SB Nation - Orien Harris

Week in Review: Bengals must play the rest of the season like it's the playoffs

Kirkendall — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:23:54 -0000

23 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis breaks into a smile after the Bengals scored against the Houston Texans in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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Carson Palmer is calling Sunday a must-win. Hasn't it seemed like we've called every Bengals game a must-win this year? Beating Denver was a must-win to prevent another eight-game losing streak out of the gate like last season. We've called Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore must-wins for their division implications. Now, we're calling the Bears a must-win. And this could be the best example of that.

If the Bengals beat the Bears Sunday, Cincinnati heads into the bye week with a 5-2 record, regaining some momentum, still controlling their own destiny. After that, the Bengals host Baltimore and travel to Pittsburgh in back-to-back weeks. If, and that's always a big if, Cincinnati wins the next three games, they control their own destiny. After that three-game stretch, the Bengals play the Raiders, Browns and Lions. Now, we're 10-2 with the Vikings, Chargers, Chiefs and Jets to close out the season. So maybe the Bears isn't just a must-win. Maybe the Bears is the first of three-straight must-win games if the Bengals are going to make a championship run.

On the other hand, if the Bengals lose Sunday, they head into the bye week with a 4-3 record, a two-game losing streak, no momentum with games against the Ravens and Steelers on tap. Now, suggesting that the Bengals will win the next three, I believe, is a bit hopeful. The Steelers and Ravens, looking to take control of the division, will make it very hard on the Bengals. With that thought in mind, the Bengals beating the Bears could be the difference between having a winning record and a losing record by November 16. And realistically, if the Bengals are going to survive the rest of the season, they need to be assured of a winning record in case Baltimore and Pittsburgh have their revenge.

Furthermore, the Bengals can't go into the bye week on a two-game losing streak and no momentum. So is Sunday a must-win? I think so. If we were in any other division, I think the urgency is reduced a tad. But we know what the Steelers and Ravens can do and the Bengals will have to do everything they can to keep themselves from falling too quickly by two teams that could easily win out their games in which they're not facing each other -- which we've seen both teams do before.

We've heard the expression before by teams that make incredible runs to the playoffs and I believe it applies right now. The Cincinnati Bengals playoffs starts this Sunday and a loss could mean elimination.

Defensive line injuries could take a toll. Will they step up? Even though Domata Peko didn't practice on Wednesday and Thursday, it appears that the team's best defensive tackle will go on Sunday after fully participating during Friday's practice. Surprisingly he's listed as probable.

“Right now it’s feeling great,” Peko said. “I’m excited. I want to get out there and be with my dudes against Chicago but if it ain’t right I’m not going to go.”

This is great news at a time when the Bengals defensive line suddenly felt short-handed earlier this week. We lost Antwan Odom. Tank Johnson had missed two straight against Cleveland and Baltimore before returning against the Texans recording a season-high four tackles and a quarterback sack. Pat Sims was listed on the injury report this week with a bicept injury; he's also probable. What's worse is that due to illness, Jonathan Fanene missed practice on Thursday and Friday. Fanene, who's listed as questionable, could be giving way for rookie Michael Johnson. The Bengals also needed depth. After Odom went onto injured reserve, Cincinnati signed Orien Harris back.

With all the injuries and illnesses on the defensive line, guys like Robert Geathers, Michael Johnson, Tank Johnson and Pat Sims will have to step up.

They're calling it Benson Bowl. The local media is calling it "Benson Bowl." Benson isn't thinking of revenge, but he's motivated. Since joining the Cincinnati Bengals, Benson has found happiness. He feels accepted and says that his "Dreams are coming true." Benson also claims that the Bears were "blackballing" him when the Bears organization, from Benson's point of view, screwed him over.

"Even the Bengals told me all the things, that they would call and inquire about me and get nothing but negative things. Just that I didn't work hard, that I was I guess a prima donna or I didn't work hard on the field, just wasn't focused, just anything negative that they could say, it was said. I'm sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away."

I like Benson a lot. He's a hard worker and gives the Bengals the best running back they've had since Rudi Johnson's prime. The Cedric Benson in Cincinnati isn't the same Cedric Benson in Chicago. However, you have to wonder why Benson is going off about what the Bears may or may have not done to Benson. Even though he probably felt insulted, I believe Benson should take some responsibility for what happened in Chicago. The off-the-field issues were a result of his own actions, not the Bears. From my understanding, Benson didn't like sitting behind Thomas Jones and older reports suggested that Benson made things just as tense in the lockerroom as others made it tense for him. So I'm not so sure if Benson is totally blameless about what happened in Chicago. But in truth, whatever actually happened while he was with the Bears, is meaningless now.

What does matter is that the Bengals need Benson to rebound after his season-low 44 yards rushing last week. And just for fun, here's our post on the day Benson was signed in 2008. Re-read some of your comments and tell me how he's changed minds.

Just how far away is Coffman from playing? Indirectly, Chase Coffman became a leading discussion. After back-to-back weeks of watching tight ends drop passes and fumble the football, the Bengals rookie tight end is still inactive. It will be telling if this week Coffman makes his debut, or if the Bengals are still refusing to reduce Daniel Coats' playing time. J.P. Foschi hasn't been bad, but he's not the tight end that the Bengals need. It's clear that the offensive philosophy was to use the tight ends more this year in the passing game, but it's not working out. Two fumbles by tight ends against Houston was one of several explanations to the Bengals loss. The dropped passes are ridiculous.

Why isn't he playing? What we hear is that Coffman isn't ready. He doesn't play special teams well and he's still struggling to become an NFL Tight End after a college career where he played more like a wide receiver.

Maybe Coffman will become something special in the Bengals offense. Time will only tell. The problem is that the Bengals are one game away from either fighting for the division after the bye week, or sinking. If the Bengals beat the Bears Sunday, they'll once again fight Baltimore and Pittsburgh for division supremacy. If the Bengals lose to the Bears, they run the risk of going 4-5 (quickly) if they don't beat Baltimore and Pittsburgh, which would end their chances of controlling their own destiny.

