SB Nation - Victor Adeyanju

Rams vs Cardinals: Gameday notes & injury report

VanRam — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:23:26 -0000

by Dave Weaver - AP

Can this man single-handedly stop Texas...and just how would he look with Golden Horns on his helmet?

Don't count on injuries to give the St. Louis Rams a break today. The visiting Arizona Cardinals won't likely be sitting many player when they take drop into the Ed Jones Dome today.

RIght now, it looks like the only player out for Arizona is LB Chike Okeafor. The questionable list includes: CB Michael Adams (hamstring), LB Karlos Dansby (shoulder), T Mike Gandy (pelvis), LB Gerald Hayes (back), CB Bryant McFadden (ankle), WR Sean Morey (head), TE Ben Patrick (knee).

The Rams will be without DE Victor Adeyanju and OG Richie Incognito. As we've mentioned, the Adeyanju injury leaves them thin at defensive line. DE Chris Long is the only player listed as questionable, and Spagnuolo made it sound as though that would be a game time decision.

Continuing on the o-line theme form 3k's post yesterday, the PD has a look at the unit. No surprises there. This is a really strong group for the Rams now, with the potential to get better. One thing that's really helped the Rams this year is the depth. Adam Goldberg has started all but one game this season.

The Cardinals are kind of sneaky good again this season, winning five of their last six with the league's fifth best passing offense. It'll be a big day for our secondary.

Stray thoughts on college football

I watched the Mississippi State at Arkansas game yesterday, and three players really stood out. The obvious is Ryan Mallett. He's an accurate and strong QB, smart too, but needs to develop his ability to find other receivers when his guys are covered up too tightly. Surely, he stays in another season. Arkansas WR Cobi Hamilton, a freshman, is one helluva receiver. I was really impressed with Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon. He reminded me of Steven Jackson, similar moves and style. There's probably a reason for that: Sylvester Croom, the former Bulldogs head coach who was hired as the Rams running backs coach this season. Croom isn't getting enough credit for Jackson's big season, but he should be.

Les Miles, seriously?

Ndamukong Suh will get a national stage when Nebraska is sacrificed to Texas in the Big 12 championship game. I still think it could be a pretty interesting game, and I look forward to watching what he can do against one of college football's elite teams.

Michigan got beat by guys in sweatpants...Rodriguez has to go now.

Random Ramsdom 11/21: Catching up on Saturday's Rams news

VanRam — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:04:50 -0000

Happy Saturday everyone. It's the second to last week of the college football regular season, so that means you've got work to do scouting the the future of the St. Louis Rams. Don't forget to download 3k's college watch list.

In the meantime, we've got some newsy links to get to, for your Saturday edition of Random Ramsdom.

Little facing old friend this week - Leonard Little is not going to let his friendship with Kurt Warner get in the way of a good sack.

Reconsidering Marc Bulger - Sando wonders if Bulger wouldn't be useful for the Rams to keep around in 2010 if the QB can play well down the stretch, allowing the Rams to use their first round pick on someone besides a QB. I suspect this is an argument we'll be hearing until next April.

Victor Adeyanju back in the fold - An important role player in recent seasons, Adeyanju will get plenty of reps this week with a banged up D-line.

Gibson a starter? - Without actually confirming it, Spagnuolo made it look as though WR Brandon Gibson will start this week. Who else do the Rams have at this point?

Rams C Jason Brown chatted with fans yesterday - See what the big man had to say.

Jackson's on a blistering pace; Chris Long is questionable - No surprise on Jackson. If Chris Long is out or limited this week, the Rams could really have some trouble on the D-line. If any of the others get injured, it'll be a tough afternoon.

Rams buy remaining tickets, avoid blackout - Not a bad move. Remember, the Rams TB ratings have improved steadily this season, with the Detroit and New Orleans games getting some good numbers. If they can play well this week, it'll go along way toward goosing their ratings for the season and building the fan base. Having Kurt Warner in town never hurts either.

Rams VP Kevin Demoff covers the cap, free agency, TST and more in his chat today.

VanRam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:22:34 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

The St. Louis Rams would like to see safety Oshiomogho Atowgwe in their future.

