SB Nation - Corey Chavous

Looking back at Perry Fewell's career path

MattRichWarren — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:03:15 -0000

It's only appropriate that Buffalo Bills interim head coach Perry Fewell's first game as an NFL head coach would be against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fewell broke into the NFL as a coach with the Jaguars organization in 1998. Let's take a closer look at the Bills' new leader.

Playing Career
Perry Fewell attended South Point High School in Belmont, N.C. and was inducted into the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Following high school, he went to Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina and was a football standout. He was a four-year letterman, and as a senior in 1983, he was named the team's Most Improved Player.

College Coaching Career
Following his graduation, Fewell accepted a two-year stint with the North Carolina Tar Heels as a special assistant under head coach Dick Krum, followed by one year at Army. From 1988 to 1991, he made the move to Kent State University as a defensive assistant, before holding the same role back at Army (1992-1994). In 1995, Fewell became defensive backs coach and assistant head coach at Vanderbilt University, where they finished 2-9 twice and 3-8 - but coached future Pro Bowl safety Corey Chavous.

Professional Coaching Career
In 1998, Fewell accepted a job on Tom Coughlin's staff as defensive backs coach under defensive coordinator Dick Jauron. The following year, Jauron was hired in Chicago as head coach; former Panthers head coach Dom Capers replaced Jauron as defensive coordinator, and he kept Fewell on staff as his defensive backs coach. Capers left to accept the job as the expansion Houston Texans' head coach following the 2000 season. Gary Moeller was hired from the Lions to replace Capers, and John Pease took over the following year. Fewell continued to be passed over for the defensive coordinator job for much more experienced candidates.

After Coughlin's firing in 2002, Fewell moved to St. Louis, where he was appointed defensive backs coach under head coach Mike Martz and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. With the Rams, Fewell coached Aeneas Williams, his greatest pupil, to his final Pro Bowl appearance. The Rams snagged 24 interceptions in Fewell's first year. When Smith took the head coaching job in Chicago, Fewell was again passed over for the coordinator position, as the Rams hired recently-fired Cardinals defensive coordinator Larry Marmie.

A year later, Fewell joined Smith's staff in Chicago as the defensive backs coach under defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. During one year with the Bears, both safety Mike Brown and cornerback Nathan Vasher were selected to the Pro Bowl, and Chicago ranked second in defense and third in passing defense.

A year after joining the Bears, Fewell was offered his first chance at a defensive coordinator job with the Buffalo Bills and new head coach Dick Jauron. Jauron, as mentioned earlier, was defensive coordinator in Jacksonville when Fewell broke into the NFL as defensive backs coach there. In his years as a coordinator in Buffalo, Fewell's units have been up and down in statistically in every category - except rushing yards, where they have ranked in the bottom 10 for four straight years. Aaron Schobel is the only Bills defender to be selected to the Pro Bowl in Fewell's time in Buffalo, earning the honor in 2006 and 2007.

On November 17, 2009, the Bills fired Jauron as head coach, promoting Fewell to the interim head coaching position. Here's a quote from Aeneas Williams who says he isn't surprised by Fewell's promotion at all:

"Coach Fewell knew how to relate to the guys to get the veterans as well as the younger guys to play together. He commanded the respect of the players -- not demanded, but he commanded the respect of us players by his professionalism and his ability to help us be successful."

ESPN's Adam Schefter had some interesting points to make about Fewell in a recent article as well:

When NFL teams were sifting through head-coaching candidates to interview last winter, at least three of them were advised to talk to Buffalo's then-defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. None did. But now the Bills have given the 47-year-old Fewell an opportunity as interim head coach... Some men carry themselves in a way befitting an NFL head coach; Fewell is one of them. Sitting in a conference room in an Indianapolis hotel last summer before a preseason game against the Colts, Fewell impressed those around him with his mix of smarts and seriousness. It is what he has done in each of his NFL stops -- Jacksonville, St. Louis, Chicago and Buffalo. Now Fewell inherits a talent-deficient roster, with plenty of holes along the offensive line. But should the Bills play for him the way the 49ers played last season for Mike Singletary, Fewell could wind up having the "interim" tag removed from his title.

