No Need To Talk Potential D. Coordinator Replacements Any Further

[Allstarjim]

Well, Spags had Strahan. Strahan never would have let this team down from a leadership position like Tuck did this year. Gmenroc had it right. I'm not 100% on Fewell. And I sure as hell ain't on Gilbride either. The players let this team down this year, though. They came into the season with all this fake swagger, all the talk, and it started right from the beginning of the year. Even Tuck admitted they talked too much, wrote checks their asses wasn't willing to cash...

 

What this team needs is a new defensive captain, preferably one that isn't satisfied with the one or two rings they've already won. Too many guys coasted this year. The level of commitment to winning wasn't the same. No amount of rah rah from coaches are going to change that. They will follow a guy who is on the field, in a leadership position, busting his arse to get it done. And I was wrong about one thing... this team should've made a play for London Fletcher. He would've made a difference on this team. Hard to commit to a guy that old, though. One of the major reasons I want Te'o... I think that he has what Fletcher has, it's in his DNA.

[Lughead]

Well, Spags had Strahan. Strahan never would have let this team down from a leadership position like Tuck did this year. Gmenroc had it right. I'm not 100% on Fewell. And I sure as hell ain't on Gilbride either. The players let this team down this year, though. They came into the season with all this fake swagger, all the talk, and it started right from the beginning of the year. Even Tuck admitted they talked too much, wrote checks their asses wasn't willing to cash...

 

What this team needs is a new defensive captain, preferably one that isn't satisfied with the one or two rings they've already won. Too many guys coasted this year. The level of commitment to winning wasn't the same. No amount of rah rah from coaches are going to change that. They will follow a guy who is on the field, in a leadership position, busting his arse to get it done. And I was wrong about one thing... this team should've made a play for London Fletcher. He would've made a difference on this team. Hard to commit to a guy that old, though. One of the major reasons I want Te'o... I think that he has what Fletcher has, it's in his DNA.

 

Te'o wont be there and we do not have a player worth a 1st round trade/pick that we would be willing to trade to move up to that point. I wouldn't want to do that any way Plus high first round trades usually end with a couple draft day picks and or a player . I do agree though we didn't have a leader on the Defense. I would of thought Rolle would of played a bigger ROLL in that.

[JMFP]

Well, Spags had Strahan. Strahan never would have let this team down from a leadership position like Tuck did this year. Gmenroc had it right. I'm not 100% on Fewell. And I sure as hell ain't on Gilbride either. The players let this team down this year, though. They came into the season with all this fake swagger, all the talk, and it started right from the beginning of the year. Even Tuck admitted they talked too much, wrote checks their asses wasn't willing to cash...

 

What this team needs is a new defensive captain, preferably one that isn't satisfied with the one or two rings they've already won. Too many guys coasted this year. The level of commitment to winning wasn't the same. No amount of rah rah from coaches are going to change that. They will follow a guy who is on the field, in a leadership position, busting his arse to get it done. And I was wrong about one thing... this team should've made a play for London Fletcher. He would've made a difference on this team. Hard to commit to a guy that old, though. One of the major reasons I want Te'o... I think that he has what Fletcher has, it's in his DNA.

 

I agree.

 

I also think some of the coordinators coasted as well.

 

Specifically, young guys weren't given the opportunity to step up and push the veterans.....and only the coaches can decide who gets on the field. Wilson, Randle, Ojomo.....it was a case of too little, too late.

[fringe]

I don't know, our defense dominated in the playoffs last year. It's not a big part of a DC to motivate. That's on the head coach.

So, Tuck went to sleep, JPP became Osi, Osi stayed Osi, Webster lost 3 steps, the LB's were who we thought they were and the safeties were in and out all year. Im willing to have everyone back next year.

[Allstarjim]

Let's not get too silly saying that this or that guy won't be available at 19. That's just a guess at this point and nobody knows what the draft boards really look like until draft day, and you at least have to get through the combine to have a fairly good idea of who is going where. Shit, we still have kids who haven't declared for the draft yet. It's premature to say that Te'o is a top five pick. I don't think he will be a top 5 guy anyway. I think he'll go in the top 12 picks or so, but that is just a guess. Just like most guessed Amukamara was a top 10 pick.