Of course, Coffman isn't the reason for all of that. But the Bengals desperately need better tight end play than what we saw the last two weeks if they're going to keep making a run.

And apparently the Bengals view it that way. It was reported earlier in the week that the Bengals attempted to trade for Dallas Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett, which Dallas declined. Bennett isn't the type of tight end to fill the gap until Coffman is ready. He's the type of tight end that could become the future, which left the question, what about Coffman?

The Return of the Giant. Andre Smith's return, or actually making a debut, is happening. This week, Smith practiced on Wednesday, though it was only non-contact drills. On Thursday, Smith practiced limitedly, but had contact. On Friday, Smith practiced fully. Furthermore, Smith claims he dropped his weight to 330 pounds and most observers are saying he's "noticeably lighter."

All indications are, while still out this week against the Bears, that Smith will make his debut against the Baltimore Ravens on November 8 after the bye week. Unless Dennis Roland and Anthony Collins utterly fail against the Chicago Bears, it's unlikely that Smith starts against the Ravens. Knowing how the coaching staff has worked in the past, it seems more likely they'll ease Smith in during running downs in big packages, lining up at tight end, or weak-side tackle on big formations.

Something else needs to be observed here. When the Bengals rush the football to the right, they are actually one of the worst rushing offenses in the league. The following is a chart of the team's directional report on rushing plays by NFL Game Statistics and Information System.

	LE	LT	LG	Center	RG	RT	RE
Avg. Gain	6.0	5.17	7.0	3.86	2.39	3.3	3.14
NFL Rank	11	10	3	18	27	24	28

Is there where we prove something? I've always agreed that Bengals offensive coordinator makes questionable calls. However, I always say that the players need to perform first and foremost. Last week was an example of an offense that lacked focus. Now, I'm going to make some people happy; or at least give them direction in their complaints.

As you saw in the chart above, the Bengals are clearly a better rushing offense to the left between Andrew Whitworth and the combination of Nate Livings and Evan Mathis at left guard. The issue here is that the Bengals are rushing the football outside the right guard more than rushing between the strength of their offensive line on the left. The next chart is broken down to three directions. Up the middle, which is between the two guards. And outside both guards on the left and right.

Dir.	Left (outside LG)	Between LG and RG	Right (outside RG)
Plays	41	61	53
Yards	226	250	171
Avg.	5.5	4.1	3.2
Note: Six rushing plays are unaccounted for.

Friday Notes: Lions Place Copeland Bryan on IR, Sign Vinny Ciurciu

Sean Yuille — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:54:25 -0000

Defensive end Copeland Bryan was placed on injured reserve yesterday. An MCL sprain he suffered against the Packers is the reason behind his season coming to an end. The Lions replaced Bryan on the roster with free agent linebacker Vinny Ciurciu, who has been on a variety of teams over the years, including the Panthers, Buccaneers, Vikings, and Patriots. Ciurciu actually practiced at fullback on Thursday, showing that he is a very versatile player. His biggest impact will likely be on special teams rather than at linebacker, but the Lions obviously feel that he could also help out with depth at fullback.
The Lions filled the vacancy on their practice squad (Lydon Murtha was signed by the Dolphins, as you probably already know) by signing defensive tackle Joe Cohen.
Matthew Stafford threw some passes on the sideline during Thursday's practice, but he didn't actually get on the field with the rest of the team.
The Lions were still so injured earlier this week that Jim Schwartz had to change a practice to a walkthrough.
Schwartz said that the Lions would be comfortable with DeAndre Levy being a starter.
Anthony Henry could still be moved to safety.
Some Lions players are going back to their colleges for the bye week and others are simply going home. Kevin Smith is actually going to New York City, but he said the Rams will still be on his mind even though the game isn't until next week.
Orien Harris, who was released by the Lions earlier this season, has signed with the Bengals.
The Highlight Reel's Philip Zaroo snapped a couple funny pictures during a Lions practice. The first is of Tom Lewand and Jim Schwartz, who both have a priceless expression on their face. The second is of Dominic Raiola doing what he does best: flipping people off.

Bengals welcome back defensive tackle Orien Harris

Kirkendall — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:53:58 -0000

Back in May, the Bengals did something rare in the National Football League. They traded a player for a player when they acquired Brian Leonard for the backup of backup defensive tackle Orien Harris. At this point, Leonard has already been more than worth the cost. After Harris was traded to St. Louis, he was traded to Detroit and then waived after the first game of the season.

Last Sunday against the Houston Texans, Antwan Odom suffered a season-ending injury and was placed on Injured Reserve on Monday, opening a spot on the 53-man roster.

Harris available. Open spot available. Why not sign him? Joe Reedy writes that the Bengals signed defensive tackle Harris to the 53-man roster on Tuesday. Our guess? The Bengals are rebuilding depth at defensive tackle so Jonathan Fanene can work more as a defensive end, rather than rotating with the tackles, as he was when Tank Johnson was recovering. Largely depending on Peko, Fanene could still be rotating with the defensive tackles, but with Harris, the Bengals could be back to a four-man rotation -- again, depending on Peko.

Lions Claim Turk McBride, Release Orien Harris

Sean Yuille — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:27:29 -0000

As speculated by PFT's Mike Florio yesterday, the Lions have claimed defensive end Turk McBride, who was waived by the Chiefs yesterday. McBride was drafted in the second round back in 2007, so it's no surprise that the Lions claimed him. Aside from wanting to upgrade their depth at DE, defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham was with the Chiefs when McBride was drafted. As we have seen before, coaches like to bring their former players to their new teams when they become available, and that is exactly what happened in this case.

Arrowhead Pride, SB Nation's Chiefs blog, had this to say about McBride.

This is, in my opinion, a good move for McBride. The Lions defense is coached by Gunther Cunningham, who was on staff when the Chiefs selected McBride in the second round of the 2007 draft.

While I was tweeting the news that McBride had been released, more than a few folks were chalking him up to another Herm Edwards draft pick failed. Well, McBride just didn't fit the scheme. He did everything the "Todd Haley Way" as Nick Wright of 610 Sports said this morning.