On his new role as Bills head coach, Fewell wasn't thrilled his chance had to come at the expense of one of his mentors. "It's something I always wanted to do," said Fewell, "but I didn't envision doing it like this." Only time will tell if he holds onto the position for longer than the seven games he is scheduled to coach now. Either way, Fewell will certainly have a home in the NFL in 2010 and beyond.

Regime change has many casualties: Random Ramsdom, 9/11

VanRam — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:36:30 -0000

The NFL season is officially here, even though the St. Louis Rams won't play until Sunday afternoon against the Seahawks. We'll have plenty of game preview action for you here between now and then. But now, some links...

More fallout from the decision to release LB Chris Draft. Apparently, they had asked him to take they pay cut twice before and the veteran linebacker had refused. The Rams are carrying a ton of dead money against their cap, $22 million to be exact, a testament to the pain of rebuilding and a monument to management practices that would make Enron proud. Also of note in the piece is that David Vobora had been pushing for Draft's starting job throughout camp, no surprise given Draft's declining speed and range.

As far as the locker room fallout goes...that's a nonstarter. This team has already released Orlando Pace, Torry Holt, Pisa TInoisamoa, and Corey Chavous, a pillar of lockerroom leadership. I think the players will absorb this just fine.

PD columnist Brian Burwell looks at Draft's release in light of the old regime.

Seattle's growing injury list has another potential addition for this week's game; oft-injured WR Deion Branch is questionable with a hamstring injury. He's missed the last two days of practice.

An pretty good interview with OJ Atogwe, not just the typical player interview platitudes.

Steven Jackson has goals this season, but is keeping them to himself.

Football Outsiders has some predictions for the season. As far as team most likely to underperform expectations, here's Mike Tanier:

Seattle. I'm not a Jim Mora fan, don't think much of their overall offensive talent, and I think Matt Hasselbeck has reached the injury tipping point where he won't be able to stay on the field as much anymore. If the Rams are as good as we think and the Cardinals a little better than we think, the Seahawks could be a 6-10 team.

Back at you soon.

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.

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 4

Andrew602 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:00:23 -0000

For the last three weeks, we've spent some time breaking down what the Cardinals record may be for the 2009 season. Over the weeks we looked at each game of the Arizona Cardinals schedule, and broke down each team they will play. You can see parts part 1, part 2, and part 3 right here, where you'll see that the Cardinals record at this point is 8-4. In part three, the Cardinals came out 3-1, only losing to the Titans. During this next stretch, they face 2 division opponents, and two others from the NFC North. So to finish our segment before the season begins, here is the final part of the prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record.

Week 14 - At San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, DE Demetric Evans, FB Moran Norris

Key Losses: LB Tully Banta-Cain, WR Bryant Johnson, CB Donald Strickland, QB J.T. O'Sullivan, DT Ronald Fields

Analysis: After Mike Singletary took over for the 49ers last year, he immediately made a difference, and since then, he's stamped his identity on this team. He's created a tough and smart football team over at 49er camp. Although the 49ers are one of our rivals, you have to respect what Singletary has done for them at this point.

What to watch for: In their first match up, I gave the Cardinals the win at home, as they were opening the season after their Super Bowl run against a division rival on their home field. This time, the Cardinals travel to San Francisco, where the 49ers can play very aggressive against road teams. It's also on the Monday night stage, where both teams have played very cutthroat in the past. Expect a lot of emotions to come out as this has become a great rivalry.

Key Match Up: Chris Wells vs Patrick Willis - This would be a very exciting match up on the national stage, as our bruising rookie running back takes on their Pro Bowl hard hitting linebacker.

