Record Overview: 3-13
In all honesty, did anyone really expect the Buccaneers to have a good record this season? Not only were they transitioning from the defensive system that took them to a Super Bowl title, not to mention keeping them from being known as the “Yucs” for the majority of former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s tenure; they were also trying to change to new offensive system. That really didn’t work out so well, they fired Jeff Jagozinski before the season even began; leaving them with little to no experience with the system they were using at the time. This inability to maintain any sense of offensive continuity from training camp to the season resulted in them being ranked 30th in points scored. They were also near the bottom in yards gained (28th), passing yards gained (24th) and rushing yards gained (23rd). On the positive side, they had made some good strides in terms of getting their young offensive players time. This could bode well for the future of the team.
The offensive line is the area that is in the most trouble this off-season. Not necessarily from bad play, they played pretty well considering the circumstances. They all tried to slim down for Jagozinski’s zone-blocking scheme, but obviously that was scrapped. Trying to return to mauling, man-on-man blocking scheme they used in previous years was a slow and difficult process. It didn’t help that Donald Penn pulled a Mike Williams and ballooned up to between 360 and 370 pounds. He was once considered to be one of the top up-and-coming tackle prospects in the league. Now, it would be very surprising if the Bucs aren’t looking for someone to at least push him for the starting job. Jeremy Zuttah had to step in for Arron Sears (who missed the season due to a personal issue) and was alright, but not nearly has good as Sears had been as been. He still does bring good experience and depth to the team. Jeff Faine was solid after returning from injury, but there was only so much that could be accomplished with the left side of the line underachieving the way they did. Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood was clearly the two best offensive linemen on the team, though Trueblood still has some issues in pass protection. These two are both maulers who were stuck in the transition to a zone blocking scheme and took all season to return to form. That being said, both were still strong players who are stalwarts on the line. The biggest issue with this line is not the clear underperformance in game situations which can be partially attributed the offensive system changes that took place and the underperforming quarterbacks. The bigger issue is the fact that Penn and Trueblood are both restricted free agents and Davin Joseph’s contract is not too far behind in terms of expiration. Sears and Zuttah are also not too far behind. The Buccaneers have already made Jeff Faine the highest paid center in the NFL and have other needs. In short, decisions about pay need to be made and, at least in the case of Joseph, they may be dishing out a large pay check. This is one case where if the there’s no salary cap going forward, it would benefit the Bucs so they don’t have to make a choice for a couple more years.
In terms of the tight end position the Bucs are pretty well set. Kellen Winslow Jr. lives up to his namesake as a receiver. Not only did he lead the Bucs in every receiving statistic other than yards per reception, he did so by a solid margin. He fell one catch short of doubling the number of receptions from the next nearest receiver (77 to 39). He also led the next nearest receiver in terms of yards by 284 (884 to 600) and scored 5 touchdowns. He has all the receiving talent that his father had and has shown that talent while catching passes from QBs who have barely a quarter of the talent that Dan Fouts (his father’s Hall of Fame quarterback) had. He has had problems in the past with injuries and some character concerns, particularly when his contract in Cleveland was running out. Many of those character concerns related to his contract status were dealt with when he signed a six-year, 36.1 million dollar deal after he was traded from Cleveland. The injury issue is something to watch, but I don’t think it’s any more of an issue than it would be for any other player. They also have some pretty good depth for next year with Jerramy Stevens and John Gilmore. Stevens is a solid receiving tight end and Gilmore is a strong blocker. They will probably look to add depth past next year, but this position is set so long as Winslow is healthy.
At the flashiest skill position, wide receiver, there was a great deal of upheaval and expectations were not met. Antonio Bryant did lead the wide outs in most receiving categories (trailing Kellen Winslow in overall team stats) but was still only accounted for on 39 receptions. A far cry from the player the Bucs thought they were getting when they named him their franchise player, particularly since he was paid 9.9 million on a one year deal and had 83 catches for 1248 yards and 7 touchdowns the previous season. On the positive side he did lead the team in yards per catch at 15.4, which was the only reason he stayed remotely close to Winslow in terms of receiving yards. Though he was injured several times, he was struggling to produce when he was on the field and then blamed everyone but himself which has left his future with the team in extreme doubt. The wide receiver who started the majority of games opposite Bryant was Michael Clayton, who also happened to sign a contract extension of five-years and 24 million dollars. While he also had a good average of yards per catch (14.4), he only caught one touchdown on 16 receptions for 230 yards. Those numbers are worse than the two receivers below him on the depth chart and Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward. Most receivers who have numbers this terrible would normally be dumped. On top of all of this, he often was not putting in the kind of effort he needed to catch some of the passes that were catchable, but not necessarily accurate. For example, on numerous passes that were just out of easy reach, he would extend only one hand and made no effort to use the other hand. That kind of effort is unacceptable. If he sticks around it will be solely because of his salary. Fortunately production from the rest of the receiving corp. wasn’t this bad. The two receivers mentioned early were Maurice Stovall and Sammie Stroughter, both whom had good seasons and both would seem to factor into the Bucs future plans at receiver. Stovall started about half of the games when either Clayton or Bryant couldn’t go, and was better than Clayton and more consistent than Bryant. He is not flashy, but he always finds a way to get the jobs done. He can find seams through zone coverage, is quick enough to get open or out-physical most defender in man coverage. He’ll likely be starting next season, whether or not they try to sign another star receiver, he’ll just keep hanging around and end up starting. Stroughter was more of a surprise. Not much was expected of the seventh round pick because of perceived long speed issues, dropping problems and small size. He ended up returning some kicks (proving the long speed issues were not valid) and was a great asset against third and fourth corners. He ended up having the third most receptions on the team (31) and the fourth most receiving yards (334). For the record Stovall had the fifth most receptions with 24 and the third most receiving yards with 366. Stroughter is at least a great slot option and may be able to work his way into the starting lineup. Brain Clark adds depth but there are better options.
The runningback situation is in good position. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams stayed healthy for the majority of the season and was as strong a runner this season as he was as a rookie. While he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, which was more a product of the re-transitioning from the zone blocking to the mauling style of run blocking, he still was able to rack up 1000 all-purpose yards and 7 touchdowns (all-purpose). He showed all the power, shiftiness and speed he had when he run rookie of the year in 2005, an amazing feat considering the number of surgeries on his patella tendons he has had since then. He remains the best option as a starter going forward. The injuries are a bit of a concern, but he seems to have healed from his previous injuries with little noticeable effect so, there is no point in creating more personnel issues. Derrick Ward, one of the major off-season acquisitions, wasn’t as good as the Bucs had hoped. He was solid in much the same way that Williams was, providing receiving and rushing production and giving Williams a breather. However, Ward was always more effective when the line playing in front of him is playing well. When they underachieve, he tends to perform as not as well. Still, he is a good backup who should help keep Williams healthy. Earnest Graham, who filled in well several years ago for Williams, was moved to fullback to help out after starter B.J. Askew went down. They didn’t give him the ball that often, but when they did he had a respectable 4.7 yards per carry average. He did have trouble doing the blocking and they brought Chris Pressley in to handle that part. It’s seems like a waste to me, paying to two or three people the job that one can handle, but no one was bad enough to not be brought back, especially since none of them are getting an extremely high paycheck. Graham should return to a pounder’s role next season and Askew will likely return to the starters job next year. Clifton Smith is a good returner, but is rarely used on offense. He likely won’t get more looks next year with the good stable of backs already on the payroll.
Most prominent media sources well tell you that the quarterback position was an awful mess this past season for the Bucs. To say they were completely wrong is misleading and wrong, but it wasn’t as horrid as they make it sound. Byron Leftwich did throw more touchdowns than picks, but his elongated motion didn’t mix well with the slimmed down and inadequate protection the offensive line provided. He just wasn’t able to get the offense to produce enough to keep up with the then porous defense. Josh Johnson did fare better, but not well enough to keep the pressure from the fans from getting him replaced after the bye week. He did throw eight picks against only four touchdowns, but when he was playing he was a better at being a double threat than Leftwich and he was really good at throwing on the perimeter. A lot of his mistakes were issues that could be at least partially blamed on other members of the team as well as himself. He does tend to throw high when he screws up so, there is still work that needs to be done. All-in-all, he played very well for a first time starter from a division two school. While he won’t challenge Josh Freeman for the starters spot, he should stay on as the top backup. Freeman himself was one of the best positives Tampa Bay had to look at this season. He made excellent strides as the season went along and looks to be the franchise quarterback that the Buccaneers have been looking for, for the entirety of their franchise’s history. He still needs to make strides and improve on his accuracy, but there are enough positives to take from this season that the Bucs should have no issues letting him return to the starter’s position next season. A great down-the-field threat would greatly complement Freeman’s strong arm. Just food for thought.
Defensively, the fall from grace couldn’t have been more dramatic or drastic. A team that has been so reliant on it’s defense for years, the Bucs felt that it was time to try a different approach on defense after Monte Kiffin left the team to join his son at Tennessee. They tried using Jeremy Bates’ two gap, man-to-man defense as oppose to the one gap, zone based Tampa-Two defense that they used in years prior. The big problem with this was the fact that they didn’t have anyone who fit that new scheme and didn’t bring people who did fit the system. Part way through the season, they fired Bates and head coach Raheem Morris took over for the defense, after which the defense improved by leaps and bounds. They still need to get younger in some areas, but that Tampa Two still works and they should stick to it as long as they have someone who can coach it pretty well. Between being terrible early in the season and pretty good late in the season, they finished 27th in points allowed and yards given up, dead last in rushing yards allowed and 10th in passing defense. To be fair, their secondary is actually still pretty good so don’t think their high ranking in pass defense is solely because of the poor run defense.
The defensive line was the spot where it was most evident that Jim Bates’ defensive system was not the kind of system that fit the talent they had. They never really tried to bring in players who had worked in Bates’ system before and drafted players who were a better fit for the Tampa Two then for Bates’ system. After Bates was fired and Morris took over, the line played much better. The late Gaines Adams started the first five games before being traded to Chicago. Since he was traded it is obvious that he wasn’t having a great season, but in the game against Washington in week 4, you could definitely see why the Bucs drafted him with the fourth overall pick in 2007. He was getting sacks, batting down passes, recovering fumbles and providing all kinds of pressure. That was the game that should be the tribute for his time with the Bucs. Jimmy Wilkerson had a career year, getting 6 sacks and forcing two fumbles. He did find a way to keep himself on the field for the majority of the season, that being said, he is still little more than serviceable backup. He tore his ACL towards the end of the season and is questionable for the beginning of next season; even then it would take time for him to return to form. Stylez White led the team with 6.5 sacks, but really is a third down pass rusher more than he is a full time starter. Mid-season pickup Tim Crowder was more than an adequate replacement for Wilkerson. Ultimately he played better in those limited snaps than Wilkerson had played for the majority of the season and looks like a building block for the future. On the inside, Ryan Sims and Chris Hovan are both older and are no longer reliable options without a rotation. Sims is likely to be released to save money, but Hovan will likely hang around. He is a consummate professional and, while his talent is no longer up to snuff, he still plays well enough to be one of the starters. Draft picks Roy Miller and Kyle Moore got some good playing time and Miller looks like he’ll be a legitimate starting option next to Hovan. Moore needs more time to develop, but is still a viable option for the rotation going forward.
At linebacker, there was a great deal of upheaval with former starter Cato June and future Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks both being cut. They went into the season with huge questions marks at both of those spots. Coming out of the season, this is one of the strongest positions on the team. Quincy Black and Geno Hayes both came into the league as “athletic but undersized” players who projected as special teams players at best. Both became starters this year and were at least solid, though strong would probably be the more appropriate term for their play. Black is raw, but extremely fast and smart. He came from New Mexico, playing their “Lobo” position, the same spot that perennial Pro Bowler and All-Pro Brian Urlacher came from. Black’s not as good as Urlacher, however he has all the tools Urlacher had coming into the league in the 2000 draft. He didn’t make nearly as many “impact” plays as the Bucs were expecting, but he was exceptionally solid in making all the plays he needed to make as the season progressed. He still has room to grow and should make big strides in the coming offseason. Geno Hayes was a second (now third) year player from Florida State who was considered a bit undersized and too weak to be legitimate starter, particularly on a team whose defensive tackles aren’t very good. Honestly, that sounds a lot like another player from Florida state who that Bucs drafted a number of years back. What was his name? It’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t get it out. Oh yeah, it was Derrick Brooks and that’s who Geno Hayes reminded me of this past season. He was able to use his speed and intelligence to find the holes in the blocking and zipped into the backfield to make a number of tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He was also really good in coverage, snagging two interceptions and not getting beat by tight ends or runningbacks in man coverage. He was also a good blitzing option, collecting three sacks over the course of the season. He could become one of the next great outside linebacker in the NFL with time. The only returning starter was Barrett Ruud in the middle. He was able to grab somewhere between 140 and 200 tackles, though there have been rumors that he really doesn’t control the huddle that well. A number of media outlets complain that he makes too many tackles from behind or past the line of scrimmage, basically meaning that he isn’t very good because he does make a lot of tackles for a loss. I personally think that’s a terrible argument, mostly because it assumes that one player should be able to make plays completely independent of the rest of his team. It’s like saying a runningback isn’t good because he can’t break long runs when no one is blocking for him. Ruud is a very good middle linebacker; the only question is if they want to keep him longer term. They should, but might not because of high contract demands.