So, I think in a 4-3 defense, McBride's still got a chance. Just because he was cut from the Chiefs doesn't mean he's a bad player. He's just not a fit for what they do.

Orien Harris, the defensive tackle acquired in the Ronald Curry trade, was released to make room on the roster for McBride.

UPDATE: Via PFT, Adam Schefter reports that the Bears and Jaguars also put in a claim for McBride.

Depth of the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals Part 2: Defense

jsl413 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:47:09 -0000

My boy Tom Nelson got a free shot at NE backup Brian Hoyer. Soon after this picture was taken, Hoyer was spotted napping quietly on the turf. Sources say Hoyer did not take his helmet off before napping, leading to speculation that Nelson hit him really hard. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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There was some debate as to whether or not the offense was quite as deep as I contended it was, particularly at the running back positions. Today, I'll take a look at the Bengals defensive depth, and make use of the jump to try to shorten our front page a little bit!

In short, I think the defense this year can only improve upon last year's 12th place effort. Additions of guys like Roy Williams and Tank Johnson, rookies Rey Maualuga and Michael Johnson are the primary reasons that the defense is so deep this year. Add to the mix that Chris Crocker will have a full off-season under his belt this year, DT Pat Sims has shown flashes of excellence in his second year, and Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers look to be healthy, and you've got to feel good about this defense.

Significant losses on the defensive side of the ball were relatively few. John Thornton is no longer with the team and Orien Harris was traded (the Harris loss is listed as the only "key" defensive loss at nologoneeded.com, which I find to be hilarious.)

A look at defensive depth (note, I'm looking at depth more than I'm focusing on overall talent), position by position, after the jump.

Defensive Tackle: We'll start up front with the big men. While our defensive tackle rotation is not particularly deep, I think it is more talented this year than we've seen it in quite some time. Domata Peko is the real deal. Pat Sims, as this blog has mentioned, looks like he could be a very good player this year too. Tank Johnson, the smallest of the top three at 305 pounds, has a history of being a productive player when he stays focused on the field.

Peko is a pretty good all around tackle. I think he is especially strong against the run. I haven't seen enough of Sims to really quantify his skill set, but he is a big, powerful man, and could occupy multiple blockers as he develops this year. Johnson is reputed as a guy that gets good pressure on the quarterback from an interior line position. If these 3 stay healthy, I think there is a good chance that this unit is extremely productive this year. Mike Zimmer and DL Coach Jay Hayes have a good combination of size and various skill sets at the tackle position this year.

Defensive End: Similar to defensive tackle, the depth at end is not astounding, but it's solid and exciting. This unit should vastly outperform last year's lackadaisical effort that mustered little-to-no pressure on the quarterback week in and week out.

All that really starts with the return of a healthy Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers. It had to be a very encouraging moment for Bengals fans to see Geathers absolutely light up Tom Brady on Thursday night. Here's to hoping that speed endures this season, and Geathers continues to run around offensive tackles to lay the hurt on opposing QBs. Antwan Odom has not been remarkable this preseason, but looks much better than he did last year when he was hurt.

What makes this unit exciting is the continuing emergence of Jonathan Fanene and the addition of rookie freak athlete Michael Johnson. I was a little put off at the end of the game on Thursday when I saw Johnson take a play off - but I guess it didn't really matter, there were 15 seconds left in a preseason game. It's something to keep an eye on, however. We'll have to really watch how he does at shedding blockers and using his 6'7", 260 pound frame to his advantage this year. Fanene was a project when we picked him up in 2005. But he is a big man (292 pounds) and was very productive when th team was winning games and being "competitive" late last year.

It really seems like every time he's on the field, good things happen. Bengals fans have got to like this sort of depth and potential. All four of these guys are young and can still get better, especially as Zimmer employs more blitzes and the tackles improve this year.

Linebackers: I'm lumping all these guys together because there are a lot of interchangeable parts at linebacker for the Bengals this year. You've got to really like the wide array of skill sets and talent in the top 6 linebackers this year. Keith Rivers is in line for a monster season. The guy plays with a mean streak and has a chip on his shoulder after suffering the broken jaw last year. I liken him to Troy Polomalu in terms of demeanor - that is, he is soft spoken and cerebral off the field, but he has an animalistic drive to hit, hit, hit on Sundays.

Dhani Jones is a pretty cool guy, and a good football player. He did a very good job last year for the Bengals. I mean very good: he was one of only five players on the entire team to start every game. He led the team in tackles. He was third on the team in passes defensed. To top it off, his teammates voted him defensive captain. He is a positive influence on the young guys like Rivers and Maualuga, and a vibrant locker room personality.

Then it gets interesting. Rashad Jeanty has worked extremely hard since the Bengals acquired him out of the CFL in 2006. But how long can Rey Maualuga ride pine? For now, this is sort of inconsequential because Jeanty has played in the preseason and Maualuga has limited time. We'll see how the preseason finishes out at SAM. Jeanty will likely go into the season as the starter, but Rey Rey will get time off the bench, and he'll be a fun little fireball to watch.

I think Brandon Johnson and Abdul Hodge have had good showings in preseason, and both of these guys are likely to be special teams contributors as well as solid defensive substitutes to keep the starters fresh. There is a pretty significant drop off here, but that's more due to the talent of Rivers, the leadership of Jones, and Jeanty's consistency than a slight to Johnson and Hodge (who, to be fair, have flashed some pretty nice skills in this preseason). We'll see what happens with Maualuga's progression as the regular season nears, but he may need some time to prepare for a prominent role.

Cornerback: I am not particularly ecstatic with our cornerback corps this year. Joseph and Hall, if healthy, will be pretty serviceable and can occasionally cover guys on an island. I still think they'd be best served by regular help over the top, although Jonathan Joseph has speed to burn. Leon Hall shows good coverage skills, especially on intermediate routes. I think our high expectations for these guys are legitimate. Joseph had a pretty good game against Randy Moss on Thursday.

