Seahawks August 3 Practice Report: Defensive Line
by John Morgan on Aug 3, 2010 5:35 PM PDT
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PrintCaffeine is an appetite suppressant. Did you know that? I am reaching the limits of where a banana and a handful of almonds can take me. This might be the last post for a while. Whatever doesn't get posted today will spill over to tomorrow. Plus: The Brandon Mebane 2009 Season Retrospective. Didn't think I forgot my favorite player, did you? ME! BANE!
- Tomorrow at SB Nation Seattle I will talk about vital differences I've noticed between the way Pete Carroll conducts a practice and the way Jim Mora conducted* a practice. For now, I noticed bull and tip drills when I walked in. There's more to this than meets the eye, but most basically I think Seattle is attempting to improve its line's ability to deflect passes. Deflected passes are a component of interceptions, dontchaknow.
- Rob Rose is all kinds of quick for a man his size. I wonder where he fits in. LoJack replacement?
- E.J. Wilson looks lean and is showing better overall quickness than he did at North Carolina. I wasn't blown away by Wilson as a Tarheel but the coaches must have seen something they could develop. I have a lot of faith in Dan Quinn's eye for line talent.
- Ricky Foley is very quick, no doubt.
- He showed a respectable push move during one pass rush. His ability to not get killed by offensive linemen is vital for him making it in the NFL, but I'm still pretty skeptical. He just looks too thin without enough lower body bulk.
- Colin Cole is a good teammate. He was slapping hands with everyone after a drill. I've read some comments wondering why I don't rip up Cole more, and I think it's simple: Cole does what's asked of him. It's not his fault that his acquisition represents losing football.
- I noticed Nick Reed talking to Foley. It looked like a mentoring moment. Foley is 29. Reed is eternal.
- Reed gets around the edge in a hurry, but his spin move, or at least one spin move I noticed, was pretty sad. You can't be that small and move that slow unless you want the lineman to throw you into the stands.
- I counted as many as three sacks from Reed. He really is the Bruce Lee of pass rush. There's no reason Nick Reed should be so good at football, but he is. And he's getting better.
- Lawrence Jackson was out of pads. I noticed, quite conspicuously, Jackson lagging behind his linemates as they hustled to huddle up with the larger group. I want, really want Jackson to overcome his ruts. I've known a lot of people that suffer failure and get down down down until the down makes the failure.
- During his rookie season, someone use to write me and cuss me out for criticizing Jackson. I wonder if that was LoJack himself.
- Say what you will about the scheme viability of Red Bryant at end, the move has turned a busted prospect into a heck of a 3-4 style end. He has the quickness to achieve the corner and once there, it takes a powerful tackle to stop him from crashing the edge. Leverage held him back, but his mix of power and quickness plays on the edges.
- Bryant and Brandon Mebane each ranged out for an open field tackle -- Bryant against Force and Mebane against Jones.
*Emphasis on the past tense.
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I want LoJack to succeed
given what was invested in him and the fact that I liked him at USC. Sadly it seems less and likely all the time.
[DELETED ZOMG NO POLITICS]
It's been said before,
but thanks for all these notes. Otherwise, we’d be stuck reading the party line.
by broadbill birdwatcher on Aug 3, 2010 5:41 PM PDT reply actions
Encouraging notes about Red.
With him at end along with Cole and Mebane we should have a hell of a run-stuffing unit. You do foresee Bryant subbing off for someone like Reed on obvious passing downs, yes?
From what I saw of Foley the other day he does look really quick, shame that he’s already 29.
by Woodinville_12thMan on Aug 3, 2010 6:08 PM PDT reply actions
Jackson would be the likely sub at strong side
Reed is all about the pass rush and the blind side attack.
I think if by obvious passing downs you mean dime package, that might happen.
But maybe that would be Curry, or even Hill. That’s tough to predict right now, but you would be 100% correct that Bryant doesn’t play on obvious passing downs. In fact the Gus Bradley was talking about who would replace him in nickle on the radio, I just can’t remember who he thought the possibilities were. He’d play end on the same plays a nose tackle would play in a standard 3-4.
For the love of The Hawks!
Someone in Seattle meet up with our boy and buy him some WinCo groceries and a bottle of B12! We need his mind sharp for these updates.
I figured you wouldn't.
Neither would I, so I probably understand some of your reasons. But I’d def. be willing if you ever need it, you provide me a free service that is much better quality than what most people pay for.
I can afford food from a monetary standpoint
just don’t have time to stop and eat. But now I do. To some overpriced burrito shop or something.
Don't like Cole as a player at all
Which makes him an easy target, but every interview I’ve heard from him he seems genial (rather than genital, which was my first spelling of the word) and a genuinely good dude. That Chargers preseason game got me a little hopeful for him, that didn’t last past the Niners.