In the case of the defensive backfield, the Bucs really are set. Many people point to the corners and safeties as the main reasoning for the poor pass defense (ignoring the fact that they were 10th in overall pass defense), which is completely unfair. The poor pass rush has as much to do with the perceived porous pass defense as the play of the DBs did. There were some issues with depth, particularly at corner, where poor play by second and third corners ended up costing the Bucs some deep touchdown passes. In that regard, Elbert Mack was perhaps the best and worst when it came to covering the slot, at least among the backup corners. There were times when he would get burned in coverage (mostly when in man) but other times when he would snap up interceptions and bat down passes (mostly when in zone). He is a much better fit for the Tampa-Two defense, which the vast majority of the defensive players are better at. In terms of the starters, Aqib Talib is a really good corner, border lining great, who can play well in either man or zone. He always knows how jump the route but also use his athleticism to keep fast receivers from getting away from him. He also is rarely fooled by play-action or double moves. The main reason I’m not quite willing to call him a great or elite corner just yet is that he had 3 of his 5 interceptions this year in one game and didn’t cause any other turnovers or score on those turnovers. It’s not that he is a bad player or even a not good player. I’m just not willing to say that he had a great season this year. He is still one of the two best defensive backs the Bucs have right now and look like he was well worth the first round pick they used on him two years ago. On the other side, Ronde Barber turned in another solid season, but his age is showing. He failed to record an interception for the first time since his rookie year, but made up for it with solid tackling, two forced fumbles, two sacks and solid, though not great coverage. On occasion the Bucs would slip him into the slot when the opponent went into three or four receiver sets and line up a backup corner to take on the speedier outside receivers. This worked out pretty well and could bode as the future of Barber in his coming years with the Bucs.
At the safety position, there was a good bit of continuity once Tanard Jackson returned from a league imposed suspension. Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli started every game after week four and were often on opposite ends of the spectrum of quality. Piscitelli was caught out of position a number of occasions and is undisciplined in run support, allowing strong runners to run through his arm tackles. He also had the occasion to take bad angles in pursuit and didn’t “make plays” when he was in position to. There will be a lot of bashing on him for these reasons and because Eric Berry is in the draft, however much of it is unfair. While he had his issues, all players who are first time starters have problems. His were fairly glaring, but I think that’s more a case of him being caught in the defensive transition, I have been mentioning throughout the article, and that he didn’t get a great deal of interceptions or make a great deal of eye-popping plays. The point is that the Bucs have no need to go out and break the bank for a safety when they can bring in a cheaper option to compete with Piscitelli and still have an adequate option should the new player not work out. It also doesn’t help that Tanard Jackson was swiping all the big plays. Once he returned from suspension, Jackson was the playmaker that the Bucs had been looking for since John Lynch departed for Denver. Jackson was a solid hitter and used his excellent range and athleticism to be in position to knock balls away, or just knock the receiver out, whatever worked at the time. He tied with Talib for the team lead in interceptions and also was able to force fumbles. He is a lock to return at his current spot in the starting lineup. Jermaine Phillips is not however. The Bucs tried to move him to linebacker during the offseason, but when Jackson was suspended they moved him back to safety out of necessity. He lasted two games before injuring his wrist and being place on injured reserve. He is not likely to be retained because of his injury issues so they do need to look for another safety, if for no other reason than to add depth.
Team MVP: Cadillac Williams
This really was not all that hard. “The Caddy” was the most relatively consistent player on the team and was a strong enough in his running and receiving skills that he was able to overcome poor play on the part of the transitioning offensive line and his previous injuries to lead the team in rushing (823) and yards from scrimmage (1040) as well as overall touchdowns (7). While his average was low (3.9 yards per carry), he never fumbled the ball and caught the ball well enough to rank fourth on the team in receptions. He will be the main runner going into next year and could challenge for a pro bowl spot should the offensive line return to form.
Offensive Player of the Year: Cadillac Williams
Noticing a pattern yet?
Defensive Player of the Year: Tanard Jackson
Some may question why Jackson deserves this over guys like Talib or Hayes, especially given how much I raved about Hayes a little bit ago. Really the difference is versatility and what I call “offensive defense.” Jackson was able to force fumbles and made more tackles behind the line of scrimmage than did Talib, speaking to his versatility. In terms of “offensive defense” (defensive plays that result in scores directly or in good field position), Jackson was the only player on the team to score a defensive touchdown, or rather two, both interception returns for touchdowns. That’s the main reason he gets the nod here over Geno Hayes. Like I said earlier, he tied with Talib for the team lead in interceptions and still had all the other stats to make him worthy of this honor.
Rookie of the Year: Josh Freeman
While Roy Miller played relatively well in a rotation, Josh Freeman was the bigger impact player. All three of the Bucs wins came with Josh Freeman as the starter, including a big win against eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans in week 16. While he did fumble the ball 10 times (losing only two) and threw 18 interceptions, he took huge strides during the course of the season in terms of maturity and leadership. He defiantly has the intangibles to be a great franchise quarterback going forward, but he does need to grow in terms of making decisions and improving his completion percentage. He is the quarterback of the present and future.
Breakout Player of the Year: Geno Hayes
I talked a lot about Hayes in my discussion about the linebacker corp. so this should be relatively short. Just to recap, he’s a lot like a young Derrick Brooks. He uses his speed and intelligence to overcome issues with size and strength and be a defensive force. He showed great versatility in getting sacks, intercepting and defending passes, forcing and recovering fumbles and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He is a star of the future, he just needs to continue making these kinds of plays and he’ll be fighting for Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections for years to come.
Surprise Player of the Year: Sammie Stroughter
Sammie Stroughter came into the league as a seventh round pick and was expected to be little more than an extra special teams body and, maybe, a good fifth or sixth receiver. He came out of this year as a strong candidate to be the slot receiver going forward. He showed great quickness and good long speed, making him a good option for a third receiver and maybe even a starter if there are no better options. The one knock on him that he completely disproved was that he didn’t have great hands. He had few drops while playing receiver and returner. They thing that really puts him up at this spot is that he ranked fourth on the team in All-Purpose yards (note: the difference between All-Purpose yards and yards from scrimmage is that All-Purpose yards include return yards and yards from scrimmage are strictly rushing and receiving) and everyone who lead him in that number really weren’t that surprising. Taking the lead in that category was the Bucs main returner Clifton Smith (1145), followed by Cadillac Williams (1040) and Kellen Winslow Jr. (891). While it doesn’t seem like much, pulling in the 777 yards that Stroughter did is really surprising considering where he was drafted and what most scouts thought of him heading into the draft.
2006 Draft Review and Final Grade: C
The first three picks still being with the team, the first two being strong starters and a pick that has found some success outside of the organization lead to a pretty good draft grade. Only having three out of ten picks still with the team and having about half of them not make it past a second year really pull down the grade. It all averages out to, well, an average draft.
Davin Joseph, Guard, Oklahoma
The first pick the Bucs made in this draft at pick 23, Joseph has been one of the best picks the Buccaneers have made since the 1996 when they draft Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in the same draft. Since being drafted, he has started 56 of 57 games played and has been a vicious run blocker. He also is a good pass blocker, who excels at pulling across the line. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2008, received numerous All-Pro votes that same year, and was named a Pro Bowl Alternate this past season. He is considered one of the best guards in the NFL right now. This pick was a home run in every definition of the word.
Jeremy Trueblood, Tackle, Boston College
Jeremy Trueblood has been every bit the dominating run defender that Joseph has been. He has also stayed a little bit healthier than Joseph has been, starting 61 of 63 games played. His pass defense has been pretty good, but his technique hasn’t come along quite the way the Bucs had envisioned. He also has had an issue with the number of penalties he accounts for the last couple of years. These issues are legitimate, but have hardly caused the Bucs to look for a replacement or bench him so, they clearly are still very happy with his play. Another great pick
Maurice Stovall, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame
Maurice Stovall has been a consistent contributor since being drafted. His excellent size and good speed has kept him in the rotation and on the special teams units. He hasn’t gotten a great deal of starts or catches until recently, but he has always found a way to contribute, again mostly on special teams. He had a relative breakout year this season when he caught 24 catches for 366 yards and a touchdown and he will challenge for a starting position for next year. Good pick.
Alan Zemaitis, Cornerback, Penn State
Zemaitis was supposed to be a good corner that could play the slot and challenge for the starting role opposite Ronde Barber. He stayed on the team through his rookie season, but was active for only one week. The following training camp was his last experience in professional football. He was worked out by the Browns and Bears, but neither wanted to sign him. Bust.
Julian Jenkins, Defensive End, Stanford
Julian Jenkins followed a similar path as Zemaitis. He was on the team for his rookie season, gone in his second. Unlike Zemaitis though, he was able to get a contract with the Broncos for part of the following offseason. He was released later that offseason, but was picked up by the Calgary Stampeders later on. At last check, he was still there. But as far as the Bucs go, bust.
Bruce Gradkowski, Quarterback, Toledo
Bruce Gradkowski. It’s one of those rare players that gets drafted by one team, performs fairly well for that team, and then gets bounced around before finding the spotlight again on another team. Gradkowski came out of Toledo as a player who was an accurate, good-decision maker. He showed all of those attributes in the couple of games he started for the Buccaneers as a rookie. After that season, he was pushed to the third QB spot after Jeff Garcia was signed in 2007. He was then released in 2008 and bounced from the Rams to the Browns partway through the season. He signed with the Raiders in the offseason and got his chance back in the spotlight when the Raiders benched JaMarcus Russell and promoted him to the starting lineup. He played very well and helped lead the Raiders to a couple of wins between weeks 11 and 13. He then injured his knees and is questionable to be retained for the upcoming season. Overall he was good pick for the Buccaneers, but a better acquisition for any team needing a solid backup or transitional starter.
T. J. Williams, Tight End, North Carolina State
This player was brought in to add depth to the tight spot and perhaps become a nice receiver to compliment the starter at the time, Alex Smith. This was their hope, after he returned from an Achilles injury. He didn’t make it through training camp after he recovered and has dropped of the face of the map. Bust.
Justin Phinisee, Cornerback, Oregon
Phinisee was supposed to add depth to the defensive backfield, but between a groin injury and inadequate play, he didn’t make it out of training camp with the Bucs. He bounced around with the Chiefs, Patriots, Cowboys and Rams before finding himself unemployed last season. Bust.
Charles Bennett, Defensive End, Clemson
A minor improvement over Phinisee, Charles Bennett was able to stay on the team until a year ago. While he never really cracked the rotation, he was consistently on the team and was able to make minor special teams contributions. He did miss some time with injuries but I really never was enough to take him off the team. Eventually they just got tired of waiting for him to develop. He did latch on with the Titans briefly last season, but was released early in training camp. He’s not really a bust, also not really a great pick either.
Tim Massaquoi, Tight End, Michigan
Another tight end that was drafted to provide depth and perhaps be a prospect for the future, but much like Williams, he didn’t make it through training camp with the Bucs. He did bounce around with the Dolphins and the Bills for a few years before finding his way out of the league last year. Bust.
Offseason Needs
Offensively, The Buccaneers could benefit from getting good depth across the board. Probably the one place where they don’t need to address a hole or depth concerns is at runningback, maybe tight end too. They really need a starter at the receiver position. It never helps when a team that had a hard time passing the ball is losing the second best pass catcher on their team. They could also use some depth or competition at the left tackle spot and at quarterback. Really they need to focus on helping out the defense.
Defensively, they need depth across the board and either starters or future starters at numerous positions. The biggest need is along the defensive line and a future starter at the corner spot. A good backup at safety would also help.
1st-round Draft Prediction and suggestions for ways to go.
1st Round Pick should be: Derrick Morgan, Defensive End, Georgia Tech.
Personally I think that Dez Bryant would be a great pick here, but I understand why he would be considered a reach. This pick basically agrees with some of the mock drafts I’ve seen to this point. Almost all of the other mocks I’ve seen put Eric Berry here. The problem I have with taking Eric Berry over a defensive end is that they already have a serviceable safety in Sabby Piscitelli and Tanard Jackson is already the playmaking safety on the Bucs. They can easily get a good safety in the later rounds. The defensive ends usually don’t come as talented in the later rounds as they do here. Now some think it would make more since to take more athletic players like Carlos Dunlap or Jason Pierre-Paul, but that rarely works out, especially when a player like Morgan, who is more intelligent and stouter against the run is available. He has great speed and strength in the pass rush, and will be able to contribute more immediately and for a longer term then some of the more athletic members for this draft class.
As far as other picks go, they really should address the defensive backfield in the second round, going to corners first. Guys like Kyle Wilson from Boise State or Devin McCourty from Rutgers. Trevard Lindley from Kentucky, Javier Arenas from Alabama, Syd’Quan Thompson form California and Alterraun Verner from UCLA are all good options in later rounds. But none are great options as long term as starters, at least not at this point. As far as Defensive Tackles go, D’Anthony Smith from Louisiana Tech is a great option in the later second round or early third, with Terrence Cody from Alabama and Arthur Jones from Syracuse being good options in the early second.
The third round would be a great spot to go with a receiver that they might have ignored in the earlier rounds. A running theme you may notice is that when I mention a receiver in the third round, one of the first names I am going to bring up is Eric Decker of Minnesota. I just really like the work ethic and the ability to stretch the field that I saw when I watched this guy play. Mardy Gilyard from Cincinnati is another good option should he slide. Other good options at this round and going forward would be guys like Taylor Price from Ohio, Riley Cooper from Florida, Marcus Easley from Connecticut or Danario Alexander from Missouri.
As far as their options go in building depth offensively they should look at guys like Rodger Saffold from Indiana, Sam Young from Notre Dame or Ciron Black from LSU to add depth to the offensive line. All of them played tackle and could be bumped inside to guard if it becomes a necessity. Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State, Sean Canfield of Oregon State and Matt Nichols of Eastern Washington would all be good options for depth at the quarterback spot. Defensively, they should consider Kam Chancellor and Stephen Virgil the safety and cornerback tandem from Virginia Tech to bring more depth to the defensive backfield in later rounds. Another nice option would be Barry Church from Toldeo or Darrell Stuckey from Kansas to filling the safety depth. For defensive end, Jammie Kirlew from Indiana, C.J. Wilson from East Carolina and Adrian Tracy from William and Mary would be interesting prospects to add for extra pass rush.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Season Review: Detroit Lions
Record Overview: 2-14
Hard to believe that this used to be one of the best franchises in the NFL, huh. It’s not all that long ago that the Lions had such great players as Barry Sanders, Lomas Brown, Herman Moore and Robert Porcher. Since Sanders’ retirement, the Lions have been unable to pull together a strong offense and defense at the same time and, as a result, have missed the playoffs every year since then. Many of their problems spring from the fact that they have been unable to find a abundance of talent through the draft and what talent they have found they have failed to commit to for more than a couple of years (e.g. Kevin Jones, Roy Williams).