Beyond the starters though, I don't have much confidence in Geoffrey Pope, David Jones, Morgan Trent, or Jamar Fletcher. I was a strong advocate of picking up a third corner in free agency, but the Bengals spurned my desires and instead decided that David Jones could hack it at Nickel Corner. I guess Jones had a lot of playing time last year with injuries to our top corners, so maybe he'll be passable.

Coverage last year was solid - especially given the lack of a pass rush. Can't argue with results. This unit will be okay as long as Hall and Joseph are healthy. It might be okay for a few weeks without one of them, but if both go down, there will be problems.

Safety: Lumping these guys together too for simplicity's sake. I think this is a very deep position for the Bengals this year. The most attractive thing about Bengal safeties this year is a good mix of hard-hitting and strong coverage. Chinedum Ndukwe and Marvin White have not looked great this preseason, and it's sort of early to judge as we haven't seen many teams go over the top against the Bengals first team defense (Brady overthrew somewhat open receivers twice on Thursday).

There is some valid concern about the coverage skills of guys like Roy Williams and Chris Crocker, who are generally known for their hitting - and in Williams's case, knocked for coverage. It is hard to argue that this is not a talented top 4 guys, though. A rotation that caters to the strengths of Williams in the running game and White in coverage could be efficient for Zimmer this year.

The Bengals will likely retain Corey Lynch this year, as he showed value on special teams last year and is a smart defender. While we're talking about safeties, I'll point out that Tom Nelson is from my hometown (Arlington Heights, a NW Chicago Suburb), and is a guy that really improved his stock on Thursday.

Overall: Depth on the defensive side of the ball is strong at safety, defensive end, and linebacker. Defensive tackle and corner depth is decent at best, with some significant fall off in talent and production once you get past the top guys on the depth chart. Let me know what you think about the backup corners, who I haven't paid much attention to but tend to feel unsure about.

Quinn Johnson, Dom Capers, and Piling on the Lions

Brandon — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

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The Packers signed 5th round FB Quinn Johnson. That leaves only the top two 1st round picks, DT B.J. Raji and LB Clay Matthews, unsigned. It's nothing to be worried about; only two 1st round picks have signed as of today (QBs Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez).
Brad Biggs is good writer who unfortunately writes about the Bears, so he was interviewed over at Windy City Gridiron, and had a good response re: new defensive coordinator Dom Capers:

Everywhere Dom Capers has been, he's had a knack for getting that system up and running immediately. There hasn't been an adjustment period, Capers' 3-4 defenses have been very good and they've been very good in a hurry. Even if Green Bay is aging in the secondary, the Packers still have some solid players back there and the Bears' wide receivers would probably be the first to tell you that. Capers had a dramatic impact on defenses he ran in Jacksonville and Miami in his first season with those clubs, and with expansion teams in Carolina and Houston, he was solid immediately. Carolina was seventh in total defense in 1995, its first year. The issue is going to be how the personnel will fit on the line and at linebacker where some are concerned about Aaron Kampman's ability to adjust. If Capers can enjoy somewhat instant success once again, sure, the Packers will be in the race.

I don't mean to pile on the Lions, I'm not trying to kick an 0-16 team when their down, but they keep making pointless signings and trades. Now they've traded recently signed WR Ronald Curry for DT Orien Harris. Curry isn't valuable, he's just one of a number of mediocre veteran receivers they've signed or traded for this year. WR Bryant Johnson and WR Dennis Northcutt are the others. Sean wrote that Harris is now on his 7th team in 5 seasons. So they've traded an expendable veteran receiver for a defensive tackle that has already been cut loose by six different NFL teams. I know they need help at defensive tackle, DT John Thornton recently turned them down in favor of retirement, but I'm not sure Harris qualifies as "help." They don't seem to be making any strides towards becoming a better team, but keep rearranging the deck chairs on a sunk ship.

Lions Acquire Orien Harris from Rams for Ronald Curry

Sean Yuille — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:13:30 -0000

For the second time in the last month or so, the Lions have made a trade involving a wide receiver, this time sending Ronald Curry to the Rams in exchange for defensive tackle Orien Harris. At the end of last month, the Lions acquired Dennis Northcutt from the Jaguars, adding more depth to the wide receiver position. It is now becoming apparent that that move was made because the Lions weren't completely happy with the slot WR position. Curry was signed earlier in the offseason to shore up depth at WR and play the slot. By trading for Northcutt, Curry then became expendable, and the Lions decided that it was time to start shoring up depth on the defensive line.

Orien Harris is only entering his fifth season in the league and the Lions are already his seventh different team. He was a fourth-round draft pick by the Steelers in 2006 but finished the year with the Browns. He then went to the Bills in 2007 but finished the year with the Saints. In 2008, he had 14 tackles for the Bengals, the only team he played for last season. Harris was traded back in May to the Rams, the team that dealt him to the Lions today.

It doesn't appear that Harris will suddenly become a starter or anything like that, but the Lions have an enormous need for depth at defensive tackle, and that is what he will provide -- depth. Considering the Lions no longer had a need for Ronald Curry after picking up Dennis Northcutt, this move was made to shore things up at DT. The defensive line in general is hurting for depth, so this trade was definitely made to add a big man (Harris is 6-3, 300 lbs.) to the D-line.

St. Louis Rams make a trade for WR Ronald Curry

VanRam — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:00:11 -0000

The Rams have made a move to address their relative lack of experience at wide receiver, acquiring Ronald Curry from the Lions in exchange for DT Orien Harris. Essentially, the Rams traded Brian Leonard for Curry, since Harris was the guy they got in the Leonard swap.

Curry is a good get for the Rams, and he most likely becomes an instant favorite for one of the top three receiver postions. Curry was the #1 WR in Oakland in 2006 and 2007. He could be the Rams number two WR, behind Donnie Avery, or a number three used to move chains catching passes in the middle.

What becomes of Keenan Burton now? It's nice to have two guys that can play physical, and since both Curry and Burton are no strangers to the injury report, the addition of one does not necessarily mean less playing time for the other. Still, I can't help but wonder if the coaches are concerned about Burton's injury or ability, or both. In my mind, the most likely combo for three receiver sets is now Avery, Curry and Laurent Robinson.