You had seemed to be skeptical about Red’s chances at end, can I take these comments as an amendment to that skepticism?
Bryant will be used in a way that can work
but only if Seattle generates sufficient pressure from its linebackers and Leo. That’s more or less my conclusion.
Caffeine, I did not realize had that property.
But it makes sense. I do know that later you pay for it, as it is a natural laxative and seems to speed up my metabolism.
Uugh
I tried to cancel this comment entirely. But since that didnt work, overkill is the only option. Basically most stimulants have this property. It is the traditional use of the coca leaf before it is processed into cocaine. This processing was originally done only so that it could shipped across the Atlantic, but adding a methyl group changes things.
by Moresoftness on Aug 3, 2010 8:16 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
One more thing.
Say what you will about the scheme viability of Red Bryant at end, the move has turned a busted prospect into a heck of a 3-4 style end. He has the quickness to achieve the corner and once there, it takes a powerful tackle to stop him from crashing the edge. Leverage held him back, but his mix of power and quickness plays on the edges.
Offensive tackles are taller and longer almost across the board, so it makes sense that he would get much better leverage as an end than as a tackle. Talk about a move to minimize a player’s weakness. We still are a long way from seeing actual production that is worth something to the team from this move, but it is at least intriguing, and we’ve all been rooting for Red’s talent to turn into something on the field.
Rose and Wilson
Maybe Bennett and Walker of 2010?
Hell, maybe the Bucs drafting McCoy and Price makes Bennett available.
Quinn seems to be THAT good.
I would’t be surprised if both he (and maybe Bates) are Head Coaches within the next…4 years. Especially if they turn the Hawks around.
Rose sure does look the part
The dude is a monstrosity. Looks like a 3-4 end all the way, but I understand he’s got a history of injury issues, so…
Great Post!
Love to hear the good stuff. Keep up the good work.
BANE!
Can’t wait for tomorrow’s retrospective
John... Am I sensing that you might... just might
be getting the impression that this “D-line thingy” has a shot to work?
Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.
PS: Screen name isn't what you think it means.
This post definitely has that tone doesn't it?
Though they sink through the Sea, they shall rise again...Death shall have no dominion...
Wha... what's that feeling? Is, is it hope?
Nooooooooo…..
Karma police, arrest this man.
by wyte_lightning on Aug 3, 2010 11:08 PM PDT up reply actions
It is hard to imagine that a coach would be willing to try something that has no shot at working.
The more we “know” about this, the more we can see the reasoning. Last year we were beginning to feel the same way as we tried to imagine what the “west coast defense” was. The front 7 and how it looks to function this year is what I imagine last season’s defense was attempting to do, but with much more clarity and direction.
Even Pete Carroll expressed his qualms about whether Red at DE could actually work before seeing him in pads.
“He’s been inside and we hadn’t seen him much,” Carroll said. "But he can stretch out and chase the football. He had a highlight play yesterday when he ran from one side to the other sideline and was flying.
“He did that in the OTAs and we just needed to see him in pads. We weren’t sure. He had trouble inside. He’s almost too tall and is really a long-legged kid. So it’s really helped to space him out a little at the defensive end spot and he’s taken to it at an area where we just didn’t have anybody on the squad that was big and strong to give us an element like that.”
And he obviously signed off on it even back then. I’d say the fact that he is still first string and how much Pete is gushing about his play is exciting. And pushes us squarely towards 3-4 principles with Curry’s position, which I can’t help but like.
LoJack sat out at least one of the drills today.
Did you notice this too, John? He just sort of stood by the wayside as his DL counterparts practiced.
Adjusting the scheme to maximize available talent. Imagine that.
As opposed to the previous “Implement a scheme that worked great when you had Hall of Fame guys on your roster, and blame your players for not being Warren Sapp and Ronde Barber” system.
Let’s hear it for no salary cap on coaches!!!! Thank You, Mr. Allen!!!!
Brilliant!
Let’s hope it works. The blitzes timely; the defensive packages productive. I like the idea of more 34 ‘D’. And, in this case I mean the defense. ;)
Red Bryant: surprise us!
Here's an encouraging corollary to the upcoming Mebane retrospective outlook:
Faneca, 33, struggles in one-on-one pass-rush drills. The Jets released him even though his salary was guaranteed, making a strong statement as to what they thought he had left. The Cardinals couldn’t pass up adding Faneca to their line. They can benefit from his leadership and experience. I just wonder whether he’ll be one of the two best guards on the team this season, particularly once Lutui rounds into shape.
Wasn't it Lutui that showed up at like 390+ to OTAs?
Yep. 396 in June. Regardless, he might be the Cards’ best lineman.
Red Bryant: surprise us!
So basically the Cardinals' line is a potential mess?
And we’re gonna take advantage?
Though they sink through the Sea, they shall rise again...Death shall have no dominion...
Yes, but that's not what he's at now.
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