A lot of the Lions problems can be blamed on the defense. They were ranked dead last in points given up, yards given up and passing yards given up. Even when it came to the rushing yards they gave up, they were still ranked 26th. While not the worst, it is far from acceptable. A lot of these problems can be attributed to the defensive front four and the secondary. In most cases, the latter was really the problem. Other than Louis Delmas, there was little to no continuity in the secondary, with both corner positions and the other safety position consistently being changed around, usually with bad players or players who were fairly one dimensional to begin with. Delmas himself was everything the Lions were hoping for when they drafted him with the first pick in the second round. He showed very good range, was never afraid to stick his nose in the middle of a pile and was delivered a couple hard hits, including a sack. He also showed good, but not great, ball skills intercepting two passes, returning one 101 yards for a touchdown. He still made mistakes, like every rookie does, but he still showed enough to be considered a cornerstone for this group going forward. The same cannot be said of some of his compatriots at the position. Marquand Manuel started for 5 games at the beginning of the season and then was benched for his continued poor play and was eventually placed on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury. He has never been the player the Packer’s thought they were signing after the 2005 season and is likely not to be back. Ko Simpson, who started 5 games after Manuel lost his job, played well as he had for the Bills, but still was nothing special. Simply put he is an adequate coverage player and solid in run support, but lacks the knack for making big plays. He was lost to a knee injury in November. Then Marvin White stepped in to the safety spot and finished the season there. That was more by necessity than merit. White is very aggressive and can lay the wood, but he is always out of position in coverage. Daniel Bullocks would seem to be an option since he plays well when he’s healthy, but he is rarely healthy and isn’t very likely to be retained.
As bad as safety was though, it was in much better condition than the cornerback position. Phillip Buchanon and Anthony Henry were supposed to start and provide the kind of veteran experience that one would expect from players who have been in the league as long as they had. However, neither was able to contain opposing receivers and the position was in constant flux. William James tried his best to do stop opposing receivers and, at times, was pretty good. Nothing special but good enough to warrant keeping around for another couple of years, but he two was unable to contain the best receivers that the Lions faced. Often times, he or any of the other corners on the roster were either being beat by faster receivers or were simply unable to stay close enough in coverage to compete with the receivers. To be fair, James ranked fifth on the team in tackles and tied with Delmas and Henry for the team lead in interceptions. However, that was still only two. This is a position in need of a serious rebuilding.
The linebacker core was probably the best group of players on the team and the one in the most unrest going into the offseason. Larry Foote led the team in tackles and, while he freelanced some, he was often in position to make the stop. He also provided good leadership on the field and will likely be a priority to re-sign over the off season. However, because of his experience and success in both a 3-4 and 4-3 defense, he will be hotly pursued. Julian Peterson, while not turning in the kind of performance we’re used to seeing from him, was still the most disruptive force on the defense. He did take a while to get going and 4.5 sacks is a small number for him, but he still provided a good pass rush when he was blitzed and forced five fumbles. He may not be back next season though, mainly because of his 7.5 million dollar salary next year. Ernie Sims was hurt for a good portion of the season, because of which he was often not in position to make the kind of plays he made in previous years. However, when he was on the field, he continuously improved his play and was able to really play to his fullest at the end of the season. However he has been the rumor of trade bait because of his fit in the system and because the team is not sure if they want to keep him past the end of his rookie contract, so trading him beforehand would bring value back to their investment. DeAndre Levy, a third-round pick from Wisconsin, is main reason behind a lot of these rumors at outside linebacker. He played extremely well at the outside spot and in the interior when Sims and Foote were hurt at various points in the season. Ideally, the Lions would like to find a spot for him in the starting lineup. However, they have two solid linebackers on the outside and another strong player in the middle. They really should keep him as a backup until they find out if they have re-signed Larry Foote or not. This team does not need to create more problems at a position of strength.
The defensive line is another group that needs a good bit of work for this team to improve. There was some amount of continuity with this group. Sammie Lee Hill, Grady Jackson, Cliff Avril and Jason Hunter took the majority of the snaps and Turk McBride, Landon Cohen, Andre Fluellen and Dewayne White rotated in regularly and took starts when other starters were hurt. While that kind of stability is usually a good thing, in this group’s case, it only served to prove that it is still missing quality in the lineup. White, who was supposed to start, was a disappointment and finished the season without a sack, given the fact that he signed a nice big contract extension in 2007, that production is unacceptable. McBride was in bad position to help the line after trimming down to try and fit in to the 3-4 that Kansas City (his former team) was playing. Cohen and Fluellen are better as rotational players then starters and may have to battle for their spots on the team in the coming offseason. Grady Jackson was the rock of this group, but was also nothing special. While he used to be able to take up two or three blockers at a time, he looked like a shell of his former self this past season. The real interior pressure, and perhaps the biggest surprise of this season, came from Sammie Lee Hill. Through the majority of the season, he was the player who demanded the most double teams in any given game. He was hurt for a couple of games, but was still able to provide an interior push when he returned and is considered a good building block along the line. Hunter is a bit of an unknown; he played well at times, but is often invisible and doesn’t create any amount of consistent pressure. Avril is a least a rotational piece. He wasn’t able to create consistent pressure, however he still lead the team in sacks with 5.5 and forced three fumbles. He does need to be more consistent in the pass rush and his a bit undersized for taking on the run. Overall the defense needs to keep those talented players they have and needs to be strategic in where they add more talent.
While the offense faired better than the defense, it still wasn’t much better. They ranked 27th in points scored, 26th in total yardage gained, 21st in pass yards gained and 24th in rushing yards gained (all per game). The big thing to remember about this group is that they were often running with a good number of rookies or first time starters and they were clearly a growing group.
Quarterback was the position that had all the pressure on it during the season. Specifically, all the pressure was on first year QB and number one overall pick, Matthew Stafford. In all honesty, he met that pressure and preformed pretty well. While he didn’t; have a great completion percentage (52%) and turned the ball over a lot (20 Int.), he also showed why he was considered such a good prospect. His arm strength is already among the best in the league, he showed great leadership in holding the team together and never getting down on himself or his teammates during the harder stretches. He also showed a toughness that was reminiscent of Phillip Rivers (in the 2007 AFC Championship game) when he played through a separated shoulder and dislocated knee to pull off the shootout win over the Browns. Those injuries will be given time to heal during the offseason and neither looks to be a problem going forward. He is secured as the starter for at least the immediate future and will likely be the QB to take the Lions back to the playoffs. Daunte Culpepper played in all the games that Stafford missed and wasn’t much better than he was last year. His career has really fallen into a tailspin since the shot to his knee took out three ligaments and lead to his dismissal from the Vikings. He may return as the backup, but he may also leave. Drew Staton provided a bit of a spark in his one start, but also plays like a rookie at times and doesn’t have the experience to be anything more than a project at this point.
Runningback was a disappointing position and may be needlessly overhauled in the offseason. Kevin Smith took a while to get going, but once he did, he looked like Ray Rice in a blue uniform. Seriously, he played every bit as well as Ray Rice when he was healthy and running well. However, a shoulder injury and a torn ACL towards the end of the season threw him clear off track and may have cost him the starting job. Although, that may have more to do with the fact that he isn’t a great breakaway runner and the team wants someone flashier to start. Maurice Morris played pretty well in his stead, but is clearly little more than a backup. Real surprise from this group was the play of Aaron Brown. The sixth round pick from TCU really wasn’t expected to be any more than a bit player who could develop, but he turned out to be a better kick returner than third round pick Derrick Williams and was a big play presence on offense. Scott Linehan found ways to get him the ball and he responded with big runs and became a threat to be reckoned with. Reports are that the team is looking to add a true feature back to this group and push Kevin Smith and Aaron Brown to the duty of true change-up backs. That would seem to me to be a wasted investment when Smith has shown such surprising play towards the end of his season, but this is par for the course in Detroit.
The wide receiver position is in somewhat better condition. Calvin Johnson is clearly among the league’s elite receivers, even when he doesn’t have an elite season. He has great size, speed, hands and knows exactly how to attack the ball in the air. His main problem is an inconsistency at QB and in the running game. These problems caused him to draw more coverage or have passes overthrown or short-hopped. It didn’t help that his other receivers never posed more than an occasional threat. Bryant Johnson was supposed to be a solid number 2 and someone who could take pressure off of (Calvin) Johnson. However, he never seemed to be able to pull away from defenders and was out physicaled by corners. He still was able to pull in three touchdowns and started every game of the season. He may not be the best option, but he is durable and experienced so he’s worth bringing back at a reasonable price. Dennis Northcutt and Derrick Williams were supposed to be excellent slot options but neither was able to wiggle open enough to help the passing game. Williams was especially disappointing since he was supposed to be an excellent return man. He succeeded at neither return role and will have to prove himself to remain in the team’s plans beyond training camp.
As far as tight end goes, Brandon Pettigrew is clearly the man at that position. He was a solid blocker and developed into the main escape valve for the young rookie Matthew Stafford. His receiving talents did take awhile to develop, but they did come one strongly later in the season and he should be a key figure in the Lions offense going forward. All that is provided he recovers well from his torn ACL. If he doesn’t, well the Lions are right back where they were before. Impending free agent Will Heller caught one more touchdown than Pettigrew (3 to 2), but had one fewer reception (29 to 30) for almost 50 fewer yards (296 to 346). The thing is, Pettigrew never had a 50 yard reception through the course of the season. On top of that, Heller played the entire season, while Pettigrew only made it twelve games before being injured. I think those stats tell all one needs to know about how well Heller filled in for Pettigrew. Casey Fitzsimmons is also on the team and he is a solid blocker and adequate receiver, but hardly a playmaker. This position may need some more depth during the offseason.
The offensive line has, perhaps, been the group that the Lions have invested the most in, yet gotten the least return from. Over the past four years (Backus in 2006, Cherilus in 2008, Peterman and Raiola in 2009), the Lions have invested a total of 88.9 million dollars (39.36 guaranteed) into the offensive line. Of those, Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola played excellently, Backus drawing enough praise to even be mentioned as a pro bowl snub. Raiola has never been spectacular but was strong enough to be worth the money they invested in him. Peterman is a strong run blocker and fair pass blocker, but was hurt for the last seven games and the Lions play clearly suffered from that. All of these previously mentioned players are very likely to return to their starting positions next season. Gosder Cherilus on the other hand is beginning to ware out his welcome with the organization. He needs to step up his game, particularly in terms of his technique. He has the attitude, but he is never quite able to consistently apply both his ferocity and his technique to be a dominant player. He needs to have a big year to maintain his spot on the team. The other guard position was the most unsettled. Manny Ramirez and Daniel Loper swapped spots on the starting lineup for most of the season and neither was very effective. They even got desperate enough to start veteran right tackle Jon Jansen at the guard spot. None were able to lay claim to that spot as their own. The line as a whole needs depth and another solid starter to make this group dominant.
Team MVP: Calvin Johnson
It’s hard to consider the best player, or rather the most valuable player on one team a wide receiver, mostly because the position is so dependent on others to be great. However, in this case I think it’s a deserved honor. More then anyone else on the Lions, Johnson changed the way the Lions were able to play offense. It also helps that he was by far and away the best player on the team this year. He had 26 more receptions than the next guy (67 to 41), 567 more receiving yards than the next guy (984 to 417) and led the team in receiving touchdowns with five. By the way, the next closest RECEVIER (the player with the second most catches was Kevin Smith) was Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt with 35 a piece, meaning that Johnson almost doubled the other receivers in catches by himself. All of this is helped by the fact that he is an athletic super freak. He has speed to burn, great size, amazingly soft hands and is extensively versed in route running. He is everything a team could look for in a dominant star receiver.
Offensive Player of the Year: Calvin Johnson
See all of the above.
Defensive Player of the Year: Julian Peterson
As I said earlier, Peterson was the most disruptive force on the Lions defense all season. He ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 76, third on the team in sacks with 4.5 and led the team in forced fumbles with 5. He did start slow and wasn’t the kind of force that he had been in his first two years with the Seahawks and that is what may hurt his case, if this was an open discussion. But it’s not. It’s my decision and my examination shows that Peterson was the most versatile and dangerous and disruptive force on the Lions all season.
Rookie of the Year: Louis Delmas
Delmas is everything I talked about in my previous section about the safeties and then some. He showed his excellent range, hitting ability and instincts. He also showed good leadership down the stretch as the lineup continued to change. He still has room to grow, but so do all rookies.
Breakout Player of the Year: Louis Delmas
It’s bad when your breakout player is just a rookie. Everything I have said about Delmas to this point still applies.
Surprise Player of the Year: DeAndre Levy/Sammie Lee Hill
Again, this was a really close call and there was no way I could separate these two. It’s really a good thing for the Lions who need talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Levy was such a great fourth linebacker that there is a great deal of talk about how the Lions could keep him on the field longer. He has great athleticism and instincts. He used those tools to be perhaps the Lions best option in coverage, as far as linebackers go. He also started the last three games in the middle and reminded me somewhat of Jonathan Vilma. He isn’t the kind of thumping middle linebacker you would expect to see but he uses athleticism and intelligence locate and fill the holes meant for runningbacks to run through. A great building block for the future should the Lions wish to become more economical with their personnel.
Sammie Lee Hill, on the other hand, fought his way directly into the starting lineup during training camp and stayed there all year when he was healthy. He provided the best interior pass rush of any of the defensive lineman on the team. While he didn’t consistently draw double teams, he did so often enough to be considered a key piece along that defensive line. He would benefit from another season of experience and a strong force on either side of him (a great DE or DT). Another great building block on this defense.
2006 Draft Review and Final Grade: D+
This draft got a solid player at the top (Sims) and another one in the second round, though he is injury prone (Bullocks). Scott is hanging around the league and Cannon contributed enough before being released to keep this from being a “D.”