And what about depth at DT? Harris was the fourth man in that rotation, an athletic guy who has some pass rushing ability. Of course, both Clifton Ryan and Adam Carriker are athletic guys who'll be crashing the pocket as the Rams starting DTs. Fourth round pick Darell Scott is the third DT, a more prototypical NT with enough athletic ability to surprise a few middle offensive linemen on rushes. Grabbing a spot behind those three could be Antwon Burton, a big run stuffer who could be used situationally in short yardage downs. Willie Williams, who the Rams kept on the practice squad most of last season, is another candidate, as a rotational guy his skills are more in line with the pocket-crasher type DT. Of the players currently on the roster, those two would be my top choices for the fourth DT role. However, Spags could surprise and keep five DEs and just three DTs, since his schemes are known use ends in the tackle spots.

Wildcat update: Don't forget Curry was a QB at North Carolina. Could we see some wildcat formations with Curry now?

Sando has the Scouts, Inc. take on the deal. In short, low risk, nice potential reward for the Rams.

NFC Position Review: Defensive tackle

VanRam — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:10:37 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams rookie fourth-round draft pick defensive tackle Darell Scott is being counted on as an important part of the team's DT rotation. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Another week is upon us, not-so-gentle Rams fans, and with it we're one day closer to the start of training camp, which is like more than two but not quite three weeks away. Whew. Below the fold is a review of the DTs for the NFC West. However, before we jump into that let me give you a teaser about what's coming later. Football Outsiders released their 2009 Almanac last week, and with it shocked the world, or at least a small part of it, with predictions of a Rams rebound, a rebound to the 8-win plateau and a shot at the division title.

Go ahead, try and find another prognosticator that puts the Rams at that level for this season. Football Outsiders is a respected publication and this isn't guesswork, there are very clear statistical and other considerations to backup the argument. It's not that they can't be wrong - they can - it's just worth parsing when someone with that level of cachet projects the Rams, the Rams, to turn it around like that. Later today, we'll dive in with a look at their prediction. Anyway, you should strongly considering dropping the twelve bones on the FO almanac.

One piece of information revealed in the FO Almanac, is that the middle of the Rams defense was weak...very weak. IN fact, it was the softest in the league by a mile. The middle of the Rams defense had a 137% DVOA; the next closest team to that was the Bills at 75%. Obviously, that stat includes more players than just the DTs, but that's an area of concern. With Spanuolo here the defensive line is getting lots of love and a new attack-first scheme. It should get better as players are used in a way consistent with their skill set. Still, at this point there's a lot more that we don't know. And with that, a review of the defensive tackles of the NFC West...

Seattle Seahawks

This grade should be higher. It frustrates me a bit that it isn’t. Seattle struck gold in 2007 drafting Brandon Mebane in the third round. Mebane has been the best defensive tackle taken in his class, leading it in sacks, starts, tackles for a loss, tackles and forced fumbles. He holds, walks back and often splits double teams making him the rare defensive tackle that is stout against the run and dangerous rushing the passer. He’s also one of the youngest members of his class, having excelled in the league at 22 and 23. Mebane is the kind of talent that should make filling out a good tackle rotation easy, but Seattle hasn’t.

Seattle looked to have struck gold in 2008 drafting Red Bryant in the fourth round. Everyone loves Bryant’s talent. 320 lb men should not move like Bryant. His mix of size, power and moves should make him the perfect fit for what Seattle is doing defensively and the perfect pairing for Mebane. But Bryant is unbelievably raw. For all his talent, Bryant was alternately great and awful with the awful too often overshadowing the great and the awful dictating his draft position. Coach Fran’s antiquated option stopping system didn’t help. Bryant needs time to adjust to the NFL. He missed three-quarters of his rookie season because of injury. At 25 and rawer than walking cattle, there’s real bust potential for Bryant.

Seattle insured itself against that possibility by signing Colin Cole to a five-year, $21.4 million contract. The soon to be 29 year old defensive tackle has eight starts in a six-year career. He’s 330 and chiseled, so people reflexively say he’s a run stuffer, but in truth he was one of the weak links on a ruinously bad Packers’ run defense. The guy gets pushed around. He handles single blocks, but doesn’t generate much pass rush. His skill set isn’t well fit for the NFL: not fast enough to rush and not stout enough to stuff. Cole would need a Pat Williams-like career renaissance to justify his contract, and much to my frustration, his contract will keep in him in Blue and keep him starting for at least two seasons.

Besides Bryant, the team has newly minted utility defensive lineman Cory Redding to pop into the three tech on obvious passing downs and holdover Craig Terrill to provide situational pass rush. Terrill is the other half of a longstanding weakness for Seattle, but he’s not a bad player. Just a one-dimensional player that’s bad, bad, bad against the run. Matched with Howard Green, the two made an agonizingly flimsy second unit. Redding is slimming down to play defensive end and murmurs suggest last season's knee injury is career altering, but he's a high motor type that finds action. As a third down defensive tackle, he will give Seattle good burst and steady disruption in the interior.

The best case scenario is somehow Bryant wins out over Cole and Seattle starts Bryant at nose tackle and Mebane at under tackle. That gives Seattle two nose tackle types that can also rush the passer. Redding and Cole could then form a good second unit. Or, should Seattle use situational substitutions, the team could be as beefy as Cole and Bryant in the middle and as fast and light as Redding and Terrill.

So you see, it frustrates me to give Seattle a "C", because there’s some good talent and some great depth, but I’m not so sure the talent develops and right now the depth, Redding and Cole, are being slotted to start—Redding at defensive end. Training camp could change that. Football should be meritocratic, but contracts and politics and seniority and schemes often push superior talent towards the fringe.

San Francisco 49ers

As the 49ers have slowly transitioned from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense, a sticking point has been the nose tackle. Aubrayo Franklin will never be confused with Vince Wilfork or Casey Hampton. At the same time, Franklin did an admirable job last season in the nose tackle role. He made plays, penetrated the offensive line and showed dramatic improvement from his first season with the 49ers. The 49ers simplified things for him and utilized in more of a one-gap sort of technique. Takeo Spikes was quoted as saying he was in the same class as Hampton and San Diego's Jamal Williams. I won't go that far, but I was pleasantly surprised with his performance in 2008. The big question for him is if he can show some consistency there.