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St. Louis Rams VP of Football Operations and COO Kevin Demoff held a live chat with fans today. Some highlights, with comment:

If there is a salary cap in 2010, the Rams will be approximately 35m under the salary, which would be the third most room under the cap in the NFL. There has been some pain this year, but the salary cap should not be the driving force behind any personnel decisions moving forward. This year, we were forced to create a dollar of salary cap room for every dollar of salary cap room spent. That meant making difficult decisions with some talented players, but we made the decisions that we thought were best for the long-term future of this organization.

Though I don't believe there will be a cap, having $35 million worth of space under the cap is great news. It means that the Rams can really make some strides to fill the big holes on the roster, without having to choose between one position at the expense of the other in the draft. Of course, if it is an upcapped year that means...

However, if 2010 is uncapped, there will be a limited free agent pool consisting of players with 6 years or more of experience. That will make it harder to sign young, talented players in free agency, the type of player every team wants in free agency. As a result, in an uncapped year, the draft will be paramount, which is one of the reasons we are trying to stockpile picks in the 2010 draft.

I don't know what his definition of stockpiling is, but so far the Rams have added a 5th round pick from the Eagles in the Witherspoon trade and a 7th round pick from the Falcons in the Tye Hill trade. Those could be packaged to move up in other rounds, of course. I don't know that they'll have much in the way of compensatory picks, since they really didn't lose many free agents of note.

Which players are up for free agency this year? It depends on the cap situation. Here's the list from Demoff:

...eight players...[that] would normally be Unrestricted Free Agents in 2010 who will be Restricted Free Agents in 2010 if there is no salary cap. Those players are as follows: Victor Adeyanju, OJ Atogwe, Alex Barron, Samkon Gado, Gary Gibson, Richie Incognito, Ruvell Martin, Mark Setterstrom. We would have the right to "tender" all of those players as RFA's. There are 6 players who will be UFA's no matter what the cap situation is: Kyle Boller, James Hall, Paris Lenon, Leonard Little, Chris Massey, Randy McMichael.

We'll talk plenty more about these guys down the road. For now, I'd say you can count on the Rams making an effort to hang onto Atogwe, Gibson, Incognito, Setterstrom, and some combination of Hall and Little. Those last two guys will surely be considering retirement, though they could still be useful as part timers.

The highlight of the chat...a TST shout out from Demoff. Check it out:

I couldn't let the good guys at TurfShowTimes go unrewarded for their drive to send in questions for this chat.

Hell yeah! Anyway, he answered our question about re-signing Atogwe, and it sounds like the team plans to keep him in the picture for the future.

Alright, go read the whole thing. It's pretty informative.

What to Make of Chris Long?

kevinramsfan — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:21:30 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Will Chris Long keep his eye on the ball this season? (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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Ever since I have been following the draft, the St. Louis Rams have had a lot of difficulty finding success in selecting defensive linemen. Defensive tackles in particular have been difficult, with names that make fans cringe like Claude Wroten, Ryan Pickett, Damione Lewis and of course, Jimmy Kennedy . For whatever reason (attitude mostly) these guys have had all the talent in the world, but could not put it together consitstantly in a Rams uniform.

On the other hand, defensive ends have seen mixed results. Before Chris Long, the last true defensive end drafted was Victor Adeyanju in 2006 (Adam Carriker was a d-end in college, but was moved inside by the previous coaching regime). Adeyanju has seen a little bit of the field, but his run-stopping prowess and lack of pass-rush ability has kept him in the specialty category. Tony Hargrove was drafted in the 3rd round of 2004's draft, and well -- like everyone but a certain Steven Jackson from that class -- Hargrove no longer plays for the Rams.

But Long was supposed to break that streak of bad d-linemen. Coming out of college, he looked like a can't miss. He had talent. He had pedigree. He went up against fellow future first round pick OT Eugene Monroe in practice. More importantly, he had the right attitude. What wasn't to like?

Well, here's Long's career stat line to date (according to NFL.com):

Total Tackles: 54
Solo: 36
Assists: 15
Sacks: 4.0

So the inevitable question arises: What to make of Chris Long's struggles? One blogger's take after the jump.