Prediction - Loss - Last year the Cardinals barely escaped a win over the 49ers at home. This year I'd expect us to split the series, with each team winning at home.

Week 15 - At Detroit Lions

Key Additions: LB Julian Peterson, QB Matthew Stafford, LB Larry Foote, CB Phillip Buchanon, CB Anthony Henry, DT Grady Jackson, OT Jon Jansen, WR Bryant Johnson, RB Maurice Morris, WR Ronald Curry, CB Eric King

Key Losses: CB Leigh Bodden, DT Shaun Cody, DT Cory Redding, DE Corey Smith, QB Jon Kitna, QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Shaun McDonald, FB Moran Norris, G Edwin Mulitalo, S Dwight Smith, WR Travis Taylor

Analysis: There's not much to say after a team goes 0-16 during the regular season. The Lions just plain stunk last year. This year proves to be a different experience for a team that's struggled in recent years. As you can see, they've cleaned house and started fresh. It began in the off season when they hired Titans defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, as their head coach. They also took the next step in rebuilding their team, in drafting a franchise quarterback by the name of Matthew Stafford. The team can only improve from last year and anything more then 4 wins would be a success.

What to watch for: By the time the Cardinals head to Detroit at this point in the season, they will likely be vying for a playoff berth. On the other hand, the Lions may just want to play spoiler. Another thing to watch for is Calvin Johnson. He's already been regarded as one of the best wide recievers in the NFL at this point in his career. Watch to see how DRC handles himself against the tall receiver. If Stafford is in the game at this time, watch for the Cardinals defense to try and rattle the rookie QB.

Key Match Up: Adrian Wilson vs Matthew Stafford - If the rookie is starting at this point in the season, he has a big arm and likes to air it out. Expect Wilson to drop in coverage a few times but also layout Stafford a few times in the backfield.

Prediction: Win - It's simple, the Cardinals will be fighting for a playoff spot at this point in the year and the Lions will not be.

Week 16 - St. Louis Rams

Key Additions: SS James Butler, C Jason Brown, FB Mike Karney, OT Jason Smith

Key Losses: WR Torry Holt, OT Orlando Pace, QB Trent Green, S Corey Chavous

Analysis: After dusting off the cob webs and bringing in some youth, the Rams look to another challenge in '09, WIN. The last two years have been struggles for this Rams team that used to be the greatest show on turf. With Spagnola at the helm now, we may actually see a division rival actually become...a division rival.

What to watch for: The Rams come to University of Phoenix Stadium with hopes of knocking off a divisional opponent. Unfortunately, they haven't played that well there in the past, and will likely have some difficulty. The Cardinals will be ready for this game, hoping to catapult themselves into the playoffs with a win.

Key Match Up: Gerald Hayes vs Steven Jackson - Last year Hayes swarmed Jackson when the Rams came to Arizona. Will Jackson have revenge on his mind?

Prediction - Win - The Cardinals may need this win more then the Rams will at this point in the season.

Week 17 - Green Bay Packers

Key Additions: S Anthony Smith, C Duke Preston, DT B.J. Raji

Key Losses: DT Colin Cole

Analysis: The Packers had high hopes last year, after coming off an NFC Championship appearance. Unfortunately, it didn't translate into the 2008 season. While they had a good offense in '08, they suffered injuries that caused them to lack a rushing attack to go with their passing offense. The defense was the obvious weak spot, as they gave up a significant amount of points and were playing catch up most often then not. This year they bring back their explosive offense, and most are healthy. Aaron Rodgers has looked amazing at this point in the preseason, and they outscored their opponents in each game. They brought in Dom Capers and drafted DT B.J. Raji to improve their defense, and it's already showed as they've forced numerous turnovers and have limited their opponents scoring so far.

What to watch for: Watch for the Cardinals to head into this game with revenge on their minds. Even though it was only the preseason, the Packers put a shellacking on the Cardinals first team offense and defense. Expect to see fireworks in this game as the Cardinals defense would like to get after Aaron Rodgers.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs Packers Wide Receivers - After getting embarrassed in the preseason, we can only expect DRC to come out with something to prove in this game.

