Seattle has shown patience with its players and that patience has rewarded the team. It's easy from afar to endorse canceling the Brandon-Mebane-at-three experiment. He replaced Chuck Darby like a one-tech savant, fixing the run defense and catalyzing an explosion of sacks from Darryl Tapp and Patrick Kerney. Tapp and Kerney had four sacks through six games with Darby starting at left defensive tackle. It had 17.5 in the remaining 10. Mebane became better his sophomore season. He freed sacks and led the team in sacks. Bane would pop at the snap and make a double team look foolish.
He isn't doing that this season. He is more disruptive than ever before. Mebane isn't crushing the pile into a sack, but slicing in, stringing wide and forcing passes. Instead of canceling the experiment, dropping Mebane back to one and searching this offseason for reinforcements at three, the Seahawks could replace the problem piece. Draft Dan Williams at 17 and force Colin Cole to battle Red Bryant for activation on Sunday. Maybe that motivates Bryant and reduces Cole to an obsolete stopgap finishing out the last significant year of his contract on the bench.
Williams is a crusha.
Birthdate: June 1, 1987
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 327
School: Tennessee
Starts and Game Played: 36 and 42
Stats: Five sacks, one assist, 17 hurries, 19 solo loss, seven assist lost and one blocked kick.
Quick take: Huge prototypical one-tech frame. Needs help with his first step, but already has low-level NFL pass rush moves. That's pretty beastly for a college defensive tackle. A natural athlete at the one, he has raw muscle development but a powerful, broad build. Good straight line speed.
Ruskell Sieve: Williams seems like a good kid. In this interview he is soft spoken with good things to say about his coaches. Tennessee plays in the SEC East; Ruskell's old stomping grounds. Gus Bradley has strong ties with Vols defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. Kiffin's son, head coach Lane Kiffin, said: "Our defense starts with Dan. He's a dominant force and making himself a lot of money."
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