLB - Very disappointed in the trouble he couldn't resist off the field
Dominique Alexander LB
Justin Tuggle LB
Jackson Jeffcoat LB
Defensive Backs:
Joe Haden CB
Tramon Williams CB
K'Wuan Williams CB
Jamar Taylor CB
Justin Gilbert CB - Offers STs ability. How will he respond to changes and experience as a Corner?
Pierre Desir CB
Charles Gaines CB
Ibraheim Campbell SS
Jordan Poyer FS
Don Jones FS
Rahim Moore S
Derrick Kindred S
A.J. Stamps DB
Tim Scott DB
Eric Patterson DB
If I left anyone out or kept somebody on that's already departed - please let me know. Since the goal here in the doldrums of summer is discussion - here's some questions you can feel free to answer as many as you want or share something else on your mind.
Any positions excite you in particular?
What players are you most intrigued by?
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts about the Defense...
Any positions excite you in particular?
Cant say I feel like we got a lot better at any one position, though I am excited that we tapped so many new linebackers. With all the new guys(is it 5??) Id expect one or 2 to rise and improve the level of play we've been seeing the past few years
What players are you most intrigued by?
Ill go with the 2 later round LB's....Schobert and Scooby......got a feeling one of em will step up.....
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
No....well, maybe Haden.....if he returns to form. If he doesnt, it'll be a long year on the D side....
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Mentioned above.....Schobert and Scooby.....
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
No. I think it'll be a year or 2 before this D takes the next step.....
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
Mingo did well as a rookie under Horton and, Im hoping, that they find a way to propel Gilbert toward reaching his potential.....2 physical talents that no one has been able to capitalize on......
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Campbell is the one Id expect to take a large step forward. Should be a strong box safety and give us some solid tackling in place of Whitner. The other possibility is Shelton, who I think will be solid solid solid.......
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
Eh....not so sure about this.....Ogbah is the only hope and Im not a fan of the ole DE becomes LB routine......maybe the 6th time is the charm.....
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
Id expect the same or worse......dont really see an obvious position that we got better at.....Dansby and Starks may have been long in the tooth, but right now, I dont see replacements that I can say are an upgrade....(just some potential and hope)
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
As long as Kruger isnt playing.....will someone cut this guy already???!!!
edit....forgot about Orchard, who I also expect to see take a big step forward....he could be our best hope for improving the pass rush....now, who will be his counter part on the other side....Ogbah?... Mingo?....Schobert?.....
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Any positions excite you in particular?
Cant say I feel like we got a lot better at any one position, though I am excited that we tapped so many new linebackers. With all the new guys(is it 5??) Id expect one or 2 to rise and improve the level of play we've been seeing the past few years
What players are you most intrigued by?
Ill go with the 2 later round LB's....Schobert and Scooby......got a feeling one of em will step up.....
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
No....well, maybe Haden.....if he returns to form. If he doesnt, it'll be a long year on the D side....
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Mentioned above.....Schobert and Scooby.....
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
No. I think it'll be a year or 2 before this D takes the next step.....
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
Mingo did well as a rookie under Horton and, Im hoping, that they find a way to propel Gilbert toward reaching his potential.....2 physical talents that no one has been able to capitalize on......
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Campbell is the one Id expect to take a large step forward. Should be a strong box safety and give us some solid tackling in place of Whitner. The other possibility is Shelton, who I think will be solid solid solid.......
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
Eh....not so sure about this.....Ogbah is the only hope and Im not a fan of the ole DE becomes LB routine......maybe the 6th time is the charm.....
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
Id expect the same or worse......dont really see an obvious position that we got better at.....Dansby and Starks may have been long in the tooth, but right now, I dont see replacements that I can say are an upgrade....(just some potential and hope)
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
As long as Kruger isnt playing.....will someone cut this guy already???!!!
edit....forgot about Orchard, who I also expect to see take a big step forward....he could be our best hope for improving the pass rush....now, who will be his counter part on the other side....Ogbah?... Mingo?....Schobert?.....
Any positions excite you in particular?
Cant say I feel like we got a lot better at any one position, though I am excited that we tapped so many new linebackers. With all the new guys(is it 5??) Id expect one or 2 to rise and improve the level of play we've been seeing the past few years
What players are you most intrigued by?
Ill go with the 2 later round LB's....Schobert and Scooby......got a feeling one of em will step up.....
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
No....well, maybe Haden.....if he returns to form. If he doesnt, it'll be a long year on the D side....
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Mentioned above.....Schobert and Scooby.....
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
No. I think it'll be a year or 2 before this D takes the next step.....