The big question for the NT/DT as a whole is the depth. Franklin does not seem like a guy who will be in every play whistle to whistle. To make up for that, the 49ers have been getting Isaac Sopoaga and 2nd year man Kentwan Balmer reps in OTAs at nose tackle. Sopoaga seems to be built to be a nose tackle, but he's tended to perform better in a 4-3 type of role. While I won't call him a failure as a 49er, I do think he's really struggled to meet the potential he seems to have. As for Balmer, he didn't do much of anything as a rookie and will hopefully be able to concentrate more on his defensive end duties this year.

The team still mix in a 4 down linemen defense on 3rd down and I'd imagine we'll see a guy like Justin Smith moving inside to defensive tackle. However, given his normal role as a defensive end and the primary use of the 3-4, I won't use him to beef up the 49ers grade.

Overall, I think Franklin will be solid for the 49ers at nose tackle this season. They certainly will need it if they're going to improve that defense. At the same time, the lack of significant depth at nose tackle lead me to a grade of C.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the many teams who have jumped on the 3-4 band wagon and even though they've been some form of mixed/hybrid defense for a couple of seasons, they are expected to look and function much more like a conventional 3-4 defense this season. With that being said, the rock of any respectable 3-4 defense is a huge immovable rock in the middle of the defensive line. For the Cardinals defense to be successful in 2009, they need that immovable force to be Gabe Watson. Watson (6'3, 332), a fourth round pick in 2006, showed some promise during his first two seasons and looked to be in store for a big season heading into the 2008 season, but an off season treadmill accident left him with a fractured knee cap. He'd end up missing the first four games entirely and wouldn't end up starting a game until the Super Bowl. After the season we learned that he played with pain for most of the season and he had a second operation shortly after the season ended. Watson is expected to be ready for training camp and should regain the starting job by the season opener. If he can return to health and play as well as he did in 2007, the nose tackle position has the potential to be above average and the Cardinals' front seven could be very successful against opposing running games.

The dark lining to that silver cloud is that we basically heard the same news last year about Gabe Watson. He was supposed to be ready sometime during training camp and then he was supposed to be ready by opening day, but in the end a veteran journey man ended up starting 19 games. Bryan Robinson (6'4, 304) performed admirably last season as he played out of position and over his head for entire season, but the Cardinals are hoping that he can return to his backup role at both nose tackle and defensive end. He's no spring chicken (35 years old) and the Cardinals would most likely have to stick with some kind of hybrid front if Robinson is in the full time starting lineup. Somewhere behind Watson and Robinson bust-in-the-making Alan Branch. It almost seems like a decade ago that the Cardinals traded a fourth round pick in order to move up five spots in the second round to select Branch. In reality though that move in the 2007 draft has resulted in just 15 tackles in 15 games over the course of two seasons. He's been criticized for showing up to training camp and OTA's over weight and out of shape, as well as displaying a general lack of motivation. There are times when Branch still displays the ability to shoot gaps and withstand double teams without giving ground but those flashes are too often followed by long period of lackluster, uninspired football (hence the "flickering light bulb" analogy that Whisenhunt used last year).

Finally, from the "I have no idea what the expect" department is Rodney Leslie, a former fifth round pick of the Saints in 2004. He played in 17 games over his first three seasons before being cut in the training camp of 2007. He resurfaced with the Giants during their training camp last year but a rib injury ended his season before it even got started. He spent some time in Canadian football with the Saskatchewan Roughriders during their 2008 season. He's reportedly an undersized defender who makes up for athletic shortcomings by playing with tremendous desire and agression. The short of it though, is that he hasn't played a down in a NFL regular season game since 2006 so it seems almost foolish to expect him to anything other than training camp fodder, although there is a throng of Cardinals' fans who hope he pushes Branch out the door.

Overall I expect the production of this group to hinge entirely on the health of Gabe Watson. If he's healthy, he should be a force on first and second down with Robinson coming in on passing downs. Both guys should stay reasonably fresh the middle of the Cardinals defense should be tough to run against, but this position takes a major hit if Watson is sidelined for any or all of the regular season. I tend to think a best case scenerio would grade out as a B and the worst case scenerio would fall somewhere in the D range. With that in mind, I'll take the easy way out and say C.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams are doing things a little different at DT this season, with Steve Spagnuolo at the helm. Rather than the traditional roles of NT and UT in the 4-3 defense, Spags and defensive coordinator Ken Flajole will use a left and right DT, making things thoroughly confusing for those of you keeping score at home, but hopefully allowing the DTs to better utilize their strengths.

The middle of the line will feature a heavy rotation of four true DTs and the occasional look with two DEs replacing them in some pass rush situations. The ostensible starters at DT for the Rams are Adam Carriker and Clifton Ryan. Carriker, a first round pick in 2007, has been a disappointment in the eyes of some and merely under performing according to others. His second season in the league was marred in part by a shoulder injury suffered at the end of his rookie year. Carriker has been miscast in St. Louis, lined up directly over opposing guards or between the guard and center, sometimes being employed even as a NT. Carriker, a former Nebraska DE, is a 3-technique tackle, and the new defensive scheme will keep in in place between the guard and tackle where he'll be expected to use his ability to attack through the line. The Rams, and their fans, are anxious to start getting a better return on Carriker.

Drafted in the 5th round of 2007, Ryan became a pleasant surprise in his rookie season. Though he's not really a prototype NT (just doesn't have the bulk), that's where the Rams, starved for bodies in that role in the past, have employed him. That won't be the case anymore, as Ryan becomes the starting right defensive tackle. Ryan is strong and quick. He can play well laterally, and should get help in the run stopping department with upgrades at MLB and SS, but should do well in the new defense with it's emphasis on forward movement.