Ernie Sims, Linebacker, Florida State
Sims came out in the draft as one of the best linebacker prospects in the draft. He was known for is great speed and was often compared to the great Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derrick Brooks. This made him an ideal candidate for the Tampa-2 defense that the Lions ran at that point in time. Since being drafted he has started 56 of the 59 and made over one hundred tackles each of his first three seasons. This past season was the first time injuries have caused Sims to miss any amount of time and his numbers suffered as a result. While the defense has changed he is still likely in the future plans. A solid player and one of the few successes in the tenure of former GM, Matt Millen.
Daniel Bullocks, Safety, Nebraska
Daniel Bullocks has been a very good safety for the Lions. He is able to play the run very well and is competent in coverage. He sometimes can be blown by and drawn in by play-action fakes, but is other wise a good solid safety. That is, when he is healthy. Sadly, he has had a number of knee injuries that have kept him from becoming the best player he could be. He started a good number of the games he has been able to play in, 22 out of 31 the problem is that he missed both the 2007 and 2009 seasons with those knee injuries. Otherwise he is a strong player, should he recover and not get shoved out of his job.
Brian Calhoun, Runningback, Wisconsin
Calhoun has been in much the same boat as Bullocks, except without the production part. He had numerous problems with his legs and missed large portions of every season he was with the Lions. He did show some talent when he did get on the field in preseason games and occasionally in the regular season. In fact, he showed enough that in the early part of the 2008 training camp, he was a candidate to win the starting job, but he quickly fell down the depth chart and was released last May. He has not been picked up and is an unfortunate bust.
Jonathan Scott, Tackle, Texas
Jonathan Scott was supposed to the massive bodied tackle that would compete for either of the starting tackle positions. He did do that, but only when injuries forced him into the lineup. He had numerous injuries while with the Lions that led to him finding his way off the team in 2008. He re-emerged somewhat this season with Buffalo and was the top backup to the right tackle Brad Butler. However, injuries once again forced him from the lineup and he still hasn’t shown that he can be more than a third or fourth tackle. Marginal bust.
Dee McCann, Cornerback, West Virginia
A more traditional failure of the Lions is represented in Alton “Dee” McCann. He was supposed to contribute some in special teams and compete for the dime spot, but ended up on the practice squad until injuries forced him onto the 53 man roster as a rookie. He didn’t make it out of training camp the following year and bounced around the league somewhat before being left out entirely these past two seasons. The failure I referenced earlier is the inability to turn late round picks into back-ups and contributors. Bust.
Fred Mutua, Guard, USC
Fred Mutua followed a similar pattern to the latter part of McCann’s career. He didn’t make it past training camp in his rookie season and bounced around on practice squads with the Browns, Titans and Redskins for the next few years before being out of football in 2008 and 2009. Bust.
Anthony Cannon, Linebacker, Tulane
Anthony Cannon bucked the trend that McCann and Mutua were forming by actually contributing on special teams for a couple of years before finding his way off the team this past march and being out of football last year. Since he was the last pick in this draft for the Lions, it is kind of unfair to call him a bust since he did do what they drafted him for and they didn’t lose much in doing so. A mediocre pick, mostly because he didn’t stick around longer.
Offseason Needs
Other than linebacker, the Lions need at least solid backups at every position. With Daunte Culpepper likely leaving in free agency and Drew Stanton not showing the strides the Lions expected him to take by this time, another backup QB would be a good addition. While it’s likely that the Lions will push for a “franchise” runningback in the draft, they really don’t need one. Kevin Smith is very capable and shouldn’t be cast aide too early. They need another solid wide receiver, tight end and guard to help the passing game. Depth at all of those positions would be helpful as well.
Defensively they need starters at defensive end, defensive tackle, both corner spots and safety. That’s not including who may be cut or traded away for salary reasons. Depth is also a concern; however some of the starters from this past season may be better in a rotational role. Lots of money needs to be spent on this team during the offseason.
1st-round Draft Prediction and suggestions for ways to go.
1st Round Pick should be: Gerald McCoy, Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma.
McCoy isn’t quite as good as many analysts would lead you to believe, basically meaning that he isn’t as good as Ndamukong Suh, particularly in the run game. McCoy is more of one-gap penetrator and is a little more focused on getting to the QB than stopping the run. Also, penetrating, one-gap pass rushers in college have a tendency to get overwhelmed when they get to the NFL by the larger, stronger guards. All that being said, he is still a tremendous prospect and would, likely, be an instant double team on any given play. There has been no indication of him taking plays off or needing to be given a break during the course of a season. To be fair, he was playing in the Big 12 which is not known for its dominant guard play or strong power running games. But again, I’m nitpicking. He would definitely be the best option if Suh goes number one, but other options would be guys Derrick Morgan, Eric Berry or Joe Haden.
As far as other picks go, they really should address the defensive backfield in the second round, preferably going to corners first. Guys like Kyle Wilson from Boise State, Devin McCourty from Rutgers or Patrick Robinson from Florida State. Ideally they’d like for Perrish Cox from Oklahoma State would fall to the second round, but he is likely to get snatched up in the late first round. Trevard Lindley from Kentucky, Javier Arenas from Alabama, Syd’Quan Thompson form California and Alterraun Verner from UCLA are all good options in later rounds. As far as Safety goes Taylor Mays from USC may fall into the second round which would be nice, but a more realistic option would be Nate Allen from South Florida, Kam Chancellor from Virginia Tech or Myron Rolle Florida State are options in the middle rounds.
Along the third round they really need to consider a strong defensive end. Guys like Greg Hardy from Mississippi, Willie Young from North Carolina State or Rahim Alem from LSU. Corey Wooton from Northwestern and Brandon Lang from Troy would be available in the second round, but I think the drop-off between the majority of the defensive backs in the second round and the later rounds is bigger than is the case with defensive lineman. Other options for the defensive tackle spot are guys like Lamarr Houston from Texas and D’Anthony Smith from Louisiana Tech.
As far as their options go in building depth offensively they should look at getting a tight end, wide receiver or/and a runningback in the fourth or later rounds. As far as tight ends go, they could get come good mileage out of players like Mike Hoomanawanui from Illinois and Anthony Moeaki from Iowa. Emmanuel Sanders from SMU, Jeremy Williams from Tulane, Seyi Ajirotutu from Fresno State and Antonio Brown from Central Michigan are all good options at Wide Receiver. The one I am probably going to wrong about is what they do with runningback. There is a good chance that they would take a player like Jahvid Best or Jonathan Dwyer should either be available in the second round. I personally think that that would be a mistake. LeGarrette Blount from Oregon, Javarris James from Miami (Fl.) and Curtis Steele from Memphis would all be good options in the later rounds and all would be good compliments to Aaron Brown and Kevin Smith.
Hard to believe that this used to be one of the best franchises in the NFL, huh. It’s not all that long ago that the Lions had such great players as Barry Sanders, Lomas Brown, Herman Moore and Robert Porcher. Since Sanders’ retirement, the Lions have been unable to pull together a strong offense and defense at the same time and, as a result, have missed the playoffs every year since then. Many of their problems spring from the fact that they have been unable to find a abundance of talent through the draft and what talent they have found they have failed to commit to for more than a couple of years (e.g. Kevin Jones, Roy Williams).
A lot of the Lions problems can be blamed on the defense. They were ranked dead last in points given up, yards given up and passing yards given up. Even when it came to the rushing yards they gave up, they were still ranked 26th. While not the worst, it is far from acceptable. A lot of these problems can be attributed to the defensive front four and the secondary. In most cases, the latter was really the problem. Other than Louis Delmas, there was little to no continuity in the secondary, with both corner positions and the other safety position consistently being changed around, usually with bad players or players who were fairly one dimensional to begin with. Delmas himself was everything the Lions were hoping for when they drafted him with the first pick in the second round. He showed very good range, was never afraid to stick his nose in the middle of a pile and was delivered a couple hard hits, including a sack. He also showed good, but not great, ball skills intercepting two passes, returning one 101 yards for a touchdown. He still made mistakes, like every rookie does, but he still showed enough to be considered a cornerstone for this group going forward. The same cannot be said of some of his compatriots at the position. Marquand Manuel started for 5 games at the beginning of the season and then was benched for his continued poor play and was eventually placed on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury. He has never been the player the Packer’s thought they were signing after the 2005 season and is likely not to be back. Ko Simpson, who started 5 games after Manuel lost his job, played well as he had for the Bills, but still was nothing special. Simply put he is an adequate coverage player and solid in run support, but lacks the knack for making big plays. He was lost to a knee injury in November. Then Marvin White stepped in to the safety spot and finished the season there. That was more by necessity than merit. White is very aggressive and can lay the wood, but he is always out of position in coverage. Daniel Bullocks would seem to be an option since he plays well when he’s healthy, but he is rarely healthy and isn’t very likely to be retained.
As bad as safety was though, it was in much better condition than the cornerback position. Phillip Buchanon and Anthony Henry were supposed to start and provide the kind of veteran experience that one would expect from players who have been in the league as long as they had. However, neither was able to contain opposing receivers and the position was in constant flux. William James tried his best to do stop opposing receivers and, at times, was pretty good. Nothing special but good enough to warrant keeping around for another couple of years, but he two was unable to contain the best receivers that the Lions faced. Often times, he or any of the other corners on the roster were either being beat by faster receivers or were simply unable to stay close enough in coverage to compete with the receivers. To be fair, James ranked fifth on the team in tackles and tied with Delmas and Henry for the team lead in interceptions. However, that was still only two. This is a position in need of a serious rebuilding.
The linebacker core was probably the best group of players on the team and the one in the most unrest going into the offseason. Larry Foote led the team in tackles and, while he freelanced some, he was often in position to make the stop. He also provided good leadership on the field and will likely be a priority to re-sign over the off season. However, because of his experience and success in both a 3-4 and 4-3 defense, he will be hotly pursued. Julian Peterson, while not turning in the kind of performance we’re used to seeing from him, was still the most disruptive force on the defense. He did take a while to get going and 4.5 sacks is a small number for him, but he still provided a good pass rush when he was blitzed and forced five fumbles. He may not be back next season though, mainly because of his 7.5 million dollar salary next year. Ernie Sims was hurt for a good portion of the season, because of which he was often not in position to make the kind of plays he made in previous years. However, when he was on the field, he continuously improved his play and was able to really play to his fullest at the end of the season. However he has been the rumor of trade bait because of his fit in the system and because the team is not sure if they want to keep him past the end of his rookie contract, so trading him beforehand would bring value back to their investment. DeAndre Levy, a third-round pick from Wisconsin, is main reason behind a lot of these rumors at outside linebacker. He played extremely well at the outside spot and in the interior when Sims and Foote were hurt at various points in the season. Ideally, the Lions would like to find a spot for him in the starting lineup. However, they have two solid linebackers on the outside and another strong player in the middle. They really should keep him as a backup until they find out if they have re-signed Larry Foote or not. This team does not need to create more problems at a position of strength.
The defensive line is another group that needs a good bit of work for this team to improve. There was some amount of continuity with this group. Sammie Lee Hill, Grady Jackson, Cliff Avril and Jason Hunter took the majority of the snaps and Turk McBride, Landon Cohen, Andre Fluellen and Dewayne White rotated in regularly and took starts when other starters were hurt. While that kind of stability is usually a good thing, in this group’s case, it only served to prove that it is still missing quality in the lineup. White, who was supposed to start, was a disappointment and finished the season without a sack, given the fact that he signed a nice big contract extension in 2007, that production is unacceptable. McBride was in bad position to help the line after trimming down to try and fit in to the 3-4 that Kansas City (his former team) was playing. Cohen and Fluellen are better as rotational players then starters and may have to battle for their spots on the team in the coming offseason. Grady Jackson was the rock of this group, but was also nothing special. While he used to be able to take up two or three blockers at a time, he looked like a shell of his former self this past season. The real interior pressure, and perhaps the biggest surprise of this season, came from Sammie Lee Hill. Through the majority of the season, he was the player who demanded the most double teams in any given game. He was hurt for a couple of games, but was still able to provide an interior push when he returned and is considered a good building block along the line. Hunter is a bit of an unknown; he played well at times, but is often invisible and doesn’t create any amount of consistent pressure. Avril is a least a rotational piece. He wasn’t able to create consistent pressure, however he still lead the team in sacks with 5.5 and forced three fumbles. He does need to be more consistent in the pass rush and his a bit undersized for taking on the run. Overall the defense needs to keep those talented players they have and needs to be strategic in where they add more talent.
While the offense faired better than the defense, it still wasn’t much better. They ranked 27th in points scored, 26th in total yardage gained, 21st in pass yards gained and 24th in rushing yards gained (all per game). The big thing to remember about this group is that they were often running with a good number of rookies or first time starters and they were clearly a growing group.
Quarterback was the position that had all the pressure on it during the season. Specifically, all the pressure was on first year QB and number one overall pick, Matthew Stafford. In all honesty, he met that pressure and preformed pretty well. While he didn’t; have a great completion percentage (52%) and turned the ball over a lot (20 Int.), he also showed why he was considered such a good prospect. His arm strength is already among the best in the league, he showed great leadership in holding the team together and never getting down on himself or his teammates during the harder stretches. He also showed a toughness that was reminiscent of Phillip Rivers (in the 2007 AFC Championship game) when he played through a separated shoulder and dislocated knee to pull off the shootout win over the Browns. Those injuries will be given time to heal during the offseason and neither looks to be a problem going forward. He is secured as the starter for at least the immediate future and will likely be the QB to take the Lions back to the playoffs. Daunte Culpepper played in all the games that Stafford missed and wasn’t much better than he was last year. His career has really fallen into a tailspin since the shot to his knee took out three ligaments and lead to his dismissal from the Vikings. He may return as the backup, but he may also leave. Drew Staton provided a bit of a spark in his one start, but also plays like a rookie at times and doesn’t have the experience to be anything more than a project at this point.
