SB Nation - Todd Johnson

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/6

MattRichWarren — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:34:41 -0000

Offense focused on moving the sticks | BuffaloBills.com
The Bills have used the bye week to focus on converting third downs. This will help even out the time difference their defense is on the field.

Bills' Hardy will join the crowd : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The Bills have until Wednesday to activate or IR James Hardy. Jay Skurski puts forth the names of Roscoe Parrish and Todd Johnson as likely casualties.

Where Bills run ‘D’ is getting hurt – Inside The Bills
The Bills are giving up the majority of their yards to the outside with opponents averaging 7.31 yards per rush on Buffalo's left side (Kelsay). Chris Brown gives a complete breakdown of where the yards are coming from.

Don’t blame the run game – Inside The Bills
Chris Brown shows that most of the Bills problems are on converting third and short yardage.

Question Mark: No-huddle offense hastened Walker's exit from Bills : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Mark Gaughan of the BUffalo News answers questions on Langston Walker, futility following turnovers, and Jeff Garcia.

Bills still have a shot to win AFC East - AFC East - ESPN
AccuScore pegged the Bills' chances at winning the AFC East at 1 percent and their chances of making the playoffs at 2 percent. Zubaz reference, too.

The Real Biggest Reason The Bills Don’t Win : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran goes back to 2002 to show how Tom Modrak has become the namesake of the article.

Rookie Watch - ESPN
Jairus Byrd comes in 4th on the midseason list of rookies behind Percy Harvin, Michael Oher, and Brian Cushing.

Bills kickoff 50 days of savings | BuffaloBills.com
Every day through December 24th there will be a special merchandise offer for Bills fans to take advantage of. Check it out.

With no game preview the pickings are slim, folks. Catch up on the front page articles.

Return Game Getting Ridiculous Again

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:30:33 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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So far this season the Bears punt return unit has looked much better than last year. There's still a zero in the TD column, but overall the return men seem to have more room to run. In 2008 Devin Hester looked mortal by not taking any punts back to the house, especially after his first two seasons had us Bears fans spoiled with his ridiculous returns. Did his ability regress last year? Is he starting to find his Mojo again this year?

The thing I love about football is it's truly a team game. You need all 11 men on the field doing their job. As great a returner as Hester looked in his first two years, you have to look at his third phase teammates. Veteran Chicago Bears that had honed their skills as special teams players.

Former Bears Brendon Ayanbadejo (Pro Bowler), Cameron Worrell, and Todd Johnson were key members of the '06 unit. In 2007 you still had Ayanbadejo, but you started to get some turnover with the depth of your team. And the depth of the team are the players that make up the special teams.

Think about the players drafted to the NFL... the elite offensive and defensive players of the college game. You'll never see team draft a stand out gunner or a first team wedge breaker. The majority of the rookies coming in were studs in high school so their coaches probably held them off special teams to preserve their health. Once in college they competed with the other freshmen recruits and the best of the best were then either red-shirted or took on an immediate role offensively or defensively.

The kids that play special teams in college are primarily made up of players that aren't quite good enough to start, so therefor aren't going to get drafted to the NFL. Occasionally you'll get a late bloomer that spent some time on special teams their first couple years in college, but once they bloom, they no longer attend the third phase meetings.

Look at two of the Bears top special teams players. How many times did Garrett Wolfe cover kicks at Northern Illinois? And Adrian Peterson was a record setting running back at Georgia Southern. How many special teams tackles do you think he was in on? These guys probably got their first taste of the special teams on the NFL level, as do most NFL players. It takes time to teach these great athletes the nuances of their new role.

I briefly touched on some special teams stuff last month, but it's such a change for these players, both in terms of technique and in just fully accepting their role. You'd like to think that these players would be happy to be on an NFL roster and do what ever it takes to contribute, but the reality is that if you are used to being a superstar player in high school and a superstar player in college, it takes some getting used to basically being a cog in the machine on the NFL level. Mentally it takes some athletes longer to "get it" than others. And the ones that catch on usually are the ones that thrive in their new roles.

Getting back to this year; Hester has fielded the most punts with a 12.5 average (more than double last years average) and Earl Bennett has returned four with a 15.8 average. While last year was a down year in the return game this year things are looking up. Dave Toub is highly regarded around the league as a top notch special teams coordinator and it took him a little time in getting his guys to perform at a high level again. This year the kick return TD by Johnny Knox has matched the teams total of a year ago, and that is with the new rule limiting the wedge to two players, and Hester did have a punt return TD called back last week. It's just a matter of time til he pops one again.

Hester may never equal the ridiculousness of '06 and '07, but with the core third phase players improving every week, you never know...