I must confess, the Post-Dispatch sort of beat me to the punch here, but I'm still going to offer my take on the situation.

In short, I think there is no need to panic regarding the performance of the the 2nd overall pick in 2008...yet.

Conisder this. Vernon Gholston, the talented DE from Ohio state who fell to the Jets at no. 6 that year, has yet to record a sack in his professional career (although he was moved to OLB). The other two DE's taken in the first round that year were Derrick Harvey from Florida and Lawrence Jackson from Southern Cal. Those two have combined 8.5 career sacks. A litte more than twice Long's total. But neither Jackson nor Harvey were rated worthy of the no. 2 overall pick. So even with hindsight, I like the pick based on how the draft unfolded. I could argue with a lot of other draft picks, but that's for another day.

Another comparison that I think has merit is to his father, Hall-of-Famer Howie Long. Through his first two seasons in Oakland ('81-'82) he had 5.5 total sacks. That's it. I know, different era, different game. OT's are bigger and faster. But Chris learned from arguably one of the top five sack artists of all time (Howie ended his career with 84.0 sacks and a bust in Canton). There's no need to panic. He's holding his own, particularly against the run. He's learing from Leonard Little and his hall of fame father. He'll get some sacks. That's what I found the consenus to be among the Rams writers at the PD.

But let's not give him a complete pass here. He was drafted to do a job, and start games at DE and rush the passer. So far, he's been a serviceable starter. But he's struggled rushing the passer. He, and the rest of this d-line, must put pressure on the QB this year, or the Rams will be picking high again next year.

The recipie for success? Billy Devaney must make a commitment to get some big bodies in the middle. That will take some blocking attention from Long and make it easier for him to do his job. And Long must learn from Steve Spagnuolo. He has a knack for helping out okay d-linemen and turning them into great ones (see Osi Umenyiora). Those two things combined will help Chris Long erase the d-lineman draft woes of the past and get this defense -- and this team -- back on the winning track.

Rams 17, Chiefs 9: St. Louis takes the Governor's Cup...and the Rams finish preseason play 3-1

VanRam — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:29:59 -0000

by Tom Gannam - AP

St. Louis Rams cornerback Quincy Butler, left, is congratulated by Justin King after intercepting a pass by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen and running it back 28 yards for a touchdown. Both corners finished with an INT to make a good case for their spot on the roster.

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The battle for the St. Louis Rams #3 QB spot has been resolved, and the results are not unlike last year's as Brock Berlin emerged after being written off early. More importantly, the Rams are 3-1 in the preseason, topping the number of wins they had last season and tying the number of wins from the season before.

The First team

The first team offense featured mostly second teamers. They started the night giving everyone a heart attack, with a sack that resulted from bad pass protection behind the line. As must now be mandated by the league, the Rams called a wildcat and picked up a cool five yards. A sack on third down ended the second drive a few plays later, and then it was bedtime for most of the starters. Picking it up from there, Berlin looked comfortable in the west coast, though I'm shocked he can see over the defenders.

On defense, it seemed like mostly the second team with a few exceptions in the early going. They came out strong, forcing KC into a three-and-out (which the Rams offense promptly followed with their own). When the second team came out in force on the Chiefs' third drive of the game, right away, they struggled right off the bat, giving Larry Johnson a 41-yard run. The Chiefs had a TD, but it got called back on a holding penalty, which was immediately followed by a delay of game penalty. From there the Rams defenders that almost got burned tightened up, thanks in no small part to some inspired play by Bradley Fletcher, and kept the Chiefs out of the end zone and forced them to settle for 3.

Gado continued to make his case, doing some nice work catching the ball. He took a shot to the ribs in the second quarter and did not return. Keep an eye on this one, because none of the other Rams running backs behind Gado look ready to be a backup.
Victor Adeyanju had a sack and generally thwarted the Chiefs draw plays.
Tim Carter...buttafingers. Adios.
Daniel Fells, getting some action with the first team, made everyone forget the name Klopfenstein.
Quincy Butler has better hands than Tim Carter.
Justin King ties for the third CB spot.
The Rams have a nice staple of young corners, but I still wonder if they might not have a close eye on the waiver wire Saturday.
David Roach seems like a viable backup safety.