Runningback was a disappointing position and may be needlessly overhauled in the offseason. Kevin Smith took a while to get going, but once he did, he looked like Ray Rice in a blue uniform. Seriously, he played every bit as well as Ray Rice when he was healthy and running well. However, a shoulder injury and a torn ACL towards the end of the season threw him clear off track and may have cost him the starting job. Although, that may have more to do with the fact that he isn’t a great breakaway runner and the team wants someone flashier to start. Maurice Morris played pretty well in his stead, but is clearly little more than a backup. Real surprise from this group was the play of Aaron Brown. The sixth round pick from TCU really wasn’t expected to be any more than a bit player who could develop, but he turned out to be a better kick returner than third round pick Derrick Williams and was a big play presence on offense. Scott Linehan found ways to get him the ball and he responded with big runs and became a threat to be reckoned with. Reports are that the team is looking to add a true feature back to this group and push Kevin Smith and Aaron Brown to the duty of true change-up backs. That would seem to me to be a wasted investment when Smith has shown such surprising play towards the end of his season, but this is par for the course in Detroit.
The wide receiver position is in somewhat better condition. Calvin Johnson is clearly among the league’s elite receivers, even when he doesn’t have an elite season. He has great size, speed, hands and knows exactly how to attack the ball in the air. His main problem is an inconsistency at QB and in the running game. These problems caused him to draw more coverage or have passes overthrown or short-hopped. It didn’t help that his other receivers never posed more than an occasional threat. Bryant Johnson was supposed to be a solid number 2 and someone who could take pressure off of (Calvin) Johnson. However, he never seemed to be able to pull away from defenders and was out physicaled by corners. He still was able to pull in three touchdowns and started every game of the season. He may not be the best option, but he is durable and experienced so he’s worth bringing back at a reasonable price. Dennis Northcutt and Derrick Williams were supposed to be excellent slot options but neither was able to wiggle open enough to help the passing game. Williams was especially disappointing since he was supposed to be an excellent return man. He succeeded at neither return role and will have to prove himself to remain in the team’s plans beyond training camp.
As far as tight end goes, Brandon Pettigrew is clearly the man at that position. He was a solid blocker and developed into the main escape valve for the young rookie Matthew Stafford. His receiving talents did take awhile to develop, but they did come one strongly later in the season and he should be a key figure in the Lions offense going forward. All that is provided he recovers well from his torn ACL. If he doesn’t, well the Lions are right back where they were before. Impending free agent Will Heller caught one more touchdown than Pettigrew (3 to 2), but had one fewer reception (29 to 30) for almost 50 fewer yards (296 to 346). The thing is, Pettigrew never had a 50 yard reception through the course of the season. On top of that, Heller played the entire season, while Pettigrew only made it twelve games before being injured. I think those stats tell all one needs to know about how well Heller filled in for Pettigrew. Casey Fitzsimmons is also on the team and he is a solid blocker and adequate receiver, but hardly a playmaker. This position may need some more depth during the offseason.
The offensive line has, perhaps, been the group that the Lions have invested the most in, yet gotten the least return from. Over the past four years (Backus in 2006, Cherilus in 2008, Peterman and Raiola in 2009), the Lions have invested a total of 88.9 million dollars (39.36 guaranteed) into the offensive line. Of those, Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola played excellently, Backus drawing enough praise to even be mentioned as a pro bowl snub. Raiola has never been spectacular but was strong enough to be worth the money they invested in him. Peterman is a strong run blocker and fair pass blocker, but was hurt for the last seven games and the Lions play clearly suffered from that. All of these previously mentioned players are very likely to return to their starting positions next season. Gosder Cherilus on the other hand is beginning to ware out his welcome with the organization. He needs to step up his game, particularly in terms of his technique. He has the attitude, but he is never quite able to consistently apply both his ferocity and his technique to be a dominant player. He needs to have a big year to maintain his spot on the team. The other guard position was the most unsettled. Manny Ramirez and Daniel Loper swapped spots on the starting lineup for most of the season and neither was very effective. They even got desperate enough to start veteran right tackle Jon Jansen at the guard spot. None were able to lay claim to that spot as their own. The line as a whole needs depth and another solid starter to make this group dominant.
Team MVP: Calvin Johnson
It’s hard to consider the best player, or rather the most valuable player on one team a wide receiver, mostly because the position is so dependent on others to be great. However, in this case I think it’s a deserved honor. More then anyone else on the Lions, Johnson changed the way the Lions were able to play offense. It also helps that he was by far and away the best player on the team this year. He had 26 more receptions than the next guy (67 to 41), 567 more receiving yards than the next guy (984 to 417) and led the team in receiving touchdowns with five. By the way, the next closest RECEVIER (the player with the second most catches was Kevin Smith) was Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt with 35 a piece, meaning that Johnson almost doubled the other receivers in catches by himself. All of this is helped by the fact that he is an athletic super freak. He has speed to burn, great size, amazingly soft hands and is extensively versed in route running. He is everything a team could look for in a dominant star receiver.
Offensive Player of the Year: Calvin Johnson
See all of the above.
Defensive Player of the Year: Julian Peterson
As I said earlier, Peterson was the most disruptive force on the Lions defense all season. He ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 76, third on the team in sacks with 4.5 and led the team in forced fumbles with 5. He did start slow and wasn’t the kind of force that he had been in his first two years with the Seahawks and that is what may hurt his case, if this was an open discussion. But it’s not. It’s my decision and my examination shows that Peterson was the most versatile and dangerous and disruptive force on the Lions all season.
Rookie of the Year: Louis Delmas
Delmas is everything I talked about in my previous section about the safeties and then some. He showed his excellent range, hitting ability and instincts. He also showed good leadership down the stretch as the lineup continued to change. He still has room to grow, but so do all rookies.
Breakout Player of the Year: Louis Delmas
It’s bad when your breakout player is just a rookie. Everything I have said about Delmas to this point still applies.
Surprise Player of the Year: DeAndre Levy/Sammie Lee Hill
Again, this was a really close call and there was no way I could separate these two. It’s really a good thing for the Lions who need talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Levy was such a great fourth linebacker that there is a great deal of talk about how the Lions could keep him on the field longer. He has great athleticism and instincts. He used those tools to be perhaps the Lions best option in coverage, as far as linebackers go. He also started the last three games in the middle and reminded me somewhat of Jonathan Vilma. He isn’t the kind of thumping middle linebacker you would expect to see but he uses athleticism and intelligence locate and fill the holes meant for runningbacks to run through. A great building block for the future should the Lions wish to become more economical with their personnel.
Sammie Lee Hill, on the other hand, fought his way directly into the starting lineup during training camp and stayed there all year when he was healthy. He provided the best interior pass rush of any of the defensive lineman on the team. While he didn’t consistently draw double teams, he did so often enough to be considered a key piece along that defensive line. He would benefit from another season of experience and a strong force on either side of him (a great DE or DT). Another great building block on this defense.
2006 Draft Review and Final Grade: D+
This draft got a solid player at the top (Sims) and another one in the second round, though he is injury prone (Bullocks). Scott is hanging around the league and Cannon contributed enough before being released to keep this from being a “D.”
Ernie Sims, Linebacker, Florida State
Sims came out in the draft as one of the best linebacker prospects in the draft. He was known for is great speed and was often compared to the great Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derrick Brooks. This made him an ideal candidate for the Tampa-2 defense that the Lions ran at that point in time. Since being drafted he has started 56 of the 59 and made over one hundred tackles each of his first three seasons. This past season was the first time injuries have caused Sims to miss any amount of time and his numbers suffered as a result. While the defense has changed he is still likely in the future plans. A solid player and one of the few successes in the tenure of former GM, Matt Millen.
Daniel Bullocks, Safety, Nebraska
Daniel Bullocks has been a very good safety for the Lions. He is able to play the run very well and is competent in coverage. He sometimes can be blown by and drawn in by play-action fakes, but is other wise a good solid safety. That is, when he is healthy. Sadly, he has had a number of knee injuries that have kept him from becoming the best player he could be. He started a good number of the games he has been able to play in, 22 out of 31 the problem is that he missed both the 2007 and 2009 seasons with those knee injuries. Otherwise he is a strong player, should he recover and not get shoved out of his job.
Brian Calhoun, Runningback, Wisconsin
Calhoun has been in much the same boat as Bullocks, except without the production part. He had numerous problems with his legs and missed large portions of every season he was with the Lions. He did show some talent when he did get on the field in preseason games and occasionally in the regular season. In fact, he showed enough that in the early part of the 2008 training camp, he was a candidate to win the starting job, but he quickly fell down the depth chart and was released last May. He has not been picked up and is an unfortunate bust.
Jonathan Scott, Tackle, Texas
Jonathan Scott was supposed to the massive bodied tackle that would compete for either of the starting tackle positions. He did do that, but only when injuries forced him into the lineup. He had numerous injuries while with the Lions that led to him finding his way off the team in 2008. He re-emerged somewhat this season with Buffalo and was the top backup to the right tackle Brad Butler. However, injuries once again forced him from the lineup and he still hasn’t shown that he can be more than a third or fourth tackle. Marginal bust.
Dee McCann, Cornerback, West Virginia
A more traditional failure of the Lions is represented in Alton “Dee” McCann. He was supposed to contribute some in special teams and compete for the dime spot, but ended up on the practice squad until injuries forced him onto the 53 man roster as a rookie. He didn’t make it out of training camp the following year and bounced around the league somewhat before being left out entirely these past two seasons. The failure I referenced earlier is the inability to turn late round picks into back-ups and contributors. Bust.
Fred Mutua, Guard, USC
Fred Mutua followed a similar pattern to the latter part of McCann’s career. He didn’t make it past training camp in his rookie season and bounced around on practice squads with the Browns, Titans and Redskins for the next few years before being out of football in 2008 and 2009. Bust.
Anthony Cannon, Linebacker, Tulane
Anthony Cannon bucked the trend that McCann and Mutua were forming by actually contributing on special teams for a couple of years before finding his way off the team this past march and being out of football last year. Since he was the last pick in this draft for the Lions, it is kind of unfair to call him a bust since he did do what they drafted him for and they didn’t lose much in doing so. A mediocre pick, mostly because he didn’t stick around longer.
Offseason Needs
Other than linebacker, the Lions need at least solid backups at every position. With Daunte Culpepper likely leaving in free agency and Drew Stanton not showing the strides the Lions expected him to take by this time, another backup QB would be a good addition. While it’s likely that the Lions will push for a “franchise” runningback in the draft, they really don’t need one. Kevin Smith is very capable and shouldn’t be cast aide too early. They need another solid wide receiver, tight end and guard to help the passing game. Depth at all of those positions would be helpful as well.
Defensively they need starters at defensive end, defensive tackle, both corner spots and safety. That’s not including who may be cut or traded away for salary reasons. Depth is also a concern; however some of the starters from this past season may be better in a rotational role. Lots of money needs to be spent on this team during the offseason.
1st-round Draft Prediction and suggestions for ways to go.
1st Round Pick should be: Gerald McCoy, Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma.
McCoy isn’t quite as good as many analysts would lead you to believe, basically meaning that he isn’t as good as Ndamukong Suh, particularly in the run game. McCoy is more of one-gap penetrator and is a little more focused on getting to the QB than stopping the run. Also, penetrating, one-gap pass rushers in college have a tendency to get overwhelmed when they get to the NFL by the larger, stronger guards. All that being said, he is still a tremendous prospect and would, likely, be an instant double team on any given play. There has been no indication of him taking plays off or needing to be given a break during the course of a season. To be fair, he was playing in the Big 12 which is not known for its dominant guard play or strong power running games. But again, I’m nitpicking. He would definitely be the best option if Suh goes number one, but other options would be guys Derrick Morgan, Eric Berry or Joe Haden.
As far as other picks go, they really should address the defensive backfield in the second round, preferably going to corners first. Guys like Kyle Wilson from Boise State, Devin McCourty from Rutgers or Patrick Robinson from Florida State. Ideally they’d like for Perrish Cox from Oklahoma State would fall to the second round, but he is likely to get snatched up in the late first round. Trevard Lindley from Kentucky, Javier Arenas from Alabama, Syd’Quan Thompson form California and Alterraun Verner from UCLA are all good options in later rounds. As far as Safety goes Taylor Mays from USC may fall into the second round which would be nice, but a more realistic option would be Nate Allen from South Florida, Kam Chancellor from Virginia Tech or Myron Rolle Florida State are options in the middle rounds.
Along the third round they really need to consider a strong defensive end. Guys like Greg Hardy from Mississippi, Willie Young from North Carolina State or Rahim Alem from LSU. Corey Wooton from Northwestern and Brandon Lang from Troy would be available in the second round, but I think the drop-off between the majority of the defensive backs in the second round and the later rounds is bigger than is the case with defensive lineman. Other options for the defensive tackle spot are guys like Lamarr Houston from Texas and D’Anthony Smith from Louisiana Tech.
As far as their options go in building depth offensively they should look at getting a tight end, wide receiver or/and a runningback in the fourth or later rounds. As far as tight ends go, they could get come good mileage out of players like Mike Hoomanawanui from Illinois and Anthony Moeaki from Iowa. Emmanuel Sanders from SMU, Jeremy Williams from Tulane, Seyi Ajirotutu from Fresno State and Antonio Brown from Central Michigan are all good options at Wide Receiver. The one I am probably going to wrong about is what they do with runningback. There is a good chance that they would take a player like Jahvid Best or Jonathan Dwyer should either be available in the second round. I personally think that that would be a mistake. LeGarrette Blount from Oregon, Javarris James from Miami (Fl.) and Curtis Steele from Memphis would all be good options in the later rounds and all would be good compliments to Aaron Brown and Kevin Smith.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Season Review: St. Louis Rams
Record Overview: 1-15
Remember the “Greatest Show on Turf?” This Rams team was perhaps the furthest thing from those great offensive teams. You could tell they were playing hard but they seemed to be unable to keep themselves from screwing up at the wrong time. While they only tied for tenth in the league in penalties with 100, but they had 24 false starts, 15 offensive holding calls and 10 unnecessary roughness, showing a lack of fundamentals and discipline. That’s odd considering how tough minded Head Coach Steve Spagnulo is. An interesting note on these penalties is that you can directly attribute 18% of their 834 penalty yards to two players, Richie Incognito and Alex Barron. Incognito, who was cut after several personal foul penalties in the game against Tennessee, was only guilty of six penalties during the entirety of his time with the Rams this season. However, two of those penalties were the idiotic personal fouls that got him cut and three more were committed in the first game of the season, which accounted for 41% of the penalty yards in that first game. Barron, on the other hand, was guilty of just not being confident enough to handle the best pass rushers in the game. He has always had problems with false starts and, while he was less guilty of them this year than in years previous, but he had a penalty in 11 of 16 games. These penalties were major problem and they need to be worked out over the course of the offseason if the Rams want to become a better team.