Third on the depth chart is Darell Scott, a fourth round pick from Clemson who comes to the team with nice athletic ability...and in need of getting "coached up." He can play inside or outside, but the Rams reportedly want him to add another 10-15 lbs to his frame in order to utilize his ability to clog up running lanes and tie up blockers, making him something more akin to the true NT the team has lacked for a long time.

Behind Scott, the picture isn't quite as a clear, though the odds on favorite to get the fourth DT spot is Orien Harris, acquired from the Bengals in a trade for FB/RB Brian Leonard. Harris is kind of like a poor man's Clifton Ryan. Harris will have some competition at camp.

The Rams have upgraded their group of DTs to handle the run better, and if Adam Carriker plays closer to expectation this could be a good group. I'm optimistic given the addition of Scott and the changing role for Carriker, but it's just too hard to give them anything but a D grade right now. I suspect that will change early in the season though.

NFC West Position-by-Position: Nose/Defensive Tackles

Hawkwind — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:00:11 -0000

In our weekly break down of the NFC West, we open the defensive side of the ball with the biggest of the big uglies (check out previous positions here). The nose tackle or defensive tackle, depending on scheme, rarely get much national attention nor are they showered with glamorous awards, but they are certainly an integral part of any successful defense. The Arizona Cardinals nose tackles are in a state of flux with one hopeful starter trying to recover from another surgery, one veteran hoping for another successful season in his mid-30's and one early round draft pick trying to shake the 'bust' label, but how do they compare with their counterparts of the NFC West?

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the many teams who have jumped on the 3-4 band wagon and even though they've been some form of mixed/hybrid defense for a couple of seasons, they are expected to look and function much more like a conventional 3-4 defense this season. With that being said, the rock of any respectable 3-4 defense is a huge immovable rock in the middle of the defensive line. For the Cardinals defense to be successful in 2009, they need that immovable force to be Gabe Watson. Watson (6'3, 332) as a fourth round pick in 2006, showed some promise during his first two seasons and looked to be in store for a big season heading into 2008 but an off season treadmill accident left him with a fractured knee cap. He'd end up missing the first four games entirely and wouldn't start a game until the Super Bowl. After the season we learned that he played with pain for most of the season and he had a second operation shortly after the season ended. Watson is expected to be ready for training camp and should regain the starting job by the season opener. If he can return to health and play as well as he did in 2007, the nose tackle position has the potential to be above average and the Cardinals' front seven could be very successful against opposing running games.

The dark lining to that silver cloud is that we basically heard the same news last year about Gabe Watson. He was supposed to be ready sometime during training camp and then he was supposed to be ready by opening day, but in the end a veteran journeyman ended up starting 19 games. Bryan Robinson (6'4, 304) performed admirably last season as he played out of position and over his head for entire season, but the Cardinals are hoping that he can return to his backup role at both nose tackle and defensive end. He's no spring chicken (35 years old) and the Cardinals would most likely have to stick with some kind of hybrid front if Robinson is in the full time starting lineup. Somewhere behind Watson and Robinson bust-in-the-making Alan Branch. It almost seems like a decade ago that the Cardinals traded a fourth round pick in order to move up five spots in the second round to select Branch. In reality though that move in the 2007 draft has resulted in just 15 tackles in 15 games over the course of two seasons. He's been criticized for showing up to training camp and OTA's overweight and out of shape, as well as displaying a general lack of motivation. There are times when Branch still displays the ability to shoot gaps and withstand double teams without giving ground but those flashes are too often followed by long period of lackluster, uninspired football (hence the "flickering light bulb" analogy that Whisenhunt used last year).

Finally, from the "I have no idea what the expect" department is Rodney Leisle, a former fifth round pick of the Saints in 2004. He played in 17 games over his first three seasons before being cut in the training camp of 2007. He resurfaced with the Giants during their training camp last year but a rib injury ended his season before it even got started. He spent some time in Canadian football with the Saskatchewan Roughriders during their 2008 season. He's reportedly an undersized defender who makes up for athletic shortcomings by playing with tremendous desire and aggression. The short of it though, is that he hasn't played a down in a NFL regular season game since 2006 so it seems almost foolish to expect him to anything other than training camp fodder, although there is a throng (read: hevchv) of Cardinals' fans who hope he pushes Branch out the door.

Overall I expect the production of this group to hinge entirely on the health of Gabe Watson. If he's healthy, he should be a force on first and second down with Robinson coming in on passing downs. Both guys should stay reasonably fresh the middle of the Cardinals defense should be tough to run against, but this position takes a major hit if Watson is sidelined for any or all of the regular season. I tend to think a best case scenario would grade out as a B and the worst case scenario would fall somewhere in the D range. With that in mind, I'll take the easy way out and say C.

San Francisco 49ers - Niners Nation

As the 49ers have slowly transitioned from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense, a sticking point has been the nose tackle. Aubrayo Franklin will never be confused with Vince Wilfork or Casey Hampton. At the same time, Franklin did an admirable job last season in the nose tackle role. He made plays, penetrated the offensive line and showed dramatic improvement from his first season with the 49ers. The 49ers simplified things for him and utilized in more of a one-gap sort of technique. Takeo Spikes was quoted as saying he was in the same class as Hampton and San Diego's Jamal Williams. I won't go that far, but I was pleasantly surprised with his performance in 2008. The big question for him is if he can show some consistency there.

The big question for the NT/DT as a whole is the depth. Franklin does not seem like a guy who will be in every play whistle to whistle. To make up for that, the 49ers have been getting Isaac Sopoaga and 2nd year man Kentwan Balmer reps in OTAs at nose tackle. Sopoaga seems to be built to be a nose tackle, but he's tended to perform better in a 4-3 type of role. While I won't call him a failure as a 49er, I do think he's really struggled to meet the potential he seems to have. As for Balmer, he didn't do much of anything as a rookie and will hopefully be able to concentrate more on his defensive end duties this year.

The team still mix in a 4 down linemen defense on 3rd down and I'd imagine we'll see a guy like Justin Smith moving inside to defensive tackle. However, given his normal role as a defensive end and the primary use of the 3-4, I won't use him to beef up the 49ers grade.