Prediction - Loss -Although the Cardinals will likely play differently this game, the Packers look to be much better in '09 and will be playing aggressively in their last game of the season, as their division will be competitive.

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Arizona Cardinals final projected record - 10-6

So after the final four games, the Cardinals finish their 2009 season at 10-6, which will likely land them with another division title and a playoff berth. Although you could easily mix and match some wins and some losses, 10-6 may still be the record, with 9-7 or 11-5 not that far out of the question. Although I'd like to see them go 16-0, I can live with the projected record if it happens. As far as anything less, the Cardinals would have to have a complete meltdown or a massive amount of injuries. What's your take on a final record of 10-6? Do you think the Cardinals would do better or worse?

Poll

How many wins will the Cardinals have in 2009?

13 or higher - Super Bowl here we come...again.

62 votes

10-12 - What hangover? We're back in the playoffs.

495 votes

7-9 - Another average season in the books

183 votes

6 or less - Same Ole Cardinals?

47 votes

787 votes | Poll has closed

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 3

Andrew602 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:00:11 -0000

Last week was the second week of predicting the Arizona Cardinals record for the 2009 season. At the midway point of the season, the Cardinals look to be 5-3, which most may agree is a very respectable record, and may have them at 1st place in the division at that point. Last week's may have also been the toughest stretch of the season, and the Cardinals are projected to finish 2-2 in that span. This week, things are similar, as the Cardinals begin with 2 division rivals, followed by two competitive games.

Week 10: vs Seattle Seahawks

Key Additions: WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, DT Colin Cole, CB Ken Lucas, DT Cory Redding, LB Aaron Curry

Key Losses: LB Julian Peterson, DT Rocky Bernard, WR Bobby Engram, RB Maurice Morris

Analysis: As stated in part 2 of this segment, Seattle enjoyed a swarming amount of injuries in 2008. They lacked 2nd stringers to cover for their 1st stringers when the injury bug attacked. Seattle hopes to be fully healed in 2008, yet long time, future hall of fame offensive tackle, Walter Jones, has already had back problems this offseason, and is about to go through knee surgery which will take him out indefinitely. Seattle gets a healthy Matt Hasselbeck back at the helm of the offense, and added a wide out threat in TJ Houshmandzadeh.

What to watch for: After predicting a win for the Cardinals on the road in Seattle already, the Seahawks will be heading into this game, hoping to get their revenge. If all stars are healthy, we should be in for a good showing. At this point in the season, the Cardinals may be looking to secure a playoff birth, and getting this against a divisional opponent would be nice. Watch for a competitive game, as Hasselbeck likes to play tough against the Cardinals year in and year out.

Key Match up: Kurt Warner vs Seahawks defense - Warner will be looking to carve up the Seahawks defense, hoping to push the Cardinals into the playoff race.

Prediction: Win - If the Seahawks can't beat the Cardinals in Seattle, what makes it different in Arizona?

Week 11 - At St. Louis

Key Additions: SS James Butler, C Jason Brown, FB Mike Karney, OT Jason Smith

Key Losses: WR Torry Holt, OT Orlando Pace, QB Trent Green, S Corey Chavous

Analysis: For the last two years, the Rams have mustered together a dismal 5-27 record. Hoping to erase recent memory, the Rams hired Steve Spagnola, former defensive coordinator from the Giants, to lead their team to the promise land, and a respectable record. They've also broken away from the past, recently releasing long time veterans, Tory Holt, Orlando Pace, and Corey Chavous. The Rams goal for 2009 is to put together a tough team, that remains competitive in every game. If this is possible, we may see something different then what we've seen in years past.

What to watch for: The Rams spent a lot of money this offseason trying to revamp their offensive line that's been unable to protect the quarterback the last few years. Watch for a battle between the Cardinals defensive line and the Rams offensive line. We'll probably see a warm welcoming for Kurt Warner as usual from the St. Louis fans.