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
Mingo did well as a rookie under Horton and, Im hoping, that they find a way to propel Gilbert toward reaching his potential.....2 physical talents that no one has been able to capitalize on......
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Campbell is the one Id expect to take a large step forward. Should be a strong box safety and give us some solid tackling in place of Whitner. The other possibility is Shelton, who I think will be solid solid solid.......
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
Eh....not so sure about this.....Ogbah is the only hope and Im not a fan of the ole DE becomes LB routine......maybe the 6th time is the charm.....
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
Id expect the same or worse......dont really see an obvious position that we got better at.....Dansby and Starks may have been long in the tooth, but right now, I dont see replacements that I can say are an upgrade....(just some potential and hope)
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
As long as Kruger isnt playing.....will someone cut this guy already???!!!
edit....forgot about Orchard, who I also expect to see take a big step forward....he could be our best hope for improving the pass rush....now, who will be his counter part on the other side....Ogbah?... Mingo?....Schobert?.....
Well done Mud! I always love to read your insights especially about the defense. You crack me up with Kruger still haunting you like his cousin Freddie has haunted others.
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Ha...yes....Kruger needs to go for us to improve. I see Orchard as the first step and, hopefully, Ogbah or Mingo or Schobert bring some more athleticism to the position.....If Kruges is still playing significant minutes, then that means we didnt get better.....
what good is a linebacker who cant tackle or cover and gets to the QB once every 150 attempts?.....blech.....
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Any positions excite you in particular?
Cant say I feel like we got a lot better at any one position, though I am excited that we tapped so many new linebackers. With all the new guys(is it 5??) Id expect one or 2 to rise and improve the level of play we've been seeing the past few years
What players are you most intrigued by?
Ill go with the 2 later round LB's....Schobert and Scooby......got a feeling one of em will step up.....
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
No....well, maybe Haden.....if he returns to form. If he doesnt, it'll be a long year on the D side....
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Mentioned above.....Schobert and Scooby.....
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
No. I think it'll be a year or 2 before this D takes the next step.....
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
Mingo did well as a rookie under Horton and, Im hoping, that they find a way to propel Gilbert toward reaching his potential.....2 physical talents that no one has been able to capitalize on......
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Campbell is the one Id expect to take a large step forward. Should be a strong box safety and give us some solid tackling in place of Whitner. The other possibility is Shelton, who I think will be solid solid solid.......
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
Eh....not so sure about this.....Ogbah is the only hope and Im not a fan of the ole DE becomes LB routine......maybe the 6th time is the charm.....
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
Id expect the same or worse......dont really see an obvious position that we got better at.....Dansby and Starks may have been long in the tooth, but right now, I dont see replacements that I can say are an upgrade....(just some potential and hope)
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
As long as Kruger isnt playing.....will someone cut this guy already???!!!
edit....forgot about Orchard, who I also expect to see take a big step forward....he could be our best hope for improving the pass rush....now, who will be his counter part on the other side....Ogbah?... Mingo?....Schobert?.....
Any positions excite you in particular?
Cant say I feel like we got a lot better at any one position, though I am excited that we tapped so many new linebackers. With all the new guys(is it 5??) Id expect one or 2 to rise and improve the level of play we've been seeing the past few years
What players are you most intrigued by?
Ill go with the 2 later round LB's....Schobert and Scooby......got a feeling one of em will step up.....
Do any names make you think - I forgot about him, glad he's still here?
No....well, maybe Haden.....if he returns to form. If he doesnt, it'll be a long year on the D side....
A lot of our DBs and LBs can crack in as STs players - who do you want us to keep an eye on?
Mentioned above.....Schobert and Scooby.....
Do we have enough "big men that can run and little guys that can hit" for Horton Hears a Hue?
No. I think it'll be a year or 2 before this D takes the next step.....
What guys do you think will respond best to Horton's scheme?
Mingo did well as a rookie under Horton and, Im hoping, that they find a way to propel Gilbert toward reaching his potential.....2 physical talents that no one has been able to capitalize on......
It'll be fun to see what guys benefit most from their 1st year of experience on the field and via offseason conditioning. Who do you think will fall into this category?
Campbell is the one Id expect to take a large step forward. Should be a strong box safety and give us some solid tackling in place of Whitner. The other possibility is Shelton, who I think will be solid solid solid.......
Do we have the ingredients to hurry more passers and create more turnovers?
Eh....not so sure about this.....Ogbah is the only hope and Im not a fan of the ole DE becomes LB routine......maybe the 6th time is the charm.....
How do you think our front 7 will be at stopping the run?