Tuesday Notes: Lions Activate Zack Follett, Waive Darnell Bing

Sean Yuille — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:57:12 -0000

The Lions have activated linebacker Zack Follett from the practice squad. Linebacker Darnell Bing was waived to make room on the roster for Follett, who is being added to the active roster mainly for his special teams skills. He flies down the field on special teams, and during the preseason he had quite a few tackles on kickoffs, so the hope is that adding him to the mix will improve a rather lackluster coverage unit.
Adam Jennings was placed on injured reserve yesterday, as the ankle injury he suffered against Chicago is season-ending. To fill the opening created on the roster, the Lions claimed safety Marvin White, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals.
RB Jehuu Caulcrick (of Michigan State fame), OT Isaac Sowells, OG Kurt Quarterman, DE Robert Henderson, LB Vinny Ciurciu, DB Vernon Fox, and S Todd Johnson tried out for the Lions on Tuesday.
Even if Jim Schwartz had challenged Johnny Knox's kick return for a touchdown (it appears Knox threw the ball before he reached the end zone), the Bears still would have ended up with the ball. The original thought was that the play would have been a touchback since the ball ended up in the end zone, but since Knox threw it forward, it would have simply been an illegal forward pass. The penalty would have put the Bears on the 6-yard line at worst, so in hindsight it wasn't quite as big of a deal. Still, it pisses me off that FOX Sports cut off the replay and kept the Lions from seeing if the play was worth challenging. I personally didn't even notice what happened at the time, as I turned away from the TV around the time Knox crossed midfield. I knew it was a touchdown by then and didn't want to see the rest of the play, so I didn't even realize what had happened until someone pointed it out in a FanPost earlier today.
John Clayton thinks the Lions will rest Matthew Stafford for a couple weeks since the bye week isn't too far away.
Don't expect any coaches (I'm looking at you, Stan Kwan) to be fired in the middle of the season, as it doesn't sound like Jim Schwartz rolls like that.
Cliff Avril isn't 100% just yet, but his "hamstring is getting better."
Chuck Darby spent much of the three weeks in between stints with the Lions fishing.
I don't have much to say about the Tigers other than I can't believe they choked that game away. They had so many chances to win the game or pull away, only to blow all of them and let the Twins end it in the 12th inning. I'm also extremely pissed off at the umpire for not realizing Brandon Inge got hit, costing the Tigers a run, but Detroit didn't deserve to win. They choked away the entire season over the last few weeks, and really I think it's time for a change at manager. Sure, there are many problems with this team, from the hitting to the pitchers to the management, but this entire organization needs some changes, starting with replacing Jim Leyland.

Rams make final roster cuts

VanRam — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:29:00 -0000

The Rams have made their roster moves to trim down to 53 players. No real surprises on the list, but a couple of names caused me to do a double take.

Here's the official list:

LB K.C. Asiodu, QB Brock Berlin, DT Antwon Burton, TE Eric Butler, DE Ian Campbell, WR Tim Carter, WR Ronald Curry, LB Dominic Douglas, T Renardo Foster, FB Jerome Johnson, S Todd Johnson, C Tim Mattran, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, CB Cord Parks, RB Antonio Pittman, S Mark Rubin, G Roy Schuening, T Phil Trautwein and WR Sean Walker.

Carriker and DE Eric Moore went on IR.

I was a little surprised by Johnson's name on this list, since he's been a part of the special teams and filled in for Corey Chavous down the stretch last year. Then again, it's not like he was anything special, and Spags brought in his own guy in Craig Dahl.

Congrats to Roger Allen III for making the cut.

What's interesting about this is that the Rams kept just five wide receivers: Avery, Burton, Robinson, Stanley, and Nate Jones.

Next task will be getting players signed to the practice squad...and combing the wires for available help elsewhere. I'd definitely think Ogbonnaya and Schuening will be on the practice squad, possibly Parks too.

Where things stand: A mid-August assessment of the Rams defense

VanRam — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:07:16 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams cornerback Tye Hill, left, looks on while Tony Gonzalez celebrates a touchdown. The Rams can't afford to have this scene play out over and over again this season.

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Continuing our mid-August assessment of where the remade, rebuilding St. Louis Rams stand as they head into the 2009 season, we turn to the defense today. I'll spare you the lengthy intro we had in yesterday's post for the offense, though the "Get low and stick 'em" seems to be especially relevant to today's discussion.

Starting with the questions facing the entire defense and continuing with a snap shot of each unit...

Will the run defense improve?

After a good outing versus a Jets team missing 60% of their starting offensive line, the Rams run defense looked much like last year's against the Falcons last week. But digging below the surface, is it really the same problem as before? The lack of personnel was primarily to blame for much of the Rams troubles against the run in recent seasons. Among other things, the defense dearly missed a true middle linebacker, some size in the middle of the d-line, and a physical strong safety. You could argue whether or not the Rams are any better in the middle of the d-line, but they have made significant upgrades to the other two positions.

Last week's problems against the Falcons and RB Michael Turner were two fold. First, the defense got beat as a unit via misdirection and some strange alignments. That's what got the party started, so to speak, on Turner's 43-yard run on the Falcons first drive of the game. The defense, especially the quarterbacking MLB, needs to do better picking up that kind of stuff. That could be the difference between 5 yards and 43 more often than not. Second, fundamentals, i.e. "getting low and sticking 'em," were notably absent among the first teamers last week. MIssed tackling, poor wrapping, it was all there.

The good news about those two issues is that they can be resolved. The first team will have two quarters to get it right against the Bengals this week. Watch for improvement in those areas.

Will the pass rush be more ferocious and more frequent?

Given their surprise at the blitzes used by Rex Ryan and the Jets in game one, it's safe to assume that the Rams coaches aren't calling the same amount and style of pass rushes that they would otherwise employ in the regular season. Still, you have to wonder why we're not seeing more of those aggressive plays we've heard so much about.

The personnel leave some questions about the pass rush. James Hall and Leonard Little are the main guys up front, and they're also two of the Rams oldest players. We'd also like to see some better pocket crashing from the defensive tackles. Witherspoon will figure more into the pass rush now that he's been set free on the weakside again. I don't know that we've seen any blitz packages featuring safeties or corners through the preseason, but we're likely to once the games count.

Will the secondary be adequate and able to adapt to the more physical version of man coverage the Rams play to use?