Much more tomorrow.

Chiefs - Rams: Halftime Notes

ram_rod — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:43:50 -0000

Just a few observations from the first half for those who do not have the ability watch the game, feel free to chime in to the open thread.

Bradley Fletcher had a good half; he covered Dwayne Bowe well and prevented the Chiefs from scoring two touchdowns. He looks like he can develop into a good player.

There is no doubt Gado is our #2 back, he played well.

Victor Adeyanju is no match for their 3rd teamers/backups. He created some good pressure and had a nice sack.

Berlin found his rhythm and had a nice TD to Fells (who had a few grabs) only to give up an interception that shouldn't have happened. The 3rd QB Battle continues...

Roach is not making the cut.

Tim Carter had two drops. He definitely did not impress anyone. Derek Stanley had an absolutely UGLY drop, but redeemed himself twice (one of the plays was wiped out by a Ronald Curry penalty).

All for now.

The Next Cut

ram_rod — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:47:14 -0000

by Jeff Roberson - AP

4 months ago: St. Louis Rams cornerback Quincy Butler, right, deflects a pass intended for wide receiver Ronald Curry during NFL football training camp Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, at the Rams' training facility in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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With today's cut in the book's, the next step on all the players on the roster is trying to make it past this Saturday, September 5th.With the KC game looming two days prior to that, anyone who wants a roster spot will need to play well this week to get one.

Lets look at some of the hopefuls, shall we?

Gary Gibson: He's been doing a good enough job to get Adam Carriker out of the starting line-up, but even then Jim Thomas had him "on the bubble". With James Hall, Victor Adeyanju, Leonard Little and Chris Long on the outside and Carriker and Clifton Ryan (presumably with rookie Darell Scott and/or Hollis Thomas) on the inside, there isn't much room left for another player . However, he has played well enough and a solid performance this Thursday should give him enough in the eye of the coaches to make it onto the team.

Quincy Butler: Butler had a good camp and followed that up with unimpressive play in the preseason (he did have an interception last week though). With Tye Hill gone, he has a better chance to make it, especially if he can up his game on Thursday. He will probably stick with the team at the 5th spot unless they can find someone better.

Keith Null: Whether you think he is going to be big later on or not, the 3rd QB spot is up for grabs. Boller and Bulger are safe, obviously, but with the Rams slowly jettisoning older players, Null has a good chance. With no one clearly in the lead, KC's game will decide who will be looking for a job.

Enjoy your Tuesday everyone.

Rams cut Klopfenstein and three others

VanRam — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:06:08 -0000

St. Louis Rams TE and 2006 second round draft pick Joe Klopfenstein got the axe today, as the Rams trimmed their roster to meet the league's mandate to pair down to 75 player rosters today.

Also getting cut were WR Jarrett Byers, CB Marcus Brown and C Daniel Sanders. That leaves one more cut to go. Could that move be putting Brooks Foster on IR? Stay tuned.

Klopfenstein had decent enough hands during his days playing at Colorado, but his, um, potential never developed at the NFL level. The Klop pick, along with Brian Leonard, symbolize the Rams drafts of the Linehan era. Klop did not have the speed required of NFL tight ends to keep defensive backs honest on seam routes. Klop never developed as a blocker either, leading to more than one mistake or two in pass protection. A tight end without speed and blocking ability in the NFL...

Like Brian Leonard, his skill set was somewhere in between two roles. Both players were absurd wastes of a second round pick, a pick that could have been used on solid contributors. In 2006, the Rams could have selected Maurice Jones-Drew, Cedric Griffin, Pro Bowl OT Marcus McNeill (at a time when the Rams could have really used OT depth), Darryl Tapp, Devin Hester, yada, yada, yada. Hindsight is always 20-20, but it should have been clear their were more projectable, better prospects to be had with the pick the Rams used on a TE lacking speed and blocking ability.