Overall, I think Franklin will be solid for the 49ers at nose tackle this season. They certainly will need it if they're going to improve that defense. At the same time, the lack of significant depth at nose tackle lead me to a grade of C.

St. Louis Rams - Turf Show Times

The Rams are doing things a little different at DT this season, with Steve Spagnuolo at the helm. Rather than the traditional roles of NT and UT in the 4-3 defense, Spags and defensive coordinator Ken Flajole will use a left and right DT, making things thoroughly confusing for those of you keeping score at home, but hopefully allowing the DTs to better utilize their strengths.

The middle of the line will feature a heavy rotation of four true DTs and the occasional look with two DEs replacing them in some pass rush situations. The ostensible starters at DT for the Rams are Adam Carriker and Clifton Ryan. Carriker, a first round pick in 2007, has been a disappointment in the eyes of some and merely under performing according to others. His second season in the league was marred in part by a shoulder injury suffered at the end of his rookie year. Carriker has been miscast in St. Louis, lined up directly over opposing guards or between the guard and center, sometimes being employed even as a NT. Carriker, a former Nebraska DE, is a 3-technique tackle, and the new defensive scheme will keep in in place between the guard and tackle where he'll be expected to use his ability to attack through the line. The Rams, and their fans, are anxious to start getting a better return on Carriker.

Drafted in the 5th round of 2007, Ryan became a pleasant surprise in his rookie season. Though he's not really a prototype NT (just doesn't have the bulk), that's where the Rams, starved for bodies in that role in the past, have employed him. That won't be the case anymore, as Ryan becomes the starting right defensive tackle. Ryan is strong and quick. He can play well laterally, and should get help in the run stopping department with upgrades at MLB and SS, but should do well in the new defense with it's emphasis on forward movement.

Third on the depth chart is Darell Scott, a fourth round pick from Clemson who comes to the team with nice athletic ability...and in need of getting "coached up." He can play inside or outside, but the Rams reportedly want him to add another 10-15 lbs to his frame in order to utilize his ability to clog up running lanes and tie up blockers, making him something more akin to the true NT the team has lacked for a long time.

Behind Scott, the picture isn't quite as a clear, though the odds on favorite to get the fourth DT spot is Orien Harris, acquired from the Bengals in a trade for FB/RB Brian Leonard. Harris is kind of like a poor man's Clifton Ryan. Harris will have some competition at camp.

The Rams have upgraded their group of DTs to handle the run better, and if Adam Carriker plays closer to expectation this could be a good group. I'm optimistic given the addition of Scott and the changing role for Carriker, but it's just too hard to give them anything but a D grade right now. I suspect that will change early in the season though.

Seattle Seahawks - Field Gulls

This grade should be higher. It frustrates me a bit that it isn’t. Seattle struck gold in 2007 drafting Brandon Mebane in the third round. Mebane has been the best defensive tackle taken in his class, leading it in sacks, starts, tackles for a loss, tackles and forced fumbles. He holds, walks back and often splits double teams making him the rare defensive tackle that is stout against the run and dangerous rushing the passer. He’s also one of the youngest members of his class, having excelled in the league at 22 and 23. Mebane is the kind of talent that should make filling out a good tackle rotation easy, but Seattle hasn’t.

Seattle looked to have struck gold in 2008 drafting Red Bryant in the fourth round. Everyone loves Bryant’s talent. 320 lb men should not move like Bryant. His mix of size, power and moves should make him the perfect fit for what Seattle is doing defensively and the perfect pairing for Mebane. But Bryant is unbelievably raw. For all his talent, Bryant was alternately great and awful with the awful too often overshadowing the great and the awful dictating his draft position. Coach Fran’s antiquated option stopping system didn’t help. Bryant needs time to adjust to the NFL. He missed three-quarters of his rookie season because of injury. At 25 and rawer than walking cattle, there’s real bust potential for Bryant.

Seattle insured itself against that possibility by signing Colin Cole to a five-year, $21.4 million contract. The soon to be 29 year old defensive tackle has eight starts in a six-year career. He’s 330 and chiseled, so people reflexively say he’s a run stuffer, but in truth he was one of the weak links on a ruinously bad Packers’ run defense. The guy gets pushed around. He handles single blocks, but doesn’t generate much pass rush. His skill set isn’t well fit for the NFL: not fast enough to rush and not stout enough to stuff. Cole would need a Pat Williams-like career renaissance to justify his contract, and much to my frustration, his contract will keep in him in Blue and keep him starting for at least two seasons.

Besides Bryant, the team has newly minted utility defensive lineman Cory Redding to pop into the three tech on obvious passing downs and holdover Craig Terrill to provide situational pass rush. Terrill is the other half of a longstanding weakness for Seattle, but he’s not a bad player. Just a one-dimensional player that’s bad, bad, bad against the run. Matched with Howard Green, the two made an agonizingly flimsy second unit. Redding is slimming down to play defensive end and murmurs suggest last season's knee injury is career altering, but he's a high motor type that finds action. As a third down defensive tackle, he will give Seattle good burst and steady disruption in the interior.

The best case scenario is somehow Bryant wins out over Cole and Seattle starts Bryant at nose tackle and Mebane at under tackle. That gives Seattle two nose tackle types that can also rush the passer. Redding and Cole could then form a good second unit. Or, should Seattle use situational substitutions, the team could be as beefy as Cole and Bryant in the middle and as fast and light as Redding and Terrill.

So you see, it frustrates me to give Seattle a "C", because there’s some good talent and some great depth, but I’m not so sure the talent develops and right now the depth, Redding and Cole, are being slotted to start—Redding at defensive end. Training camp could change that. Football should be meritocratic, but contracts and politics and seniority and schemes often push superior talent towards the fringe.

The rankings were relatively tight considering that we've got three teams with a "C" grade and one "D" so the top three are very close and, at least in my mind, virtually interchangeable:

Seahawks
49ers
Cardinals
Rams

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So overall the NFC West doesn't boast the league's best nose/defensive tackles but there does seem to be some promise with just about every team. Which team has the best group and highest ceiling? How would you rank the four?