The jury is still out this one too. The secondary displayed some of that poor tackling mentioned above. Against the pass, Rams defenders have been beaten more than once by well-made throws and catches, pure and simple. The WR was covered, but it was just one of those plays where the CB really can't do anything about it save for a penalty; Mark Sanchez's throw exemplifies this. I wonder though about the jams at the line, when the defenders can throw lesser receivers off their timing and route? I expect to see more mileage out of that technique. (See this post from Rams Herd for more discussion on the secondary). There's a balance question here. Are we not seeing more pass rush up front because the Rams coaches don't trust the secondary enough to leave them on their own? Or is it just more of a playbook thing and the team still being in evaluation mode, especially for the cornerback gig?

Position by position...

Defensive end - Little and James Hall have looked great in practice and in the game, save for Turner's afore mentioned 43-yard run between Little and the rest of the defense. Chris Long had a bad night against the Jets, and started slow against the Falcons. He did show improvement and got off the ball faster and generally displaying the high motor that's his biggest asset; he has to do more.

Defensive tackle - MIA with an ankle injury through the first two outings of the preseason, Adam Carriker will likely return to action this week. The 2007 first round draft pick has lots to prove. Supposedly, this scheme is a better fit for his skill set by putting him a 3-technique rather than miscast as a nose tackle. In camp's early work, he was speedy and impressive. Now, he's competing for a starting job. Gary Gibson, who Carriker is competing against, established himself as more than just a camp body with a good outing against the Jets. I was impressed with this year's fourth round pick Darell Scott against the Falcons last week, where he picked up a sack crashing the pocket. The addition of Hollis Thomas has yet to be very noticeable, but an if we see an improved run defense that could change.

Linebacker - The linebackers have looked better this year than in previous seasons...until those ugly missed tackles and misreads last week. Even the usually solid Chris Draft failed to bring his man down. James Laurinaitis is bound to have some rookie moments. He has, supposedly, been picking up the defense well and made some nice plays in his preseason work. Animal Jr. has been promising. The SLB spot remains unsettled. Draft is still the guy at this point, but strong preseason performances from Larry Grant, David Vobora, and Chris Chamberlain are making it a horse race. At the very least, those three seem to give our LB corps better depth than we've had in the past.

Safety - The starters make this a good unit. Atogwe has been better in run defense in the preseason, except for some ugly missed tackles last week. Butler didn't do much to distinguish himself against the run, but who did? Todd Johnson still looks like a good depth guy to have. It's probably a good sign that we're not hearing much about this unit at this point. Atogwe leads the team in preseason tackles, but that's because far too often he was the last man between a running back and the goal line against the Falcons.

Cornerback - Sheesh. Where to begin. The big story here was who would claim the spots behind Ron Bartell. So far, nobody has done much to distinguish themselves. Tye Hill is, ostensibly, still the starter opposite Bartell, but he's not looked great in his last two games. He was waaay outmatched against Tony Gonzalez last week. In coverage, he's been able to stay with his man often, but unable to read the play, leaving the play's outcome to be determined exclusively by the QB and his receiver. Justin King has looked decent, but hardly a standout. He had the misfortune of covering Clowney on Mark Sanchez's first NFL pass, a beautifully threaded 48-yarder. In my opinion, King didn't get burned so much as the Jets QB and WR made a nice play. Quincy Butler has made some nice plays in practice, but hasn't been seen much playing against second teamers in preseason games, save for a pass interference penalty against the Falcons. Jonathan Wade has been consistent. This is still a big issue for the Rams to solve.

The defense has lots of work left to do, saddled with heavier expectations that the offense, given the coaching changes. We'll have to see better tackling and better reads this week to have some confidence going forward.

NFC West Position-by-Position: Safeties

Hawkwind — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:06:30 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Arizona Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle runs drills during an NFL football training camp. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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Our divisional preview is winding down but there are still a couple of positions to cover including the defensive backfield. First up are the safeties and this is a young and talented group inside the division. The Arizona Cardinals are certainly content with their starting duo but how do Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle match up with the rest of the West?

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals safeties are a talented and accomplished group led by two time Pro Bowler, yet still under appreciated, Adrian Wilson. While guys like Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders get all the glory, Wilson has been in the desert doing dirty work. Since he came into the league (2001) no other safety has combined for more tackles (612) or sacks (18.5) and yet most fans are still more familiar with his you tube jump than with his play on the field. Wilson's work and loyalty to the organization was rewarded this off season with a five year, $39 million dollar contract that should keep him in the organization for the rest of his career. Wilson's strength is at the line of scrimmage where he's a force against the run and even better rushing the passer, but he's not incapable of covering tight ends or the occasional receiver. In six of his eight seasons he's recorded multiple interceptions and with another full season he should enter the 20 sack/20 interception club. The best thing you can say about A-dub is that the defense simply isn't the same when he isn't on the field.

Wilson's counterpart for the second consecutive season will be converted corner back Antrel Rolle. Rolle got off to a slow start last year after a high ankle sprain robbed him of valuable time in camp to learn the position. For the first half of the season he was often out of position or took terrible angles to the ball but as the season wore on, his play steadied. He began to understand the position and by season's end (and the playoff run) he was a reliable center fielder and a decent last line of defense. Rolle's athleticism sets him apart from most free safeties and many are expecting him to have a breakout year now that he's fully acclimated to the position.