Key Match up: Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell vs Jason Smith and Jason Brown

Prediction: Win - Until they prove otherwise, the Rams defense won't be able to stop Kurt Warner and the offense.

Week 12 - At Tennessee

Key Additions: DT Jovan Haye, WR Nate Washington, CB DeMarcus Faggins, WR Kenny Britt

Key Losses: DT Albert Haynesworth, WR Brandon Jones, CB Eric King

Analysis: Last year, Tennessee began with a perfect record, establishing themselves as the best team in the league for the regular season. They lost in the playoffs against a tough Baltimore defense, and hope to build off of last year. They didn't do much this offseason to do that, as they allowed Albert Haynesworth to sign a $100 million dollar contract with the Washington Redskins. They still remain secure on defense, with a quick secondary, and a lot of experience between the linebackers and the defensive line. The big question mark is offense. Their version of smash and dash went through a divorce this offseason, and they have an aging vet at quarterback(which we all know isn't a bad thing). With a 3rd string wide receiver at best in Washington, and a rookie in Britt, their offense may be the deciding factor of how successful 2009 will be for the Titans.

What to watch for: The Cardinals will face two former Cardinals of the "not so glory days" in Dave McGinnis, the Titans linebackers coach, and defensive end Kyle Vandenbosch. Another headline I'm sure we'll hear about is the battle between the two grey beards. This should be a battle in Tennessee and a potential Super Bowl 44 match up. ; )

Key Match up: Gerald Hayes vs Chris Johnson and LenDale White - Hayes will have his hands full.

Prediction: Loss - Playing the Titans in Tennessee is never easy, and it especially won't be for the Cardinals.

Week 13 - Vs Minnesota

Key Additions: QB Brett Favre, QB Sage Rosenfels, WR Percy Harvin

Key Losses: C Matt Birk, QB Gus Frerotte, S Darren Sharper

Analysis: The Vikings ended last year on a sour note, losing to the Eagles on their home turf. Aside from that, they were one of the best rushing teams in the league, mainly due to having the best running back in the league in Adrian Peterson. They also featured a fierce defense, possessing the best defensive line in the league. The biggest problem facing the Vikings was the lack, or lack-thereof a quarterback. Tavaris Jackson was thought to be the quarterback of the future for this team, until they found out he was playing not to lose. They experimented with Gus Frerotte but he didn't perform any better. Up until this week, they thought that Sage Rosenfels was going to be the answer, until they signed Brett Favre. With Favre at the helm, they may have just became one of the biggest threats in the league. Only time will tell if this works, and we may see a repeat of what Brett did last year with the Jets.

What to watch for: The most obvious point to watch for is how competitive the Cardinals come out for this game. The Vikings came to Arizona last year and embarrassed the Cardinals, who were trying to establish themselves as one of the best teams in the league at the time. Another factor to watch for is how the defense gets after Brett Favre. He torched the Cardinals in New York last year, throwing for six touchdowns. Revenge is likely to be in the air.

Key Match up: Brett Favre vs Cardinals secondary

Prediction: Win - This game could go either way. The Vikings beat us last year in our place, but hopefully the Cardinals learn from getting too comfortable with a lead in their division.

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Arizona Cardinals record after 12 games - 8-4

The Cardinals go 3-1 in part three of predicting their record, and it could have been worse. Squeaking out a win versus the Vikings can happen, and at this point in the season, the NFC West may all be a wrap. What do you think of the record so far? How likely is it that the Cardinals get revenge on the Vikings?

Three questions for the Rams vs. Jets: #2 Stopping the run

VanRam — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:40:42 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams rookie second-round draft pick linebacker James Laurinaitis holds the key to an improved Rams run defense.

