• April 25, 2024

Eagles LB’s Will Be At Major Disadvantage Against NFL Tight Ends

The Eagles currently have DeMeco Ryans starting at middle linebacker, rookie Mychal Kendricks starting at SAM or strongside (tight end side) linebacker and second-year backer Brian Rolle starting at WILL or weakside (away from tight end side) linebacker.

As I see it, the Birds have nothing but WILL linebackers.  They’re good football players, but their lack of height is a problem at the SAM position because the main job is covering the tight end.

Outside linebackers Kendricks, Rolle and veteran Jamar Chaney are short, fast, and explosive, which helps them as tacklers and as coverage guys against running backs.  I would have no problem matching either one of them up against the running backs in the NFL, but it’s a different story against NFL tight ends.  I think they could all do a decent job as WILL linebackers, but they aren’t SAM linebackers.

This is obvious.  Why aren’t the Birds matching up Nnamdi Asomugha against quality tight ends in some nickel situations?  Asomugha is 6’3″.  Why aren’t the Birds worried about matching up against big wide receivers?  Asomugha is 6’3″ and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is 6’2″.

They’ve greatly improved their linebackers, but not acquiring a couple of taller linebackers to play the SAM spot was a mistake that will cost them.

NFL offenses are going to be able to throw the ball to their tight ends against the Eagles, especially in red-zone situations because the Birds don’t have any 6’3″, 6’4″ and 6’5″ linebackers.  I know these guys can jump, but many times their back will be to the quarterback when the ball is thrown and they may not have time to jump.  They will need something that they don’t have (height and arm length) to knock the ball away.

All the Eagles need to do is look at a guy who is at each of their practices, former Eagles wide receiver great Harold Carmichael who stands 6’8″.  Carmichael used his height to dominate smaller defensive backs and it made a huge difference.

Why has it been impossible to stop Detroit’s wide Calvin Johnson?  He’s 6’5″ and a tremendous athlete.  Most of the time he has at least a five to eight inch advantage over the defensive backs who try to cover him. Matthew Stafford can just throw the ball up to him.

Carmichael had this same advantage and was able to set records for consecutive games with at least one catch.   All Ron Jaworski had to do was throw the ball up to him.

Is it a coincidence that Johnson at 6’5″ had 16 touchdown catches in the 2011 season.  New England 6’7″ tight end Rob Gronkowski had 17 touchdown passes and Green Bay wide receiver Jordy Nelson (who stands 6’3″) had 15 touchdown catches.  It’s a fact that a height advantage helps.

So why would it make sense to match linebackers who are 5’11” and under against NFL tight ends?

The Eagles linebackers are going to be facing tight ends who are 6’5″, 6’6″ and 6’7″ on a regular basis.  If height wasn’t a major advantage then why do teams look for tall receivers like Carmichael, Johnson, and Plaxico Burress to throw the ball to in the red zone?  Teams are simply going to throw the ball up high and Eagles linebackers will be forced to interfere.

The Cowboys have Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, who is 6’5″.  The Giants have Martellus Bennett and Jake Ballard who are 6’6″.  The Redskins have Fred Davis and Robert Quinn, who are both listed at 6’4″.

They will also have to stop New Orleans Saints monster Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham who is 6’7″.   Atlanta Falcons tight end and future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez is 6’5″.  The Detroit Lions have Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler who are both 6’5″.  The Steelers have Heath Miller who is 6’5″.   Arizona Cardinals Todd Heap is 6’5″.

The height advantage can be exploited out in the field, but it’s most important in the red zone.  There are quite few outstanding tight ends in the league now, and they do a nice job of using their size to screen defenders off while using their hands to catch the football.

I’m not saying the Eagles linebackers won’t be effective in other areas of the game, but they’ll be at a tremendous disadvantage when other teams are throwing the ball to their tight ends.

GCOBB

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gmcliff
gmcliff
June 5, 2012 8:48 am

G, Justin Houston, was there for the Eagles last year, and Nigel Bradham was there this year to play the SAM, and Nico Johnson will be there next year. All that being said, it won’t matter because they really can’t evaluate LB Talent. We were fortunate to be in a position to draft Mychal Kendricks, but you see where they are starting him at the SAM, when he SHOULD BE on the weakside.