The primary thing that makes Wilson and Rolle unique is that neither of them play a 'true safety' role on passing downs. Wilson becomes almost a nickel linebacker and Rolle often slides to play the corner against a slot receiver. Their versatility allows the Cardinals to throw different looks at opposing offenses but it also means that the Cardinals expect much more from their third and fourth safeties. After watching Aaron Francisco and Matt Ware struggle with the increase in playing time the Red Birds spent a third round pick on Alabama free safety Rashad Johnson. RJ isn't a great athlete but he has a nose for the ball and is a natural center fielder. He's expected to immediately step into the 'third safety' spot and see quite a bit of playing time on passing downs. His presence will allow Francisco, Ware and free agent acquisition Keith Lewis to battle for the backup strong safety spot, which better suits each of their skill sets. No one in that trio is considered to be much more than a glorified special teamer but as long as they're not forced into significant playing time, they can hold their own. Another depth option is second year UDFA Dennis Keyes, a free safety out of UCLA, who some consider a dark horse to make the team as a fifth safety.

The Cardinals safeties as a whole are talented, accomplished and have the potential to be even better than they were last year. Adrian Wilson is an A+ and no one else on the depth chart is bad enough to drop this group any lower than a solid A.

San Francisco 49ers - Niners Nation

The 49ers safeties are a mix of production and potential. On the one hand you've got Michael Lewis and Mark Roman backing up at free safety. A pair of veterans who have done some good things in the past (for Roman a bit further in the past). On the other hand you've got the likes of Dashon Goldson, Reggie Smith and Curtis Taylor. Players teeming with potential, but nothing proven yet.

Barring injury (a very real possibility), the starters will be Dashon Goldson at free safety and Michael Lewis at strong safety. Goldson has as much unproven potential as anybody on this roster. He was an absolute ball hawk in training camp last year, but could not get past Mark Roman on the depth chart. Injuries throughout the season (as with the previous season) have kept him from making his mark. This season he was named the starting free safety shortly after the season ended and has had yet another impressive training camp performance. The 49ers have lacked a great free safety for quite some time and Goldson has the potential to be that turnover machine in center field. The question remains whether he can stay healthy.

At strong safety, the 49ers role out the extremely underrated Michael Lewis. Lewis signed as a free agent in 2007 and has been in the top 2 or 3 in tackles both seasons. While he does not force turnovers, he provides excellent run support. Lewis is 29 but is as established a veteran as any on this defense. Lewis won't be going anywhere anytime soon and will be an excellent role model in the defensive backfield for Goldson.

The primary backups at safety will be Mark Roman and Reggie Smith. At 32, Mark Roman has clearly come to the end of the road as a starter. The 49ers told him Goldson would be starting and let him speak with other teams about a trade. Nobody wanted him. So, Roman is back to provide a continued veteran presence for the team. His problem is that he can't force turnovers anymore. The last time he forced a turnover was in 2006. Reggie Smith was originally drafted by the 49ers to be a corner back, but most thought he'd end up at safety, which appears to have happened. It will be interesting to see how much playing time Smith actually gets. Even though he got banged up, Michael Lewis has managed to stay on the field. Smith will have to battle for playing time. The final backup at this point is Curtis Taylor. Taylor was a 7th round pick this year out of LSU. He was highly touted out of high school but was quite the under performer. Right now he's a practice squad candidate hoping to squeeze onto the roster.

The easiest grade for the safeties would be a C. Lewis is a very solid performer (certainly not spectacular), while Goldson is almost all potential. However, I'm gonna roll the dice on a healthy Goldson and give the team a B.

St. Louis Rams - Turf Show Times

The Rams have a really nice situation at both starting safety positions this season. At free safety, playing under a one-year franchise deal, Oshiomogho Atogwe is a former Pro Bowler with 13 INTs in his last two seasons. Obviously, he's what the kids like to call a "ball hawk." Rawwk, rawwwk! Last season he singlehandedly gave the Rams a faint glimmer of hope when he picked off Jason Campbell for a difference making touch down that started the Rams on a two game winning streak, their only two wins of the season. As he starts his age-28 season, the Rams are counting on him to become a more complete player. For that, he needs to get more consistent in coverage; of course, come of his problems in coverage over the last couple years have much to do with confusion among some of the weaker corner backs the Rams have employed, blowing assignments and leaving Atogwe to try and do two jobs. The new coaching staff should really benefit Atogwe's development, as Spagnuolo is a former defensive backs coach himself, having worked with someone names Brian Dawkins in Philly.

Corey Chavous was a good man and a team leader, but in his twilight years, he was a liability at strong safety. That contributed the Rams porous run defense last year...and the year before...and the year before that. He retired, and the Rams brought in James Butler as a free agent. Butler was a Spag's stable guy. Like Harry Carey, Jr. in the John Ford cavalry pictures, Butler's name isn't on the marquee, but he's essential in a supporting role. Much of the time, you'll Butler playing up, more like a LB, similar to his role with the Giants. His work against the run merits more praise than his ability in coverage, but he's more than adequate there too. This is a big upgrade that should make the front seven better as well as the backfield. Sorry, Rams opponents can't count on easy, highlight reel gains of 20, 30 and 40 yards for their running backs and receivers like they used to.

Behind Bulter and Atogwe, the Rams have very capable backup in Todd Johnson, also a special teams regular. He can play both safety positions. He's a true backup, i.e. you don't want to count on him as a starter for 16 games, though the supporting cast around him is improved enough that such as scenario wouldn't be a make or break deal. Next on the list is Eric Bassey, though a camp injury on Friday night may have changed that. Bassey is a special teams guy, pure and simple, who can play some backup work. Craig Dahl was another Spagnuolo discovery, undrafted like Butler, who filled in admirably for Butler a few times in 2007, before he tore his ACL in the regular season finale and got waived after the Super Bowl. Spagnuolo thought enough of him to resign him prior to the 2008 season, but that didn't pan out since the G-men drafted Kenny Phillips in the first round of 2008.