Another major problem that hurt the Rams was the fact that there was little continuity on the team. 13 players ended up on injured reserve and a number of other players who ended the season hurt. Three different quarterbacks started games at various points during the season and none of them played particularly well. This of course wasn’t helped by the fact that the starting offensive line only had all five starters playing at the same time for the first two games of the season. If it wasn’t the rookie Jason Smith missing time with a knee injury and the last 5 games with a concussion or Jacob Bell tearing a hamstring muscle and missing the last two games, it was Incognito getting hurt and missing a couple of games in the middle of the season then getting cut for his idiotic actions in week 12. Backup Adam Goldberg started in all but the first two games at almost any position he was needed.
The Wide Receivers didn’t help much either. What started the season as a young group that needed a playmaker to appear ended the season in much the same fashion. Laurent Robinson started the season opposite Donnie Avery and looked like a real steal after trading a seventh round pick for him in the offseason, but he ultimately broke his leg in week three that cost him the season and cost the Rams a good chance to see what they had long term in him. Keenan Burton then stepped in and was playing pretty well though not real explosively when he injured his knee and missed the rest of the season. Brandon Gibson and Danny Amendola then stepped in and did show talent. But all of this change didn’t help the Quarterbacks in establishing a rhythm within the offense. Also, during all of this Donnie Avery, one of the few players who started all 16 games, went through a rash of injuries (8 to be exact). At least in his case, he missed very little time and the worst of his injuries (a stress fracture in the left foot and a concussion) happened at times when they wouldn’t effect his performance during the season (the facture during the preseason and was healed before the season started and the concussion in the last game of the season.)
Then there was the defense, which was just as inconsistent in terms of lineup as the offense. The defensive line was relatively stable except for the defensive tackle spot opposite Clifton Ryan (who started all sixteen games). That spot was originally where former first round pick Adam Carriker was supposed to start, but then he tore a muscle in the same shoulder that he has had injured in years previously. To replace him, they ended up starting three different players at his spot. Starting with Gary Gibson who ended his season when he broke a bone in his leg. Then they throw in LaJuan Ramsey who is eventually replaced by the draft pick Dorell Scott. Scott and Ramsey had some good moments and may have place in the rotation going forward. However, for this season, they didn’t fill in well for Carriker. Also, it was odd how this one injury hurt the line play so much when all the other starters were healthy for the majority of the season. Leonard Little did miss some time but only a few games and Chris Long was there the entire season as was Ryan. It was a rough showing considering they didn’t get to the QB much during the course of the season.
Linebacker was less of an issue, but there was still some major upheaval that took place during the course of the season. Yes, it is possible to have major upheaval that doesn’t affect play on the field. James Laurinaitis started all 16 games and was a great pick, playing well in all aspects of the game. The issues were at the outside linebacker spots. David Vobora, the former Mr. Irrelevant of the 2008 draft, started at strongside spot for every game that he was eligible and he was never in over his head. The spot opposite him was the area of much upheaval. Solid starter Will Witherspoon was traded to Philadelphia for a seventh round pick and Brandon Gibson at the trade deadline following week 6. That was three games into the four game suspension of David Vobora for use of performance enhancing substances, leaving the Rams in a bit of a bind, but at the same time addressing a more immediate need at wide receiver. Paris Lenon was signed when Vobora was suspended and played at his spot during the first three games of the suspension and then took over at the weakside when Witherspoon was traded. During the one game when Vobora was suspended and Lenon was on the weakside, Larry Grant started on the strongside and played admirably. Grant and backup Chris Chamberlain also were important special teams players and add good depth to this unit.
The secondary really was a mess, notably at the cornerback position. Ron Bartell played fairly well, but was guilty of three defensive pass interferences and had another called against him that was declined. Even the best corners have a few of these penalties, but on a team that had been struggling to keep good offenses from finding a rhythm, the last thing that one of their best defenders needs to do is give those offenses a first down. The corner spot opposite him was yet another spot where there was a rotating door of players. The season started with Jonathan Wade starting opposite Bartell. Wade played alright for the five games he started, but was benched after week 5 for poor performance. After which rookie Bradley Fletcher started two games before severely injuring his knee which ended his season, opening the door for Quincy Butler and Justin King to get starts for the remainder of the season. Safety, on the other hand, was a position of strength through the entirety of the season, even though O.J. Atogwe and James Butler both missed several games. Craig Dahl played the run very well during the games he was starting. His coverage was somewhat questionable and he will never really push Atogwe or Butler for the starter spot, but he will definitely play well when called on. Butler continued where he left off in New York, a great run defender and a solid coverage defender who could become confused in his assignments. However, he had a solid season even though he missed a couple of games. Then there is Atogwe, the best defender on the team. A strong tackler and coverage defender who has a nose for the ball that is reminiscent of Charles Woodson. He can cause turnovers in any number of ways and can turn those turnovers into points if he has the space and time to do so.
Overall this was one terrible season. The injuries and constantly changing lineup allowed for neither side of the ball to develop and great deal of chemistry with one another. Veteran players only got older and one year closer to free agency creating more personnel problems for the team and many of the promising younger players got hurt and gained little in terms of experience. On the positive side though, those players who were healthy got good experience and were able to build some chemistry. Also, the Rams were able to discover some good players who would likely have never been given a chance if the injuries never took place, like Danny Amendola. Also, the Rams never quit no matter how hard the circumstances, showing that this team is high in character which will serve them well going forward.
Team MVP: Steven Jackson
This should be no surprise to anyone. The only Pro Bowler on the team, a top five rusher in NFL, led the team in catches (again), played through a painful back injury at the tail end of the season and played hard through all of the changes in the offensive line. The man should have been given medal for not shutting down at the end of the season. He runs hard and is shifty, fast and powerful as a runner. To anyone who wonders if he was worth the big contract extension he signed last offseason, I think this season should show you he was.
Offensive Player of the Year: Steven Jackson
Must I repeat myself?
Defensive Player of the Year: O.J. Atogwe
I feel kind of bad about making this pick, not because it is a bad pick, but because it seems so obvious. Atogwe is a lot like Charles Woodson playing at the safety position. He is excellent in coverage and is able to pull the bait-and-switch with the best of them. The comparison to Charles Woodson also comes in his ability to both intercept passes and force fumbles. He also plays the run well and is someone that offenses have to account for in game planning. The turnovers are what got him this award as opposed to James Laurinaitis.
Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis
Speaking of whom, Laurinaitis is obvious as he rookie of the year for this team. He started every game he played in, led the team in tackles, adjusted well to calling the plays for a professional team, blitzed well, covered well and brought an enthusiasm that seemed to be lacking before he came in. While he didn’t put up astounding statistics in any individual aspect, other than tackling, he was excellent in the aspect that matters the most, assignments. He was almost always in the spot that he needed to be through the course of the season, notably in blitz packages. It also helps his cause that rookies like Brooks Foster, Bradley Fletcher and, of course, Jason Smith missed a lot of games this season with injuries. Regardless, Laurinaitis was a big positive in a very poor season.
Breakout Player of the Year: Chris Long
Some would disagree with this pick because Long didn’t have a ton of sacks. I would say that this is exactly the point. He didn’t start out as a terror off the edge. He started off very much like he finished last year, playing hard and making some plays, but overall not the kind of impact you expect for a top-flight defensive end. At the end of the season, he was doing something that is even more important than sacking the quarterback….making the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket. The logic is this, sacking the quarterback affects that player once. Making the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket, which includes sacking the quarterback, affects that player for the entirety of the game. Hitting the quarterback, sacking him, causing pressure and batting down passes are parts of making that pocket uncomfortable to stand in and deliver the ball with confidence. This leads to hurried passes, poor mechanics and poor decision making, which of course helps lead to turnovers. He also played the run very well, doing all the little things that coaches, scouts and teammates appreciate and fans might not,
Surprise Player of the Year: David Vobora/Keith Null
This one was impossible for me to pick just one. Vobora was the very last pick of the 2008 draft and was considered nothing more than a practice squad body. This year however he started every game he was eligible and played fairly well in every game. He didn’t always have the best assignment coverage nor did he ever threaten a team with his marginal athleticism. However, he played hard and was quite good is run support and got better in coverage as the season went along. He came out of nowhere to become a solid addition to the Rams defense.
Null is a very different kind of story. He wasn’t expected to do much when he was brought on because he was a sixth round pick from a Division II school, West Texas A&M. However, he not only got some playing time, he started four games and was more impressive than many will give him credit for. He did make the classic rookie mistakes of staring down receivers and not always moving well within the pocket and had his fair share of problems adjusting to the speed of the pro game. However, after all of that he never let the game overwhelm him and get him down. He was described as unflappable and as being a strong presence in the huddle, that’s the kind of intangibles that make a player like him a possibility as a future starter. His arm strength and accuracy were also quite impressive and if he develops well over the offseason, he could end up as the long-term backup if not the future starter.
(The reason I am looking at the 2006 draft and not one of the more recent drafts is very simple. I believe that it takes four full seasons to truly and accurately grade a draft class. In that regard, I am not going to quickly jump on the 2009 draft class and make snap judgments, it’s now time to examine the draft of four years ago.)
2006 Draft Review and Final Grade: D-
Tye Hill, Cornerback, Clemson
Known as a fast, athletic corner that had good instincts and great measurables, Hill has had a hard career. In his rookie year, he played pretty well, not great, but good enough to show his promise. The following season however, he was plagued by injuries and missed the majority of the season. He then came back the next year and was quickly out matched in terms of speed by Desean Jackson, ruining his confidence in himself and his abilities. He was benched halfway through the season and was traded to the Falcons this past offseason for a seventh round pick. With the Falcons he showed a bit more of that promise he once had and might factor in as the dime corner, but his fast fall from starter to backup on another team shows how quickly a career can fall. Hill is a bust.
Joe Klopfenstein, Tight End, Colorado
Another player who was coming out known for his crisp route running and good hands who never lived up to his billing. It didn’t help that he wasn’t a strong blocker to begin with, then adding the fact that he was never able to become the solid underneath target that the Rams were hoping for, just lead to him being expendable. He is currently with the Bills and not likely to stay past training camp. Another bust.
Claude Wroten, Defensive Tackle, LSU
This was a risky pick to being with. Wroten was known more for his character issues than he was for his play coming out. While he did have a couple of moments here and there through his first two years with the Rams, but he was often deactivated and eventually landed both a four game suspension and a year long suspension for violation of the substances abuse policy. He was caught with those violations in the course of one calendar year. He was released by the Rams before the season and hasn’t been picked up by anyone. Another bust.
Jon Alston, Linebacker, Stanford
A speedy linebacker who was expected to bring youth to the linebacking corp in St. Louis, was deactivated for the majority of his rookie season and then was cut the following year. He ended up signing with the Raiders and has been with them ever since, acting as a special teams ace and spot starter. In those roles he has been good so, the Rams blew it twice over. Once by drafting him too high, then by cutting him too early and losing the chance to have another solid player on their team. A bust to the Rams, but not to the Raiders.
Dominique Byrd, Tight End, USC
Much like Klopfenstein, Byrd was supposed to be a solid receiver who really only needed to grow as a blocker and stay out of trouble off the field. He succeeded in neither aspect. Poor performance along with an arrest and what was reported to be a lazy attitude during practice lead to him being cut after only his second season. He was out of football until this past offseason when the Cardinals gave him a chance. He lasted a couple of weeks into the season before being cut again in favor of other options. Bust.
Victor Adeyanju, Defensive End, Indiana
Well finally, someone who isn’t a bust. Victor Adeyanju isn’t only still with the team, he is a key contributor along the defensive line. He was originally considered to only be a run defender and had little value as a pass rusher. This was true for his first two seasons, where he played mostly as a rotational defensive end who specialized in run defending. However, over the last two season, he has grown into a pretty good all around defensive end. He can rush the passer much better now than he could previously and has been a solid member of the Rams since. He is still with the team and should get a contract extension, as minor as it may be. Good pick.
Marques Hagans, Wide Receiver, Virginia
A quarterback in college who was very fast and quick. However, when he got to the NFL, he struggled to find his way off the Rams practice squad and onto the field. After basically trying to learn his new position for two years, the Rams cut him and he found is way to the Chiefs, Colts and Redskins practice squads. He was cut from the Redskins before this past season and is looking for a new job. Bust.
Tim McGarigle, Linebacker, Northwestern
A tackling machine in college who figured to be a backup and special teams player at the next level. After spending his first two season rotating between the practice squad and the regular roster, the Rams released him and he hasn’t been seen since. Bust.
Mark Setterstrom, Guard, Minnesota
The only other pick from this draft still on the team. Setterstrom has had a number of opportunities to lock down one of the starting guard positions, but has always been beat out by other players. Also, injuries have hurt his cause as he has missed a lot of time with knee, shoulder and triceps injuries. He is likely to stay with the team for reasons of depth, but it is hard to call this a good pick because of all the injuries.
Tony Palmer, Tackle/Guard, Missouri
Palmer never even got to suit up for the Rams, he was waived early in training camp of his rookie year. He was picked up by the Packers and spent several years on that team trying to prove himself as a starter of the future. He was cut before last season and has been missing from the game since then. Bust.