Their problems are a result of there talent evaluation, and or, overall scheme in how to use them; They tend to overvalue bums like Jaqwain Jarrett, Tevard Lindley and Casey Matthews, and play out of position players like Keenan Clayton who is a natural Strong Safety, or start LB’s who should be relegated specifically to special teams like Stewart Bradley, Mark Simienou, Moises Fouiku or Matt McCoy. Do you see the pattern?

I am just in a wait and see mind set right now. My hope is that Kendrick plays superman to a reasonable degree, DeMeco is our LB Savior, and that Brian Rolle is more improved, and more solid than last year, and Chaney, Jordan, Simmons, and Clayton, come strong on special teams. Sometimes a team can catch a break, when we pick up a surprise cut. I wish Jarod Mayo was getting cut…………..just saying

jumpman2033
jumpman2033
June 5, 2012 9:12 am

Were there better options available via FA or the draft? Keuchley possibly, but he was gone. Tulloch, Hawthorne and Lofton are all short as well. Our LBs and Safeties are going to have to learn to time their jumps and knock the ball out of the TEs hands.

wild_bk
wild_bk
June 5, 2012 9:15 am

Someone that has time please figure out how many starting tight ends that we face are over 6’5″. Im going to take a guess and say that majority are not.

Erock
Erock
June 5, 2012 9:37 am

Gonna force one of the safeties to help out now and again. Im concerned with there lack of height as well. Will be key getting the safeties palying disciplined enough to help out and know when to slide and give that help. Will be a interesting look this year on D (coverage wise) Dom and Nam are press man to man guys.No more 7 yard cushion for wide to run thru(Sante)…now the safeties and backers will have more plays come right to them if they see the jam miss or a chance to jump a intermediate route.

Our d-line depth and talent has me high on this D.

paulman
paulman
June 5, 2012 10:24 am

This is the same issue that most Teams face.. You bring bigger and potentially slower LB’s to match up with today’s big Athletic TE’s and they can’t run with them down the field… If you have smaller,faster LB who can run with the TE’s but then get out-jumped,out-physicaled by the bigger/stronger TE in Today’s game which the Smart Teams have utilitzed hy-brid Safeties/LB’s to cover the real atheltic TE’s.. and design their Defense to get to the QB not allowing him the Time to pass and look for the TE down the field for a big play.. Defense’s will give up the 5-8 Yard passes all day and concentrate on preventing the big play… Todays Defense’s cannot stop every weapong and somtimes you have to pick your poison on how to stop the many high-pwered Offenses…. I believe a little too much is made about how TE’s kill the Eagles all the time, when in fact, they hurt just about every Defense that’s out there..

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 10:40 am

This is a perfect example of media and the bull ish….Season hasn’t even started and already beginning to tell us why the Eagles are “doomed”, its ridiculous! I do agree our LB”s are shorter than most TE’s, but still there are too many factors to consider before assuming the worst!
Game plans, player production, not only from the LB’s but the D Line, forcing sacks, forcing early bad throws..How many dominating TE’s are in the NFL? not many! And the ones we do play, obviously you need to game plan for, give some help, etc…Can we see a game first?

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 10:41 am

@Paulman – I agree! good post!

jumpman2033
jumpman2033
June 5, 2012 11:14 am

If our Offense lives up to its potential then we will just have to slow down other team’s weapons. Not to mention, if our D line lives up to its potential opposing offenses are going to have to keep TEs in to block or dump off to RBs. We need to jam TEs early and often this year. It seems like our DEs and LBs rarely ever touch TEs coming out. Not sure why.

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
June 5, 2012 11:18 am

Pman – RT – right on…

so – we build a Dline to get after the QB balls to the wall – we get taller – press type CBs to jam and run with WRs.. We get fast athletic LBs to run with and cover the RBs and TEs.. G – in his own article just 4 days ago complimented the coverage capabilities of Allen and Coleman..

and now the issue will be that teams are going to throw the ball high to TEs to outjump our LBs????