The Rams have lots of question marks on the roster, but safety is not one of them. They've got an straight A in that department.

Seattle Seahawks - Field Gulls

For the eighth consecutive season, Deon Grant started all 16 games. On a superficial statistical level, Grant's season looked like his every other: 79 total tackles, eight passes defended and two interceptions. He was played in the box or walked up to the line for much of the season following the Giant's 254 yard rushing assault in week five.
Grant was a leader in the real sense of the word making reads in the secondary and positioning Seattle's young and less aware defensive backs in place to make the play. When allowed to play deep safety, Grant again showed the recognition, quickness and ball skills that made him so valuable last season. His execution - especially his timing - on safety blitzes is remarkable.

"
Quintessential Game: Eagles at Seahawks
Philadelphia 17 - Seattle 7
3-4-SEA 4 (Qtr: 2:09)
Eagles break 2 WR, TE, Split Backs with McNabb in shotgun. Seattle in a 4-1 dime. Before the snap, Deon Grant directs Jordan Babineaux over right split back Lorenzo Booker. Brian Westbrook motions into the right slot. Grant gives Wilson a come here gesture and points him towards a spot opposite Westbrook. Grant looks back towards the endz--

McNabb snaps, Brent Celek shoots out wide right attempting a block, Westbrook quick-curls towards McNabb, McNabb delivers a perfect pass into his numbers and almost as soon as Grant can see the play has started Wilson is in Westbrook's frame finishing the no-doubt-about-it tackle for a loss of three.
"

What went wrong: Grant wasn't a good in-the-box safety in 2007 and removed all doubt in 2008. He's better against the run as a support tackler or a finisher. If a run is channeled to him or strung wide, he can put on a body on the rusher and record the stop. He's not a reliable open-field tackler and wont to bad angles and broken arm tackles.
Grant is uneven breaking from the line and engaging in man cover.

In week six, Grant collided with Packers' fullback Cory Hall on the first play from scrimmage. After the game he said, "I heard a pop, so it must be an MCL," and added, "Something happened with it. I didn't get any tests. I just put a brace on and went back out there."

Quintessential Game: Seahawks at 49ers

"
Deon Grant makes a wonderful free safety: Four plays after pick two, Niners at the two. Both teams are in classic goal line formations. Grant is wide-right playing contain. At the snap, Frank Gore runs into an impenetrable pile but escapes, breaks right and runs unabated for the score. Grant is 100% to blame. At the snap, Frank Gore runs into an impenetrable pile, but when he begins breaking right, Grant can be seen staring into the pile, at the center of the field, away from Gore, unaware of Gore and out of the play as soon as Gore hits the corner. Just a terrible play by a player I really like.
"

Outlook: Grant didn't miss a game or even the rest of week six. He looked broken on the trainer's table and was indisputably in terrible pain, but was back by the second quarter. Grant may just be lucky or abnormally resilient. Whatever the case, he appeared on the week seven injury report as "probable", played and nothing more was reported about the injury.

A cover 2 shell would suite Grant nicely. He could read and react to plays and tackle or attack passes running downhill. He's not a prototypical Tampa 2 safety, but as he ages and slows, it will soften his decline. What he adds as a pass defender should more than overcome his weaknesses in run support.

Brian Russell started 16 games in 2008. He did not appear on the injury report and missed only one snap all season. His statistics were in line with his career numbers: 72 tackles, one sack and three passes defended. It was his fourth season in six seasons starting he had three or fewer passes defended. He turned 31 on February 5, 2009.

Russell had a couple good stops against Philadelphia and headed off a couple long plays.

Russell is a bad player, perhaps below replacement level, that's schematic use has negative utility in the modern NFL. He ensures swearing is present and persistent at Field Gulls, because swearing is a healthy release from extreme physical pain.

Negative utility is the operative phrase there. Russell is played to reduce the greatest amount of harm, neglecting the fact that a team can prevent scoring passes without being a successful pass defense. Russell sometimes stops a 30 yard play from going for 50 and the score. That leaves the opposing team in the red zone with a new set of downs. In 2007, Seattle parlayed that strategy into an improbable mix of a high number of opposing pass attempts, a below average number of yards allowed, but the league's best touchdown's allowed*. At the time, I accepted it as the hallmark of a bend but don't break defense, but I've become ever more skeptical of the bend but don't break phenomenon. Seattle flexed the other way in 2008, allowing more relative attempts - an extraordinarily high number of pass attempts for a 4-12 team - the worst pass yards in football, and the 27th ranked touchdown passes allowed.

Opponents provided compelling evidence that neither the strategy nor Russell work. Seattle allowed ten touchdown passes of ten or fewer yards. Proving the Seahawks couldn't cede field position and then toughen in the red zone. It also allowed ten touchdowns of 20 or more yards. Proving that as a deep cover safety, Russell wasn't covering s--t.

Seattle didn't draft a safety until the seventh and Courtney Greene is a project Seattle hopes to develop. Jamar Adams hasn't received much pub. However cringe worthy, Russell is the presumptive and almost uncontested starter at free safety. Seattle could mitigate that some by making Russell just a safety. That is, a cover 2 safety and therefore not truly a strong or free safety. It absolutely must avoid putting Russell on an island and hoping his savvy and field marshalship overcomes his broken wheels, bad compass, terrible technique and leather-helmet athleticism.

