10 questions facing the defense

Started by SD_Eagle5, July 25, 2007, 06:19:38 PM

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SD_Eagle5

We're all hard pressed for some Eagles talk so I figured this was thread worthy:

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Quote10 questions facing defense

By: REUBEN FRANK



When the Eagles' newly constructed first-team defense takes the field at Lehigh on Wednesday morning, a huge pile of questions will begin to be answered.

When last season ended in New Orleans, the Eagles' starting defense included Dhani Jones, Rod Hood, Darwin Walker, Darren Howard, Trent Cole and Omar Gaither.

Jones was released and resurfaced with the Saints, Hood signed with the Cards as a free agent and Walker was traded to the Bills as part of the Takeo Spikes deal. Howard, Cole and Gaither are still Eagles but not guaranteed an opening-day starting spot.

Do the math and it's possible the Eagles will have more than a 50 percent turnover from their starting defense on Jan. 13, when their 2006 season ended with a playoff loss to the Saints.

In two 2007 playoff games, the Eagles allowed 740 total yards, 393 of them on the ground. So it's no surprise that head coach Andy Reid this offseason has tried to reshape the team's defense.

The Eagles last year ranked 26th in the NFL in rush defense and for the fourth straight year failed to have anybody reach double figures in sacks.

With training camp just a few days away, let's look at 10 key issues facing Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson as the Eagles try to once again become one of the NFL's elite defenses.

1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?

Kearse had 36 sacks in his first three years with the Titans. Since his 26th birthday, he has 30 sacks in five seasons, two of which he lost to injuries. He hasn't reached double figures since 2001, he's coming off a season-ending injury and he turns 31 before opening day.

Kearse is due to earn $5.2 million this year, but can he produce $5.2 million worth of pass pressure? So far, Kearse has fewer eight-sack seasons as an Eagle than Mike Mamula. He was off to a great start before he got hurt last year, but the Eagles need more than a great start from Kearse. They need a great season.

2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?

The sight of Brodrick Bunkley squeezed into a tiny seat in the back of a packed Embraer commuter jet on his way to Indianapolis last year symbolized his season. Bunkley had missed the team flight and was stuck on a commercial flight for a game he was suspended for.

It was a lost season for Bunkley, the first-round pick out of Florida State. He reported late, wasn't in shape, played only a few snaps per game, and never got out of Johnson's doghouse.

Now, it seems like Bunkley has flipped the switch. He's in shape, he's got a positive attitude and he's a projected starter. Is it all lip service or is he on the brink of stardom?

3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?

Can he still play? It's that simple. Trotter wore down as last year wore on and was a shadow of his former all-pro self by the playoffs. Omar Gaither can play in the middle and took reps there during minicamps, but he's no Trotter. If the Eagles are going to make a dramatic improvement on defense this year, Trotter has to make a dramatic improvement in his 10th NFL season.

4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?

Considine is a Johnson favorite because of his deep understanding of the defense and knack for being in the right place at the right time. Fans are down on Considine because he got trampled a few times in rush defense, but Johnson hasn't wavered in his support, saying he'd be "shocked" if Considine doesn't become an outstanding player.

Considine looks bigger and stronger than as a rookie, when a shoulder injury left him unable to lift and maintain his strength. But if he can't parlay that strength into production, look for Quintin Mikell to get a shot at strong safety.

5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?

Three sacks in his first four games, then two sacks the rest of the season for Howard, who had only five solo tackles in his last six games. Howard will be 31 in November and has surpassed five sacks just once in the last four seasons. The fear is that he's just an average player at the end of the line. Don't be shocked if he's gone by opening day.

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?

He's never played an NFL snap and he's never played linebacker. But Gocong finds himself the Eagles' starting strong-side linebacker, at least for now. The Eagles have some flexibility here — moving Spikes to strong and starting Gaither at weak — but they want Gocong to succeed. He has the size and speed to do it, but it's all just a projection right now.

7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?

Dawkins keeps himself in remarkable shape, but the way he plays the game takes a toll. At some point — not that far off — Dawkins will walk away from football. While he's still playing, the Eagles need him to continue making big plays at a brisk pace. They have so few playmakers on defense, they can't afford a dropoff in Dawkins' production.

8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?

Spikes comes from Buffalo as something of a mystery. He hasn't been the same since he tore his Achilles in September of 2005. He's now 30 years old and three years removed from his last big-time season. He has to be better than Dhani Jones. But can Spikes be the playmaker at outside linebacker the Eagles haven't had since William Thomas?