[Bigblue25]

Let's not get too silly saying that this or that guy won't be available at 19. That's just a guess at this point and nobody knows what the draft boards really look like until draft day, and you at least have to get through the combine to have a fairly good idea of who is going where. Shit, we still have kids who haven't declared for the draft yet. It's premature to say that Te'o is a top five pick. I don't think he will be a top 5 guy anyway. I think he'll go in the top 12 picks or so, but that is just a guess. Just like most guessed Amukamara was a top 10 pick.

 

But Prince came out in a deep db class, lb class is weak this year

[JayD]

I don't know, our defense dominated in the playoffs last year. It's not a big part of a DC to motivate. That's on the head coach.

So, Tuck went to sleep, JPP became Osi, Osi stayed Osi, Webster lost 3 steps, the LB's were who we thought they were and the safeties were in and out all year. Im willing to have everyone back next year.

 

Yea but then he abandoned everything I thought he learned during that playoff run. Right up till the last game of this season. The worst thing this team can do is keep Fewell. Not going to the playoffs this year is 100% on Fewells shoulders.

[fringe]

Yea but then he abandoned everything I thought he learned during that playoff run. Right up till the last game of this season. The worst thing this team can do is keep Fewell. Not going to the playoffs this year is 100% on Fewells shoulders.

100%? No, I don't agree. Too many players, first and foremost Eli had bad seasons. One thing he has to get better at, we were built to go after pocket passers like Brady. We were befuddled by these options and speed killed. I don't know if thats scheme or not enough speed. Our LB's sure are slow.

[JMFP]

Let's not get too silly saying that this or that guy won't be available at 19. That's just a guess at this point and nobody knows what the draft boards really look like until draft day, and you at least have to get through the combine to have a fairly good idea of who is going where. Shit, we still have kids who haven't declared for the draft yet. It's premature to say that Te'o is a top five pick. I don't think he will be a top 5 guy anyway. I think he'll go in the top 12 picks or so, but that is just a guess. Just like most guessed Amukamara was a top 10 pick.

 

I think tonight is going to be a big test for Te'o.....his stock could rise or fall depending on tonight's game.....he's going top flight competition.

[Bigblue25]

After this game, we might be able to get T'eo in the 3rd round

[Lughead]

After this game, we might be able to get T'eo in the 3rd round

Well he would fit right in with all the missed tackles he has tonight.

[Allstarjim]

But Prince came out in a deep db class, lb class is weak this year

 

 

Prince was the second CB on the board. Plus there are tons of examples. There are examples every year of the draft board dramatically changing from early in the process to draft day. I'm going to wait until after the combine before I say any one player is a definitive top 5 pick. Right now Walter Football has Geno Smith from WV as the top overall pick, which, IMO, is laughably bad. To me, you put on Geno Smith and you see a guy who doesn't make all the throws very well. You don't see the accuracy, quick release, and zip you want to see out of a #1 overall QB.

[Mr. P]

Andy Reid will draft Geno first, because he thinks it's a cheesesteak.

[Nas]

Prince was the second CB on the board. Plus there are tons of examples. There are examples every year of the draft board dramatically changing from early in the process to draft day. I'm going to wait until after the combine before I say any one player is a definitive top 5 pick. Right now Walter Football has Geno Smith from WV as the top overall pick, which, IMO, is laughably bad. To me, you put on Geno Smith and you see a guy who doesn't make all the throws very well. You don't see the accuracy, quick release, and zip you want to see out of a #1 overall QB.

 

So you're saying he'll fall the Eagles?

[Bigblue25]

 

 

 

Prince was the second CB on the board. Plus there are tons of examples. There are examples every year of the draft board dramatically changing from early in the process to draft day. I'm going to wait until after the combine before I say any one player is a definitive top 5 pick. Right now Walter Football has Geno Smith from WV as the top overall pick, which, IMO, is laughably bad. To me, you put on Geno Smith and you see a guy who doesn't make all the throws very well. You don't see the accuracy, quick release, and zip you want to see out of a #1 overall QB.

 

This was my exact description of RG3 coming out of Baylor, last year.

[Nas]

Cowboys fire their DC Ryan... but we're stuck with Fewel. Ain't that a bitch.

[Storm]

Fewell spent most of the year trying to cover up weaknesses on the defense. I can get behind that and I'm not going to blame him for the failures of our defensive line and secondary. He also didn't revert to last year's philosophy of no blitzing and zone coverage. The man kept his defense in man coverage for most of the second half of the season. Why do you think Corey Webster was getting beat, one-on-one, for the last 4 or 5 games. The difference between Gilbride and Fewell is that Gilbride had, and has had, all the tools to be successful and a top 5 offense in the league. Fewell's side of the ball needs to be reevaluated.