Tim Ruskell added a wild card into the mix by saying longtime utility defensive back Jordan Babineaux will contend for Russell's job. Babineaux is a read and react zone defender that struggles to keep the play in front of him. He struggled as a nickel corner in 2007 and didn't so much improve in 2008 as have less responsibility. In a more structured role, say in a cover-2 where he starts deep and keeps the play in front of him by default, he's faster than Russell, more agile than Russell, more athletic than Russell, stronger than Russell, a better tackler than Russell and has better ball skills than Russell. Defensive backs coach Tim Lewis stated Russell is the starter, so I will assume Russell is the starter, and since Russell doesn't participate enough to injure himself, and since he's swayed the coaching staff, Seattle's starting safeties earn a D. Dress it up how you'd like, rationalize if you must, denial's been attempted by a few, but Deon Grant is good, Brian Russell is awful, and awful swallows good like paper swallows rock.

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So outside of one safety, most of the NFC West is content with their starting free and strong safety. Where you rank the Cardinals amongst these four? Should we be confident in Rolle's ability to become an above average safety this season?

Rams scrimmage features fans, football, and an Adam Carriker ankle injury

VanRam — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:07:09 -0000

The scrimmage is in the books and this time next week we'll be talking about the St. Louis Rams first preseason game. The scrimmage was great, well-attended, action packed; however, we've got our first bit of bad news. Adam Carriker injured his ankle...his left ankle...the one he injured before and tried to play through the last with last year. Hopefully, it's just the pains of getting back into the swing of things, but keep an eye on him, as this could really impact the team's fortunes.

Speaking of injuries that won't impact the team's fortunes as much, S Eric Bassey suffered a more serious knee sprain. The Rams, however, brought it S Craig Dahl (who missed part of the scrimmage with a "tweaked" hammy), a former Spags guy in NY, and S Todd Johnson remains the top candidate for backup S duties anyway.

Karney's ankle appears to be healing, though he did play last night.

Do yourself a favor and check out Hetfield72's pictures and report from the scrimmage. Hetfield72, I'll be sure you get a free t-shirt when we get them.

Predicting the St. Louis Rams final roster: defense & special teams

VanRam — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:03:21 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams rookie DT Darell Scott is part of a defensive line being asked to lead the Rams to better fortunes this season and beyond. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Continuing the prediction game, this morning seems like a natural fit to follow up on yesterday's post predicting the offensive roster by throwing out our predictions for the defensive side of the ball.

Predicting the defense is much trickier than the offense. The offense is wide open at backup running back, wide receiver depth, and offensive line depth - all important questions. However, on the other side of the ball there are some big unresolved issues at a couple of key starting spots, second starting CB & SLB, as well as depth issues, and that's not even touching on the expectations for key players like DT Adam Carriker, rookie MLB James Laurinaitis, etc. The preferences and stlye of the new coaching staff will go a long way toward dictating how the final roster looks, their preference for more physical corners for example.

So, let's jump right in.

DE: Chris Long, Leonard Little, James Hall, Victor Adeyanju
These guys seem like locks. I don't know about Eric Moore, but he's a useful role player that contributes on special teams. He could easily get bumped with a good camp from one of the undrafted free agent rookies, particularly former Kansas State DL Ian Campbell.

DT: Clifton Ryan, Adam Carriker, Darell Scott, Orien Harris
This is another position where I think we could see a fifth player, either here, DE, or both, the d-line is kind of Spagnuolo's thing, in case you haven't heard. If that's the case, I'd be watching Antwan Burton...and of course, Harris' spot on the roster is far from guaranteed just because they traded Brian Leonard for him.

LB: Will Witherspoon, James Laurinaitis, Quinton Culberson, Chris Draft, Larry Grant, David Vobora, Chris Chamberlain
Here's the question, do the Rams keep seven LBs and just 8 total DLs, or switch which unit has teh extra player? Grant and Vobora have both had spring's that pleased the coaches, but they'll have to battle it out in camp to earn spots on the roster. Much of the decision will come down to what Spagnuolo and Flajole want out of their linebackers and who fits that profiles. It's likely to be much different than what previous administrations wanted.

S: James Butler, Oshiomogho Atogwe, Todd Johnson, Craig Dahl
Dahl and Spagnuolo have a history, and I think he'll be on for ST play and depth at safety, where Spags has used him before. The rest are pretty cut and dried.

CB: Ron Bartell, Tye Hill, Bradley Fletcher, Justin King
This is a tough one to call too. After Bartell, some of the names in the mix are obvious, but who starts? Right now, the difference between the three guys behind Bartell is pretty minimal. Hill and Jonathan Wade might get a little boost because of their NFL experience. However, I think that a healthy King can have a strong camp and beat out Wade for the fourth spot, as long as he proves he can play press coverage. With Hill, given the ups and downs that have marked Hill's experience, is he really that far ahead of the rookies?

Special Teams

Pretty cut and dried here.

K: Josh Brown
P: Donnie Jones
LS: Chris Massey

If they can get good blocking and stopping from the rest of the ST players, the Rams could have a solid unit since they have two of the best legs in the league kicking for them.

Thoughts?