Browse more photos »

I'll skip the intro and jump right into my second of three questions for the St. Louis Rams' preseason opener against the Jets tomorrow night. You can read the first one, asking how the Rams will fare against the Jets elite group of linebackers, right here.

Oh, don't forget to vote for which night you want Turf Show Radio to be broadcast. We're making it a regular weekly thing starting next week, so I need to get this settled.

How will the Rams run defense play against the Jets?

The Jets are a power running team, as we mentioned yesterday. How could they not be with an offensive line like that? Thomas Jones ran for 1300+ yards and 13 TDs, and this year they're planning on using Jones, Leon Washington and the bruising ex-Iowa RB Shonn Greene as kind of a three-headed monster. (Of course the contract situation with Washington could lead to some disgruntlement with Jones). Even without three of their starting offensive linemen, the Jets will be running the ball tomorrow night, and that means the work the Rams have done to address the middle of their defense will get its first test.

As you may recall, the Rams were bad against the run last year, historically bad. Getting bigger and more physical was one of the team's top priorities and led to some much needed moves in the signing of free agent SS James Butler, drafting MLB James Laurinaitis in the second round, drafting DT Darell Scott in the fourth round, and most recently adding enormous free agent DT Hollis Thomas.

Last season, the Jets had 4.75 adjusted line yards on runs through the middle, 3rd best in the league. Over the right tackle they had a league-best 4.97 ALY. A full 76% of their running plays came through either of those two spots. With Woody, Faneca and Mangold out tomorrow night, the Rams will have something more closer to a practice session than facing off with one of the best run-blocking units in the league. They might still have blocking FB Tony Richardson ready for this game, but he's been sitting out with a hip pointer. At 37-years-old (damn!) he might not see very many preseason snaps. Starters or not, the Jets playbook features lots of runs and they'll be using them tomorrow night. Unless reports of the Jets QBs playing "underwhelming football" forces them to use their much shakier passing game.

For more on the Xs and Os of the Rams run defense, be sure to go back and review 3k's last two Playbook Projector pieces.

Players to watch:

James Laurinaitis - He's calling the plays now, and more often than not, he'll also be the guy responsible for bringing down the running back. As far as Laurinaitis' role as the field general, watch how the Rams players hit their gaps, something they had terrible difficulties with last year. Then there are those instincts and tackling ability the Rams cited when they drafted him. This is his first chance to put it to the test.

James Butler - Butler replaced Corey Chavous, a respected player whose legs and tackling were long past their prime. On those obvious running situations, he'll be acting more like a fourth LB than a defensive back, which is a big part of the reason the Rams brought him here.

Hollis Thomas - Now, officially the biggest guy on the Rams defense, 340 lbs, he fills a big (ha!) need for a run stuffer in the middle that the Rams have been so sorely lacking. He's got to prove that he's healthy and still has what it takes as a situational player at the age of 35.

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)

Browse more photos »

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

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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?

NFC West Breakdown: St. Louis Rams

Pyromnc — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:00:11 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

7 months ago: St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo jogs across the practice field during NFL football minicamp at the Rams' training facility Friday, May 1, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Browse more photos »

ROTB would like to welcome a new author to the group, Pyromnc who will be previewing each of the NFC West teams in the upcoming weeks and he might even take a crack at each of the 2009 opponents on the Cardinals' schedule. Once the season kicks off Pyro can will help ROTB cover even more ground than we did last season and bring more content to this ever growing community ~ ROTB Admins

Key additions for 2009: C Jason Brown (Ravens), S James Butler (Giants), FB Mike Karney (New Orleans), WR Ronald Curry (Lions) , and WR Laurent Robinson (Falcons) and QB Kyle Boller (Ravens).

Key players lost for 2009: TE Anthony Becht (Cardinals), S Corey Chavous (FA), DT La'Roi Glover (Retired), QB Trent Green (Retired), OL Orlando Pace (Bears), WR Torry Holt (Jaguars), and LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (Bears).