Offseason Needs
There are several needs on the Rams, though not as many as some fans may lead you to believe. The safety position is set and needs no help. The runningback position is good condition too. A new backup may ne needed, but it’s hardly a major concern. Linebacker is pretty well established and only a few adjustments may be needed, the weakside spot may need a long-term starter as current starter Paris Lenon is likely going to leave in free agency. The defensive line needs some help. Both Leonard Little and James Hall are free agents this season and it’s unlikely that both will be brought back. To ensure that there isn’t a constant double teaming on Chris Long, they need to bring in veteran end who can help rush the passer. Also, their long snapper Chris Massey is also a free agent so look for them to try and re-sign him or to target someone similar to him in the draft, or even trade for another long snapper. In that case keep an on the Giants Jay Alford and Zak DeOssie. Both are backups on the defensive side of the ball, both played under Steve Spagnulo in 2007 and 2008, both are experienced long snappers. Both are also in the last two years of their contracts and Zak DeOssie was selected to the Pro Bowl as the long snapper this year. It would be tough to get them, but it would solve the problem.
Another couple of key free agents are Kyle Boller and Randy McMichael. Both would like to return but reports are that it is unlikely that either would return. I can see that with Boller, there are plenty of available QBs who could do just as well as him in a backup role. With McMichael however, I don’t see the logic. Tight end is major concern for this team and just letting a solid veteran player like McMichael leave like that is a mistake in my opinion. I do think they could probably find a good tight end in the draft, but just looking at their history in doing so does not inspire confidence. Also, I think it would be smart for the Rams to switch Alex Barron back to the right side and let Jason Smith take his place as the left tackle of the future, keep in mind that is assuming that they keep Alex Barron, he is a free agent this offseason. For all the problems I have with him, he does play well, I just wouldn’t trust him on the left side. Corner is a similar problem, they really need to figure out who will start opposite Ron Bartell in the offseason. Marc Bulger’s status is also concerning. Should he retire they will have to go directly to a young player or a spotgap, otherwise I would keep him as the starter until he decides to retire or the young player is ready. I believe that now would be a horrible time to cut him in spite of his salary.
So roughly in order, the Rams need to address: Defensive End
Tight End
Cornerback
Quarterback
Long Snapper
Wide Receiver
Offensive Line
1st-round Draft Prediction and Suggestions
1st Round Pick should be: Ndamukong Suh, Defensive Tackle, Nebraska.
You’re going to hear a lot about Suh’s physical abilities and production in the coming months so I won’t bore you with that. What I want to talk about is one play from Nebraska’s bowl victory that I think defines exactly what makes Suh such a great prospect. Arizona decides to run the ball to the same side as Suh (the right if memory serves), but the play is intended for the outside. The Arizona runningback patiently waits to see where the crease opens up and commits to that crease. Meanwhile, Suh has engaged the guard but has not overpowered him yet, but is also not being blocked. He is kind of just waiting to see what the runningback does. When the runningback committed to a specific hole, Suh throws the guard aside and meets the runningback at the hole, stopping him for a loss. This is the kind of intelligent play that one rarely sees from young defensive tackles, reading the offense and waiting for the runningback to commit to one spot before going to crush him. Also, understanding the specific runningback as a player is just as important as having the physical tools to defeat them. He is one of the rare players who is a truly can’t miss prospect. The Rams would be fools to pass on him for anyone else, barring injuries of course.
In terms of their other picks, the Rams could go a couple of ways. Personally, I think that too many people are jumping on the concept of grabbing the best QB available in the second round. I personally believe that if Mike Iupati, the massive guard from Idaho is available in the second round, that they should grab him and solidify the spot that was once occupied by Richie Incognito. Then they could address the QB issue in the third round with a player like Daryll Clark of Penn State or Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan. Additional, the wide receiver issue could be addressed in the fourth or fifth round with players like Freddie Barnes of Bowling Green, Blair White of Michigan State, Kerry Meier of Kansas or Chirs McGaha of Arizona State.
Another way they could go is to take the best QB available in the second round, likely Colt McCoy, and the address wide receiver in the third round with a player like Eric Decker of Minnesota. In those last couple of rounds they could look at some guard prospects, but I think the difference between the top of that class and the middle range of that class is too vast to consider it a viable option, either get them high or don’t get them at all. They could look at some young defensive ends like Jan Jorgenson of BYU (the guy who knocked Sam Bradford out of the game), Albert McClellan of Marshall or Greg Middleton of Indiana. There would also be a few young corners they could consider like Alterraun Verner of UCLA, Stephen Virgil of Virginia Tech or Walter McFadden of Auburn. I personally would go with the suggestion described earlier, but these are some good options should Iupati not be there at the top of the second round.
Remember the “Greatest Show on Turf?” This Rams team was perhaps the furthest thing from those great offensive teams. You could tell they were playing hard but they seemed to be unable to keep themselves from screwing up at the wrong time. While they only tied for tenth in the league in penalties with 100, but they had 24 false starts, 15 offensive holding calls and 10 unnecessary roughness, showing a lack of fundamentals and discipline. That’s odd considering how tough minded Head Coach Steve Spagnulo is. An interesting note on these penalties is that you can directly attribute 18% of their 834 penalty yards to two players, Richie Incognito and Alex Barron. Incognito, who was cut after several personal foul penalties in the game against Tennessee, was only guilty of six penalties during the entirety of his time with the Rams this season. However, two of those penalties were the idiotic personal fouls that got him cut and three more were committed in the first game of the season, which accounted for 41% of the penalty yards in that first game. Barron, on the other hand, was guilty of just not being confident enough to handle the best pass rushers in the game. He has always had problems with false starts and, while he was less guilty of them this year than in years previous, but he had a penalty in 11 of 16 games. These penalties were major problem and they need to be worked out over the course of the offseason if the Rams want to become a better team.
Another major problem that hurt the Rams was the fact that there was little continuity on the team. 13 players ended up on injured reserve and a number of other players who ended the season hurt. Three different quarterbacks started games at various points during the season and none of them played particularly well. This of course wasn’t helped by the fact that the starting offensive line only had all five starters playing at the same time for the first two games of the season. If it wasn’t the rookie Jason Smith missing time with a knee injury and the last 5 games with a concussion or Jacob Bell tearing a hamstring muscle and missing the last two games, it was Incognito getting hurt and missing a couple of games in the middle of the season then getting cut for his idiotic actions in week 12. Backup Adam Goldberg started in all but the first two games at almost any position he was needed.
The Wide Receivers didn’t help much either. What started the season as a young group that needed a playmaker to appear ended the season in much the same fashion. Laurent Robinson started the season opposite Donnie Avery and looked like a real steal after trading a seventh round pick for him in the offseason, but he ultimately broke his leg in week three that cost him the season and cost the Rams a good chance to see what they had long term in him. Keenan Burton then stepped in and was playing pretty well though not real explosively when he injured his knee and missed the rest of the season. Brandon Gibson and Danny Amendola then stepped in and did show talent. But all of this change didn’t help the Quarterbacks in establishing a rhythm within the offense. Also, during all of this Donnie Avery, one of the few players who started all 16 games, went through a rash of injuries (8 to be exact). At least in his case, he missed very little time and the worst of his injuries (a stress fracture in the left foot and a concussion) happened at times when they wouldn’t effect his performance during the season (the facture during the preseason and was healed before the season started and the concussion in the last game of the season.)
Then there was the defense, which was just as inconsistent in terms of lineup as the offense. The defensive line was relatively stable except for the defensive tackle spot opposite Clifton Ryan (who started all sixteen games). That spot was originally where former first round pick Adam Carriker was supposed to start, but then he tore a muscle in the same shoulder that he has had injured in years previously. To replace him, they ended up starting three different players at his spot. Starting with Gary Gibson who ended his season when he broke a bone in his leg. Then they throw in LaJuan Ramsey who is eventually replaced by the draft pick Dorell Scott. Scott and Ramsey had some good moments and may have place in the rotation going forward. However, for this season, they didn’t fill in well for Carriker. Also, it was odd how this one injury hurt the line play so much when all the other starters were healthy for the majority of the season. Leonard Little did miss some time but only a few games and Chris Long was there the entire season as was Ryan. It was a rough showing considering they didn’t get to the QB much during the course of the season.
Linebacker was less of an issue, but there was still some major upheaval that took place during the course of the season. Yes, it is possible to have major upheaval that doesn’t affect play on the field. James Laurinaitis started all 16 games and was a great pick, playing well in all aspects of the game. The issues were at the outside linebacker spots. David Vobora, the former Mr. Irrelevant of the 2008 draft, started at strongside spot for every game that he was eligible and he was never in over his head. The spot opposite him was the area of much upheaval. Solid starter Will Witherspoon was traded to Philadelphia for a seventh round pick and Brandon Gibson at the trade deadline following week 6. That was three games into the four game suspension of David Vobora for use of performance enhancing substances, leaving the Rams in a bit of a bind, but at the same time addressing a more immediate need at wide receiver. Paris Lenon was signed when Vobora was suspended and played at his spot during the first three games of the suspension and then took over at the weakside when Witherspoon was traded. During the one game when Vobora was suspended and Lenon was on the weakside, Larry Grant started on the strongside and played admirably. Grant and backup Chris Chamberlain also were important special teams players and add good depth to this unit.
The secondary really was a mess, notably at the cornerback position. Ron Bartell played fairly well, but was guilty of three defensive pass interferences and had another called against him that was declined. Even the best corners have a few of these penalties, but on a team that had been struggling to keep good offenses from finding a rhythm, the last thing that one of their best defenders needs to do is give those offenses a first down. The corner spot opposite him was yet another spot where there was a rotating door of players. The season started with Jonathan Wade starting opposite Bartell. Wade played alright for the five games he started, but was benched after week 5 for poor performance. After which rookie Bradley Fletcher started two games before severely injuring his knee which ended his season, opening the door for Quincy Butler and Justin King to get starts for the remainder of the season. Safety, on the other hand, was a position of strength through the entirety of the season, even though O.J. Atogwe and James Butler both missed several games. Craig Dahl played the run very well during the games he was starting. His coverage was somewhat questionable and he will never really push Atogwe or Butler for the starter spot, but he will definitely play well when called on. Butler continued where he left off in New York, a great run defender and a solid coverage defender who could become confused in his assignments. However, he had a solid season even though he missed a couple of games. Then there is Atogwe, the best defender on the team. A strong tackler and coverage defender who has a nose for the ball that is reminiscent of Charles Woodson. He can cause turnovers in any number of ways and can turn those turnovers into points if he has the space and time to do so.
Overall this was one terrible season. The injuries and constantly changing lineup allowed for neither side of the ball to develop and great deal of chemistry with one another. Veteran players only got older and one year closer to free agency creating more personnel problems for the team and many of the promising younger players got hurt and gained little in terms of experience. On the positive side though, those players who were healthy got good experience and were able to build some chemistry. Also, the Rams were able to discover some good players who would likely have never been given a chance if the injuries never took place, like Danny Amendola. Also, the Rams never quit no matter how hard the circumstances, showing that this team is high in character which will serve them well going forward.
Team MVP: Steven Jackson
This should be no surprise to anyone. The only Pro Bowler on the team, a top five rusher in NFL, led the team in catches (again), played through a painful back injury at the tail end of the season and played hard through all of the changes in the offensive line. The man should have been given medal for not shutting down at the end of the season. He runs hard and is shifty, fast and powerful as a runner. To anyone who wonders if he was worth the big contract extension he signed last offseason, I think this season should show you he was.
Offensive Player of the Year: Steven Jackson
Must I repeat myself?
Defensive Player of the Year: O.J. Atogwe
I feel kind of bad about making this pick, not because it is a bad pick, but because it seems so obvious. Atogwe is a lot like Charles Woodson playing at the safety position. He is excellent in coverage and is able to pull the bait-and-switch with the best of them. The comparison to Charles Woodson also comes in his ability to both intercept passes and force fumbles. He also plays the run well and is someone that offenses have to account for in game planning. The turnovers are what got him this award as opposed to James Laurinaitis.
Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis
Speaking of whom, Laurinaitis is obvious as he rookie of the year for this team. He started every game he played in, led the team in tackles, adjusted well to calling the plays for a professional team, blitzed well, covered well and brought an enthusiasm that seemed to be lacking before he came in. While he didn’t put up astounding statistics in any individual aspect, other than tackling, he was excellent in the aspect that matters the most, assignments. He was almost always in the spot that he needed to be through the course of the season, notably in blitz packages. It also helps his cause that rookies like Brooks Foster, Bradley Fletcher and, of course, Jason Smith missed a lot of games this season with injuries. Regardless, Laurinaitis was a big positive in a very poor season.
Breakout Player of the Year: Chris Long
Some would disagree with this pick because Long didn’t have a ton of sacks. I would say that this is exactly the point. He didn’t start out as a terror off the edge. He started off very much like he finished last year, playing hard and making some plays, but overall not the kind of impact you expect for a top-flight defensive end. At the end of the season, he was doing something that is even more important than sacking the quarterback….making the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket. The logic is this, sacking the quarterback affects that player once. Making the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket, which includes sacking the quarterback, affects that player for the entirety of the game. Hitting the quarterback, sacking him, causing pressure and batting down passes are parts of making that pocket uncomfortable to stand in and deliver the ball with confidence. This leads to hurried passes, poor mechanics and poor decision making, which of course helps lead to turnovers. He also played the run very well, doing all the little things that coaches, scouts and teammates appreciate and fans might not,
Surprise Player of the Year: David Vobora/Keith Null
This one was impossible for me to pick just one. Vobora was the very last pick of the 2008 draft and was considered nothing more than a practice squad body. This year however he started every game he was eligible and played fairly well in every game. He didn’t always have the best assignment coverage nor did he ever threaten a team with his marginal athleticism. However, he played hard and was quite good is run support and got better in coverage as the season went along. He came out of nowhere to become a solid addition to the Rams defense.