NFC West Division Breakdowns: The Secondary

Andrew602 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:19:33 -0000

The Cardinals had a terrific 2009 season and a large part of it was due to the misfortunes of the rest of the NFC West. The three other teams all finished with records below .500. They've all had an active off-season, and the draft will be sure to stir things up, with all 3 teams picking in the top ten. That leads us to our next segment: NFC West Division Breakdowns. The secondary is the first positional group up for inspection, and the Cardinals were fairly active in signing Bryant McFadden and safety Keith Lewis. Mike Sando seems to think that those moves make the Cardinals Secondary one of the best in the division (and I might have to agree with him). We'll start with our very own.

As a side note, these breakdowns are more of a look ahead to the 2009 season, not grades from last year. I would more so call these roster outlooks, but they are technically not since the 2009 season has yet to come. The rankings are ranked 1-4 with 1st being the best in the division. The grading system was becoming too confusing.

Arizona Cardinals

Starters:

Adrian Wilson (SS): Adrian Wilson is the best strong safety in the NFC West, and possibly the best in the NFC. He's the heart of the defense and keeps everything intact. He's got a high motor and has a knack for getting to the ball carrier/quarterback. He's got the size of a linebacker but can still play well in pass coverage.

Antrel Rolle (FS): Rolle really gelled as a free safety late last year, and may have found his true position. He's the ball-hawk of the secondary and somehow is around the ball whenever it pops loose. He's a solid tackler, recording 88 tackles in 2008, and he is dependable in coverage.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB): DRC may have became one of the few shut down cornerbacks in the NFL due to his performance in the playoffs last year. His freakish speed and athleticism allow him to cover even the best of wide outs in the league, and we may see his full potential this year as he will be a full time starter.

Bryant McFadden (CB): McFadden is as solid as cornerbacks come. He has a well-built frame and will add to run-support. He's a physical corner and likes to jam receivers at the LOS. He is another corner that we may see the full potential of next year, as long as he can beat Rod Hood for the starting spot. He does need to work on his speed and covering quicker receivers.

Depth:

Rod Hood (CB): He may be the starter next to DRC next year, as long as he can beat out McFadden. Hood is a small corner but has enough strength for physical receivers. He's a dependable cover corner, and is decent for run-defense.

Ralph Brown (CB): Brown played exceptionally well in the playoffs last year and should fill in as solid 4th string cornerback this year. Brown isn't the biggest or quickest corner, and is ideal as a nickel back or special teams.

Matt Ware (S): He's a special teams player, and probably won't get any starting time. He has a tall frame, and is decent in coverage. Ware's not the greatest tackler either.

Aaron Francisco (S): He usually steps in when Wilson's playing run-support. Francisco isn't ideal in pass-defense, notably after blowing the game winning touchdown of the Super Bowl.

Keith Lewis (S): Signed this off-season, Lewis may take time from Francisco. He is also a special teams standout.

Michael Adams (CB): Adams only plays special teams but plays it well. He's also has good punt-downing skills.

Bottom line: Arizona greatly increased their secondary by adding Lewis and McFadden, and by retaining Ralph Brown. With the additions and the momentum through last years playoffs, they now have one of the best secondaries in the league.

Overall Rank: 1st

Seattle Seahawks

Starters:

Deon Grant (SS): Grant has shown flashes of being a great safety in the NFL. In his 8 seasons, he's racked up nearly 500 tackles. He's dependable and is talented enough to pick off the occasional pass or two.

Brian Russell (FS): Russell is a ~~accomplished~~ proficient safety and has been in the league for 6 seasons now. He's bounced around to a few teams and has put together solid numbers. He's not the quickest safety and he may give up a big play every now and then, but he makes up for it with his intelligence and his strength in stopping the run.

Marcus Trufant (CB): Trufant was regarded as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL up until last year. Poor performances against some of the top wide receivers in the league (Fitzgerald), may have shown his weaknesses. He cracked under pressure last year when offenses pick on him. Trufant is still a top corner, due to his size, speed, and instincts, and he will probably bounce back this year with a pro bowl season.

Josh Wilson (CB): Wilson replaced Jennings last year and had a good season. He's short for a cornerback but makes up for it with speed and leaping ability. He's shown that he can pick off passes and become a dangerous return man with the ball. He also is a solid tackler. If he can improve on his timing and play more physical with taller receivers, he can be a force in Seattle's secondary.

Depth:

Kelly Jennings (CB): Jennings was drafted to play along side Trufant, and become a dangerous cornerback duo in the NFL. He did show signs early, but he ultimately failed. While Jennings possesses good enough run defense, his ball skills were terrible in '08. Jennings was burned several times in the first couple games last year and lost his starting spot. If he can increase his coverage skills, he may get another opportunity this year.

Kevin Hobbs (CB): Hobbs has primarily been a practice squad member but injuries allowed him to get some playing time last year. He's currently a 4th string cornerback and may get more time to show his skills this year.

Jordan Babineaux (S): Babineaux may be one of the most talented and versatile back up defensive backs in the NFL. He's known for his big plays, one of them being in a wild card game against Dallas a couple years back. Most remember when Tony Romo bobbled the field goal snap, and Babineaux was there to tackle him. Baineaux can play cornerback, safety or special teams.

C.J. Wallace (S): Wallace is another undrafted defensive back, a trend they have seemed to show over the years in Seattle. Injuries have already limited his career but his size and run-support have shown that he can be a legit 2nd string safety.

Bottom line: Seattle's secondary was riddled with injuries last year and it showed in their play. If they can stay healthy, they may be able to be proficient enough to be one of the top units in the league.