The 2006 draft is the perfect example of why the Rams are going through a rebuilding program, even though nobody on the team will call it that. Guys taken that year in the draft would be gearing up for their fourth year in the league, emerging as reliable starters, if not key building blocks. This year, the Rams are giving their first round pick from 2006, CB Tye Hill, one last chance to stick on the roster...and he's probably going to lose a starting role to 2007 third round pick Jonathan Wade. The Rams had 10 draft picks that season, more than they've had since. Of those 10 picks, only HIll, DE Victor Adeyanju (4th round) and OL Mark Setterstrom (7th round) remain with the team, the later two having given the Rams solid depth at their respective positions (don't forget that Setts has been a starter and probably could be a regular starter). For the Rams, the 2006 draft was a colossal failure. I get pissed every time I think about it. Breathe, Van, breathe. It's a new day for Rams football.

The PBP: gaps, techniques and the Hollis Thomas effect

3k — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:40:19 -0000

Alright, gentlemen, listen up! This is a chalkboard. It's made primarily of slate. Got that Jimmy? Well, damnit, pay attention! Why the hell do you think I wear this coat and hat indoors?

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I know I suggested doing the next episode on the O-line in the last PBP, but with the signing of Hollis Thomas, I thought this had more immediate relevance. Today's Playbook Projector asks a couple questions:

What the hell are gaps? What the hell are techinques? Why the hell do I have to say "hell" every question? I mean, what the hell?

Numbers, fat bodies and diagrams await...playbook projector, hoooooooooooooooooooo!

You'll often hear commentators or sports journalists refer to gaps or techniques. Let's look at what those mean before we get into our 2009 D-line.

"Gaps" refer to the spaces in between offensive linemen. Take a look:

Let's work from the inside in. Your "E" gap generally is assigned to CBs on a CB blitz. They'll shoot the inside shoulder of a wide receiver to hold down that side of the interior offense. The "D" gap is an option for the strong side DE or LB to come around the TE if he's assigned to block and not run a route. Your "C" gap refers to the outside gap of the offensive tackles, a common gap assignment for your RDE. The gap in between the OTs & Gs is the "B" gap; DEs will often attack this gap on run plays if the have outside help (think Victor Adeyanju) or a DT may be assigned here to contain plays where the offense is moving horizontally instead of vertically. The "A" gap is the most interior gap. Envision that 4th & inches play where you're expecting the QB to run up the hip of his center to eke out a 1st down. This is where he'll end up once the referee peels off all the bodies on top of him.

Now on to techniques:

While it looks a bit more crowded, it's not as if all of these are assigned on a given play; they just refer to the options defensive linemen have in terms of where they line up. In other words, a true nose tackle will line up at the "0" tech, directly in front of the center. This was where we saw Adam Carriker lined up most often last season and where Thomas will probably set up this season. The remaining six techniques refer to the shoulders of the offensive linemen. A "3" technique refers to the outside shoulder of the offensive guard, respective to which side of the line a D-lineman sets up.

So now that we've established the concept of gaps and techniques, let's look at how the Rams' D-line might line up:

I'm going to approach this from left to right. The RDE, who is generally your strongest DE, is set up in the "5" tech and assigned the "C" gap. Hopefully, he can get around the LT quickly and come from the QB's blindside for one of those sacks we love to see (when you're on defense...). Your RDT, here set up at the 1 but could also set up at the 0, tries to slide inside either A gap to stop the HB from feeding through the middle or to disrupt the pocket the QB is expecting. On the right side, we see some options for the D-line. The LDT, set up at the 2, has the option of taking the A or B gap. Similarly, the LDE, set at the 5, can either go for the C or D gap. The strong side D-linemen's decisions are usually determined by whether they assume a run or pass attack., and, for the LDE, how the TE is assigned.