Then – as examples he uses half WRs (isn;t that why we have TALL Asmo and DRC????) to stop the Hakeem Nicks and Calvin Johnsons of the world?? Press run and jump? Then uses Harold C (a converted TE by the way) as an example… so a 6’8 WR going against a 5’10 CB that probably weighs 190.. is a comparison with a 6 foot 240 pound LB going against a 6’5 TE … ummm mix apples and oranges much….

and help me please – how did Whitten do against the eagles last year? How about Davis? Didn;t the team actaully do much better against the TE last year?

So Celek and Harbor are both 6’4…. how that work out in the OTAs – see many high balls get stolen??

and didn;t Victor Cruz -outjump Asmo for a TD – all 6’3 of him, to which we got on Castillo for ‘not using him properly’

OK – got it – eagles decided to go shorter and more athletic/faster – teams may try to take advantage of it.. if that is our biggest concern going into the season – are D is in great shape –

gmcliff
gmcliff
June 5, 2012 11:33 am

I too agree with you Paul……

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
June 5, 2012 11:35 am

as if by magic – the stats come in – the eagles out of 26 red zone TDs – only gave up 4 to TEs – and ALL of those were in the first half of the season….. now the WRs scored 11 and RBs on runs scored 7 – but lets focus on tall TEs outjumping our LBs inthe red zone… cause???

check it out – Philly dot com has the red zone break down

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
June 5, 2012 11:51 am

Tight Ends always lick their chops circling the game against the Eagles.

We’re the ten TE’s pad their stats against.

ignore the last quarter of last season…Lurie said it best…FOOLS GOLD!

The season was already done.

We must assume the defensive safeties will suck ass like the first 3 quarters of the season and tall athletic TE’s will destroy and exploit our short outside linebackers.

That’s reality..

But, who knows?

If the wide 9 gets home 90 % of the time then, there’s no need for linebackers or safeties.

Right?

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 11:58 am

Songs – please name me all the tall and ATHLETIC TE’s, you speak of, that will destroy and exploit our LB’s, that the Eagles play this upcoming season…

DCar
DCar
June 5, 2012 11:59 am

That’s why I wanted Lavonte David, instead of Kendricks. But I think they’ll be OK. If not, we’ll find out in Lehigh & pre-season.

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
June 5, 2012 12:09 pm

Realtalk…every TE in who play on NFC teams that will be in position to destroy al hope as far as playoffs go.

Witten, Gonzales, Vernon Davis, just to name a few.

You forgot what Gonzales did to us last year?

Yeah, Gonzales….the same guy we were screaming for the Eagles to bring in and you dudes on here said was washed up….while we are stuck with a bum ass Celek that’s subpar at best.

But anyway…those I’ve mentioned will be obstacles come put up or shut up time.

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
June 5, 2012 12:11 pm

See, Andy found a way to save Lurie a few Shekels by drafting short linebackers who can also do halftime entertainment as “The Wizard of OZ” midgets singing “The lollypop gang”.

Genius

paulman
paulman
June 5, 2012 12:12 pm

My biggest concern looking at at the Eagles D is stopping the Run along the edges of the (outside the DE’s to the CB space)
If DE are a little too undiscpline and come out too wide and with CB’s Asmo/DRC not known for their tackling/physical play, this will put a huge responsibility on the OLB’s (Rolle/KEndricks) & SS (Coleman or Allen) to make open field Tackles before the Runners get into the Secondary with a full head of steam…
If I was an Offensive Coorfdinator of Teams for the Eagles 1st 5 Opponents (Browns,RAvens,Cardinals,GIants & Steelers), I would plan on running the ball more to shorten the game, wear down the Eagles fron 7 and force the Eagles CB to make hits and tackles and then try to go over the top for big plays.. Remember these 5 Teams would much rather Run the ball 35-40 times and only pass the ball 20-25 times if they could be effective at it..
Afterwards the Eagles will then face more passing type of Teams like the Lions,Saints and then kind of finish against more running based Teams like the Cowboys/Redskins,Falcons,Panthers,TB Bucs who would rather run then pass and in the case of the Panthers & Redskins have young QB’s like Cam Newton and RGIII that they probably don’t want dropping back 40-45 times throwing the ball which opens them to more hits,mistakes,turnovers and injury…
Attack this Eagle Defense around the edges is what we will see many Teams attempt to do..Hopefully the Eagles are prepared for this and can scheme accordinally by mixing up allingments, stunts, OLB’s lined up closer to the Line of Scrimmage and better play recognition from their Safeties and some physical play from their CB’s ..