Null is a very different kind of story. He wasn’t expected to do much when he was brought on because he was a sixth round pick from a Division II school, West Texas A&M. However, he not only got some playing time, he started four games and was more impressive than many will give him credit for. He did make the classic rookie mistakes of staring down receivers and not always moving well within the pocket and had his fair share of problems adjusting to the speed of the pro game. However, after all of that he never let the game overwhelm him and get him down. He was described as unflappable and as being a strong presence in the huddle, that’s the kind of intangibles that make a player like him a possibility as a future starter. His arm strength and accuracy were also quite impressive and if he develops well over the offseason, he could end up as the long-term backup if not the future starter.
(The reason I am looking at the 2006 draft and not one of the more recent drafts is very simple. I believe that it takes four full seasons to truly and accurately grade a draft class. In that regard, I am not going to quickly jump on the 2009 draft class and make snap judgments, it’s now time to examine the draft of four years ago.)
2006 Draft Review and Final Grade: D-
Tye Hill, Cornerback, Clemson
Known as a fast, athletic corner that had good instincts and great measurables, Hill has had a hard career. In his rookie year, he played pretty well, not great, but good enough to show his promise. The following season however, he was plagued by injuries and missed the majority of the season. He then came back the next year and was quickly out matched in terms of speed by Desean Jackson, ruining his confidence in himself and his abilities. He was benched halfway through the season and was traded to the Falcons this past offseason for a seventh round pick. With the Falcons he showed a bit more of that promise he once had and might factor in as the dime corner, but his fast fall from starter to backup on another team shows how quickly a career can fall. Hill is a bust.
Joe Klopfenstein, Tight End, Colorado
Another player who was coming out known for his crisp route running and good hands who never lived up to his billing. It didn’t help that he wasn’t a strong blocker to begin with, then adding the fact that he was never able to become the solid underneath target that the Rams were hoping for, just lead to him being expendable. He is currently with the Bills and not likely to stay past training camp. Another bust.
Claude Wroten, Defensive Tackle, LSU
This was a risky pick to being with. Wroten was known more for his character issues than he was for his play coming out. While he did have a couple of moments here and there through his first two years with the Rams, but he was often deactivated and eventually landed both a four game suspension and a year long suspension for violation of the substances abuse policy. He was caught with those violations in the course of one calendar year. He was released by the Rams before the season and hasn’t been picked up by anyone. Another bust.
Jon Alston, Linebacker, Stanford
A speedy linebacker who was expected to bring youth to the linebacking corp in St. Louis, was deactivated for the majority of his rookie season and then was cut the following year. He ended up signing with the Raiders and has been with them ever since, acting as a special teams ace and spot starter. In those roles he has been good so, the Rams blew it twice over. Once by drafting him too high, then by cutting him too early and losing the chance to have another solid player on their team. A bust to the Rams, but not to the Raiders.
Dominique Byrd, Tight End, USC
Much like Klopfenstein, Byrd was supposed to be a solid receiver who really only needed to grow as a blocker and stay out of trouble off the field. He succeeded in neither aspect. Poor performance along with an arrest and what was reported to be a lazy attitude during practice lead to him being cut after only his second season. He was out of football until this past offseason when the Cardinals gave him a chance. He lasted a couple of weeks into the season before being cut again in favor of other options. Bust.
Victor Adeyanju, Defensive End, Indiana
Well finally, someone who isn’t a bust. Victor Adeyanju isn’t only still with the team, he is a key contributor along the defensive line. He was originally considered to only be a run defender and had little value as a pass rusher. This was true for his first two seasons, where he played mostly as a rotational defensive end who specialized in run defending. However, over the last two season, he has grown into a pretty good all around defensive end. He can rush the passer much better now than he could previously and has been a solid member of the Rams since. He is still with the team and should get a contract extension, as minor as it may be. Good pick.
Marques Hagans, Wide Receiver, Virginia
A quarterback in college who was very fast and quick. However, when he got to the NFL, he struggled to find his way off the Rams practice squad and onto the field. After basically trying to learn his new position for two years, the Rams cut him and he found is way to the Chiefs, Colts and Redskins practice squads. He was cut from the Redskins before this past season and is looking for a new job. Bust.
Tim McGarigle, Linebacker, Northwestern
A tackling machine in college who figured to be a backup and special teams player at the next level. After spending his first two season rotating between the practice squad and the regular roster, the Rams released him and he hasn’t been seen since. Bust.
Mark Setterstrom, Guard, Minnesota
The only other pick from this draft still on the team. Setterstrom has had a number of opportunities to lock down one of the starting guard positions, but has always been beat out by other players. Also, injuries have hurt his cause as he has missed a lot of time with knee, shoulder and triceps injuries. He is likely to stay with the team for reasons of depth, but it is hard to call this a good pick because of all the injuries.
Tony Palmer, Tackle/Guard, Missouri
Palmer never even got to suit up for the Rams, he was waived early in training camp of his rookie year. He was picked up by the Packers and spent several years on that team trying to prove himself as a starter of the future. He was cut before last season and has been missing from the game since then. Bust.
Offseason Needs
There are several needs on the Rams, though not as many as some fans may lead you to believe. The safety position is set and needs no help. The runningback position is good condition too. A new backup may ne needed, but it’s hardly a major concern. Linebacker is pretty well established and only a few adjustments may be needed, the weakside spot may need a long-term starter as current starter Paris Lenon is likely going to leave in free agency. The defensive line needs some help. Both Leonard Little and James Hall are free agents this season and it’s unlikely that both will be brought back. To ensure that there isn’t a constant double teaming on Chris Long, they need to bring in veteran end who can help rush the passer. Also, their long snapper Chris Massey is also a free agent so look for them to try and re-sign him or to target someone similar to him in the draft, or even trade for another long snapper. In that case keep an on the Giants Jay Alford and Zak DeOssie. Both are backups on the defensive side of the ball, both played under Steve Spagnulo in 2007 and 2008, both are experienced long snappers. Both are also in the last two years of their contracts and Zak DeOssie was selected to the Pro Bowl as the long snapper this year. It would be tough to get them, but it would solve the problem.
Another couple of key free agents are Kyle Boller and Randy McMichael. Both would like to return but reports are that it is unlikely that either would return. I can see that with Boller, there are plenty of available QBs who could do just as well as him in a backup role. With McMichael however, I don’t see the logic. Tight end is major concern for this team and just letting a solid veteran player like McMichael leave like that is a mistake in my opinion. I do think they could probably find a good tight end in the draft, but just looking at their history in doing so does not inspire confidence. Also, I think it would be smart for the Rams to switch Alex Barron back to the right side and let Jason Smith take his place as the left tackle of the future, keep in mind that is assuming that they keep Alex Barron, he is a free agent this offseason. For all the problems I have with him, he does play well, I just wouldn’t trust him on the left side. Corner is a similar problem, they really need to figure out who will start opposite Ron Bartell in the offseason. Marc Bulger’s status is also concerning. Should he retire they will have to go directly to a young player or a spotgap, otherwise I would keep him as the starter until he decides to retire or the young player is ready. I believe that now would be a horrible time to cut him in spite of his salary.
So roughly in order, the Rams need to address: Defensive End
Tight End
Cornerback
Quarterback
Long Snapper
Wide Receiver
Offensive Line
1st-round Draft Prediction and Suggestions
1st Round Pick should be: Ndamukong Suh, Defensive Tackle, Nebraska.
You’re going to hear a lot about Suh’s physical abilities and production in the coming months so I won’t bore you with that. What I want to talk about is one play from Nebraska’s bowl victory that I think defines exactly what makes Suh such a great prospect. Arizona decides to run the ball to the same side as Suh (the right if memory serves), but the play is intended for the outside. The Arizona runningback patiently waits to see where the crease opens up and commits to that crease. Meanwhile, Suh has engaged the guard but has not overpowered him yet, but is also not being blocked. He is kind of just waiting to see what the runningback does. When the runningback committed to a specific hole, Suh throws the guard aside and meets the runningback at the hole, stopping him for a loss. This is the kind of intelligent play that one rarely sees from young defensive tackles, reading the offense and waiting for the runningback to commit to one spot before going to crush him. Also, understanding the specific runningback as a player is just as important as having the physical tools to defeat them. He is one of the rare players who is a truly can’t miss prospect. The Rams would be fools to pass on him for anyone else, barring injuries of course.
In terms of their other picks, the Rams could go a couple of ways. Personally, I think that too many people are jumping on the concept of grabbing the best QB available in the second round. I personally believe that if Mike Iupati, the massive guard from Idaho is available in the second round, that they should grab him and solidify the spot that was once occupied by Richie Incognito. Then they could address the QB issue in the third round with a player like Daryll Clark of Penn State or Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan. Additional, the wide receiver issue could be addressed in the fourth or fifth round with players like Freddie Barnes of Bowling Green, Blair White of Michigan State, Kerry Meier of Kansas or Chirs McGaha of Arizona State.
Another way they could go is to take the best QB available in the second round, likely Colt McCoy, and the address wide receiver in the third round with a player like Eric Decker of Minnesota. In those last couple of rounds they could look at some guard prospects, but I think the difference between the top of that class and the middle range of that class is too vast to consider it a viable option, either get them high or don’t get them at all. They could look at some young defensive ends like Jan Jorgenson of BYU (the guy who knocked Sam Bradford out of the game), Albert McClellan of Marshall or Greg Middleton of Indiana. There would also be a few young corners they could consider like Alterraun Verner of UCLA, Stephen Virgil of Virginia Tech or Walter McFadden of Auburn. I personally would go with the suggestion described earlier, but these are some good options should Iupati not be there at the top of the second round.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The BCS National Championship
The BCS National Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas
Well this is it. The big game. There has been a lot of hype, and all of it wrong. While Alabama’s defense is strong, they don’t have a player that is nearly has dominant as Ndamukong Suh. That player is what lead to the close game between Nebraska and Texas in the Big 12 championship. While Terrence Cody is a good player, as is Javiar Arenas and Renaldo McClain, none of them have that kind of game changing ability. Also The Alabama offense is one-dimensional and that one dimension is vastly overrated. While I appreciate the fact that Mark Ingram runs hard, I don’t see him as the kind of player that can take hold and change a game of this magnitude. Texas’ defense has been able to put large amounts of pressure on QBs all through this season and will be able to so in this contest. I think it will be close, but I got Texas in the upset. Hook ‘em Horns.
Prospects to Watch in this Game
Pick any starter on either team any you got yourself someone who is likely to be drafted or picked up in free agency. I’m not going to waste time with it. Just enjoy.
Well this is it. The big game. There has been a lot of hype, and all of it wrong. While Alabama’s defense is strong, they don’t have a player that is nearly has dominant as Ndamukong Suh. That player is what lead to the close game between Nebraska and Texas in the Big 12 championship. While Terrence Cody is a good player, as is Javiar Arenas and Renaldo McClain, none of them have that kind of game changing ability. Also The Alabama offense is one-dimensional and that one dimension is vastly overrated. While I appreciate the fact that Mark Ingram runs hard, I don’t see him as the kind of player that can take hold and change a game of this magnitude. Texas’ defense has been able to put large amounts of pressure on QBs all through this season and will be able to so in this contest. I think it will be close, but I got Texas in the upset. Hook ‘em Horns.
Prospects to Watch in this Game
Pick any starter on either team any you got yourself someone who is likely to be drafted or picked up in free agency. I’m not going to waste time with it. Just enjoy.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
GMAC Bowl
The GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy
Troy is known for their strong defense and high flying offense. Central Michigan is known more for its offense, but its defense is still pretty strong. This one will be close, but I think that Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour will lead his team to a win in his final college game.
Prospects to Watch in this Game
Central Michigan, Quarterback, Dan LeFevour: While playing in a spread offense his entire career does hurt his stock, his apparent arm strength and accuracy give him an excellent chance to be picked in the second to third round range.
Troy, Defensive End, Brandon Lang: Burst onto the scene last year as a major pass rushing force. There is a bit of an injury history here so teams will be weary, but he has drawn favorable comparisons to DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora. Second round prospect who could sneak into the first round with a strong combine.
Troy is known for their strong defense and high flying offense. Central Michigan is known more for its offense, but its defense is still pretty strong. This one will be close, but I think that Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour will lead his team to a win in his final college game.
Prospects to Watch in this Game
Central Michigan, Quarterback, Dan LeFevour: While playing in a spread offense his entire career does hurt his stock, his apparent arm strength and accuracy give him an excellent chance to be picked in the second to third round range.
Troy, Defensive End, Brandon Lang: Burst onto the scene last year as a major pass rushing force. There is a bit of an injury history here so teams will be weary, but he has drawn favorable comparisons to DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora. Second round prospect who could sneak into the first round with a strong combine.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
I was going to pick Iowa for many of the same reasons I picked Missouri to beat Navy. The main problem with doing that now is that Missouri lost. While Georgia Tech is still transitioning somewhat, they still are a very dangerous team and will likely win this game.
Prospects to Watch in this Game
Iowa, Tight End, Tony Moeki: With good size and speed, Moeki projects a mid round pick. His best asset is that he has soft hands, but his speed is nothing special. He kind of reminds me of he Steelers Heath Miller.
Georgia Tech, Runningback, Jonathan Dwyer: A big physical back who can pound the middle with the best of them. He also has underrated speed, but isn’t known as a breakaway runner. The difficult thing with projecting him to the NFL is the effect of playing in the triple option has had on his numbers. Either way, he is likely going to go in the first round should he come out in the draft this year.
I was going to pick Iowa for many of the same reasons I picked Missouri to beat Navy. The main problem with doing that now is that Missouri lost. While Georgia Tech is still transitioning somewhat, they still are a very dangerous team and will likely win this game.
Prospects to Watch in this Game
Iowa, Tight End, Tony Moeki: With good size and speed, Moeki projects a mid round pick. His best asset is that he has soft hands, but his speed is nothing special. He kind of reminds me of he Steelers Heath Miller.
Georgia Tech, Runningback, Jonathan Dwyer: A big physical back who can pound the middle with the best of them. He also has underrated speed, but isn’t known as a breakaway runner. The difficult thing with projecting him to the NFL is the effect of playing in the triple option has had on his numbers. Either way, he is likely going to go in the first round should he come out in the draft this year.
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