Overall Grade: 2nd

San Francisco 49ers

Starters:

Michael Lewis (SS): Lewis applies to the word, "strong" safety. He is a well built safety who's known for his hard hits. He's also known for not being well-suited in coverage. If he can improve his speed and vision, he can be a top strong safety in the league. Otherwise he's just a solid piece to the secondary.

Dashon Goldson (FS): Goldson has won over many fans at times, but there's still some uncertainty with the young safety. He's already shown that he can handle a starting position and he's got the skills to do it. He's a strong special teams player and is an above-average run defender.

Nate Clements (CB): Clements can be the best cornerback in the league, and then at times he's just above average. He's a very physical corner, likes to blanket receivers, and often gets in their face. As long as he's not being picked on, he's the best defensive back on the team, and one of the best in the league. He's still young and should be a cornerstone in the 49ers defense for years to come.

Walt Harris (CB): Harris is getting older and may have lost a step to his game. When he is playing his best, he can be one of the top corners in the league. When Harris plays underneath, he's capable of batting away a lot of balls and picking off passes. If he can stay healthy this year, he's a great compliment to Clements, and they make one of the best duos in the NFL.

Depth:

Tarell Brown (CB): Niner fans are high on Brown and his coverage skills. He's shown that he can be a very solid corner, and as long as he doesn't have anymore character issues like he's had in the past, he's got a fighting chance for the #2 cornerback spot on the team.

Shawntae Spencer (CB): Injuries have plagued his short career so far, but if he can bounce back in '09, he may get a shot at the nickel back spot.

Mark Roman (S): He's the hated member of the secondary, and as of now, Roman is the primary back-up. That may no last long as he's a poor coverage safety, and usually gives up big plays.

Reggie Smith (CB): Smith hasn't had a chance to prove himself, and but he is a dependable special teams player. Due to his slow speed, he may be better suited at safety if the Niners bring in another cornerback to take his place.

Bottom line: If San Franciscos' secondary can stay healthy and bounce back in '09, they can become a legitimate unit in the league. They do need to solidify their depth though.

Overall Rank: 3rd

St. Louis Rams

Starters:

James Butler (SS): Butler, a former New York Giant, was originally an undrafted special teams player. He eventually worked his way up the depth chart and started for the Giants in '07, and recorded 10 tackles in the Super Bowl. He's an explosive player, and is a tackling machine. He's still young and may have a break-out season in '09.

O.J. Atogwe (FS): Atogwe could be the most dynamic safety in the NFC West, or the NFL, second to Ed Reed. OJ is the playmaker of the defense, and he's usually somewhere around the spot of the ball. He's got great speed, and has a solid form for tackling. He's capable of dropping back in coverage, or helping in run support. Those honors earned him the Rams franchise tag.

Ron Bartell (CB): Bartell is a confident corner that has a tendency to bat many balls away and pick off passes. He's fast and recognizes plays quickly. He has good size and was one of the few bright spots for the Rams last year. The main downfall to Bartell is that he may struggle with the run. He finished the season with 5 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles.

Tye Hill (CB): Hill is a former 1st round pick that has shown glimpses of being an above average corner. He has very weak anticipation skills, and that cripples his ability to disguise coverage, which is very important for cornerbacks in the NFL. He hasn't shown the ability to fix his mistakes, which isn't a good thing.

Depth:

Jonathan Wade (CB): Wade is a versatile defensive back. He played receiver in college and most believe him to have solid hands. He plays special teams and has shown the ability to be a good tackler.

Justin King (CB): King is another young prospect that may show his full set of skills in '09. An injury put him out for the season last year before he had a chance to play at all. He has a tall frame for a corner and great speed, running the 2nd best 40 time at the combine with a 4.31.

Eric Bassey (S): His two year career has mostly been on the practice squad, but injuries let him play in 8 games last year, recording 11 tackles. He may get a chance to prove himself in 2009.

Todd Johnson (S): Johnson doesn't have the ideal size for a safety but he makes up for it with his tackling ability. He isn't starting material but he is a dependable back-up if he is needed to come in and play.

Bottom line: This young unit of defensive backs does have the talent (Atogwe and Bartell), but they're still unproven and gave up too many big plays last year.

Overall Rank: 4th

____________________________________

The secondary plays a large part to the defense, and it's obvious that the NFC West contains some of the best players in the league in this unit. As long as the Cardinals can stay healthy and build off of last years run, they should be an assertive force in the defense. Do you think the Cardinals secondary will be tops in the league? Is another NFC West unit better?

Could Gibril Wilson be the next Rams SS?

VanRam — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:15:23 -0000

I have some news/speculation to tack on to Tackle Box's look at Strong Safety in the latest installment in his Being Billy Devaney series. Yesterday, the Raiders released SS Gibril Wilson, putting another free agent SS on the market. Could this be a fit for the Rams?

Wilson, 27, playing behind a porous Oakland line racked up 129 total tackles. 2008 was Wilson's first year in Oakland, after the NY Giants let him walk in free agency, much as the plan to do with SS James Butler. Now there are two free agent safeties out there with ties to Steve Spagnuolo. Either one would be a much needed addition to the a Rams defense that set a dubious franchise record for the most rushing yards allowed. Wilson would likely have a higher price tag than Butler.

Of course, look at where both Wilson (5th round, 2004) and Butler (undrafted free agent) were drafted, or weren't drafted, that drives at Tackle Box's point that the Rams can find real value at a fairly deep position in the later rounds of this year's draft. The right pick could play right away, even if he had to split time with Todd Johnson. Wilson, for instance, started 7 games his rookie season. If the Rams address the NT and MLB positions, they won't need a marquee solution at SS.