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
June 5, 2012 12:18 pm

By the way…I can see Gonzales destroying us if we made it to the playoffs only to have apologist say, our Linebackers are young and Gonzales is a hall of gamer, while conceding defeat.

This is how teams win Superbowls guys.

They look at the top teams like 49ers and Giants and get players take away the other team’s strengths.

We’re in for a long season fellas…….

And I can’t wait to see the look on Andy’s face sitting there with his short smug answers stating……”It’s on me”….”I didn’t put my guys in a position to win”

Well, Andy……short linebackers against the top NFC Tight Ends in the league is putting your team in a position to lose.

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 12:26 pm

Songs…
would you say the LB core is upgraded from last season? I think its hard to dispute it…

so with that being said…
Witten in two games against the Eagles, was targeted a total of 19 times had 8 catches for a total of 52 yards, sure enough he destroyed the Eagles…(By the way both games the Eagles won)

Vernon Davis 4 catches for 45 yards, one pass being 26 yards…Holding VD to those numbers, are pretty respectable if you ask my opinion…didnt see any TE destruction here…

Now Gonzalez, did play very well against us (7 catches for 83 yards 2 TD’s), but how did White and Jones do, combined for 52 yards! Some games coverage may be different, take away the WR’s with no help on the TE…some games take away the TE, no help on the WR’s…

LOL, Eagles probably felt that Gonzalez wouldn’t hurt them as much as White and a Jones would, which could explain for the day Gonzalez had…as Paulman stated you can’t stop every weapon!

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 12:29 pm

whoopty dooo! I would put money on it, that Gonzalez won’t do that well this season, MONEY!

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
June 5, 2012 12:31 pm

Speaking of fool’s gold – here comes the class asshat with his typical nonsensical bullshit –

Sorry songs – last year it was the WRs (and your fabled Asante) that got toasted by WRs – you are so stupid that right BELOW my post where I gave you the stats of how well the eagles did against TEs – you again toalk about how TEs – lick there chops – dude that was a quote from about 2007 –

but just showing the kind of complete IDIOT you are – Gonzalez had a good game – its true.. but the rest of the season.. you take 1 game and that becomes the standard – and you throw out the last ones? So the team shuts down Whitten and Davis and Boss – but in the first 4 games of the year (when they played Davis and Gonzalez) those count?
so what TE padded his stats last year against the eagles? What TE lifted his seasonal averages songs – again – you post PURE BULLSHIT

the eagles HELD Vernon Davis to 4 catches for 45 yards DIPSHIT – the badass Ravens he had 4 catches for 40 yards and the steelers he had 6 for 72 – wait – you mean Vernon Davis padded his stats verse the steelers not the eagles… shocking…

WHitten had 8 cathces for 52 yards in TWO games verse the eagles – he had 7 catches for 69 yards in ONE game verse the giants – (10 total for 75 in two)

so again – asshat – these ‘chop licking’ TE got their stats LOWERED verse the eagles

Dude – you are such a moronic jackass… is anything you post based in fact?

and the final nail to bury your stupid ass – the eagles ranked # 3 – that is three – in the entire NFL in defending the pass against the TE –

football outsiders – 2011 defense rankings against types of rcvrs – they were #3 against the TE and #29 against the RB (maybe a reason they are focused on stopping passes to the RB – ya think dumbass)

well fool – it is becoming like a daily for me to teach you about football – gonna have to start charging – nahh – I have too much fun watching you make an ass out of yourself posting garbage then getting to insult how stupid you are

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 12:34 pm

Songs is ass!!!