9. Is Will James as good as he says?

Hood was one of the top nickel corners in the game when he was at his best and there was no dropoff from Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard. But Hood had an off year and is now in Arizona. The oft-injured James gets the first shot at nickel this summer. If he can play as well as he brags, the Eagles will be fine.

But James isn't Hood. Look for teams to go three wide against the Eagles often to test James.

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?

Six sacks the first five games, then just two the rest of the year. Cole was unstoppable early but wore down under the strain of starting in place of Kearse. The Eagles will get the most out of him as a third-down specialist, but they may not have that luxury.


For those with ADD I went back and bolded the questions

Rome

1.  Define 'Play.'  Will he be a wrecking ball like he was with the Titans?  No.  Can he play up to the level he did in 2004?  Yes.

2.  I hope so.  There are decent veterans behind him but he's got buckets of skill.  Let's hope last year was a blip.

3.  Trotter's got enough left to be a 2-down linebacker.  They have Gaither for the other down, so yeah, he's fine.

4.  No farging way.

5.  I asked this same question and got lambasted here a few months ago.  You go, Reuben.

6.  Who knows?  I hope so.  I also doubt it.

7.  Dawkins >>>>>>>> God.  He's a rare breed who could play another 5 years.  The last six weeks of the regular season last year proved that.

8.  Yes.  Takeo's going to be a force.

9.  I don't think he's great but he's probably as good as Rod Hood and that's good enough for a nickel corner.

10.  Killa's legit.  He better be if Kearse or Howard shtein the bed again, that's for sure.

PhillyPhreak54

1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?

I think he can. Regardless of what people say the fact remains that teams are still scared of him because of his speed. So even if he's not getting 10+ sacks he's still facing constant double teams and sometimes doubles with a back chipping him. So we can ponder this all we want but the proof is in how teams scheme against him. If he was done they would not pay any attention to him. He's still a freak and he makes everyone on that DL better by being on the field. He was off to a great start last year. I think we see a good year from him.

2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?

We better hope so. I like what we've heard from him and the Eagles are banking on him being a stud. I think last year was an eye-opener. I've said before that I thought he came into last year thinking that since he KILLED everyone at the college level with his strength he thought he could do that in the NFL; he was wrong. Now he focused on technique and getting into better shape and we'll see what happens. But if he does live up to the potential I really like the starting duo of Patterson and Bunkley.

3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?

Yes. I'm a Trotter homer but like Romey said; he has enough to be a 2-down MIKE and then give way to Gaither in the nickel and dime packages. He's slimmed down and will be effective. Of course he needs protection in front of him and I think Bunkley and Ian Scott will help him there.

4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?

I'm not really on the Considine hate-train like most. I would have loved to have seen Merriweather or Nelson at SS, but they could do much worse at SS. Like Damon Moore or Blaine Bishop. Mike Lewis lost his game the past two years and while Considine didn't impress in run-support he was decent in coverage. And the strength issue was a big one. Last year was essentially his rookie year and he was not horrible. There seems to be a theme with SS's; either you are a great run stopper and an in-the-box guy (Mike Lewis) or you're a guy who might not be able to thump guys in the box but can cover deep and stick a TE here and there.

5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?

I hope so. Howard was injured last year and that affected his play. I watched him in camp, when he was healthy, and we saw what he did early on. He can play. He is versatile because he slides down in passing situations. Losing Kearse last year hurt Howard and Cole. Howard had to play through the injury and lost his game. Cole wore down. They could not sustain the loss of Jevon because they had no depth at DE.

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?

That might be the biggest question on this defense. He gets killed by people because he's being switched and was a small-school player but he's got potential. He is a "football player". He is the kind of guy who shows up on film. That is the type of players the Pats draft. You might not have heard of them but they find guys who show up around the ball and end up playing well because they are just football players; not workout warriors who someone falls in love with because they run a great 40 in Indy. Is he that guy? Let's see. Because if it does not work out they have options there. Bradley is a true-SAM; Spikes can slide over with OG going to WIL. And my sleeper, a guy who I really watched at Lehigh last year is TANK DANIELS. He has SAM-size and is fast. He will make the team this year.

7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?

Everything. Next question.

8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?

Yes. And even if he's not, he isn't Dhani goddamn Jones.

9. Is Will James as good as he says?

One of the things I will be watching when I go up this year. Is his play backing up his mouth? Look, Rod Hood sucked last year. He was a good nickel guy early here but he was getting smoked last year. And his run support was shtein too. He Deion'd more tackles than Primetime himself. Good riddance to Rod. Will James is a starter in this league and will play well.

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?