Drafted Players: OT Jason Smith (1st), LB James Laurinaitis (2nd), CB Bradley Fletcher (3rd), DT Dorell Scott (4th), WR Brooks Foster(5th), QB Keith Null (6th), and RB Chris Obgonnaya (7th).

For the past few couple seasons the St. Louis Rams have been one of the worst teams in the NFL. In 2007 they went 3-13 and in 2008 they went 2-14. Those aren't very good records but things are starting to look good after the signing of former defensive coordinator of the Giants Steve Spagnuolo to be the head coach.

Over the past few years Spagnuolo had created one of the top defenses in the NFL with the Giants and he hopes to do the same with the Rams. He created these defenses by collecting lots of talented players to create depth at every position. He has already started doing this by drafting James Laurinaitis, Bradley Fletcher, and Dorell Scott, all of whom he hopes can contribute in a big way. He also went out and got one of his own from New York by signing James Butler to go along with Oshiomogho Atogwe at the safety spots on defense. Other notable players returning for another year that will help this defense become what Spags was known for in New York are Leonard Little (DE), James Hall (DE), Will Witherspoon (LB), Tye Hill (CB), Adam Carrker (DT) whom has not lived up to expectations yet. Last but certainly not least is the number two pick in last year's draft Chris Long who has Rams' fans hoping that he can play like his dad did for the Raiders.. With the new and returning players this unit has the potential to become one of the best in the league but will most likely need some more seasoning to become just that. As for the offensive side of the ball, well that's another story.

When you think of the Rams past offenses you think of Kurt Warner and that high powered offense that won the team a Super Bowl and came awfully close to winning a 2nd one. The current offense however is no where close to being mentioned in the same breath. Since that last Super Bowl this team has had a makeover on the offensive side and they have lost Kurt Warner, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Orlando Pace, and Marshal Faulk. Kurt Warner was replaced by Marc Bulger in 2003 and at the time was looking like the right move as Warner looked like he was on the downside of his career. Now that is looking like a bad move as Warner is back to being one of the top QBs in the league and Bulger can't stay healthy, and when he does he has trouble with turnovers. This could be attributed to the awful offensive lines that the Rams have had the past few seasons. This line has been unable to stay healthy which makes it hard for Bulger because the backups couldn't really create a pocket for Bulger to throw in. This should be fixed, at least a little bit, as they drafted Jason Smith to replace Pace and then went out and signed Jason Brown who played well for the Ravens last season. The losses of Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce leave the team with question marks at the receiver spots as the team really only has Donnie Avery and he has just 1 year experience, which means he still has a lot to prove. Steven Jackson was drafted to replace Faulk and he definitely is a very good RB and probably their best player on offense but his problem for the last few years has been staying healthy. Jackson absolutely has to stay healthy if this unit wants to do anything on offense as they are not very deep at the position. As you can see there are tons of question marks on this side of the ball.

Spags definitely has his work cut out for him as this team still needs some work on defense and a lot of work on offense. The biggest thing Spags really needs to do on defense is just continue creating depth and make sure the younger players continue to progress. On the offensive side of the ball he just needs to keep upgrading that line, making sure everyone stays healthy, and try to add some more playmakers. If he continues doing this than this Rams team should get back to that dominating team we all remember in 1999-20001.

Record for 2009: 4-12
Record Vs the Cardinals: 0-2
Record Vs the NFC West: 1-5

Poll

What's the Biggest obstacle facing the Rams this season?

Keeping Bulger, Jackson, and OL healthy

239 votes

Young receivers stepping up

60 votes

Defense playing with all the potential it has

75 votes

Somthing else, specify in comments.

11 votes

385 votes | Poll has closed

2009 NFL Free Agency: A quick tour of the NFC West

Fooch — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:00:10 -0000

Over the past three days we've obviously been quite engrossed with the 49ers free agent dealings. Throw in the rumors around guys like Kurt Warner and now Jay Cutler and it's easy to get distracted from the rest of the league, minus the big names like Haynesworth, Cassel and Dawkins, among others.