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
June 5, 2012 12:35 pm

for the rest of the folks with common sense that like to discuss actuall football stuff –

against the #1 WR 12 #2 WR 21 #3 WR 12 TE 3rd RB 29th…

possibly the reason for the shift in CBs and LBs?

schiller
schiller
June 5, 2012 12:38 pm

paul and real – great points about covering the TEs.

Paul – about your running concerns – uh, HELLO, you left out Meco. Ryan’s chief concern on running plays is to find the RB and tackle him. You stated it would be the outside LBs responsibility (not arguing there) but left out MLB. What’s Ryan’s doing on run plays? Twittlign his thumbs? Dude is a proven ace at diagnosing running plays, and making the stop. And Kendricks and Rolle can excell at that too. Really don’t see your point there. Plus our improved DL – WASHBURN’S WORDS – will help tremendously at that too.

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 12:40 pm

@Paulman – unfortunately I think only 5% of us on this site will understand what you’re talking in your last post! another good post!

schiller
schiller
June 5, 2012 12:41 pm

Songs, wash your hands because they’re covered shit after you reached way up your own arse to grab this statement

“Tight Ends always lick their chops circling the game against the Eagles.

We’re the ten TE’s pad their stats against.”

Got proof? If you have documentation of pictures of them licking their chops and sound recordings of their thoughts… wow, that would impress me. If not, what are you going to do, point to the stats? They go against your point.

So….uh…..what da hell are you talking about you sucker for philly media bullshit.

paulman
paulman
June 5, 2012 12:45 pm

NFL Blogs News…

GCobb.com traded one of it’s posters (SONGSRME) to the Cincinnati Bengals
Web-Site (IckeyShuffle.Com) for a Poster named “BIll the Bengal” and future considerations
GCobb’s General Manger stated that “We are estactic to bring “Bill” over to the Eagles Nest, and though SONGSRME was a passionate fan, the lack of Vaccines during his childhood, was beginning to effect his thinking and he ultimately became a real “d-bag” for us to carry on our site any longer, “Bill” offers us a huge upgrade over SONGS” …

schiller
schiller
June 5, 2012 12:53 pm

Paul, and you talk about wearing down the front 7 – our DL depth is unprecedented. Not indicative of wearing down. Our OLBs are young with Cheney as a decent backup. Not indicitive of wearing down. Now, given our CBs (on paper – their resumes) and DL, I can see how maybe they WOULD gameplan to run at the Eagles and maybe outside – sure. But I CAN’T see them having much success there.

Plus, Cole is one of the best run defending DEs in the game. So that side is less of a threat.

So you’re basically banking on Kendricks not being good against the run and Ryans not recognizing run plays and being able to run to his left.

I’m not buying it.

paulman
paulman
June 5, 2012 1:01 pm

To Schiller,
I am not saying the Eagles Defense (Ryans, and the rest of Front 7) can’t succeed in stopping the Run, all I am saying is how I believe other Teams will attack this Eagles Defense until they prove that can stop it..
I don’t see a lot of OC’s putting their QB’s back in harm’s way 40 times a game against this Eagle Pass Rush.. I also expect that some of the Teams who don’t score a lot of Points (Browns,Ravens,Steelers,Cardinals,Redksins,etc,etc) will run it more to shorten the games and try to not only run the ball more against the Eagles Wide-9 to wear them down, but to also keep it away from the Eagles explosive Offense…
If I am a HC or OC of an opponent versus the Eagles, that’s How I would prepare and game plan for them,.. Now if the Eagles Front 7 really gets going and plays well, then as an Opponent or OC , I am scrtaching my head on how to attack this Defense…I clearly do not want to drop back and expose my QB to 35-40 Pass Rushes from this Eagle Group..
I see lts of short passes (down and outs,bubble screens,in-Slants) to the outside on 1st Downs, lots of misdirection/delayed runs/screens on 2nd Downs and then try to pound the rock for short-yarage gains to pick-up the 1st downs..

schiller
schiller
June 5, 2012 1:04 pm

Paul, you know this freaks me out – but that was a good one about songs and bengalbill

schiller
schiller
June 5, 2012 1:14 pm

got you Paul.