Like I said about Howard; losing Kearse hurt everyone. Cole wore down, Howard wore down. He needs to be a force but at the same time needs to get his rest. He also needs to develop another move because his speed isn't Freak-like where he cam blow by everyone at any moment. The Eagles desperately need a deep DE rotation because it helps everyone when that happens (duh). If JJ has the luxury of 4 healthy and productive DEs this defense is awesome.

MDS

1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?

He'll still be effective, though not like he was before and he's also about as fragile as Westbrook.

2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?

Probably not.

3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?

Didn't have anything last year, so why would that change now?

4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?

Well yea, but a pretty mediocraly

5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?

Yes, but he won't play too much.

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?

No.

7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?

The last remnants of some steroids and a Big Mac

8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?

No, he is not.

9. Is Will James as good as he says?

No.

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?

Yea, kid's pretty damn good.


SUPER BOWL !!11!!
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

Diomedes

1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?
He'll do alright, but this his last year as an Eagle.  6.66 sacks.

2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?
No.

3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?
Dumb as a rock but his motor still runs strong so yeah, he's got this year left and that's it.

4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?
No

5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?
Yes.  He had an off year.  He'll be fine.

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?
Nope

7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?
One more year of good to great football.  Another year of decent football and great locker room prescence.  Then audi like a saudi on 9/11.

8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?
No.  But he's still better than any other LB the Eagles have...so he'll do.

9. Is Will James as good as he says?
Goddamn, it would be nice if he was.  But I think not.

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?
Without a doubt, yes.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

mussa

so many of these questions depend on the gameplan. im a strong believer in taking advantage of the players you have and putting them in position to use them at their best potential. so many questions are asked of the players, but in reality are the coaches actually doing their jobs? its like chess...stick with the same moves and expecting results is murder. the trend ive seen is when the game plan changes or adaptes the results are good, but when they make the same moves, it doesn't work.
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rjs246

Lots of old beat up question marks to go with lots of young unproven question marks on this defense...
Is rjs gonna have to choke a bitch?

Let them eat bootstraps.

TexasEagle

Quote from: rjs246 on July 26, 2007, 12:24:25 AM
Lots of old beat up question marks to go with lots of young unproven question marks on this defense...

Welcome to the Philadelphia Eagles Defense.

Pretty standard fare as far as the questions go. Injury related questions are pointless as there's no telling how the person's body will recover.

Bunkley's the biggest question for me. Will he show something or be another McDougal? Considine's a close second but I'm still giving last year a bit of a flier since I view it as his rookie season. This year is make or break. I think the Gocong thing is ridiculous. I don't think he'll ever amount to a good LB, but who knows. I find myself having a hard time caring either way. I just can't help but think he's wasting a roster spot on someone that might be good.

General_Failure

1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?
For up to two games at a time. A full season? No.

2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?
No.

3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?
No.

4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?
No.

5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?
To even assume they'd cut him would mean they have four guys as good or better than him. They are..?

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?
No.

7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?
Enough for this season, at least.

8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?
No.

9. Is Will James as good as he says?
No, but who is?

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?
Yes.

The man. The myth. The legend.

ice grillin you

i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

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im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

Wingspan

The 11th question is whether or not Jim Johnson has suddenly realized that his scheme needed a complete overhaul.

If not, the defense will be more of the same.
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Feva

1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?

I still think he can... though he clearly isn't the force he was early in his career.  He's still the primary pass rusher, and he helps out everyone else on this D-line so he needs to stay healthy and be a viable threat at LDE.


2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?

If not... the D is in trouble.  He's really a big piece of what the Eagles figure to want to do.  In addition to the obvious run stopping... he needs to be able to do his part in getting to the QB so the D doesn't have to blitz to get sacks.  I'm not expecting Tommie Harris this season, but I do think he'll be way ahead of what he was last year.


3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?

For 2 downs, yeah.  He can still tackle, he can still chase RB's... and he'll still shoot the wrong gap from time to time.  As long as they can avoid getting Trotter isolated in pass coverage on a regular basis... he should be fine.  Gaither's waiting there regardless.


4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?

I've never really been that confident in Considine as far as run support and I'm not convinced his "adding weight" is going to make that much of a difference.  To me, run support's not so much about weight as it is about technique and attitute.  I think he'll continue to be adequate in pass coverage.


5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?

Of course he will.  We're not so stacked at DE that we can afford to let him go.  I think that if both he and Kearse stay healthy... he can have a damn good season because he'll benefit from a whole lot of one on one matchups at RDE.  Matter of fact, I'm hoping he retains the starting spot at this point because as much as I love Killa, I love him even more as a pass rushing "specialist".

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?