However, given the sometimes wide open nature of the NFC West, it seems particularly relevant to take a quick look around the division after the first weekend of free agency. Every team has important holes to fill and several moves have gone down to date. Of the four teams, the 49ers have been the most active.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams big move so far is signing center Jason Brown, a formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. Given the truly awful nature of their offensive line last year, this seems like a good move to start rebuilding their offensive line. Virtually every mock draft I've seen has them taking an offensive tackle with the 2nd overall pick. They've got a lot of holes to fill, so they might as well do as much as they can for that offensive line.

Giants strong safety James Butler visited St. Louis but has left without a contract and is next meeting with the Browns. Corey Chavous is certainly not getting any younger, so adding a youngster like Butler would most definitely help that secondary. The folks at Turf Show Times seem to think the Rams are focusing on re-signing CB Ron Bartell and adding Butler, before moving on to smaller names. And of course, Rams fans continue to wait for them to potentially release Orlando Pace and Torry Holt.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks 2008 season was an absolute disaster in large part due to injuries. However, they also have a host of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. They weren't exactly helped by the departures of free agents DT Rocky Bernard and RB Maurice Morris. Morris isn't a stud running back, but he was a solid complement to Julius Jones, who is not known as a workhorse. There aren't many options in free agency, but maybe Cal favorite Justin Forsett will get a crack at some reps.

The one Seahawk addition is DT Colin Cole, a guy that Seahawks fans are not too excited about. He was a backup in Green Bay and at 29 isn't getting any younger. Throw in the loss of Rocky Bernard and the Seahawks still have some holes on that d-line. Beyond that, they've been a part of the TJ Houshmandzadeh traveling road show. However, it now appears to be down to Minnesota and Cincinnati for the services of Housh.

Arizona Cardinals: The biggest story in Arizona, obviously, is the Kurt Warner saga. He's scheduled to visit San Francisco today, but I think most people view it as an attempt by Warner and his agent to gain leverage with Arizona. With Warner back the Cardinals would still be very dangerous heading into 2009. If they lose Warner, whether it be to the 49ers, some other team or retirement, they become quite the wildcard. Matt Leinart could step up for them, but who knows. We've got plenty of time to figure that one out.

Other than Warner, the Cardinals re-signed 3rd string QB Brian St. Pierre. So far they've lost 3rd string RB JJ Arrington to Denver and starting defensive end Antonio Smith to Houston. In an interesting bit of news, they've brought Steelers CB Bryant McFadden in for a visit. Signing McFadden would inject some serious depth into their secondary. Let's root for somebody else to come up with a better offer for McFadden.

All in all it's been a pretty quiet free agency period for the NFC West. I'd say the 49ers and Rams have done the best job so far. But, of course, it's still early and there is still plenty of talent out there. Unless things are really quiet this week, I'll plan on having another update of NFC West signings next Monday.

Chavous gone; Martz gone mad

VanRam — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:32:53 -0000

The Rams made the first roster cut of the Devaney/Spagnuolo/Demoff era, acting upon the wishes of S Corey Chavous and his agent to release him as soon as possible.

Not really a surprise. It's been pretty apparent that Chavous was not going to be playing with the Rams anymore, especially once Todd Johnson started in his place. The Rams need a nails SS for next season, a guy to be the extra man in the box and enough speed to keep the middle patrolled. Whether that happens in the draft or through free agency remains to be seen. If Oregon's Patrick Chung falls to the second round, that could be a great get for the Rams. Safeties featured pretty heavily in this post from the Senior Bowl.

In other news...

Mike Martz has gotten a little paranoid, claiming that others in the league are blackballing him. Guess where it all starts, Rams fans?

Most of the perception came from St. Louis. There was so much bitterness and anger and it all stems from my relationship Jay [Zygmunt]. Really, it emanated from a couple people and I’ve now been dogged with it throughout my career.