Yeah, if this D plays well – and that’s a big if – it will be very hard to game plan against them. Because, despite what Songs thinks, you can’t really target the safties (which is probably our bigest weakness – relatively speaking, not saying it’s a big weakness but you naturally have to have one – life for Songs its his lack of a brain).

You can’t just target the safties against what we think the Eagles D will be because that would require having a lot of time in the pocket for you QB to sit back and throw deep routes – as Paul mentioned above, not likely against the Birds pash rush. And you can’t really target safties in the run game without going through DEs, DTs, and LBs.

jakedog
jakedog
June 5, 2012 1:21 pm

okay, paulman knows more than gcobb, big linebackers aren’t fast, tell that to the steelers lamar woodley, 6′ 2″ 260 plus, runs about 4.5 forty,klid from boston college keuchley, runs about the same, the eagles linebackers are small and will get exploited by the larger tight ends, paulman making stuff up as usual

jakedog
jakedog
June 5, 2012 1:37 pm

paulman wrote some serious garbage there and the pom poms come out, paulman writes that nfl teams sacrifice size for speed at linebaker (which championship caliber defenses do not) so the speedy linebacker can run with the tight ends while he out jumps the small, speedy linebacker, at least the birds liebackers will look good running with the tight ends

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
June 5, 2012 1:54 pm

Hey Jake – how do you account for the fact the Eagles were ranked AHEAD of the Steelers in covering TEs last year? Again source is Football outsiders..

Some of the 3-4 LBs… I think Woodley falls into this category.. are more pass rushers.. did Woodley spend a lot of time on coverage? I know he played some DE in college?

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
June 5, 2012 1:55 pm

@Jake – you are a pom pom cheering nut who full supports Songs…Everything your boy Songs said on this thread was garbage and proven inaccurate…how about you re read Navy’s post or my post….
Again, I ask you the same question, is the LB core for the Eagles improved going into this season…?
Last season the LB’s against TE’s were pretty solid, see a Navy post for more information…
So yeah, I expect the LB’s to look good running with TE’s just as they did this past season…

News Flash, the Eagles LB, in terms of height did not all of a sudden get shorter, fellas!!

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
June 5, 2012 2:09 pm

Man, I wish Carroll was coaching the Eagles….look what he did in a short offseason with no OTA’s..

Lurie should have done whatever he needed to lure him here…..his team kicked our asses

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
June 5, 2012 2:41 pm

YEah – Songs – PEte Carroll is a great coach – He beat Harbuagh from Baltimore and licked the shit of of Coughlin from the ginats even worse then the eagles!

he did manage to lose to the lowly Redskins and Cowboys thoough…

keep trying douchebag

BigE
BigE
June 5, 2012 2:44 pm

Where is the Mad Stork when you need him?

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
June 5, 2012 2:52 pm

Is Dude for real ?…Pete Carroll ?…Just lost the little credibility you had with that one son..LOL

schiller
schiller
June 5, 2012 2:54 pm

Songs had credibility? That’s insane

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
June 5, 2012 3:04 pm

So GLI – it was the Pete Carroll as coach over sign BRian Dawkins for one year becuase of his passion? I mean wiht this guy there are soooo many different ways he lost his credibility..

SOngs reminds me of that little sand filled punching thing with the big red nose – you keep hitting it – it folps over then slowly right itself – excet in Songs case every time it pops up it has a ‘blog something really stupid’ function – just so it can get smacked back down again…

Frank22
Frank22
June 5, 2012 3:31 pm

jake is SONGS

Butch007
Butch007
June 5, 2012 3:31 pm

Yeah…the only bad thing is that Cox and Kendricks were pretty good picks relative to what was available. I would however have liked to have seen them trade that Kendricks pick up to try to have gotten Courtney Upshaw since he’d dropped lower than many expected. Brian Rolle and Keenan Clayton (once healthy) would probably be better served competing in the Safety rotation. I doubt Jarret will pan out. The only thing I can hope is that the new infusion of player personnel people The Eagles maybe able to snap up a quality decent quality SAM with some height during the cut down period. (maybe even Stewart Bradley) Even though Bradley was not a good MIKE he probably would make a pretty nice SAM in this system if not bogged down by all of the MIKE stuff that has to be done. It also means, IF you move Rolle and Clayton into the Safety roles you probably keep 4-5 LBs instead of 6. Probably that would leave off Matthews, Chaney and Fokou with one or two other possible combinations.