The LDT may try to slide through the B gap (again, in between the G & T, to free up the LDE on a pass play. That way, the LDE only has to deal with the TE; if the TE happens to be assigned a route instead of a block, then both the LDT & LDE will try to sweep around the outside to bring pressure into the pocket. A run play, however, requires an interior approach from the DTs. Let's look at how a HB counter play looks and how the D-line's initial approach makes a difference:

The offense is hoping that once the HB makes his move toward the right, the D-line will take their "2" pursuits to free up the left side. If, however, that RDT (Hollis Thomas) takes his "1" pursuit and is able to get into the backfield, he can contain the run and negate a big play. Although the offensive and defensive formations are different, check out this video of two counters then-Gator Percy Harvin ran with huge success. The're both from from UF's victory against South Carolina last season that saw Harvin run for 167 yards on 8 carries

In the first play, notice the NT for South Carolina took his "2" pursuit which opens up a huge lane that TE Aaron Hernandez (who is one of my #2 NFL prospect TE for the 2010 Draft) helps seal with his block on the LB who's assigned to the HB. In the second, look at the LB corps which consists of 5 players once the ball is snapped; four of the LBs are dragged to their left by Harvin's initial move. The only LB who had a chance of stopping him has his lane to Harvin impeded by Hernandez again.

If Hollis Thomas can use his bulk and strength to carry through the interiors of offensive lines and prevent teams from setting up their running game with ease, we have made a great pickup. If, however, he plays the same role as La'Roi Glover did last year, we could see this kind of play several times over, much to our dismay.

As always, comments, critiques and suggestions are always more than appreciated. On the next PBP: the O-line and Jason Smith.

NFC West Position-by-Position: Defensive Ends

Hawkwind — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:03:18 -0000

In our weekly break down of the NFC West we wrap up the defensive line with the ends, after looking at the nose/defensive tackles last week (check out previous positions here). The Arizona Cardinals defensive ends seem to be set in stone but with the transition to a 3-4 defense there are still some questions that will need to be answered, but how they compare to the rest of the division is the real question.

Arizona Cardinals

After playing an odd hybrid defense for a couple of years, the Cardinals are finally settling into a 3-4 front and of course that will effect the defensive ends. The good news is that the starters at end are virtually set in stone and the depth at the position is pretty decent but the bad news is that no one is quite sure what to expect of the guys who play the position.

The team's best defensive lineman, Darnell Dockett, will be making the move from tackle to end but he doesn't seem terribly pleased with the move and some question whether it's the best position for his skill set. At tackle, DD was able to shoot gaps and penetrate into the backfield of opposing backfields, creating havoc and picking up the occasion sack, but his responsibilities should be very different as a 3-4 DE. We'll have to wait and see how he handles a role that's built more for facilitating others to make plays as opposed to being a play maker. Either way, most expect Dockett to step in and immediately become one of the better 3-4 defensive ends in the league.

Across from Dockett will be Calais Campbell, who was drafted in the second round last year. Campbell's size (6-8, 282) makes him unique and his athleticism, at that size, makes him special. He surprised everyone by starring on special teams last year and as long as he can consistently keep his pad level low, most expect him to compare favorably to recently departed Antonio Smith. Coming out of Miami he had the reputation as a guy who could get to the quarterback and he flashed his pass rush ability a couple of times last year but his test will be when teams decide to run directly at him.

The top backup at both end spots should be another second year defensive end, Kenny Iwebema, as long as he recovers from a surprise surgery to remove a 'growth' in his chest. By all reports the surgery was a success and everyone expects him to be ready by training camp, but ultimately we won't know until he puts on pads. Last year during camp Iwebema drew rave reviews for his strength and even had some veteran lineman saying that he was virtually unmoveable at the point of attack. When the Cardinals were hurting for a nose tackle late in the preseason and even the regular season opener, they turned to Iwebema as the backup and he didn't disapoint. Pass rushing isn't his greatest strength but he did register two sacks in the preseason last year. While he's projected as a backup, he could still get considerable playing time especially against teams that run the ball more often than they pass.

The battle for the fourth defensive end will likely come down to two undrafted second year players, Keilien Dykes and Jason Banks. The frontrunner, Dykes, spent last year on the practice squad after starring at West Virginia as a defensive tackle. He won't offer much in the pass rush department but he's strong at the point of attack and versatile enough to line up at nose tackle in a pinch. Banks was a raw prospect coming out of Grambling State but he's got better size and more athleticism that Dykes. He probably offers more against the pass but we'll have to wait until training camp to see how it plays out.