Id expect the same or worse......dont really see an obvious position that we got better at.....Dansby and Starks may have been long in the tooth, but right now, I dont see replacements that I can say are an upgrade....(just some potential and hope)
How do you think our LB Corps will be at dropping into their coverage zones on time to be effective?
As long as Kruger isnt playing.....will someone cut this guy already???!!!
edit....forgot about Orchard, who I also expect to see take a big step forward....he could be our best hope for improving the pass rush....now, who will be his counter part on the other side....Ogbah?... Mingo?....Schobert?.....
Spoken like the true Mud. Good to have ya back. Can we please stop the converting plan? Draft them for what got them there. Ogbah speed for size is the perfect Starks we never saw imo. Before we ever witness Kruger in coverage again. I got my eyes On Schobert, Nassib or Ogbah. Mingo if holds new weight, I think his coverage duties may slow as he does?
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Ha...yes....Kruger needs to go for us to improve. I see Orchard as the first step and, hopefully, Ogbah or Mingo or Schobert bring some more athleticism to the position.....If Kruges is still playing significant minutes, then that means we didnt get better.....
what good is a linebacker who cant tackle or cover and gets to the QB once every 150 attempts?.....blech.....
Ha...yes....Kruger needs to go for us to improve. I see Orchard as the first step and, hopefully, Ogbah or Mingo or Schobert bring some more athleticism to the position.....If Kruges is still playing significant minutes, then that means we didnt get better.....
what good is a linebacker who cant tackle or cover and gets to the QB once every 150 attempts?.....blech.....
To be honest, I'd be quite happy seeing a whole lot of Ogbah and Orchard, with Kruger not doing much. Mingo had his one semi-respectable year under Horton, so perhaps, maybe, possibly, he could have another, picking up half a dozen sacks or so. I'd take that right now. And then Schobert - will he play inside or outside, or both?
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We need several guys to massively step up, and we desperately need a light season with injuries. Our defense looks drastically different if we somehow get a few guys to step up and play at the level we HOPE they can. To the point, we need Haden, Gilbert, Kruger, Mingo, Erving, and a host of others to "get it". That, plus the development of a few key rookies could mean a better than expected defensive performance.
We obviously have more questions than answers with our defense, and I feel that we're fighting an uphill battle at this moment, but it's not impossible for a few guys to thrive in a new system and for others to remain healthy. Rookies can also impact games, and if some of our new recruits start to jive early on, we could be pretty fun to watch.
I don't expect a badass, stalwart defense, but I am hopeful it can be a nice little surprise.
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To the point, we need Haden, Gilbert, Kruger, Mingo, Erving, and a host of others to "get it". Jiggin
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okay, I was good with your post til you included Haden in with all that. Haden got banged up last year,
the whole team was demoralized and was run by coaches who were not smart. He's been all-pro.
How much more "getting it" does he need to do?
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To the point, we need Haden, Gilbert, Kruger, Mingo, Erving, and a host of others to "get it". Jiggin
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okay, I was good with your post til you included Haden in with all that. Haden got banged up last year,
the whole team was demoralized and was run by coaches who were not smart. He's been all-pro.
How much more "getting it" does he need to do?
To the point, we need Haden, Gilbert, Kruger, Mingo, Erving, and a host of others to "get it". Jiggin
******************************************************
okay, I was good with your post til you included Haden in with all that. Haden got banged up last year,
the whole team was demoralized and was run by coaches who were not smart. He's been all-pro.
How much more "getting it" does he need to do?
It was including Erving on a list of players we need to step up to have a solid D that did it for me.
Haden has always been very good, but with a tendency to occasionally get beat at crucial times. For a D to be good/elite, it needs its stars (that'll be Haden and...?) to step up at the crucial times, not step down.
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Mud-I hope you are right about Shelton. Needs to be a major change there from year one, including the amount of time he is on the field. I want to see him out there 90%+ of the time with the D.
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To the point, we need Haden, Gilbert, Kruger, Mingo, Erving, and a host of others to "get it". Jiggin
******************************************************
okay, I was good with your post til you included Haden in with all that. Haden got banged up last year,
the whole team was demoralized and was run by coaches who were not smart. He's been all-pro.
How much more "getting it" does he need to do?
To the point, we need Haden, Gilbert, Kruger, Mingo, Erving, and a host of others to "get it". Jiggin
******************************************************
okay, I was good with your post til you included Haden in with all that. Haden got banged up last year,
the whole team was demoralized and was run by coaches who were not smart. He's been all-pro.
How much more "getting it" does he need to do?
Very true. Perhaps what I meant was, "We need a healthy Joe Haden to play back to form." You won't hear anything negative about Joe from me. I love him.
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