jakedog
jakedog
June 5, 2012 3:34 pm

Is gcobb some nut bag conspiracy theorist for stating the obvious , some of you in your never ending attempt to dethrone paulman as the tallest midget in the circus make it far too complicated

jakedog
jakedog
June 5, 2012 3:37 pm

No frank, like songs in pursuit of knowledge , wisdom , like Buddha I if you find songs in the road you must kill him

jbird
jbird
June 5, 2012 3:55 pm

I think the run defense will be fine. Kendricks is very quick to the edge so he will be tough to block and he is a sure tackler. DTs can penetrate and Ryans can clean up behind them. Kendricks will compensate for Babin and Cole will compensate for Rolle. Throwing to RBs would be a more effective way to attack this defense. I would like to see them using Jenkins at LDE more against ball control teams and keep Babin in his pen until third and long. I think Cox could do this as well. How about a line that puts Jenkins, Patt, Dixon and Cox across the front? Four 300 pounders. Bring it Ray Rice!

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
June 5, 2012 4:00 pm

Here is the breakdown of TE production week to week. I also added in the glaring hole for the defense (if there was one) from each week.

Rams- Bajema: 2-21, Kendricks: 1-18 (Rams ran all over them even in a win)
ATL- Gonzo: 7-83, 2 TDS (Turner 114 yds)
NYG- Ballard: 1-15, Beckam: 1-2 (Cruz: 3-110, 2 TDs)
SF- Davis: 4-45, 1 TD, Walker: 3:20 (Gore 127 yards on 15 carries)
Buff- Chandler: 1-4 (Fred Jackson : 6-85 and 111 yds rushing)
Wash- Davis: 6-95, Cooley: 1-1
Bye
Dallas- Witten: 4-28 (Laurent Robinson: 5-103, 1 TD)
CHIC- Kellen Davis: 1-1 (Earl Bennett 5-95, Forte 133 yds)
ARI- King: 4-26 (Larry Fitz: 7-146, 2 TD)
NYG- Ballard: 1-13 (Cruz: 6-128, 1 TD)
NE- Hernandez: 6-64, Gronk: 4-59, 1 TD
SEA- Z. Miller: 2-53 (Lynch 144 yds on 22 carries)
Miami- Fasano: 3-56 (Bush 103 yds on 14 carries)
NYJ- Kellar: 3-73
Dallas- Witten: 3-28, Bennet: 4-24
Wash- Paulsen: 2-29 (Royster 113 yds)

By my count, ATL, Wash (with Davis), NE and the Jets all had productive days for TEs. Let’s take a look at each week:

Gonzo- who knew that he would be productive? Hall of fame TE… hmm
Davis- He can give them fits, but he is 6’4. He is more athletic than anything else which should play into the hands of athletic LBs.
NE TEs- I am not even going to talk about them, because they dominated everyone. Pick your poison with this team.
Kellar- This dude is listed as 6’2 and again athletic, so should be able to run with him.

In contrast to this is the fact that RBs adn WRs had huge games against this defense last year. I am more concerned with that than anything else. I think that the Ryans, Kendricks and the new additions to the DL will sure up the front 7 to prevent teams from running all over them.

Frank22
Frank22
June 5, 2012 4:04 pm

Jake – did you ever watch happy gilmore? the story about the lost puppy? that is now how I feel, listening to whatever it is you just said.

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
June 5, 2012 4:16 pm

Nice Job bugsyhawk …I didn’t have the strength to entertain dude

schiller
schiller
June 5, 2012 4:18 pm

Butch, not sure about you wanting Upshaw. Upshaw is a 3-4 rush linebacker. He lacks both 4-3 run support LB skills and 3-4 coverage skills. From everything any scout or analyst said of him, he would be an awful fit for the Eagles….why did you want him?