The only guy we haven't mentioned yet is Bertrand Berry and that's because no is quite sure where he'll line up. He doesn't have the size to play defensive end but most don't think he can handle a full transition to an outside linebacker spot. He was the teams best pass rusher last year though so there's a thought that he might just come in as a situational pass rusher from multiple positions.

Overall the defensive end spot looks pretty solid but maybe that's just because there isn't a great deal (stat-wise) that's expected from 3-4 defensive ends. The depth chart is stacked with young talent and Dockett has the potential to be a great player no matter where he lines up. In my mind, Dockett is an A and the rest of the group is a C so we'll split and difference and give the Cardinals' defensive ends a grade of B.

San Francisco 49ers - Niners Nation

The 49ers are in an odd position in terms of their defensive ends. After bouncing back and forth between a 4-3 and 3-4, they finally settled into a base 3-4 when Mike Singletary took over. Defensive ends in the two formations have different roles, so going back and forth was doing nothing for any sort of consistency.

The 49ers best defensive end is of course Justin Smith. The team signed him to a good sized contract prior to last season and he has met expectations. His numbers might not reflect it, but he did a bang-up job for the 49ers. Before settling in as a 3-4 defensive lineman, Smith actually played 6 of the possible 7 DL/LB positions at some point. As impressive as that might be, it also shows the lack of a defensive identity. Once the team switched to a full-time 3-4, Smith settled in at right defensive end. Smith is a bit undersized for a 3-4 defensive end, but he did not miss a snap last season and 49ers fans look forward to more of the same this season.

Smith is the easy part of the equation. The rest of the defensive ends raise plenty of questions. Isaac Sopoaga has bounced around from DT to DE and in fact might be best suited for the 4-3. While he'll get plenty of opportunities this season, time is ticking on him. He'll be competing with 2008 first round pick Kentwan Balmer for playing time. Balmer did next to nothing last season, leaving many 49ers fans frustrated. However, he's been working with Justin Smith this off season and one hopes that a little bit of Smith's production will dust off on Balmer. This preseason will be huge for Balmer. Many think Sopoaga will have the starting job initially, but a big training camp could mean big things for Balmer. It's too early to call him a bust, but this season is definitely a big one for him to see some improvement.

The 49ers signed Demetric Evans in the off season to add some depth to the defensive end position. He's undersized for a traditional 3-4 defensive end so it'll be interesting to see how the 49ers utilize him. The other part to this puzzle is Ray McDonald. McDonald has serious pass rush skills when he's not jumping off sides. McDonald has had injury problems and is currently recovering from one such knee problem. There's a decent chance he starts the season on the PUP list, thus limiting his early season chances. When healthy I see him as a pass rush specialist. It'd be nice if he could develop into an every down defensive end, but at this point I don't know if that will happen. The injuries are an issue, but also I don't know if he has the discipline to be an every down type of guy.

If this was just about Justin Smith I'd give the unit an A. At this point there are so many questions on the left defensive end side that I'm going to have to go with a C. If I was convinced Balmer would step up this year I'd give it a B. However, numerous questions remain at the LDE.

St. Louis Rams - Turf Show Times

Without a doubt this unit could use another edge rusher, but the top of the depth chart combo os Chris Long and Leonard Little is solid. One represents the future, one the past. The one representing the past will be limited on the amount of snaps he sees in order to keep him fresh. They'll hope that Little has enough juice left to play that role. In 14 games last season, Little made six sacks. With better play in the middle of the line and a true middle linebacker finally on board, that should help the DEs.

Chris Long has a bright future with the Rams, and the question is what level will he make it to. Some see a top-flight DE, others see a "mere" Grant Wistrom. Long possesses athleticism and toughness, but his instincts for the game (and a tireless dedication to be better) make him a stand out. In Spagnuolo and Flajole's defense, he'll be lined up on the outside should of the offensive tackle, where he doesn't have to overpower them and can get a good angle into the backfield.