As much as I want this kid to succeed at SAM, I just see Witten, Shockey and Cooley eating his ass up more times than not.  I hope he can prove me wrong.


7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?

Maybe we should start looking at his replacement in 2017.


8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?

Probably not... but he doesn't really have to be.  Let's be real here.  Takeo Spikes at 80% of what he was is still better than any LB the Eagles have had here not named Trotter or Emmons since Willie T.  I do think he's going to be a difference maker for the D, making some big plays... and (more important) bringing some sound TACKLING to the defense.  That's always been a strongpoint for Spikes.


9. Is Will James as good as he says?

Nah, probably not.  He thinks he's Champ Bailey or somebody though.  I don't think there's much of a chance he takes Sheldon's starting job... but I think (health provided) that he's as good a nickel corner as there is.  Again, when healthy... he was a starting CB in this league... and a pretty good one.  We get the most out of him this year and then he'll bolt after that to go after a staring job somewhere else.

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?

Like I said earlier... I like him as an every down player, but I love him as a pass rush specialist.
"Now I'm completing up the other half of that triangle" - Emmitt Smith on joining Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin in the Hall of Fame

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Sgt PSN

Quote from: Wingspan on July 26, 2007, 08:06:11 AM
The 11th question is whether or not Jim Johnson has suddenly realized that his scheme needed a complete overhaul.

If not, the defense will be more of the same.

holla!

PhillyPhanInDC


1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?

Can he play? Yeah. Will he play like the old Freak? No, no way in hell. He's gotta stay healthy, and for awhile offenses will still respect him, but after awhile he'll begin to get treated like an average end. I don't even think he'll make it eight games, and this will be his last season with the Birds.


2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?

I don't believe the hype. Dude showed absolutely nothing last year. Zip. Now we're supposed to believe he is going to make a complete 180, and go from completely invisible, to a dominant force? I've heard that before. I'm not so worried. I think Reagor and Scott were upgrades by themselves, so if Bunkley is a dud, it's not like there is an abyss behind him.


3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?

For two downs......maybe. I think by the end of the season Gaither will be taking most of the snaps. Trotter looked like complete ass as the season wore down. An old man.

4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?

I think Considine will do a decent job. I remember a story my old man told me about going to boot camp. He said if when you are done, if your drill instructors can barely remember your name, you did alright. I think this will be Considine. Not going to be making jaw dropping plays, highlight reels, but you won't see him making many boneheaded stupid mistakes. He'll be invisible, both in a good way and a bad one.


5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?

No doubt. Who would replace him?

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?

I think they are just trying to boost the kid's confidence at this point. I don't think he'll be the opening day SAM. I believe he won't be a total waste however. He can play as a situational DE, or the joker. Here's hoping Tank or Bradley show us something in camp, I do not want Spikes moved from the WIL.

7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?

Highly enriched plutonium apparently.

8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?

No way is he like he was in Cincy or Buffalo a few years back. He's gotten older. If he he 85-90% percent of what he was before the Achilles, he's still a beast. Go back and look at the tape of when he was fresh against New England last year. He disrupted a lot of what the Pats were trying to do on offense. He's only more confident and stronger in the achilles.

9. Is Will James as good as he says?

I don't think he is, according to him, Lito should be worried. I think there is a chance he could outplay Sheldon at CB though.

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?

Nope. The dude is so out of his mind high motor, he burns himself out it seems. Do like Mike Vick, and chain his ass to a car axle until a passing situation.
"The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.""  R.I.P George.

Mad-Lad

#14
1. Can Jevon Kearse play anymore?
He can play, but his knee may think otherwise.  If the defensive tackle position doesn't improve drastically from last year it won't matter.

2. Has Brodrick Bunkley really figured it out?
I doubt he's figured it out, but he wouldn't be the projected starter if he had no idea what he's doing.  Fortunately, they'll be able to rotate DTs a lot.

3. Does Jeremiah Trotter have anything left?
No.  Trotter sucks.

4. Can Sean Considine survive at strong safety?
No one really knows.  I have no doubt he could be a fantastic backup, but he's got to be better than the other SS on the team

5. Will Darren Howard even make the team?
Yes.

6. Is Chris Gocong really an NFL linebacker?
Yes.  Unfortunately, he's an outside linebacker in a 3-4 system.

7. What's left in Brian Dawkins' tank?
Running on fumes.  I see a year or two left.

8. Is he the Takeo Spikes of old?
Better than the other LBs, but not the Spikes of old.

9. Is Will James as good as he says?
Lets hope so.  Worst case scenario, he's an upgrade at nickel back.

10. Is Trent Cole an every-down player?
No.