[fishgutmartyr]

Fewell spent most of the year trying to cover up weaknesses on the defense. I can get behind that and I'm not going to blame him for the failures of our defensive line and secondary. He also didn't revert to last year's philosophy of no blitzing and zone coverage. The man kept his defense in man coverage for most of the second half of the season. Why do you think Corey Webster was getting beat, one-on-one, for the last 4 or 5 games. The difference between Gilbride and Fewell is that Gilbride had, and has had, all the tools to be successful and a top 5 offense in the league. Fewell's side of the ball needs to be reevaluated.

 

I really, really, want to disagree with you, but I can't.

 

I believe our defense has been over-hyped for years now. We've gone through 4 DCs with basically the same defensive philosophy when it comes to personnel: defensive line and CBs, and oh yeah, just-adequate LBs. The problem is that if your defensive line isn't getting to the QB, it isn't going to work. The backfield is important, but the rules basically hamstring them, so if you don't get there, someone is getting open.

 

What's worse, a line that is designed to rush the passer is not necessarily going to be a line that can stop the run. And without decent LB's, there's no one to clean up the mess; so you're stuck with 5-6 yard gains. Yes, JPP is pretty good against the run (although he was constantly duped during the Washington game), and Tuck when healthy is good as well: but Tuck just isn't healthy, and JPP has a lot to learn.

 

I'll also go into my annual lament: a defensive lineman is going to be in far more collisions than a LB, so the chances of him getting through a season uninjured is greatly reduced. Our recent history bears that out--both times we've won SB's, our line was healthy at the end of the season. The other years? Not so much.

 

4 defensive coordinators, and one constant--we cannot stop anyone on 3rd and long. We can't stop crucial drives. Even the venerated Spagnuolo had problems doing that with any consistency. Even more galling is the number of times 3rd and long was made running the ball on us--that's unforgivable.

 

I'm not giving Fewell a pass by any means--frankly, his schemes flat-out stink. And there isn't a coordinator out there that isn't covering up weaknesses. (Yes, our running game was a weakness, between the weak line, mediocre blocking TEs and 3 of 4 RBs on crutches--sorry, but we've been on borrowed time with Bradshaw; and Brown simply isn't going to last long in the league.) The only scheme that really matches well with our defensive set-up is one that is aggressive: which is why Spagnuolo had relative success with our players. Fewell's defense is the antithesis of this.

 

We need at least one above average linebacker. I'm not even asking for a Harry Carson or an All-Pro at this point--just give me a vintage 2005 Antonio Pierce for chrissakes. Hell, I'm still lamenting what could have been with Arrington, and he was an extreme gamble. But when you are having debates about the best LB being Michael Boley or Chase Blackburn, you are seriously fucked.

[Allstarjim]

Well said, Fish. They need to make linebacker and RT the two highest priorities this offseason.

[Storm]

Exactly Fish, and you go into the season with the expectations that defensive line especially and secondary to a certain extent will be the strengths of your defense and they are just plain and mediocre it really hampers what you can do on defense. It's a shame, but I honestly think our defense needs a pretty big overhaul because it has been built over the years to lighten the load and the role of linebackers (and hide weaknesses at the position, in truth) by rushing the passer and having the secondary keep plays in front of them and create turnovers....and now that the defensive line is pretty ineffective, especially since it's full of pass rushers who aren't getting to the quarterback and not too many versatile, Strahan-esque players who can stuff the run, we're seeing both the secondary and linebackers get exposed for what they are....average to below-average.

 

Another great point about defensive line depth. Going in with starters like Canty injured, hyped early-round picks like Marvin Austin injured and otherwise pretty ineffective, and a 7th round, inexperienced rookie in Kuhn in the rotation is a recipe to give up a ton of yards up the middle. Mix in mediocre linebackers and it should probably have been expected that our defense would be susceptible to the run. I think for game one we had maybe 3 active DTs.....that's a lot of snaps for guys who played pretty solid this year like Linval Joseph....

[Steitzenhaus]

Agree with everything all of you are saying. Our d line and pass rush not only wasn't a strength, it was a complete weakness minus a few big performances. It's easy to see why the defense struggled. It would have been even worse were it not for all of the turnovers they forced. A good start to fixing things would be moving Kiwi back to DE. Despite all this I think the Nicks injury is what fucked this season the most. A healthy Nicks would have been worth at least one win at some point.