Behind Long and Little is another May/December combo. James Hall led the team in sacks last year, but he's a year older than Little and will be used sparingly. Victor Adeyanju has been a useful role player for the Rams as a run defender, thanks to his speed and athleticism. On the rush, he's a bit more of a project, but he did pick up two sacks last year. Resigned as a restricted free agent, the new coaching staff believes very strongly that they can find his inner pass rusher. After all, Spagnuolo has a noted history of elevating unheard of defensive linemen.

Making the mix more interesting will be some sets that feature four DEs across the line. Often that will be Adeyanju and Hall, but look for Long to make an appearance or two in that role.

Finding another DE will be an off season priority, but for now this mix gets a solid C.

Seattle Seahawks - Field Gulls

Seattle has numbers and talent at defensive end, but it also has injury concerns and questions marks. Patrick Kerney is the name. He rewarded Seattle with 14.5 sacks in the first year of his six-year, $39.5 million dollar contract. He spent most of the second year on IR. Before his shoulder popped, he was in the midst of another productive season. He had five sacks and two forced fumbles in seven games. Age 32 is a bit of a brick wall for defensive ends. 29 defensive ends, including Kerney at 50, are in the top 50 for career sacks. Those ends averaged 10 sacks at age 30, 9.8 sacks at age 31, but only 7.3 sacks at age 32. Only eight of those 29 reached double digit sacks at 32 and four were Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Michael Strahan and Chris Doleman-four of the top five leaders in career sacks. They totaled 54.5 sacks at age 32. The remaining 24 totaled 150 sacks and averaged just 6.3 at age 32. That's the group that better projects Kerney's future and that's why following his second season ending injury in three seasons, Kerney can no longer be counted on to be a great defensive end.

But he's good. Around him Seattle has talent and depth. It picked up a slimmed down Cory Redding in the Julian Peterson deal and plans on making him a two-down end. Redding was a good player on a botched defense. He's not high-motor; he's weapons grade plutonium. He explodes off the snap. He reappears where the ball carrier is and delivers the hurt. He's not a premier pass rusher, but entering his prime it's still within him. If not singularly great against the pass, he does enough against the pass and the run to be valuable. Unfortunately, he's recovering from a knee injury that might endanger his career. His move to end is in part a move of necessity.

Kerney and Redding are the presumed starters, but in the wings are pass-rush demon Darryl Tapp, developing tools prospect Baraka Atkins, and the physically gifted Lawrence Jackson. Tapp is my personal favorite. Tapp is consistently disruptive. Fans undervalue him because he's yet to produce double-digit sacks, but he's capable. When he's not tackling the quarterback, he is disrupting the quarterback's timing and forcing premature passes. Tapp is from the Dwight Freeney School of defensive ends and his gusto to get to the quarterback often leaves him out of position to defend the run and incapable of sealing the edge. He could be as a good as Robert Mathis, but first Seattle must free him to play.

Atkins is potential making good and in his limited looks last season, he out-produced rookie Lawrence Jackson. The two are kind: Tall, rangy, powerfully built and athletic, but not very skilled and no sure thing to ever be very good. Jackson played on a bad foot all season, but c'mon. He started 14 and never once appeared on the official injury report. Jackson's problem is that he lacks NFL-ready pass rush moves. As the season continued as frustration mounted, he began quitting on plays. There's still a ton of talent inside the guy. More raw talent than any other Seahawks defensive end, but a player can bust fast and after frustratingly bad first season, harbingers of bust loom.

The player that pushes this ranking to a "B" is Mr. Everything Aaron Curry. Curry is auditioning as a situational end. Seattle played Julian Peterson in the role and he embarrassed many a good offensive tackle. Curry has Peterson+ speed and is a chiseled 254, but he lacks Peteron's agility. He's close. And if he can get there, he would be a ransacking nightmare with no clear counter. If he can get there.

With two B's and two C's is pretty clear who the top two and bottom two teams would be, but setting the order from there got a bit more tricky.

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So basically Darnell Dockett lead the way to the top ranking but how comfortable are you with the defensive end position? With DD and CC prove to be quality starters and how will they measure up to their counterparts in the West?